Chemotherapy

 

 

After finding out Navi did infact have cancer we had quick decisions to make. Option one was spend another $1000 - $2000 to have her go through chemotherapy.  This would require her to come into the hospital every few weeks for IV chemo. Option two is to do low dose chemo pills that she would take once a day. Option three was do nothing and give her a happy last few months. We had two weeks to decide which option to choose because her form of cancer spreads quickly and aggressively so two weeks can make all the difference in the world.

 

We thought about all the options. Obviously we wanted to do what was best for Navi and choose the option that would give her the best quality of life. After doing a ton of research and talking to the doctor we decided that the Chemo pills would be the best option. Around 75% percent of dogs have no side effects with chemo pills. The most common side effect is diarrhea. There is no hair loss like most people think. With hesitance we decided to go ahead and give it a whirl. We weren’t ready to give up and accept losing Navi.

 

Luckily she reacted very well to the pills. During the first week of medication we took her on a hike in the mountains and she was acting perfectly normal. We continued the medication for 3 months with blood screening taking place every few weeks. After three months we noticed that she was using the restroom more than usual. Upon further inspection we saw that there was a bit of blood in her urine. We immediately made her a doctors appointment. As it turned out Cytoxin (one of her pills) can cause Urinary issues. We immediately stopped this drug and she returned to normal within a week or so. At that point we started to worry that these drugs could be causing more damage than good so we made the decision to stop giving her chemo. 

 

Meanwhile we had been making about 80% of her food, and mixing it with organic dog food. We also gave her essiac pills, mushroom pills, tons of fruits and veggies, walks and adventures all the time. We showered her in love, attention, and treats. It was a stressful time as we thought her life could end at any moment, but we tried to make the most of it and give her a happy life!