Has anyone tried Immunotherapy for Canine Cancer?

[stepcutnut]

Sadly we found out this week that one of our pups has cancer, still waiting on the pathology report for a definitive answer on type and prognosis. Our Vet has given us information on Immunotherapy and given his age she feels this is the best option. The Immunotherapy is when they make a vaccine from his tumor vs. using standard chemo/radiation therapy. I am told this type of treatment is well tolerated and usually carries a decent outcome for keeping him comfortable for the time he has remaining. So I am wondering if anyone has tried this type of cancer treatment and what your thoughts are on it? TIA

 

[Arcadian]

I haven't but I want to say I'm very sorry for your pups diagnosis.

 

[seaurchin]

So sorry for this bad news.

I hope this doesn't sound cold but I've had friends who ended up spending exorbitant amounts on medical bills for pets that died anyway, sometimes guided by veterinarians who seemed to try to guilt them into doing so for profit.

So I'd just caution to not go with your heart only but also remember to be realistic. Just want to add that it's also okay to decline the treatment. Best wishes.

 

[lizzydm26]

I haven't used that treatment. I mainly wanted to say I am sorry for your news, and wish you the best of luck.

My dog was diagnosed with sarcomatoid intranasal cancer almost two and a half years ago. Not operable because of proximity to his eye, and the likelihood of recurrence after a few months. He was suggested radiation. His prognosis was 3-4 months if we did nothing, and 6-8 months if we did the radiation. We decided for maybe 3 more months, we were not going to put him through that. Our regular vet suggested CBD oil. We started right away with high doses. He's still here, and I am extremely thankful we didn't do the radiation because I think it would have killed him. I know his results are not typical, and the tumor is still growing (we can see his nose getting larger), but I highly recommend some kind of CBD treatment. He is a husky, and was 8 years at the time. So that also factored into our decision to decline the radiation.

I guess I mainly want to echo the sentiments of being careful with for profit vet care, and what that treatment may actually do.

I hope your pup goes on with a healthy life no matter what you decide!

 

[stepcutnut]

@Arcadian @seaurchin @lizzydm26 Thank you for your kind words and thoughts.

Rest assured, as a well-seasoned pet parent and one who purposely seeks out special need animals to bring into our family, we always put our animals well-being and best interests first when making any decision for them, especially healthcare related decisions.

@lizzydm26 We have his CBD sitting on the counter Also, we have had very good luck with it and some of our other furry family members-thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Ally T]

So sorry to hear about your pup. No advice to offer, but sending healing thoughts.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

So sorry about your sweet pup. I know from experience how hard it is to make decisions regarding treatment options for canine cancer. Vets seem reluctant to tell us how long in days/months/weeks/years any given treatment may add to the lifespan of our fur babies. Without knowing this it is very hard to decide. I hope someone with experience is able to answer this for you. Your family and your sweet pup are in my prayers.

 

[stepcutnut]

@lizzydm26 I also wanted to add that I am glad to hear you found something that is helping to keep your boy comfortable!

@Ally T and @Lisa Loves Shiny Thank you!

Thankfully our boy is surprisingly vibrant and happy, makes looking into alternative care options a very easy decision for us.

 

[Austina]

I’m really sorry to hear about your pup @stepcutnut. I have heard that dogs can usually handle chemo quite well, but depending on the type and position of the cancer, it’s not necessarily the best thing. Nearly 2 years ago, our beautiful girl was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her left shoulder. The vet set out the options for us, amputation, that was a no, because of her size and ability to cope afterwards with 1 front leg, but she also said that she had to tell us chemo was an option. She said she wouldn’t personally recommend it because of the type of cancer. Her bone cancer was the type that could cause a fracture at any moment, and was extremely aggressive. She was in agony, and we couldn‘t let her suffer a moment longer.

Previously she had hermangiosarcoma (our poor girl was the result of bad breeding). Whilst we were waiting for the results of the biopsy after they’d removed her spleen, they said it was possible to have chemo, but it would probably only give us a couple of months. I think if we’d been given bad news then, we wouldn’t have opted for chemo, we’d have let her have a stress free few months until it was time to say goodbye.

I think until you know the prognosis, it’s hard to make the decision now.

 

[lizzydm26]

@lizzydm26 I also wanted to add that I am glad to hear you found something that is helping to keep your boy comfortable!

@Ally T and @Lisa Loves Shiny Thank you!

Thankfully our boy is surprisingly vibrant and happy, makes looking into alternative care options a very easy decision for us.

Thanks

Sounds like you’re well informed. and you clearly love your pup! Fingers crossed for a good prognosis after your pathology comes back.

 

[stepcutnut]

@Austina I am sorry to hear about all your beautiful girl went through. When their time comes, being able to end their pain and suffering is truly the one final gift we can give them. I agree we need more info from the path report before making any further decisions, just trying to be as proactive as I can be gathering information.

 

[yssie]

I'm so sorry to read this @stepcutnut. I'm not familiar with immunotherapy, but it sounds rather marvellous - I'll definitely be looking it up tonight.

I hope a concrete diagnosis comes in soon, and I hope it's something easily and comfortably managed. I know how difficult it is to deal with sick furbabies - I'm thinking of you and your darling pup!

 

[missy]

I am so sorry about your sweet pup and I hope this treatment helps if you decide to go that route.

 

[stepcutnut]

@yssie and @missy Thank you for your kinds words, much appreciated!

@yssie the company we are looking into for the Immunotherapy is Torigen, a pretty fascinating treatment option. Also I saw you mention in your thread about your handsome boy, that you use three different pet insurances. Do you have all your furry crew insured on all three plans? If so, how do you decide which company to submit claims to? Sending your both comfort and healing!

 

[yssie]

No, sorry, I wasn’t clear in that thread! Only one provider per animal. Three we insure with lemonade, two with PetPlan, the rest with Pets Best. Some had preexisting conditions, some were older - we went with (A) who’ll insure this animal at all, and (B) not cost us a fortune

Thank you for the name of this immunotherapy! I’m very interested to learn more about this. I hope it’s a viable solution for your boy, it sounds like it’s tolerated quite well.

 

[stepcutnut]

@yssie Thank you for the further explanation on the pet insurance. Out of the three companies is there one that you have found to be best for preexisting conditions or older animals? We currently have 7 furry babes and I didn't know if I ever wanted to try and deal with the paperwork for pet insurance, but you make the idea sound much more promising especially if you are getting your claims covered.

 

[yssie]

Lemonade was best for us for the older critters with preexisting conditions. PetPlan wouldn’t even insure Alex (cancer history) or Mina (chronic pancreatitis). Pets Best would, but it was pricier. I like Lemonade’s working model, too - their thing is “we want to make insurance not suck” and they take a flat fee per payout and then donate the rest of all premiums to various causes (and from everything I’ve read and heard they actually do, it’s not lip service!)

Pet Insurance for Dogs & Cats by Lemonade

Lemonade Pet Insurance: everything you love about Lemonade now for cats and dogs. Instant claims and a digital experience driven by social good. :heart:

www.lemonade.com

Lemonade is very mobile-first - best to submit claims through the mobile app, etc. I don’t mind it, my other half hates it! Our vet and animal hospital admin are used to people asking for paperwork for insurance, so it’s easy enough to get. We’ve got Jimmy with Lemonade and we’re nearly at yearly max payout, and reimbursements really have been quick and painless. But all three companies are quick and painless. Very unlike human insurance!

 

[stepcutnut]

@yssie Thank you for all your thoughts, I will have to take a closer look at all three of the companies. One last question, do you remember any of them having a long waiting period prior to accepting claims once you have the pet on a policy?

 

[yssie]

Y’know. That’s a great question. I can say for sure that neither Lemonade nor Pets Best did. But PetPlan, I’m not sure, we wound up not using our insurance for a while… I would actually call in and ask that specific question, it’d definitely be good to know and potentially blocking…

 

[stepcutnut]

@yssie thanks again, you've been a great help