My Sassy female Westie just diag with bladder cancer

Hi!  I am so sorry to hear that Sassy is having problems with her tummy and the piroxicam.  What stomach/intestine protection were you using with it?  Willie takes Carafate (3 ml twice a day) and Pepcid (5mg) before lunch.  He takes his piroxicam on a full stomach right after lunch.  Every 6th day I rest him from the piroxicam and give only the stomach protectors.  Once in a while I have to stop the piroxicam earlier than the 6th day and sometimes I keep him off it for two days.  It is my understanding that piroxicam is the key to controling the TCC.  Any other meds/chemo/natural substances are supplements to this.  I may be mistaken about this.  However, my vet was very firm about figuring the piroxicam out before proceeding with anything else.  I still haven't ordered anything from Raintree.  I will check into the capsules to see if I could get a correct dose without opening one and mixing with food.  I will probably try to add this to Willie's diet after he has his ultrasound.  If I find that the tumor has reappeared (crossing my fingers that this is not the case) I will be considering chemo and won't want to alter Willie's diet until he's through with the treatment(s).  I too am using as much of a meat-based diet as I can.  Willie can't eat hamburger but is okay with lamb & turkey.  Balancing all this does take quite a bit of trial and error!  Sassy is lucky that she has such dedicated owners to work all this out!  I hope that you continue to have success finding the right combination of treatments for her. 

Sue

Sorry about all your babies with TCC.  My 9 1/2 yr old Westie,Fiona, was diagnosed 12/31.  We have had her on Piroxicam, Pepcid and I have been giving her N-Tense 2x a day.  She had a very bad infection and blood was just coming out of her and her urine was pure red.  That is better, but tumor is not shrinking-so she will have surgery on Thursday, doc says it is about 1 1/2 cms and in a good spot so I will keep my fingers crossed.  Did you guys know that this is very common in Westies, female around 10 years old???  I had no idea and I try to keep up on these things.  We all have to stay positive and enjoy the time we have with our babies.

 

 

I am so sad to hear that your Fiona has joined the group of Westies (and other precious puppies) fighting TCC.  I had no idea that Westies were predisposed to bladder cancer until I began reading about it last summer.  Other Westie owners I know were equally unfamiliar with this.  Had I been familiar with the possibility I might have handled the early stages of Willie's problems a little differently.  However, the course of diagnosis and treatment seems to lead all of us in the same direction. 

My Willie is doing quite well 7 months after his surgery to remove a tumor slightly smaller than Fiona's.  It was malignant and the lab report couldn't say if the margins were clear so there is always a chance that it will reappear.  The piroxicam that Willie takes most days has seemed to halt any symptoms of TCC except frequent urination (or attempts to urinate).  I count my blessings daily hopeful that Willie will continue to do well.  I hope that Fiona's surgery and subsequent recovery goes well.  I'll be thinking of you both!  Please let us know how she is doing when you have a chance.

Sue

Hi!  I am so glad to hear that Fiona's surgery went well, Karen.  I hope that she is recovering nicely today.  I wish that my vet had kept Willie overnight when he had his surgery last summer.  He really struggled his first day home and maybe would have been better off at the clinic.  I'm not sure that I was prepared for the effects of bladder surgery on him.  However he bounced back within a week or ten days and has been going full force ever since!  The Westie spirit really seems to help with all of this....and keep me going when I feel sad about it. 

The combination of piroxicam and N-Tense seems to be the way to go.  I hope to start Willie on the N-Tense as soon as he has his ultrasound early in March.  I hadn't heard about the NHI study you mentioned.  I would be interested in more information about it if you have a chance to send it.  Did you enroll Fiona in it?

I'll be thinking of you & Fiona (and all the other dogs and owners reading here).....Sue                                                                                                            

 

 

I am so sad to be joining this board ... our almost 10-year old Westie,
Zoe Lucille, has recently been diagnosed with this awful disease. Less
than 3 weeks into it and already I am noticing signs she must be having
bloody urine. And more than once she has turned her back on breakfast
when usually she dances and 'talks' excitedly at the sound of the food
bowls (we have 3 dogs). Luckily she will at least eat the cottage
cheese & flax oil mixture, and she thinks the Piroxicam (peanut
butter flavor) is a treat ... fortunately it also seems to help her
feel better. Tonight I made beef liver for the 3 of them .... I have never been able to stand the smell of it, but they all were excited to eat it so it was well worth it. 

 It will sound strange but I was glad we had a spring storm
and half a foot of snow this weekend for the simple reason that Zoe loves playing and running and rolling in the snow ... and I'm afraid it may be the last time she gets to enjoy it.  

Sue:  wonder how Willie is doing.  Did you try the N-Tense and k9Immunity and K9 factor wafer.  Sassy is doing great on these supplements. Posted messages on board 4-9-09 re this. She is running around the back yard like a 1 year old dog. Eating good. She eats about good spoonfull of peanut butter with 3/4 capsule of N-Tense(graviola) off  my fingers.  She gets the other 1/4 plus one more capsule mixed in ground hamburger (lean) at night then her meaty dog Wellness dog food. We give her 1 K9 Immunity by mouth with the 1/2 wafer, then I give her the meat and N-tense on it plus the other K9Imminity mixed in the meat with 1 tsp of flax seed oil in it. About a handfull of hamburger( freeze packages ahead of time) meat, then she gets her dog food. Also gets 1/2 half of pepsid in ams to handle any stomach upset which she doesnt really need.We dont know what the outcome will be but she is having one great quality of life and we sureely hope that this is all retarding and possible shrinking the tumor and maybe eliminating it.  Exrays 10 days ago showed no spread to lungs and actually they did not see the cancer in her bladder in the xray either and remarked we must be doing someething right. Vet is keeping record of what we are doing to possibly us it on other dogs if we have success beyond what they normally do  at the clinic which is what they learn in Vet School.  Jim Sassy;s Daddy

let me know how Willie is doing and what you are doing for him.

Hi to all!  First of all, I am so sorry to hear that Zoe Lucille has joined the group of Westies fighting TCC.  This board is a good place to find information and support.

Jim, I am so happy to hear about how well Sassy is doing!  The treatments that you are using are obviously working well for her.  That is such great news.  I am definitely considering adding N-tense and K9 immunity to Willie's treatment as soon as we get his ultrasound report.  Have you totally discontinued piroxicam for Sassy at this point?  Willie is still on the same treatment plan that I started last summer.  The only reason that he hasn't yet had his ultraound is that I was waiting for his primary doctor to open his new practice.  We should know next week whether or not the piroxicam has been doing its job.  Willie seems to feel well and continues to be his sweet and bouncy self.  He does have an accident once in a while but that seems to be the only indication that he has a bladder problem.  Thank you for asking about him.

Karen, how is Fiona?

I think about each of your special Westies....and all the dogs and owners fighting this.....may each day be a good one for all of you.

Sue

Hi to all the Westie lovers following this thread (and other dog lovers, too)!

I hope your darlings are doing well!  I thought I'd give you a short update on Willie's health.  He finally had an ultrasound a week ago.  It had been over 6 mos. since his last one and I was quite apprehensive.  The ultrasound showed the regrowth of a tumor in the approximate area of the removal of the first one.  The new tumor is about 1 cm.  This was sad news for me but Willie's vet seemed to think that it was a good sign that the piroxicam was doing its job containing the TCC.  For now Willie will stay on the same protocol as he has been on.  I am looking to add some of the nutritional supplements that are supposed to be helpful (flaxseed oil, graviola, etc.) as I can.  I am also reaching out to several Westie Rescue organizations to find out what information they have on this disease.  I will let you know if I learn anything that might be helpful for your sweeties.

I look forward to reading updates about your Westies (and others) as you have a chance to write!  My wishes for good health to all.

Sue

Sue: Latest on Sassy. After starting proxicam for 6 weeks-throwing up-quiting until May and stopping in June. She developed stomach ulcer and had to be taken off tht and the graviolla.  Treating for ulcer and throw up. Today she is finishing ulcer treatments. On Vinison and potatoe canned diet only. Still on K9 Immunity and the Factor and omega capsules daily. She is still doing ok but know without the cancer killing graviolla the cancer will continue to grow and expand so now its just keep her happy and active day by day.  If the ulcer had not of happened I think the graviolla was killing the cancer as results orf ultra sound and xrays it had not spread and seem to be retarded. But nothing we can do now to stop growth. She was on flagal for ulcer and reglan for throw up. ,Using the stips to test urine it shows some blood in urine but not urinating blood so far. The I( immunity is a great drug to help them fight but it is not a cancer killing drug. I would suggest all dogs with bladder cancer get on k9 immunity and the k9 factor. Its kinda expensive as one cap for every 20 lbs but it certainly adds to their quality of life. Sassy will be 10 years in Dec 09. Hope Willie is ok but I guess we all know what the final out come will be and just hope to put it off. Jim Daddy of Sassy.One thing that set off the throwing up and ulcer problem is Vet went from flee med on back to a flee pill. 1 of 8 dogs taking pill throw up(thats healthy dogs) I was unaware of that problem as leaflet in box did not cover the extent of the throwing up problem. Really caused the ulcer problem to really flare up. I would suggest no dogs with cancer be given that flee pill.

Hi Jim!  I'm so glad to hear from you....I had been wondering how Sassy was doing.  It sounds like it has been an difficult time for you and for her.  We try so hard to find things to help our little guys and girls but their systems can only take so much.  It's great that Sassy is doing fine and that her digestive problems have been stabilized.  Do you think that you will try piroxicam again?? 

Willie is also doing quite well.  He had his 11 birthday in June and also celebrated surviving one year with TCC.  His protocol for meds remains the almost same.  He had to have his teeth cleaned in July (quite traumatic for me) and the pre-anethesia blood work showed some elevations in levels that made his vet think that there may be some bleeding somewhere in his system.  To combat that I am now giving him another 5 mg of Pepcid each day.  Willie does have days that I have to take him off piroxicam because he isn't eatting.  I just start it again the next day if I can.  I have a real issue with getting him to take the five doses of meds he already takes so have opted not to start him on anything else for right now.  Willie would rather hide in his kennel or under the table than come near me if he thinks I'm going to give him a pill.  Treats of any kind don't help!  He will have another ultrasound at the begiinning of next month and we'll find out how he's really doing.  In the meantime, with the exception of his having accidents once in a while, you would never know that his little body is fighting a horrible invader. 

I'm not sure what flea pill you gave Sassy....I have been giving Willie Sentinel for both heartworm preventative and flea inhibitor.  He does okay on it.  I hate giving it to him because I know as you correctly pointed out that it is very bad for dogs with cancer.  However, in SD we do have a lot of mosquitos and the risk of heartworm is quite high.  It's all such a balancing act....trying to figure out what is and isn't okay for them!

I hope that we are comparing notes on our sweet Westies for months and years to come!!  Please give Sassy a hug from me! 

Sue