Hi Everyone,
well my 8 year old german shepherd Fero was diagnosed with Lymphoma on July 31st. I seen a lump on his muzzle that was hard and didnt feel like an abcese so I took him to the vet. When i was there i was scratching his neck and felt another lump under his jaw area. they kept him and did a couple xrays on his jaw to make sure it wasnt a tooth problem. they also did a needle test on the lumps and both had cancer. I have opted to not put him thru chemo and radiation mainly because of finances and I'm not sure the outcome is worth what he would be put through. I have since been doing some research and put him on supplements to try to help boost his immune system.

What really bums me out is that I just lost my other german shepherd to cancer 2 years ago, it was a different cancer that hit him really hard and he didnt last long.

Makes me wonder if there is something in our water around here? I have started to buy bottled water to give him instead of tap water.

He is eating good, eats a raw diet and still playing like his old self.
Has anyone had a dog with Lymphoma? How did they do? did you try any supplements with any success?

Just wanted to post, Im just so bummed out and this board has always helped me in the past.

I'm sorry to hear the news Kathy, I am hoping the best for you and Fero!

Very sorry about your bad news. I'm glad that Fero still seems to feel fine and is enjoying life. I can't offer any help with your question about supplements---but I honor the instinct of trying to do what you can to improve his health in any way you are able. Enjoy every day you have with him. Each day is a gift.

 Quote: Kathy West

Hi Everyone,
well my 8 year old german shepherd Fero was diagnosed with Lymphoma on July 31st. I seen a lump on his muzzle that was hard and didnt feel like an abcese so I took him to the vet. When i was there i was scratching his neck and felt another lump under his jaw area. they kept him and did a couple xrays on his jaw to make sure it wasnt a tooth problem. they also did a needle test on the lumps and both had cancer. I have opted to not put him thru chemo and radiation mainly because of finances and I'm not sure the outcome is worth what he would be put through. I have since been doing some research and put him on supplements to try to help boost his immune system.

What really bums me out is that I just lost my other german shepherd to cancer 2 years ago, it was a different cancer that hit him really hard and he didnt last long.

Makes me wonder if there is something in our water around here? I have started to buy bottled water to give him instead of tap water.

He is eating good, eats a raw diet and still playing like his old self.
Has anyone had a dog with Lymphoma? How did they do? did you try any supplements with any success?

Just wanted to post, Im just so bummed out and this board has always helped me in the past.

I'm so sorry, Kathy.

Lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs, and GSDs are one of the breeds that are most afflicted. (Golden Retriever is number one, most authoritative sources say. But the next tier includes GSDs.)

I'd be focused on minimizing starch carbs in the diet, and on including antioxidants and long-chain Omega 3s. I'd be careful to keep contaminants and toxins (including produce that has pesticide or herbicide residue) out of the diet.

But Lew Olson is a much better nutrition source.

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/category/cancer/

and

http://leerburg.com/9000.htm

It would not hurt your dog to try the steroid type chemotherapy. Prednisone kills lymph cells, and so it can be used to treat some lymphoma. The medication will give the dog a great thirst and the dog will have to urinate more often, but that is really the only significant side effect in most dogs.
Most of the time it makes the dog feel better---in an old dog, the steroid blast will eliminate a lot of aches and pains of arthritis, make the dog feel young again, for a short while.
This is the only "chemo" medication I would give my dog, and it's not really chemo, and won't work for very long. But for many dogs it does give their remaining time improved quality of life.
It's also cheap.
You could ask your veterinarian.

Thank you all for the replies

Couple questions: Connie, regarding starch carbs. So i'm guessing the crappy treats I buy from the grocery store "Variety Snaps" should probably be eliminated and replaced with something more natural? Something like dog food roll or Zukes? And also, a couple times a week instead of hamburger or makrel I will use wet dog food with their raw food-I just buy pedigree wet food from the grocery store, not sure how much starch carbs are in there, should I try for a better quality of wet food?

And Betty - In your opinion, should something like the steriod therapy that you talked about be used later down the line when he starts showing signs of deterioration? Or would that be something you would consider doing in the early phases of the cancer?

Thanks again everyone

There are many very good canned foods. Pedigree isn't one of them. If you see what's available and affordable at your grocery store, I can tell you which is better among them.

There are several different Pedigree recipes, so I don't know exactly which one you have, but I can tell you that this is a company that tends to use a lot of the worst non-meat "protein boosters" ... wheat and corn gluten, for example.

They even use sodium nitrite for color preservation. This is an absolutely unnecessary preservative for a canned food. And "color retention" via chemical is a ridiculous goal for a dog's food, IMO.

IMO, these are things for an individual with cancer to avoid if possible. I don't at all mean that such adjustments can prevent or cure cancer ,,,, but I do think they are good to eliminate from a stressed system.


ETA
If you want to PM me with the name of your grocery store, I might be able to find out online what better canned foods they carry.

Ask your veterinarian about the predisone and the timing of it.

I was a cattle veterinarian, I am really "out of it" regarding canine medicine. In my last few years of practice, I did some small animal work. This was a long time ago (like 15 years ago now). In our little country practice, sometimes dogs would present with lumps such as you describe.
Most often in the neck, sometimes behind the stifle.

If the dog was healthy, just had a lump, we would wait a bit. As soon as the dog began to develop symptoms, we would begin the steroid. It usually could be counted on to buy 6 mos- lyr.

Veterinary chemotherapy has come a long, long way. I am certain there are cocktails of medications that do a better job than what we had.

For the timing of this medication, or really whether or not it is suitable for your dog's particular cell type/condition, you really need to speak to your veterinarian.