Let's Bring Everyone Up to Date

A friend of mine had asked me to post Emily's new homemade diet that I started her on to help fight Canine Lymphoma.  This friend has been a strong proponent of the raw diet but due to her current circumstances can't feed it to her dogs.  She hasn't been happy with the commercial products out there and was curious when I mentioned I was doing a well researched homemade diet for Emily that could easily be adjusted for my non-cancer dog, Ollie.  I was going to post this recipe on my cooking blog (thegourmetgoddess.ca) but thought perhaps it needed it's own space. 

So I've decided to start a separate blog to share Emily's entire experience with Canine Lymphoma.  I've found the best information on-line regarding every aspect of Canine Lymphoma.  It's really helped prepare me from the first time I felt her enlarged lymph nodes in her neck right through diagnosis and now as we go through treatment. I'm an informed leader of Emily's pack. And right now she needs a pack! It takes a pack to cover all the aspects of treatment and care.  I'm very grateful for her pack but that pack has included the Internet.  So here's Emily's story.  On the Internet.  For everyone.  I hope it helps you too.  Mostly I think it will help me to have another outlet to share.  So thanks for listening!

Over Christmas Emily was very whiny.  She was demanding of my attention and was constantly looking for treats.  I thought this was off but didn't have anything concrete to take to the vets but in my heart I knew something was up. 

Emily has always had a big Adam's apple.  I know that sounds funny since she is a girl but years ago I mentioned it to the vet and was told it was nothing, which at the time it was nothing.  When I felt her over Christmas and thought her neck felt large I wrote it off to her large Adam's apple.  Were her lymph nodes enlarged then?  I didn't really feel them that closely. 

Jan 16th I again felt that her neck/throat was large and had a good feel, comparing her to Ollie.  Yup, there were 2 large lumps on either side of her esophagus.  I knew that couldn't be good, checked the Internet, and made a vet appointment.

Jan 18th the vet told us it was likely lymphoma but we had caught it early which was good.  We had just lost Dakota 10 weeks early with Hemangiosarcoma which came on suddenly.  He was fine when I went to work, had his supper as usual and within an hour was in distress.  He was gone within 7 hours.  It was heartbreaking.  All I could think was that at least with Emily I'd have time to prepare myself, to say goodbye. 

The Handsome Little D (his street name)

I went home and got on the Internet.  Hold the phone!  Lymphoma is 90% + treatable!  Most dogs live another year or two after treatment.  But without treatment they die within 4 - 6 weeks.  Okay, lets get treatment going!

It took 2 needle aspirations and finally a biopsy to get a confirmed diagnosis.  By this point I'm having nightmares that the cancer has taken over and it's too late to treat her.  Two and a half weeks after our initial vet visit and finally we started treatment but only with Prednisone until the biopsy results came back and confirmed what I already knew.  Emily had lymphoma. Three and a half weeks after that initial visit, Emily had her first Chemo treatment.  It seemed like a lifetime when I kept reading over, and over again that without treatment most dogs are gone within 4 - 6 weeks...

Come back and I'll share what I did in the meantime while sitting around waiting for the official diagnosis.  I'll share her diet.  I'll also share what she's been through.  When they say it's an emotional roller coaster, they ain't whistlin' dixie!