My Beautiful Pups, Charlie & Millie.

[kirsty37]

Hi everyone, below is an excerpt from my original post.

One of the other members kindly suggested that I start my own thread so that I can give updates and progress reports on how my two pups are doing.

'Me and my pups have been on a bit of a roller coaster ride over the past month. My 8 yr old staffy x lab Charlie was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I was a mess when I first heard this and wasn't really sure what this meant or how serious it was.

Because of the location of the tumor surgery was not an option, he was diagnosed on the Friday and was in having his radiation treatment on the Wednesday. It was very hard leaving him at the vets and what was even harder was not seeing him for another 13 days which was when his radiation level was ok for him to come home.

I was so excited when I got the call to go pick him up...... I got there that quickly that they didn't even have a chance to wash him. Saying he was happy to see him mummy was is an understatement. I have another two pups, Millie who is 11 and Spud who is 3. Millie and Charlie have been together since he was 9 weeks old.

He has been home for the past 2 weeks and he is looking fantastic. I changed all of their diets ASAP to all raw etc and took him to see a holistic vet for his supplements, nutrition etc.

I am so glad that there was something that I could do to help him and love my little man to bits.

I was hoping that you might be able to offer some info on the Mast Cell Tumors.......................................

Last week we noticed a lump on my other pup Millie, it was just behind her left armpit. Took her to the vet as we have done so many a time whenever we have found lumps but unfortunately this time the asperide came out with blood which is has never done before. Talk about being speechless........................................... I'm absolutely gutted....................................................

I'm a pretty positive person but this has made me pretty angry and sad. I was sooooo happy that Charlie was doing so well and now this.................

My little girl is booked in to have the lump removed on Monday and I wanted to ask for your advice. If they remove it all and it doesn't appear to have spread, what happens next???? Will she need radiaiton, chemo or other treatments ????And is this a tumor that will come back?????

I cannot believe that within the same damn month both of my pups have had this happen to them........ I am so trying to be positive and will do anything I have to do to keep them all healthy.

I love them with all of my heart and want to give them best chance possible'

Thanks for listening guys x

[gemstone]

Sorry to hear your bad news, what sort of luck is that to have 2?? very sad...

let us know what happens and good luck with the both of them

[Staffyluv]

You are doing all the right things - having an holistic vet to supplement the radiation and possible chemo for your second dog is the best that can be done.

Ollie was diagnosed 3 years ago with grade 2 MCT, no clear margins and multiple tumour sites - mast cells were also discovered in the lymph nodes near one of the tumour sites. They gave him 18 months. We are still going strong 3 years later.

When Ollie was on chemo he had 7 other supplements from the holistic vet:

5 Mushroom drops

Arsenica drops

another lot of drops that I no longer have and cannot remember the name of

Lymphodran tablets

AntiOx Excel tablets

Fish Oil tablets - 1000mg a day

Vitamin C tablets - 1500mg a day (now he takes Ester C powder in his water, much kinder to his tummy).

These were on top of his Carafate and Omprezole (for stomach ulcers caused by the chemo), thyroxine because the chemo damaged his thyriod, maxalon (an anti nausea tablet) and Polaramine (an antihistamine because MCT releases histamine and this aids it to spread - you might want to ask your vet or holistic vet about this if it is MCT).

He is also fed a diet of cooked meat (you need to cook it because you cannot afford for them to get sick from meat that is less than perfect - food poisoning). As well as an assortment of vegetables. I know a lot of DOLers who put their veges through a juicer to pulp it but I have only ever steamed them and mashe them for him, then mix it through his meat. He gets Jalna biodynamic yoghurt mixed with manuka honey a lot of nights too - I think it sooths his tummy.

You can print this out and take it with you to the vet and holistic practitioner if you want. And ask them for suggestions as to what you can do to keep your pooches as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Good luck and keep us updated

Jodie

[kirsty37]

Hey all, my little girl had her surgery yesterday and they removed the entire tumour plus a good margin all around the tumour.

My poor baby has got a huge cut near her underarm and right under her belly plus she is probably minus about 3/4 of all of her fur now. Her vet was happy with the outcome and we just have to wait until Friday until we get her pathology results on the lump - fingers crosses everyone that there is no spread and all has been removed.

My other pup Charlie is doing really well, he's still as crazy as ever.

I have been using the Jalna yoghurt, as well as some ground almond meal daily which my holistic vet also recommended. I have been reading that any orange veg and some fruit i.e rockmelon is very high in beta carotene which is also very good for cancer - I have been adding these also to their daily fruit and veg mix. My brother thinks they eat better than we do.......................

I stayed home today to babysit my little one on her first day after surgery - just need to make sure she is ok and that she rests.

Thanks for the well wishes and for the advice guys, it is very greatly appreciated x

[gemstone]

Give her another few days and she'll start to perk up.

Its amazing the amount they shave isnt it?

Callie had a hole in her leg that was too big to stitch but it healed really well

and she's about 11 so hopefully Millie will be the same.

Good luck - let us know what the results are.... fingers crossed

[Staffyluv]

Vitamin C is very good for cancer in dogs as well - ask the holistic vet about it.

Glad to hear they got good margins around the tumour - here is hoping and praying they are all clear.

Wishing you all the best (keep us updated when you have time)

[kirsty37]

Hey guys

Heard back from the vet today about Millie's results, he said her tumour was a soft tissue sarcoma at the intermediate stage. He removed quite a large margin around the tumour and he said there was no sign of spreading. I am sooooooo happy and relieved, it's nice to have some good news.

I got a little worried because she didn't eat her dinner last night which is very unusual for her, but today she scoffed it down. She still isn't her usual little self but hey if I had a cut as big as hers I would'nt have stopped complaining, let alone be up and about.

At the moment I'm like an extremely over cautious mother.

I thank you all for your kind words of encouragement x

[Staffyluv]

That is great news - you must be so happy.

She probably did not feel like dinner because of the anaesthetic - sometimes it takes a while to wear off properly.

[leannek]

How are your pups going?