The Dog Cancer Survival Guide (89 page)

At some point, many guardians are able to remember the time they shared with their dogs with joy rather than pain at the memory of their death.

Some people grieve in stages, and begin long before actual death occurs. Although it’s a little unusual to think about it this way, some guardians receive the news of the diagnosis and can’t help but immediately imagine what life will be like when their dogs are gone. What they imagine can be upsetting enough to actually trigger feelings of pain, loss and separation, even months or years before the actual death occurs.

This isn’t true for everyone, of course. Some shove the sadness down deep while treating the cancer, only to be surprised later by the intensity of their grief after their dogs’ death. Other guardians never fully realized how much their dogs meant to them until they are bowled over by the loss.

Hopefully you have taken time to get in touch with some of your feelings by using the exercises in
Chapter 2
. Guardians who have done this seem to have an easier time grieving and letting go of their dogs at the end of their lives.

As you move through this exquisitely tender period of time, remember this: There is no one way to experience grief. There is no standard process for the loss of anyone – let alone man’s (and woman’s) best friend.

One of the greatest gifts our dogs have for us is their unconditional love. Some of us feel that unconditional love strongly at the end of life, and it opens our hearts wide. I know some guardians who feel that the death of their dogs, more than any other life experience, made them truly human, open and loving.

For me, there seems to be some divine design to all of this, some arrangement of machinery where the earth spins and the heart beats, and everything makes sense in the long run. In this grand design, there is a point for each of us to enter the world, and a point at which we leave it. In between, we connect and love. If your dog could speak to you right now, I imagine I know what he would say. The next chapter features the loving message I feel I have heard many times from dogs in my care.

I
f your dog could speak, this is what I think you would hear:

“Thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

As a lifelong dog-lover and a veterinarian, I have heard this message and felt waves of gratitude from many dogs.

Their natural enthusiasm can be a gentle reminder to us to treasure our time together, no matter how short or long it may be.

Throughout their lives, dogs pack their To Do Lists with the very best experiences life has to offer:

Cuddling with loved ones...

Plenty of time outside in the fresh air...

Long and peaceful naps...

Running at top speed...

Playing with the most entertaining toys...

Exploring new places...

Eating delicious food...

Standing next to your side.

We can learn a lot about living the good life, if we pay attention to our dogs. They keep offering us teachings right up until their deaths, and even beyond.

My childhood dog, Bogart, runs through my memories when a certain breeze blows through the fields near my house. The same breeze used to lift his red hair as he caught a delicious scent and took off, tail wagging. This memory reminds me to stop, right now, and enjoy myself. I can hear Bogart, telling me:

“It is good to be alive. It is good to be here.
It is good to be with you
.”

I think every dog on this planet feels this way. We humans tend to forget what dogs are eager to remind us:

We live.

We breathe.

We smell the breeze and it feels good.

We hold each other and we like each other.

We play and walk and run.

This life is good.

I am good.

You are good.

Becoming your dog’s guardian is a great gift. His trust in you is justified by your loving him as deeply as he loves you.

He thanks you for that.

She thanks you for that.

If your dog is with you right now, take a moment to look at him. Gaze at her with soft eyes and a melting heart.

This is why she was born – for this moment, right now.

This is why he is with you – for this moment, right now.

If your dog could speak, she would tell you that her love for you is bigger than you can imagine.

He would remind you to always remember:

“You are loved. You are loved by me, your dog, and you always will be. Our love lasts forever.”

T
hank you for reading and learning about Full Spectrum cancer care. Dealing with dog cancer can be challenging (to say the least) and I congratulate you for your strength of mind and heart. My best wishes are with you.

The next part of the book, From the Oncologist, is written by my co-author, Dr. Susan Ettinger. She’ll give you nitty-gritty details about twelve common dog cancers, including how they start in the body, how they are diagnosed, prognostic factors and the current “best of breed” conventional protocols. There is also a section about the most common chemotherapy drugs. Make sure you look up your dog’s cancer in her section, as well as chemotherapy drugs she recommends, if any. Read her introductory remarks, which start on the next page.

Following Dr. Ettinger’s section, you will find several helpful appendices.
Appendix A
contains all of the supplements I recommend, in the general order of their importance. It answers the question “If I can’t give my dog every supplement, which ones are the most important?”

Appendix B
describes supplements which are not included in Full Spectrum care, and why. This is not a complete list of the supplements I have considered and rejected, but it does contain the most common.

Appendix C
contains the resources I recommend for purchasing supplements, finding out more information, or doing further research.

Many guardians who read this book want to know not just how to treat their dogs with cancer, but also how to prevent their other or future dogs from getting cancer, in the first place. My advice for how to prevent cancer would be very different from the advice given in this book; that advice requires a book of its own. There are, however, some common sense steps you can take today to make sure you are caring for your healthy dog or dogs in the best way possible. That advice is in
Appendix D
.

Every concept and recommendation in this book is backed by thorough, extensive, scientific and medical research. Those references are contained in
Appendix E
, organized by topic. We are including these references so that veterinarians and other scientifically minded individuals can read the primary sources upon which Full Spectrum cancer care is based.

Finally, at the end of the book, you will find a comprehensive Index.

In this section, Dr. Ettinger writes about her experience as an oncologist, treating dogs with cancer. Each of the major canine cancers is covered: lymphoma, mast cell tumors, mammary tumors, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, transitional cell carcinoma, oral tumors, nasal tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, brain tumors, anal sac tumors and melanoma. She also discusses each of the major chemotherapy drugs, including side effects.

by Dr. Susan Ettinger, Diplomate AVCIM, Oncology

I
f I’d known back in veterinary school that I’d someday be co-authoring a book on a Full Spectrum approach to canine cancer care, I would have been very surprised. When I was a student, and later a resident, we learned little about these Full Spectrum treatments. There was little emphasis on the role of diet in cancer care, for example. Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery were the primary solutions we valued.

Luckily, medicine evolves, and I have evolved, too. In addition to what I learned at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and my subsequent oncology training, it turns out that fatty acids, a high-protein low-carbohydrate diet, and other strategies covered in this book, have been shown to be valuable for canine cancer patients. While they haven’t supplanted the main tools we use, they have caught our attention.

At this point, my bottom line is this: Consider everything. If it’s not going to hurt, and it might help, let’s try it ...

... Including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

As a board-certified oncologist, practicing in an urban medical center with several oncology colleagues, I am proud of how conventional treatments help dogs with cancer. I am well aware that many dog owners do not opt for these treatments, and many may not even consider them viable options. The purpose of this section is to give you my most up-to-date recommendations for conventional cancer treatments for each of the major canine cancers.

I hope to dispel some of the myths that have built up around conventional treatments, and quiet some of the trepidation you may be feeling as you consider chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.

You may find out that conventional therapies are something to consider for your dog and, if you decide they aren’t, at least you will be making an informed decision.

There is one important thing to know about me, before I continue: like you, I am a dog lover through and through, and I will do just about anything for my dog. If it could have helped my beloved Black Labrador, Paige, I would have given her my own kidney.

If you are even
thinking
about using conventional cancer treatments, I strongly urge you to consult with a board-certified cancer specialist.

Oncologists have more expertise in both diagnosing and treating cancer than general practice vets do. We have completed extra years of extensive training in general medicine and surgery, then even more time in our oncology specialty. We must pass rigorous examinations to achieve board certification from our college. In addition to this in-depth, focused education and training, oncologists see cancer patients exclusively. Because we spend all day, every day, using conventional tools to treat cancer in animals, general practice vets or specialists in other fields can’t match the breadth and depth of our clinical experience, using these tools.

There may be different cancer specialists involved in managing your dog’s cancer. For example, I am a medical oncologist, which means I am a specialist in the treatment of cancer via chemotherapy drugs. There are also surgical oncologists, who are board-certified surgeons, specializing in cancer surgery. Also, there are radiation oncologists, who specialize in the treatment of cancer with radiation. Each of these subspecialties is distinct, and the amount of knowledge each subspecialty requires is vast.

It’s difficult for clients to feel positive about treating cancer when they think of it as “incurable.” That’s why I often tell dog owners how I view cancer: as a chronic condition, like diabetes. Even though your dog may need chronic medical care and medications, the cancer can be managed, and the dog often lives both longer and well in spite of it.