CancerCompass message board discussion started by Bettysdad on 1/24/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20053,0.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ 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   Bettysdad Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello my name is SANDI.. My mom and I went to the VERY BEST vet specialists in San Diego; one did not want to do a biopsy thinking it may spread and believed it to most likely be TCC..then several months past..so we took her to one MAJOR well known vet specialist in Feb, 2007 giving her ONE month to live..HELLO it's been 1 year and two months..that is why I am writing to you..MY MAIN vet doesn't think she has TCC..this is so crazy..her kidneys do show some failure but there is a possible cure to treat her kisneys - basically if the mass in her bladder is Benign (not cancer) then we treat her kidneys..This dog will be in the newspaper and is already a statistic.  WE elected for my dog not to be on peroxicam which was recommended...sure she has some rouble going pee, but she plays, still pees a lot and nobosy would think she has any problem.  I hope this helps you..PLEASE go online and go to TCC remedies or dog bladder cancer remedies Like I did..I am in California ..let me know what happens.. die is a big part and OMEGA fish oil is helps in fighitng cancer even for humans you cn get it at Walmart over the counter-   called Expecta..ask your vet, but my dog that is 62 ilbs gets 2 pills am and 2  pills pm...Let me know how this helps you!! Take Care   Doodlebug Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Just wanted to say that I am sorry your Betty is going through this.  My little Muffie (12yo silkie terrior) was diagnosed a little over a month ago.  She is on perioxicam and I can not believe how much better it has made her feel.  No side effects thus far.  My goal is to keep her comfortable and enjoy my time with her.  I know that the worst is yet to come and hope that it is a long ways off.  I have read about others using Metacam instead of perioxicam.  I hope it helps you Betty!!  fairydiva Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT HI, I am Spike's Mom, an almost  13 yr old Westie. You may have seen my posts here.Spike was diagnosed end of December last yr.  He has a 2.5 cm mass -tcc in the bladder. We have had some real problems with  severe diahrea with the peroxicam and we had to stop his treatment for about a week til his tummy settled down. We realized that he was spitting out his stomach pills too. Spike has always had a sensitive tummy so it was really  tough for him.  His incontinence got worse off the peroxicam and we were really worried. Once his stools got back to normal last Wednesday we restarted  the peroxicam with Hills I/D diet and generous helpings of white rice twice a day along with his stomach meds embedded right into the wet food!!!  So far, so good. He occasionally, maybe once/day pees in the kitchen now  when my husband has to leave him in the kitchen in "dog jail" if he goes out but we think its also due to his not liking to be gated (you know Westies!! :) He is due for a repeat ultrasound in a month's time and if the tumor shrinks a little the specialist thinks we may be able to get it out (this of course is not a cure and we need to think about putting him thru the surgery). He like Betty is very frisky, puppy like and loves to run on his walks. We asked our Vet about metacam and she had heard of it but was not that familiar with it, but I've seen on posts other people trying it. The specialist we took Spike to who did the scope and biopsy also recommended peroxicam but we will see how Spike tolerates it now with rice to bind him and the stomach meds in him. I don't know if this helps you at all but if you can use any of this advice that would be great!!! Spike's MomPS to anyone who has put your dog thru surgery, how did it work out?   westielove Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT  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 DadWe 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   bigrob3 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I do not want to offend, however I want to make sure other subscribers understand the drugs that your pet was apparently taking.  Of the three drugs you listed:  Lysodren, Prednisone, and Metacam, Metacam would be the least deadly.  Lysodren is a deadly drug that is designed to kill the adrenal gland in pets that have adrenal tumors resulting in Cushing's disease.  This drug requires vigilant monitoring and is dangerous but necessary, much like chemotherapy.  Prednisione, if your pet was on it, is to replace steroids that the adrenal gland is not making, taking Lysodren and prednisone together is a contradiction.  If your pet was on prednisone, its adrenal gland was destroyed by the Lysodren enough that you were required to replace steroids.  (A tumor on the adrenal gland produces too much prednisone-like steroids).  Metacam is the equivalent of a doggie tylenol.  In my opinion, it is much more likely your pet died from Cushing's disease and Lysodren than from Metacam.   bradley5544 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 2/10/2008 bradley5544 wrote:I do not want to offend, however I want to make sure other subscribers understand the drugs that your pet was apparently taking.  Of the three drugs you listed:  Lysodren, Prednisone, and Metacam, Metacam would be the least deadly.  Lysodren is a deadly drug that is designed to kill the adrenal gland in pets that have adrenal tumors resulting in Cushing's disease.  This drug requires vigilant monitoring and is dangerous but necessary, much like chemotherapy.  Prednisione, if your pet was on it, is to replace steroids that the adrenal gland is not making, taking Lysodren and prednisone together is a contradiction.  If your pet was on prednisone, its adrenal gland was destroyed by the Lysodren enough that you were required to replace steroids.  (A tumor on the adrenal gland produces too much prednisone-like steroids).  Metacam is the equivalent of a doggie tylenol.  In my opinion, it is much more likely your pet died from Cushing's disease and Lysodren than from Metacam.  No offence taken. However, the drug therapies that we followed killed our dog. We were extremely vigilant in monitoring Tango when he was on Lysodren, doing acth stim tests every 2 weeks. After he crashed and became addisonian, he was forced to take prednizone to replace the steroids he was nolonger producing. After a few weeks, he went full Cushing's again, and then addisonian, and then Cushing's etc. You get the idea. He was a very hard case, always a roller coaster. We spent over $30,000 in the year and a half. With regards to metacam, I am afraid you could not be more mistaken calling it doggy-tylenol. If you do the research, you will find that an extremely high percentage of dogs using it die from complications and side effects. Tango died from it because it caused pancreatitis, which he had already fought 9 months prior. I realize that I did not put this info in my previous message but it is a long story. Our vet said Tango should have metacam because he was losing strength in his backend due to the cushings. He also suggested my 10 year old rottweiler Elsa (who is now 14 and fighting TCC) take the metacam because she was a "senior", and also my 7 year old rottweiler Taz should take it because he had hip dysplasia(which we found out after he died he never had). Well, 2 weeks after starting metacam, Tango got pancreatitis again and died after 2 days in emergency.  Taz got pancreatitis the next day and went in to emerg., and Elsa got pancreatitis the day after that. Thankfully, Taz and Elsa recovered. We almost lost all 3 of our dogs within 3 days. Our vet of course suggested it was our natural diet that caused the episode, but they were on different diets because of Tango's pancreatitis 9 months earlier. After doing some research and talking to some other vets, who have since become our friends and also revealed many vet secrets, we actually now know what the truth is about metacam. Once again, though, it is up to each and every one of us to research and provide to our dogs the treatment we believe to be correct. I would never treat anything with metacam again, especially now that I know there are so many natural alternatives that are more effective  and have NO side effects.   bigrob3 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT  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  hiya, how is betty getting on? my special boy danny (hes a 10.5 yr old labrador)  got diagnosed with tcc.  i've been prescribed metacam today for him, have to speak to one of the main vets about my options (which include chemo), theres just soooo much information out there on the illness. have u found anything that seems to be working? he shows no symptoms apart from peeing alot, still as hyper as ever! makes it that bit easier! hayley xx   dannysmum Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thanks to all for advice and replies.Unfortunately we lost Betty on 1st February. We were devastated but the courage and dignity with which our little angel left us strengthened our hearts.Betty gave us a memorable last week - we spent the days going to her favourite places and doing her favourite things. We were left with no option on the Friday - she had not eaten and had started to lose her dignity. I believe she rallied at the end for our sake. We had a lovely last walk and she stood brave and proud in the surgery. She died in our arms and although a light went out in our lives she still shines in our hearts.The pain does fade but the treasured memories do not.Best of health and luck to allBetty's Dad Bettysdad Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT oh im sorry :-( at least u were able to make that last week extra special for her, she'll remember all the fun she had!! i've promised danny he's gonna have an awesome life from now on...he's always been very pampered but from now on what he wants - he'll have!! u know u gave her the best life possible xx  dannysmum Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT 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)))  fairydiva Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT 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...  wildlandfire Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT 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.  Maggie2 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT  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 DadWe 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!   Dudusmom Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT 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.    bigrob3 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT 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!    Dudusmom Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT 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  bigrob3 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT If you feel it would be helpful there is a wonderful site called All CreaturesAnimal Ministry, and within that site is a guest book where you can postrequests for prayers of pets....Sandy WOLFLADY1020 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT 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 Copper94 Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT  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 wishesSorry about the last website, it's actually http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_transitional_cell_carci noma.html Copper94 Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello all, First, my heart goes out to all those dealing with sick pets.  I know this has been one of the most difficult experiences of my life (in the grand scheme of things, I suppose that makes me one of the lucky ones, but I don't feel lucky!)   Our little Cricket, half mini dachshund/half ShihTzu, and the light of our lives, began having slow urination at least 1 1/2 years ago.  A year ago we started her on Metacam, even though we didn't have a definitive diagnosis.  She did well, totally perky and her old self, but slow urination and some accidents in the house.  About 3 months ago we had an ultrasound which showed the tumor in the trigone area of the bladder, and inoperable.  The vet switched her to peroxicam as he felt it is more specific to this tumor than the metacam.   She did all right until two weeks ago, when she had black stools, vomiting, and obviously felt like crap. She also became incontinent.  I almost decided to have her put to sleep as I couldn't abide seeing her miserable.  However, we took her home with an antibiotic, Pepsid and something else to coat her stomach, and phenoxybenzamine to help with bladder spasm.  She has surprised us by doing quite well.  Her appetite has been iffy but she takes her pills with cream cheese.  We started with baby diapers with a hole cut out for her tail, but there is this grainy stuff in them which leaks out - messy.  We bought Simple Solution dog diaper covers and cut a Serenity adult pad in half to put in it.  This works pretty well though the cover often gets wet (I'm going to write a book called "Dog Diapers in the Oven"! (drying them after washing, of course.) I know not everyone can or would do this diaper thing, but with a small dog (11 lbs.) it is actually fairly manageable.  She has taken them off a few times but in general seems to accept it. The vet wanted her to go for a week or two after the gastrointestinal bleeding/ulcers? and wants to put her back on the peroxicam but I think we will put her back on the Metacam.  I just want her to be comfortable and not go through what she went through two weeks ago.   It is so hard to balance her quality of life against our quality of life, and having her in our lives has been such a joy. Although my friends tell me "I'll know" when it is time to let her go, I am afraid I will do it too soon....or too late.  It has been helpful to me to read of others' experiences with this disease.  Certainly everyone has different philosophies, different medical advice, etc.  I am grateful to those who have shared their stories and if mine can be helfpul to anyone, I am glad.    Priscilla Prill Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT