Toby's Treatment

This week, Toby had his first chemo treatment. He also started on an antibiotic because of a chronic urinary tract infection and because the chemo will reduce his white blood cell count and thus his resistance to infections; an NSAID called piroxicam which not only provides pain relief, but also has shown tumor shrinking abilities; and famotidine (generic Pepsid AC) for the stomach upset the piroxicam is likely to cause.

Interestingly, dogs do not lose their hair or nails with chemo, as people do.

Toby will have chemo every 3 weeks. He will need weekly blood tests to check his white blood cell counts. We plan on 3 chemo treatments, then an ultrasound to see if the tumor on his bladder is shrinking. If it is, we continue the chemo. If it is not, we will stop and consider our options.