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
- Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
- Sores that do not heal
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
- Offensive odor
- Difficulty eating or swallowing
- Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
- Persistent lameness or stiffness
- 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://codysclub.bravehost.com/
http://www.actssalberta.org/lucky/index.asp
http://www.smilingblueskies.com
http://www.animalcarefoundation.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
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
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
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
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
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
The College of Veterinary Medicine
Gainesville (352) 392-4700
Georgia
University of Georgia
College of Veterinary Medicine
Athens (706) 542-5289
Illinois
Univeristy of Illinois
College of Veterinary Medicine
Urbana (202) 682-0750
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/
Indiana
West Lafayette (765) 494-8636
www.vet.purdue.edu
Veterinary Technician/Technologist, Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
Iowa
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ames (515) 294-6808
www.vetmed.iastate.edu
Kansas
College of Veterinary Medicine
Manhattan (785) 532-4335
www.vet.ksu.edu
Kentucky
Department of Veterinary Science
Lexington (859) 257-2000
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/VetScience/gluck1.htm
Louisiana
Baton Rouge (225) 578-9900
http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/
Maryland
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
College of Veterinary Medicine
East Lansing (517) 353-9793
http://www.cvm.msu.edu/
Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine
Ann Arbor (734) 936-1037
http://www.ulam.umich.edu/
Minnesota
College of Veterinary Medicine
St. Paul (612) 624-4747
http://www.cvm.umn.edu/
Mississippi
College of Veterinary Medicine
Mississippi State (662) 325-2323
http://www.cvm.msstate.edu/
Missouri
College of Veterinary Medicine
Columbia (573) 884-6435
http://www.cvm.missouri.edu/
Nebraska
Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences
Lincoln (402) 472-2952
http://vbms.unl.edu/
New York
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca (607) 253-3700
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/
DVM, PhD
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
Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences
Fargo (701) 231-8643
http://vetmicro.ndsu.nodak.edu/
Ohio
College of Veterinary Medicine
Columbus (614) 292-1171
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/
Oklahoma
Stillwater (405) 744-6653
http://www.cvm.okstate.edu/
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
Oregon
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/
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
Brookings (605) 688-5171
http://vetsci.sdstate.edu/
Tennessee
College of Veterinary Medicine
Knoxville (865) 974-VETS
http://www.vet.utk.edu/
Texas
College of Veterinary Medicine
College Station (979) 845-5051
http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Utah
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
College of Veterinary Medicine
Pullman (509) 335-9515
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison (608) 263-2525
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/home
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
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