Help Me Save Sophie from Mast Cell Disease

[Marie M]

My little beagle “Sophie” just turned 4. She weighs 14 lbs. During her yearly exam in July 2019 our vet found a growth under her left ear. The needle aspiration results showed Mast Cells.
On Monday August 12 Sophie had an appointment at Cornell Companion Hospital in Ithaca NY. There she was seen by an oncologist who performed a number of tests ; Ultrasound to check spleen, blood tests, and a chest X-ray all of these tests were normal. Sophie also had a CT scan that showed the tumor outside of and along her ear canal. Also 1 Lymph node looks swollen and the Dr said there was a good chance the cancer spread to that lymph node.
I opted not to have surgery because they would not be able to get all the tumor and Sophie would lose her ear canal and might suffer facial paralysis if the nerve is damaged.
Sophie was sent home on Wednesday August 14th with Chemo. She started today: Palladia 15 Mg 3 times a week Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Prednisone 7.5 mg given the other 4 days of the week ; Benadryl 15 mg and Famotidine 10 mg 2 times a day.
The drs at Cornell said she has less than a year. I really didn’t want to hear that because I am praying she can recover. We go back to Cornell in 2 Weeks for blood work and urine tests.
I need guidance on where to go from here. Any help is appreciated. Sophie has been with me for a little over a year. I got Sophie when she was 2 from a breeder. In the past two years I have suffered so many family losses including my husband. Sophie has brought so much joy in my life. Thank you for reading my post

 

[Marie M]

Sophie

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Marie.

I'm so sorry for Sophie's current health challenges and all of your recent losses.

I understand how dire this situation seems, but now's the most important time ever to use Holistic Medical Decision Making to help clarify your medical decisions.

However, even before we use the HMDM protocol for her, please tell us 3 things.

1. What is she eating?

2. How is her BEAM (Behavior, Energy, Appetite, Mood)?

Following her BEAM will lead to better health! ?

3. What's her history of other health challenges, medications, vaccines, etc.?

Regarding prognosis, where there's life there's hope!

It's very important to focus on enjoying every day with her out in the sun, sniffing around, and especially being loved by you.

 

[tsharlo1]

Hi Marie,

So sorry to hear of Sophie's diagnosis.

I just want to share with you that my BMD was diagnosed with a MCT at the age of 3. She will be 12 next month. We were already clients of Dr. Feinman and all of her treatment has been with him. Kedron never had surgery, chemo, prednisone or benadryl. She has had a good quality of life though is slowing down now. She has had several more tumors but none have been removed.

There is hope!

Debbie

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks Debbie.

 

[Marie M]

Dear Dr Jeff thank you so much for responding.
Sophie food and supplements. Am and PM
1 small handful of Purina One - Chicken
.06 oz Chopped up fresh baked chicken breast mixed in Purina
2 drops Chamomile Herbal Supplement
1/2 tablet NutriVet Allerg-Eze
1/2 Teaspoon Garden of Life Organic fermented Turmeric Boost 25mg Organic Curcumin, Black pepper, Probiotics, ginger root

Treats 1 or 2 pieces - variety to choose from below
Homemade peanut butter, pumpkin and Cinnamon
Beggin Strips
Canine Carry Outs
Nudges Jerky Cuts
Organic Vally Organic string cheese

 

[Marie M]

BEAM
I live on a small farm with horses. Sophie loves to run with Leo. She tags along with me to and from the barn. There is a dog door in the house that opens to fenced in yard. Her and Leo can go out whenever they want to. Sophie loves sunning herself in the sun. In the house where the sun is shining it’s a good bet you will find Sophie basking. She likes to take naps. Especially if being held. She loves to be held and to cuddle. Sophie and Leo sleep with me. She nuzzles up against me. She like to sleep with the blanket over her head.
Sophie has such a good disposition that my vet suggested she would be a great service dog. Everyone who meets her is taken to her awesome disposition. At Cornell the Drs carried her around. She was the fan favorite.

 

[Marie M]

Sophie History
I got Sophie in March 2018 from a breeder of Queen Elizabeth Pocket Beagles or singing beagles. Sophie sings when she barks. I was looking for a campion for Leo after my other dog passed away. Leo was close to my husband who worked from home. I had to go to work and Leo hated being alone. I don’t know a lot about her medical history. This is what I was told.
Sophie was born the runt. Other puppies were on top of her. The breeder bottle fed her. The breeder tried to breed Sophie but she couldn’t carry a little so they had her neutered. When I took her to my vet. Dr Carolyn Orr. Animal Clinic of East Avenue she didn’t have a lot of muscle strength in her back legs. That changed after being with me on the farm. All the exercise built up Sophie’s muscles.
Sophie’s teeth were a mess. The vet put her under to clean her teeth and wound up removing several. There was a bone stuck under her teeth that had to come out. She had it in there before she came to live with me. The bone caused the teeth that were impacted to have to be removed.
Other than the above. I had her chipped, she has been vaccinated and had her rabies shot. I take her and Leo to the vet every 6 weeks to get their nails trimmed

 

[Dr. Jeff]

You're welcome Marie!

It might be a good idea for you to stop the Purina One or any other dry food.

Dry foods are 40-50% carbohydrates which promote cancer cell growth.

Ideally she'd eat an organic and varied fresh meat diet.

The carbs in her diet should be from fruits and veggies.

I'd also consider adding 1/4-1/2 cup of the rich anti-oxidants in the kale-blueberry smoothie.

Were either her dentistry or vaccinations within 6 months of the mast cell tumor development?

Have you consulted with a holistic or homeopathic vet?

If not, I think she definitely could benefit.

 

[Marie M]

Thank you for the information. I will discontinue The dry dog food. Are there specific brands or recipes ? Better yet is there a diet available ?
Sophie’s dental occurred prior to the Mast cell tumor. Her dental work was done 6 months before my vet found the tumor. The breeder must of had her vaccinated. It would of been prior to March 2018. My vet found the tumor June 24 2019 when she examined Sophie before giving the rabies shot.
I don’t have a holistic vet. I did have a holistic vet come to my farm for one of my horses. It took months before I could get an appointment. She was booked solid and had to come 11/2 hours. I had the H Vet out to do chiropractic work on a geriatric horse I have with back pain. She diagnosed him with chronic Lyme disease and gave me 2 Chinese Medicines that cost $200. I went through one of them in just a little over a week. My regular equine vet came and took a blood test and had it sent away to a lab checking for Lyme disease. The test came back negative for Lyme and Chronic Lyme disease. The counts were not even close to the scores for Lyme disease.
Sophie’s life depends on me making good decisions. I need guidance from folks who are knowledgeable and experienced about the disease . Sophie deserves to life a full life. I want to give her that. Thank you for the information regarding her dry food. I appreciate the feedback and grateful. Thanks for responding quickly.

 

[Marie M]

Hi Marie,

So sorry to hear of Sophie's diagnosis.

I just want to share with you that my BMD was diagnosed with a MCT at the age of 3. She will be 12 next month. We were already clients of Dr. Feinman and all of her treatment has been with him. Kedron never had surgery, chemo, prednisone or benadryl. She has had a good quality of life though is slowing down now. She has had several more tumors but none have been removed.

There is hope!

Debbie

Thank you Debbie for sharing. I am so happy to hear Kedron is doing so well. Thank you for giving me hope. Marie

 

[Dr. Jeff]

You're welcome Marie.

Your best bet, food wise is to feed the freshest and highest Vitality raw meat diet.

Local farms and butchers are a great source.

The intro course contains some specific suggestions.

Darwin's makes a cancer diet, but it doesnt contain any magical mixture of ingredients.

Intelligent Design™ Veterinary Meals For Dogs | Darwin's Pet Food

Intelligent Design™ Veterinary Formulas for Canines are specialized meals designed to provide extra support to dogs facing certain health issues. These highly palatable and nutritious meals use only hormone-free (no added hormones), antibiotic-free, and pesticide-free meats and organic...

www.darwinspet.com

Anything from a fresh clean meat source +/- phytonutrients like blueberry-kale.

 

[Marie M]

You're welcome Marie.

Your best bet, food wise is to feed the freshest and highest Vitality raw meat diet.

Local farms and butchers are a great source.

The intro course contains some specific suggestions.

Darwin's makes a cancer diet, but it doesnt contain any magical mixture of ingredients.

Intelligent Design™ Veterinary Meals For Dogs | Darwin's Pet Food

Intelligent Design™ Veterinary Formulas for Canines are specialized meals designed to provide extra support to dogs facing certain health issues. These highly palatable and nutritious meals use only hormone-free (no added hormones), antibiotic-free, and pesticide-free meats and organic...

www.darwinspet.com

Anything from a fresh clean meat source +/- phytonutrients like blueberry-kale.

Thank you

 

[Dr. Christina]

So many challenges, Marie. Life for each of us is a journey that takes many twists and turns. There is no one right solution, nor one right answer for any decisions we need to make.

In addition to working with nutrition (and there is a lot to find here in the forum), the very best is to start homeopathic treatment right away. As a member you can work with Dr. Jeff (How Do I Become a New Client of Dr. Jeff Feinman's Homeopathic Veterinary Practice in Connecticut?) or other phone consulting homeopathic veterinarians (www.theavh.org).

Thinking about food takes a bit of a mind shift. Rather than thinking of the best "dog" food, think about the best ingredients to feed an animal who has ripping and tearing teeth, bone crunching teeth, no row of molars to chew grains or hunks of vegetables. If you were ill, you would look for the freshest ingredients raised in the cleanest way with the fewest pesticides, a good and happy life especially for the meat animals. You would want to eat a variety - fish, chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, elk, dairy (less for dogs but some is ok), eggs, pureed vegetables and fruits.

Probiotics and Answer's fermented raw goats milk (or local raw goats milk) will help the digestive system absorb the best nutrients.

Definitely look for any possible toxins, including EMF sources (WIFI, cell phone, smart meter, etc). Check the Empower Hour that Dr. Katie Kangas did on EMF sources and ways to lower their effect.

Dr. Christina

 

[lizkunz]

Marie, I'm so sorry to hear about Sophie. I have found that Dr. Jean Dodd's book, Canine Nutrigenomics was very helpful for me. Also, I use a few of Answer's products including the goat milk cheese. My dogs love the cheese! Their products are wonderful!

Dr. Christina and Dr. Jeff, have you heard of Dr. Zach Bush's LumaPet? It might address possible toxin issues especially from glysophate. I have yet to try it.

 

[Marie M]

So many challenges, Marie. Life for each of us is a journey that takes many twists and turns. There is no one right solution, nor one right answer for any decisions we need to make.

In addition to working with nutrition (and there is a lot to find here in the forum), the very best is to start homeopathic treatment right away. As a member you can work with Dr. Jeff (How Do I Become a New Client of Dr. Jeff Feinman's Homeopathic Veterinary Practice in Connecticut?) or other phone consulting homeopathic veterinarians (www.theavh.org).

Thinking about food takes a bit of a mind shift. Rather than thinking of the best "dog" food, think about the best ingredients to feed an animal who has ripping and tearing teeth, bone crunching teeth, no row of molars to chew grains or hunks of vegetables. If you were ill, you would look for the freshest ingredients raised in the cleanest way with the fewest pesticides, a good and happy life especially for the meat animals. You would want to eat a variety - fish, chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, elk, dairy (less for dogs but some is ok), eggs, pureed vegetables and fruits.

Probiotics and Answer's fermented raw goats milk (or local raw goats milk) will help the digestive system absorb the best nutrients.

Definitely look for any possible toxins, including EMF sources (WIFI, cell phone, smart meter, etc). Check the Empower Hour that Dr. Katie Kangas did on EMF sources and ways to lower their effect.

Dr. Christina

Thank you

 

[Marie M]

Marie, I'm so sorry to hear about Sophie. I have found that Dr. Jean Dodd's book, Canine Nutrigenomics was very helpful for me. Also, I use a few of Answer's products including the goat milk cheese. My dogs love the cheese! Their products are wonderful!

Dr. Christina and Dr. Jeff, have you heard of Dr. Zach Bush's LumaPet? It might address possible toxin issues especially from glysophate. I have yet to try it.

Thank you. I started using raw goats milk. I appreciate and am grateful for all the information. Marie