Paw Printsgreatermonroekc.org/files/GMKC_August_2020_Newsletter2.pdfApril Mtg Minutes pg 2 Karen’s Korner pg 4 August 2020 GMKC Paw Prints August 2020 Page 2 GMKC Meeting minutes

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

[email protected]

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



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.



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



All articles in this section were submitted by Karen Phillipa

Karen’s

Korner All articles in this section

were submitted by

Karen Phillips

Hemangioscarcoma



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



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).



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.



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:



“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



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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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-



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:



“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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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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