Chemotherapy and dogs

We are coming out the other side of a rough week and thankfully survived to tell the tail.
As some of you may know just over a month ago Hollie developed a fast growing mammary tumour. She had aggressive surgery to remove it (and came through other side as if nothing had happened) but the pathology came back as being very nasty. So we then had the decision to make as to whether or not to go down the chemo route. Not an easy decision.

There are certain types of cancer (such as lymphoma) that have well established protocols for chemotherapy and on a whole the dogs respond well by going into remission or at least buying them some decent time. Then there are other types of cancer (such as osteosarcoma ie bone cancer) where chemo is used but is done after radical surgery (amputation) and will usually buy the dogs a few extra months at the most. I have always said I wouldnt hesitate to give it to my dogs in the first instant but wouldnt entertain the thought in the latter. So what to do in our case? Unfortunately with mammary cancer its not so clean cut. There are well established protocols and chemo is recommended, but while the experts think it helps there is no definate proof as to its affect on overall survival. Add in the factor that dogs tend to cope with chemo alot better than humans without the same extend of side effects, but side effects still exist none the less..
I know there are those that feel to go down this avenue is selfish etc etc etc, but after much deliberation I realised I would beat myself up more over not trying the chemo than I would over any side effects (we can always stop it after all!), and so we started a single drug protocol last week.

Unfortunately with the chemo drug that is required for this type of cancer (doxorubicin) about 10% of dogs can develop severe gastroenteritis 2-4 days following treatment, and you guessed right..Hollie's fallen into that 10%. So I spent last weekend with a very sick dog, to the point I thought we had hit the end, but in true Hollie form she bounced back a few days later and is now back to her old self. She's a fighter is my Hollie. So now I have the decision as to what to do in a few weeks when shes due for her next dose, but at least forewarned is forearmed and we can take precautions next time. Wish us luck!