Chemo #7 - Hudson's Exciting Day at the Vet

I had to travel this week for work, so Tony took Hudson to his chemo appointment on Wednesday.  He had to take personal time and everything, only to discover that Hudson's white cell count was too low to give him chemo and could we please bring him back tomorrow?

Tony panicked.  He didn't know how he was going to get the time to take Hudson back to the vet and still attend supplier meetings he had scheduled the next day.  Dr. Janson suggested that Tony drop Hudson off in the morning before work, and he could pick him up the next evening.  Best of all, they wouldn't even charge us for a day of "hospitalization."

So Tony did, and Hudson did great.  From what we were told, he was the clinic's mascot all day and spent very little time in his cage. :)

Next up is his very last IV chemo.

Finally, Some GOOD News! (Plus Chemo # 6)

Hudson's tumors are shrinking!!  All have them have shrunk by at least 25-50% and the biggest one has disappeared altogether from the x ray.  This is fabulous news, of course.  Hudson is still completely asymptomatic.  He shows no signs of having cancer.

Since we are seeing improvement on the doxorubicin, we will finish out his course.  Doxorubicin is heart toxic, so there is a set lifetime amount of it that a dog can have.  Hudson can have two more treatments (aside from the one he received today) and then he must never have it again.  Once he's completed the doxorubicin, he will begin a metronomic protocol.  This protocol combines several medications: Piroxicam, deramaxx, Rimadyl (NSAID), doxycycline (an antibiotic) and cyclophoshamide, an oral chemotherapy drug. These medications work on slowing down the blood supply to cancer cells.  By starving the cancer cells, you are limiting the growth they can achieve.  They are unlikely to get smaller while on the metronomic regimen, but the point is to prolong quality of life by preventing or delaying further growth.  Doxorubicin shrinks the tumors as much as possible, then the metronomic protocol keeps them small. 

Conceivably, Hudson could go on to live for a year or more, provided the tumor growth remains minimal.  We are so happy to have finally received some good news.  I know that Izzy and Shira put in a good word to get Hudson some more time. :)

Hudson and Those Fabulous Fish! (Chemo #5)

We had a night appointment (our first) for chemo this time.  Our appointment wasn't until 7:15, but we arrived at 6:45 in case they could take him early.  Hudson went back at 7 and the white cell count was good enough to proceed!  The fifth chemo (2nd Doxorubicin) dose was given and Hudson did great.


While I was waiting, one of the surgery techs stopped to chat.  Apparently she assisted on his amputation, though I had never met her before.  She told me what a great dog he is and how everyone looks forward to his visits.  She also mentioned that he gets to go on a tour of the hospital each time he comes in so that all the different departments get a chance to see him.  I'd never been told that before and it cracked me up.


Dr. Janson came and sat with me for a bit while Hudson was in back getting his treatment.  Our next step is to take chest films at his next appointment (October 19.)  Once we assess the effect that chemo has had on his tumors, we will evaluate and determine next steps for treatment.  He's still asymptomatic and Dr. Janson does not hear any difference or difficulty in H's breathing.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that his tumors will have either remained the same size, or gotten smaller.  If there has been growth, we will likely stop chemo and  begin pain management regimens to keep him comfortable for the time he has left.


Once Hudson's chemo was done, he hung out with me in the lobby while we waited for our discharge instructions.  AHSC has a giant freshwater aquarium and Hudson is absolutely fascinated by the fish.

Dr. MacGregor came out and went over discharge instructions with us.  She also mentioned that there was going to be an amputation surgery the next day for a pit mix with a pathologic fracture.  (This is when the tumor in the bone weakens the existing bone structure so much that the leg breaks.  It can break over something as simple as chasing a ball in the backyard, or even just going for a walk.)  The dog's family was very torn about making the decision to amputate, so the doctors had used Hudson as an example of how quickly and beautifully a dog can adapt to three legs.  Dr. MacGregor told me that they were taking pictures and video of Hudson walking around in the back to show the family.  Additionally, she asked if I had any words of wisdom or encouragement to offer the family.  I basically said that amputation was the best decision we could have made for Hudson.  After he had recovered from surgery, he was a completely different dog.  So much of his personality had leached away because he was in pain.  It happened gradually, so we didn't even notice and just assumed he was getting old.  After the pain was gone, my boy was back! The dog that loved to play and wrestle and toss his toys in the air reappeared.  Even if we lose him in a few months, I will know that his last few months were happy and pain-free.  I don't regret amputation at all!

The Chemo That Wasn't (#5)

Hudson and I went for Chemo today, but as usual, his White Cell count was too low.  We're due back on Monday to try again.

Despair & Hope at the Same Time

Unfortunately, we didn't receive the hoped for news on Thursday. X rays revealed that the cancer has metastasized in Hudson's lungs. There are 7 tumors spread fairly evenly through out his lungs, ranging in size from 0.5 cm to 2.5 cm.  We have elected to try a different chemo drug (doxorubicin) in an attempt to slow down the growth of the tumors, but it's not a life saving measure. At present, he is showing no symptoms and is a happy goofy boy.

As for how much time he has left, we aren't sure.  Best case scenario, where the tumors maintain present size, or even shrink, would allow him 6-9 months of quality life.

If the tumors don't react to the chemo, or H's body isn't able to handle the chemo, we have 1-3 months of quality time.


He is scheduled to return to the AHSC on Wednesday for an EKG.  Doxorubicin is toxic to the heart, so it shouldn't be given until an EKG is done to ensure that the patient's heart is strong enough.  I chose to have Hudson receive his first dose prior to the EKG.  There is a risk to his heart associated, but I felt the risk of letting the cancer grow for another week was greater.  His Oncologist did check him for a murmur or any other audible heart issues. 


He also has to get a CBC on Thursday.  I'm anxious to get the results of this.  Hudson seems to be doing really well on Doxorubicin so far.  It's supposed to be a tougher chemo, that is harder on the GI tract and shows more side effects.  We haven't seen any side effects.  Hudson hasn't been very lethargic and there has been no loss of appetite.

Chemo the 3rd...for real, this time.

Hudson got his chemo today.  White cell count was where it needed to be. 

Last week, at the chemo the 3rd (1st Attempt), Dr. Janson had mentioned that Hudson was an inspiration to other clients.  Apparently, a family with a Pomeranian had seen him in the lobby a few weeks ago when they were in getting their dog a dental.  Two weeks later, they found out their pom had cancer.  The family was somewhat reluctant to go through an amputation, but Dr. Janson discussed how quickly dogs bounce back from the loss of a leg.  The family told her that they had seen a Great Dane in the lobby only a few weeks earlier and had been surprised at how graceful he was.  They were even more surprised when his owner had told them he was only (at the time) 6 weeks out of surgery.  Dr. Janson said "Ah, you met Hudson, the poster dog for amputation."  :)  The family decided to proceed with surgery. 

I met them today.  They were in the lobby while their pom was undergoing surgery.  When Hudson and I walked in, they both began crying.  They gave him love and told me that he was the reason they decided to amputate.  It made me a little weepy too.

After his chemo was done, Hudson and I were waiting in the lobby for his anti-nausea prescription to be filled.  A little girl and her twin brothers were waiting in the play area.  The little girl was clearly upset and had tears on her cheeks.  Hudson went right up to her and started licking at her cheeks.  She hugged him around the neck and held on.  Hudson then turned to the twins, who were belted into a double stroller, and started licking them.  The children's parents came out of the back room and thanked the receptionist for watching the children.  Both had red eyes and had clearly been crying.  When they saw their daughter with Hudson, they started crying again.  The parents hugged him too and talked softly to their daughter.  After the usual "what a beautiful dog" comments, they gathered up their kids and left.  Their little girl called "Bye Hudson! I love you!"  The receptionist later told me that their dog had been hit by a car and died in the dad's arms as they arrived at the hospital. 

Chemo the 3rd....only not

Well, the 3rd chemo session didn't work out either. Hudson's white cell count was too low again.  Dr. Janson said that since Hudson is already receiving the lowest dose of the protocol possible, we'll have to increase the time between rounds to 4 weeks.  This pushes us into the holiday season, which we had hoped to avoid, but what are you going to do?

Dr. Janson did mention that Danes as a breed seem to be more sensitive to chemo, so Hudson's reaction isn't uncommon.

We'll try again next Thursday!

Chemo the 2nd (For Real This Time)

We went for chemo again today, only this time, Hudson's white cells decided to comply.  The usual Hudson-love was nowhere to be seen this time.  The hospital seemed to be operating in a state of chaos as several emergencies had come in.  Hudson and I waited about 30 minutes past our appointment time before we were taken back. 

The techs did a quick blood analysis and everything checked out.  Hudson's counts were where they needed to be and chemo was adminstered. 

Last time he had chemo, we saw no ill effects.  He didn't even exhibit lethargy, the most common side effect.  This time, he did.  From the minute we got home, he laid on the couch and didn't move.  He would get up to go potty, if I demanded it, but that was it.  Fortunately, his appetite was unaffected. :)

Since I'm a HUGE softie, he got to sleep on the bed with me for a while until Tony came to bed.  Then he got booted onto his bed on the floor.  I'd probably feel sorry for him, if it weren't a six foot long, 8" thick cushion.

This morning, he was still exhausted.  My job is pretty flexible about letting me work from home when necessary, so I decided to stay with him to keep an eye on the situation.  I have a little hobby room, referred to as the reading room, where I settled to work.  Hudson laid on a dog bed next to his brother at 8:30 am and didn't move until 12.  I didn't need to stay home, but it made me feel a LOT better.

Chemo the 2nd (or so we had hoped)

Hudson went in for his second chemo treatment today.  I was not traveling this time and got to take him. 

The oncologist techs took us back to one of the visiting rooms to discuss how Hudson is doing.  I mentioned the wobbling and they said they’d have a look at his other knee, but that wobbles are fairly regular for tripawds.  If I notice trembling or buckling of the leg, then we have something to be worried about.  Hudson was only with us for a few minutes before one of the surgical techs came to steal him.  Apparently, some new vet techs had started since Hudson was last here and she had to go show him off.  James and I went over a few more things (appetite, stool/urine, etc.) before he left to start the chemo.

I sat in the visiting room while I waited and loved that this poster is hanging in there.

I also loved the HOPE with paw prints.  This must be where there they generally have cancer patient's family wait.

I tried to use my time wisely to get caught up on my blogging (since I’ve gotten lots of complaints about it.)  :D  However, Hudson’s white blood cell count was too low, so they were unable to administer chemo today.  Dr. Janson came in and explained to me that chemo attacks fast replicating cells in the body.  Cancer cells replicate quickly, as do hair follicles and white blood cells.  If we had given him more chemo this time, it would have attacked his white cells and left him immuno-suppressed.  Instead, we will wait a week and come back next Thursday to see if he is ready for treatment.  Dr. Janson also mentioned that she will be changing up the amount of chemo he is given to try to prevent this from happening next time.

Dr. Janson also mentioned that Hudson is the practice’s current favorite patient. She told me that everyone, specialists included, drop everything to come see Hudson when he comes in.  I asked if it is just because he’s a Great Dane, and she said that while she’s sure that plays a role, it’s mainly because he’s cool and affectionate.  He's also very patient and well-behaved during procedures.  I love that everyone loves him.  Porter tends to be the crowd favorite when we go out in public, so I LOVE that Hudson is getting some attention.

Chemo the 1st

Damn my job!  Due to scheduling issues at the oncologists, I was unable to take Hudson to his first chemo appointment.  They could only get him in on Thursday at 3:45 and I was flying out of Sacramento, CA at the same time.  Fortunately, my wonderful husband and doggy daddy Tony was able to take him.  While I felt like crap and guilty as hell the entire time, I knew he was in good hands.

The downside of having Tony take him to his appointment is that he is a man.  I ask for details about how the appointment went and get responses like “Lot of waiting.”  Here’s an excerpt of our conversation:

K:        How did chemo go?

T:         Fine

K:        Uh…did you have to wait long?

T:         Yeah, like an hour.  They had an emergency.

K:        So you waited an hour and then how long while he had chemo?

T:         45 minutes.

K:        So what did they do?

T:         I dunno.  I was in the waiting room.

K:        Oh.  What’s all this medication?

T:         Instructions are in the bag with the medication.

Hudson showed no ill effects from his chemo.  Typically, dogs are lethargic and tired.  They can have nausea and diarrhea.  The vet gave us medicine to prevent nausea that we were to start the night after chemo.  They also provided medication for the diarrhea, but that was only to be administered if he experience diarrhea.  He didn’t.  We didn’t even see lethargy.  He took it like a champ!

One of the things that Hudson loved about going to the oncologist (and frankly, so did Tony) is that everyone at the oncologists LOVES him.  The moment they walked in the door, the receptionists were calling him.  One of them picked up the phone and called the techs in the back, because everyone wanted to see Hudson.  His surgery tech always comes out to see him, and Dr. Stubbs has come up too.  He always inspects Hudson’s incision, but he told Tony that he comes just because he “loves this dog.”  Tony is always so proud of Hudson and loves showing off his handsome tough guy, and said Hudson is a chick magnet. :)