Comeing out of the closet.....

Here is where we can discuss canine cancers and treatment options to create a support system for those dealing with the disease.

Postby iluvk9 » November 8th, 2009, 2:22 pm

I kept Carlos Garcia, who was diagnosed with lymphoma, on prednisone. It seemed to slow the cancer and kept his appetite WAY up. He was quite the chubba his last few weeks. That's how I want to go....eating like a horse.
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Postby HappyChick » November 8th, 2009, 3:03 pm

This is the guideline I use for Vinny's cancer diet:

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/cancer-diet/

We do not use the supplements on that site so I cannot endorse them. Vinny gets the cooked diet. My understanding from all sources is - no grain based foods, no sugars - a cancer starving diet is high protein, high fat, and very low carbs. There are good carbs and bad carbs.

There are also good "no grain" kibbles out there, but I don't know much about them.

I'm sorry you are feeling so overwhelmed. Unfortunately, I know the feeling. Take a few deep breaths and gather your thoughts. I just keep reminding myself that I am doing the best I can and that doing something is better than doing nothing. At this point, even if all you can do is make sure Bella is comfortable, you are doing something. I'm sure she knows she is loved very much. Just think of how many dogs don't even get that.

Good luck and many, many good thoughts being sent to you and Bella from me and Vincenzo.
Angie & crew

http://www.epitome-dog-rescue.org

My beloved Vincenzo 07/22/05 - 11/16/09 forever in my heart. Cancer sucks.
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Postby Brownies Mom » November 8th, 2009, 9:34 pm

Suzi wrote:Would you mind sharing "the diet" Brownie was on?


Not at all, I would be happy to! Brownie (a 75-lb lab) got 2 meals per day:
1 cup of chicken (boiled, it was easiest)
1 cup of steamed veggies (I used frozen - green beans, brussel sprouts and cauliflower)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of freshly chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon of "Healthy Powder"

I mixed his other vitamins, supplements, herbs and meds right into his meals. That is a complicated list, but I have it already compiled in Excel if you would like it. I would be happy to email it to you, along with the "Healthy Powder" recipe, and I can easily transfer the info into Word if you don't have Excel.

There are lots of diets out there, but there are three things you want to think about when you choose one. The first is whether it is "complete." I'm not sure whether chicken and veggies alone provide all the vitamins, etc. that dogs need. The diet came with the prescribed vitamins/supplements, and it's possible some of those were added to fight the cancer, and some were added to make the diet complete. I'm sorry, I just don't know for sure. The second thing is that cancer loves carbs, and I think every diet I read about had carbs of some sort, except for the one we ended up using. That being said, the diets I came across were working for many dogs, and if you can't feed Brownie's diet, one of them would be fine, I'm sure. When I learned about BARF, I figured that was ideal, because there are no carbs, and it is such a healthy way to feed. My (cancer) vet said no, because if he got something with salmonella, etc., his immune system probably couldn't handle it. I'm guessing she meant couldn't handle fighting the illness and the cancer at the same time? The third thing is that many diets I came across contained flax, and two different vets told me dogs can't digest flax.

The problem with Brownie's diet is that Brownie would wolf down the meds mixed in with the chicken/veggies, but I'm not sure many other dogs would do that, so you have to find something that gets the job done and that the dog likes. It is also a lot of work to prepare homemade meals. Not that you aren't willing, but if your life is such that you can't manage it well, why not try something pre-made first? I have heard good things about the Science Diet cancer food, so it might be worth looking into.

Please do at least consider using prednisone. I am fairly certain that was one of the key things we did, and I say that because as soon as I weaned him off of it (so we could give him strong pain meds for his arthritis), a tumor grew in his spleen, which is why we had to put him down. Also, if you decide to do chemo, please check out the book by Dr. Messonnier - it has recommendations on feeding/vitamins/herbs that you can add or should avoid in order to maximize the benefits of the chemo.
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Postby Suzi » November 10th, 2009, 1:01 pm

Good news,,,bad news......

Well we saw Dr. Kevin yesterday,,,,I now feel much more "grounded",,,I'm not spinning anymore.

Bad new's first is what I chose,,,and PLEASE understand,,,I go back many years with this man.

MCT such as the stage Bella was diagonsed with, along with how it is acting,,,history,,etc. I have choosen to not do any type of invasive treatment. No Chemo,,,no Palladia....

Benadryl,,,pepcid,,,a cancer diet,,,loads of love and hopefully a road trip in the near future,to the ocean I hope...I have always wanted her to run "leashless" in the surf,,this is what Bella will be treated with until her quality of life draws to it's end.

The good news is,,,,her staples are out,,,the drain is gone,,,and best of all,,,,the huge lump that "sprouted" is waaayyy down. You can't see it anymore,,,,although it is just resting for now,,,who knows for how long,,,but for now,,,this is good. Bella's staples and drain are removed, and we have the go ahead to play,,,run,,,,get back to a normal life,,,that is GREAT!

Thank-You all...once again for sharing your stories,,,,supporting us,,,,giving your ideas....I really would have landed in a pile of depression without hope if it weren't for the folks here....

I will now become a part of this forum,,,as I feel since I've joined,,,I haven't contributed to much (I have been so self absorbed)...Thank-You again EVERYONE!!!
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Postby Jenn » November 10th, 2009, 6:05 pm

:hug3:
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Postby Brownies Mom » November 10th, 2009, 10:40 pm

Suzi wrote:MCT such as the stage Bella was diagonsed with, along with how it is acting,,,history,,etc. I have choosen to not do any type of invasive treatment. No Chemo,,,no Palladia....

Benadryl,,,pepcid,,,a cancer diet,,,loads of love and hopefully a road trip in the near future,to the ocean I hope...I have always wanted her to run "leashless" in the surf,,this is what Bella will be treated with until her quality of life draws to it's end.


No one can make the best decision for Bella better than you. You love her and know her, and I can tell from your post that this was a caring decision you made, with her best interests at heart. Cancer brings such an out of control feeling into our lives, and I hope that making a decision about how far you will and will not go with treatment brings a feeling of having a little more control. It did for me. Once I decided to not do invasive treatment, the decisions sort of made themselves as we went along. There was no reason to do chemo or x-rays or surgeries or biopsies or anything else, because no matter what we found, as long as Brownie felt good, nothing about the treatment was going to change. As soon as he didn't feel well though, we did do an ultrasound to find out what was wrong. The vet suspected it was a tumor in his spleen, and sure enough, it was. I'm grateful for all the extra time Brownie and I were given to be together. He was never sick until just a few days before he died, so all of our extra time together was quality time, and I made a point of cherishing those days. I figured if he felt good, it must have been a great day in his mind, because he didn't know he had cancer, or was going to get sick, so I was going to make sure we enjoyed that day.
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Postby Brownies Mom » November 10th, 2009, 10:46 pm

Suzi wrote:the huge lump that "sprouted" is waaayyy down. You can't see it anymore,,,,although it is just resting for now,,,who knows for how long,,,but for now,,,this is good.


Just wanted to mention, in case no one has yet, that stimulation near the tumor of any kind (her licking the area, you petting or brushing the area) can cause the tumor to release histamines, and that may in turn cause the tumor to enlarge, but often times they will go back down in size after they calm down.
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Postby Suzi » November 10th, 2009, 11:02 pm

Thank You Brownies Mom....Your the best!
Hugs to you,,,as this has got to stir up some memories....Although our pain receeds with time,,,it still can be quite painful to remember our own journey's....
Little things,,,like,,,"Don't brush the area",,,,is a HUGE piece of info that we need.
Thank-You.
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Postby plebayo » November 11th, 2009, 12:07 am

Benadryl,,,pepcid,,,a cancer diet,,,loads of love and hopefully a road trip in the near future,to the ocean I hope...I have always wanted her to run "leashless" in the surf,,this is what Bella will be treated with until her quality of life draws to it's end.


Personally I think this form of treatment that you have chosen is the best and what will work for both of you :) Loads of love is always the best medicine IMO.

The good news is,,,,her staples are out,,,the drain is gone,,,and best of all,,,,the huge lump that "sprouted" is waaayyy down. You can't see it anymore,,,,although it is just resting for now,,,who knows for how long,,,but for now,,,this is good. Bella's staples and drain are removed, and we have the go ahead to play,,,run,,,,get back to a normal life,,,that is GREAT!


Yay I'm glad she can play and get back to doing her normal things.

I will now become a part of this forum,,,as I feel since I've joined,,,I haven't contributed to much (I have been so self absorbed)...Thank-You again EVERYONE!!!
Good news,,,bad news......

Well we saw Dr. Kevin yesterday,,,,I now feel much more "grounded",,,I'm not spinning anymore.

Bad new's first is what I chose,,,and PLEASE understand,,,I go back many years with this man.

MCT such as the stage Bella was diagonsed with, along with how it is acting,,,history,,etc. I have choosen to not do any type of invasive treatment. No Chemo,,,no Palladia....

Benadryl,,,pepcid,,,a cancer diet,,,loads of love and hopefully a road trip in the near future,to the ocean I hope...I have always wanted her to run "leashless" in the surf,,this is what Bella will be treated with until her quality of life draws to it's end.

The good news is,,,,her staples are out,,,the drain is gone,,,and best of all,,,,the huge lump that "sprouted" is waaayyy down. You can't see it anymore,,,,although it is just resting for now,,,who knows for how long,,,but for now,,,this is good. Bella's staples and drain are removed, and we have the go ahead to play,,,run,,,,get back to a normal life,,,that is GREAT!

Thank-You all...once again for sharing your stories,,,,supporting us,,,,giving your ideas....I really would have landed in a pile of depression without hope if it weren't for the folks here....

I will now become a part of this forum,,,as I feel since I've joined,,,I haven't contributed to much (I have been so self absorbed)...Thank-You again EVERYONE!!!


I wouldn't say you haven't contributed. Because you brought this post forward I learned more about MCT than I would have before and you've shared your experiences with your vet so this thread could be useful to other people. Welcome to PBT!
Suzanne
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Postby call2arms » November 11th, 2009, 12:11 am

You know what's best for Bella, and no matter what you do, it's the right decision. Remember, she's a dog. All she wants is to be with you, be happy with you - she has no idea that there's this disease going on, that her time around here isn't as long as we wish it were. Spoil her, spend the best moments with her, cherish her and remember that she could care less what you choose, as long as you're besides her.:hug3:
“Your birth is a mistake you'll spend your whole life trying to correct.” Chuck Palahniuk


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I can say words like undifferentiated gonads now!
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Postby hugapitbull » November 11th, 2009, 5:56 am

I'm glad you have finally gained the information you need to make a decision that you are comfortable with. Dealing with this disease, that is sometimes quite the challenge.

As has been stated. There are no wrong decisions. We each have to evaluate our situation, our circumstances, our resources and make the decision based on what is best for me and my pal. As long as you do those things, you've made the right decision.

Many good thoughts for the two of you!
Shanna & Spirit Trouble
We beat osteosarcoma - 27 months 20 days cancer free
'Spirit' Trouble departed for the Bridge 3/16/2011 a victim of aging
Visit - http://k9cancer.org

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Postby CinderDee » November 11th, 2009, 8:33 am

call2arms wrote:You know what's best for Bella, and no matter what you do, it's the right decision. Remember, she's a dog. All she wants is to be with you, be happy with you - she has no idea that there's this disease going on, that her time around here isn't as long as we wish it were. Spoil her, spend the best moments with her, cherish her and remember that she could care less what you choose, as long as you're besides her.:hug3:


Beautifully said, Isa.

I wish you & Bella the best, Suzi. :hug3:
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Postby Suzi » October 15th, 2010, 12:20 pm

Instead of starting a new thread,,,I'm opting to continue this one....

I feel a bit akward, as I write,,,I am leaking a few tears, as it reminds me of many who are fighting an ongoing battle,,,or have lost the war with cancer. Huge Hugs to all of you. Although I don't post very often,,,,I am lurking on a weekly basis.


We are celebrating.....

It has been a year....No new MCT lumps (we had a scare 2 weeks ago,,,benign). The HUGE one that was between her shoulders cannot be felt....*sigh*,,,,,*whew!*
I am reminded from my Vet. that she is not "cured",,,,,but for now she is doing great,,,,maybe she will live out a natural life. Time is precious,,,,we enjoy every day,,,I will never take her health for granted. My promise to Bella.

I feel that we are lucky.....Today.

The good that has come from her illness is.....
We hike 4-5 days a week....
I pay attention to what goes into our bodies...
I smile more,,,and share more...
I have learned that dogs LOVE to be massaged! LOL (always looking for lumps)...
That we always have a place to go when we want to share...The good,,,the bad,,,the ugly..... :wink:

PBT was my savior when Bells first became ill....Although an ol' lady who is a bit of a recluse,,,,I really needed a place to go. No one that I knew really understood where my head and heart were at when she was diagnosed...I'm a tough old bird.....or so many people who know me think :wink: .

A VERY special Thank-You to Dee & Kato,,,,without you we never would have found this oasis of support, or Carolann.....

Thanks PBT,,,,You all have opened up my world....


That's all.
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » October 15th, 2010, 12:22 pm

What a perfect update!
"Remember - every time your dog gets somewhere on a tight leash *a fairy dies and it's all your fault.* Think of the fairies." http://www.positivepetzine.com"

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Postby Jenn » October 15th, 2010, 12:25 pm

:confetti: :confetti: :confetti: :confetti: :confetti: :confetti:

We are celebrating with you!!! Yay Bella, keep up the good fight girls!! :hug3:
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Postby madremissy » October 15th, 2010, 12:47 pm

What a beautiful written update. Hugs to you and Bella.
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Postby Pit♥bull » October 15th, 2010, 1:31 pm

WoW... Another good update :)

Hey Bella ..... Keep on truckin, Nov 24 will make Troubles 2nd year :)
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Postby hugapitbull » October 15th, 2010, 1:33 pm

I am reminded from my Vet. that she is not "cured",,,,,but for now she is doing great,,,,maybe she will live out a natural life.


As another long term survivor (Trouble makes 2 years next month), I am well aware of what this statement means. We refer to it as 'cancer free'. As positive as our vet is, and as much as he loves Trouble, part of his responsibility to us is to remind us of the same thing. It isn't something we dwell on, but it is something he will mention on occasion, making sure we are grounded in reality.

That said, your update is spectabular! Kudos to you and Bells for a great year and a new outlook on life. Dee and Kato were our grounding force that first year as well. What wonderful ambassadors we have!

Here's wishing you guys many more wonderful years together.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble
We beat osteosarcoma - 27 months 20 days cancer free
'Spirit' Trouble departed for the Bridge 3/16/2011 a victim of aging
Visit - http://k9cancer.org

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain--and most fools do. ~Dale Carnegie
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Postby PetieMarie22 » October 15th, 2010, 3:31 pm

Awesome news! :) :) :)
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Postby TinaMartin » October 15th, 2010, 3:58 pm

Great news!
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