HELP - My best friend has osteosarcoma

[Ninasmom]

I am so so sorry. This is a club that no one should have to join. I am also living with an osteo dog. Nina was diagnosed on 12/20 by x-ray; we also did not biopsy based on what we knew from here. She's still going - we've got her on a tramodol/rymadil cocktail and it seems to be working for her. We were told 'days' in December. Lucky to have her live to see the New Year. And we are in March so you never know. No day is taken for granted though and we watch her like a hawk for the deterioration and discomfort.

The only advise I can give you is to go for comfort. Love him and take all the precautions you are comfortable with. We opted no surgery/chemo for her, as she is 9 3/4 years and we just didn't feel it was worth her suffering. Do what you feel is best for Lucas. Again, I am so sorry.

[Anne]

This is a truly horrible disease. Fast and deadly. I'm still reeling from the shock of my girl's diagnosis. The 'how' and 'why' questions never leave my mind.

I feel so deeply saddened for you.

Ninasmom I wonder every day how you are battling on. Sophie was diagnosed on 24th December and she is still with me. Pain free is my priority for her.
Every extra day is a bonus.

[lucasmom]

Everyone...my dear friends already...I feel very close to you all, even though we have never met. Thank you for your sage advice and wisdom. I feel so much better knowing that I have not been "singled out" by some evil force that attacked my beloved dog. I felt like I was being hit by a jetliner going down, on my house, on my life. This downward spiral where I feel numb all over, sick to my stomach, and weak in the knees. The vet was speaking and I could not believe his words, it was like he was talking in slow-motion. Oh my God...reality is hitting me. I still cannot fathom that as my precious dog snuggles next to me on the sofa right now, I will likely not be able to share the spring or summer with him. No more swimming in the lake, laying on the deck together, going for long walks. I do not know if I can make it through this. Please continue to pray for us. It is our only hope. I did start him on Artemisinin 500 mg today. Has anyone else used this? They are doing studies on this herb at OSU with rotties.

[dilucc]

I am sooo sorry to hear about your baby...Not sure if this will help or not, but my Rocco had osteosarcoma and I took every measure to save him. I did the BARF diet (bones and raw food) because I read that carbs make the cancer grow quicker, I had also put him on a drug called MGN3 that is known to shrink tumors..we were told we could amputate his left hind leg, but was also told it would take him about 3-6 months to get used to that and his caner would spread and he would only last about 3-6 months and we didnt want him to suffer. I spent thousands of dollars on him without a second thought and believe me, I didnt have it...You know the saying borrow from Peter to pay Paul...we were about to do holistic which like I said I would try anything...it became my fight with cancer not to take my baby. he lasted a good 6 months and when it got to the point I saw the pain in his eyes, we had him sent to a place with no pain. i gave up my fight when I saw him giving up his. He was diagnosed at the end, so I hope and pray your fight has a better ending. Please let me know...I would love to have someone beat this horrible disease...My heart will never be the same without him and I still think of him every day....I will pray for you and wish you nothing but the best!!

[Anne]

lucasmom, I know only too well the feeling of shock, disbelief and horror at the positive diagnosis. It still hits me when I least expect it.

My vet put the xrays up when I went to collect my dog after the biopsy was taken. He didn't say anything. I looked at the xrays and knew what I was seeing. The rest of our consult is a complete blank. I didn't remember a single word spoken.

The following day I made an appointment to see the vet. I left my dog home so I could take in the information and institute a plan of treatment. The vet recommended an oncologist and made the appointment for me.

That my dog is alive and feeling well is due to the expert care and knowledge of the disease this oncologist has.

The first sign of this disease presented 6 months ago but the pathology result of the tissue biopsy was non conclusive. We had no suspicion of osteosarcoma. She doesn't have the disease in a limb so there was no limping.

She healed well after the tissue biopsy and we thought all was well. The second sign was in December and I knew... even before the biopsy went to pathology, but I rejected the possibity. A bone biopsy was suggested but I would not put her through that. We already knew what it was. My dog was so fit, and healthy looking.

Try to enjoy the time you have left with your boy. I know it easier said than done to overcome your sadness and grief. My thoughts and understanding are with you.

[jlaack]

Artemisinin 500 mg today. Has anyone else used this? They are doing studies on this herb at OSU with rotties.

No I haven't...is the study at Oregon or Ohio SU...? We continue to use herbs to treat our Osteosarcoma dog, specifically Hoxsey Bonesett and Immugen. While we also treated him conventionally he will be two years out from tx in April.

[lucasmom]

OSU...Ohio State University. They have a clinical trial using Artemisinin which is supposed to slow the OS process. I have Lucas taking 500mg per day because he weighs 125 lbs. Jlaack - Can you tell me what dosage you have your dog on for the Hoxsey and Immunogen? Where do you purchase those herbals? I will do whatever it takes to prolong Lucas' life. As long as he has some quality of life and is not suffering. I pray every moment that God will give us just another year together. He is only 7.5 years old and still feels like a puppy to me. I was so upset a work today when a coworker, who is an insensitive jerk, said she was putting her 12 year old lab to sleep this afternoon and was relieved that her carpet wouldn't be dirty any longer from the dog having accidents in the house. Why would God give her 12 years with a dog that she doesn't even appreciate and give us, who cherish our rotties, such little time? Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes everyone.

[Sam's Mom]

I am so sorry you and Lucas are traveling this all too traveled path. I so understand...lost my boy to this stealer of life too...only six short weeks after his first sign of limping. "It's just a sprain" said the Vet. (don't go to that Vet anymore) And the swelling... it just seemed to come out of nowhere and got worse so fast. It was then that I, on my own, got a consult with an Ortho/Rehab Vet who diagnosed him and he was gone one week later. So my response is yes...this disease is incredibly fast moving, not to say you won't be one of the lucky ones with a little more time .

As everyone has said pain control is most important now...this disease is the grand daddy of pain.

Love him, spoil him, take lots of pics. Talk to him...he will understand...and oddly enough he will comfort you...our Rotties are SO tuned in and there for us.

And when it is time...and he will help you make that decision...you can travel to the end of the road with him safe in your love.

I will pray for painfree time-left for your boy and strength for you at this most difficult time.

[jlaack]

I purchase the Immugen from a company called Thorne Basic Research (208) 263-1337
no rx needed. The product is basically an immune strengthener for dogs with cancer or going through chemo or with some other disease that weakens the immune system. The Hoxsey I purchase from my vet through a vet facility called A Time to Heal phone number815.728.7381. The Hoxsey must be order via a vet. This product is a detox specifically for individuals with cancer. Beyond this we also feed our dog a home prepared diet, moderate protein, fat and LOW carbohydrates, everything organic. The diet is: overcooked brown rice or quinoa, a variety of rotated veggies: kale, cauliflower, zuchinni (great antioxidant), broccoli (also good food for individuals with cancer) cottage cheese (no sodium) hard boiled eggs and cod liver oil. The meat is the main ingredient and we use a variety: chicken, turkey, elk, buffalo, duck, etc. with bone and internal organs depending on the meat. Again my dog is nearly two years out which is amazing. I do believe that the conventional and homepathic tx combination worked to our favor with this disease. That said before we treated our dog our odds were clearly stacked in our favor. Beyond xrays of tumor and the lungs we did a full evaluation using nuclear medicine to determine that we caught the cancer before it spread. You are in my thoughts. I hope your dog is comfortable through pain meds and that the timeline provided by the vet is incorrect and much longer. I agree with Anne, having an oncologist involved in the care is important since most are well versed in Osteosarcoma.

[lucasmom]

jlaak and all - I read about a new study at the University of Colorado that suggests a diet of 30 - 75% Meat Protein, 20% Complex Carbohydrates, and20% Fat. A suggested menu is 1 lb of organic beef, 1 cup of organic brown rice, 2 Tbsp yogurt, 1 Tbsp flaxseed oil, 1 cup carrots, 1 Tbsp parsley, and 2 cloves of garlic. I am going to change my rottie, Lucas, to this diet. Sounds like he is going to be eating better than me! He is worth it!!!!!!!!! Keep praying for us and we will keep praying for you too.

[Anne]

jlaack, do you by any chance know if these places have websites please? This would help those of us in other countries. Thanks.

[kohlfranz]

Keep your boy comfortable as possible. Love him and kiss him. Our boy was diagnosed Feb 9 and after an adverse drug reaction to rimadayl, we had to say good bye Feb 13. It has been close to a month and I still can't turn on to our road without crying, knowing he won't greet me with shoes, slippers, socks or anything else he could fit into his mouth. Best of luck and prayers with you and your boy

[Sam's Mom]

Here is a link to cancerinrotties on yahoo. This person is offering natural supplements for cancer for just shipping...maybe it will help. Hope it's ok to post this here.
Yahoo! Groups

[jlaack]

jlaak and all - I read about a new study at the University of Colorado that suggests a diet of 30 - 75% Meat Protein, 20% Complex Carbohydrates, and20% Fat. A suggested menu is 1 lb of organic beef, 1 cup of organic brown rice, 2 Tbsp yogurt, 1 Tbsp flaxseed oil, 1 cup carrots, 1 Tbsp parsley, and 2 cloves of garlic. I am going to change my rottie, Lucas, to this diet. Sounds like he is going to be eating better than me! He is worth it!!!!!!!!! Keep praying for us and we will keep praying for you too.

CSU is awesome. They have the best oncologist in the country, Dr. Withrow. He literally wrote the text on small animal oncology used to teach vets students. They also have strong holistic program. Regarding the diet, I would rotate the veggies and the meats. Important nutrients can be missed by only feeding beef and carrots. Since cancer affects dogs with a weakened or out of balance immune system it is important to strengthen the entire body. Consider adding in a different protein source (lamb, chicken, etc. with organs and bone) and different veggies, kale, broccoli and zuchini are very good for cancer dogs. I also feed crushed or minced garlic (evidence supports it being beneficial for fighting cancer) but I do not feed it every day. Garlic can be beneficial just as it can be harmful. I feed one clove 1x per week, I would not feed it daily.

Anne, Thorne Research has a website but they don't allow the immugen to be purchased online from them. I did find the product available elsewhere online: WellVet: Immugen™, Thorne Research, 120 capsules. I haven't been able to find a website for the Hoxsey. The company that makes it is called Natural Path and it is located in Canada. I did see another company that sells Hoxsey w/ Boneset here is the link: Burns Pet Health Cancer. Their ingredient list matches the product we are using. They list the product as being an OS preventative, but there is plenty of research using it to treat cancer. Again since we have so many variables of what we did to treat Harley, I can't really say what made the difference, but he is still with us which for me is justification enough to keep doing what we're doing with diets/supplements.

[moz205]

I am afraid that I can't offer much advice as I have never had to deal with a dog that was diagnosed. All I can do is offer how sorry I am. It seems that every day this horrible disease is creeping up on our faithful "babies". I truly wish the best to both of you in dealing with this. Thoughts are with you.