I was just wondering if there was anything I could give my dog as she is not doing so well. Kenya is a 13 yr old spayed, rottie mix who has had a long life of illness. I will try to include all details but she has many conditions. I guess I will start with her lymphoma when she was 51/2 which was just in one lymph node. We did chemo on her and it was the wisconsin protocol. She had a few bad treatments but made it through and remained in remission until about two months ago. She had a little growth that came up over night on her head and turns out to be mast cell cancer :~( . As far as removing it or treating her with steroids that is not an option for her due to her being in renal failure. She is also hypothyroid and has had two acl sx’s and maybe IBS. She is currently on Enalypril because she had too large of proteins passing through her urine. She is also on levothyroxin .06 bid, 10mg asprin once a day, milk thistle, pepcid bid, and aluminum hydroxide after meals.
She is getting really tired and has a hard time maintaining her balance for some reason and is really jumpy. Her eating habits are pretty bad and the only thing she really wants to eat is chicken and I know protein is bad for her but I think to not eat is worse. She gets rice in her food too but she will go out of her way to not eat the rice but she does eat a little of it. Sometimes I can get her to eat canned dog food. I have done some acupuncture on her in the past and it seemed to help a little but didn’t get the results we expected. As far as the tumor on her head the vet shot it with a steroid and its pretty much gone but I think it is probably in her organs but they did do an ultrasound about a month before she got the tumor and they didn’t see anything abnormal but her belly feels like some organ may be enlarged or some kind of mass or tumor but haven’t asked the vet to look into it because it really doesn’t matter to me at this point considering I wouldn’t put her through anything evasive at this point.
I know she has a lot going on so I understand it may be kind of hard for you to answer without seeing her but any suggestions you might have to offer I am willing to try it.
Thanks.
Hello,
It does sound like Kenya has had a tough time. Any type of cancer uses carbohydrates as a primary energy source, so a high protein diet may be best for her. I would not worry about the kidneys at this point since she is loosing significant protein. They are many diets on the market like Orijen or Innova Evo that are very palatable and excellent for dogs with cancer.
There are also supplements that support the immune system to help slow down or inhibit the increased replication of the cancer cells. Attached is a handout I give to my clients with a list of supplements and how they primarily support the body. (Supplements for Cancer) None of these supplements are contraindicated with the medications that she is taking currently.
There is not much else I can offer. Did your veterinary acupuncturist suggest any Chinese herbs for the kidneys and/or cancer? There are several widely used herbs for both of these conditions. Quality of life is the primary concern in these situations, my heart goes out to you at this difficult time. Best of luck.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA
Note: View a short video by Dr. Smith – Pets with Cancer.
Click here to see all the supplements we carry for pets with cancer.