tneddog, first, I am sorry to read about Charlie's leukemia diagnosis. I don't know where you are located, but if you don't have access to a veterinary oncologist near you, you could reach out to the veterinary oncologist we use for our cat with nasal lymphoma (she's located in Wappingers Falls, NY). She's written books on treating dogs (and cats) with cancer and gives lectures on it at conferences all over as well. She's very good.

Good luck with your Charlie.

http://www.drsuecancervet.com

So sorry to hear about Charlie. Gatsby is sending positive energy. I don't have any experience in this area but know that lots of friends with pets needing special care go to MSU as they have a vet school. I didn't check where you live but you can check if there is a pet oncology clinic or vet school near you.

Thank you for the replies. I wish Dr. Sue was near me. I am in Oklahoma. Charlie is very doing well. He goes in for blood tests tomorrow. I am optimistic that we can get this under control--possibly remission. Hoping that he can have a good quality of life for a year or two more. Charlie is my 9th golden (I used to do rescue) and my 6th one with cancer. A wonderful breed, but so prone to cancer.

Sending healing thoughts to Charlie! So glad he is doing better, and hope for remission for him. Sounds like you've had a lot to deal with in the past few weeks, I hope you are also doing well.

Not all remissions are short, and not all treatments are poorly tolerated.

No one said they were, that I can see.

snookums2,

Thanks for an insightful and caring post.

Sorry if I sounded "short" snookums2. I misread your post/intent, and my reply probably reads as a bit more curt than intended as a result.

It's a very stressful and confusing situation to be in. And hard to forget those that don't go well. We all only want the best for our babes.

Thank you so much for your replies. It is just nice knowing that you are thinking of me and my Charlie. I totally agree that Charlie should not be subjected to treatments just because they are available. My last golden had lymphoma and underwent chemo. While he tolerated the chemo well, it did not slow down the advance of his cancer. I don't know if I will do that again unless there is a possibility of an actual cure. I have not had any happy endings with pets, friends or family that have undergone chemo.

Charlie's white cells are at a much lower level, but chances are the prednisone will stop working at some point. The vet mentioned leukeran as our next possible treatment, but I am undecided at this point.

Charlie feels well and is acting like his former self. He enjoys our walks on the farm and went swimming today in the pond. He eats like a horse, thanks to the prednisone and his regular hearty appetite.

There is a possibility that he can live comfortably for some time and even approach the normal life span of a golden. I have hope.

Our recently turned 12 year old cat is 3 1/2 years post-Dx with high grade nasal lymphoma, and in remission. She tolerated Cyberknife radiation (performed over 3 consecutive days) and a 6 month chemo protocol surprisingly very well. She was on Prednisalone during treatment, which helped keep her appetite up (almost too well!), and also aided in cancer/tumor control.

Every situation is different, as we are all aware, and even pets with the same form of cancer, appearing at roughly the same age, can experience a different outcome despite treatment. We lost our 15 1/2 year old cat (a little over 12 years ago) to fibrosarcoma, despite aggressive surgery followed by chemo. Yet, the oncology vet (treating our cat with nasal lymphoma), recently posted about a 19 year old cat patient who's still doing well following treatment for fibrosarcoma, a few years post Dx.

I wish Charlie many, many, many more good and happy days.

Yes, that's a reason vets pursue as they do. The one that responds well. You never know. I just know what my cats went through, and I have a good bit of experience with cancers at this point. My vet concurs and did warn me. He suggests talking with an oncologist who will talk to you about cancer honestly. I need to do better for them next time.

Prednisolone is often part of the chemo protocol - and it is not a mild drug. But if given before an oncologist has been able to diagnose, it interferes with that. It can also shorten remission times. The point being, that sometimes GP's will prescribe prednisone prematurely - it delivers results but misses the big picture.

One kitty that does not haunt me is the one who had an aggressive tumor surgically removed (chemo not recommended anyway). She did fine for a year and then relapsed. I let her go not long after relapse (as my vet had pre-advised after the initial surgery) and I did it when she started to fail, not waiting until she was really sick.