I have been given some terrible news, my lovely Wolfhound cross has cancer in his front leg (osteosarcoma). Due to his size, amputation is out of the question.
I am loathe to give up completely and would like any advice about how to make the time we have left as high quality as possible, for as long as possible.
What alternative things can I do to fight this cancer and keep his pain to a minimum.
At the moment he is loving his food and you just wouldn't know he was in any pain. There's no limp, nothing. I know he's ill, but most people wouldn't have a clue.
Brenda Adams, Dorset
I am so sorry to hear your news. Sometimes it is worth rethinking a condition from the dog's perspective and I do feel so sad for dogs who a treated for cancer away from home with low chances of success. I do think quality of life has to be very high on our list and we need to ask about survival rates and the quality of life post surgery/treatment before we try to fight cancer at all costs.
Having said that, Fitzpatrick Referrals in Godalming are leading the world in their field and have done some amazing limb salvage on large animals that can't cope with amputation due to their size, but I'm unsure whether this would appropriate for this case. The dog I met with a false limb was an American Bulldog who had been diagnosed with cancer in a foot and the quality and quantity of life achieved by limb replacement was fantastic, but it certainly wasn't cheap (similar cost to hip replacement surgery) - his owner wasn't able to claim for the operation via his insurer.
As for fighting the cancer gently there are more and more things available. I would direct you to our CV247 blog for lots of information about that very gentle, non invasive treatment that more and more alternative vets are offering - you can use it at home, and there are no side effects. Many people are finding success from using this in combination with other alternatives and I'm sure other people will pitch in with more information on all the other alternatives that they have had success with.
Beverley Cuddy, Editor Dogs Today
Dear Brenda,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear of the diagnosis of your dear dog. Such news is always very devastating. I would'nt want to alarm you but just remember Osteosarcoma is one of the more aggresive forms of cancer and needs to be tackled agressively and fast enough. I am not a vet but recently lost my dog to osteo. We had a late diagnosis and his pelvic bone and right hind leg had become swollen. I chose a treatment called Artemisinin. I am sure CV247 is a good treatment option and hope it works for you. Incase you are interested there are other alternative options like Neoplasene and Artemisinin ( as i just mentioned )amongst others. Artemisinin is a very safe option while Neoplasene is more agressive but both are selective in their approach, in that they attack only the cancer cells and not the normal ones. Artemisinin has a yahoo group where all the information is available
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/artemisinin_and_cancer
You could also consider having a look at Dr Dressler's blog which has this and a lot of more information regarding canine cancer at
www.dogcancerblog.com
It is very informative and looks at various angles to attack the disease. The cancer ofcourse has to be tackled but the general health of the dog is important too. Cachexcia, secondary infections, anaemia, fever etc could also complicate matters. Diet is of paramount importance. Your vet will obviously guide you on these aspects.
Cancer represents a unique state whereby the body's healing system fails to eliminate cells with damaged or altered DNA. This allows these cells to escape the normal regulatory signals leading to uncontrolled cell growth. While most auto-immune diseases represent a failure of the healing system from an over-active immune system, cancer represents the extreme opposite, whereby the immune system is hypoactive (at least in regard to the tumor). On the other hand, both chronic immune diseases and cancer probably represent outcomes from the failure of the healing system brought about by living within a polluted environment, coupled with the genetic make-up of the dog.
ReplyDeleteAlthough eating healthy is the best tool in the fight against cancer, once cancer takes hold certain dietary changes may be help the patient fight against the effects of the cancer. Tumor cells rely heavily upon carbohydrates for their energy and rob the body of amino acids. On the other hand, tumor cells cannot utilize lipids (fats) for energy while the rest of the body can. As such, diets with increased fat content may slow tumor growth, allowing the patient to fight against the tumor. Protein content must be maintained a levels sufficient for tissue repair, but carbohydrates should be held to a minimum. For those who prefer to prepare their dogs food, the following diet contains the ingredients important for cancer patients. In addition, it supplies the important nutrients for cancer protection.
Reducing risk factors for cancer, eating a properly balanced diet (free of pesticides and preservatives), drinking pure water, providing appropriate anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals, and exercising regularly can help prevent cancer. Once cancer has been found, additional supportive measures are needed. Cancer cells utilize carbohydrates for fuel and compete for the body for amino acids. However, these cancer cells do not metabolize fats. Some data suggests that high fat diets can help the patient overcome the effects of cancer and even reduce cancer expansion. A number of herbal products can stimulate the immune system to attack cancer or block the mediators which the tumor uses to spread to other areas of the body, mediators which the tumor needs to survive. The following is a guide to the integrative treatment of cancer, using those compounds where there is scientific data to support their use in cancer management, helping the patient survive the disease.
For those who can not cook for their dog, call or write me food us to make it for you and deliver it to your home. (dogfood@emoderndog.com) If you must use a commercial food it should be of good quality, moderate protein (18-22%) content, low carbohydrate (3-13%) content, and high fat (55-60%) content.
Home cooked cancer diet: (for 60-90 pounds body weight)
4 oz Pork Back Fat (boiled, baked or fried in olive oil)
4 oz Tofu (firm soybean curd)
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Whole Carrots (boiled and then cut up)
1 cup Spinach (cooked)
4 Tbs Green Bell Pepper (chopped and steamed)
4 Broccoli Spears (boiled and then cut up)
2 Sardines (in olive oil, drained)
2 cloves raw Garlic (crushed and added before serving)
1 tsp dry, ground Ginger (added before serving)
½ tsp dry, yellow Mustard (added before serving)
For more information, more recipes or to place an order:
call 562.856.5651
email Daryll@emoderndog.com
Brenda, I am so so sorry to hear your precious boy has cancer. I've lost two to this awful disease. My second boy I only had for 3 1/2 months, he was a rescue and needed a home for what time he had left. Quality was paramount and I found and do believe that I had extra time with him due to his diet and the addition of mycoplex coriolus (you can read about this on vetscriptions.co.uk website).
ReplyDeleteI gave my fella his usual chappie and mixer but added lots of fresh cooked veg, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. also tins of sardines and tinned tomatoes and lots of pasta.
He had a breakfast of tomatoes, pasta, sardines and then fresh veg in his main meal.
The Mycoplex Coriolus I split and gave half in the morning and half with his main meal.
My boy never lost his appetite right up until the end and I do sincerely believe that his diet and the Mycoplex gave us that extra time with him.
I wish you well. Good luck to you both.
try the Flax and cottage cheese diet :-
ReplyDeletehttp://cancercure.ws/budwig.htm
certainly no vaccinations or chemicals of any kind, and fresh raw food only.
Good luck.