Lilly's Bud

Today is a really tough day for my little family which consists of my wife, our baby on the way, Lilly, our 6 year old all white boxer, and I. Lilly was finally diagnosed with Lymphoma today. We knew it was coming when out vet specialist noted that her lymph nodes were swollen, her white blood cells were low, and she had been dealing with a couple weeks of vomiting and diarrhea. Lilly has been pretty sick for a couple of weeks. Probably about a month ago, Lilly started doing a couple of funny things. She was not eating her food, which she had never done before. She also was suddenly peeing in the bed at night which was also way out of character. She was originally diagnosed by the vet as having a urinary tract infection and given some antibiotics. Shortly after this, Lilly was having major issues eating then we notice her vomiting (especially in the morning) and having diarrhea almost daily. The vet suspected that she was having issues with the heat and a reaction to the antibiotics. Lilly was prescribed probiotics and taken off her meds. She continued to get worse and worse. She lost almost 10 lbs in just a couple weeks. Since our vet was not able to diagnose what was going on with Lilly after a few visits, we took her to an internist. Within a couple days and after several tests, we got our answer.

So begins the battle for Lilly. Right now we are super sad, not sure what to do and just want our pal back and healthy. We are cooking her everything under the sun but she is very very picky since she is sick. The last few days have been good for her. She is drinking a lot of water (Smart Water for the eletrolytes) and eating hamburgers and other meats on and off. We know we cannot afford chemo but we are thinking of trying Prednisone and maybe seeing a holistic vet. I have seen so pretty negative stuff about Prednisone so I wanted some opinions. Also, has anyone had much luck fighting lymphoma after their pup has had bad stomach issues? Just not sure what to expect.

I am so bummed and this site seems like a good one for advice. I know my time with my buddy is very limited so I want to make it the best I can.

TJandDante

The Prednisone was the difference between my lymphoma dog eating and not eating. Once he got his strength back , we tapered him off of it. But it also makes them feel better because it is a super antiinflammatory and shrinks their nodes (at least initially). If you arent going to do chemo, which we didnt, I would highly recommend the Pred, at least at first.
If your dog gets diarrhea, you can add a bit of cooked organic brown rice to their food and it will firm things up nicely.
You've come to the right place-many of us have gone through this hard journey you find yourself on.
TJ

jeffers

hi i have no experience of this type of cancer..my old girl had a tumour on her gum. she was given days by the vet but went on for many months more and she was happy right up till the day before she died. i changed her diet and fed her mainly a raw diet which i poured boiling water over...... she had cottage cheese and flaxseed oil among other natural things. there is loads of help here with people that have had similar probs so you have def come to the right place. i wish you all the very best in keeping lilly as happy and active as pos for as long as she can cope. you can google natural canine treatments for cancer etc and find out so much that who knows what you may find

Benpaws

Dear Friend,
I am very sorry to hear about Lily's diagnosis. We all understand how you are feeling. I agree with TJ re: the prednisone. Our 6 year old schnauzer Benny was on it and he had a ravenous appetite.
If you are able to see an holistic vet that would probably be a good idea since they are more in tune with the best diets for dogs with cancer and supplements to help boost the immune system.
Benny never had any chemo either and lived for many months with good energy and happy times until it was time to say goodbye and the tumours got out of hand.
Good luck. This is a very difficult journey for everyone.

Blessings,
Joanne & Shadow

Lilly's Bud

Thanks for all of your encouraging and understanding replies. We had a great night with Lilly last night. This morning she is not feeling good. She does nto want to eat anything we put in front of her. I think we are going to start her on the Prednisone on Monday or Tuesday and we have an appointment with a Holistic vet on Friday. Lilly is a trooper and loves to be around us. I see no sign that she has lost her will and I believe she wants to go on a bit longer. We will see and hope for the best. She does not seem to have any issues with aching or muscles yet and her lymph nodes are really not swollen too much (not even really noticeable to us). Her big problem is her stomach issues. Poor girl has bad diarrhea and vomiting (when not on anti-nausea medication) and she is not too interested in food and at times even water which concerns us. It seems the mornings are the worst part of the day for her. Maybe the Prednisone will help with that?

rockytola

Holistic medicine, if you are not doing the chemo may help. We had a holistic vet for Rocky when he had his lymphoma. Try checking on-line the Budwig Protocol, which is blended flax seed oil and cottage cheese. It help the blood cells but must be used daily and blending is the key! From a diet perspective try to limit carbs as cancer loves carbs, the mantra of this web-site! Also K9 immunity from Aloha Pharmaceuticals has some good foods and tablets that help build the immune system!
Good luck and keep us posted. Prayers are with you all.
John

Benpaws

It is good that Lilly had a good night. However, vomiting and diarrhoea can lead quickly to dehydration. I just looked up the following on the internet which might help with Lilly.


Steps to Calm Your Dog's Upset Stomach
1.
Step 1

Don't feed your dog for 24 hours. Any further feeding will only irritate the dog's already upset stomach. If the dog is a puppy feed him after 12 hours.
2.
Step 2

Give him ice. Since vomiting and diarrhea may cause dehydration it is important to keep your dog hydrated. But giving your dog water may make him queasy and cause additional vomiting. Put ice chips or a couple of ice cubes in his water bowl instead. Replace them as they melt.
3.
Step 3

Give your dog a small amount of unflavored Pedialyte or Gatorade to help replace electrolytes lost due to vomiting and diarrhea.
4.
Step 4

Yogurt contains good bacteria that helps to aid digestion. Give your dog a spoonful of plain yogurt to settle his stomach.
5.
Step 5

Feed your dog a bland diet for the first 48 hours following the fast. Veterinarians recommend boiled rice and chicken. Remove the skin from the chicken. Feed your dog small portions three to four times daily. If your dog tolerates the bland diet for at least two days begin to reintroduce his regular diet slowly over the next few days.

Also, our one schnauzer Wolfgang had a very bad bout of diarrhoea and stomach upset and we gave him a small dose of Pepto Bismol which settled his stomach and he recovered quite quickly.

Hope some of these ideas help Lilly.

Blessings,
Joanne & Shadow

Meesh

So sorry to hear about Lilly. You've come to a good place though. My Hamlet was diagnosed with lymphoma at the end of January as Stage Va, B-cell (his liver, spleen and bone marrow all had lymphoma involvement). We decided to go the chemo route but we also see a holistic vet for complimentary treatment. And, Hammy's last chemo treatment is Monday (I can't believe it's been 6 months!) so we want to be sure we shore up his systems once the drugs stop so he stays in remission.
A few suggestions regardless of the path you take:
1. Definitely do the pred (unless there's any chance you may try chemo in which case you should wait until the chemo drugs start). Pred will increase Lilly's appetite. Hamlet wouldn't eat a thing for me when he was first diagnosed; the pred made a huge difference.
2. Once Lilly is eating well, no more carbs. Cancer feeds on carbs. I home cook and use a grain free kibble.
3. Omega-3 is a good supplement.
4. Use bottled or filtered water.
5. As John mentions, try to find a holistic vet familiar with cancer patients. They'll be best able to hone Lilly's treatment. There's a ton of information out there and it can all be very overwhelming in the beginning. Do your research for sure so you can ask questions but I've found it's good to have a clinical opinion (in addition to all the wonderful folks here and on my other support group).
I wish you the best as you begin your battle. Fight the good fight, sweet Lilly!
NOT TODAY, NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT!
Michelle, Rufus & Hamlet
Dx 01/29/10 Tx 02/01/10
FULL REMISSION 04/26/10 (2 Month Anniversary today!)

TJandDante

Yes the plain organic yogurt, just a couple tablespoonfuls, will really help re-balance the stomach enzymes and believe it or not, your dog will lap it up right out of the dish. ALso we did the chicken and rice and he loved that when he first got anorexic. The prednisone will make him feel better in all respects but will make him more thirsty too so make sure and offer lots of potty breaks.
TJ

koraley

I'm so sorry that Lily has been diagnosed with lymphoma. Our dog, Vegas, was also diagnosed with lymphoma nearly two weeks ago, and presented similar symptoms. The pred seems to work wonders in giving him back his appetite. This is a great site, and everyone is very helpful. Its an emotional rollercoaster, and it certainly helps to have friends here that are caring and understand. We also cannot afford the chemo, and are giving pred, the no carb diet, filtered water, and flaxseed oil with cottage cheese. So far he seems to be doing great! There are good days and bad days. But he has finally gained some of the weight back that he lost.

I wish you the best with Lily, and by the way, congratulations on expecting a baby!