When Rigby’s regular vet told us that Rigby had Type-B Leukemia and that her “numbers were high,” my heart sank. I was terrified that the whole thing would play out in one of two ways: One, we hadn’t caught the cancer in time and it was too late to treat; or two, Rigby’s age made the vet think treating the cancer wasn’t worth it. Luckily, neither scenario is true.
On Friday, we met with a veterinary oncologist. When he came into the exam room, he started talking about the different kinds of canine cancer, and how they are treated. The whole time he spoke, I thought to myself, “JUST TELL ME IF RIGBY’S IS TREATABLE!” I wasn’t hearing anything the doctor said without that information. After asking me some questions and examining Rigby, the oncologist said, “Well, based on her tests and how happy she seems to be, I definitely think we should treat this.”
Rigby’s leukemia appears to be slow-moving, meaning it should respond well to treatment. When the oncologist said that, I felt a huge weight lift. I’d spent so much time preparing myself for bad news that I’d stopped hoping for good.
To start, Rigby is taking a steroid and a chemo pill. The steroid is a full dose now, but slowly tapers off until it’s gone. The chemo is pretty hardcore. The prescription has to be refrigerated at all times, and the people giving Rigby the pill have to wear gloves…because getting a dog to swallow a pill is already so easy, now we get to do it with latex on our hands! She’ll be on the chemo pill for the rest of her life.
Dog Chemo.
She still has to have a chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound to make sure the cancer hasn’t spread to any internal organs, but based on her test results the oncologist thinks that is very unlikely.
I know Rigby is old now – Friday also happened to be her 11th birthday – so I have accepted that my days with her are limited. But I am just so relieved to know that those days might not be as limited as we’d feared. This pup is so important to us, and we aren’t ready to say goodbye to her yet.
Hopefully, it will be a long time before we have to.
Losa says:
Look at that sweet face! So happy to hear the positive news!
Lanie says:
Hurray for slow moving & treatable cancer (I wish it was no cancer but if it is then it sounds like Rigby has a positive diagnosis). Sending hope and hugs and many more healthy days. xo
Jerilynn says:
I’m so relieved! I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was check for this post. When I hadn’t seen anything all weekend, I was fearful you’d received bad news. I’m so glad that there is a course of treatment!! How is Rigby feeling now that she started the meds? Thinking of you all!! So glad to see a positive spin to all of this!
TamaraL says:
That is good news – and I am feeling so hopeful for Rigby and your family! Sweet little puppy girl!
Sue says:
This is so great to hear, Heather! I know it must be such a relief to all of you. Small dogs, like Rigby, can easily live to be in their late teens,,so let’s aim for that!!!!! Big hugs to Rigby!!!!
Kim from Minnesota says:
That is wonderful news about Rigby! You got your best Christmas present early!
Linnae says:
What wonderful news to read this morning!! I’m really happy for you guys, and love the confident feeling that Rigby will be hanging around for a long time still. Good luck with that pill giving!
Lauren says:
My cat, Joe, is on chlorambucil for small cell lymphoma! He’s been on it since March and has responded well. The perfect regimen for Joe would be to add a steroid, but since that can increase blood sugar and he has a history of diabetes, they thought that it would do more harm than good. Best of luck to Rigby (and to you guys for getting the pill down)!
kathi says:
Thank goodness the news is good! Have you tried the Greenies pill pockets? That’s how I “smuggle” the meds to my pup, they have different flavors so if Rigby rejects one, she might like another. Good luck!
Lorrie says:
Great news!!! I’m still missing my pup, and shes been gone 3 yrs.
Damita says:
Sweet girl! I’m so happy that there was good news!
Johanna says:
So happy to hear that Rigby’s cancer is treatable. This past Friday we had to put our almost 11 year old lab mix to sleep. He had a large tumor on his liver. So so hard. We just don’t get enough time with them. I hope that Rigby has many more happy years ahead of her.
REK981 says:
All your fears manifested in my worrying about my Maltese, Zeus, who will be 12 in January. He is doing well though moving slower. He goes to the vet tomorrow for a kennel cough vaccine so he can go get his holiday grooming done. In his old age he despises when I try to keep him brushed and combed but he adores his groomer, go figure. I am so glad you got good feedback. I do hope she tolerates her treatment well.
Marjorie Steele says:
So happy you got some good news! Thanks for the update. I too was thinking about your fur baby all weekend!
Jackson says:
I’ve tried so many different ways to give my 14.5 year old dog who has medical problems a pill and nothing worked until the obvious: putting a small mound of canned dog food (I/D Digestive for tummy problems) with the pill in the middle between two fingers t hold it in place and he gobbled it down. No more fighting. I had tried peanut butter, almond butter (he loves both), pill pockets, raw dog food .. and the list goes on .. and then tried this and it was magic so if you have challenges getting him to take a pill you might want to try what has worked for me (worked for my beloved doggy).
Kisses to your doggy.
Anna says:
Yay, so glad to hear this!
Brooke says:
I’m so glad you got better news than you anticipated. That sweet puppy face! May Rigby have lots and lots of good days ahead of her. xo
Jen says:
So happy to hear the news on sweet Rigby. 11 is not old for a small dog; 16 is the number I’m thinking of for a dog her size. I have boxers; they have a lifespan of 10-12 years due to their size, but I’ve heard of them living up to 16 years. Just lost both of our boxers in April to different cancers. Had to put them down one day after the other. Heartbreaking doesn’t describe it. They were 8 and 12. Hoping for a long, full life for little Rigby.
samatwitch says:
I’m so happy you got (relatively) good news for Rigby. All those positive thoughts people have been sending seem to have paid off. And treatable and slow-moving cancer is good – I lost my cat last year about this time to a very fast-acting untreatable cancer – 27 days from first symptoms to the end.
Sending good thoughts and energy to Rigby and your family for a wonderful holiday season.
Lisa F. says:
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Kate says:
I’m happy for your news with Rigby. Giving dogs pills can be so tricky. I’ve had luck sticking the pill in the middle of a scoop of wet, canned dog food. I even freeze them that way, and my dog actually BEGS for meds now! If it can be taken with food, that method might work for you?
Best wishes…
Kirsten says:
My parents dog is 14 1/2 (lab and aussie mix) and she just got diagnosed with Lymphoma…they are doing the exact same regimen as you with the steroid and the chemo. She has perked up SO MUCH after only a couple of weeks on the chemo – it’s been quite amazing actually. I truly hope you have more time with your sweet pup and hope she responds well! Our almost ten year old lab just had cancer removed from her hip and she’s doing well too. Just want to hang on to these furry family members as long as possible!
Kristin says:
That’s great! I really like your sentence about spending so much time preparing for the worst that you forgot to hope for the best. My father is currently undergoing cancer treatment and that really resonates with me right now. Thank your for sharing; here’s too many more wonderful years with your sweet pup
Lisa S says:
So happy it was positive news!!! I hope she responds well to the meds and takes them like a pro!
Debbie B. says:
Yay for treatable! So happy for you and your sweet little pup.
Lisa F. says:
Crying happy tears over this news! You got this, Rigby!
Hope says:
I work part time for an Eastern medicine vet in the Midwest. Including holistic medicine can be really helpful. I know Rigby has tummy issues and requires a special diet as well but diet can also help in keeping cancer at bay (you don’t want to feed it basically.)
A doctor certified in Chinese medicine might be worth looking into. To find one in your area you can go to http://www.tcvm.com.
We have treated lots of animals here in Wisconsin, some for several years with cancer using acupuncture, herbs and diet.
I’m sure you’ve been given lots of suggestions already but thought I would throw it out there. I’m so happy Rigby was given a treatable prognosis.
Christina says:
This is a great option also if available for you. I have had a foster with many medical issues from 6 weeks old – at that age she had severe puppy strangles and her little body was ravaged with infection. She had a baseball sized lymph node in her leg that unknown to us, broke her leg and caused an issue with her hip. By the time she was healthy enough for xrays and tests, it was too late for surgery to repair the issues. As she grew, she started having so many issues with her leg the only option given as amputation. Her sponsor and the rescue researched other options and we decided to try acupuncture and supplements… a month later her posture was near perfect, she was running and using the leg normally and no longer showing signs of pain. I am amazed daily and a believer. We hope to get our fearful foster in for treatment to see if it will help her (at this point she is still to fearful of people so we are working on getting her comfortable going to the clinic)
Shelly says:
Good news about Rigby! We recently lost our 15.5 year old beagle to old age. Realizing that she could start going down hill at any time we decided to bring another dog into our family so that our other dog (4 year old corgi) wouldn’t be alone when the beagle did pass on. Nothing replaces a dog that we love, but the sadness might be made a bit easier to handle, especially for the kids, with a new dog or puppy. Our new corgi pup brings such joy to us and is a great companion for our other dog. I’m wondering if maybe your kids would love to see a new friend under the tree this Christmas?
Auntie_M says:
#Relieved!!!
So happy to hear this news!!! It just made my morning/day/week!!!
Be a good girl, Rigby, and take your medicine!!!
(BTW-my smart phone is smart enough to know Rigby’s name! )
Jordan says:
Hooray for good news! well, as good as we can expect with cancer involved. I hope it provides you with much more time with your sweet girl.
Serennne says:
Rigby, I am with you, sweet girlie! With stage IV breast cancer, I’ll be on some form of medication the rest of my life too. But you at 11 and me at 41, we’re not done yet! Heather, give everyone a hug from another fighter!
LisaS says:
Heather, I’m so relieved for all of you. I’ve been thinking about Rigby all weekend and was so glad to read this post. Betcha Rigby would take that pill if it was smothered in peanut butter! LOL
Rachel says:
Great news. I love how she’s leaning into your hand in that pic. Sweet girl.
Toni says:
Good news, I would do anything for my doggie too! Here’s to many more years with Rigby!
Lisa says:
Aww, I’m so glad to hear this news! May you have many more happy years with that sweet pup.
Melissa says:
Yay, wonderful news! Our puppy had a red blood cell disorder (very similar to leukemia) with seizures. We thought we might have to put him to sleep but they found a good combo of meds that worked for him. We were blessed with 3 more years with our little buddy. As long as they are happy, wagging their tails and eating, they’re not ready to go quite yet. Hang in there Rigby! You’ve got lots of people pulling for you!
Lori says:
So happy to hear that Rigby’s cancer is treatable!
Linda says:
That is such good news!! Our pups are like children and the thought of losing one is simply devastating to me. My oldest is 8, and I can already see a bit of “old man” in him.
Thank you for this positive update. Makes me happy that he has a good chance of more good years.
Angie says:
Just a tip – to give any dog a pill, put it in a little bit of peanut butter. Dogs love peanut butter and it makes it harder for them to not swallow it.
Teresa says:
That is great news!
Jeanie says:
SOOO very happy to hear the good news. I know it’s weird since I’ve never met Rigby in person (dogson?), but I love that little girl. I can feel your relief.
Vicky says:
Great positive news! I don’t know if you can put anything around the pill(s), but my dog will eat anything that’s wrapped in cheese. I just wrap a kraft single around the pill and squish it into a ball and she eats it up.
Erin says:
Glad to see the initial report isn’t terrible!
Laurie says:
I am overjoyed at this news!!!!!
Kim says:
Greenies Pill Pockets! Not cheap, but Amazon has good bulk deals. We have two dogs that get multiple pills daily. They think we are giving them treats now when we give them their pills.
I’m so glad Rigby has a good prognosis. Pups are such good friends.
kris says:
can’t you give the pills in a bit of soft food? i have found that giving even nasty tasting pills is not too bad if you get 4 or 5 little mounds of food and do , no pill, no pill. pill, no pill, etc.. they lose their suspicion after the first couple no pill dabs of food. good luck to her.
Amber in OC says:
She is so worth it!!!! Does the medication have side effects? I’m so relieved for your family…..such a sweet little dog Hugs!!
Heather says:
She might be nauseated and more lethargic, but so far, so good!
kathy says:
Great news! I have a 15 year old yorkie mix and we thought he was really sick in January with a possible brain tumor. Now, found out recently that he has Cushing’s disease. Thankfully, it’s treatable. And I know at 15 that his days are numbered, but I want him to be comfortable til the last.
Wendy says:
Great news
Christina says:
Are you able to hide the pill in something to give it to him? I have a foster pup with severe fear and anxiety, she is on paxil and xanax daily, shoving pills down her throat is stressful on her and to try to avoid her being a fear biter (she was born in a dog fighting ring to be a bait dog, she has been with us since March) I make her meatballs using The Honest Kitchen dog food… her anxiety makes it so she can’t/won’t eat a lot of the time but 90% of the time she will take her meatballs. Just a thought, I know when our dog had nasal cancer I hated shoving the pills down her throat. Sending light and prayers your way!
Lauren says:
Great news!
Kelli says:
Sending thoughts of healing to you all and Rigby. Glad she can be treated!