[Staffyluv]

Just thought I would add this here, as Mast Cell Cancer/Tumours seem to be on the rise like so many other cancers.

Ollie was diagnosed in November 2005 with Grade 2 MCT, multiple tumour sites and it was systemic. We had no clear margins on the excision of two tumours. The oncologist estimated we would have him for one to one and half years...

We have used chemo and holistic therapy (all the details are in his story, just follow the link).

He is now more than two years post diagnosis and doing better than even the oncologist expected.

Here is the link to his story:

Ollie dog

Edited to fix date of diagnosis - thanks Tram...

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This post has been edited by Staffyluv: 29 January 2008 - 10:49 AM

[tramissa]

Nov 2006 makes it only 14 months post diagnosis

I love Ollie's story - it really shows the dedication and love you have for him and vice versa - and how important that is. Big hugs to Ollie dog please

[dogbesotted]

Ollie was dxd nov 2005..... so he is 2 years post dx

My girl lucinda was dxd MCT grade 3, no clean margins end August 2002.

Oncologist felt she would not be around for very much longer and i was advised to take her home for a few days to say goodbye... L was holistically treated until about 6 months ago when it became traumatic for her to get meds frequently so now she just gets to do whatever she likes. she is doddery but loving life and loving food. L was treated by barbara fougere...

cheers

H

[Staffyluv]

Woops mixed the date up - it was 2005 not 2006... Sorry

I just thought that an MCT thread might assist anyone who is going through the same thing or give them other ideas and opinions on how to treat this horrible disease.

Cheers
Jodie

[Mooper]

Onya, Staffyluv

After seeing the vet this morning, he's really happy that Jack has maintained his weight and activity levels since his grade III MCT was removed (with clean margins) in October. And so are we!

But we're always on the lookout for lumps and bumps.

Lucinda's and Ollie's stories give us hope

[bluepoppy]

Thanks for sharing your story staffyluv, Reading through it now hoping to get some good tips in there..

We will be changing Kiesha's diet this week and have changed the dose of her meds again.

I really don't think that she has a long time left but at least we can try and make it as pain free as possible...

[Staffyluv]

bluepoppy, on 29th Jan 2008 - 09:25 PM, said:

Thanks for sharing your story staffyluv, Reading through it now hoping to get some good tips in there..

We will be changing Kiesha's diet this week and have changed the dose of her meds again.

I really don't think that she has a long time left but at least we can try and make it as pain free as possible...

If I have learned one thing during this time with Ollie, it is that I underestimated how much he loves me and wants to stay here. Even when he is sick, you can see he fights it to go for a walk because that is what we have done every day of his life. Some days he struggles to jump up on the lounge, so he sits on my feet until I lift him up, so he can sit in the middle of the pack. But those days are rare now, lucky for us, he is doing so well these days.

They have an amazing constitution and they don't give in...

It makes you feel truely blessed that they picked you when you came to see the litter and try to decide which one is the cutest...

Best of luck with Kiesha and her change of diet - you probably already know but it is best changed slowly over a week or two, so her tummy does not get upset.

Just take one day at a time - each day is a blessing, enjoy it as much as she enjoys being with you...

Jodie

[cavNrott]

Staffyluv: How is Ollie coming along? I think about him often and we haven't seen an update from you for a while. Hoping all is well.

[Staffyluv]

He is great at the moment, thanks for asking.

Still enjoying his walks, food and play time (not necessarily in that order).

I will duck into the unwell rotts thread and see how Sophie and the other angels are doing.

Cheers
Jodie

[Mooper]

I'm sorry to hear that, Willow

But, boy, your vets were thorough! When Jack had his grade 3 MCT with clear margins, that was it. They said they wouldn't put him through chemo (he was about 7.5yo then) unless another tumour appeared.

If there is such a thing as a good place to get a tumour, the tail would have to be it. That staffy whip-like tail is great fun, but not so hard to say goodbye to for the sake of Jarrah's health. I hope that's the end of it!

How is he responding to the chemo? Staffyluv knows a lot about chemo having been through it with Ollie the trooper

[Staffyluv]

Sounds like your vet has covered all the bases Willow. It will be a time thing now and wait and see what becomes of it all. Hopefully, especially with the amputation and clear margins, that will be the end of it.

Best of luck

[Staffyluv]

Willow, on 11th Mar 2008 - 06:19 PM, said:

thanks for the kind words
Jarrah is coping with the chemo really well....as well as fortnightly Vinblastin IV injections, he is on Cycloblastin & Prednisolone tablets at home too......no discernable side effects.......so much so that I sometimes forget he is sick.

I'm trying to keep his environment as low stress as possible....I'm not fostering dogs anymore until he is well. Do you think I should be doing somehting with his diet too Staffyluv???? He's on Advance at the moment (his usual stuff).....I wasn't sure.....

There is a post in the unwell rotties thread on around page 24 (I think) and it is a diet for cancer dogs. Basically you increase fat and protein and decrease carbs. Alternatively you could contact a holistic vet and get them to draw up a diet for him, based on his health etc.

Ollie does not have any commercial food, other than the occasional treat, like a denta stick.

He eats, lean turkey/roo/venison/chicken/beef/lamb and he has mashed veges as well - at the moment he is preferring sweet potato and zucchini but I do add other veges to vary it from time to time. He also takes 1000mg fish oil and 1000mg vitamin C a day as well and he has 5 mushroom drops from the holistic vet daily. He is no longer on chemo but his protocol sounds similar to yours. We had to have bloods taken each time we had the IV chemo to make sure his white cell count was OK. Dogs do well on chemo because they cannot give it to them like they do humans (they have much smaller doses) because they cannot give them a bone marrow transplant if they ruin those cells as well (chemo attacks all rapidly dividing cells - both good and bad, do it attacks cancer and bone marrow cells as well as others)... They usually don't lose hair like we do either.

Best of luck and don't hesitate to ask questions - that is why we are all here... To learn from each other.

[grumpette]

Jodie I am so sorry to hear that Ollie has taken a turn for the worst. I so hope that he rallies overnight and improves greatly. He is a fighter so don't loose hope.

Take great care of yourself and send Ollie huge hugs from Baylee and me