The Dog Cancer Survival Guide (78 page)

Type B:
“I want to keep my dog’s life quality high, while prolonging her life as much as possible. I understand that there may be some side effects with treatment and I’m willing to deal with them as they arise. However, if they are too extreme, I will not be happy. My main goal is to balance life quality and life expectancy.”

Type C:
“I want to keep my dog as comfortable as possible. I understand that side effects may arise as a result of treatments, and I want to avoid any but the most minor. My main concern is my dog’s quality of life, so, I am not willing to prolong life, if life quality suffers.”

Which type are you? There is no right or wrong way to be; no matter what, there is plenty you do to help your dog.

The amount of money spent on cancer treatments is an important consideration for most guardians. Some spend tens of thousands of dollars on their dog’s cancer treatments, while others spend far less.

It might seem that people with more money spend more on cancer treatments, but that is not necessarily true. Different guardians have different life priorities, and that is certainly reflected in their budgets.

What seems to matter most is what Type of guardian you are. I know a Type A guardian, with nearly unlimited means, who spent tens of thousands of dollars on his dog’s cancer treatments. I know another Type A guardian who works two jobs and refinanced his home in order to pay for treatments; another went into credit card debt.

On the other hand, I know a Type C guardian, with two vacation homes, who chose to forgo expensive treatments and instead focus on relatively inexpensive supplements and dietary changes – not to save money, but because her personal values required it.

Some guardians are willing to spend more money on certain types of treatments, or on treatments with a reliable track record. Others will only spend more money if their dog will not suffer side effects.

Take a moment now to consider how much money you are willing to spend on cancer treatments. Are there certain treatments you will spend money on and others you won’t? Write down your answers (there is advice about working with your vet and financial issues in Chapters 22 and 24).

No matter which cancer treatments you choose, it takes time to care for your dog. Trips in and out of the hospital (sometimes daily), cooking for your dog, administering pills and consulting with experts all take time. Dogs with cancer may need extra nursing care, which may be as simple as creating a space for him to heal after surgery or as complicated as hand-feeding him and giving sponge baths. Depending upon the cancer you are treating and which treatments and strategies you choose, your free time – such as it is – could be devoted to cancer-related tasks.

How much time do you realistically have to care for your dog? Once you factor in work and other family responsibilities, what’s left? Is there any room for flexibility in your schedule or are you locked in? Is there anyone else in your dog’s life, who can help you with your dog, or with your other responsibilities? Can you hire someone to help you with your dog, or with your other responsibilities? For how long?

I know guardians willing to cut work hours and take home less pay, so they can personally care for their dog. I know others so pressed for time that it is difficult for them to cook (for themselves, or for their dog). Take some time now to realistically assess your own availability, so you can choose cancer treatments that fit your schedule. Make sure to write down any relevant data, such as specific hours of availability, upcoming vacations, other helpers and their availability.

Other non-cancer health issues can complicate your decisions. Does your dog have diabetes? A liver condition? Heart disease? Allergies? Is he deaf, or blind, or have hip problems? Write down all of his health conditions.

For example, if your dog already finds it difficult to walk due to hip dysplasia, losing a limb to amputation could present a much bigger challenge than it does for a dog who is otherwise spry. Meanwhile, medications used to manage heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease or diabetes may preclude using certain cancer drugs or supplements.

Make a list of your dog’s other conditions and any current medications. Make sure to double check with your vet about whether they could interfere with the cancer treatments you choose.

There are potential side effects for every cancer treatment; the question you need to answer is which ones are tolerable to you and at what severity.

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can happen after conventional treatments; they can also happen when you change your dog’s diet or give drugs or supplements by mouth. Are you willing to tolerate some stomach upset, if it helps your dog in the long run? If you can manage it, with medications or natural strategies, does that make a difference to you? If these symptoms are mild or short-term, is that more acceptable?

More severe, but less common, effects, like kidney, liver or heart damage, brain injuries and even (very rarely) death, must also be noted. For every treatment you consider in the next chapter, note its possible side effects and your own tolerance for dealing with them. Later, when you share your plan with your vet, be sure to ask how likely these side effects are to occur for your dog.

My Best advice:
I hate feeling stomach upset, so, managing it in my canine patients is a priority for me. Feeling sick on a regular basis is, in my opinion, a lowering of life quality that I (and many of my clients) find unacceptable. Is this true for every dog and every guardian? Not necessarily.

Although it is difficult to predict with accuracy what a dog will experience during or after any given treatment, we do have educated opinions to guide us. Carefully calculating your own tolerance for side effects and sharing that information with your vet is an important responsibility.

We’ve covered a lot of ground by looking at these questions. Now, it’s time to articulate your own wide-angle view of your dog’s cancer. We’re going to do that by reviewing your notes and writing a mission statement. Although it may seem odd, this exercise from the business world can help you choose the right treatments in the first place, then stay on course as circumstances change.

Mission statements are used to demonstrate your commitment to a goal. Businesses and organizations use them to state objectives, articulate how those goals will be attained, and guide future decisions. We often don’t fully realize our commitment until we write it down in clear, concise language.

Keeping in mind whether you are a Type A, B, or C guardian, take a few minutes to write a short, to-the-point mission statement that includes the following:

• Tell why you are treating your dog’s cancer.
  This may seem blindingly obvious to you, but it may not be to others. Some guardians treat because they think they can get a cure. Others treat because they want their dogs to feel better in the time they have left. Others choose to treat because they feel they owe their dogs love, support and help. Take a minute to clarify your reasons, because clearly articulating your “why” can help you and others on your team to understand the basis for your decisions.
  
• Write about your desired outcome or outcomes.
  Do you want pain relief? Tumor reduction? Life extension? To avoid amputation? To see your dog play again? List as many concrete outcomes as you can.
  
• List the key values, to which you are committed, in regard to your dog’s treatment.
  This is a broad topic; some guardians want only “the best” treatments, others want compassionate team-members, and others want to spend as much time as possible with their dogs. If nothing leaps to mind, you might try imagining yourself ten years from now, looking back on this time. What is so important to you that, if it is not honored, you will regret it later?
  
• List any limits that you place on treatments.
  Are there treatments you will not use? Are there budget or time limits? Is there a certain quality of life you are not willing to accept?
  

You may need to tinker with this mission statement before it feels complete. Take the time you need to make it represent your mind and heart, and then you’ll be ready to use it like a compass. A strong, clear mission statement can guide you toward the right treatments, strategies and activities for your Full Spectrum cancer plan. Sharing your mission statement (or a version of it) with your vet, oncologist or any other practitioner or helper, may also be a good idea.

N
ow that you’ve analyzed yourself and your dog’s cancer case, it’s time to make some preliminary treatment choices. In this chapter we’ll review each of the five Full Spectrum steps, so you can record the treatments, supplements and activities you would like to include in your cancer care plan. I recommend you use the same journal or note-taking device you used in the last chapter.

Reviewing each Full Spectrum step is critical, and so is including every treatment you think might help your dog, even if you don’t think you can financially afford it, or if you worry you don’t have the time to do it. You may be able to get financial help (see
Chapter 24
), and your ideal “wish list” can be prioritized, tweaked or whittled down later, when you review it with your vet or oncologist. Also, keep in mind that cancer is a fluid condition, and treatment plans change when the disease changes or new information comes to light. Carefully thinking about each recommendation now – and your reason for choosing it or not choosing it – will help save valuable time later, if you have to make a shift.

If you don’t know the answers to these questions right now, that’s all right. Just write down what you do know and make notes about what you still need to research. You may be able to find some answers online or get them from a knowledgeable friend; write down questions for your vet, oncologist, or other practitioner, so you can refer to them later in a consult. In the next chapter, which covers how to work effectively with practitioners, we’ll revisit this important topic.

If you find yourself stalled on a particular step or treatment, refer back to your Mission Statement to clarify your thinking. Ask yourself: does this support my Mission Statement?

“Read Dr. Dressler’s book and educate yourself about options available to you. We were offered radiation treatment as a huge cost. After lending our vet Dr. Dressler’s book we came up with a plan of attack together.”

- Susan Taniguchi, Avondale, Arizona