Post Chemo - 1 Week Later

Happy Labor day! Bailey is doing fabulous and looking forward to a morning at the park.

The second round of chemo was rough as the side effects kicked in 12 hours post treatment - normally they start day 3. Bailey got sick a couple times (day 2 and 3) combined with slimy drool on day 3. Her tummy was upset days 2-4 and she ate very little. As of day 5, she was feeling back to normal and craving attention. Our favorite vet did chemo for her Mastiff a few years ago and warned us in advance that round 2 was rough. Boy, was she right!

As for food, Bailey has become quite picky over the past month. Our initial goal was to cut out carbs (they feed cancer), but our run-in with Pancreatitis put that meal plan on hold. The week prior to chemo, Bailey was eating a home cooked meal of boiled rice and chicken. We used white rice, but I've read both brown and white can be used. When her appetite kicked in on Friday (4 days after chemo), we started her on eggs, low salt crackers and lowfat prescription canned dog food. We will stick with the low fat/bland diet for another day then slowly introduce regular food. I boiled chicken last night, but she had no interest. Can't say I blame her! Medication wise, she took Cerenia pills to help with vomiting days 2-5 and a Pepcid AC days 5-6.

I found a great link for hemangiosarcoma via Yahoo Groups - it's called the Sumner Foundation. Basically, it's a place where those battling the awful disease can go for advice, support and comradery. I've learned so much from this site in just a few days and have a new found hope that we can help Bailey even more. I've also found a number of cases where dogs beat the odds of hemangiosarcoma and live for months and YEARS past their prognosis! While it's the Vets job to give us stats (life expectancy of 6 months with chemo), talking with owners who go the extra mile to help their beloved pets is equally important to me.

We're excited to meet with a homeopathic vet on Tuesday as she practices both traditional and holistic methods. We feel she will help us find the right balance for Bailey's diet, supplements and treatment. Although pricey, we have decided to do an ultrasound on Bailey prior to the next chemo treatment. If the cancer has spread, we will stop the chemo all together and solely do homeopathic treatment. If the cancer is in remission (please God - say it is), we will likely continue with chemo and may look at a different formula in hopes to lesson the side effects. It's worth mentioning especially as I know others with hemangio are following Bailey's Blog, that her side effects are NOT normal. In all of my research and talking with doggie parents, most have little to no side effects. I think Bailey's situation has been worse as she is also dealing with a Pancreatitis, Valley Fever, possible UTI and all the meds supporting those illnesses.

Baileyism
I imagine this will come as no surprise, but Bailey is a bit spoiled and can be sassy when she doesn't get her way (hmmm - I wonder where she gets that from). When snuggling in bed with us, she lets out a high-pitched whine if we close our eyes and stop petting her. This, or course, is only when SHE wants attention as it's often on her terms. Our favorite thing about Bailey is her personality and silly mannerisms - she keeps us laughing and smiling from the inside out.

Here is a snapshot from this morning - Bailey is "over" me typing this blog and ready to head to the park for some fun!