Nardz

Hi, I'm Nardine from New Zealand. 5 weeks ago my then 4 month old Siberian Husky puppy Mystik was diagnosed with a grade 3 mast cell tumour.
The vet overlooking her case has been fantastic and has kept us very well informed.

Mystik originally was presented to a local vet clinic with a lesion on her nasal area which after a brief examination was diagnosed with ringworm and we were sent on our way with anti-fungal meds and a revisit a week later. Having had no experience with ringworm I trusted this vets diagnosis. After speaking with various people who in their opinions said it looked like no ringworm they had ever seen, I researched and went back to the vet armed with a lot of questions. At the revisit I asked why no basic tests had been done to confirm ringworm and was basically brushed off. Long story short I took Mystik to the teaching vet school for a second opinion.

Mystik's nasal area was immediately put under a Woods lamp, followed by a cytology and was ringworm was immediately ruled out. At that stage I was given 2 possible diagnoses. One being an allergic reaction to an insect or spider bite and the second being a mast cell tumour. After invasive tests the following day I was told she had a tumour and the cancer was in her lymph node also. Mystik returned to Massey University the following day for a aspiration of her spleen to see if the cancer had spread further so a course of treatment options could be decided on.
The good news was the cancer hadn't gone further and treatment was immediately commenced.
On the Thursday Mystik had prednisone injected directly into her lymph node and was prescribed 20mg pred to be taken twice a day for the first 5 days then dropped down to 10mg daily until such time she would no longer need it.

The folllowing Wednesday Mystik had pred injected into her lymph node and the lesion and had her first course of vinblastine 1.4mg.

The next Wednesday Mystik only received pred directly into the lymph node and being a puppy she swallowed something she shouldn't have and incase she needed surgery to remove the foreign object the vets didn't want to compromise her immune system more than the cancer already had.

The following Wednesday the lesion had decreased by at least 50%. The change was amazing. To keep blasting the cancer the vet opted to continue with the pred into the lymph node and the lesion and she had her second course of vinblastine. We were on track and couldn't have written a better script.

I dropped her off the following Wednesday thinking she would have more tests and more pred and vinblastine. When I collected her later that day I was told she only received the pred and no vinblastine. Mystik had invasive tests done again and there were no mast cells in her lymph node. 2 weeks in a row and they were not there. I cried I was so happy. I had never been given numbers before this day and the fine needle aspiration of the lesion the week prior had 4 mast cells in it. On this day there was 1. She was fighting it and we left the clinic on cloud 9.

Mystik's next appointment is this coming Wednesday where again she will have FNA on the lesion and lymph node and best case scenario they will go with just the pred. Worst case scenario she will need more chemo. Either way she is beating this. Her spirit is amazing.

I'll update once we have seen the vets next week.

Nardz

http://www.dogcancercare.com/attachm...1&d=1227291844 4 days after the misdiagnosis of ringworm
http://www.dogcancercare.com/attachm...1&d=1227292161 10 days ago

Attached Images

Mystik 7 Oct.jpg (103.8 KB, 14 views)

Nardz

Mystik had a checkup at Massey today and prednisone was injected into
what is left of the lesion. Her tests 3 weeks ago showed 4 mast cells in the
lesion and zero in her lymph node. 2 weeks ago there was 1 mast cell in
the lesion and still zero in the lymph node. Today she has absolutely
no mast cells in the lesion. She is free from the cancer!!
Mystik will have another checkup in 2 weeks time and tests will be done
again to ascertain where she is at and treatment will be discussed if
need be.
I am relieved and so inspired by her spirit. She truly is a legend and
what has happened has made me believe in miracles.

Regards
Nardine

Titans

Great news for you & your dog, Mystik! CONGRATULATIONS!

Prayer does help and sometimes miracles do happen. This is such a heart- warming outcome. My dog, Shilo, a Shiloh Shepherd is fighting a peripheral nerve sheath tumor in his right front brachial plexus area. He's a fighter, as the vets at Ohio State University gave him 2 weeks - 2 months to live, and this was on 10/27/2008. Some days are better than others, but the last two days have been really good.

He is taking Prednisone, a supplement called NuVet Plus with shark cartilage(About 2 weeks), & 2,000 mg of Omega 3 fish oil caps daily. Its still a bit early to asses the NuVet Plus & fish oil, but something seems to be helping him. I pray a lot, and I also thank God for the almost nine years we have been together. If I have to let him go back Home to the Lord in the near future, I'll try remembering all the good times, BUT, in the meantime, we are not going down without a fight!

Best wishes to you & Mystik, and what an inspiring story.

God Bless,

Steve

Nardz

Mystik had her final checkup on Wednesday and 2 weeks after being advised she was clear of cancer the news again was the same. Mystik is cured!! I have been advised if there are any signs of lumps she will need to be seen straight away and treatment will recommence. The fantastic vet who has treated her is returning to the USA in 10 days but will keep in contact with me and see her again when he returns next year. He would like to use Mystik as a teaching tool for the vet students here in NZ. I'm all for that, if she can help save other lives who am I to withhold that.


Nardine with a very healthy, happy 6 month old sibe puppy

Benpaws

This is outstanding news and hopefully you will have many years with your beautiful puppy. Four months is far too soon to cross the RAINBOW BRIDGE.
God Bless you both and I am so happy for "good news" from you. So many members are suffering either loss or imminent loss and I am very sad for all of them including myself.

God Bless and keep posting,
Joanne ( Benpaws)

lmwrobertson

Have sent you a message already but I don't know where it went.

I Hope Mystik is still on the mend.

My pup, Fergie was 10 months when diagnosed with a mast cell tumour on the pad of his nose - in exactly the same place as your pup. Fortunately my own vet referred him to a specialist ooncologist straight away so no time was lost. I only wish I'd taken him to see about it sooner but cancer was the last thing anybody thought of. He was started on chemo with vinblastine and prednisilone and after 2 weeks the tumour had shrunk by 25%. This week he had an op to remove all visible signs of the tumour plus a lymph node in his neck that hey weren't sure about. Good news - the lymph node was free of MCT and the recent pathology indicates good margins. Don't know if he will need any further treatment, that will be decided at his follow up appointment.
He doesn't look too pretty after the op but it will heal. He's also a bit bald in places! It doesn't concern me what he looks like - or him for this matter - as long as he's well. So far so good.

I wish you well with Mystik.

Lesley & Fergie

Nardz

Hi Lesley,
I was surprised to read your Fergie has a tumour in the exact same place. Great news that Fergie is on the mend. Mystik has been fortunate in not having to have the tumour removed due to the pred and vinblastine wiping it to oblivion. The plan was to shrink it to a size that it could be removed with minimal deformity to her face but we were all surprised but happy at how everything has gone. We have no scientific explanations for why she has responded so well, a lot of theories hopefully one day those theories will be scientific.
I wish Fergie a speedy recovery from the op and a successful outcome as well. These babies are far to young to be having to deal with cancer. Hopefully Fergie's youth is a contriubuting factor in being free from cancer just like Mystik.

Hugs

Nardine

lmwrobertson

Hi Nardine

Just had word from our vet and although Fergie has had the best result from his op she thinks it prudent to continue with his chemo just to make sure. I agree - I'd hate to regret it later. It's because the MCT stage 2 is unpredictable and with him being such a young dog.

How's Mystik? Does she have to get any further treatment?

Hope you and her are well.

Lesley

Nardz

I'm glad to hear Fergie is responding well to the treatment. I do believe youth helps. One theory is the immune system is still developing so it assists in healing along side the conventional treatments.

Mystik is now 6 months old and at this stage no further treatment will be given. Next thing for her is to be speyed next year. We have decided to let her enjoy life for a while before she is subjected to more anaesthesia. She has had more in the past 8 weeks than our 10year old siberian has had in her lifetime.

She is doing absolutely fantastic and to anyone who did'nt know what she had battled would never guess.

Positive vibes from us are heading to you and Fergie and we look forward to hearing Fergie has the same happy ending as Mystik has.

Take care

Nardine