Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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We had our appt at the holistic vet and it actually went very well and I'm feeling very good about the situation. We went to Churchtown Vet in Pennsville, NJ but they also have an office in Clayton, NJ. I HIGHLY recommend them! They are amazing! For once, since I found out about Jilly's cancer, I feel like I can breath! Dr. Morgan reviewed the biopsy papers with me which I hadn't seen in person yet. It shows that the OSA is slower moving so that's good, it's bad because it was so far up in the arm but better that we amputated. (I attached a picture for all of you that like to research like me!) So good news with bad news but I'd rather focus on the good! She gave us a specific raw diet to start Jilly on, as well as supplements and herbal remedies and everything. We are going to try to get everything on the list even though many are pricey so I'm searching online now for the best prices. At least one of them is in the donation box at their other office and the receptionist said she will bring it to the office we go to the next time she is there for us so at least we won't have to buy one of them right away which is a blessing!
She said no more vaccines or heart worm or flea medicine since it can compromise her immune system and she also said she would PERSONALLY recommend AGAINST the Palladia.This is what she said when I asked if she would use it with her own pets. Her PROFESSIONAL opinion was to do whatever I feel comfortable doing and she isn't against it at all and there have been great research and outcomes on it but she said she wouldn't want her animals to have to deal with the side effects which has been my worry from the beginning. So is it worth her being sick all the time whether I can visually see it or not? She said that she would do the Chemo but really it's a crap shoot (kind of like what everyone else said) regardless since it depends on the individual. But we don't have the money for chemo right now.
I just want the best for her, so for right now, we are going to keep trying to save for chemo and stick to supplements, raw diet, and herbal & Chinese remedies. It's still pretty pricey, but cheaper than the chemo and more of a monthly thing where as chemo here is the $650 plus office visit and meds so probably around $750/$800 every 3 weeks I think which is a WHOLE LOT especially because it would be 6 sessions.
It's hard to feel like you are making the right decision but I feel like this is the right one for us right now. And I feel more hopeful after this visit and second opinion. I just hope that I can make Jilly as comfortable as possible and that whatever time she has left is as healthy and happy as possible!
Plus, with the Palladia it say not to come in contact with urine, feces, or vomit. But we spend most of our time outside when ever the weather is nice in our backyard and she lives for these times....so am I supposed to keep her inside while we are outside and never let her outback again because I have little kids that love to dig in the back yard and may step in the dog poop with bare feet? I just can't imagine her little face crying inside. Or am I supposed to follow her around the whole time? Maybe I can strap a go pro to her so I can follow her around digitally! Ughhhh! But yea! That's what we decided and we are comfortable with that.
And let me tell you, it's super hard to find ground turkey or rabbit with bone and organs in them! I am going to have to order them online but the vet wanted me to switch her immediately so we went to pet valu and bought the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen food and I also feel like I hit the jackpot because I found Primal Raw Marrow Recreational Bones to make bone marrow soup to mix into her food (vet recommended) and Primal Frozen Goat Milk! I know it's silly to get excited, but I was having such a hard time finding the meat that I was happy to check 2 things off my list even though I had to buy bagged frozen raw food. 
Oh....and a question. The meat that I am buying from Hare Today is going to be frozen. If I want to make her food in bulk, can I refreeze that and then thaw as I go or do I need to only make what she can eat in like 2 or 3 days? And how much of raw homemade food do you give a 55lb dog? Oh!!!! And something funny...well....to me anyway...while we were at the vet today, I put Jilly on the scale to weigh her and when we went to the vet for her limping originally, she was 62lbs I think. So I was shocked she lost weight that fast and started to worry and then realized SHE JUST HAD HER LEG REMOVED!!! I had to laugh at that! I've just been such a wreck I didn't put two and two together right away! 
Wow I love your attitude!
Sounds like a great visit. Was that Dr. Morgan you saw? I checked out her background and am so impresed. You're lucky to work with someone who has so much experience. We would LOVE to review her book,From Needles to Natural: Learning Holistic Pet Healing
Those diet questions you have are really something I can't answer but I encourge you to ask Dr. Morgan. I'm sure others will have ideas to, so hang tight.. Every situation is different. Do let us know what the good doctor says.
You sound so at ease with your choice, congratulations!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I don't have any knowledge/advice regarding your questions with the raw feeding. I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad you've found some relief with your holistic vet (even though I'm sure it's a small relief in the grand scheme of things in dealing with cancer). It sounds like you've found your footing so to speak in how best to help Jilly. I know for myself I have a hard time making a decision when I'm bombarded with so much info and choices. I feel better and more grounded when I have a direction to focus on.
I'm wishing you and Jilly the best and look forward to hearing about Jilly's journey!
Hugs
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
Thank you! However, we just just to the regular for to get her staples out and he went against everything she said! Ugghhh! He asked why I wouldn't at least try the Palladia if I can get into the trial and when I was spouting off my reasons, he said I could just pull her from it if I didn't feel comfortable at any time. SO now I'm torn again! And we started the raw food today and she won't touch it....she actually ran scared! SO that got me to thinking, if she's had this since Aug 2014, maybe earlier, and I've been feeding her the Farmina N&D and it didn't go to her lungs yet (knock on wood), do I really need to change her food? Or is there a kibble that may be better for her. I'm still gonna buy all of the supplements, but now I'm wondering about maybe doing the Palladia and just pulling her if it's too hard on her and maybe just finding a kibble that's better for the cancer. I am just so indecisive and am not feeling too positive about my choices that I was 100% on yesterday....what to do! What to do! Why does this have to be so hard? I just want to do what's right but there is now right or wrong way, which I know because everyone keeps saying that but I just want to feel comfortable....back to researching and driving myself crazy! LOL
I`ve tried raw food on three cats and have not been successful mainly due to my lifestyle and working out of town. Perhaps you can make the change slowly. Start with a no grain dry food (they say grain feeds cancer) and Jilly will likely accept that change easily. Then add a bit of raw food, along with the kibble, or as a `treat`.
Change is difficult. By doing a bit at a time Jilly may become more accepting. In addition to the food you have to get the supplements down her...
Good luck, you are doing a fabulous job with the loving care you give Jilly.
Kerren and Tripawd Mona
Welcome to the wonderful world of holistic vs. conventional veterinary medicine! Unfortunately what happened to you isn't too unusual. I'm sorry you feel so stressed out, you're definitely not alone.
First thing to remember: follow your heart. There are no right or wrong answers here. Do what makes you and your pup happiest, not what any vet tells you that you should or shouldn't do, what some people say is the best food or the worst. This is the time to step back, take a deep breath and have a conversation with your pup to ask her what SHE wants. I know it sounds crazy at first but it's possible to get your answers when you just step back and go to a quiet place in your heart.
When you are stressed, your dog is stressed, and that is not a good quality of life, which is the goal when you're dealing with cancer. The changes you're trying to implement right now are HUGE and if you need more guidance doing them, and they are something you want to do, then call the vet back and ask for more guidance.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Raw feeding is a very drastic change for a dog or cat. Most WILL shy away from it at first. Our Jerry did that. but after a few days of coaxing him into it he loved it. Keep in mind we spend their whole lives training pets NOT to eat our human food, then suddenly we want them to? It's confusing! Go. Very. Slow.
- Only YOU decide what you want to change and not to change. If you want to feed her the food she's been on and continue with supplements, that's up to you as well. Nobody will judge you either way.
- When we were fighting cancer, we focused on three supplements only. We didn't want Jerry's life to be all about pills and and feeding him things he didn't like.
- We've met dogs who have thrived with cancer while living on ALL kinds of diets, from premium raw to Costco generic kibble. Cancer is a crap shoot and you never know what will happen, all you can do is your best.
Does this help? I hope so! Never be afraid to ask questions here, ask your vet or speak your mind. So much of this journey is about learning how to advocate for your pup, it's full of life-changing lessons.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ditto everything Jerry said!
It IS a crap shoot for the most part and there are NO right or wrong decisions!!
I'm really sorry you are in this quandary....two opposing views, both from knowledgeable sources!! Ugh!!
I do know the raw route usually isn't instant. I did try it briefly with Happy Hannah, but she woukd eat anything anyway. For verious reasons, I ended up, for the most part, switching to Honest Kitchen and some home cooking.
I jate that his has to be so confusing and so stressful. It is what this journey looks like though.
Lerhaps you could have a consult with the Penn. State people and express your concerns...which are, in my opinion, v very valid. Then call the Holistic Vet and go over whatever they discuss with you.
Remember though,...stay present with Jilly! She isn't worrying about a thing!! The bliss of being a dog...wonderful!
Follow your heart...your gut....listen to Jilly!
Love and hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Just one more thought. Once you make your mind up...move forward...no looking back! You will find all sorts of differing views...something new...so.ething someone else tried and it worked, or it didn't...whatever.
Th point being, at some point we make decisions and mkve forward. Sure, if something is causing some whackiness, we regroup. But you can stay in research mode forever and just become stuck.
Craaaaxy journey, huh?
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
leland4 said
I don't have any knowledge/advice regarding your questions with the raw feeding. I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad you've found some relief with your holistic vet (even though I'm sure it's a small relief in the grand scheme of things in dealing with cancer). It sounds like you've found your footing so to speak in how best to help Jilly. I know for myself I have a hard time making a decision when I'm bombarded with so much info and choices. I feel better and more grounded when I have a direction to focus on.I'm wishing you and Jilly the best and look forward to hearing about Jilly's journey!
Hugs
Sahana and her Angel Leland
Thank you so much Sahana! It really is a lot of info to absorb in such a short time! I am so indecisive with choices so I really dislike when I think I made my mind up and then more info comes into play! LOL Thank you for the kind words!
Can I just say that I really love this board and have found so much info...but what really helps me is the support and the lack of judgement! I really feel like it has made such an impact in my life. I may not comment on a lot of posts, but I read them all (well, as many as I can) and have learned so much but also have found strength through other's strength so thank you for that!
I decided to call the woman back at UPenn. She wasn't in so I left a message telling her we would like the spot for the Palladia trial if it's still open. I figure if she calls and says it's open it was meant to be and if she says the other people took it, then it wasn't meant to be and their dog needed it more. I'm going to go look for that link for the best kibble for cancer so she can enjoy eating her food and I'm going to spoil her and feel her eggs and chicken and whatever else is healthy and she enjoys because I want her to be happy and if she has three months left than I know she enjoyed it and if she lives 18 months then I know it helped her. So it is what it is. I think I find strength through writing so I'm sure I'll get up from the computer (around 1am when I realize I've been researching for way too many hours! LOL) and get upset and indecisive again but for right now, I think I'm okay.
Good call!
Yes, this is a place of no-judgement, everyone is different, no two situations are alike. If there's anything our animals are trying to teach us, is to just be, and not judge, so we do our best to live up to their hopes.
The blogs were started here exactly for those late nights when your head is spinning and you need to get it all out. Please do so, every time someone blogs it helps someone else later on down the road.
{{{{hugs}}}
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello ! regarding the food, if you want to change to raw, do it slowly, mixing it with the kibble your pup already eats. It's hard for a dog not to like raw meat, but it can happen.
One option is switching to home-cooked. That's what I did. I feed my dog cooked protein (varied) plus vegetables and very little carb, like sweet potato and yams. It's done wonders to their fur - not only Johnnie's but my other dog who is not under any cancer treatment. May be worth a try.
Daniela & Johnnie ( from Brazil )
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.
I hadn't thought about it in years, but from the time Trouble was diagnosed with cancer, she was never given any vaccinations, not even the required rabies. Because we traveled with her and some hotels want proof of vaccination, we carried a letter with us from the vet stating Trouble was under his care, was free of contagious disease, and could not be given vaccinations. It had his contact info if ever someone needed to question him about it. You may consider doing the same thing.
We did keep her on heartworm meds, but that was all.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
I know I'm a little late but I thought I would give you another way to look at things- maybe it won't help you with this decision, but there are always decisions on this cancer journey.
So- pretend that money is no object...either everything is free or you had all the money in the world. Would you choose the holistic approach or go with chemo?
I know it's hard to make sense of all the information out there, but I have found that working backwards and ruling things out sometimes helps me. For example, one of the options for Maggie was radiation therapy. Once I looked into it I decided that it was not right for her I eliminated it as on option, so it made my other choices easier. When her lymph nodes came back with cancer I chose chemo, I was willing to do it and I thought it was the best thing to do for Maggie. Later, quad pug Tani had recurring mast cell tumors. A couple different vets recommended palladia, but because of Tani's age and other health issues I chose a holistic approach.
So I guess what I am trying to say is to decide what kind of treatment you are most comfortable with, what would be best for you and Jill. If you think chemo would work best then try to get into the study. If you think that a holistic approach would suit you better then pass on the study.
As others have said, it's kind of a crap shoot and there is no wrong choices. You will never know what might have happened if you made another choice, so once you choose then go forward with optimism and confidence knowing you are doing the best you can for Jill.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
p.s. I still have a box to send you- pending your decision 
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
krun15 said
I know I'm a little late but I thought I would give you another way to look at things- maybe it won't help you with this decision, but there are always decisions on this cancer journey.So- pretend that money is no object...either everything is free or you had all the money in the world. Would you choose the holistic approach or go with chemo?
I know it's hard to make sense of all the information out there, but I have found that working backwards and ruling things out sometimes helps me. For example, one of the options for Maggie was radiation therapy. Once I looked into it I decided that it was not right for her I eliminated it as on option, so it made my other choices easier. When her lymph nodes came back with cancer I chose chemo, I was willing to do it and I thought it was the best thing to do for Maggie. Later, quad pug Tani had recurring mast cell tumors. A couple different vets recommended palladia, but because of Tani's age and other health issues I chose a holistic approach.
So I guess what I am trying to say is to decide what kind of treatment you are most comfortable with, what would be best for you and Jill. If you think chemo would work best then try to get into the study. If you think that a holistic approach would suit you better then pass on the study.
As others have said, it's kind of a crap shoot and there is no wrong choices. You will never know what might have happened if you made another choice, so once you choose then go forward with optimism and confidence knowing you are doing the best you can for Jill.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
p.s. I still have a box to send you- pending your decision
If I had the money, I would do chemo in a heartbeat! The intravenous type. But, I can't find anywhere around here that is cost effective. 
I don't think I would do the radiation though.
I am waiting to hear back about the Palladia...so we'll see on that front.
But that is a really great way to look at it...backwards! I would have never thought! But that's how I'm going to start looking at it more often.
And yes! I'll still take the box! I pmed you back, but I'm guessing you didn't get it?
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