Canine Bladder Cancer (Tcc)

I am so sorry for your loss.  It sounds like you and Betty had a great time together and the she knew you loved her so.  (((HUGS)))

My dog just was diagnosed with the same, look under canine blader cancer on the internet and holistic treatments. I found the" wellness cafe" , talk to Barbara has a lot of info and i will be getting some supplements that they have had a lot of success with.. best to you...

Hi there!

 In November of '05, Maggie, my 12-year-old rescue Sheltie, was diagnosed with kidney and bladder cancer.  (She had previously been diagnosed with Cushing's a couple of years prior to that, which is now controlled through medication.)  To make a long story short, when diagnosed she was given approximately 6 months to live and is still with me.  Unfortunately, the bladder tumor has grown so large that we need to do surgery (we didn't do it previously because we thought she would die during surgery; that is no longer a concern).

I'm sick about the decision I have to make.  She is clearly ill and will continue to be ill even after the surgery.  But, as with others who have written on this board state, she is still active (although clearly less so) and eats well.

The question is whether I put her through a painful procedure hoping that she will live another 6 months or whether I put her to sleep?  Do I hang on until the very end or is this it?  Do I let her die with dignity?  So sad.

Does anyone have any experience with the surgery?  Any thoughts?

Thanks for listening. 

On 2/1/2008 bigrob3 wrote:

 

On 1/24/2008 Bettysdad wrote:

We have the most beautiful West Highland White Terrier called Betty. She is 11 years old. This week we have been advised that she has a massive tumour in her bladder. To say the least we are totally devastated. The consulatant has said that he has not seen a tumour of this size in the bladder before.

Aside from the problems urinating and the regularity of urinating you would not know that there is a problem. She is as playful as ever. We have been advised that it might be as little as a week or up to a couple of months if treatment is successful. I cannot believe this seeing the energy that she has at the moment!

Today I have started a treatment of metacam. The consultant believes that this will not as severe on her stomach as piroxicam but thinks it is unproven.

We have just cancelled our holiday to Florida on Saturday to have some quality time with our little angel.

If anyone can offer any advice or help it would be greatly appreciated.

Best of luck to all - Betty's Dad

 

 

Hi Betty's Dad

We have a 14-year-old rottweiler named Elsa who was diagnosed with TCC in August  07. My vet, who is open to alternative therapies, recommended piroxicam, but only with cytotec, which is a stomach-coater to prevent gastro damage.  My wife and I being people who believe in natural medicines decided to go the natural route and we visited Dr. Sharon Kopinak in Acton, Ontario. She is widely regarded as the best, if not, most rebellious, vet in Canada. Elsa has been on a combination of natural, herbal and native remedies for six months now. She gets Pokeroot, Graviola, Golden Seal, Wormwood, Hyaluronic Acid, along with supplementing her natural diet with vitamins E, B and C, cod liver oil, and pure cranberry extract. We also add colloidal silver to her water and yesterday we started Andrographis as well. We also attend Rife treatments weekly (search for "rife" on google to learn more). As of about 2 weeks ago, I started taking her 3 times a week. To look at Elsa, most everyone thinks she is 3 years old. She still plays ball, eats with voracity, loves her walks, and still wrestles a little with my 3 year old rotty, Rocky.

Lately, she is struggling a little more with urinating, her first one always good, but then the rest are always little blood droplets. Her tumour has flattened out, but widened towards the front of her bladder. We have really wrestled with the drug idea, but I have lost a dog 4 years ago, which can be DIRECTLY attributed to METACAM. I would not give this drug to my worst enemy. Please look it up before you give it to your Betty. It is prescribed by western vets as candy, but it is truly one of the most harmful medicines around, in my opinion, and many other vets' opinions. Piroxicam is in the same family, and this our dilemma. I am struggling with putting her on a medicine that can cause many bad side effects, and has no real proof for doing anything. At least with natural medicine, it will do no harm. Sometimes it is very effective, and sometimes not. But it will not cause any side effects.

I  lost one dog to an irresponsible vet over-prescribing without a care(except for the dollars), and I watched him turn into a lump from Prednizone, Lysodren and Metacam. We have learned a lot from those days, and I will not do that to Elsa. She is the sweetest, most lovable being in the world, and not even my wife means more to me than her. I rescued her when she was 3, after being beaten daily with a hockey stick, bred at her first heat, and kept in a cage in a basement with no light since birth. She has given me 11 wonderful years and I have always tried to give her the same. I refuse to make her into a vet's science experiment. 

Remember, we don't die with dignity, we LIVE with dignity. She will chase a ball until her last day. I will not be selfish and keep her here as a shadow of herself, I don't believe it is right. That's not to say I won't do everything within my power to keep her happy, but a drugged-up lump is not happy.

Do what you feel you must, but know what you are giving before you do. That's my point, I guess. Just inform yourself and don't listen blindly to vets about medicine, especially Metacam. 

I hope things work out for you and Betty. Remember to hug and kiss her often and tell her you love, but always stay positive around her. Dogs pickup on your energy, so always be happy to be with her. That may be the best medicine you give her.

Sincerely,

bigrob3 

 

Hi Bigrob3,

Thank you for sharing Elsa's story on this board.  I am in the same boat as you and am losing sleep every night as I worry endlessly about my dog.

I read your message on this board, and am so thankful.  My 13y/o female dog, Dudu, was diagnosed with TCC one month ago following 3 months of straining and blood in her urine which was misdiagnosed and treated with antibiotics to no avail.  She was still active in December , but in the past two months, has become very depressed and lethargic, although she still cuddles with me.

Dudu has now been on different NSAIDs for three weeks now.  The vet that diagnosed her prescribed peroxicam which give Dudu tar-like stools and also Baytril for possible bladder infection.  Her next vet here in Toronto switched her over to Metacam which she has been on for over one week, but her appetite is worsening and she is more lethargic.  Just today she started to have blood in her urine, which was absent for three weeks but has now resurfaced.  I feel she is getting worse on these drugs, not better.  I have supplement her meds with a liquid graviola.  Can you please share with me what Dr. Sharon advised you to give your Elsa?  It would greatly appreciated...I'm so worried!

I am very sorry to hear about Dudu, but there is hope. Elsa was diagnosed in august 07, and still runs and wrestles and goes for walks everyday. She is doing fantastic,even just for a 14 year old rotty. The blood in the urine is quite normal, as the tumour will get irritated by the opposite bladder wall as the dog strains to pee once her bladder is empty. Elsa usually has one normal pee, and then walks around straining for 10 minutes, dibbling blood droplets. There are some Chinese meds which are supposed to help this, but I have not had much success. You can also buy phospherous 6x homeopathic pellets for this. Dr. Sharon has Elsa on a number of things which we have muscle-tested her for. She gets hyaluronic acid first thing. Then she eats. Then after 20 minutes or so, she gets at 5 minute intervals, pokeroot, graviola, andrographis, and knotweed. We repeat this at dinner as well. During the day she gets golden seal 4 times a day and wormwood once a day. In her breakfast, she gets vit.B and C, immune FX, Recovery SA, acidopholous, causticum, Alpha Omega Immune Booster, selenium, magnesium citrate, and what is supposed to be the most important of all, crushed fresh apricot seeds. Also, a Chinese herb called Liew chuanhang wan, which is supposed to support the kidneys.

With regards to the nsaids you are taking, even my regular vet, who is very understanding of our natural route, says he would never, ever prescribe piroxicam without giving a stomach coater to prevent gastro upset. He gave us the piroxicam and cytotec, and said to use as last resort if I wanted, and he provides me with my ultra sounds and bloodwork to monitor Elsa. Knock on wood, she is still doing well, aside from a few accidents around the house.

We also do 2-3 rife treatments a week. If you don't know what rife is, just google it, and you will see very easily.

As I said in my first letter, it is my belief that natural treatment is always better, but not always effective. The stuff with all the side effects should be done as last resort treatment. Some people disagree, but I just want Elsa to live comfortable and  as pain free as possible. She doesn't need to live out what may be her last days with side effects from nsaids(which more often than not kill the dog), but instead, she will go on living to the end. I know it is a horrible thing to live with, and I sympathize, but you just have to understand that you need to be super supportive and really project positive energy, and try to make Dudu happy, not yourself.

One of the worst things that I have had to deal with once she was diagnosed , is the thought of how fast it may end. I have been told that eventually the tumour will grow and block the uretors and cause kidney failure, which happens overnight kind of fast.  As I said, Elsa lives every day like it's her last, she enjoys every minute and I tell her I love her a thousand times a day, and always hug and kiss her goodnight. I am not a religious guy, but she has also been blessed by 2 priests and wrestles with my 3 year old rotty, who amazingly enough is quite gentle with her, and twice her size. I would really suggest to you that if you are in Toronto, go and see Dr. Sharon. She is only in Acton, about 30 minutes away. I have not only learned about tcc from her, but she has really helped me understand what Elsa needs, as well, emotionally. She is a fantastic vet, a great lady, and you will truly only benefit from knowing her. You know she is doing something right, because most of the butcher-vets don'tlike her and fight what she practices.

I hope this response helps a little. I know it is very hard, but don't give up. We owe that to Elsa and Dudu, they have given us so much. I would really second think(?) the nsaids. No matter what your vet tells you, they are not good drugs. Other people who matter agree with me, and I am positive they do more harm than good. If you research the drugs on the internet, you will find that no nsaid has ever really proven to fight any cancer. For real. I think the vets just have really good profit margins on the stuff, because they hand it out like candy. 

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help, moral or otherwise. How you treat Dudu is up to you, not your vet, remember that. I really hope this letter finds Dudu well, and that you are coping and supporting her as best as can be. Also, please know that I am not a vet, and not a know-it-all. I am just providing my opinions based on my beliefs and experiences, and I sincerely mean to offer the best wishes and help that I can. 

Hi Elsa's Dad,

I'm sorry I haven't written you sooner.  I hope your Elsa is doing well and getting lots of love from you.  Dudu got a terrible E coli bladder infection and was just down in pits the last ten days.  Needless to say, I've been worried to death and so distraught. I took her to her vet and got some antibiotics to treat it right away.  I'm waiting to hear back from her vet regarding her kidney values and see what the next step is for her.  I'm going to take her to see Dr. Sharon next week.

 Thank you so much for sharing and educating me with your experience.  I truly appreciate it.  Everytime I look at my doggy, I just can't help but to think she won't be around anymore since I know that there will come a day when her body will just break down.....so sad.  Again, thank you so much!   

Thanks for your wishes for Elsa. She is doing pretty good. Please see Sharon as soon as possible. E coli is rampant in dogs and humans, she will tell you that, but antibiotics may not be the way to treat infections with tumours. She has explained to me, but I don't really understand honestly (a little too scientific, I am afraid), why not, but I have not used any antibiotics and I have good success. I hope Sharon helps you,just remember to stay positive around Dudu, don't treat her as a cancer patient. I think that's our flaw as humans, we coddle and baby the sick, when we should be pushing positivity. Please stay in touch and let me know what you think once you have met Sharon, maybe I will see you there. She holds Rife sessions 4 or 5 times a week and I am there at a lot of them. 

Good luck and give Dudu a hug for me.

Rob 

If you feel it would be helpful there is a wonderful site called All Creatures

Animal Ministry, and within that site is a guest book where you can post

requests for prayers of pets....

Sandy

Hello,

 I've never posted on a message board in my life but I have found a few websites that might be of interest to those weighing their options. There is no easy or guaranteed course of action but I hope these may guide you in making the best decision for you and your beloved pooch.

http://hoecad.com/rennie.html#surgery

http://www.thensome.com/transitional.htm

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_transitional_cell_carci

Each case is unique so the best you can do is follow your heart.

Best wishes

On 5/22/2008 Copper94 wrote:

Hello,

 I've never posted on a message board in my life but I have found a few websites that might be of interest to those weighing their options. There is no easy or guaranteed course of action but I hope these may guide you in making the best decision for you and your beloved pooch.

http://hoecad.com/rennie.html#surgery

http://www.thensome.com/transitional.htm

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_transitional_cell_carci

Each case is unique so the best you can do is follow your heart.

Best wishes

Sorry about the last website, it's actually http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_transitional_cell_carci noma.html