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Your Comments, Please
ByWe are working to make the Dog Cancer News and our blog as helpful as possible. We would love to hear what you have to say.
Please provide comments, suggestions, criticism (and even compliments) in the comment area below. We would love to hear what you say and we read all of our comments.
Many thanks.
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
70 Comments
October 7th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Hi Dr. Dressler,
I learned of your blog from my friend Rochelle Lesser at Land of Pure Gold. My beautiful Tucker (golden retriever) was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma after having an emergency splenectomy in July. We decided not to do chemo (just too many unknowns for us), and are working with a holistic vet instead. We have Tucker on quite a few supplements and he is doing great thus far. I read about Salmon Oil capsules (http://landofpuregold.com/store/salmon.htm) on Rochelle’s website, and ordered some for Tucker. Our vet doesn’t really seem to know much about them, but I really want to give them to Tucker, based on what I have read about their benefits. Can you recommend a good dose to give him? He weighs about 95 pounds. I would really appreciate any advice you would be willing to provide. I have really enjoyed reading your blog, and have learned so much.
Thanks!
Jessica
October 8th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
MY DOG WAS DIAG. WITH CANCER, AND SHE STARTED CHEMO ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS, SHE IS SUFFERING FROM DIARRHEA. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD HELP ME. SHE IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
THANK YOU
October 15th, 2008 at 4:41 am
Dear Dr. D,
My Golden died of cancer 2 years ago and I have had a nagging question ever since. She took Rimadyl and Prednisone during her treatment. Here is my question, did the cancer kill my dog or did the medicine I gave her slowly kill her. It has haunted me for 2 years that I may have poisoned her with the drugs I gave her.
October 15th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Hi,
My 10.5 year old female welsh pemborke corgi was diagnosed with lymphoma 4 months ago and had taken 4 times chemotherapy. The vet suggested her to take Yunzhi & Cordyceps from day one and also started taking K9 Immunity/Transfer Factor and Omega one month later. Lately, I was told by an online pet shop (selling healthy pet food) that recent medical reports said dogs with lymphoma should not take Yunzhi. I couldn’t find those reports and would appreciate if you could comment on that.
October 16th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hi! Is Milk Thistle (over counter) safe to give dogs?
Someone told me that she gives it to her dog as preventative liver help…
My dog is 15 yrs and has Addisons disease, and is on Prednisone, Atarax & takes a Percortin injection once a month for his Addisons..
Thanks!
Kim
October 16th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Jessica:
see http://www.dogcancerblog.com/30/food-and-dog-cancer-omega-6-fatty-acids/
and
http://www.dogcancerblog.com/31/dog-food-and-cancer-help-fight-this-problem/
remember to increase dose slowly!!
October 16th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Gayla,
I would be very surprised if the drugs killed your dog. Cancers often kill dogs, while Prednisolone and Rimadyl only rarely kill dogs in the case of unusual reactions.
Don’t feel bad…this was not your fault. Promise.
D
October 16th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Loretta,
the PSK and PSP, found in coriolus (Yun-Zhi) , is used in Japan for lymphosarcoma in humans. That may answer your question.
D
October 16th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Kim, this blog is for dog cancer, but yes, milk thistle is definitely used in dogs.
D
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:57 am
My Neo Mastiff was diagnosed with Bone Cancer about 2 months ago. He takes Previcox, adn a special pain pill if he needs it. My other mastiff (his brother) does not have the cancer and seems healthy.
How can I help him? He is having trouble eating,but not walking yet for teh most part even though he favors his one leg, and I understand he cannot undergo radiation, since it is all through his body. I am basically making him as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. I did not know about the all meat diet, and will change that, but can I give him supplements too?
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:16 pm
LJ,
this thread is for comments to help us improve the blog content, provide suggestions, or give constructive criticism.
Please post a question on a certain blog post so I can address a specific question to help your dog that everyone can read. There are hundreds of supplements so I need your help in making your question a little more specific.
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:45 pm
OK, then, I have a general question. if you do not recommend grains, isn\’t the K9 ingredient I6 – Inositol Hexaphosphate; which is a is a naturally occurring ingredient found in oats, wheat, rice, corn and legumes? How can you say it can be used in 1000mg doses if it is a grain adn you do not recommend grains?
October 24th, 2008 at 10:12 am
LJ,
we are interested in restricting carbohydrate intake, not eliminating carbohydrate intake. Specifically, we are interested in glucose limitation or limitations of substances easily metabolized to glucose, of which inositol is not. Finally, 1 gram (1000 mg) daily is roughly 1/30 of an ounce, which is a quite small amount, when you are talking about the weight of what a dog eats in a day. Thus I am not worried about it.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Dr. D,
Since the death of my golden, I have adopted 2 other dogs. I have been feeding them Natural Choice by Nutro, is that a high quality dog food? My vet suggested that I feed this brand to my dogs. Also, which, if any, are good dog treats on the market? I\’ve looked at the ingredients of products in the store and I don\’t think I should be giving them to my dogs. Since the death of my dog from cancer, I am confused at what products I should be feeding my new dogs. Can you help, please?
November 5th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Hi Gayla,
Due to liability reasons, I cannot say one food is good or bad. What I can say is that you should give a meat based diet (mostly good animal protein, first on the ingredient panel), grass fed is best for the meat…low to moderate fat, low carbs, fresh vegetables (no onions), avoid salt, supplement with omega 3’s, and consider supplementing with berries, brussel sprouts, fresh herbs (parsley, basil, etc), cabbage, kale, mung beans, garlic, ginger, shitake mushroom, digestive enzymes…the veggies should be minced or lightly steamed, and make all changes VERY GRADUALLY OVER 14 DAYS while you monitor for diarrea or vomiting. This is for a dog that does not have cancer, just a healthy, base diet. You can go crazy with supplement selections.
You should realize about 75% of Golden Retrievers die of cancer, so I doubt it was something you did or did not do.
Best,
D
November 5th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Gayla,
I know you were addressing Dr Dressler, and that this is just a blog comment thread, but since I have fed Nutro Natural Choice in the past I thought my two cents might help. These views do not necessarily reflect the views of the dog cancer blog, I say that so as not to get anyone in trouble.
The ingredients list may be better than the very cheap foods, but for several reasons I think it is not so great and there are better options.
1. Nutro is made in the same facilities as most other major brands, Nutro was among the brands involved, although the dry food was not recalled. If you surf the internet a little you will find that people are reporting kidney problems in their pets on Nutro. My mom\’s border collie was poisoned to death last year (by Kirkland Signature canned before it was recalled) you do not want to go through that and there is no way to be sure it won\’t happen again with the big manufacturers. Shortly before that her cat also kept getting urinary tract stones, on Nutro Indoor Cat, those did not stop until switching to EVO cat food.
2. My two Labs ate Nutro Natural Choice for the first six years of their lives, then to Kirkland Premium with a similar ingredient list. One had to be put down at age 9 because of metatastic adenocarcinoma. The other developed mast cell cancer at 10 years, which has now a poor prognosis. Before these two our Lab/pointer developed fatal hemangiosarcoma, she was never fed cheap store brands, although she was not always on Nutro. That is three dogs in five years, food is not the only factor, but I can\’t help thinking that even big dogs should live longer and healthier than ours have. Many brands have similar ingredients and manufacturing processes to Nutro, so it is an industry-wide problem.
3. After the poisonings last year we started looking at dog food brands more. Some things I learned to look at are;
Does the company have its own plant, or does it have some other company manufacture it? Try http://www.thepetfoodlist.com
What is the nutrient profile of the food, high protein high fat is natural for a dog, grains aren\’t.
What are the actual ingredients, for example some light dog food is full of peanut hulls and cellulose, empty of nutrients and a source of aflotoxins.
There are a few brands we have fed in the past year, Solid Gold, California Natural and Innova EVO (red meat), we settled on EVO to go grain free, there is no way to know if it would have prevented the cancers, but at least it is something to try. There are others you might want to look at also, go to http://www.petfooddirect.com to easily browse through many brands, most brands have very informative websites of their own too. I would say give EVO a try, it is more expensive but they eat less.
November 5th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Sorry, I didn’t see the latest post, feel free to remove mine if it will cause trouble.
November 8th, 2008 at 4:10 am
Laurel.
Thanks for your input into dog food. I think I know what dog food I will be feeding my dogs in the future and it won’t be Nutro. Although we don’t know for sure if food plays a factor in whether or not a pet gets cancer, I can’t help but believe in my heart that it must have an influence, along with other factors.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Dr. Dressler:
My 7yr old JRT has been diagnosed with cancer. She had it in the summer (June) and the tumor was successfully removed, however less than 5 months later it has returned and is now inoperable.
Even though I have a wonderful vet who has prolonged the life of many of my animals I am still burning with anger and frustration that I took her to see him on 2nd Oct 08 as I was absolutely sure it was back – but I was sent away with a “She’s fine”
Last Monday 10th Nov, after surgery to investigate the scan mass, I was told it had invaded the spleen and liver and so was inoperable.
My vet has a PHD in herbal medicine both Western and Chinese, and has given her a course of dandelion and milk thistle, green tea, and a herb mix which is from his own range – but not recommended any chemo or radiation therapy at all, and has only given her a few weeks to live.
Obviously I am refusing to accept there is NOTHING to be done at all, and have set about researching as much as possible on canine cancer. Sadly I can’t remember the exact name he gave to her type of cancer, but it’s not Hemangiosarcoma, I’m sure it’s something along the lines of lypo-typo-something-coma)
I am managing to give her ginger – thanks to your blog – I’ve been doing so for 4 days now, although she is getting sly to it as her appetite is fading, I used to bury it in her steak or chicken – I can now only hide it in butter, but am worried too much fat is bad for her as I have to hide ALL her pills in unsalted butter. I can no longer persuade her to eat broccoli or tomato puree either, but have stepped up the fish oil and have ordered some krill oil.
I am interested in the melatonin, but I absolutely can’t sleep in the pitch dark and she (especially now) sleeps under my arm all night. I’m wondering if I should make some kind of tent for her to sleep in which will block light – Is it the whole body that needs the dark or just the eyes / head?
And just to add a ittle on the food discussion – has anyone else heard of Applause? I’m in the UK and found this wonderful tinned food and now have it delivered. Depending on the flavour it comes out looking and smelling exactly like the listed ingredients. If it says chicken and rice and peas, you get chicken rice and peas – that’s it.
I have no idea how long adorable daily shadow has left, but just wanted to say thankyou for the most sensible, non sensationalist, informative and FREE advice for people who are beside themselves with grief over this terrible disease.
Helen (and Spanner)
November 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
How long *my* adorable daily shadow has left…
November 19th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Helen,
I am sorry to hear this horrible news. Here’s some info:
1. The eyes are the target for light avoidance. I cannot make recommendations for a specific dog, I supplement my cancer patiens with about 6 mg of melatonin late at night (as close to 2 am as possible) for a 40 pound dog, which is a 18 kg body, roughly 3-4 times the size of a Jack.
2. Other considerations: read the blog on curcumen (from turmeric)
3. read about medicinal mushrooms, they
can help significantly
4. don’t forget about life quality enrichment/mind-body connection: social stimulation with you, other people, other dogs, physical stimulation to alleviate stress/anxiety/depression (always changing the stimulation via walks, other exercise, location, activity), self esteem building with gentle training and abundant reward, and so on.
5. Dietary changes are slow…work your way up to the change over 10-14 days by gradually mixing increasing amounts.
6. Look into luteolin (lutimax)
7. I cannot predict life expectancy…check out “dog aging” in wikipedia however…and i think you should focus a lot on life quality right now.
8. It sounds like maybe little Spanner has lymphosarcoma, as a guess.
9. Check out the Dog Cancer Coping Guide, online.
Best of luck
D
November 20th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Dr Dressler
Thank you so much for all the advice and the prompt reply.
Sadly she stopped eating today so I have been unable to coax anything into her, and after 10 days of trying absolutely everything – and I mean everything – I am beginning to lose all hope.
I can see her cancer lump on the side of her tummy and it is getting bigger, her tremoring is worse too.
I will continue as best I can and will research the luteolin.
Many thanks
Helen (& Spanner)
December 28th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Dr Dressler
My 8 year old Shepherd/Hound mix boy has just been diagnosed with lymphoma (we are awaiting results to see which type). My natural vet says that the several “annual” vaccines he was given last month by his other vet brought it on (I had brought him in that day for a suspicious lump on his leg, which was malignant and he had a brush with cancer two years before—-had his spleen removed but thankfully did not have hegiosarcoma). So I am beside myself for having hurt him somehow.
He has just started on the Wiscosin proctocol and is so far doing great….but I want to give him every advantage I can. Is it okay to give him essiac extract, noni juice, reishi mushrooms? I don’t want to do anything that can counteract the chemo. Also, is there anything else we can give him, natural or otherwise?
THANK YOU FOR THIS SITE!!!
Karen Howard
December 28th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Karen, sorry to hear this sad news.
If you lean towards prioritizing the chemotherapy, you run a risk of interference with each one of the items you listed. They each have antioxidants and depending on the doses used, from a theoretical standpoint, this effect may block the pro-oxidant effect of the chemo agents in the Wisconsin protocol.
However, I am of the opinion that the beneficial effects of some supplements may outweigh the chemo interference. So you need to choose what your priority is: chemo only or a full spectrum approach.
I hope your vet spoke to you about ND food, which has extended the lives of lympho dogs an additional 6 months.
There are a lot of supplements discussed in this blog.
Read about curcumin, EGCG, krill/omega 3 fatty acids, melatonin, carbohydrate restriction to get started.
D
January 19th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Our 7 year old bichon frise, diagnosed with lymphoma in October, is half way through the Wisconsin Protocol. She’s doing well, although she is experiencing hair loss. My concern is what to do when we reach remission. I have just recently discovered your web site and am hoping for some direction on vaccines, food, medications, etc. Thanks in advance!
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
With regard to giving Artemisinin derivatives, do you feel that it is wise to give antioxidant supplements like avemar, Vit. E, Vit. C, etc., on the same day of dosing as the Artemisinin? This appears to be important in light of the fact that ART derivatives bring about a process of oxidative stress where ‘free radicals’ and oxygen species are the important part of why ART derivatives can be successful in bring about apoptosis in cancer cells. What are your views on this? Thank you.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:12 am
Dear Cancer Vet,
I just got work that my 12 year old Welsh Corgi has Leiomyosarcoma of the spleen. He went under emergency surgery the 20 of Dec 2008, and is doing fine today. My vet told me that this cancer is rare and she has only seen one other case of it. She has gotten with the oncologist to find out what are options are. They did a biopsy of the liver and that came back normal thank goodness. Brooklyn did get his spleen removed and the entire mass out. The vet has explained to me that hopefully she got all of it but there is still that chance that there were cells left behind. I have really been doing research on the web and am not finding much and what I am finding is giving me mixed feeling.The Oncologist has told her that chemo was a choice with a life expectancy of 6-8 months or with out it 1-3 months.We have elected not to do the chemo. However he is on medication. Metacam and Cytoxan. He gets 1/2 teaspoon every other day due to his weight.I am terrified of the Chemo drug Cytoxan because of the side effects.My vet feels that he should be ok and we are to bring him back for blood work to check his cell levels in two weeks.
QUESTIONS:
Have you had any experience with this cancer at all?
What can you tell me about it. Since the vet has removed his spleen what is the likely hood of the cancer returning?
What are the treatment options if any?
What other supplements can I give him to help him? He is on fish oil right now.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Al, my feeling is that one should give the antioxidants on the 5-7 days while off the art for the reasons you mentioned. I don’t think hours off art is adequate, my opinion only.
D
January 30th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Dianne, I am glad your Bichon is doing okay. This is a big question with a lot of information required to really answer, sorry. You should look into the upcoming e-book for some details on this stuff. Discuss with our vet: a cancer diet, only giving absolutely necessary vaccines (consider getting titer tests done), and some of the supplements like curcumin, luteolin and so on.
Best,
D
February 1st, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Hi,
I was wondering if there are any commercial dog food brands you recommend for dogs with cancer? I’m a little overwhelmed by all the false advertising out there and hard-to comprehend nutrition labels. And though I realize you might not be able to ‘endorse’ anyone…throwing out a few names of trusted brands would really be helpful to me.
Thanks so much!
-Di
February 10th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
My 11 year old Bichon had a oral mast cell #2 removed 12/1, the reason it was found, she had diarrhea and I took her to check it out, she when on antibotic end of November and again end of December. Her stool never got firm. 4 days ago, it was back with vengence…we are again on antibotics, a bland diet of boiled chicken/white rice. Still no improvement. My question is, could this be cancer related, spread before the tumor was found. I am at my wits end…no one can give me a answer, no it’s not cancer related or yes it is…please help me, what do it need to do next?? Also, started on probomatic (spelling)and a antibotics yesterday…no improvement on all of the above.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions,
Sharron Bryant
February 10th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
My 11 year old Bichon had a oral mast cell #2 removed 12/1, the reason it was found, she had diarrhea and I took her to check it out, she went on antibotic end of November and again end of December. Her stool never got firm. 4 days ago, it was back with vengence…we are again on antibotics, a bland diet of boiled chicken/white rice. Still no improvement. My question is, could this be cancer related, spread before the tumor was found. I am at my wits end…no one can give me a answer, no it’s not cancer related or yes it is…please help me, what do it need to do next?? Also, started on probomatic (spelling)and a antibotics yesterday…no improvement on all of the above.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions,
Sharron Bryant
February 11th, 2009 at 5:21 am
Dr. Dressler,
I wanted to share with you that my dog’s bladder tumor has begun to shrink and I have ordered Artemisinin from Holly Pharmaceuticals Co. to be given in combination with the Doxycycline, Peroxicam AND of course, Dr. Jones’ Canin Health Supplement. My vet did research and found that the Artemisinin and Dr. Jones’ supplement will work well together. I am thrilled b/c of the fact that I have not yet begun the Arteminisin as I just ordered it. So, is essence, Dr. Jones’ supplement has made an absolute positive difference in my dog’s life as well as all the valuable information found on your website. I am quite anxious to receive and begin the Arteminisinin therapy to see if it shrinks the bladder tumor even more.
Forever grateful
Judith and Abigail -
Grand Rapids, MI
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Dr Dressler:
Thank you for having such a wonderful site. My dog was recently diagnoised with an oral tumor that turned out to be melinoma. It was surgically removed and I recently found out that one of the margins was not clear. My dog and the love of my life, Ben, was a candidate for the cancer vaccinne, and I have been told that I need to either put him through another surgery, and / or 6 rounds of radiation. Ben is a 10 year old Rottie, who has had his spleen, throyid, and parathroyid removed within the last 16 months. He has been through so much so I am a little afraid to put him through so much more. I went to see a holitic vet who had talked about “freezing” the additional cancer cells off and has provided me with alot of herbs and supplements. Have you heard of this procedure working and are suppelments know as stem enhance and IP6 good for my dog or am I causing more harm? I am really at a loss.
Thank you so much for whatever help you can provide us with. Ben is all I have in this world.
Renee
February 24th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Dear Dr Dressler,
I have a 13 year old golden, along with his sister. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer 2 years ago Valentine Day, and started on Prednisolone 3-1-07. We reduced it to 5MG every other day since 7-07. He also was diagnosed with immune disease, he could not open mouth all the way, and since has been loosing bone in his head, eyes go in, discharge, etc. I have been cooking for them for the past 2 1/2 years, with diarrhea off and on, and prety chronic since November 2008. He has been in and out of hospital, latest in 1-09, but he pulled thru again. He is called the miracle golden. Last week he stumpled going out the back door, to get the food I was taking out to the patio to feed them. He limped, and then I noticed blood all over the bricks. He pulled out a whole front nail in the front right foot. He was just starting to feel great after the near loss in January, and the diarrhea was getting better as well. I had him at the vet everyday last week, and they removed the soft dressing on Friday. A big soft feeling mass was noticed above the area where the nail had come out. I brought him back Saturday, and was told to biposy it. I got a call late yesterday that it was inconclusive. The are where they did the biopsy today is bleeding, and there is a cyst type are that formed. I am waiting for my vet to call back. I was told the mass should be removed and it will grow back, when, they are not sure. Now they are not even sure what it is. Could this all be a result of the fall and stumble? I have cleaned it and kept it wrapped with neosporin, gauze and ace. I am not sure what to do. He is 13, and his back legs are weak as well. He has great appetite, and is totally there, my wonderful guy. I am beside myself. ( the diarrhea is back the past few days, since this has all gone on) Please, any Help or suggestions?
Cynthia Lee
February 25th, 2009 at 8:12 am
MY DOG DOES NOT HAVE CANCER YET. HE IS A 7 YR OLD MALE NEUTERED BULL TERRIER WITH ALL HORMONES AT NORMAL LEVELS BUT ESTROGEN LEVELS ARE OVER THE TOP.
MY VET IS PERPLEXED, HAS RECOMMENDED FLAX W/ LINGANS, THEORY IT WILL BIND TO THE ESTROGEN OR VISA VERSA.
WHAT ABOUT INDOLE-3-CARBINOL (13C)?
February 25th, 2009 at 8:16 am
CAN INDOLE-3-CARBINOL BE BENEFICIAL TO A MALE BULL TERRIER, 7 YRS., NEUTERED, WITH ESTROGEN DOMINANCE OVER THE TOP? ALL OTHER SEX HORMONES NORMAL. MY VET IS STUMPED. NO SIGN OF CANCER YET, BUT I AM CONCERNED FOR HIS FUTURE.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Dear Cancer Vet,
I just got work that my 12 year old Welsh Corgi has Leiomyosarcoma of the spleen. He went under emergency surgery the 20 of Dec 2008, and is doing fine today. My vet told me that this cancer is rare and she has only seen one other case of it. She has gotten with the oncologist to find out what are options are. They did a biopsy of the liver and that came back normal thank goodness. Brooklyn did get his spleen removed and the entire mass out. The vet has explained to me that hopefully she got all of it but there is still that chance that there were cells left behind. I have really been doing research on the web and am not finding much and what I am finding is giving me mixed feeling.The Oncologist has told her that chemo was a choice with a life expectancy of 6-8 months or with out it 1-3 months.We have elected not to do the chemo. However he is on medication. Metacam and Cytoxan. He gets 1/2 teaspoon every other day due to his weight.I am terrified of the Chemo drug Cytoxan because of the side effects.He has been in for his recheck on his blood and it looks good. I have to take him again in a couple of weeks now.
QUESTIONS:
Have you had any experience with this cancer at all?
What can you tell me about it. Since the vet has removed his spleen what is the likely hood of the cancer returning?
What are the treatment options if any?
What other supplements can I give him to help him? He is on fish oil right now.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Dear Cancer Vet,
I just got work that my 12 year old Welsh Corgi has Leiomyosarcoma of the spleen. He went under emergency surgery the 20 of Dec 2008, and is doing fine today. My vet told me that this cancer is rare and she has only seen one other case of it. She has gotten with the oncologist to find out what are options are. They did a biopsy of the liver and that came back normal thank goodness. Brooklyn did get his spleen removed and the entire mass out. The vet has explained to me that hopefully she got all of it but there is still that chance that there were cells left behind. I have really been doing research on the web and am not finding much and what I am finding is giving me mixed feeling.The Oncologist has told her that chemo was a choice with a life expectancy of 6-8 months or with out it 1-3 months.We have elected not to do the chemo. However he is on medication. Metacam and Cytoxan. He gets 1/2 teaspoon every other day due to his weight.I am terrified of the Chemo drug Cytoxan because of the side effects.He has been in for his recheck on his blood and it looks good. I have to take him again in a couple of weeks now.
QUESTIONS:
Have you had any experience with this cancer at all?
What can you tell me about it. Since the vet has removed his spleen what is the likely hood of the cancer returning?
What are the treatment options if any?
What other supplements can I give him to help him? He is on fish oil right now.
March 7th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Darleen,
the side effects of cytoxan can be addressed with cordyceps and ginger to start with. You should realize that I cannot give individual dog recommendations here and all should be discussed with your vet.
Yes, I have seen this cancer.
I cannot tell the likelyhood of returning cancer, nobody can, I am sorry to say.
As far as supplements go, I discuss a lot of them here in the blog posts- beta glucans, curcumin, EGCG, luteolin, and more. There is a full-spectrum approach in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.
Best of luck
D
March 9th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Dr. Dressler,
Thank you so much for responding to my questions.I really appreciate your time.
Darleen
March 31st, 2009 at 8:35 am
I just read today’s (3/31/09) newsletter, and followed the link to the story about the cancer vaccine used by the U. of Pennsylvania on a dog with lymphoma, now in remission for two years.
Harry in now in his third week of chemotherapy (Wisconsin Protocol)for lymphoma, eating a mostly-meat diet (some rice with chicken when diarrhea strikes), and taking the Tranfer Factor, Omega 3, and K9 Immunity.
I’d really like more information on the vaccine than was in the ABC News story. Can you provide more, or at least a name that can start me researching?
Thanks!
Karen & Harry, the Dog Of My Dreams…
April 8th, 2009 at 4:13 am
Hi I hope you can help. My 5 year old golden Ella got a small lump under her chin two weeks ago, we thought was an insect bite and she was given anti-inflammatory which she turned out to be allergic to, her face swelled up so she was given anti histamines, this helped but a couple of days later her jaw swelled up and was very hard the vet thought it could be a blocked salivary gland, the swelling punctured and drained all night, she was then booked in for surgery as the chin was still a hard lump. The surgeon removed the gland I think (looked like a deflated balloon) and a chunk of tissue, this is being checked at the moment, they ex-rayed her chin and are suspicious of the bone, she has scratched that part of her chin since she was a puppy. I will not receive the results for two weeks but to be honest I am hoping you can give me some hope that it doesn’t sound like cancer. She has no symptoms just today she wanted to play with the tennis ball, happy, hungry, playful and as always friendly. I live in Thailand so information is slow. I also don’t know if cancer can just appear like that in a couple of days. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Tabitha
May 1st, 2009 at 4:20 am
Dear Dr. Dressler,
First of all I’d like to thank you for starting out this really informative & useful website dedicated to our beautiful 4-legged friends.
Secondly, if you could kindly help us with answering some questions regarding our Freida.
Our Beautiful 3 Yr old Tibetan Spaniel X, Freida has recently been diagnosed with a MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA with large cell high grade LYMPHOSARCOMA on both eyes.
We just absolutely shell-shocked to discover our athletic, over-active hazel-eyes could attract such an evil disease like Cancer. She’s only 3 yrs Young.
I have the Histopathology and Cytology report before me and tried to do as much research on this horrible disease.
Our Vet has been very helpful with us and very understanding but we’d like to get your opinion.
It all started with an unusual enlarged third eyelid condition that we thought was “Cherry Eye” from her left eye but after a while in a matter of days just started to grew at a rapid rate and now has spread to her other eye.
After a closer inspection our vet decided to do a biopsy and the result was heart – breaking.
We got a blood test, an X-Ray and a Lymp Nodes test done on her and unfortunately the results all came back positive for Cancer (although the X-Ray shows no signs of lumps or masses except for small traces on her neck).
Today we have just done a Bone marrow test and we’re waiting for the results hopefully tomorrow.
Our Vet mentioned that this is a rare case of a white blood cell cancer started from the eye and usually are more frequent in OLDER non – cross breeds, and if the result from the Bone Marrow test comes back tomorrow positive unfortunately due to a very slim chance of treatment there is no need to go ahead with Chemo…
We have been crying our eyes out for the last past couple of days, cannot contemplate how we could possibly live on without our Freida.
Please Dr. Dressler your professional input will be greatly appreciated.
*Have you encountered similar problems like these and what would you recommend for us to do?
*If result is positive for Bone Marrow could she possibly still fight this disease through any other method e.g Holistic, Alternative Medicine?
*If result is negative what kind of ChemoTherapy is suitable for her?
*What can we do about her eyes?
Thank you so much for your time,
babygirlFreida Mom’n'Pap.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Dear Dr. Dressler: I recently lost my 8 yr. old male lab to hermangiosarcoma. Three weeks before he was a happy, healthy dog. The tumor was on the inside of his heart. After reading through the comments I had no idea how commom a canine cancer it is. And what did I do that caused it? He was always fed a good food (Innova), received a 1/3 cup of carrots and broccoli chopped up, some supplements. An active dog doing obedience and agility. Also was given Sentnil as a heartworm preventative. My 15 yr. old female lab also is given this and I don’t think I will give it to her anymore. No telling what it could be doing to her. And my new 6 mo. old puppy.
Your professional input will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Susan
June 1st, 2009 at 8:24 am
Hi Dr.Dressler,
I have an Italian greyhound and a Borzoi. They both have cancer. The Borzoi has a large tumor the size of a golf ball on near his hock. I have a holistic vet that is treating him with some plant based brown paste that eventually makes the tumor fall off, but very ugly and messy in the process. My italian greyhound has hemangionasarcomas and he is on some sort of herbal formula twice a day. They have both been on a raw diet for the last 5 years. I recently read your article talking about the ecgc without caffeine. In your opiniion how much should each one have. My Borzoi is 75lbs and my IG is 20lbs. Would like to order. Can you please advise.
Thank you
Lori
June 7th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
[...] Your Comments Please Posted by root 3 hours ago (http://www.dogcancerblog.com) I couldn 39 t find those reports and would appreciate if you could comment on that of substances easily metabolized to glucose of which inositol is not what is the nutrient profile of the food high protein high fat is natural for a and has given her a cou Discuss | Bury | News | Your Comments Please [...]
June 17th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Hi Dr. Dressler
Do you have any articles on melanoma of the eye? What to use naturally to treat it? My vet at MI State Vet School is really not wanting to do surgery due to the location of the tumor. It is in the iris with major blood vessel running under it. I currently have my Collie on Kumpi Dog food which is suppose to be loaded with antioxidents. Is there anything else I can do to supplement his die. In 6 weeks I have the tumor down a 1/2 mm. However, his condition is still gaurded. We don’t know if it is cancerous or not. They seem to think it is cancer. It is 4mmX 7mm. It was touching the cornea and now it is not. It is 4mmx6.5mm However, the one doctor said it was “differences in how they measured it.” Being a nurse I never heard that. I thought they always measured the widest part of any tumor? Maybe I missed something in oncology rotation. Anyway, what else can I supplement his diet with. Have you had any experience with Kumpi Dog food? I used to have the kibble in a plastic container and when I started reading about the bad stuff in some plastics, I ditched the container and now just have the bag sitting at the feeding station. I hate to have the dog go through a surgery due to the costs involved and the fact he might loose his eye if the blood vessel ruptures. I had three different vets at the eye clinic look at it and all three said the same thing. Wait it out and get him on good nutrition. He was always on good nutrition at my house but the previous owner I don’t think so. Since to dog is not in pain and rubbing it was are going to wait 3 more months and see what happens when we recheck it. I’m open for suggestions on what will work on this type of cancer. Thank you for all your assistance. You can reach me at my email address. I’m glad I found your website and I find it very interesting.
June 19th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Mast Cells: I need information – they are so mysterious. I have a 12++ yr female who had a lipoma, about 4 months ago, erupt, abcess. It was removed. Lab said stage 2 Mast. Since, the long incision line has waxed and waned with many bumps, now very large bumps and angry looking….but not open. I will not operate on her again, nor do chemo. She was on pred but the pUPD got too bad. She is on clariton, tagamet, and benedryl. She feels fine, good appetite, active (considering her age & status), cheerful. She has other lipomas. Have you ever heard of a long time lipoma suddenly errupting like an abcess and resulting in mast tumor? Where else inside her might tumors cause trouble. Short of pred, the vets have nothing to offer. Palladia would be too hard on her. I am not expecting miracles but I would like to understand mast cells better
June 19th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Which anti-imflammatory supplements should I be using on my healthy dogs? How much should I give a 50 lb. dog and a 65 lb dog?
June 19th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
My 13 year-old mini dachshund, Schubert, was given 2-4weeks to live in mid-march after being diagnosed with cancer. I wouldn’t settle for that. After doing lots of research and picking a holistic/natural route of treatment, and closely following advice from Dr. Dressler, it is now mid-june and Schubert is acting like a puppy again. Thank you for saving our family.
-Carrie
June 21st, 2009 at 9:27 am
Carrie,
Thank you for those kind words. How great that you are winning!
D
July 4th, 2009 at 5:06 am
Thank you for this blog Dr. Dressler…My 11 yr. old pug Barney has squamous cell nasal carcinoma. It was diagnosed in Jan. of this year and he has been on limited carbohydrates, supplements, etc. It is spreading rapidly no matter what I do. Any info you have on this type of cancer will be appreciated. I need something topical to keep his nose as dry as possible and that would help with the rawness.
Thank you.
suzy
July 10th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
can my dog use Rimadyl, or his arthritis, and heartworm, flea and
tick meds. He had surgery a month ago and a peripheal tumor was
removed from his front left leg near the elbow. It was a low
grade cancer according to the surgeon… perhaps a forty percent
chance it would reoccur. Does not invade organs or spread.
I am afraid to give him the above medications for fear it will
compromise his immune system. Vet said they were ok… heartworm, flea tick, rimadyl, but I am fearful. Your comments, please.
Oh, no radiation or chemo treatment.
July 30th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Dietary Inorganic phosphates were recently shown to activate the AKT cancer pathway. The study urged those at risk to limit inorganic phosphates in the diet, both for prevention and those in treatment for cancer. Inorganic phosphates like sodium phosphate used in the study, are very very widely used in salt form to preserve foods, baked goods, Subway meats and breads, “fresh” doughnuts, and is injected into chicken, turkey, and fish to increase its shelf life. They poison our dogs as they poison our people food too. Do a google on sodium phosphate AKT for the study or email me for a copy or link.
August 20th, 2009 at 4:43 am
I have ordered the cancer book, but have not received it yet and would appreciate some help in the meantime. Ripley, my 10yr chocolate standard poodle was diagnosed with a very small mass on his prostrate last nov after his splendectomy. his prognosis was good because the mass was so small, so we did 4 out of 6 rounds of iv chemo last dec/jan(stopped after 4 due to side effects.)Ripley has other chronic diseases such as IBS, gastritious, possible esophagitis, and occaisionlly gets colitis. He has a good life , but is obviously easily stressed. He had gastric torsion when he was 4. His ultrasound in May showed no cancer growth, but last week after noticing him having difficulty peeing and pooping, we discovered the mass had grown. He’s been give piroxicam 8mg. which seems to be helping and has an estimate 3-6 months left. For his numerous other conditions, he is also on sulcrafate 2xday, tylan powder 1/8 tsp. 2x day, cyclosporine 150mg/day, pepcid 20mg.2xday and forti flora. He has been off grains over 1 year and is on venison and sweet potatoe, but has been reluctant to eat that this past week and has been eating some of my other poodles Hills UD(Max is on it for bladder stones). I’m considering the ND for cancer, but am not sure if it’s going to effect his irritable bowel and he’s been allergic to chicken in the past. I just got omega 3-6-9 oil and was wondering how much to give him and any other wholistic meds/suggestions for prolonging his life and reducing any future suffering? thankyou for your help.
August 20th, 2009 at 5:18 am
has anyone tried Raspberry Gold for cancer..? my 9 year old golden has hamangiosarcomia ( probably not spelled right) and the lump is on his side…. entwinded in his ribs…. most was taken out with surgery but not all of it. I have tried the light color spray therapy, Frankinsence oils from Young Living, and the tumor is going down. I also have him on the Kangen Water. ( Look this up.. it is amazing. ) Is too much of everything suggested too much???? I wonder if my hamilton will use all that i am giving him in a positive way. how can you tell if anything is working and not moving all over their body? Would an ultrasound of his organs do that???? My heart goes out to everyone on this site……. we all cry together and wish our beloved pups would recover well…… God Speed.
September 14th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Dear doctor,
what information can you give on nasal cancer in dogs. “butch will eat but he is getting so thin. I can’t afford chemo nor radiation, what options are left? I don’t want him to suffer, I don’t want him put to sleep, Help!
October 16th, 2009 at 4:35 am
Dr. Dressler,
I recently read your entire book, which has been so helpful that I cannot begin to thank you. Our 7 yr. old rottie was recently diagnosed with osteosarcoma, which has metastasized to the lungs. After amputation, he has begun Carboplatin chemotherapy. We have begun him on a supplementation plan including luteolin, apigenin, k-9 immunity and co-q10, among other things. After reading one of your blogs, along with the book, we were just confused on one point. Are these supplements, which may include antioxidants, interfering with the positive oxidation effects of the Carboplatin on the cancer cells? Thank you so much.
October 17th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Dear Russell,
the doses indicated for the luteolin, apigenin and many of the “Big Guns” are actually pro-oxidant. The anti-oxidant effects of the others when combined with pro-oxidant chemo drugs, from my viewpoint, are outweighed by their other positive effects as far as life quality, toxicity protection, and so on. Good question. Do a google search on antioxidants and dog cancer blog and you will find more information on this topic…
Best
Dr D
October 25th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Russell,
this week’s webinar is on OSA. You might be interested:
http://www.mydogvet.com
best,
Dr D
December 10th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Thank you for doing two stories on stem cell transplants. Our Molly was the 5th dog to receive a stem cell transplant at NCSU. Her treatment was excellent and the staff was excellent. Unfortunately, she relapsed in a month after the transplant and she developed 3rd degree heart block. Shortly after she arrived at the cardio clinic to receive a pacemaker, she shocked all of her doctors and passed away. I suspect, as you mentioned in your articles, that radiation and chemo can affect other organs. Molly had had chemo for nearly 13 months and then the blast of radiation for the transplant. She was into her third remission at the time of her transplant.
Although the previous 58 transplants done by different vets and by NCSU since the late 1990s had not shown heart problems following transplants, I suspect that this will show up in some patients as more patients are done.
Again, thank you for treating stem cell transplants in your writing and for thoroughly covering this topic.
December 13th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Gary,
I am sorry to hear this sad news about Molly. Thank you though for sharing it, as the experience you have may help others.
Best,
Dr D
December 28th, 2009 at 9:11 am
My dog has been recently diagnosed with melanoma in his nail bed. His toe has been amputated and he starts chemo on Thursday. I’ve been reading your book and with the costs of the chemo I’m trying to decide what in addition I should purchase. There are so many suggestions and I’m trying to find out which is the best for his condition. He is 6 and all other tests have come back great, we caught it relatively early. Any suggestions on which items in Chapter 21 would be best?
Thanks for any help, Debbie
January 7th, 2010 at 8:26 am
I have two dogs currently diagnosed with cancer – osteosarcoma in a Dogue de Bordeaux rescue; GI lymphoma in a PitBull rescue – and was interested in purchasing your book. However, your site DogCancerSurvival.com has been blocked by 2 separate browser due to potential malicious spyware or adware. What gives????
January 9th, 2010 at 7:10 am
Dear Nick
I will have customer service and the internet staff look into it immediately. They will be in touch. Thank you for the heads up.
Dr D
January 10th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Hello Dr. Dressler,
My 6 yr old St. Dane (Bailey) lost his battle with Osteosarcoma yesterday. He was 4 months and one week post amputation. I am sure that the diet suggested in your book helped keep him with us longer and gave him a better quality of life. My question is,since I have a St.Dane puppy (Benson) who was neutered early, and by all that I have read stating that early neutering can possibly lead to Osteosarcoma, is there a diet or supplements that can help prevent this nasty disease in the neutered male dog? In other words is there something I can do to undo the damage done?
January 20th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Dr. Dressler,
My three year old shih tzu has had a number of health problems. She has had a re occuring autoimmune deficiency disorder (Anemia). She has had to be hospitalized twice due to the disorder. After the last hospitalization, she started to take Prednisone in order to prevent a relapse. She has now been on the drug for two months, incrementally decreasing dosage. She developed diabetes from taking the drug and is now on insulin as well. The doctor recently put her on the steroid Atopica, that she takes daily. He insists she must remain on the Atopica the rest of her life. The Doctor is very hesitant in weaning her off the Predniose in fear of the disease showing itself once again. He says she very well may relapse, causing finanical distress as well as a lower prognosis of survival. I am not a Doctor, but I myself have not taken a single drug in over five years. I believe in very little Western medicine, I believe in organic food, as well as a holistic and homeopathic way to treating the body and its’ ailments that can occur. I am very weary (and quite frankly uneasy) about keeping her on these drugs much longer (let alone the rest of her life). An expert opinion from yourself on the situation would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much and God Bless,
Valerie.
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Dear Valerie,
I will address your concern, but in the future please reserve your questions to those regarding dog cancer as this is devoted to that, not immune mediated diseases. Here is the short and direct information:
1. Get a second opinion
2. Atopica is not a steriod but is an immune suppressing drug
3. Many dogs can be maintained on atopica alone, without the use of pred. This would minimize the diabetic insulin requirement.
4. Immune mediated disease like this is dangerous, so be cautious of letting go of therapeutic control (going off drugs). Don’t convince yourself otherwise without very careful and frequent blood testing to maintain control.
5. You can use less atopica if it is combined with ketoconazole and/or grapefruit extract (naringen and naringenan) to lessen expense
Hope that helps you,
Best
Dr D
February 24th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Dr. Dressler,
As stated under your article regarding Mirtazapine, my dog has cancer (Lymphoma). Would you mind reading this? This looks like the most promising lymphona cure I’ve seen since researching it starting almost one year ago:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161753.htm
I am going to try to get ahold of the doctor and see if I can get some of this drug. I’m not sure if he’ll talk to an average person. Would you mind providing your input?
Thanks for all your help to all of us in need,
Dave