• Bleupool2_small
    Bleu's owner Feb 6th. Bleu loves the snow, and we got over a foot of it today. We went running and playing in the snow. You would never know he was sick. Aside from spotty blood in his urine and diaper, he looks and acts fine.
    1 day ago on Bleu's wall
    • Cody_the_miracle_dog_thumbnail
      Cody's owner Great news. Enjoy every minute of it.
      about 2 hours ago
  • Bleupool2_small
    Bleu's owner Bleu went back to the Vet's on the 3rd of February for blood work (CBC). It did show a slight decline in his white cell count, but not enough to worry about, or for him to be put on antibiotics. He is still very playful, and full of energy.
    1 day ago on Bleu's wall
  • Sunriver8-30-02_014_small
    Ginger's owner I am so sorry... Your Maggie looks a lot like my Ginger. What a sweetheart. How sad to lose both so close together. I understand what you mean about their stoic nature. Labs are not complainers. Please remember to take care of yourself. There is always something to learn from our dear fuzzy friends.
    4 days ago on Maggie's wall
  • Sunriver8-30-02_014_small
    Ginger's owner Just a thought on heartworm prevention/ treatment. I like a company in CA at wolfcreekranch.net Check out their options for heartworm.
    4 days ago
  • Cody_the_miracle_dog_small
    Cody's owner Sorry if this is repetitive, but wanted to clarify again that the a site has a community wall that pushes out messages out to the entire community. When you post to your own wall or an individual's, it just gets posted on to that wall. So if you want to send out a message to the entire community, go to: http://www.fightdogcancer.com/comments or the "Community Wall"
    4 days ago on Cody's wall
  • Cody_the_miracle_dog_small
    Cody's owner Hi everyone, I am posting a message from a member that posted to my wall as I think the community can provide her with insight: "Hey, wanted to ask you if you know of this heartworm meds called Heartgard Brown chews. Heartworm is really bad in this area, and I didn't want to give Anouch the annual shot, and my holistic vet recommends giving him these tablets every 2 months. Any thoughts???" Any feedback, please post to: http://www.fightdogcancer.com/dogs/6-anouch-golden-retriever-Hemangiosarcoma
    4 days ago on Cody's wall
  • Scan0269_small
    Maggie's owner 4 weeks after I lost my Maggie, her little sister Mollie went to be with her. Mollie was originally my roommates dog and the two were so close, that I kept them together with me. Mollie went into a deep depression when Mag passed and 4 weeks later her body shut down. I lost both my babies in a month.
    4 days ago on Maggie's wall
    • Cody_the_miracle_dog_thumbnail
      Cody's owner Oh Maggie, I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine. I will keep you in my thoughts as I know how difficult this time is.
      4 days ago
  • Sunriver8-30-02_014_small
    Ginger's owner Aimee asked me to repost this link on bone meal. http://www.uslaw.com/library/Personal_Injury_Law/Bone_Meal_Bad_Stuff_Dog_Food_Fluoride_above_healthy_levels_n_national_.php?item=522260
    5 days ago on Ginger's wall
  • Beauty_small
    Rena's owner Dear Jake's Mom, Jake's story caught my eye b/c my dog Rena died of HSA in December. I must say that you and Jake did well without chemo, considering Rena got chemo and lived about the same length of time. She handled it pretty well and her prognosis was dire...only given a month without it, so we went ahead. I also changed her diet, cranked up her immune system, added accupuncture and a host of other herbs and treatments, including Yunnan Baiyao. The holistic vet suspected that she might be having small bleeds, as she was anemic, too. She never had overt episodes until the last day when she collapsed three times. She was my second German Shepherd to get HSA, and each time it's a monster. The first time, I was totally in the dark, but it's gruesome no matter what. As she was my best girl, I spent the holidays sad and depressed. Three weeks ago, I went to the local shelter to look at a yellow lab my husband commented on, and just as I was leaving, a woman came in to surrender a stray she found: A German Shepherd/suspect something like a Malamute, who was very young and handsome ~ 8 months old. I blurted out "That is exactly what I want"...It happened that she and I walked back to the parking lot and she gave me the dog. I have to say that the timing seemed auspicious, and it seemed like he was meant for me. I have been so happy to have a dog again, even though this youngster is very different from my Rena, and it's still fairly soon-sooner than I would normally have thought to look for another dog. I just want to remind you how great they are, each and every one.
    5 days ago on Jake's wall
    • Cody_the_miracle_dog_thumbnail
      Cody's owner Congrats on the new dog. I totally understand. They are never the same, but you still love each and every one of them. Sounds like it was meant to be. Did you decide on a name yet
      4 days ago
  • Cody_the_miracle_dog_small
    Cody's owner Hi Rosemary ... we are testing out the email processes ... please confirm if you got this email.
    5 days ago on Ginger's wall
  • Cody_the_miracle_dog_small
    Cody's owner Hi Rosemary ... in order to communicate to the entire community you need to post to the community wall, not just your wall. http://www.fightdogcancer.com/comments
    6 days ago on Ginger's wall
  • Sunriver8-30-02_014_small
    Ginger's owner Aimee just sent me a note thinking I might be able to help you with Jasper. I work a lot with dogs who have cancer, using only natural solutions. There is hope. Please call me and I'll answer your questions. 503-747-3307 Rosemary
    7 days ago on Jasper's wall
  • Sunriver8-30-02_014_small
    Ginger's owner Just reading through some posts and want to mention that BONE MEAL is NOT GOOD for dogs. The fluoride content is too high, so use a different source for calcium. I would also say to NOT give TUMS as a calcium source. Too much aluminum. Please consider the unseen toxins in supplements you might want to add to your dog's diet. http://www.uslaw.com/library/Personal_Injury_Law/Bone_Meal_Bad_Stuff_Dog_Food_Fluoride_above_healthy_levels_n_national_.php?item=522260
    9 days ago on Ginger's wall
  • Cody_the_miracle_dog_small
    Cody's owner Hi there .. just checking to see how Chyna is doing. Were you able to connect with the organizations I mentioned below?
    12 days ago on Chyna's wall
  • Img00304_small
    Walter's owner Walter dog lost his battle with cancer this afternoon. I am heartbroken, but I know that I did the right thing for him from the moment he was diagnosed until the moment he passed away. I have no regrets. He was the best dog/friend/companion I have ever had and I will miss him terribly. Rest in peace babydog.
    17 days ago on Walter's wall
    • Cody_the_miracle_dog_thumbnail
      Cody's owner Oh Tracy, I am so sorry. You gave Walter a wonderful life.
      12 days ago
  • Beauty_small
    Rena's owner It's was a month exactly when I picked up the new pup/dog. I still grieve for my girl. I don't have any other dogs, and the house was so empty without her I didn't want to be there. Now, we've got a whole new game in town. This dog is young and male, and has that husky element, which is somewhat hard-headed and independant. He likes me so far, but I am going to have to' bust his balls' . He gets uppity at least once a day, and it's not clear why. It's good to have him around though. He's fun and he likes to be hand fed just like Rena. Good to hear Walter is doing OK. How long do his treatments last? Rena had 5 Adriamycin (Doxyrubicin) treatments, two weeks apart, which was very powerful and she had some bad appetite days before we learned to anticipate and counteract. The off week is nice. After that was finished, we found her tumors had still grown. Next, the oral chemo cytoxan, plus antibiotic doxycycline and rimadyl that lasted over 6 weeks and that about did it for her. What is cherry eye? Blood in the white part like those burst vessels you got with the dry heaves in high school? Does he still have irritable bowel symptoms? Rena had those two bouts of what the vet called 'enteritis', but it seemed like pancreatitis, and it seemed to get better but then....cancer. Nothing I fed her was working well then, but this high protein diet was the best. And none of the commercial products hit the sweet spot alone. If you fed a healthy dog this diet, they would probably be in glowing health. Nordic Naturals is one of the best. I used the oil that came with K9 Immunity and another refrigerated one, not sure of what it was, but I had some Nordic Naturals samples. The dose is something like 8000 mg. per day for an 80 lb dog. That is the best fat source. All I know is that I should be taking all of this stuff, too, and I just might. You could give Sacha some things Walter is having. That stew sounded great. I found that we could all eat similarly if I was careful when I added the onion, and took Rena's portion out of the mix before that and easy on the garlic and other spices. I hate chicken skin and fat of any kind, so I removed it and gave it to her later, but most of her fat came from the fish oil anyway. I read that the most likely to be deficient in a home cooking scenario is Calcium so I got some coral calcium supplements for her in addition to daily dairy in the form of yogurt. Not necessary...bone meal is just as good. Keep up the good fight, Laura
    19 days ago on Walter's wall
    • Img00304_thumbnail
      Walter's owner I know what you mean about coming home to an empty house. I am so terrified that Sasah will go soon after Walter because they are so close, but I don't want to rush out and get another dog right away either. AS for your new boy, I think that girls and boys are very different, personalitywise. I think he will calm down after a while. When Walter was 6 months old he ate my coffee table. He didn't just chew on it, it was gone. He was handful until I gave him a job, and then he was perfect. Sasha was never really like that. She was very timid, but that could have been from being a rescue dog. She had it pretty bad before I got her. Walter get chemo at the vet once every 2 weeks now, because he couldn't handle every week like they originally wanted to do. He also get 4 days of Cyclophosimide(?) when bring him home. He has to stay on Metronidazole and a low dose of Prednisone for the IBD. Tried to take him off of that but his digestive system is just to sensitive. The Nordic Naturals supplements are great. I take them and I give them to my 4 year old daughter as well. I'm also careful when I give Walter the same food that we are eating. I think it would be pretty bland to me, but I'm sure it tastes way better than dog food to him. I have to be careful of the amount of fat he has because of the IBD, so most of his fat intake is from the fish oil as well. I've always given my dogs yogurt, from the times they were puppies. Shepherds can have the most sensitive digestive systems, and I think the yogurt helps to calm it down a little. Walter is the only one I have ever had that has had major digestive issues. Oh, and a "cherry eye" is a tendon that can pop out from underneath their third eyelid. It can be in the corner of their eye or the bottom. There is a surgery that can make it go away, but I think it will go away eventually on its own. Its mostly a cosmetic issue as long as they don't rub it or paw at it, which he isn't doing. His eyeball isn't killing him so unless it gets really bad then I'm not too worried about it. I've got bigger fish to fry with him right now. Tracy PS - I would love to see pictures of your new pup! My email is tyraneri@hotmail.com if you want to send me some.
      19 days ago
  • Beauty_small
    Rena's owner I was looking on the internet for rescue dogs in my area and found an older yellow lab at a local shelter. I went in and he was adopted already! Lucky dog! As I was leaving, a woman came in with a young German Shepherd stray she and a neighbor had found. They advertised on Craigslist for two weeks and nobody contacted them, so they were turning him in. I said "That is exactly what I am looking for" to no one in particular. It was one of those moments when everyone in the room knew what to do. We turned around and walked together to the parking lot, loaded him into my car and wished eachother well. I drove off with a big grin on my face. Turns out, he's about 8 months old and spirited, but shadows me wherever I go. He looks like a shepherd but also might be part husky, I think. He's a great walking/running partner, is smart and has learned a lot in the few days he's been with us. I normally would have waited 3-6 months before thinking I was ready to get another dog, but this is good, and probably exactly what I needed.
    19 days ago on Rena's wall
    • Img00304_thumbnail
      Walter's owner I just read your post and I am so happy for you! I don't know that I will be able to get another dog right away either, but everything happens for a reason. You were meant to go to that shelter and find him. Yay!!!!
      19 days ago
  • Beauty_small
    Rena's owner So, how is Mr. Walter these days? Good I hope. Your vet situation is good. I was thinking about Walter. Massage helps lymph system to drain, plus the physical touch is very good for both you and your dog. I was also going to ask you how he's doing appetite-wise? In a previous career, I was a nutritionist before going back for a Landscape Architecture degree. I got right back into it during this crisis. I raised Rena's protein by feeding her lots of meat, veg. andabout 5% low-glycemic grains, as well as a high quality, grain-free kibble about half and half. I got some frozen, raw duck meat at a pet store in small pieces so that I could thaw a few at a time. She didn't like it raw at first, but came around. I baked that into a meatloaf, mixed with quinoa or steel cut oats or kasha and egg and some medicinal mushroom, fish oil and other supplements and medicinal herbs plus garlic. I did the same thing with ground turkey. She ate it up. I am sure the ingredients weren't as potent but she really liked it, and there are times after chemo when you just want your dog to eat. I gave her raw beef liver and cooked chicken liver as well, about once a week. She was mildly anemic and it really helped. I got some pre and probiotics, enzymes, and tinctures that could replace pills whenever possible. I got canned venison and beef tripe, as well as duck. It really kept her interested and she had no digestive upset from any of it. I bought chicken thighs and whole chickens and slow-cooked them for her in a crockpot. She got a lot of good stuff, steak included, and once she regained the weight she lost after surgery, she never lost weight during the entire ordeal. I think she thought I had lost my mind. If she could have pinched herself, she would have. She had that incredulous look on her face every day. We should have just set a place for her at the table!
    19 days ago on Walter's wall
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      Walter's owner Walter is doing ok right now. He is in his off week for chemo right now so he's happy and eating and being himself. He has developed a "cherry eye" over the last couple weeks which has been bothering him, but there isn't a whole lot I can do about that. The vet says that he probably developed it as a result of the stress from the chemo. Kind of comes and goes so I'm hoping that it will clear up on its own soon. I have been doing kind of the same thing as you with the food. He's been getting a variety of things and I try hard to make sure its balanced. He gets a great Omega-3 supplement by Nordic Naturals. I have to be careful with what I feed him though because of his IBD. He's supposed to be on completely hypoallergenic food for that, but he won't eat it, and I don't think it has what he needs in it right now anyway. I cook really healthy for my family so he's been getting a lot of the same stuff we eat. He had a yummy beef stew from the crock pot yesterday. I just feel bad for my other dog Sasha, because she doesn't get all the good stuff Walter is getting right now. I give her some treats, but she's a little chubby so I don't want her porking up too much. So how are you holding up? It hasn't been that long since you lost Rena has it? I'm sure it still hurts no matter how long its been.
      19 days ago
  • Beauty_small
    Rena's owner Do you have a holistic vet? You will find that some regular vets will be willing to consider other treatment methods, and some aren't. My oncologist was not. My regular vet was. Go figure. I felt that my team wasn't all on the same page sometimes, but I did my own research. Rena had "Enteritis" during the summer twice and the second time the vet said maybe we should get an ultrasound...and I said if it doesn't clear up, OK. It cleared up, but a few months later...Hemangiosarcoma. I should have gotten that ultrasound. It might have caught it before the spleenic tumor ruptured. In retrospect, these major upheavals should be our first clue, and my next dog will be the beneficiary.
    27 days ago on Walter's wall
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      Walter's owner I do not have a holistic vet exactly, but I am very lucky to have a great veterinary practice to take my animals to. There are 4 vets there, each with different specialties, and all of them have worked together on Walter's treatments. They are also very open to any kind of research that I have done, and suggestions that I may have. I think I am also very lucky to have a vet that isn't going to pressure me into decisions that I am not ready to make or into a treatment that I am not willing to do. My last vet was very pushy, and made me feel like if I didn't do everything they said, that my dog was going to die. The vets that I have now are very good being upfront with information and not sugar coating anything, but at the same time not trying to push me in any sort of direction.
      27 days ago
  • Beauty_small
    Rena's owner Walter is very handsome! Thank you for your message re. Rena. I have had many dogs; my first was a black Lab I raised for Guide Dogs. Then a secession of mutts, huskies, even a malamute/wolf hybrid, and then I got into GSDs. I also had a Corgi in that mix, and he was fun and Rena's bud until March when he died of an intestinal blockage. Rena was my third German Shepherd Dog, and I have to say they are great! I really miss her! She was the same age as Walter when she got sick. I know what you are feeling! In my mind, she should have had 3 more years at least. I didn't consider her 'senior' and she never acted the part. Even though Walter has a different kind of cancer, I think you are doing exactly what you should for him. I was told by an ex- friend that I should put her down as soon as I found out she had cancer because "she's already suffering and I was keeping her alive for me, not for her". BS. My husband and I needed the time to process what was happening, and Rena just needed the time. She had hemangiosarcoma, and with that, she collapsed and had to have an emergency splenectomy. She was bleeding out and it was either surgery or goodbye. That was the first glimpse we had there was anyting wrong. Looking back, I would have had to decide a lot of things ahead of time to be able to handle that differently. Once she recovered from the surgery, she started chemo and handled it pretty well. The prognosis didn't give us that much more time, but I still felt that if she handled it well, then we'd do it. It's not like she had a lot of health problems in her life. Some people are averse to pursuing chemo because their dogs have been through a lot already, and they just don't want to stress them any more. She had some skin allergies and some digestive issues. There was a predictable low for her after each treatment. My holistic vet counteracted that by strategic accupucture treatments and B12 shots. If she had diarrhea, there is an herb for that. You know what's coming, so use this time to spoil him. I have heard of people who are working on a 'bucket list' for their dogs. Rena loved duck strips, walks, sleeping on the bed, patrolling the yard, barking at and chasing squirrels, so that's what she did till the very end. Have you heard of mullien? It's an herb that helps lymph system to drain. Google it.
    28 days ago on Walter's wall
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      Walter's owner Walter has had rough year. At the beginning of last year he was diagnosed with Inflamatory Bowel Disease, which almost killed him. Poor guy went down to 40lbs. I was about a week from putting him down when he made an incredible comeback. So when I got the news about the cancer, it was just horrible. We had come so far and then this happens. My boy is a fighter though, and I don't think he's ready to go yet. For the last few months he has been spoiled rotten. I used to have to board him when I went to visit my parents, but they told me absolutely not the last few times, he has to come with me now. People think I'm ridiculous because I'll eat macaroni and cheese, but make my dog a steak. Whatever time my babydog has left with me is going to the best it can be. :) Thanks for the tip! I will look into it.
      27 days ago