A Canine Cancer Journey

Most of my Facebook friends know that in October, black long coat shepherd, Kalidor was diagnosed
with Lymphoma. That began a very difficult journey. I thought I would share some things I learned
along the way that might help others. Since I am not a veterinarian, my approach is from a dog training
instructor point of view and from some personal point of view.

Fortunately, Kalidor has a very treatable, chemo sensitive cancer called Lymphoma. It is a cancer in his
glands. I first discovered it myself by two things; one was behavior changes and the second was feeling
something different. I found a lump on his neck under his chin. However, not knowing what it was, it
alarmed me. The behavior change was that he stopped eating. This was a Wednesday.

If you free feed your dog, you would never notice. Thursday, he was at the vet for a semen collection to
be sure he was still viable considering his age, 9. Everything was normal. (Yes, I do breed and I will
preface that by saying NONE of my puppies have ever landed in a shelter. But, that is another story.)
Kalidor ate food that night so I was relieved thinking he just had just had one day of feeling off. Since his
sperm count was great, I was also relieved that all was fine. Friday night, he would not eat again.
IMMEDIATELY, I took him back to my veterinarian. This was NOT right. I did not wait until Monday to
see if he was okay. I am DONE doing the “let’s wait and see game!” My veterinarian discovered in two
seconds, the lumps under his chin, behind his knees and under his front legs next to his chest. We
started a high prednisone dose immediately and he ordered the chemo drugs for him. I took him back to
the vet on Tuesday when the drug came in and began chemo.

Once my vet had made the diagnosis, I did my research about diet. Yes, there are “cancer starving
diets”. These are diets high in protein, fats and vegetables. They are not diets or kibbles where grains
are the headline, especially corn that is basically sugar in your dog’s system. If you read the labels so
many of the commercial dog foods are filled with grains that only feed the cancer. My first thought was
to feed him a whole food such as raw commercial diet. I did a consultation with my holistic vet that told
me not to feed raw because his immune system will be hugely compromised on chemo. A raw diet
could introduce bacteria he would not be able to handle during the chemo.

Being immune compromised during chemo is a very important component to remember all the time,
from here on out. I must now protect him from anything that could compromise his immune system
especially with this new canine disease going on. He is now on a diet rich in liver for his white blood
count, whole foods including fresh cooked beef or chicken, green vegetables, blueberries, sweet
potatoes and squash. He is also getting this mixed with a food that is air dried with no grains and high
protein.

The greatest threat to his being able to fight the cancer and the side effects of the chemo is keeping his
white blood count up. So far, using this diet, his WBC has been perfect thus keeping the chemo’s side
effects at bay.

It is important to remind you that I am not a veterinarian but I consulted with the ones whom I have
relied upon in the past when a few of my dogs had devastating health issues.

Now, let’s move on to behavior and training. The most important thing to do as an owner is to observe
behavior. When something is “off”, make detailed note of it. This includes putting your hands all over
your dog at least weekly. One holistic vet encourages a body scan. Just go over your dog with your
hands and eyes once a week to find anything unusual. Then ACT on it! Watch behavior. If your dog lays
down rather quickly after playing ball or on a usually active walk, seek a medical exam, NOW. I caught
hemangiosarcoma in my dog Evandar for this very reason. You have to first know what is normal, then
notice when something is not normal. Then DO something. I cannot tell you how many folks I see
walking a limping dog that are totally unaware of the problem or choose to do nothing about it.

Training from day one is just as important. Kalidor has had to have an IV port placed every week. The
chemo drugs are an injection, but must be administered IV directly into a vein. He also has to have a
complete white blood cell count to be sure he can accept that chemo. A dog that allows you to trim
their nails and be restrained is a blessing to those treating your dog. From the time Kalidor was a tiny
puppy, I started trimming his nails and touching his feet. I cannot tell you how many dogs I have worked
with that will not allow you to even touch their feet. I start my tiny 3 day old puppies learning how to
accept restraint by holding them on my chest. When they stop wiggling, they get to go back to mamma
for nursing. When they are older, this relaxation imprinting is invaluable for chemo treatment. Even if
you get a puppy at 10 weeks, you can still teach them that restraint is a good thing done kindly and
firmly.

The kindest thing happened yesterday when the vet tech said, “I am never afraid that any of your dogs
will bite me.” Isn’t that the nicest Kudo? Kalidor accepts restraint for the shaving of his front leg, and
blood draws without issues. A dog that is well socialized is also imperative for those trips to the vet.
Socialization is not your dog running free to play with every dog they meet. It is teaching him to behave
nicely by sitting or being able to do obedience while people and other dogs are around. Kalidor was
heavily socialized practicing his obedience in all kinds of situations. Now he can do the same things
anywhere even at the vet. He is a joy for medical folks to handle. He is a joy around children because
he knows how to behave well. When you teach your dog to greet like a wild thing by letting them run
up to everyone and every dog yelling “He’s friendly!” you make a miserable dog for others to be around
especially in a life threatening experience like chemo treatment.

Kalidor also has a rock solid “stay” command. One portion of his treatment is a long IV injection where
he must remain still for about an hour. I cannot imagine a wild thing in this situation.

Aside from all of the above, I have been able to afford this life-saving treatment because I have
insurance on him. There are many insurance companies out there. I am not sure it is appropriate to
announce here which company I use, but I will tell you that I made the claim for Kalidor’s treatment yesterday on my phone app while I was at the vet. This morning, I got a notice the claim had been paid
and deposited into my checking! GEEZ! How I made the decision on this company was that I did an
internet search, and through Forbes and found the best rated companies. Then, I discovered I could get
this insurance through Costco at a discount!

The best thing I can say is to be observant, be pro-active, be determined and don’t wait. Train for the
unexpected.

Caption: Medical treatment can be so much less stressful for a well trained and socialized dog. Kalidor
and Crowe wait patiently for Kalidor’s long chemo to begin.