7yo Border Collie/X w/multiple problems. Just looking for alternative advice.

[cstewart09]

First off, please let me mention that our dog IS under the care of a vet AND an oncologist. We are not neglecting our beloved little man. We love him with all of our heart. I am not here to hear "take him to the vet" because, we were just there and we were told to just take him home and be prepared for him to die or to put him down. So, been there done that. Why I am here is to ask if anyone has any information, feelings, ideas, sources on hollistic treatments or even to find known hollistic vets in Ontario (or ones that will talk over the phone and offer advice/treatment plans). I maintain that something is going on with my dog BESIDES the Lymphoma (stage III or IV b) he was diagnosed with.

He's been sick since we moved. Over $4000 in vet bills before the acute symptoms of Lymphoma occured. The beginning of this year onward has been the worst. In February he went out for a car ride and came home completely blind. 3 days of Prednisone drops and an eye antibiotic and it seemed to disappear. We stopped the Pred and it came back within the day. We then had him put on 50mg a day and then over a month, sloooooowly weaned him off of it. He still has his eyesight today. But since then, we have been in and out for various other problems (he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at this point too). One being a swollen elbow with sores that wouldn't heal. No conventional medicine helped it. I did some research and switched his diet to Whole Prey Raw Food. In under 1 week his arms healed up and it was like he was a brand new dog! All of them were Our first "Lymphoma" symptom - 2 months later - was that he stopped eating anything with bones in it. Then he stopped eating altogether. My husband brought home Pedigree cans and he gobbled them up. So not a lack of hunger. We thought possible tooth infection. At the same time he started choking in his sleep. We got on the phone and had an appointment for the Saturday morning. The next day, I was rubbing him and noticed that all of his glands in his neck were swollen We called them back and they still couldn't get us in before hand, but told us to expect Lymphoma. Took him in and she was sure it was. We had to wait a while to get him in to the oncologist. Around this time, he started licking his elbow again. I started researching his symptoms as a whole, and not just parts, and his symptoms matched Blastomycosis perfectly. We are told that they checked for infectious diseases with the lymph node aspirations and that he has Lymphoma, but was it by deduction? Did they get any cancer cells or infectious disease cells in the aspiration or could they have just gotten good cells? No answers. We decided to move along with the chemo treatments. He went in last Tuesday for his first chemo treatment with Vincristine. He did great, and continued to do great even past the 3-5 day mark! No belly problems, nothing! Also, his lymph nodes became completely untraceable! But, he was continuing to lick his elbow, and at this point, it was an AWFUL sore on his elbow. In one night, it went from bandaged awful sore, to exposing the bone and a hole about the size of a toonie. We had the oncologist appointment already for Thursday for his next chemo and our vet wasn't here this week. So we waited (we were in constant communication with the vets office and the oncologists). I've kept the wound packed with Polysporin, and had it starting to heal before the vets poked around in it and said it was super clean, but it will be a $2000 surgery to fix (we are living on my husbands pay as the sole income, our credit card is maxed, credit is screwed, and it was all we could do to come up with $350 extra a week. we barely have groceries for our OWN children right now!) Wednesday he woke up and couldn't walk. Rear left leg is totally paralyzed. I think that he skidded on the floor in the time that I went to bed and my husband got home. My husband took him in the morning to the doctors who said it was going to be $2000 to fix his arm, and at least another $3000+ (and added stress on him) to do extensive testing to figure what is going on. They won't continue chemo, so those cancer cells will soon be taking over him. I know we are running out of time, and I know we are fighting the inevitable, but I'm looking for alternatives because really? What else do I have to lose? His spirits are still way up. He's in constant communication with us, wants to be with us, asks for car rides, lets us know when he has to go outside. Everything. He's not grouchy, or depressed. So, if he's still got fight in him.. so do I

**Side note: Looking for opinions. I read today that rabies vaccinations could have something to do with the other stuff. He's the only one of our dogs that gets his yearly shots, his rabies updates, and heartworm medication. And he is the unhealthiest by FAR. Anyone have any ideas on this? I'm fairly openminded when it comes to health for us or our pets. I couldn't trust hollistic care to cure cancer, I would turn to chemo. But we had every intention (and have been TRYING to find) a hollistic vet to help detoxing him, keeping his immunity up, and giving the chemo a chance to work to it's fullest.

Thanks in advance and for the novel

Crystal

PS! Forgot to mention that he was on Prednisone 50mg for the few days before chemo, and up until the beginning of this week. I can't remember if he was on 50 or 37.5 when his leg went.

[quincys]

Gosh..... This sounds awful. I really do love dogs and i think what you have done so far is great. If there is a heaven - your dog will definitely vouch for you and your husband when the time comes. Its no question that you are getting into heaven.

In the meantime... I know this not a cure for cancer, but i assume that he has muscle wastage by now. Try building up the muscle by swimming. If he enjoys it as well, that's an added bonus - just means its something he looks forward to once or twice a week.

When i say swimming, make sure it is controlled i.e. use a hydrotherapy centre that does dog swimming near you.

I have swum dogs for the past 9 years (since 2003) and one thing i found was that swimming helps with kinds of things. It will help with the muscle mass; aerobic element; and finally blood circulation to the heart.

The chlorine also helps with the skin and hair.

Good luck and it really is fantastic what you have done. Without going into something i have developed that does not exist anywhere in the world and that nearly every dog at some stage of their life will need; (and sounding like I'm selling something), if this product which has just been launched was right now in full flow, i would have continued paying for your dogs chemo myself!

Really... well done and please try the swimming and keep us posted

[Rgeurts]

Originally Posted by cstewart09

First off, please let me mention that our dog IS under the care of a vet AND an oncologist. We are not neglecting our beloved little man. We love him with all of our heart. I am not here to hear "take him to the vet" because, we were just there and we were told to just take him home and be prepared for him to die or to put him down. So, been there done that. Why I am here is to ask if anyone has any information, feelings, ideas, sources on hollistic treatments or even to find known hollistic vets in Ontario (or ones that will talk over the phone and offer advice/treatment plans). I maintain that something is going on with my dog BESIDES the Lymphoma (stage III or IV b) he was diagnosed with.

He's been sick since we moved. Over $4000 in vet bills before the acute symptoms of Lymphoma occured. The beginning of this year onward has been the worst. In February he went out for a car ride and came home completely blind. 3 days of Prednisone drops and an eye antibiotic and it seemed to disappear. We stopped the Pred and it came back within the day. We then had him put on 50mg a day and then over a month, sloooooowly weaned him off of it. He still has his eyesight today. But since then, we have been in and out for various other problems (he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at this point too). One being a swollen elbow with sores that wouldn't heal. No conventional medicine helped it. I did some research and switched his diet to Whole Prey Raw Food. In under 1 week his arms healed up and it was like he was a brand new dog! All of them were Our first "Lymphoma" symptom - 2 months later - was that he stopped eating anything with bones in it. Then he stopped eating altogether. My husband brought home Pedigree cans and he gobbled them up. So not a lack of hunger. We thought possible tooth infection. At the same time he started choking in his sleep. We got on the phone and had an appointment for the Saturday morning. The next day, I was rubbing him and noticed that all of his glands in his neck were swollen We called them back and they still couldn't get us in before hand, but told us to expect Lymphoma. Took him in and she was sure it was. We had to wait a while to get him in to the oncologist. Around this time, he started licking his elbow again. I started researching his symptoms as a whole, and not just parts, and his symptoms matched Blastomycosis perfectly. We are told that they checked for infectious diseases with the lymph node aspirations and that he has Lymphoma, but was it by deduction? Did they get any cancer cells or infectious disease cells in the aspiration or could they have just gotten good cells? No answers. We decided to move along with the chemo treatments. He went in last Tuesday for his first chemo treatment with Vincristine. He did great, and continued to do great even past the 3-5 day mark! No belly problems, nothing! Also, his lymph nodes became completely untraceable! But, he was continuing to lick his elbow, and at this point, it was an AWFUL sore on his elbow. In one night, it went from bandaged awful sore, to exposing the bone and a hole about the size of a toonie. We had the oncologist appointment already for Thursday for his next chemo and our vet wasn't here this week. So we waited (we were in constant communication with the vets office and the oncologists). I've kept the wound packed with Polysporin, and had it starting to heal before the vets poked around in it and said it was super clean, but it will be a $2000 surgery to fix (we are living on my husbands pay as the sole income, our credit card is maxed, credit is screwed, and it was all we could do to come up with $350 extra a week. we barely have groceries for our OWN children right now!) Wednesday he woke up and couldn't walk. Rear left leg is totally paralyzed. I think that he skidded on the floor in the time that I went to bed and my husband got home. My husband took him in the morning to the doctors who said it was going to be $2000 to fix his arm, and at least another $3000+ (and added stress on him) to do extensive testing to figure what is going on. They won't continue chemo, so those cancer cells will soon be taking over him. I know we are running out of time, and I know we are fighting the inevitable, but I'm looking for alternatives because really? What else do I have to lose? His spirits are still way up. He's in constant communication with us, wants to be with us, asks for car rides, lets us know when he has to go outside. Everything. He's not grouchy, or depressed. So, if he's still got fight in him.. so do I

**Side note: Looking for opinions. I read today that rabies vaccinations could have something to do with the other stuff. He's the only one of our dogs that gets his yearly shots, his rabies updates, and heartworm medication. And he is the unhealthiest by FAR. Anyone have any ideas on this? I'm fairly openminded when it comes to health for us or our pets. I couldn't trust hollistic care to cure cancer, I would turn to chemo. But we had every intention (and have been TRYING to find) a hollistic vet to help detoxing him, keeping his immunity up, and giving the chemo a chance to work to it's fullest.

Thanks in advance and for the novel

Crystal

PS! Forgot to mention that he was on Prednisone 50mg for the few days before chemo, and up until the beginning of this week. I can't remember if he was on 50 or 37.5 when his leg went.

Hi there

My hubby and I have one cancer boy (12 yr old Malamute/GSDx) and another baby boy (19 month old "Giant" Malamute from a backyard breeder) who has a very rare immune disorder called Idiopathic Eosiniphilic Syndrome. He has several neurological disorders and grand mal seizures as well, which our holistic vet, and Dr. Jean Dodds, believe to have been "spurred" by vaccinations. They said he probably had bad genes to begin with and the vaccinations just fanned the flames. Traditional medicine almost killed him. They had him on Pred, Azathioprine and phenobarbital. He had severe anemia and internal bleeding. He had a blood transfusion that saved him that time, but who knows when it would have happened again. We went to a holistic Vet after being told, last October, that he was at the end of his disease and not to expect him to make it much longer. Our hearts were broken. A very awesome member of this forum went to a seminar for Dr. Jean Dodds and spoke with her about Nanook. She asked that we contact her, so I did. I emailed her all of the tests that had been done on him (CSF tap, Bile Acid test, numerous blood tests etc). She emailed me back and said she was sure he had Vaccinosis. She was doiong a lecture in the southern U.S. an amazing man from here in Edmonton, Dr. Steve Marsden. She spoke with him and he told her to have us contact his office and make an appt, even though he wasn;t taking new patients. He has given our otherwise "doomed" puppy a new lease on life. I never believed in holistic treatment, but am a firm believer now. I would recommend contacting Dr. Dodds. She is very accessible through email. She responded to mine within a few hours. Maybe she can recommend a good holistic vet in your area. Good luck and please let us know how your boy is doing

Robyn

Dr. Jean Dodds
hemopet@hotmail.com

[cstewart09]

I contacted Dr. Dodds and she said I've done all I can do and to let him go He still has SOOOOO much energy left and he did manage to stand and poop tonight I just can't help but feel like we can do more for him.. I'm not ready to give up. And at 3 am.. he's been talking to me for over 15 minutes straight now! He tried to get up on his own tonight to go for a car ride.. he's just.. happy. He's just not able to bear weight on his hind end. We're going to get an xray on Tuesday if we're still good by then. I don't want to lose the faith with this one.

Thanks everyone for your help. In the chance that it is just muscle wasting, I did find a canine hydrotherapy place close by for $12 a session! Also, I did manage to find a number for a highly recommended holistic vet close by too!

Hoping tomorrow brings better news!!

[hazelrunpack]

Good luck, cstewart09 Keep us posted, k?

[Rgeurts]

My heart goes out to you. I'm sorry Dr. Dodds could not help, she really helped to save our boy. I hope it is just muscle wasting and you can get him some relief with the hydrotherapy. It's so hard to let go when they still have so much life and so much love to give. If he isn't in pain, I would probably do the same as you are and at least try everything you possibly can. I know personally, I will never give up on either of mine. As long as they continue to fight, my hubby and I will do the same. Good luck, and please let us know how he's doing