Lymphoma
Hi all, I’m creating this post to shed some light and share our story so far after finding out that our sweet Bear has lymphoma. ❤️
About 6 weeks ago, we took our dogs to a park and when we got home, we found a few ticks on them. Fast forward a couple of weeks, Bear started having alternating limb stiffness, lethargy, a poor appetite, and just wasn’t acting like himself.
Thankfully, he started acting more like himself again, and we almost didn’t take him to the vet. My husband (thank God for him!) decided to feel Bear’s lymph nodes and noticed that they were large and firm. We never cancelled the appointment and immediately took him to our primary care vet with our concerns. They sent off bloodwork for lymphoma, which we were told would take about a week to come back.
During that time, Bear became lame, and our vet recommended that we take him to the ER. We did, and they performed a lymph node biopsy. The results came back conclusive for lymphoma.
Bear is 4.5 years old, and this was incredibly difficult news to process. He has always been such a happy, loving, goofy boy, and it’s hard to wrap our heads around how quickly everything changed.
We saw Veterinary Oncology yesterday, and they presented us with three treatment options:
• CHOP chemotherapy protocol: Estimated life expectancy of approximately 12–24 months. This is the most aggressive and expensive option, with weekly infusions that take around 30 minutes.
• H protocol: one of the chemo drugs listed above. Estimated life expectancy of approximately 6–8 months. This is less expensive, with infusions every 3 weeks that take around 60 minutes.
• Steroids/palliative care: Focused on keeping him comfortable, with an estimated survival time of approximately 1–2 months. This is the least expensive option.
After a lot of discussion and an incredibly difficult decision, we decided to pursue the CHOP protocol. Our oncologist recommended making the decision based largely on the dog’s personality and how they handle vet visits and treatment.
Bear generally does really well in the car and at the vet so we ultimately decided that CHOP was the right choice for him. I know everyone has to make this decision differently, and I completely understand how difficult it can be to balance quality of life, finances, treatment, and the desire for more time with your dog. There is no easy answer.
This has been especially overwhelming because I am pregnant and due next month. We were so excited to bring a baby into our family, and now we’re navigating this diagnosis at the same time. It’s been a lot emotionally.
I’m sharing Bear’s story because I hope it can help other Berner parents recognize the signs, trust their instincts, and know that they aren’t alone if they ever find themselves in a similar situation.
Today is Bear’s first chemotherapy appointment. ❤️
Please wish our sweet boy luck. We’re hoping and praying for as much good, happy time with him as possible. 🐻🤎
And to all of the other Berner parents who have gone through this, I would truly love to hear your experiences, especially with CHOP, lymphoma, and how your pups did throughout treatment.