Per some info I've already sent to hughesca, this might be of benefit to others if they ever have the misfortune of having their puppy dog come down with Lymphoma.

Lymphoma is a cancer that probably has one of the best response rates to Chemotherapy in our dogs. The options for the owner are:

1. Do nothing. The dog will die in 4-6 weeks, and it may not be an easy death.

2. Treat pallatively with Prednisone. This yields a remission of 30-60 days, and is relatively cheap. When the cancer comes back the dog will usually succumb quickly with minimal suffering. However Prednisone is a one way street. Once it's used alone without any other Chemo agents for 2 weeks, the cancer will become resistant to multiple Chemo drugs. This is referred to as Multiple Drug Resistance (MDR). The point is that you can't treat with just Prednisone and then change your mind and try treating with Chemo drugs later on. Chances are it will not work.

3. Treat with the protocol COP (Cytoxin, Vincristine, Prednisone). This protocol will give you about a 3-6 month remission.

4. Treat with a multiple drug protocol that includes Doxorubicin, and Elspar. Examples include LCOPA (which my Daisy received), and the Madison-Wisc protocol. These protocols yield remissions of 9-12 months.

5. Number 4 plus half body radiation as the dog has entered remission. If I had known about it, I would have given it to my Daisy, as remissions are ranging in the 1.5-2.0 + yr range.

The point is that Chemotherapy is a viable option for Lymphoma puppies. The hardest part for the owner is getting over the emotional trauma of the diagnosis.