Bladder Cancer In Dogs

My 7 years old ( will be 8 in May ) Sheltie, Spencer  was operated on for  bladder cancer April 15/2008

He has recovered very well and will have the stitches removed Aptil 30th.

 I have decided not to go with Chemo but would like to try Metacam as was suggested but until he has firm stools that is not an option .

 His stools have been mostly diarrhea for the last 6 weeks and so after many changes in his food .

I am now going to a Holistic Vet who has given him herbs for the stools and capsules for the cancer.

I am feeding him rice and hamburg  as that seems to be all his digestive system can handle and the vets said that was fine ( 1/2 rice and 1/2 hamburg).

 My question is what is the best way to give the capsules as he will evenually be taking 4 of them twice a day with food.

I believe this is the best for him as he is happy and not in any pain.

Sandra

 Sandra

Would depend on how picky your dog is.  My Indigo would wolf down anything without chewing so we can hide meds wrapped in cheese.  Our Nala is very picky so we would have to push them down her throat (not something I like to do).  Since you are feeding hamburg, maybe you can hide them in a little ball of raw hamburg?  I know there are some treats you can buy specifically for hiding treats (they are hollowed out).  I looked at them but they have too many things in them that we have taken out of our dogs diets.  We have also coated pills in peanut butter, some people use cream cheese.  Lots of ways to go.

Also, for more information on treatments, etc., look on the last page of this category for the Canine Bladder thread (nearly 700 posts).  Lots of good info.

 Good luck,

Connie

Sandra,

Have your vet get the medicine compounded into a liquid form.  They will put a beef broth flavoring to it and our dog seemed to like it for a while.  My advice to you is make sure you get all the information you can from your vet as well as the ocologist, the ocologist we saw didn't like proxicam very much because of the side effects.  Try the alternatives first, we did proxicam for a 2 week period and our beagle had developed ulcers along here digestive track which led her to stop drinking, eating and even barking.  To our dismay our baby is now resting without any pain, not yet 24 hours and it still hurts.  Keep up the fight and love your baby daily.

Sade's Dad