Anyone had a dog go thru chemo?

[mitchie]

Hi,  Daisy started chemotherapy on Tuesday this week.  Has anyone gone thru this with their dog?  I just don't know
what to expect and I'm pretty scared.  I'm working up the nerve to switch her to a raw diet, but I got weirded out
and heated up the mix I made for on the stove.  I guess I have two questions, one about chemo, and the other
if anyone has any tips on raw diets while their dog is going to chemo.  I saw a holistic vet on Thursday and I've
got Daisy on some great supplements to go along with the raw diet and to help her support her immune system.
Gosh, I have been so upset about this that I am not able to eat and I'm crying and frustrated that the
best friend of my life has stinking cancer!  There is just no simple answer I know, everything from the treatment
to her food, to the supplements to her side effects from this crap is so overwhelming!  I'm the type of person
who works hard to fix stuff and there is no "fix" here.  I am trying to do all I can so that I won't have to say to myself
that I didn't do enough or I didn't try it.   Then I'm trying to stay focused on being positive around Daisy and keeping
life as normal as possible for her.  She is just the greatest little rottie ever.  I'm sorry for being so irrational.
Some of my posts I'm plain nuts.  I love my dog too much. 

[DixieSugarBear]

Wish we could give you a hug.  I have never been through something like you are going through.  Just know we are thinking of you and wishing you and your baby good days to come.

Lisa

[mastiffmommy]

Ohhhh I sooooo understand you, I have never had a dog who had to go though chemo. I have friends who have had dogs who did and they were all dealing fine with it.

Dogs will most likely not experience nausea or infections, they can but very very few do so. I read a figure that only 7% of all the dogs going through chemo has to be hospitalized because of the side effects.

Quite a few of them will loose their whiskers, but hardly none loose the hair on the body. There are four breeds that I know of that have a rather high risk of loosing hair during chemo, Old English Sheepdog, Poodle, Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso. Most other breed have no such problems.

So all in all I think dogs deal with chemo way better than most people do. Im afraid I can not help you with the diet, I am sure you have spoke to the vet, some things I would probably do is to add enzymes to the food also antioxidants and keep up the regular omega 3 and MSM and maybe Biotin aswell, most of these supplements are things I always give my dogs, but in a situation where they will go through the stress chemo after all is, I would probably add it, even if you usually dont give it, but please talk to your vet before. I found a link for you with natural supplements and products to give dogs during cancer treatment.

http://www.allergicpet.com/products/cancer.html?source=GoogleCancerAdWord

Give Daisy a big ol' hug and lots of slobbers from me and all my fur kids and please keep us updated. I will keep her and all of you in my prayers and send good vibes your way.

Marit

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

K...That bites big time!!!...Your best friend has cancer...Not fair...not rational....I have no answers but I am pulling for you & your best friend...I'm sending prayers on the wind from IA.

[mitchie]

Daisy is on all new supplements now, I wish I would have put her on them years ago.  I've learned so much about
lymphoma from a book I got from amazon this weekend.  It's called "Sparky fights back" and it's about an Austrailian Terrier
that has the same and what the dog and the owners went through.   I'm still scared but it's sinking in and we're doing our
best to fight back too.  Daisy has a strong disposition and she is very healthy otherwise.  I am still cooking the food-
and mixing it with a little of Solid Gold too.  She gets really excited when she sees the food coming off of the stove and
into her food bowl!  I give my lab a little too so she doesn't feel left out. 
Thanks for all of your support.  Only other "dog people" can truly understand.  You wouldn't believe the crap we
are hearing from both sides of our families about the money being spent.  It's just absurd.  Oh, well.
I'll keep posting...

[Icerotti]

Just know that  you are doing the best that you can do for Daisy. She knows this too. Still thinking about both of you and wishing you all well.
Michell Farley&Puck

[brigid67]

I am so sorry to hear about daisy...  I have never had a dog with cancer.  But my bestfriend's dog, joey - a really great yellow lab, has leiomyosarcoma wrapped around 1 kidney.  He already had 10lb tumor removed from his spllen and his spleen removed.  He is about 9.  She does not want to put him through the chemo.  she has just chosen to use holistic supplements and a raw diet to slow the growth and ake him comfortable.  It has been really hard for her....  And he is such a great dog...  So I am very sorry

As for the raw - I feed raw but am not going throught the chemo.  But cooking the food depletes the vitamins which is what daisy needs.  You can blanch it I guess if you feel weird but daisy will probably be just fine on the raw diet.
Timmie

[mitchie]

Daisy has a very delicate stomach is why I'm cooking the food a bit.  She is on a supplement called One Step- it is a complete meal
in itself with all of the vitamins and minerals.  I add bone meal too, digestive enzymes, and pro-bac, oh & fish oil.  The food I am preparing for her
is organic ground sirloin, whole milk, eggs- lightly scrambled, green beans, some flaxseed bread, garlic, and olive oil.  I've got a 2 week supply
in the freezer.  I am doing all kinds of reading up on how to make food for dogs and what should go in it.  It's tricky- I have a couple of books
coming in the mail about it.   The look on Daisy's face when I am putting her food together is priceless.   She knows that it's for her. 
Cancer patients need more protein and fat I've read and my vet said it's true also.  I guess it isn't good when a cancer patient gets too skinny-
We go Tuesday for more chemo.  This is still like very surreal.  I want to wake up tomorrow morning and have everything back to normal.

[brigid67]

The high protein is good.  My Vet said that Carbs grow cancer... one reason they are linking processed food to an increased rate of cancer in cats and dogs...so the raw is very good.  I have a very finicky Pom and my vet said to just blanch the meat..just heat it for a second then serve it.

[Jessdryden]

Hi Mitchie,
Please know that we are out here pulling for you.  Daisy is in our thoughts and prayers!
Best wishes,
Jessica

[mitchie]

Hi! The second chemo treatment went well, and I'm accumulating some great recipes to make for her!
It's true the carbs aren't good for her right now.  I'm slowly working out the kibble and the vet said
no milk in her food.  Ah, back to the store!  I'm looking for a really big pot to make her food in.
Daisy loves the idea that she needs to gain some more weight.  We're hoping to put a few pounds
on before the next treatment.  Her cancer is in remission for now.  It must be because there are so
many paws crossed out there for her!  She is even going to get a visit from her best doggie friend
that she hasn't seen in two years, a Rhodesian Ridgeback.  They have known each other since
they were puppies.  It should be a great reunion! 

[brigid67]

I am glad Daisy is better.....it is really great news!!!  That satin ball recipe is great for putting on weight.... here is the link

http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm

not sure if it will work for Daisy.....  I haven't used it before because my dogs currently have fat butts but I have heard it works well.
Timmie

[Icerotti]

I am so glad to hear about Daisy being in remission. Way to  fight Daisy
We will keep our paws crossed here

[mitchie]

Satin Balls, wow, I like the title of this recipe!
I'm printing it right now!  Thank you!

[billybooker]

Sorry to hear that. Your not alone, there are so many that have been there and are going through the same thing as you now. A friend of mine's dog died of leukemia. She did chemo and found that it was quite hard on him, very expensive, and he lived only a short while after. She said that if she had to do it again, she wouldn't go for chemo next time. But it all depends on the type of cancer, some people have success with chemo, others have great success with diet, and supplements.
Have you heard of Essiac and Pau D'Arco? These are two herbal remedies that have been very effective and I believed have even cured cancer in some cases. Your homeopathic vet may have mentioned them. Here is a website I found with lots of great info, check it out:  http://www.katberard.com/hea_cancerdiet.htm
p.s. don't underestimate the power of prayer
When the vets thought my dog had cancer in his toe and even amputated it, my whole family laid our hands on him and prayed, and when the results of the biopsy returned, there was no cancer.
Good Luck.