Senior husky with low neutrophils & cancer. Is steroid treatment right?

I am very sorry that Benny has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. My heart truly goes out to you both. First of all know there is no wrong answer here, whichever you chose for your Benny he will be kept as happy and as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. The doses of chemotherapy used in dogs are smaller then those used in humans, therefore the side effects tend to be lowered. Dogs do not generally become as ill as a human undergoing chemotherapy does. Benny has lived a very long and I am sure happy life with you. A year can be a gift on top of that life, as can a further 2 months. I know the decision to let go of one of our pets is incredibly challenging as you move forward with either treatment keep that in mind that as veterinarians we strive for a quality of life for the pets we see. If you believe that Benny is still happy and has a good quality of life, then there isn't a reason to let go of him yet. It can be difficult to be objective when it comes to our own pets, so discussing with other people in Benny's life as well as using a quality of life index can be helpful. A quality of life index, like the one at the link below, asks you questions in order to obtain a quality of life score. It is advised that you take the test three times on three separate days. It is also helpful to have others who know Benny well answer the questions. The aim is for a score above 35, however, it is only a guide and ultimately you and Benny's veterinarian understand great situation better then anyone else. http://www.aplb.org/resources/quality-of-life_scale.php I wish you the warmest regards in this decision. I can't advise what is the right choice for you. But if it were my dog and finances allowed I would want to try for the extra year given by chemotherapy. Mainly because I believe you would have more healthy time with him in this scenario, whereas with using on prednisolone he will continue to deteriorate from this point on. But as I mentioned there is no wrong answer. You are doing him well in either situation. In either situation you will treasure the time you have left together. I would be will be very difficult when the time does come, but try to focus on the love you two shared, and the memories you made to create a beautiful lif for dear Benny

Hello, Im so sorry to hear about Nemo. There are various types of lymphoma that have different degree of aggressiveness. Although steroids is one form of treatment, there are multiple other chemotherapy agents that could increase his life expectancy. With steroids alone however, expect survival time is about 1-3 months depending on the type of lymphoma. Additional chemotherapy can increase survival time up to a year. If you're interested in chemotherapy for Nemo, have your veterinarian consult with or refer Nemo to see an oncologist. He may need additional testing to determine the type of lymphoma he has and offer you a better informed prognosis for him. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this with Cosita. Thank you for including a picture. She is adorable. I am attaching a link below to a handout on IBD. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=598 The end of that handout specifically addresses your concern. The problem with doing steroids is that it decreases the inflammation in the intestines and will likely make Cosita feel better, but if her disease is due to cancer (lymphoma), putting her on prednisone will make it harder to diagnose and treat her cancer later. "Lymphoma is temporarily responsive to prednisone but better responses can be obtained from stronger chemotherapy agents. Exposure to prednisone will make the lymphoma much more difficult to diagnose should biopsies be obtained later. Plus, exposure to prednisone can lead to resistance to other medications. (This is less of a problem for cats, but in dogs even a few days of prednisone can make a lasting remission impossible to achieve.)" There is nothing wrong with starting her on steroids, but you have to understand that it will limit your treatment and diagnostic options in the future if the steroids do not help. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answers your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Poor Kitty! Since she is already 17 years old and she is having such a tough time with her inflammation in her GI tract, I think steroids will be the best choice for her. If her blood work looks okay now, then I think she can tolerate the steroids. Unfortunately, if you don't put her on steroids the lymphoma or IBD may continue to get worse. It is true the steroids will not CURE lymphoma, but it certainly give her a better quality of life right now. It could keep the IBD under control and eventually you may be able to decrease her steroid dose to a lower dose. The concerns of long term steroids are much lower since she is already geriatric. If she was 4 or 7 years old, then I would be much more worried with starting her on long term steroids at that time. At the age of 17, our goal is to give Kitty are good quality of life. If you want more options about the lymphoma and interested in seeing an oncologist, I would ask your vet for a referral for a oncology consult. I hope this helps!

I retommend you contact your local humane societies for advice on emergency and subsidised care - there is much help available for pets in need due to financial constraints. Unfortunately with the weakness described there is a risk of complciations such as bone marrow supression which would make surgical treatment less likely to be successful and in ths case euthanasia may indeed be the kindest option for him to allow him his dignity in passing. A blood sample may help in guiding this decision as if curative treatment is not possible it is unfair to exoect him to carry such a debilitating condition for much longer

If the cortisone is helping to stabilize his condition, then I would opt to perhaps continue it, but at a lower dose perhaps. It is hard to say without all the lab findings and everything, but kidney typically respond in most cases to diuresis, anti-nausea medication and a prescription kidney diet, so something isn't quite adding up here. A urinalysis, repeat bloodwork and possibly even an ultrasound may be needed to get more information and perhaps shed some light as to why Snow is responding to steroids well. Also continuing the steroids may be the best course of action here if he responded in such a positive way. I hope that your furry friend Snow is able to stabilize his condition soon! Best wishes and take care.

If they are suspecting cancer or an auto-immune disorder then yes this injection could be helpful. It isn't guaranteed to work. If you don't want to do chemo, you could always try steroids to see if this helps temporarily. Unfortunately, it will not cure her and after some time it will stop working. I am sorry for the bad news you've received lately and I hope that the meds give her the best quality of life possible. I hope this helps !