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GMKC Paw Prints August 2020
www.greatermonroekc.org Page 1
The Next Meeting Next Meeting is Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
Held at the Hilltop Fish Fare and Steakhouse
1602 E. Roosevelt Blvd. Monroe, NC 28112
Ph: (704) 289-3733
We meet in the back room of the Bistro. In order to minimize in-
terruptions to the meeting, please plan to arrive by 6:00 p.m. if
you are having dinner.
Board Meeting will follow after the regular meeting adjourns.
CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
2020 Newsletter Editor:
Donna Otero
4969 Friendly Farms Road
Greensboro, NC 27406
GMKC by-laws state that the newslet-
ter is to be distributed 2 weeks IN
ADVANCE OF THE GENERAL
MEETING. Therefore, ALL articles
and information for the newsletter
need to be submitted by the TUES-
DAY that is 2 WEEKS FOLLOWING
THE GENERAL MEETING. For the
September 2020 newsletter, I will
need all your information by Au-
gust 25, 2020
Opinions expressed in this newsletter
are those of the contributor and do
not necessarily reflect the views of
GMKC either as a group or individual-
ly.
Advice or helpful hints should never
be taken as substitutes for personal
veterinary counsel.
Contact and referral persons are in
no way guaranteed by the GMKC
2020 Officers and Directors
President—John Schoeneman
Vice President— Wayne Kerr
Secretary—Janet Broome
Treasurer— Martha Milligan
Board of Directors
Lynn Rowell
Randy Jackson
Vicki Swaringer
Paw Prints Greater Monroe Kennel Club
this issue
Volume 19, Issue 8
Meeting Announcement pg 1
April Mtg Minutes pg 2
Karen’s Korner pg 4
August 2020
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GMKC Meeting minutes July 14, 2020 John Schoeneman, president, called the meeting to order at 7:00. There were 10 members and one guest present. The guest was Deborah Besaw. She has recently moved to the area and inter-ested in getting involved with a dog club. She has prior involvement with obedience. She said her strengths were in administration. The minutes of the last meeting were approved as printed in the newsletter. The president reported that AKC allowed Zoom meetings. The secretary, Janet Broome, was absent. Martha Milligan, treasurer, took notes for the minutes. Martha Milligan gave the treasurer report. Refunds for March Spring Classic were given for the following venues: Agility: 70% of entry fees. AKC fees and secretary fees were paid. Bill Pay with Bank of America was used to issue refund checks. We did not have to pay anything for this service, in-cluding postage. Janet Broome and Martha Milligan filled out the information on the bank’s form to provide them with the information to issue the refund checks. Obedience and rally: All entry fees were refunded so no AKC fees were required to be paid. Chris Brooks was very generous to donate his time for the work that he had done up until the time when the trials were cancelled. Conformation: AKC and MBF fees were paid. No refunds were given to exhibitors because the club did not receive any information from MBF to allow us to write checks to exhibitors. Fast Cat. Exhibitor received a full refund because the trail had not closed when the events were cancelled. We will pay Chris Frodsham, trial secretary, extra in the fall for Fast Cat events. Karen Jackson, Sunshine person, said she had sent out several birthday cards to members. She was complemented on the good job she was doing. The August Canine Extravaganza was cancelled because the arena was closed by order of NC governor and Cabarrus County. We are proceeding with plans for November Speedway Classic. We will have to wait to see if we will be allowed to have the event. The Greenville shows are being held the 4th week in July. Kenny Robinson, General Manager of Cabarrus Arena, will attend the Greenville shows to see how they plan to provide social distancing. John is contacting Kenny and Guy Fisher to put to-gether a plan to present to Cabarrus County to allow is to hold November shows.
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MBF did not provide good services for the cancellation of March Speedway Classic. John in looking into other superintendents for November shows. Randy Jackson is making plans for Herding events at November shows. John is working on getting specialties for the show. He will contact judges for conformation. There were two vacancies on the board. They are membership secretary and board mem-ber. Vacancies that occur on the board or among the offices during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the then members of the board at the first regular meeting or at a special board meeting called for that purpose. The board voted and elected Vicki Swaringer for board member and Lisa Payne as membership sec-retary. Rich and Jenny Wittenburg were voted as new members. They, along with their son, Lo-gan, have helped for the last two years run Fast Cat. We are planning on getting vehicle wraps for the burgundy trailer and the new club trail-er with the GMKC Logo. Meeting was adjourned at 7:45.
Minutes of Board Meeting July 14, 2020. Board members present: John Schoeneman, Wayne Kerr, Randy Jackson and Martha Milligan. Janet Broome and Lynn Rowell were absent. We discussed the possible specialty clubs that could come in with us at the November Speedway Classic. We could set up tents outside for grooming depending on the weather. Bathing could also be set up outside. John will work on getting approval with AKC for the shows and will assign judges. With no other business, the meeting adjourned at 8:10
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All articles in this section were submitted by Karen Phillipa
Karen’s
Korner All articles in this section
were submitted by
Karen Phillips
Hemangioscarcoma
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Hemangiosarcoma …(From DOGS NATURALLY) it’s a scary di-
agnosis for any dog owner to hear.
It’s an aggressive form of cancer that spreads fast … and it’s all too common, espe-
cially in larger breeds as they get older.
Hemangiosarcoma is a dogs-only cancer. Humans sometimes get similar tumors
called angiosarcomas. They’re usually from work exposure to vinyl chloride and pol-
ychlorinated PCBs … often in rubber or tire plants. Women who get high dose radi-
ation for breast cancer can get angiosarcoma of the skin.
Estimates are that HSA accounts for 5-7% of all tumors in dogs.
When they give you a hemangiosarcoma diagnosis, most vets will tell you there’s
not much you can do. They’ll also recommend surgery and chemotherapy as a way
to extend your dog’s survival.
So I want to tell you more about the disease and the options. What can you do to try
to give your dog more time with you.
What Is Hemangiosarcoma? Hemangiosarcoma is also called angiosarcoma or malignant hemangioendothelio-
ma. It’s abbreviated as HSA.
Hemangiosarcoma is a cancer of the blood vessel lining . The technical name for
this is the vascular endothelium. That’s why it can spread so fast … because your
dog has blood vessels everywhere in his body.
There are three types of HSA:
Visceral – in the internal organs, especially spleen, heart (right atrium), liver
Dermal or cutaneous – appears on the skin, often where fur is sparse
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Hypodermal – the layer of tissue under the skin (subcutis)
As this list suggests. the disease can appear anywhere in the body. It often starts
somewhere there’s a lot of blood supply … like the spleen or heart. In fact, 2/3 of
spleen cancers are HSA, and 40% of heart cancers are HSA.
The spleen’s job is to filter red blood cells … which is why it’s one of the most likely
places for an HSA tumor.
Hemangiosarcoma starts out slow. It doesn’t usually cause pain, and dogs may not
show symptoms. But eventually it’s a very aggressive cancer.
It’s also difficult to detect.
This means that in more than half the cases, by the time HSA is diagnosed, it’s al-
ready spread.
It can metastasize widely … to the lungs, abdominal lymph nodes, brain, bone and
muscle, as well as into the omentum (part of the abdomen).
The hypodermal and visceral forms are the most aggressive and invasive types of
HSA. Dermal HSA is sometimes treatable if it hasn’t already spread. But like the
other types of HSA, it can metastasize internally.
As the disease progresses, tumors often grow and rupture. The result is severe
bleeding, leading to collapse, shock and death.
The cause of HSA is unknown, though because of breed disposition, genetics like-
ly play a role.
Dermal HSA may be due to sun exposure.
Breeds At Risk For Hemangiosarcoma HSA accounts for 0.2 to 3% of all canine tumors. As I mentioned earlier, HSA is more common in larger
dogs, usually when they’re middle aged or older (9 to 12 years).
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These breeds are most affected by subcutaneous and visceral tumors …
Golden Retrievers (lifetime risk is 1 in 5)
German Shepherds
Labrador Retrievers
Boxers
Rottweilers
Dobermans
English Setters
Flat-Coated Retrievers
Portuguese Water Dogs
Skye Terriers
Whippets
HSA of the skin (dermal) is more common in some breeds because they have light skin and sparse coats.
White parts of the coat are more likely affected. Sun exposure may be a factor in dermal HSA.
Dalmatians
Basset Hounds
Whippets
Pit bulls
Boxers
Other Risk Factors Breed is one major risk factor. But there are a couple of other things that make a dif-
ference too.
Gender
The Swiss Cancer Registry looked at records for more than 121,000 dog cancer
cases from 1955 to 2008. Among 1,904 dogs with hemangioma or hemangiosar-
coma, the risk was lower for female dogs.
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Spay/Neuter
The Swiss study also found a higher risk of tumors outside the genital organs in neu-
tered vs intact dogs.
Other studies have also examined the effect of spay/neuter on HSA risk.
Among 2,505 Vizslas born between 1992 and 2008 … females spayed at 12
months or under had 9 times greater odds of developing HSA than intact
dogs. Males and females neutered after 12 months of age also had higher risk.
One study found more than 5 times higher risk of cardiac HSA among spayed fe-
male dogs. For neutered males, the risk was slightly higher.
Another study found spayed females had 2.2 times greater risk for spleen HSA than
intact females.
A study to be released in November 2020 reviewed 5,736 dogs with hemangiosar-
coma from 1964 to 2003.
After adjusting for historical time period and age … the study concluded that neuter-
ing increases the risk of …
Splenic HSA
HSA in general
But not cardiac HSA
Since hemangiosarcoma is so difficult to spot, how might you know your dog has it?
Symptoms of Hemangiosarcoma Before I talk about this, I want to quote Dr Marty Goldstein. I once asked him what
signs of cancer people should look for in their dogs. This was his reply:
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“I don’t like giving people things to look for … because then they start looking for
them. Don’t look for negative things … look for how great your dog is do-
ing! That’s very, very important.”
I think this is good advice. So … don’t go looking for cancer in your dog. But be
aware of some signs your dog may not be feeling his best.
Many dogs with HSA don’t show any symptoms for a long time. HSA isn’t painful and
if your dog has no anemia, he can seem quite normal.
Early Signs
At first you might see some subtle symptoms like …
Low energy
Weight loss
Reduced appetite
Vomiting or diarrhea
Lameness
Every dog can have an off day or two … but if these types of symptoms continue,
talk to your vet.
Symptoms of hypodermal and visceral HSA may include the above signs … as
well as other more severe signs.
Severe Signs Of HSA
Charles Loops DVM is a homeopathic vet who specializes in cancer cases. He’s
seen a lot of hemangiosarcoma in his practice. The most common symptoms he
sees are due to anemia from bleeding in the abdominal cavity …
Weakness or fainting
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Increased heart rate
Increased panting
Difficulty breathing
Pale mucous membranes (like the gums)
Distended belly
Sometimes the anemia can be episodic. The tumor bleeds and then the body reab-
sorbs the blood. So you may see your dog having some days of weakness. But then
it passes and you assume whatever was wrong with your dog is gone.
But if it’s due to hemangiosarcoma, it’s still there.
So don’t ignore the above signs of possible anemia.
Other serious signs may be …
Lack of coordination
Partial paralysis
Seizures
Nosebleeds
Coughing
Collapse
Again, get to your vet if you see some of these signs.
Dermal HSA usually appears in areas with little or no fur. You may see black or
reddish growths on the skin, especially around the abdomen, back legs and
prepuce.
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Diagnosis Of Hemangiosarcoma If you have any reason to suspect hemangiosarcoma in your dog, go to the vet im-
mediately. Don’t waste time wondering about it.
The best chance for beating HSA is to find it before the bleeding has started.
Sometimes HSA is discovered inadvertently during an exam for some other condi-
tion.
But even with early diagnosis, these blood tumors can metastasize quickly.
If your vet suspects HSA, the first thing she’ll do is a hands-on exam.
She’ll palpate your dog’s abdomen, feeling for an enlarged spleen. If your dog has
internal bleeding, your vet may find a fluid “wave” that moves across the belly when
she touches it.
She’ll do blood work, including, at a minimum …
Complete blood count
Chemistry panel
Urinalysis
Clotting profile
Other tests to rule out different diagnoses include:
Blood parasite screening for tick-borne or other infectious disease
Fecal test for intestinal parasites
Electrolyte test for dehydration and electrolyte levels
Urine test for urinary tract infection and to evaluate the kidney
Thyroid test to determine if gland is producing enough hormone
The next steps will vary depending on what she finds.
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Suspected Spleen HSA
If your vet suspects splenic HSA, she’ll do abdominal x-rays and an ultrasound.
Ultrasounds provide a better view of internal organs. They can show masses, meta-
static lesions and abdominal fluid.
If there’s abdominal fluid, your vet may aspirate a sample to see if it’s blood. Aspira-
tion won’t usually show cancer cells, but it can confirm that there’s internal bleeding.
Caution: If your vet suspects splenic HSA, makes sure she doesn’t aspirate
the mass.
Dr Demian Dressler (The Dog Cancer Vet) warns in his book, The Dog Cancer Sur-
vival Guide:
“While it is standard to aspirate spleen, heart and liver masses discovered on an ul-
trasound, these masses should not be aspirated when splenic HSA is suspected.
“Cancer cells are rarely present in aspirate, and because HSA is an inherently
bloody cancer, aspirating can cause potentially dangerous bleeding and tumor rup-
ture.
“As confirmation of HSA with aspiration of masses is rarely possible, this procedure
is not worth the risk.”
The best way to confirm splenic HSA is to remove the entire spleen and then biopsy
it.
Dr Dressler says that if a suspicious lesion doesn’t appear to have many blood ves-
sels … then aspiration can confirm a diagnosis of superficial masses. These might
be on skin or regional lymph nodes.
Suspected Heart HSA
The best approach in diagnosing heart HSA is an echocardiogram. That’s an ultra-
sound of the heart. You should get a referral to a cardiologist … who’ll be experi-
enced in performing and interpreting echocardiograms.
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If this test shows fluid around the heart, your vet may recommend aspiration in this
case. Dr Dressler gives several reasons:
Removing the fluid from the pericardial sac will relieve symptoms. It will also
stabilize your dog.
The aspirate may help diagnose lymphoma, a much more treatable cancer.
Some oncologists also believe the pH of the sample can help assess the pres-
ence of cancer.
It may show elevated levels of cardiac troponin I. The CardiacTropin I test is a
marker for HSA. It’s done through a specialized lab.
Assessing The Spread of HSA The next step is to take x-rays and ultrasounds of other organs …
Liver
Lungs
Abdominal organs
Heart
Kidney
Brain
Muscles
Lymph nodes
These images will show whether an HSA tumor has spread elsewhere in the body.
Most cases of HSA have already spread at diagnosis.
Some vets may also recommend a whole body CT (computed tomographic)
scan … especially if your dog is lame.
Carloni et al studied 61 dogs with visceral or muscular HSA diagnoses. The study
identified skeletal muscular metastases (SMMs) in almost 25% of the cases. These
SMMs weren’t seen in other testing.
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All of these dogs had lameness or were reluctant to move. The SMM findings
were significantly higher in males. There was no correlation with size of primary tu-
mor, age or breed of dogs.
Another way to assess how much HSA has spread is a VEGF test. This stands for
vascular endothelial growth factor. VEFG levels in the blood can show …
how advanced the disease is
how it may progress
whether it’s likely to respond to therapy
Assessing the spread allows clinical staging of the cancer. This knowledge can help
with treatment decisions.
Staging Hemangiosarcoma This is the WHO’s staging system for HSA.
Visceral HSA
Stage I: Tumor smaller than 5 cms. Primary tumor only with no regional or dis-
tant metastasis.
Stage II: Tumor greater than 5 cms. Ruptured tumor; confined regional metas-
tasis, no distant metastasis.
Stage III: Tumor larger than 5 cm. Rupture tumor; tumor that’s invaded adja-
cent structures … with or without lymph node metastasis or distant metasta-
sis.
Skin HSA
Stage I: Primary tumor confined to the skin.
Stage II: Tumor involving the hypodermis or subcutis layers.
Stage III: Tumor with muscle involvement.
Prognosis of HSA
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Unfortunately, the outlook for HSA is very bleak in nearly every case. Only 10% of
dogs survive as long as a year – even with treatment.
The prognoses below assume conventional treatment options. But I’ll tell you in a bit
about some natural options … that may extend your dog’s survival time.
Visceral HSA
Dogs who are not treated have a life expectancy of days to weeks.
Dogs who get surgery for splenic HSA survive 1 to 3 months
Dogs who have surgery (splenic or heart HSA) … plus post-op chemotherapy
have median survival times of 6 months.
Survival times may be a few months longer with chemotherapy for a dog with a
stage 1 spleen tumor.
Skin HSA
Skin tumors are not quite as deadly.
Dogs with Stage I have median survival times of 26 months.
Stage II and III can survive 6 to 10 months.
There was also a study of dogs with median survival times of 4 years when giv-
en aggressive surgery, and chemotherapy with doxorubicin … with or without
radiation.
Conventional Treatment Options While many of us won’t opt for conventional treatments … you never really know un-
til you’re faced with life-threatening disease. So I want to tell you what treatments
your vet or oncologist may suggest.
The options depend on your dog’s individual situation.
For all types of HSA, just about any practitioner will recommend surgery.
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Even Dr Charles Loops … again, a homeopath … says that splenectomy can some-
times allow dogs to return to their normal routine. Homeopathy can improve and pro-
long quality of life in these cases.
I’ll get into homeopathic treatment of HSA a bit later.
Conventional oncologists will likely recommend surgery followed by chemotherapy.
Spleen HSA
If the tumor is on the spleen, the surgeon will likely remove the whole spleen (a sple-
nectomy). Your dog can live without a spleen.
If there’s a lot of bleeding, your dog may need a blood transfusion before surgery.
Your dog may also need plasma for clotting.
Heart HSA
The first step for a tumor on the heart may be pericardiocentesis. This is to remove
fluid that’s placing pressure on the heart. It can relieve a lot of discomfort … though
sometimes the fluid comes back in a few days.
After that procedure to stabilize your dog, he may a candidate for surgery. There are
two ways to do this:
Removing part of the pericardium. That’s the sac around the heart. It’ll make more
space for fluid, which gives the heart more room to work,
Removing the tumor on the heart. This increases median survival times to 1 to 4
months. It’s a high-risk surgery, requiring 24 hours in the ICU after the operation.
About 15% of dogs don’t survive.
If your dog is a good candidate for these surgeries … conventional practitioners will
recommend chemo afterwards. Doxorubicin is the usual chemotherapy drug for
HSA.
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If you choose chemotherapy, you must take your dog to an oncologist for treatment.
The drugs are very potent and van cause severe damage if not handled expertly.
Chemotherapy treatments may continue for the rest of your dog’s life … though
some protocols recommend only 5 or 6 treatments.
If the spleen has ruptured, your oncologist may recommend extra chemotherapy …
with a different drug. Intracavity chemo can help show the spread of HSA through
the abdomen. It may not extend your dog’s survival time though.
Skin HSA
The prognosis for skin HSA is much better than visceral HSA.
In conventional treatments, surgery is, again, the first step. The aim is to get wide
margins. Aggressive surgery with clean margins, plus chemo, can offer much longer
survival times … as long as 4 years in some cases.
If narrow or dirty margins are necessary … your surgeon may recommend radiation
to follow surgery.
The prognosis is much better for Stage I HSA. Fewer than 30% of these cases me-
tastasize. This means skin HSA can sometimes be cured … with successful surgery
and radiation or chemo.
Stage II or III skin HSAs metastasize easily. So your oncologist will almost certainly
recommend chemo.
Despite the better prognosis of skin HSA compared to visceral HSAs … always do
thorough research before you decide. Talk to holistic as well as conventional practi-
tioners.
Cancer is a systemic disease, so surgically removing a tumor isn’t always the
best solution. You can read more about the drawbacks of surgery in this post
about all types of canine skin cancers.
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Whatever type of HSA your dog has, always ask about all the options. Always con-
sider getting a second opinion. HSA is heavily researched and many new treatments
are being studied. One newer technique already used is metronomic chemothera-
py.
One thing you’ll find as a major drawback of conventional treatments is the
cost. Treatments that involve surgery plus chemo or radiation can cost $5,000
to $10,000.
But that’s not the only reason to look at other options.
Reasons To Avoid Chemo or Radiation This is a tough decision that only you can make … often based on recommendations
and predictions from your veterinary oncologist.
They’ll likely tell you that chemo will buy your dog some time, based on studies and
statistics. And it might.
Many dog owners assume that conventional treatment is the only way to address
cancer. It’s easy to think “life threatening disease = conventional medicine.”
But with cancer, it isn’t always true. And the treatments themselves can make your
dog ill.
I remember a talk on cancer that Dr Ian Billinghurst gave at one of our events a few
years ago. (DNM’s Natural Canine Health Symposium in 2016.)
And after hearing his talk … I promised my dogs I would never put them through
those conventional therapies.
Conventional Treatments Don’t Cure Cancer
Dr Billinghurst reminded us that cancer treatments … for humans as well as
companion animals … have progressed very little. If you’re old enough to re-
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member Nixon’s War On Cancer announced in the 1970s … they thought they could
conquer cancer within a decade.
But the truth is far from it.
Yes, they’ve made a few improvements. They’ve developed some new immunother-
apies … but most remissions last only a few months. And statistics show that the
death rate is unchanged since the ‘70s. That’s 50 years!
Not one drug has been developed to treat metastatic cancer.
Remember, this is what HSA is. The primary tumor may be in the spleen or heart.
But HSA rapidly and aggressively spreads to other parts of the body. So you can re-
move the spleen or a mass on the heart. But if the cancer metastasizes, you can’t
just cut it out.
So that’s why they usually follow up surgeries with chemotherapy or radiation.
Toxic Treatments
And here’s what chemo and radiation do to your dog’s body.
Radiation (used after surgery for dermal HSA) burns your dog’s skin. Using
radioactive material that itself is carcinogenic.
Chemotherapy poisons the body with chemicals that damage other body
cells … as well as the cancer cells. And chemotherapy drugs
are carcinogenic too.
Dr Billinghurst says these treatments may shrink tumors. They usually don’t get rid
of them completely. When treatment stops, they’ll come back. And when they
come back, they’re often more aggressive, more malignant and more deadly
than before.
His approach is different:
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“Instead of weakening the body … the far more rational (and scientific) approach is to strengthen the
body. To give it the nutritional tools that allow it to fight the cancer. At the same time I use nutritional
means that weaken and take the power away from the cancer.
“In most instances, this not only allows longer survival times … but
does so with a vastly improved quality of life.
If you decide on these treatments, be aware of some of the likely side effects your dog may experience.
Chemo Side Effects
Doxorubicin is a chemotherapy drug that’s often used in HSA cases. It’s a powerful
drug that works by generating free radicals.
Free radicals are usually something you don’t want in your dog’s body. They’re dam-
aged cells that are missing a molecule … which they steal from other cells. So they
damage those too. Giving antioxidant foods is the usual way to combat free radical
damage. This helps prevent the aging process and avoid disease.
But if you give your dog antioxidants, they can interfere with the effects of this
chemo.
They give Doxorubicin by IV right into the vein. It’s a “vesicant“. This means it
can cause severe damage to skin and other tissues if it leaks into subcutaneous
tissue. Sometimes you need surgery to repair the damage.
Other doxorubicin side effects are similar to other chemo drugs, including
Hair loss
Nausea
Vomiting
Bone marrow suppression
Additional side effects include abnormal heart rhythms when the drug is given.
Chronic conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy can also occur. Sometimes the on-
cologist may prescribe an iron chelator … to minimize the risk of heart problems.
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And sometimes it can provoke an anaphylactic response. If that happens … they’ll
give your dog antihistamines like Benadryl, or corticosteroid drugs. Your dog may
get other drugs to counteract doxorubicin side effects … like antibiotics and anti-
nausea drugs.
That’s is just one chemo drug your oncologist may recommend. But it’s one
that often used for HSA.
Radiation Side Effects
Radiation can also cause some unpleasant side effects:
Skin redness or blistering (like a sunburn)
Hair loss
Change in hair color
Depending on where the radiation is given, mouth sores or eye problems can also
occur.
More severe side effect that may appear later in your dog’s life are:
Bone or ligament damage
Nerve injuries
Spinal cord injury
Brain infarction
Blindness
Kidney problems
And, ironically, radiation can cause other cancers.
Chemo and radiation will likely mean your dog needs other drugs to help ease some
of the side effects.
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But there are natural remedies to help with effects like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Cancer treatments involve some very big decisions. Understand that the treatment
itself can be harmful. So if you choose conventional medicine … make sure your
oncologist fully explains what you should expect from the treatment.
Buying More Time With Your Dog If you decide to avoid chemo or radiation for your dog … this section will guide you
with some natural approaches. Some of these choices may help prolong your
dog’s life … or at least, your dog’s quality of life.
Even if you opt for conventional treatment … it’s a good idea to support your dog
with some alternative therapies.
Finding The Right Practitioner
First, find a really skilled homeopath, herbalist or other holistic vet. And make sure
it’s one who’s experienced with cancer patients. Look for a practitioner who’s already
achieved results with other dogs.
Don’t just ask your conventional vet or oncologist … (though they may have some
recommendations).
Ask your friends and neighbors. Ask your breeder, trainer, groomer, specialty retailer,
rescue group. Ask anyone who’s involved with dog care. Join online dog cancer fo-
rums. There will be people with direct experience of managing hemangiosarcoma in
their dogs.
Of course, you’ll do your own research too. But you’ll want to find a professional who
can help guide your choices of the best food and supplements … plus herbal or ho-
meopathic therapies that may be helpful.
Steps You Can Take
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Helping your dog with HSA is definitely a time to work with an expert … but here are
some things that may support your dog.
No Vaccinations
If you vaccinate your dog, stop! Apart from the long-term damage vaccines do, no
dog owner (or vet!) should even think of vaccinating a dog with cancer. Even the
vaccine labeling says vaccines are only to be given to healthy animals.
And it’s pretty obvious that a dog with cancer is not healthy.
Food
We all know the expression “food is medicine” and it’s true. Give your dog the very
best diet you can afford to help support his body and immune system.
The number one food rule is: don’t feed kibble or any starchy foods!
Dr Ian Billinghurst explains that sugar feeds cancer.
Any starches in the diet convert to sugar.
High blood sugar produces high insulin. This hormone turns on cell reproduc-
tion and cell growth. yes, this includes cancer cells.
Sugar increases inflammation.
Sugar creates excess calories.
This all means that high levels of blood sugar drive cancer. If you remove the sugar
from the diet, you starve the cancer cells.
Your holistic vet will likely have some diet advice for you. Everyone takes a slightly
different approach. Many may recommend ketogenic diets for cancer patients. If you
choose a ketogenic diet, don’t design it on your own. The nutrients have to be care-
fully balanced for the best results and you need expert help.
But here are some general guidelines to a healthy diet for your hemangiosarcoma
dog.
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No kibble or starchy foods!
Feed fresh, whole foods, preferably raw meat based
If you can afford it, use grass fed meats
Include organ meats for nutrient density
Buy organic to avoid toxins
Add plenty of colorful low glycemic vegetables (steamed or pureed for digesti-
bility)
Give antioxidants (berries are a great source)
Give Omega-3 fats
Include other whole food supplements to boost nutrition and your dog’s im-
mune system
Supplements That Can Help With Hemangiosarcoma
The number one supplement I’d consider for a dog with hemangiosarcoma is … me-
dicinal mushrooms.
Medicinal Mushrooms
A good organic medicinal mushroom blend can really boost your dog’s immune sys-
tem.
Mushrooms are rich in beta-glucans, the main medicinal property in mushrooms. Be-
ta-glucans have many benefits … and supporting immunity is a key one.
To make sure you get the highest level of beta-glucans in your mushrooms … be
sure to buy a product made from whole mushrooms.
Many mushroom supplements are made from mycelium, which is only the root part
of the mushroom. Mycelium is grown on grains. Mushroom supplements grown on
grains are higher in starch and lower in beta glucans.
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So do your dog a favor and buy the best whole mushroom supplement you can.
If you buy a mushroom blend made for dogs, gollow the dosing directions on the la-
bel. If it’s made for humans, assume the dose is for 150 lbs and adjust for your dog’s
weight.
A mushroom blend can do a lot to support your dog’s immune system.
But there’s one special mushroom that’s a star when it comes to helping dogs
with hemangiosarcoma.
Turkey Tail Mushrooms (Coriolus versicolor or Trametes versicolor)
Even if your mushroom supplement blend already includes turkey tail … you need to
give your dog extra turkey tail mushrooms. Because they’re one thing research has
proven can extend … even double your dog’s survival time with hemangiosar-
coma.
I mentioned earlier the very short survival times for dogs with hemangiosarcoma …
even with surgery and chemotherapy.
But turkey tail may really help extend your dog’s survival time!
A 2012 study at University of Pennsylvania treated hemangiosarcoma dogs with I’M-
Yunity … an extract of polysaccharopeptide (PSP) from turkey tail mushrooms.
There were 15 dogs in the trial. Each group pf 5 dogs got different doses – 25, 50 0r
100 mg per kilo per day.
The researchers were stunned at the results. The longest median survival time
they’d seen before for spleen HSA with no further treatment was 86 days.
But with just the PSP treatment, there was dogs that lived longer than a year. Again,
the dogs got no other treatments.
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The median survival time in the 100 mg group was the highest … at 199
days. That’s more than double the previous report of 86 days!
The researchers also noted that it was longer than the median survival time for
dogs getting doxorubicin chemotherapy … which is 141 to 179 days.
And that’s without the side effects (or the huge expense)!
Read more about turkey tail mushrooms and hemangiosarcoma here.
Yunnan Baiyao
Yunnan Baiyo is a popular herbal formula in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
(TCVM) … and TCM for humans too. The formula is proprietary ( patented by the
Chinese government) … so we don’t know what’s in it. Some say it may contain in-
gredients like ginseng, ox gall bladder, and more.
Many TCVM practitioners use Yunnan Baiyao as a constitutional remedy. It balanc-
es Qiblood statis or stagnation. And it’s also a very popular remedy to stop bleed-
ing.
Yunnan Baiyao helps improve platelets and clotting. So it can stop bleeding from
external wounds as well as internal hemorrhaging. And this is what makes it ef-
fective in helping dogs with hemangiosarcoma.
Yunnan Baiyao may also help slow the growth of an HSA tumor. In fact,
there’s research taking place to study its potential in killing HSA cells.
Yunnan baiyao may also have anti-inflammatory properties.
If you’d like to use this formula, it’s best to consult a TCVM vet who understands
the proper dosing for Yunnan Baiyao.
Note: You can find dosing formulas online, but I wouldn’t trust these sites. Yunnan
Baiyao dosing needs to be tailored to your dog.
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Homeopathy
Homeopathy from a good veterinary homeopath can really help your dog with
HSA. Dr Charles Loops, who I mentioned earlier, has treated many dogs with HSA.
He finds that homeopathy treatment can equal or exceed chemotherapy survival
times. And it’s a gentle treatment that does more to maintain your dog’s quality of
life, without side effects.
About 12 to 15% of Dr Loops’ HSA cases survive longer than a year. Others
have never had relapses.
Homeopaths like Dr Loops will tailor the individual treatment to your dog. He may al-
ternate a number of different remedies, including:
Constitutional remedy (prescribed for the individual patient)
Carcinosin (a homeopathic remedy prepared from cancerous tissues, known
as a nosode)
Specific cancer or organ remedies
Cell salt combinations
Yunnan Baiyao or homeopathic Phosphorus and Arnica to control bleeding
Prescribing and dosing remedies is an art in homeopathy. Every homeopath will
have different approaches. Dr Loops is a great example of a homeopathic vet who’s
had a lot of experience and success. Homeopathy helps prolong dogs’ quality of life
and avoid harmful treatments like chemotherapy.
There are lots of other holistic ways to help manage cancer. A couple of years ago
… we interviewed some well-known holistic vets about cancer supplements. Read
about their recommendations.
Preventing Hemangiosarcoma I left this for last. “How do you prevent hemangiosarcoma” is a tough question.
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Because they don’t know what causes it, there are really no good answers.
Light skinned or thin coated dogs susceptible to skin HSA should avoid a lot of sun
exposure.
Otherwise, the best thing you can do is be meticulous in managing your dog’s
healthy lifestyle.
Feed the best diet you can, with no starchy carbohydrates
Give immune supporting supplements
Give your dog chemical-free water (filtered or spring water)
Avoid or minimize vaccinations
Use natural remedies instead of antibiotics or other drugs
Don’t use chemicals in your home or yard
Don’t spay or neuter your dog
Those are just a few of the things within your control. Dr Demian Dressler has a lot
more suggestions on how to avoid cancer generally for your dog. I encourage you to
follow his advice as much as you can.
Hemangiosarcoma is a horrible disease with very few treatments that offer hope.
The only good news is that it’s not normally painful.
But some of the natural solutions above may help keep your dog with you longer
… while still allowing him to enjoy his quality of life.
Julia Henriques
Julia Henriques is Managing Editor of Dogs Naturally Magazine. She's on the Board
of Playing Again Sams (Wisconsin Samoyed Rescue) where she enjoys helping
adopters and group members choose more natural health care options for their
dogs. She lives in Chicago with her partner Marc and two rescue Samoyeds.
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