Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Maggie has her first vinblastine treatment tomorrow and I am wondering if I need to stop any of her supplements? She is currently taking K-9 Immunity , curcumin, milk thistle, fish oil and coconut oil in her food twice daily. Plus the oncologist has her on Benedryl. Dr. Cohen didn't think any of them would interfere with the chemo. drug but then she is up front about knowing almost nothing about alternative cancer treatments. I can't get an appointment with the holistic vet for weeks so I don't really have anyone to ask, doctor-wise. Do any of you have any experience with these supplements?Thanks!
Kim
Kim I know that when it comes to K9 Immunity it's OK to use with chemo but some oncologists don't want you to, if only to rule out any GI reaction caused by the supplements combined with the chemo. If she's been taking the rest of the supplements for a while without any issues I wouldn't worry, but to be safe, I would probably wait and stop the supplements until you know for sure. Where are you that you can't see a holistic vet in a while? Maybe we can help you find one that's available.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks! I live in NJ and there is a holistic vet practice about 40 minutes from my house called Three Rivers Vets but they are apparently quite busy - maybe there aren't many in my area - and I was hesitant to ask them about the supplements when they haven't actually seen her yet. I have been trying to research it on-line and I find contradicting advice. Some sites say turmeric should not be taken during chemo because it makes the drugs less effective and others say it helps mediate the side effects of chemo. I also think I remember reading in someone's blog that they stopped giving the K-9 Immunity for a few days after each chemo treatment, but I don't remember the rationale behind that. She's only been on these supplements for a week or so, and I haven't seen any side effects but a week to 10 days is also not a really long time. Ugh. I was really hoping my oncologist would have a more definitive preference about them. I guess I'll have to take my best guess, like everything else I've been doing since we found out Maggie had cancer. Given the number of dogs I've read about whose MCT returned, even during chemo, I'm hesitant to give up these supplements which seem to help, but chemo is going to be hard enough on her, without complicating the situation with unforeseeable cross reactions. thanks for sharing your opinion!
Kim
Mom to Maggie and Angel Belle
It is incredibly overwhelming to come up with a protocol and yep, there is a LOT of conflicting information out there. What works for one dog may not work for another and all you can do is your best without going crazy. My own non-vet thinking is that if you have something that's been working, stay with it. When we fought cancer with Jerry, we picked just 3 or 4 and stuck with them and well, we got two amazing more years together. We know that K9 Immunity had something to do with that but as for the rest it's only a guess whether or not they helped.
You're lucky you're in a relatively urban location. Have you seen the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association website search engine to help you find a vet?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Kim,
my Golden has been on K-9 Immunity since his 2nd chemo session, and it did help a lot to keep his blood count in order. There is some controversy over giving any antioxidant in the first days post-chemo, because it could, in theory, interfere with the treatment. Even if you stop during the chemo, after 3 days it can be safely reintroduced, because K-9 Immunity doesn't have any side-effect.
Daniela
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Thanks! I dropped her K-9 Immunity dose to half during chemo so hopefully it will still help and not interfere with the chemo. I continued her phycox, wellactin (she's been on those for years), fish oil coconut oil and glutamine at the pre-chemo dosage. I'll just have to see how it goes and adjust accordingly!
Kim and Maggie
Just came across this from K9 Medicinals and thought of you
Is K9 Immunity ™ safe for dogs undergoing conventional therapy?
Absolutely. K9 Immunity ™ often increases the effectiveness of other dog cancer treatments. Please understand, cancer is a serious disease. If you add K9 Immunity ™ to your dog’s treatment, discuss it with your veterinarian and/or oncologist first. This is true of any other herb or supplement you consider using while your dog undergoes conventional therapy.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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