THE MONSTER

By Sandra Dale Smolker

Did you know 50% of dogs will die of cancer, any age, any breed, some breeds more than others? I sure didn’t.  I never even thought about it.  Finding out unexpectedly that Bernie had a Mast Cell Tumor was the worst day in my entire life!

I took Bernie to see Dr. Joyce Loeser, a Veterinarian that specializes in rehabilitation.  I wanted a Veterinarian that was also a Chiropractor and she came highly recommended.  She also does acupuncture. Bernie is a Whippet, the breed best known to be the fastest running for the short distance.  He is in the Greyhound family. Greyhound, Whippet (mid-size), Italian Greyhound (smallest).  I could tell by the way he was running that he had a problem, which turned out his T10 was out of alignment. He also had a slight limp.  I had noticed on his thin hind leg below his hock that it looked swollen compared to his other leg.  I mentioned that to Dr. Loeser thinking that might be the cause of his slight limp.  His leg was swollen in the past but went away.  Dr. Loeser felt his leg and said she thought it was a Mast Cell Tumor.  When I heard the word “tumor”, I expected to see a lump, not just a swollen area. I did not know what a Mast Cell Tumor was at that point.  She did a needle aspirate and would let me know the results.  After the shock, came the tears and anger.  How could this happen to my sweet boy?  Driving home, crying all the way, I didn’t know who to turn to.  Luckily, I belong to a lot of Whippet groups on-line.  That started my journey.  I don’t know what I would have done without the support and advice I had gotten through them, friends and through networking. Thanks everyone!

I hope you never need this information, but I suggest starting with the links below to begin your research, get another opinion or two from another Veterinarian or Oncologist, and decide which treatment you feel is the best way to go.  Consider if you want to do surgery, chemo, radiation or alternative healing methods or use both conventional and holistic.  A change in diet is a must.  Most of all, keep the HOPE (hold onto positive energy).  If your Vet gives you a time-line, just know that a lot of dogs prove them wrong by years, not months.

The Monster can strike at any time!

10 Common Signs of Cancer in Small Animals

1. Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Weight loss
4. Loss of appetite
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

BOOKS:

I’m not endorsing any of these books, these are merely the books I read.

The Nature of Animal Healing by Dr. Martin Goldstein

The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs by Dr. Shawn Messonnier

Help Your Dog Fight Cancer by Laurie Kaplan

http://www.helpyourdogfightcancer.com/tentips.html

Sparky Fights Back by Josée Clerens and John Clifton
http://www.sparkyfightsback.com/lymphoma.htm

CANCER SUPPORT GROUPS:

I recommend joining a support group.

Bone Cancer

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/bonecancerdogs

Cancer Pet Loss

http://forums.delphiforums.com/cancerpetloss/start

Canine Cancer Awareness

http://www.caninecancerawareness.org

Canine Cancer

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CanineCancer

Canine Cancer Comfort

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CanineCancerComfort

Circle of Grey (for Greyhounds and Whippets only)

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CircleofGrey

Endless Love

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/endlesslove

Lymphoma Heart

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/LymphomaHeartDogs

Pet Cancer Support Group

http://forums.delphiforums.com/petcancer

FINANCIAL AIDE:

Please contribute for those who can’t afford cancer treatment.  Thank you.

http://www.perseusfoundation.org/new-petowner/index.cfm#

http://www.wearethecure.org/research.htm

http://caninecancerawareness.org/

http://www.themagicbulletfund.org/

http://www.imom.org/

http://codysclub.bravehost.com/

http://www.actssalberta.org/lucky/index.asp

http://www.smilingblueskies.com

http://www.animalcarefoundation.com/

http://landofpuregold.com

FINDING AN HOLISTIC VET & VET

http://www.theavh.org/referral/certifieds.php

http://www.holisticvetlist.com/

http://www.drpitcairn.com/referrals/anhc_referrals.html

http://www.aava.org

http://vetlocator.com/search_results.php

ORGANIZATIONS

National Canine Cancer Foundation

http://www.wearethecure.org/research.htm

Special Care Foundation

http://www.specialcarefoundation.org/html/background.htm

Veterinary Cancer Society

www.vetcancersociety.org

SCHOOLS OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

http://www.veterinaryschools.com/dvm-schools-colleges-programs.html

Alabama

Auburn University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Auburn  (334) 844-4546

www.vetmed.auburn.edu

Tuskegee University

College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health

Tuskegee  (334) 727-8309

www.tuskegg.edu

Veterinary Science

Arizona

University of Arizona

Veterinary Science & Microbiology

Tucson  (520) 621-4466

http://microvet.arizona.edu/

California

California State Polytechnic University

Animal & Veterinary Sciences

Pomona  (909) 486-5020

http://www.csupomona.edu/~avs/

Animal Health Science, Animal Industries/Business

Management, Equine Industry, Pre-Veterinary Science/Graduate School

Stanford School of Medicine – Stanford

(650) 723-6861

http://compmed.stanford.edu/
Laboratory Animal Care

University of California – Davis

School of Veterinary Medicine

Davis  (530) 752-1360

www.vmth.ucdavis.edu
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine

Western University of Health Sciences

College of Veterinary Medicine

Pomona  (909) 469-5628

http://www.westernu.edu/xp/edu/veterinary/home.xml

Colorado

Colorado State University

College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences  Fort Collins (970) 491-7051

http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu
BS, MS, DVM and a PhD degree

Connecticut

University of Connecticut

Department of Pathobiology & Veterinary Science

Storrs  (860) 486-3736

http://www.pathobiology.uconn.edu/

Europe

European Board of Veterinary Specialisation

Avenue du Guéret 1
1300 Limal
Belgium

Tel : + 32 (0)10 400 603
Fax: + 32 (0)10 400 703

E-mail: Sharon Green

http://www.ebvs.be

European organisations/schools

http://www.vetcontact.com/en/vet.php?d=4&d2=&k=91

Florida

University of Florida

The College of Veterinary Medicine

Gainesville  (352) 392-4700

www.vetmed.ufl.edu
DVM

Georgia

University of Georgia

College of Veterinary Medicine

Athens  (706) 542-5289

http://www.vet.uga.edu/

Illinois

Univeristy of Illinois

College of Veterinary Medicine

Urbana (202) 682-0750

http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/

Indiana

Purdue University

School of Veterinary Medicine

West Lafayette  (765) 494-8636

www.vet.purdue.edu
Veterinary Technician/Technologist, Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)

Iowa

Iowa State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Ames (515) 294-6808

www.vetmed.iastate.edu

Kansas

Kansas State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Manhattan (785) 532-4335

www.vet.ksu.edu

Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Department of Veterinary Science

Lexington (859) 257-2000

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/VetScience/gluck1.htm

Louisiana

Louisiana State University

School of Veterinary Medicine

Baton Rouge (225) 578-9900

http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/

Maryland

Johns Hopkins University

Comparitive Medicine

Baltimore (410) 955-5000

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/mcp/indexold.html
Animal & Human Disease Research

Massachusetts

Harvard University

Harvard Medicine

New England Primate Research Center

Boston | (617) 432-1000

http://www.hms.harvard.edu/nerprc/

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Division of Comparative Medicine

Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine

Cambridge (617) 253-1757

http://web.mit.edu/comp-med/

Tufts University

School of Veterinary Medicine

North Grafton  (508) 839-5302

http://www.tufts.edu/vet/
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine(DVM), Master of Science in

Animals and Public Policy, Doctor of Philosophy

Michigan

Michigan State University  

College of Veterinary Medicine

East Lansing (517) 353-9793

http://www.cvm.msu.edu/

University of Michigan    

Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine

Ann Arbor (734) 936-1037

http://www.ulam.umich.edu/

Minnesota

University of Minnesota   

College of Veterinary Medicine

St. Paul  (612) 624-4747

http://www.cvm.umn.edu/

Mississippi

Mississippi State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Mississippi State (662) 325-2323

http://www.cvm.msstate.edu/

Missouri

University of Missouri

College of Veterinary Medicine

Columbia (573) 884-6435

http://www.cvm.missouri.edu/

Nebraska

University of Nebraska  

Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences

Lincoln (402) 472-2952

http://vbms.unl.edu/

New York

Cornell University   

College of Veterinary Medicine

Ithaca (607) 253-3700

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/
DVM, PhD

Ross University    

School of Veterinary Medicine

New York (212) 279-5500

http://www.rossvet.edu.kn/
DVM-Veterinary Medicine, Ph.D.-Veterinary Medicine

North Carolina

North Carolina State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Raleigh (919) 513-6262

http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/

North Dakota

North Dakota State University

Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences

Fargo (701) 231-8643

http://vetmicro.ndsu.nodak.edu/

Ohio

The Ohio State University           

College of Veterinary Medicine

Columbus (614) 292-1171

http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University

Veterinary Medicine

Stillwater  (405) 744-6653

http://www.cvm.okstate.edu/

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)

Oregon

Oregon State University   

College of Veterinary Medicine

Corvallis (541) 737-2098

http://oregonstate.edu/vetmed/

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State University

Dept. of Veterinary Science

University Park (814) 865-7696

http://www.vetsci.psu.edu/

University of Pennsylvania           

Veterinary Medicine

Philadelphia  (215) 898-5434

http://www.vet.upenn.edu/

Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

Dept. of Fisheries, Animal & Veterinary Science

Kingston (401) 874-2477

http://www.uri.edu/cels/favs/

South Dakota

South Dakota State University    

Veterinary Science Department

Brookings  (605) 688-5171

http://vetsci.sdstate.edu/

Tennessee

University of Tennessee      

College of Veterinary Medicine

Knoxville (865) 974-VETS

http://www.vet.utk.edu/

Texas

Texas A & M University       

College of Veterinary Medicine

College Station (979) 845-5051

http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

Utah

Utah State University    

Animal, Dairy, Veterinary Science

Logan (435) 797-2162

http://www.advs.usu.edu/

Virginia

VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

Blacksburg (540) 231-4699

http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/

Washington

Washington State University      

College of Veterinary Medicine

Pullman (509) 335-9515

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/

Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin-Madison  

School of Veterinary Medicine

Madison (608) 263-2525

http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/home

Wyoming

University of Wyoming          

Department of Veterinary Sciences

Laramie (307) 742-6638

http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/vetsci/
BS Pre-veterinary Medicine

CLINICAL TRIALS ON-LINE:

Wisc-Madison http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/data/news/trials.html

Louisiana State http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/oncology/clinical_trials.htm

Univ GA  http://www.vet.uga.edu/research/clinical/current.php

Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado  http://vrcc.com/oncology_trials_main.shtml

UPenn  http://www.vet.upenn.edu/departments/csp/oncology/trials/

Colorado State  http://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/wbswebpage.cfm?pagetextid=Trials

Purdue University:  www.vet.purdue.edu/pcop

University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital:
www.cvm.uiuc.edu/vth/MedServices/ClinicalTrial/ClinicalTrials.html#Oncology

Morris Animal Foundation:
http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/apply/studies/dog/current.asp

Animal Clinical Investigation (in MD)   http://www.animalci.com/trials.php

The Modiano Lab at the Cancer Center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center