Lily, my lovely rat terrier, had her check-up. I pointed out to her vet, that she had lumps in her skin. She also has a bald patch, size of a quarter that no one knows what caused it. it isn't a burn. It isn't ringworm or anything like that. It is just healthy skin without fur growing there. I tell people that Lily was attacked by moths.
Actually, I don't know what her history is. She is a rescue dog. Some one loved her very much. I can tell by her good manners. She never messes in the house. She looks me straight in the eye when I am talking to her. I think she understand English. She made a fuss when I tried to put her to bed in her kennel. She taught me that she was quite used to sleeping on the bed...and jumping up on the furniture for a nap. Lily loves to be held. How could some one who loves her, give her up? How could she get lost? My guess is her owner died or went into a nursing home where dogs were not allowed. It is only my guess. I will never know.
I asked the vet if He could do some plastic surgery on the bare spot, so people wouldn't hesitate to pet her. He referred me to a vet surgeon. ...and He also took a needle biopsy of the lumps.
At the vet hospital, I got the news that Lily has cancer. Her cancer is mast cell tumors. Mast cells are those pesky leaky cells that make your nose run and you sneeze when you breathe in an allergen. The root cause of this type of cancer in dogs is diet.
The surgeon said they could not cure her, but they could remove the tumors, followed by chemotherapy. She would have to come back periodically for checkups. The surgeon said they had extended the life of a dog by four years....by removing its leg. I left to think it over.
At home, I went on the internet and learned that dogs' digestive system has evolved over millions of years to eat raw meat. We feed dogs mostly cereal. No wonder she had an allergic reaction. First thing I did was to feed her like a wolf...raw meat with supplements: fish oil to reduce inflammation, a little bone meal...and...per surgeon's suggestion: Benedril and Pepcid for her stomach. She will be on this died for as long as she lives. I will add other supplements as I find them.
I put myself in Lily's place. She would not understand being attacked by knives and made sick with chemicals. She shall not have the operation. If the surgeon had said CURE, I would have gone for it, but not the long messy battle that would eventually end with Lily's death anyways.
Today, the lumps are getting smaller. Lily is happy to follow me everywhere. She loves her new food. So far, so good.
Actually, I don't know what her history is. She is a rescue dog. Some one loved her very much. I can tell by her good manners. She never messes in the house. She looks me straight in the eye when I am talking to her. I think she understand English. She made a fuss when I tried to put her to bed in her kennel. She taught me that she was quite used to sleeping on the bed...and jumping up on the furniture for a nap. Lily loves to be held. How could some one who loves her, give her up? How could she get lost? My guess is her owner died or went into a nursing home where dogs were not allowed. It is only my guess. I will never know.
I asked the vet if He could do some plastic surgery on the bare spot, so people wouldn't hesitate to pet her. He referred me to a vet surgeon. ...and He also took a needle biopsy of the lumps.
At the vet hospital, I got the news that Lily has cancer. Her cancer is mast cell tumors. Mast cells are those pesky leaky cells that make your nose run and you sneeze when you breathe in an allergen. The root cause of this type of cancer in dogs is diet.
The surgeon said they could not cure her, but they could remove the tumors, followed by chemotherapy. She would have to come back periodically for checkups. The surgeon said they had extended the life of a dog by four years....by removing its leg. I left to think it over.
At home, I went on the internet and learned that dogs' digestive system has evolved over millions of years to eat raw meat. We feed dogs mostly cereal. No wonder she had an allergic reaction. First thing I did was to feed her like a wolf...raw meat with supplements: fish oil to reduce inflammation, a little bone meal...and...per surgeon's suggestion: Benedril and Pepcid for her stomach. She will be on this died for as long as she lives. I will add other supplements as I find them.
I put myself in Lily's place. She would not understand being attacked by knives and made sick with chemicals. She shall not have the operation. If the surgeon had said CURE, I would have gone for it, but not the long messy battle that would eventually end with Lily's death anyways.
Today, the lumps are getting smaller. Lily is happy to follow me everywhere. She loves her new food. So far, so good.
Labels: Lily has cancer
posted by gardenbug at Saturday, June 07, 2008
4 Comments:
I totally understand your decision. When our cat Butch had a fast-growing brain cancer, we could have opted for expensive brain surgery, but, after I did some research, I found out that it's rarely successful in the long term, and Butch would have suffered, not knowing what he was suffering for. He would have just known he was miserable and in pain. So, we opted for medication, lots of love, and regular vet visits until it was time to say goodbye. I often wonder if we could have done more - that's one of the toughest things about being a pet owner.
You did the right thing. Don't blame yourself that you could not save Butch. I wonder how Lily will turn out? I went to a pet psychic. (You can laugh). The psychic said that lily was owned by someone who was very negative. Her negative made her sick and lily was exposed to the same negativity. Her previous owner is still alive, has no family. I wonder where she is?
I am so sorry to hear about Lily's condition, but I'm glad to hear that you're being proactive about it. I hope Lily's condition improves. She is a good dog and an excellent companion for you.
It would not surprise me if Lily's former owner's negativity made her sick. I know that I can't be in the same space as a negative person for very long, because I start to feel ill. Pets can very much pick up on their owners' feelings - my cats and dogs have always sensed when I was sad. I do think it affects them.
Get better soon, Lily!
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