ghosthendrikson
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Apparently this is an unpopular opinion?
EDIT: Holy Front Page Batman. This is my first time out of the dungeon. The air is cleaner up here I see.
As to the discussion in the comments. Regardless of what side you are on, it's very obvious that we all care very deeply about our animals. And that's always to comforting to see considering the alternative that is a very harsh reality. I'd like to remind everyone that I'm strictly sharing my own opinion. I am in now way calling for change nor am I asking you to change your own opinion. I simply chose to share my own on an image hosting and sharing website. Obviously you're well within your right to disagree with me, and feel like I may be misinformed. It would appear that possibly things have improved in the field of cancer treatment for animals. My opinions are based on the first-hand experience of watching an extended family member put their dog through cancer treatment. Needless to say the results of those treatments formed the opinion I have now.
Again thank you Imgur for the lively discussion, I'll see you all on the other side of User Submitted.
LittleE92
We're putting my horse through chemo (it's a cream), he's still happy and not in pain, he only gets the cream every other week though
DemSumBigAssRidges
I think it depends on how harsh it'll be. They won't understand, but they also might get cured of cancer too...
MartinaDalio65
I've already replied to this comment elsewhere. Some animals may be more stoic than others, esp the horse, but you can still monitor
BlondePuppyDoctor
Dogs have fewer side effects. We also use lower doses for palliative treatment rather than the curative levels in humans. Many dogs do well
md12
My dog just finished up chemo. It made him sleepy for about 24 hours after the procedure (4 preocedures over 4 months) and now he's 1/X
md12
2/2 cancer free. Maybe other instances are different, but from what we researched, dogs have very few negative reactions to chemo.
sweetserenitythefirefly
As someone who has worked in a veterinary oncology clinic, this is inaccurate. Oncologists base whether or not to do/continue treatment (1)
sweetserenitythefirefly
on a dog's quality of life. The intention of chemo for dogs is to improve quality of life so they can live out their lives as (2)
sweetserenitythefirefly
happily as possible. The dogs who come in regularly for chemo are happy to see us, and we can see a clear improvement (3)
sweetserenitythefirefly
in them. I've administered chemo to many dogs and most lay there calmly and are clearly not bothered by it (4)
sweetserenitythefirefly
We also give them anti-nausea medications before treatment for side effects and most of them do very well (5)
GnRtattoo
It depends on the animal and the kind of cancer. Animals arent treated as agressively as humans and often dont get sick like people
JesStang
As opposed to explaining other situations?
CommonWhiteGirl
I see both sides. Both are tragic :( But as usual in life, it depends on the situation
rainbowism
Your statement can be applied to humans too.
missnurse
Absolutely. My old dog would be put down, but my young dog would get anything he needed, if either got cancer.
tyrannoSARAusrex
I agree with this completely.
FannyBaws
I did. My dog lived for another 3 years...
writtenrhythm
'Chemotherapy' is a broad, over-reaching word for different treatments. Your vet should decide what's best for the quality of your pets 1/2
writtenrhythm
life, not some stupid meme on the internet. My dog had cancer and got an extra three years of life from chemo. It's not a magic word.
ghosthendrikson
I pity anyone who takes their advice from internet memes.
XvPandavX
I believe it depends on the dog.If my dog was very old, I wouldn't.
XvPandavX
For me my pets are my children..and if I had a human child I wouldn't give up on them just because they couldn't understand.
ToraNiku
My 12 year old cat got lymphoma. Over 5k for chemo only to have her live at most 1 more month. We had to put her down. Sad but for the best.
apk2n
It depends. if it is early and the chance of it working are very high then okay. but if it is 50/50 if the chemo will work, then no
hiahiolol
The entire concept of pets is selfish, and as a multiple pet owners, you are crazy if you think I won't do anything to keep my boys alive.
ThisIsNotTheGreatestNameInTheWorldThisIsJustATribute
I 100% disagree. My dog has been on chemo for almost a year now. The type of cancer she had usually kills within 3 months of diagnosis. 1/2
ThisIsNotTheGreatestNameInTheWorldThisIsJustATribute
She is happy, full of energy, and life! I wouldn't trade the last year for anything!
TrueGentOfTheNorth
It is difficult but it is sometimes good to know when to let go.
MORIfreakingARTY
Actually, the doses they give animals is MUCH lower than they use in people for this reason. They don't get the same devastating side effect
MORIfreakingARTY
Source: veterinary school
teaaficionado
Actually, I know 2 dogs who are going through chemo right now, you couldnt even tell, they are happy, energetic with zero sideeffects
TheRogueGinger
Yo, my dog had cancer once. Had. Got a fuckin tumor on his throat the size of a goddamn golf ball, and the vet confirmed that it was 1
TheRogueGinger
fuckin cancer, and we couldn't afford chemo. So my mom's bf did some mad research and we started feeding the dog some all-natural, 2
TheRogueGinger
organic, raw, hippie-ass food and the vet was like "shit bitch, don't do that!" but mom's bf was like "fuck you I do what I want!" 3
TheRogueGinger
That bitch-ass tumor shrunk and eventually we went back to the vet and boom, no more fuckin cancer. 4
ghosthendrikson
/slow clap
Ilikeflufflyanimalpics
Yeah....you shouldn't make decisions or judge others based on theirs. I have seen animals survive a few bad weeks of chemo and go on to ...
Ilikeflufflyanimalpics
...having very long lives. It's not the right decision for everyone or every animals but it is not for you to decide.
ghosthendrikson
I never implied it was my decision to make, I simply feel that those who do it are being selfish and don't have their animals best interest.
CaptainAmerica24
here's a crazy idea, don't make a sweeping statement about a broad category of medical treatment, talk things over with your vet.
[deleted]
[deleted]
CaptainAmerica24
because his statement is telling people to disregard a large area of veterinary care without discussing it with an educated professional.
[deleted]
[deleted]
CaptainAmerica24
how would you describe the statement "DON'T PUT YOUR ANIMAL THROUGH CHEMO", sounds like a broad condemnation of all chemotherapy to me.
EarendilTheBlessed
this is the best point I have seen on this not every case is the same iif a 3 year old dog has minute cancer why wouldn't you try.
HannahAbbott
I like you more than non robo oprah.
ghosthendrikson
Here's a thought, I'm merely expressing my opinion. I'm not making sweeping statements about what you should or shouldn't do.
CaptainAmerica24
that is literally exactly what you did: "Don't put your animal through chemotherapy." That's a command statement in the english language.
superfinn
You should be animal oprah.
UsingaLongRelativelyEasyToReadUsernameForaHigherChanceOfUpVotes
You can't explain it to a 2 year old child either, is it still selfishness? It's hard to say either way I think..(cont)
bunneebutt
Came here to say just this. Thank you.
UsingaLongRelativelyEasyToReadUsernameForaHigherChanceOfUpVotes
BUT THIS WAS 2 YEARS AGO!!!! HOW!?!?!??!
bunneebutt
Random mode. Didn't even look at the date. Sorry?
UsingaLongRelativelyEasyToReadUsernameForaHigherChanceOfUpVotes
no sorry needed, i just thought it was funny as hell x>
UsingaLongRelativelyEasyToReadUsernameForaHigherChanceOfUpVotes
If there is a chance for a good long life, I'd say, go for it. I suppose I understand it to a degree though.. quality vs quantity and all...
ghosthendrikson
Thanks for the comments everyone. I've enjoyed reading everyone's opinions. +1 too for being calm and rational too.
thatwilldopig
I honestly think that there are a good many situations where the better thing is to put an animal down. Like the rescue posts we see here.
thatwilldopig
I know animals are awesome, but think of putting that thousands of dollars and hours towards helping children who need it.
dairyvet
One of the ideals of our oncology class was that the animal's quality of life stays the same. If it wouldn't, you don't use chemo.
dairyvet
Not only that, animals are usually models for human disease. Many current cancer treatments in humans were once clinical trials for animals
NeedsMoreDragQueenGifs
I love seeing this like of reponse on Imgur. Thanks for posting
ghosthendrikson
Too many damn "too"s.
Themidge22
As a vet student, this gets tricky. Chemo in animals is different from people. We use less drugs and the cell counts don't drop as low as 1
kelpsie
I would be very concerned if cell counts dropped as low as 1
whorulztheworldsqrlz
Yay for fellow vet students! I'm so glad to see this in the top comments.
PuppyDoctor
sup guys
Cerinna
Also a vet student; chemo in some cases if you know it will make a difference, but otherwise please don't. I also wouldn't make my 1
LaurenSlade
As a fellow vet student, thank you for speaking truths!
Cerinna
2) pet get radiation therapy. We have a bunker here in the Netherlands because of client demands but most vets would not recommend... :(
arcadiasilver
...your user name reminds me of a friend. Sarah?
Themidge22
Nope
sliz420
Shannon?
gewalt
chuck testa
sweetserenitythefirefly
Hello fellow vet student, glad to see some more comments with accuracy and knowledge to support them!
Frodoniku
Yay fellow vets! Thats what I wanted to say, lymphoma you should definitely do chemo if you want b/c it helps, dogs are happy coming in
BabersLincoln
Woohoo! Procrastinating vet student of imgur unite!
Themidge22
Yes! I have tests and presentations to prepare. But I'm browsing an walking my dogs instead
Themidge22
In people so the animals don't tend to feel as shitty or have as many side effects. It can cure some things but not everything. At school 2
Themidge22
We have a counselor who talks to people about what they thnk makes their pet "themself"- like everyday at 5 y'all go for a walk and 3
Themidge22
Then play fetch. You have to know what makes them happy. And watch good days and bad days. When there's more bad days or he doesn't want 4
Themidge22
To go on that walk that's when you need to think about euthanasia.
HighrockTendales
What have they got to do with it?
cityofmonsters
Thanks for taking the time to explain. I actually didn't know of any differences between human/animal chemo, so this was educational. :)
IAmJustAChairForCats
interesting, i remember reading an article regarding people to doing the same thing themselves to decide what end of life measures they want
theroguex
Hey know, leave asian kids out of this.
thatswhatshesaidlololol
This is an excellent explanation, thank you. My small furry child was diagnosed with cancer yesterday. I have always been against chemo 1/2
javy45
Good to know Thanks for sharing.
huntleybaker
what state are you from?
simpledog
Animals actually tolerate chemo incredibly well. In vet med we are very concerned with quality of life, so most don't have any side effects.
Dapperlydone
Agreed. Both in chemo and radiation therapy, most dogs/catsundergo less side effects than people experience.
PuppyDoctor
It's true. It's actually the owners who usually extend life past the point where the vets consider it humane.
sweetserenitythefirefly
I like your username
PuppyDoctor
Thank ya much!
Arrkhal
Plus, dogs don't mind puking nearly as much as humans do.
AIRBORNEALLTHEWAY
Eh, you get used to it after a while. Just don't try to re eat it.
NeverMindtheManBehindtheCurtain
I wonder if we should be more concerned with quality of life in human medicine.
SerialKitten666
Not true in all cases, ESPECIALLY if the animal is no longer young or the cancer is even remotely aggressive
[deleted]
[deleted]
simpledog
I've already replied to this comment elsewhere. Some animals may be more stoic than others, esp the horse, but you can still monitor
simpledog
3. monitor them. They usually know their behavior better than anyone. Doesn't want to go for a walk? Not being snuggly? All poss indications
[deleted]
[deleted]
simpledog
No problem. This is all very general, every animal is still an individual.
simpledog
2. vital signs. Painful animals will have increased respiration, heart rate, they may act painful, not eat, ect. We also ask their owners
asafillintheblank
are you saying most chemotherapies in animals do not have side effects? that seems super unlikely with my basic understanding of chemo (1/2)
asafillintheblank
(2/2) does chemo in animals target cancer cells better than in people
sweetserenitythefirefly
Chemo in dogs is given at lower doses with the intention of improving quality of life.
AveryB
Chemo for dogs is much lower doses than that for humans, therefore most have mild to no side effects.
asafillintheblank
is there a decrease in efficacy of the treatment?
AveryB
Well, it's a different goal. Chemo in humans is meant to annihilate the cancer. That shit needs to GTFO ASAP. For dogs, they're usually â‘
AveryB
just trying to stop the cancer from spreading/extend lifetime. A lot of dogs do go into remission, but I don't have stats to compare. â‘¡
asafillintheblank
thanks for explaining because I do know a decent bit about animal models for drug treatment and the original comment seemed skewed
ImNotMoodyImJustDramatic
Its up to the owner, but there is nothing worse than seeing a dog that can barely stand or use the bathroom on its own.
NaturalProgressionGaming
Chemo doesn't really help that though...
foxat0mic
Now I'm on the verge of tears imagining my dog going through this. I did not ask for these feels or images.
julietxo
My dog is almost at this point. He's 14, but he can still go up/down stairs and jump on the bed. When he can't, we'll put him down :'(
foxat0mic
Aw. :( I will be happy if my dog is around at 14! I really hope she is.
Dapperlydone
Depending on the drug, many dogs do not undergo such effects. Many cancers, like lymphoma, are controlled temporarily with few side effects
NationalistCanadianMooseWarrior
I think this is the point OP refers to, when the animal is old enough that chemo can't really help, only makes it worse.
jaderbug12
And yet, every day there's a new "cute" deformed/disfigured animal internet personality popping up on my newsfeed...
hartmonica
Um, usually the exact same thing happens anyways if you don't give them chemo.
jsktrogdor
Nothing? Wanna bet?
jaderbug12
Aghhhhh!! It's only a drawing and it's still as bad as if I did it myself!
ghosthendrikson
I haven't cringed like that since I first visited /r/spacedicks. You clever SOB.
smartestchild
I had never seen nor heard of spacedicks before, so I went, and I've never had so many chins before in my life, I was so taken aback.
ImNotMoodyImJustDramatic
Pass the lemon juice...
Flucksy
Don't forget the salt
ImNotMoodyImJustDramatic
Well let's get some tequila in there too.
FirstWorldAnarchist
Angry pirates, anyone?
DylanSchiester
AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH
NeverMindtheManBehindtheCurtain
WHY. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!
itsimpossibletofindausernamethatisnttaken
Calm down Satan.
captainobvioustits
oh. Oh. OH. OHOHOH. OH YOU FUCKER. YOU FUCKER
wuakamole
:'|
Anististhenes
I CAN FEEL IT.
stinachoo85
AYYYYYYYYYYYy
Cheesecakecrush
I have no words for how much I hate you right now.
sighnomore
FUUUUUUUUUCK
smartestchild
WHY
rererepost
This is the hardest I've ever actually physically cringed in my life. Curse you.
WheelyWonka
AHHHH is this from the Right Now music video!?
shaftinferno
Jesus Christ, I hope not. I like that song.
WheelyWonka
It is. I checked, that song has one of the most fucked up music videos I've ever seen lol
shaftinferno
Aahhhh man, Korn. Why you gotta play me like that?
Sasstiel
Two of my animals died of cancer. We let them live until the bad days were more frequent than the good days and then we put them down.
FlatPlutoSociety
I'm sure many other people have said this, but it can't be overstated. You did the right thing and you gave your pets the best possible life
BrassKicker
I did the same with my dog, age 11, lymphoma and external tumors. We gave her some basic drugs to slow down the spread, though.
Sasstiel
My cat had a puffer to make breathing easier and my dog had drugs for his arthritis. It was hard both times.
sighnomore
we did that with my childhood dog. he was 15 when he got sick and died a week after his 16th birthday
thismademefailmyfinals
I just had to put my almost 10 year old lab/boxer mix down just over a week ago because she had cancer in her face. =(
Sasstiel
My uncle's last pitbull started growing visible tumours all over her legs and back. It's so sad. :(
thismademefailmyfinals
Oh god. That's horrible. Her's was right below her eye and got as big as my fist before I put her down. I miss her so much.
ferocat
Thats what I'm doing with my cat - fero- now. Ive had him 14 years and it breaks my heart on the bad days.
joinha
Same here. Broke my heart too
redhedqd
This thread is killing me! Miss my sweet girl so much!
omgwhateverdudejustletmein
<3* I fail at life
omgwhateverdudejustletmein
I'm sorry <#
ThrewOutMyHipster
Same here. It was tough.
pineapple69696969
You did the right thing
Sasstiel
Yeah we know. We didn't have either biopsied. We assumed cancer in both cases (vet's decision). We probably waited a bit too long, though.
pineapple69696969
Ive Also had to do the same... not an easy decision + 1 to you
Sasstiel
After both animals were put down we had them autopsied and found lung cancer in both. It was the right decision but it's a hard one.
imitalianpleasedontcomplainaboutgrammarerrorsokbye
same here, i respect other opinions but i share yours
flannelmoose
We did the same thing with my 5yro golden retriever.
JM1911A1
Did you guys consider going through treatment or was it a 'too late to change/affect the outcome' situation?
flannelmoose
It had started to spread to different lymphnodes by the time we found it.
JM1911A1
Ah that's a tough situation. Sorry for your loss. :c
Sasstiel
Oh that's so unfortunate because he's so young. Sorry for your loss. <3
speakhands
By most accounts, this seems to be the most considerate and sensible way to go about it. My cat died from AIDS & I did the same thing.
VeroniqueL
Same here. Bought the chemo, never gave it to my cat. I saw the side effects list, changed my mind, spent a full 2 mo taking care of him.
officerjt
I know that feel.
NationalistCanadianMooseWarrior
As an animal lover who has lost 3 dogs to cancer, I share your view. If dogs can't be dogs, they can't be happy.
Sasstiel
My poppy had a border collie that had a heart problem. He said as soon as that dog couldn't fetch a ball he would put him down.
Sasstiel
The dog actually died of the heart problem before then. He would play fetch for hours even if his heart couldn't.
Sasstiel
Both of them were fairly old (cat: 16, dog:12), so chemo (even a biopsy) would be way too invasive for them and would probably make it worse
crystalweed
My dog died at the age of 14 of cancer and my cat is 16 but also has a massive cancer and can't recover. I know that feel bro.
SirIlliterate
Thankfully this is still the popular opinion. We did it the exact same, even a biopsy is too much.
Sasstiel
We were almost 100% certain the cat had lung cancer, and we almost biopsied him but it would have been unnecessary at his age.
Sasstiel
We put the dog down because he had serious arthritis. We thought he might have cancer, but we didn't know for sure until after he passed.
doyouwannabuildasnowman
That's a very responsible and sensitive way of handling it all. Just wanted to pat your back or something.
woudur
Giving you both a pat! Have a green arrow!
TheSaucyCrumpet
Well done for putting their welfare before your own. As a pet owners we know how hard it can be to let go, so I applaud your selflessness.
HeyPretty1
Had a 10 year old Bichon with a pituitary tumor. It made her abnormally hungry and thirtsy. I wish we had put her down sooner.
HeyPretty1
Denying a dying dog food and water because she would kill herself if we let her do what she wanted was a horrible time.
Sasstiel
My neighbour had a blind/deaf/diabetic shih tzu that she refused to put down. She just let the dog wither away. It was so sad.