Staffyluv

This happens a lot - I think Ollie's original chemo protocol was for 12 weeks but it ended up taking 6 months because we had many setbacks due to his blood count being a bit to low to risk the next round of chemo... Any chance of remission is a good chance, stay positive - it really is the best frame of mind for both you and her (I know it is hard sometimes). Great news about the lymph node reduction - definitely a step in the right direction. The holistic stuff is great. Ollie was on Lymphodran, Anti Ox, Five Mushroom drops and a few chinese herbs. He did not suffer with a bloated belly but had a host of other issues - the chemo damaged his thyroid gland and when it stopped working it made him gain about 6kg (a lot on a staffy). He also ended up with a small stomach ulcer - but in the long run, he has had another 5 years of life (so far) - 4 years more than they said he would have. If you ask me, the battle is well worth it, to see him trot around like he still owns the place. Hang in there and all the best

she is so cute... looks almost like a stuffed toy

OMG Anne, I have just seen this - I am so very sorry... Rest in peace Faith

Sorry about your news - it is a hard road ahead but stay strong and positive for her as she will sense your moods (I know it is easier said than done, but try)... Holistic medicine compliments conventional chemo treatments very well and can assist with the extra fluid she has in her tummy and probably make her more comfortable. She will have down days but they don't get 'sick' like humans do with chemo. They don't give them the doses that humans get due to the cost of bone marrow transplants (which are only just available to animals and very expensive)... When she is having treatment, just let her eat what she wants, make sure there is plenty of water. But diet is very important. Check out the anti cancer diets on google for dogs, there are lots to choose from but most follow the low carb principle. (removing breads, grains, cereals etc - not fruit and veg which are loaded with great nutrients)... Hoping your chemo gives you full remission, soon...

Keep an eye on it but it sounds like just a regurgitation of too much water - it tends to go a bit phlegmy once it has gone into the stomach. I have a stafford here who does the same thing... If it continues, it may pay to just get her checked out anyway

Hi Staffyluv I just read this post and am interested in this anti cancer diet I have a 12 yr old boxer who had a spindle cell removed last year and similarly could not remove a safe margin as it was in a joint.So far so good the tumour hasnt regrown but I would like to try this diet with him. Could you please give me some more information. Mac also picked up kennel cough earlier this year,took me by surprise also I was worried that the cancer had emerged in his lungs so it was good news in a way he got over it fine as will Ollie Hi mac'ella, Effectively the 'anti cancer diet' is based around removing carbs from the diet but adding other supplements as well. When I say carbs, I don't mean the good stuff like fruit and veges - it is more the white stuff like bread, grains, rice, pasta, sugars etc.. The theory is that carbs feeds cancer... If you google canine anti cancer diet (I know I have a link here in this thread somewhere but have removed it from my favourites and can't remember the exact one I used)... They are all pretty good as long as they follow the theory of carbs removed or limited. Meat should be cooked too (obviously this means no bones but the occasional treat is OK)... We also used an holistic vet to help us with the correct supplements for his diet. Basically Ollie eats: Meat and veg (beef, chicken, turkey, roo, kidney (occasionally) and venison - with a bit of fish now and again too). Veges consist of anything - he loves sweet potato or pumpkin mixed with zucchini and peas (that has been his favourite for ages) but I do mix it up and give him a bit of roasted eggplant mixed in or carrots as treats. He loves fruit, always has - strawberries, watermelon, apple, pear...\ He also has cottage cheese with about a teaspoon of flax oil (use this sparingly as some dogs don't do well with it), yoghurt is another favourite too... Good luck with it. Don't forget to make a thread here for your Boxer - I hope the tumour never grows back...

Thanks Helen, sorry I did not post sooner. He is much better, still a bit of a cough first thing of a morning but mostly he is on the mend. He is not real fond of the medicine he has to take - can't say as I blame him, it smells bad. One of those 'wild cherry' flavours - man are they wild...

Unless she slept on it wrong and it was just 'asleep' (like ours go numb from laying on it too long) and has since improved and she is OK now, I would be making a vet visit... Good luck

Thanks, hugs given and greatly received - he still loves a cuddle... I have no idea but the vet said he could have picked it up in the park we walk at... Poor boy was hacking a bit last night but he is curled up asleep on the lounge now. Hope your little cav improves, poor baby - I hate it when they are sick...

Ah she is very cute. Happy to help - that is why we are all here, to share our stories and hopefully help each other.

He has got bloody kennel cough... I will be buggered if I know how that happened - he does not go to a kennel, he does not associate with other dogs and he is inside most of the time - apart from when he goes for a walk in the morning and some evenings... He is happy to lounge around and sleep most of the time these days. He has meds for the next week and some cough mixture to help with the cough... Thanks for the thoughts, I am sure he will be fine.. Poor lad, he really has had enough of being sick - it seems so unfair sometimes.

The boy was at the new vet a couple of days ago due to bloody diarrhea and general lethargy - turns out he had a bit of a bowel infection and that is all cleared up now or so it would seem. This morning around 3am I was woken up to him 'coughing' or 'hacking' - he did throw up a small amount of dinner that was sort of foamy (great breakfast topic hey)... But he keeps doing the hacking thing - he has been doing it since 3am, poor lad, his throat must be sore now. I will make a vet appointment and get him back down there again today...

The dog is only 9 years old - there is plenty you can do for her IF she is dxd with cancer... Ollie is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and was dxd with MCT grade 2, no clear margins and on examination of his lymph system (biopsy) the cancer was already systemic... He was given 12 - 18 months... That was 5 years ago in October/November this year. We treated with chemo but that is expensive (no it does not damage dogs like it does humans - they simply cannot dose dogs like they do people).. He was and is also treated holistically through diet and supplements. If dxd, the best thing you can do for her is see an holistic vet and at least discuss diet. Remove as many carbs as possible from the diet - so no breads, cereals, rice, pasta flour, corn, grains etc... Fruit and veges are fine - in fact some are so beneficial they help in more ways than just filling them up:) Cook all meat and give yoghurt and other similar things as treats. Vitamin C is a wonderful tonic for cancer dogs and has saved Ollie's life more than once by giving him the boost he needed. Fish oil is another great supplement. We also used Lymphodran and AntiOx as well as some chinese herbs and five mushroom drops. Don't give up, keep fighting for her and she will fight to stay with you - my boy is living proof of what can be achieved when you don't give up

Remove the pasta and rice - all it does is add weight... Increase the veges to bulk it out more... Raw bones are great to keep dogs busy between meals without adding to many calories. Exercise - increase it a bit by throwing a ball for the dog or more walks.. I would not cut the food back anymore. But that is just me..

We use Ester C and Ollie also has cartrophen injections... I have seen a big improvement with the cartrophen injections...

They are not a registered breed (with the ANKC) in Australia, however I believe they are in the UK and USA (I dare say in other countries too but I don't know enough to say where)... As they are not bred to a specific 'standard' they are not recognised here in Australia and are not registered...

The best holistic vets that I have come across are the vets at All Natural Vet Care in Sydney... Linky We were in Canberra and we all liaised via phone, email and fax. Our vet and canine oncologist (Rod Straw in Brisbane) sent all of Ollie's results and treatment details to all natural vet care and then we chatted via phone about Ollie's habits, what he likes and does not like, how he was (both health wise and if he seemed flat or his usual bubbly self).. Then they would send the herbs and make recommendations on diet etc... There are also many sites with great 'anti' cancer diets - just google dogs and anticancer diet Good luck and please keep us updated...

That is a lot to deal with.. Take your time and take care of yourself too... If he does not like to be away from Paige how about holistic treatment - supplements, herbs and diet (personally I believe this is why Ollie is still alive today, I know the chemo helped but it is the diet and all the other stuff like keeping him happy and as healthy - apart from the cancer - that keeps him going so well for so long)... Like I said before, just breathe and take care of yourself too - you have been through an awful lot emotionally...

I am sorry to hear your news... After years of experience with a terminally ill dog (Ollie is MCT grade 2 - no clear margins and systemic) I have learned not to jump to the worst thoughts (not easy, the word cancer conjures up the worst of our fears)... Don't panic, honestly, it does you or him no good at all. Get all the information you need before make decisions on treatments etc.. Have his dx confirmed as to what it is and what grade.. Once you know this, then you can decided to treat (or not) with chemo, radiation, holistic treatments. Diet plays a huge part in the treatment of cancer dogs. Carbs feeds cancer, so if he is having commercial dog foods it might pay to check the information panel to see how much cereal and fillers it contains and slowly alter his diet to a good quality home cooked meal with supplements... Vitamin C has saved Ollie more than once when he has been very unwell (via a drip) - he has had it supplemented since he was dxd.. Mostly to begin with, just breathe - confirm and then decide... Once you know exactly what you are dealing with, then you can deal with it... I really feel for you - I still remember vividly the day the vet called with Ollie's results.. I was devastated but here we are more than 4 years post dx and he has lived 4 years longer than all the text books said he would... There are quite a few of us on here that can offer advice on how we have handled different situations and what we have done to help our pets deal with this.. When you are ready, we will happily help, even if it is just for someone else to chat too... All the best Jodie

Wishing you good luck with it... Just in case you did not know, chemo does not do the affect dogs like it does people.. They don't give our pooch's the massive doses they would give us - so dogs don't lose their fur or tend not to get sick or have too many bad side effects from it...(there will always be exceptions to the rule but it is not usual for dogs to become ill). Ollie had chemo for 6 months for MCT grade 2, nearly 5 years ago now and he is still going (even with the cancer)... Have you considered holistic treatment to compliment the chemo - I found it helped keep Ollie 'better' than I think he would have been and I believe that the holistic is the reason he is still here and suffered few issues with the chemo.

That is a decent chunk - it looks like they would have taken good margins... Wishing you all good news when you get it.

I do think banning pet shops and puppy farms is one answer... Unless pet shops employ people to sell the puppies in a responsible manner. Maybe under some licensing scheme, where you have to fit a certain criteria to be able to purchase a pup in this manner... Someone suggested earlier about rehoming rescues via pet shops, great idea IMO but once again, we would need some sort of training for those doing the rehoming so the dogs don't end up in the wrong home... And ultimately end up back in rescue or worse... I think one of the biggest issues with the selling of animals from pet shops and selling via puppy farms is the fact that they really don't seem to care who they sell to. Puppy farms could be regulated and monitored - expensive I know but someone has to do it to weed out those that just keep the poor parents in cages and breed season after season. These types of farms should be closed - no excuses. However if there are responsible 'farmers' out there, who look after the dogs, keep them in good conditions, love and care for them and don't breed season after season just to make money but breed to meet customer enquiries, then perhaps that is another area that could be considered due to customer demand. Please don't get me wrong, I am totally against both practices but realise that it is NOT going to stop - even if it is banned...

No way would I put a collar on him unless he is out in public and has to wear one... My uncle came home one day to his beautiful boxer hanging by her collar from the back fence... That was enough to convince me that he only wears his when I am around and we are out together.

Thanks CnR, that is what I thought it might be - losing the marbles... lol... Sleep soundly, is actually putting it mildly - I can come in any time of day or night after being out and if he is asleep, he does not even stir.. And the snoring is worse than ever bless him. It is funny, I can turn his snoring off and I don't hear it all... Will pass on the hugs - being a staffy he is more than happy to accept hugs, pats, belly rubs etc from everyone as often as possible... Apart from this one issue he has been great. Still loves the walks, the food, the lovin', so I guess he is staying for a while yet..

Ollie has started toileting inside of a night - the door is open, so no excuse not to go out... There is even a night light on, so he can see his way. The motions are normal (for him), it is not like he has the runs and can't get out quick enough... This morning was the second time in a week and it was right near where he sleeps - I always thought dogs did not go to the toilet where they ate or slept??? I will take him to the vet on Saturday or later this evening if I can get out of work early enough... Anyone seen or heard of this before - opinions appreciated...