MiMi

My shepherd mix just underwent laser surgery for a tumor in his bladder - transitional cell carcinoma.

The surgery was done by Dr. Dean Cerf in Ridgewood New Jersey. I think that for right now, he's the only one doing this type of surgery on these kinds of tumors. His website is RVH Home

If anyone is having to deal with TCC, and if you can possibly get to New Jersey, I would highly recommend talking with Dr. Cerf. He and his staff are not only very compassionate, but competent as well. My dog and I could not have been treated better.

Though this is not a cure, it is the best bet for extending life (my understanding is that most bladder tumors cannot be completely removed surgically)

It took my dog a few days to completely recover - he had to have a catheter in for a few days, and he has a small incision under his tail - but he's doing better every day!

If anyone is facing TCC and has questions about this surgical option, I would be happy to reply, and tell you more about my experience.

MiMi

alyson

Hiya Mimi, pls pls can you give me as much info as poss, we live in the UK and my dog billy whos 10 has TCC bladder cancer and everything you read about it, is negative, we were told at the end of october that at best he would have about 6mths to live, my world fell apart! since then im never of the internet to find out ways to help him, we have been to see a homeopathic vet who has been great and he's just started on his little bottles of magic! im not the best cook but bless him its veg every night! mixed with his special biscuits that the vets has suggested, Last Tuesday we went to the university of liverpool small animal teaching hospital which is the best in europe! to see how advanced the TCC is and if there was anything that could be done, they have started him on Chemo treatment which i wasnt too keen on, but i trust there judgement as they have said that at best we can only shink the tumor for a short while!! but hopefully this will give us much longer then 6mths!!!! So please id love to hear what treatments you are having and my prays go out to you!!!! alyson

MiMi

Hello Alyson,

I am so sorry to hear about your pup. I know exactly what you are going through. The bad news is that, in the end, TCC will probably claim our friends. The good news is there are things we can do to keep that end at bay for a while.

My boy was started immediately by the diagnosing vet on an NSAID - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. First it was piroxicam, with poor results (no relief from frequent need to urinate) then switched by his oncologist to meloxicam with much better results.

He then had "regular" chemo - mitaxantrone intravenously. Again, this did not seem to help. But he took it very well, and I saw few side effects other than a little bit of loose stool. I did have him take it easy though while on chemo, since I found that if I let him run, play & hike as usual, he would get tired - very tired by around the 8th day after treatment.

He had two mitaxantrone treatments and a repeat ultrasound. Bad news - the tumor had grown.

We switched to intra-arterial chemo with Dr. Chick Weiss, and had 3 treatments. That seemed to slow the tumor down, but did not shrink it. I don't know if anyone in the UK is doing intra-arterial chemo... you can email Dr. Weiss and ask if he knows. He's usually pretty good about replying to emails. He's at weissec@vet.upenn.edu.

Next was our surgery with Dr. Cerf. Though he does laser, my advice would be to get in there and get rid of as much tumor as possible - IF possible, either by laser or conventional surgery. Again, I don't know how things are in the UK, but you can try calling Dr. Cerf to ask if he knows more. He's hard to reach (he seems very busy), but you can try (201) 447-6000. Of all the vets I have consulted with (TEN of them so far) Dr. Cerf is far more knowledgeable about TCC than any other.

Also, check out the human bladder cancer forum at Bladder Cancer WebCafé - Welcome to Bladder Cancer WebCafé where you can learn a lot, and get help sorting through all the info on supplements and diet.

Though I still have more to learn, I have begun feeding my dog a low carb dry food (Innova Evo) He also gets one half can of Merrick dog food daily, to which I add cooked broccoli, cooked tomatoes, blueberries, salmon oil, and a garlic supplement. He also gets pharmaceutical grade green tea extract, twice per day.

Please know, I have talked to people for whom the NSAID alone seemed to shrink the tumor. The six-month-to-live diagnosis seems pretty standard when they first diagnose TCC. I know dogs who are alive and well two years after diagnosis.

Mine was diagnosed in July, and I have no intention of letting him go just yet!

I hope I've helped somewhat. I know what it's like to have this horrible disease turn your world upside down. Trust me, you will have good days. Bad days, yes. But there will be good days too!

Whatever treatments you can afford (and some are expensive for sure), keep in mind that what you are paying for are those good days. You can't fix this, but you can buy more time. And that's exactly what you're doing sometimes - BUYING it! So my advice would be to ENJOY it... every day.. just enjoy what you have. Your dog is no different than anyone else's, with the exception that you know what's going to claim his life.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can answer, and please continue to post here so we all know how your pup is. Tell us what you learn and how things go. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

MiMi

alyson

Thank you Mimi so much for your reply, just to know im not along dealing with this is a great help! sharing info is the best support everyone needs!
Billy is on piroxican and i find he needs to urinate every 2 to 3 hrs, you start to question was he like this before? is this more freqent then yesterday? when we go for walks hes constantly weeing, but then he always always did, he loves to sniff everything and lifted his leg even when nothing came out, we used to joke saying fill your tanks up billy as its going to be a long walk!!! His chemo is (metorexate) given in a form of a drip which takes about 15mins to give him, Thank the lord hes insured up to the sum or £4000 in a 12mth period, but regardless of that id spend every penny i have trying to find a treatment, just yesterday some more herbal thinks arrived from a web site in Australia. I know one day i will have to let him go, but not yet!!!! so in the mean time i will follow your advise and take as much info that you have given me to my oncology specialist and im going to check out all your suggested web sites......thank you thank you thank you, love from billy and me.... ps our next Chemo date is xmas eve...lets hope santa brings us a gift of hope

MiMi

Alyson,

Thats so funny... I'm the same way about watching the dog pee! He has always been one to sniff & pee then sniff & pee, etc. etc. So I try to figure if he's peeing more or less or the same, and the doctors are always asking! I watch not only how often he pees but what the "stream" is like... is it better or worse or the same. The doctors ask that too.

My husband put in a doggie door so now at least I can have some sleep instead of waking up so often to let the dog out.

I feel the same as you do - it is somehow better to know I'm not in this alone. Not that I would wish this on ANYONE. It's so horrible.

I adopted this dog from a shelter eight years ago, the day after my cat died of kidney disease (at age 11). The loss of the cat was so painful, I decided to adopt a puppy, so I wouldn't have to go through the loss again for a long time. I imagined my pup and I growing old together, and that maybe he would die of old age in his sleep at some faraway time in the future. Yet here I am, 8 short years later, with a cancer diagnosis. It's so unfair.

He has had filtered water his whole life, the best dog food money could buy, and daily exercise no matter the weather. I did all of that so I wouldn't be in this situation, so I wouldn't be dealing with cancer. Yet here I am.

Please keep posting. Let me know what you learn, and tell me more about Billie. What breed is he? I've been told that as far as surgery goes, the larger dogs tend to be easier to operate on - but TCC tends to hit small breeds more often.

My guy is about 70 pounds (how many kilos is that??? 30 or so???)

Will keep praying for you and for Billie.

Take care.

MiMi

alyson

Hiya Mimi pls see below, this is what ive just bought in my fight against tcc.

Dear*Alyson,* you are doing fine with Noni Juice and diet changes.* We think we can help keep your dog happy and healthy , despite the Cancer.* We think you will*be happy to read that we have a specific TCC Cancer Support Mix*that makes up*one half*of our*two-part Herbal approach to helping dogs with Bladder Cancer.* It can be used along with the Piroxicam.


*
OUR HERBAL APPROACH

Wethink we can help your dog using Robert's two part Herbal Program. We believe it*is affordable. (US$12/week). We know it's*easy to give (just add to meals).*Our Herbal Supports are*natural (with no reported side effects) and can be used alongside most other Medical /Vet products.*

*

Read on and ask any questions you think important.

*

We think you have come to the right place - not because we are miracle workers (there are other websites for that) but because our Robert McDowell has been successfully treating Canine Cancers herbally for 13 years. As our website shows we have specific treatment combinations for the main Cancer groups.*Transitional Cell*Carcinoma (TCC) is one of those we get quite a few reports of every month!

After reading the material below and researching the links, if you have further questions please ask!! We think you will find that we offer a humane and cost effective treatment as well as a professional and interested Herbal Support Team. Depending on progress of the Cancer to date, we regularly give our client's dogs 200% and more of the lifespan their Vets predict and with a quality of life they cannot hope to match using those other treatments. All of our Animal Q+A service is FREE. (whether you make a purchase or not!).

Robert is very proud of his achievements over the years and is confident of his Treatments on there own merit, but, he understands that some folk like to feel they are doing "all they can/must" and thus also choose to use either Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapies.

Robert has taken these ideas and attitudes into account in developing his Concentrated Treatments and therefore they can and regularly are used alongside the more traditional ones.

*

HOW CAN I GET STARTED and WHAT DOES IT COST?? (*US$12/week)


You obviously have a potentially very sick dog, however, Robert has had repeated success treating a range of Canine Cancers and if anything the only common feature is that the Vet has underestimated the effect of our Herbal Treatments and thus the lifespan of the dog post-diagnosis.

So while Vet estimates are sometimes right, there is just as much chance that you can add considerably to your dogs life and quality of life using the Two-part Treatment program Robert McDowell, our Senior Herbalist and Founder, offers. Robert would want you to get your dog started on both the Canine*Transitional Cell*Carcinoma (TCC) Support Mix and the Maritime Pine Bark Antioxidant. The use of and the rationale for these two can be found on the links below.

`Transitional Cell Carcinoma Herbal Treatment - Robert McDowell's Herbal Treatments. Human, Canine and Equine. Cancer Support, Radiotherapy Support, Articles and Online Consultation.

`Maritime Pine Bark Extract - Robert McDowell's Herbal Treatments. Human, Canine and Equine. Cancer Support, Radiotherapy Support, Articles and Online Consultation.



Secure Order Link

https://secure24.prohosting.com/a000...rder_main.html

The combined cost of the two treatments*is$145.00 being for the two 100ml bottles, which given as directed will last 10-12 weeks. (*US$12/week)Add $45 for URGENT POST* (4-5 days) or $22 for ORDINARY POST (10-12 days)


All our Website Pages have links to a Secure Purchase Option (With Visa and MasterCard) so you can place an order, if you want to. We can get your order into the Airmail Express Delivery system in 12-24 hours time and have them with you in four to five working days (4-5).

*


WHAT TO EXPECT


Most of our Canine Cancer clients, contact us, and having used our products, find one of three general outcomes for their dog!

1) If the dog is very sick Robert's Herbal Treatments can allow the last part of their life to be lived with some quality and none of the side effects of Chemo etc.

2) If they are sick but still look at you and say come on lets play or go walking (ie they have some enthusiasm for life) Robert's Herbal Treatments have been used to extend life out by months and in some cases years.

3) The last group are those who are lucky enough to go into full remission and Robert usually supports them for years into the future.

You are the best judge of where your*dog is on this spectrum and you will be*the best*judge of how they progress.

ALLIE MOONEN

Hi mimi, alyson & other tcc sufferers. My dog ronan also has this horrid condition. I too, remember that day of diagnosis- 3rd june 2008 like it was today. I remember walking out that door, getting to my car & sitting there crying my eyes out. There was lots of tears over the coming weeks as i doubted my decision to not give ronan chemo. He just looked so healthy i could not bring myself to poison him to maybe buy him 6months to a year. Those weeks were hell on earth- spent researching on the web desperately trying to find someone to help. It was only after reading teds story about marty (which induced even more tears!!) that i realised how my despair and anguish was effecting poor ronan. It also gave me hope - there were alternative treatments out there that may help. So thanks to ted i now have a holistic vet (dr ulbrich) who has been absolutely wonderful in working out a course of treatments. Ronan is also on piroxicam, as well as transfer factor, gluta dmg, aloe vera powder, essiac, zeolite, ellagic acid, and the 2 herbal treatments from robert mcdowell tcc support & maritime pine bark. Ronans tumour is in his urethra so urine flow is a good indicator of whether the tumour has grown or not. We have just celebrated 6 months, and are enjoying every extra day. Ronan was 8 when he was diagnosed and has put on 1.6kg since diagnosis. Nearly out of space, bye now allie

alyson

Hiya to you and ronan, i hope you find it such a help to share your feelings and thoughts! i know its help me so much and i now feel more optimistic that you are also using the stuff from Roberts web site, i do worry about what im giving him, but then like you said from teds book he tried everything so the more the better! what is transfer factor? i also like you did not wanting to put my baby through chemo, but my homeopathic vet was strongly for this, my own vet thought i was wasting my time, but we had a long chat after i told him how much he had upset me, but like he said hes not an expert and they are just there mainly to patch u up and send you on your way! where as the homeopathics are will to try more and has given her potions built around his treatment, hes only had one chemo go so far and i said id only continue if its working! we are down to have 3 and so far its not affected him at all....so bye for now and hope to here from you soon and fingers crossed for the future. aly and billy. (billy is a bichon frise white fluffy thing, about 14.5kgs hes big boned honest!, i also have another dog a little yorkie whos 2 she was my mums friends dog and she came when they went on holiday and never went home! shes adores billy, he loves her secretly but doesnt let he know it! she steals all his toys and where ever hes lay she has to be next to him, kissing him, so i have to keep him strong for both of us as it will break her heart as well as mine!)

MiMi

Hello Allie. Nice to "meet" you and hear about your care of Ronan. I too would like to know more about transfer factor.

Alyson, thanks for the info on the herbal supplements. I'm going to check out the links tonight.

I'm sorry to hear that your vet had upset you about your decision to do chemo. Mine did the same thing! He told me I was just wasting my money. I told him it was my money to waste. I think he just didn't want to admit that he was no expert on canine cancer, and it was easier to try to make me feel dumb. When I pressed him for answers and asked him to cite studies to back up what he was saying, he couldn't do it.

I've had a lot of vets tell me "we just don't know". I appreciate that kind of honesty, but then it makes you question everything you do or don't do for your dog. Very frustrating.

Anyway, I am just going to try to enjoy Christmas, since it may very well be the last I have with my dear friend. Santa has really spoiled him this year!

Happy Holidays to Billy & Ronan!

MiMi

alyson

Hiya MiMi, hope you are both okay, sorry another long one, ive done some digging on internet and i hope this is our 'miracle' Aly, Billy and Molly....


I have on my site about natural treatments
for animal cancer? Animal Cancer: natural healing

Holistic veterinarians are using Transfer Factor, a nutritional immune
booster/modulator in their practices. Here are testimonials from
veterinarians who use the human formula of Transfer Factors Plus
Tri-Factor for their cancer cases:

Dr. Steven Slagle, DVM: "Transfer factors and transfer factors Plus
Tri-Factor have turned out to be the most effective and versatile
products I have ever used in my 32-year veterinary practice.

Dr. Slagle says that he has used these products as stand-alone and in
conjunction with allopathic therapies in the following cases with
excellent results: CANCER: Canine lipomas, Canine/feline hepatic
tumors, Equine squamous cell carcinoma, Equine melanomas; Feline
leukemia, oral tumors. VIRAL/BACTERIAL: Upper and lower respiratory
infections, Canine/feline dermatoses, Equine/bovine scours, Equine
septic arthritis, Feline abscesses. PARASITIC/FUNGAL/AUTOIMMUNE:
E.P.M., Feline and equine fungal dermatitis, and Feline autoimmune
gingivitis.


Many veterinarians recommend the human formula, Transfer Factor or
Transfer Factor Plus Tri-Factor because it is more potent and easier to
give in smaller amount in some situation when the animal is very sick or
is unable to eat. (they shove a capsule in the animal's throat or mix
the powder with a little water and squirt it in the animal's throat. It
can also be mixed in a little bit of food. The Canine and Feline
Complete formulas contain yeast and some dogs have a sensitivity to
yeast which may give them stomach ache and diarrhea.

Veterinarians and doctors use Transfer Factor *Plus Tri-Factor*
Tri-factor formula (TF+) to boost the immune system in their cancer
patients or in case of infectious disease. They use Transfer Factor
Classic, or the plain Transfer Factor Tri-factor formula for their
autoimmune disorder cases to modulate an overactive immune system (as in
allergies or diabetes etc). Some autoimmune cases have been reported
to respond well to the TF+ too.


Every Monday Ron Knisely (integrated medical research analyst) Explores
the science behind the technology...fascinating 9:15 PM (EST)
1-218-486-1300 code # 914079

Dr. Olson offers a free Transfer Factor health education call the third
Thursday of every month at 8 PM (EST): 877-678-5433 access code: 810483#
(much time is dedicated to questions and answers). Ron Knisely
(integrated medical research analyst) explores the science behind the
Transfer Factor technology and the immune system every Monday at 9:15 PM
(EST) 218-486-1300 code 914079# (will also answer questions)

If you wish to order Transfer Factor by phone, call 1-888-454-3374 or
+1 801 562 3600 and give the phone operator this reference number:
5138044. For Make sure to request a free information packet when you
make your purchase and verify with the operator that your name is
correctly indicated on the shipping information. (The order line is open
7 AM to 8 PM Mountain time.) If you prefer to order Transfer Factor
ONLINE please visit this website: http://TFforHealth.com - For
information how to order in Europe, Asia, Australia/NZ or Latin America,
please visit 4Life Transfer Factor products discount price list

Holistic veterinarians also use Marine phytoplankton successfully for
their cancer patients. Phytoplankton has been called "the most
nutritionally dense foods on the planet". Patients receiving a cancer
drug together with phytoplankton exhibited response rates up to 250
percent better than those obtained by the drug alone. These advanced
cancer patients experienced regressions of malignant melanoma, renal
cell carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, lung cancer, and other types of
cancer. Its antioxidants and unique polysaccharides can halt the genetic
mutations that can lead to cancer. Both high levels of saccharides and
adaptogens increase energy and stamina by improving our animal's ability
to consume nd use oxygen. Adaptogens also improve cardiovascular health
by strengthening the heart and circulation, and continue to work
overtime while your animal is resting by supporting muscle growth and
repair. Marine Phytoplankton: Marine PhytoPlankton: Life-Giving Health for People and Animals

Dr.Tennant, Dr. Rodier, Dr. Judi Gerstung, and other experts offer a
free health education call about marine phytoplankton (FrequenSea )
every Friday at 11:00 am Pacific time (2 pm ET) 641-715-3888
access code: 7280125#

If you wish to order marine phytoplankton (FrequenSea) by phone, call
801 655 1000 and use ref# 543542. If you prefer to order online, please
visit FrequenSea Marine PhytoPlankton discount price International


Dr. Jane Bicks, a holistic veterinarian, agrees with Dr. Dym. Listen to
her 12 minute free online audio presentation to learn how inappropriate
diet affects our pet's health and how you can improve the well-being,
longevity and overall health of your animal. Welcome to TrilogyOnline Pets

In today's modern world, our air, water and food is contaminated with
all sorts of toxic chemicals which can seriously undermine our health
and that of our animals. I use Dr. Miller's Holy Tea everyday and I
also give it to my dog to help improve digestion and help flush out
toxins. Dr. Miller's tea assists in cleansing body waste and compacted
fecal matter from the colon. Both my dog and myself have experienced
enormous health benefit from this tea. For more information visit:
Healing Teas - Blessed-Holy Thistle Tea Healing Miracles or
Holy Tea - Products - Members receive 20% off and other benefits
visit Healing Teas - Blessed-Holy Thistle Tea Healing Miracles for info on membership.

A groundswell of nutrition conscious veterinarians are beginning to
recommend to their clients that they feed raw or healthy food to their
pets and supplement their animal's diet with a daily dose of flaxseed
oil or fish oil, Transfer Factor, and marine phytoplankton to improve
their animal's health and boost their immune system for optimum health
and vitality. (Flaxseed oil manufacturers recommend one to two
tablespoons of flaxoil per 100 pound of body weight. More info
about Transfer Factor and phytoplankton further down)

For more information, visit:
Animal nutrition: vitamins, minerals and nutritional support for pets
Animal Holistic Health and Optimum Nutrition: Raw Food Diet
All Natural Pet Food: Raw, Kibbles or Canned Dog and Cat Food
Transfer Factors in Veterinary Medicine: Canine, Feline, Equine and Livestocks

I suggest that you have a consultation with a homeopathic
vet. Homeopathy is a very powerful healing modality and has saved
my life, that of my husband and of my dog. For more information
about homeopathy for animals:
Homeopathic Veterinary Care
I have a listing on my site for homeopathy/holitic veterinarians:
Natural Veterinary - Holistic Veterinarians: a listing (most offer PHONE
consultations.)

Rob Robertson, M.D writes "Nearly everything that goes wrong with us
and our pets, with the exception of trauma - i.e. broken bones, etc.,
can be traced directly to an immune system failure". Pollution, drug
overload and nutrient-poor diets compromise our immune health. The key
to self-healing is a strong defense system, which protects dogs and
cats from everything from the flu germs to cancer cells. More than
their mainstream counterparts, holistic veterinarians believe that a
weak immune system plays a key role in causing disease. Antibiotics
fight infection, but they don't affect whatever weakened the immune
system in the first place. This is why holistic veterinarians focus
less on things that cause diseases and more on those that affect the
body's defenses."

Dr. John Hanover, DVM - "I incorporate acupuncture, chiropractic
treatments and herbal formulas into my practice to give my patients the
best available treatment. Herbs are preferable because they do not have
the side effects or toxins that medications do and they sometimes work
better. The Amazon Herb formulas are convenient, easy to use and safe.
They are not drugs but are whole, concentrated foods so you do not have
to worry about giving your pet too much."
amazon pets whichherb

At Homeopathic Medicines for Your Pets - Dog and Cat Herbal Remedies and Health Care Advice, you will also find wonderful natural
herbal/homeopathic remedies for all types of veterinary health
conditions.

Here are links to information about holistic animal health which you
might find interesting and which you are welcome to pass around.
Dogs, Cats, horses, ferrets, other animals: Holistic veterinary
Animal Holistic Health - Natural Pet Care
pet testimonials

Deeply moving and inspiring animals stories and videos: Angel Dogs
Divine Messengers of Love, Dog born with no front legs walks like a
human, humorous animal videos that will make your day, and much more!
Angel Dogs: Divine Messengers of Love

Please understand that legally I'm not in a position to give you
advice. However, I can point to relevant information. My focus
is to disseminate information about alternative health to the public.
The information in this email is not intended to diagnose any physical
or mental condition, or to prescribe or promote any particular
product(s). It is not intended as a substitute for the advice and
treatment of a licensed professional. In the event that you use the
information for your animals, you are prescribing for your animals,
which is your constitutional right and for which I assumes no
responsibility.

Best of health,
--
Shirley Lipschutz-Robinson - Natural Cures - Holistic Health for People and Animals
206-984-3009 or 323-389-0560

Oriented to self care, ShirleysWellnessCafe.com is an educational
website dedicated to help promote natural health for people and
animals. the internet re using tranfer factors that Allie suggested, hope this is our miricale!!!!