Mal Not Well

[dirtychicken]

Billy I am so very sorry :GroupHug:

 

I've been thinking of you and Mal all day and praying for the best

 

If he's used to a homecooked diet, I think I'd be happier sticking with that and just adding the best meat that you can afford for him but you know your boy best and what he will and won't tolerate

 

You know where I am if you need a secret-from-Mal sob

[BillyMalc]

Very disappointing news Billy Don't give up hope though but just take a look at this CV247

 

I hope the vet is wrong but if there is a possibility of a tumour it is worth trying but you have to convince your vet that it is worth trying!

If you look at 'Bramble's Story' that is about a little dog I had many years ago and that is how I first got involved with the treatment.

 

Our little Beagle, Jan is on it now and has been for about 2 months and she is doing well. She was diagnosed with Lymphoma last December and went on a course of chemo' but although she was ok for a while after 12 weeks she started to have unpleasant side effects.

 

Our vet had been trying to get hold of CV247 for a very long time but couldn't because it wasn't licensed here until January this year but he got stocks of it as soon as he could and is now using it on a few of his patients.

 

If you read the link there is advice on the diet which if you can get them to eat it is the best support for the therapy but other than that a low protein/fat diet and organic. Jan has all the veggies and is on Burns Organic which seems to suit her.

 

Just a suggestion anyway.

 

 

 

You know, you just reminded me! I've got a Dogs Today magazine with an article about it next to my bed, d'oh!! I'll call the vet tomorrow and ask her to get it in, she said she's working this weekend!

THANK YOU!

 

As for the veggies: Mal does not want to be near ANY veggies whatsoever. I think that he's trying to tell me hat, what with years of being vegan, he's had enough veggies to last him a couple of life times

[Tempest]

Oh cripes Billy I've only just caught up with this and I'm so so so sorry to hear what you're all going through

 

If it's any help Olls is on Prednisolone too and it has helped with his neurological problem but as it's degenerative he's getting worse over time too. With the Pred I find that Ollie has a massively increased thirst and also he pants really heavily so don't panic if Mal does get some side effects - feel free to pm me if you're worried as I think I know most of the Pred side effects off by heart now

 

If it's any help my brother said to me recently when we thought we were going to lose Olls a few months ago that I just should think of the fantastic life he's had with us in the last 5 years and what his future would have been had he stayed as a stray in Ireland - well basically he probably would have just been pts and I found that really helped me a lot to think like that. Mal has had a FANTASTIC life with you in the last few years and just think what his life would have been without you - just hold on that thought :GroupHug:

[Spins4me]

OH has just reminded me that someone we know has a dog with a brain tumour and she has been adding cottage cheese and a vegetable oil to the dog's diet and he has done well on it.

 

I did a quick search and found this site: http://www.caninecancer.com/diet.html

 

for you and Mal

[chickentikka]

I'm sorry Billy it's like having your legs taken out from under you.

 

Barney was on Prednisolone and Metranidazole and possibly one other until we changed vets who just left him on the milk thistle. Get Mal eating regularly first, adjust his diet second - you want him on low fat, low protein but he needs to be eating to kick start his liver working again. Natures menu senior lamb and rice is good.

 

Bloating is a sign that the liver is not working properly as it's all the c*ap that the liver should be syphoning away leaking into his abdomen so your priority is get his liver functioning again.

 

Mal sounds a lot like Barney - not a dog to be fussed or wrapped in cotton wool - so let him live his life how he wants to, he may crash and burn, which I was always aware of, but at least he'll do it on his own terms. Barney was given 3 months to live at age 12 years and 10 months due to a liver tumour - he was pts as his arthritis finally beat him at age 16 years and 2 months but was still wanting to go on He lived out every day of his life as Barney and I'm thankful for that. That dog was a legend as is Mal. I don't want to raise false hope, and it was very touch and go at times and in the early days I cried so much, but both our stubborn streaks and absolute love and determination got him through the worst part then he turned a corner and he was 'just my Barney' for the rest of his life and I miss him.

 

Be strong Billy

[billydog]

I'm so sorry

I can't offer any advice on food, but I know you'll do the absolute best for your boy

[BillyMalc]

You know, you've just described Mal to a 'T', Marian! He keeps wanting to go out and stubbornly goes back to the same places where he found scraps to eat a few days ago - he remembers them for days!

 

He's had scrambled egg for a snack, a few bits, but when I stuck his prednisolone in it he didn't want anymore all of a sudden, so I kind of tipped it in his mouth. Guess what? He now doesn't want the rest of his scrambled egg

 

I agree though that it's important to get him eating again, even if it is with food that I'd normally think isn't good enough - not eating at all is even worse! So off we are to PaH tomorrow first thing to get lamb and rice for him then

 

Jules - Mal is drinking loads as it is, I don't think he could stomach even more if he tried! I know his life with me hasn't been too bad, but my life with him has just been fantastic and I'm SO gutted that it now appears to be coming to an end :mecry: (again!)

 

Spins4me: I had Mal on the Budwig protocol for a while, which was good while it lasted, but then Mal decided that he didn't like it anymore, so refused to eat it and that was that. I've still got Essiac ice cubes in the freezer, might give those a try, but he also decided that he wasn't gonna have that anymore either - whenever I tried to syringe it into his mouth it went all over the place as he refused to swallow!

 

I've just had a look at CV247, and I'm all for trying it once I get Mal back to eating again, because apparently you have to follow a strict diet with it as well, that I, quite frankly, cannot see Mal eat at this point

 

Please keep all ideas and suggestions coming though, doG knows I need them!

[Rumpole]

Billy do you have a freezer and can you cope with meat, human grade and defra approved

 

and if so are you in this weekend

 

for you both

[Rumpole]

http://www.petwellbeingblog.com/2007/08/ho...with-liver.html

 

http://www.petz.co.uk/vetontheweb/new/article3.html

[BillyMalc]

Billy do you have a freezer and can you cope with meat, human grade and defra approved

 

and if so are you in this weekend

 

for you both

 

I've got a tiny freezer, which has space for about one bag of chips and I'll be around tomorrow, apart from doing the shopping why?

 

 

http://www.petwellbeingblog.com/2007/08/ho...with-liver.html

 

http://www.petz.co.uk/vetontheweb/new/article3.html

 

the milk thistle site looks good! any idea what the advantage of this one vs the one I can get in H&B? just asking because I can get to H&B tomorrow and this stuff needs to be ordered from the USA

[Rumpole]

i dont know if theres a difference i assume not just didnt know if it had any different info to what you had read already

 

pm me your number and ill phone you in the morning

[merledogs]

I am so so sorry the prognosis wasn't better I am sure you will spoil him and make the most of whatever time you have left together, however long that may be He's had the best life he could possibly have had with you and I'm sure he knows that

[Anne Grose]

Billy, what I would do with the Pred is literally open his mouth and shove it down the back of his throat prior to giving any food. The last thing you want to do is put him off eating and my first dog was like Mal if he found anything in his food he wouldn't eat the rest. He had kidney failure so the same sort of issues that Mal had. I got very good at shoving pills down his throat and he in return started eating all his food. He was just 4 when this happened to him and he died at just over 13 from a tumour on the spine.

 

Variety will also be the key to getting him to eat more. Get a different flavour for each meal. PaH sells lots of varieties of wet foods. Just read the labels before you pick them up - anything that says EEC antioxidants put back on the shelf. But you will find Nature Diet, Natures menu, First, and there are others that I can't remember at this time in the morning. The light variety will be lower in fat and anything containing tripe will be smellily wonderful to him.

[Roodles]

thinking of you and Mal.

 

Di xx

[celeste]

I'm so so sorry Billy Hopefully once he's had a few days on the Pred his appetite will perk up

When I was nursing Celli through her cancer I used JWB as a base to make sure she had vits and minerals she needed (would use Orijen now ) and added lean muscle meat, dark green veg and tomatoes.