Look at that sweet little face! (HATE that my 5 year old is going through this!)
Thursday, February 20th, all was normal around the Dean household. 2 kids happily running around the house and yelling and 2 tired as can be adults just trying to keep up! Mid morning, we didn't realize that things were about to change and our family was going to be faced with a harsh reality. Kota started throwing up JUST water, she was keeping down food but just water was coming up. We called the vet and he said to just keep an eye on her.
Background info on Kota, since day one of bringing her home, she has eaten so many random things. ALL of the corners of ALL of our window sills, plastic outlet plugs (the ones used for baby proofing)--which she actually had to have surgery to remove those from her intestines, which they were rotting from sitting in there so long. She liked to eat baby wipes, crayons, small plastic toys....we tried sooo hard to keep things picked up all the time and keep an eye on her! So anyways, her throwing up wasn't unnormal.
Friday morning was the last time she ate anything. We went ahead and called the vet back, they are amazing at Lewisville Animal Hospital and Dr. Bone is beyond words....he knows us and I'm sure through the years, we have paid for a couple cars for him! BILLS BILLS BILLS!! He got us right in and started doing xrays on her ab area. We were all CERTAIN that she had eaten something again and we were looking at surgery...at this point, I'd give anything for that to have been the case. He came back, showed us the xrays and saw nothing. He did blood work while they were back there with xrays. He left the room after telling us, lets see what the blood work says, I think she might just have a dog version of the stomach bug. Ok, we can deal with that. Less than 5 minutes later, he came back in with a serious face (so unlike the happy guy with the english accent), and said "We need to talk." I started crying! Literally lost it! Her calcium was through the roof along with another number (I forget the big long medical term), he told us that is usually cancer. WHAT?!
Dr. Bone....he is amazing and I can't speak more highly of him!
Where we spend a lot of time and $$$....A LOT OF $$$$$...did I say A LOT?
We had to leave her there all day to get IV fluid to dilute some of the calcium b/c it was so high, she could have had a heart attack at any point. Brought her home, still no eating. Took her back Saturday AM for more fluids to hold her over until we could get her into the oncologist on Monday morning. She didn't eat all weekend and just laid around looking and feeling miserable! We waited and dreaded Monday coming around. I wanted it to hurry but I never wanted it to get here either!
Monday at the oncologist, they did a chest xray and more blood work.
In the waiting room Monday morning. Getting ready to go back and find out what's in store for us.
These 2 are ridiculous together and I FREAKING LOVE IT!
Chest xray came back perfect! Calcium still through the roof (19 and normal is 8-12). Back on IV fluids. Oh, I forgot to mention that Sunday morning, Kota started peeing blood...rushed her to the Emergency Vet and luckily, it was just a bladder infection! Back to Monday...sorry! The Dr. ruled out bone marrow cancer (what we originally thought-whew!) The Dr then did a sono on Kota's thyroid, there are 4 chambers on the thyroid (like ours) and if there was a tumor on one, that would explain the high calcium...surgery to remove it and done. We had to hang onto that hope! He really didn't think it was lymphoma b/c he didn't see anything out of the normal so check out the thyroid. Nope....nothing unusual there either. Randomly, he decided to sono her ab area and THERE IT WAS....a 4 cm mass (normal is 1cm). Final verdict.....lymphoma. Cancer of the lymph nodes. I got that phone call and was devastated.....I was so certain that if the Dr who is on purpose looking for cancer could not find it, it had to be the thyroid...guess he just wasn't looking the right place. They kept her there overnight and kept pumping fluids in her to hydrate her and lower her calcium levels...worried about Kidney failure too! They kept her there until Wednesday. It's a 45 minute-1 hr drive to this vet ( I don't even care) and we went to visit her on Tuesday, she looked sooooo much better!
Visiting Kota....Can you tell Kinsley loves her dogs?! So sweet!
I just want to kiss her and snuggle (spoon) with her!
Like I said...these two! <3 Side note: Colson was with us but that kid doesn't hold still long enough for a picture!
That was the morning of her first round of chemo....she FINALLY ate a little while we were there, for the first time since Friday morning. WOOHOO! We picked her up early Wednesday, Kinsley's birthday and we were all over the moon to have her back home, probably not as happy as she was!
Our Oncologist Office
Dr. Derek P. Burney-our amazing Oncologist. He's always so happy and you can tell he truly loves animals!
Sorry for the lengthy story, I want everybody to know how QUICKLY this all happened. Kota never had any signs of this until Thursday and the Dr thinks this only started a couple weeks before she was showing signs of anything. There was nothing that we could have seen/done/noticed before we did. So helpless.
We were totally caught off guard!
Being a mom (yes, she is one of my kids and I have a responsibility to her like I do my own), and feeling so helpless and lost will bring out the fight in ya. I spent my nights til the wee hours in the AM (while Kota was at the vet still) researching lymphoma and dogs and everything that evolved into! I just had to know that I was doing EVERYTHING I could to help her so that if something did happen, I can say I tried everything, I did all that I could! RESEARCHING led to a lot of new discoveries....why you all are probably here!
Here is what I learned...(it might be kind of scattered but I'll do my best).
Since cancer cells thrive on the energy that carbohydrates
give the body, you must include foods with fewer carbohydrates. Foods with
higher fat content, contain lipids. Cancer cannot thrive in the presence of
lipids; this allows more amino acids to replicate and aid in the fight against
cancer. White rice, wheat and breads have extremely high amounts of
carbohydrates, and should not be fed to a dog with cancer. Cancer cells feed on sugar. We are attempting
to starve those cells.
Protein is the most essential part of a cancer diet, since
protein is responsible for tissue repair. Foods high in protein, like fish,
beef, chicken, pork and eggs, are ideal for cancer sufferers. Not only does
protein promote tissue repair, but it also aids in the prevention of cancer in
dogs, since cancer cannot thrive on protein.
We were feeding our dogs (we have an 8 yr old Boxer, Keeleigh, too) Purina Beneful, healthy weight...a food that our last vet recommended to us.
Oh good....check out this list to see where your dogs' food ranks: Top 12 WORST dog foods
(this site even goes on to explain the ingredients and what they do.)
Being horrified at just that, I started doing more research. For dogs with cancer or breeds that are prone to cancer, they need a high protein diet that is grain free. Grains are carbs, carbs turn to sugar, cancer feeds off of sugar=CUT THE GRAIN! In order to make up for the lack of carbs, replace it with high protein and supplements. We switched the girls over to bluebuffalo wilderness-rocky-mountain-recipes-large-breed-red-meat
Compare these two: http://www.bluebuffalo.com/dog-food-comparison/test-results
We also added in some of their canned wet food. BOTH girls LOVED it and lick their bowls clean for about 5 minutes after the food is gone. I guess this is the same as us preferring a steak dinner to ramen noodles.
We traded out their old treats for these. Grain free, all natural. Turkey is high protein and lean, pomegranate is an anti-oxident and ginger helps calm a nauseous stomach (great to add for dogs going through chemo).
I know this post is long but I'm so excited to share and the more I research, the more passion I'm getting about telling everybody! Hang in there with me....
This
is the site I used as a starting point for research. EVERYTHING is explained, every ingredient and why
it’s important. Also had links as to where you can find all of these, or the
ones you choose to use.
I ENCOURAGE you to check out this diet and read all about the ingredients and why there are important. I picked out a few that I want to ask my vet about....here is my list: Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Bromelain, CoQ10, Echinacea, L-Arginine, Lipiderm, Melatonin, Reishi
Mushroom, Resveratol, Tumeric
Curcumin (this one could be a blood thinner too)
If you want to make your own dog food, it's totally do-able, it will of course take time but so worth it. Just know that you will have to add supplements to make sure it is balanced and ALWAYS check with your vet, just to make sure they are getting what they need.
WARNING: High protein means LOTS of farts...smelly rotten egg farts! Anybody who's husband works out and drinks protein shakes...you KNOW what I'm talking about. You can't escape those kinds of fart....therefore, invest in some scentsy and keep the fans running!
Simple Carbohydrates: Simple carbs (sugars) should be kept
to a minimum. Note, however, that it doesn't mean you should not give veggies
or fruits to your dog at all. Some veggies (e.g. broccoli, carrots, brussell sprouts) contain a lot of vitamins and minerals and are beneficial to dogs.
Mixed Green Vegetables
Cancer dogs need antioxidant-rich vegetables to strengthen
their immune system. Choose dark green vegetables. I use a mix of broccoli, spinach, asparagus
spears, cabbage, brussel sprouts, celery, collard greens, mustard greens and
bok-choy. These are great sources of many
important vitamins and they are all very low carb. I use a large steamer to cook them until
they are mushy and then puree them in my food processor. Make sure to puree the vegetables, since dogs
do not possess the enzymes that break the layer outer cellulose layers in
vegetables. I also throw in about a teaspoon
of ground up egg shells in the vegetable mixture for the calcium.
Cottage Cheese and Flax seed oil
The Budwig Protocol of cottage cheese and flax seed oil
found that tumors gradually receded, weakness and anemia disappeared and life
energy was restored. Symptoms of cancer, liver dysfunction and diabetes were
alleviated.
Pet Tab
multi vitamin-I’d
double check with your vet, if you are giving the premade foods above (not the homemade
raw diet), just double check that it’s not too much!
Vitamin C-It's great but be careful (and again, double check with your vet), it could be a blood thinner. So dogs that have bleeding tumors or other health issues involving bleeding, it could make it worse. Not trying to scare you but want you to know!
Vitamin E-
Evidence suggests that Vitamin E prevents cancer. Vitamin E does stimulate immunity and may
help counteract the side effects of chemotherapy.
I know this seems ridiculous to so many people but like I said, I HAVE TO TRY! I have to give her the best fighting chance I can and giving her body what it needs to deal with chemo and hopefully fight off the cancer, I HAVE TO TRY! We are already spending anywhere from $300-$500 a week for chemo (each time). We want to go 'balls to wall' and just do everything for her!
I recently have been a believer in essential oils, I have to be...it's another option and road we have to explore. It can't hurt so I have to try it!
Here is my research on OILS:
Currently, I’m using 1 drop of Frankincense to 1 tbsp
Fractionated Coconut oil, twice a day. I rub it on the place where the tumor
was found and then the next application, near her spine in between her
shoulders and then rub that in. It’s STRONG smelling but here is an article
explaining what it is.
(side fact: Frankincense is an oil one of the wise men brought to Jesus's birth--it's biblical).
Here is an article about Frankincense: Frankincense
| Fennel (Sweet) Essential Oil Used for centuries for its many health benefits, Fennel essential oil has pronounced antioxidant properties and is considered a tonic. It is often used to relieve indigestion (supporting the healthy functions of the stomach), to aid in any kind of digestive issue and to support improvements to the lymphatic system. Fennel's sweet yet spicy aroma is balancing and has familiar licorice notes. Lavender Essential Oil Lavender has been cherished for its unmistakable aroma and its therapeutic properties for thousands of years. Lavender is widely used and accepted for its calming and relaxing qualities. For topical, aromatic, or dietary use. (I will be using this to put on Kota's paw before going to the vet, she gets so nervous and shakes sooo bad).
Immortelle:
Anxiety, Bleeding, Inflammation, Nerve Damage, Scarring, Tumors, Wound Care
Lemon:
Anxiety, Electrolyte Balance, Immune Boost, Infections, Lymph Function, Claw Strength
Best: Lavender, Geranium, Basil, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Eucalyptus and Frankincense.
Worst: Cassia, Oregano, Birch, Camphor and Wintergreen.
|
Keeleigh does not have cancer...although just to throw in a twist, the week we found out about Kota, we took Keeleigh into the vet that Monday, February 17th because Zach found a lump on her chest. Keeleigh being 8, we know tumors and cancer are likely in boxers, got her in quick. Dr. Bone stuck a needle in the mass and examined the cells, they turned out to be just healthy fatty cells in a clump. No biggie. He did some blood work b/c her weight is where it was when she was 2. This is like a 50 something yr old human weighing what he did when he was 14! Blood work came back perfect. We went in with Keeleigh thinking cancer and came out clean..went in with Kota thinking surgery for eating something and came out with cancer.
We are switching Keeleigh over as a preventative measure, hoping that the high protein will help ward off cancer. Might be only in our heads but again, we have to HOPE and TRY!
So beyond A LOT of tears and prayers we have to hang onto hope that this new lifestyle change will help! We know God is in control but at this point, we have to also do everything we can to help while relying on HIM!
Those perfect little faces! Love them to pieces!
