We Are The Cure Blog | Canine Cancer Information

This month’s story is a surprising one. Patti Campbell submitted her story of Tango’s

survival of hemangiosarcoma, one of the meanest cancers out there. My wife and I have lost

three of our Goldens to that cancer, two in the blink of an eye and one we found in time for

surgery, but lost him two months later. Patti and Tango’s story is very uplifting for us.

“I knew my Italian Greyhound, Fox Hedge Forever Tango, was special fromthe day he

was born. He was carefully bred for the conformation ring and quickly finished his championship

with two 4-point majors and two 3-point majors, many Bests of Breed, and a group

placement, always owner handled. After siring several litters, and producing five champions,

we moved on to agility. Tango came up through the ranks, earning titles through MX/MXJ.

On July 29, 2010, shortly after he was 12, I started to notice something was not quite right.

He had soft, yellowish stool and was just not his bright, playful self. The veterinarian’s exam

and blood work showed nothing abnormal. Unfortunately, a week later Tango collapsed and I

saw that his gums were snow white. He was clearly in distress, breathing heavily and unable

to stand. I rushed him to the emergency vet and an ultrasound showed a walnut-sized mass

on his spleen. The white gums were the result of internal bleeding. The mass had not yet

ruptured, but blood was seeping into his abdomen. I was told there was an 80% chance it was

visceral hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive, highly invasive cancer of the cells lining the blood

vessels, which the biopsy later confirmed. I had never even heard of hemangiosarcoma, since

IGs are not one of the typical breeds that get this type of cancer.

Surgery was done immediately to remove both the growth and spleen. I have to admit that

it was a tough surgery for my little guy and during his recovery, I questioned my decision to

have it done at all. But I could not bear the thought of losing my lovely Tango, the sweetest

boy I’ve ever owned, without a fight. Having had IGs for nearly 20 years, I know they are

tenacious and much tougher than they look. After a slight setback (an infection a week after

surgery) he did recover. Stats show that dogs with visceral hemangiosarcoma have approximately

two to four months to live without chemotherapy, and four to six months with chemo.

I ultimately opted against it, even though age 12 is still relatively young for an IG. But Tango

is a sensitive dog and I couldn’t put him through that after all he had already endured. So

after he recovered from the surgery, I took him to a homeopathic vet to see about supplements

thatcould boost his immune system and give him a few more months to live. The success was

way more than I could have possibly hoped for!

Tango had lost quite a lot of weight, going from a hefty 17 lbs to a skinny 12. The vet

was careful to alert me to the reality that only a very, very small percentage of dogs live six

months, especially without chemo. The one problem that had to be dealt with immediately

was the chronic loose stools. Apparently, the growth had been pressing up against the liver,

and although there was no evidence that the cancer had spread there, the liver was irritated

and causing some bowel problems. To my amazement and joy, after a month we had the

stools cleared up with a special diet of white fish, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes. I was so

happy to see Tango come back to his happy, playful self. We moved on to add vitamins, some

cancer-fighting supplements like Artemisinin and Coriolus, and grain-free food. I hoped that

maybe he would live to Christmas, and what a gift that would be. But he continued to thrive

and before I knew it (although I have to admit I was counting the days), it was his one-year

anniversary. On July 30, 2011, he was out in the yard, happily retrieving tennis balls!

As I write this, 15 months after surgery, my little Tango is sleeping contentedly in the sun,

not knowing he’s beaten the odds. He’s taught me to never give up hope. I don’t know how

much longer I’ll have him around, but I do know that every single day is something to be

thankful for!”

Thank you Patti for sharing Tango’s story with us. Being an inspiration and giving hope to

others is why we write these articles. For more hope that we can beat cancer, please visit our

survivor page on our website: www.wearethecure.org/survivor-stories. Gary D. Nice

President and co-founder

Canine cancer has no early warning system. So many times when you hear canine cancer stories, you hear the words, “My dog never showed any signs of sickness” or “It took him from me so fast.” As performance dog owners, we are very alert to who our dog is and his “normal” way of acting as well as what’s going on with his body. It is because we are so aware, many times we can spot trouble brewing and do something about it. This month we are going to talk about a few things you can look for on a monthly basis. I also want to share Nia’s survivor story with you, as she found the cancer in the most unusual way.

Have you ever looked at your dog when he is acting just a little funny or different and thought if he’s still doing that next week, I’m taking him to the vet? Or have you ever been annoyed by a needy behavior or annoying behavior and tried to correct it? Nia’s mom, Joella Collier-Flory, spent several days watching a behavior before she finally listened to her English Cocker. “Our English Cocker Spaniel Joss started bothering Nia, our German Shorthaired Pointer, by smelling and poking her with his nose, always in the same spot. Following each poke, he would stare at me, and then go back to poking her. Scolding him didn’t work, so off to the tub Nia went. Figuring I had finally solved the problem, Joss would no longer be in the doghouse and Nia and I could relax.

After the bath, he was just as insistent and growing more so at this specific spot on her body. Since he was so insistent, I finally took a minute to look at where he was poking. I found that there was a slightly raised small round dark freckle on her abdomen at the base of her vulva. It was so small, I never would have felt or seen it. When your dog keeps doing something over and over while stopping in between to look at you like you’re not listening, it’s time to take him seriously. Within 36 hours we were at the veterinarian’s office and the spot was now a long, dark, thin cylindrical growth, about 300% larger than before. Nia was diagnosed with cutaneous malignant melanoma, the rarest of the three types of melanoma. She went through two surgeries, blood tests, ultrasounds, various medications, and needle biopsies. Today, Nia is clear and I have to thank our vet and oncologist for all their help, information, and support. And I have promised Joss to never doubt him again.”

Cancer pops up when you least expect it. Take time to examine your dog each month for any new lumps or bumps. Other things you can do to create your own “early warning system” for cancer are to watch for a change of attitude, loss of appetite or weight loss, bleeding from any body opening, persistent lameness or stiffness, or a loss of interest in working with you. Heeding these early warnings might make the difference in a treatment working or finding out there is nothing you can do. Enjoy your dogs but don’t forget to check them thoroughly and educate others about how to look for signs that something might be wrong.

Gary D. Nice

President and co-founder

Tour stop 4: National Canine Cancer Foundation Bark and Bowl DC

On tour stop number 4, The National Canine Cancer Foundation found
itself in the Nations Capital for an inaugural event…no not that!
The first ever Bark and Bowl DC!

Our devoted Bark and Bowl Team

There are many reasons to visit the DC area; the White House, Lincoln
Memorial and Washington Monument to the Pentagon, Watergate Hotel and
the steps from the movie the Exorcist!  (We had a great tour guide)  But
on Friday October 7, all eyes were on Bowlmor Lanes for the  2011 Bark
and Bowl!

Both a Metromix DC and Washingtonian Editors Pick, the Bark and Bowl was
a first of its kind event for the area.  Teams came from all over to
Bowl for a Cure, win awesome raffle prizes, pick up new NCCF Pink Paw
gear, not to mention have some drinks and delectable food from Chef
David Burke-YUM!

Bark and Bowl's Team Maximus

As with each stop on the tour in 2011, HALO Purely for Pets was the
“Official Bark and Bowl Food” partner, and at an event with the best of
the best would you expect anything else??  The NCCF Seal of Excellence
winner provided one of the most sought after raffle prizes of the
evening as well as samples of Spots Stew for everyone.  Add that to your
Whole Foods goodie bags filled with squeaky toys from Petsmart and the
exclusive DC Bark and Bowl tee complete with Cherry Blossoms!

Although the night is a celebration, we bowl to raise funds for the 1 in
4 dogs that we will lose to cancer.  Team Maximus bowled  for that very
reason.  Unlike many of his brethren Maximus is a survivor and is going
strong after being diagnosed 1 year ago.  As a matter of fact, he is
being treated by the HOPE Center for Advanced Veterinary Medicine
Oncology Department, another one of our Bark and Bowl teams!  It just
goes to show, “Together, WE are the Cure.”

I cannot tell a lie….a great time was had by all!!  Special
recognition goes out to Team DogCentric who raised $1,190.00.  They will
be tough to beat when we return in 2012, are you up to the challenge?

The team who raised the most funds!!!!

The 2^nd Annual Canines for the Cure Texas Agility Shoot-Out held in Fort Worth, TX, on August 13-14, 2011, was one for the history books. Once again, the North Texas agility community showed the world what can be accomplished when everyone comes together for a common good. This year the Shoot-Out once again surpassed all expectations by raising $42,300 for canine cancer research, bringing the two-year total to $71,500!! Way to go Texas!! Many of us have lost dogs to cancer, but as a direct result of the efforts of each and every person who attended the Shoot-Out, we are confident that eventually many of our canine companions will be saved from this terrible disease due to the research that we helped sponsor.

All the passionate supporters of the TX Shoot Out!!!

Each year the Shoot-Out spotlights a local dog that has been lost to cancer. Our first year we honored Ranger, the dog whose death inspired the creation of the Shoot-Out. This year, we honored Libby, an Australian Shepherd loved and missed by Pamela Meeks. Libby was an extremely shy rescue that blossomed in agility and became the first rescue dog in ASCA history to be ranked #1, and she held her #1 ranking for two years. On January 30, 2009, though, Libby lost her life to hemangiosarcoma and that loss is what drove Pamela to become an integral part of the Texas Agility Shoot-Out trial committee.

Libby

Obviously, one person, not even one club, can pull off an event of this magnitude. The core team of Christi Farley, Pamela Meeks (Fort Worth Agility Sports Team), Linda Knowles (Gold Medal Agility), and Nikki Heep had numerous individuals and clubs step up to lend a hand with an astounding 104 people volunteering to work at the trial. There were 266 handlers with 382 dogs running a total of 1,975 runs over the weekend with one handler coming all the way from Sherwood, Arkansas! We could not have pulled this event off if it were not for the agility community totally embracing the concept. Everyone – trial committee, judges, chief ring stewards, course builders, raffle organizers, memorial wall creators, raffle ticket sellers, ring crew, competitors, vendors, and anyone who bought a raffle ticket -  was an integral part of making the 2^nd Annual Canines for the Cure Texas Agility Shoot-Out a smashing success. We look forward to seeing what next year’s event will bring!

Ranger, the original inspiration dog

Lucky, a seven-year survivor, at the Cynosport World Games where she did the agility

demo before our memorial wall presentation. She was offering the crowd a reason for

hope and her mom, Martine, tells her inspiring story here.

“My heart broke on March 9, 2004. I numbly listened in the veterinary office as the

diagnosis, treatment plan, and statistics regarding late-stage lymphoma hung in the air

while Lucky, my four-year-old, super-fast Sheltie, sat at my feet. My erratic outbursts of

‘Are you sure? She doesn’t seem sick’ interrupted but didn’t

stop the vet from finally saying, “She will die of cancer within

a year.” A silent ’No, Lucky won’t’ comforted me until a mental

reprimand reminded me I was in denial. “She is on today’s

schedule to start chemotherapy and by the way, no more

agility.”

Lymphoma survivor, Lucky (Photo by: Tien Tran)

Our war began with a potent cocktail of two drugs and

followed a variation of the Wisconsin/Madison protocol that

lasted 36 weeks. Lucky’s body responded well to the drugs and

her lymph nodes immediately returned to normal. As quickly

as Lucky had gone into a clinical remission, she had also gone

into a depression.

Chemotherapy was working, but Lucky was dying of boredom. I honestly felt that she

should die happy doing what she loved best, agility. Returning to agility, Lucky’s mental

and physical health improved and mine did too. I stopped crying and started to fight the

cancer. Lucky brought home blue ribbons and defied lymphoma’s death sentence. Agility

is the one place where Lucky is Cancer free. There are no needles or prodding, she is just

a dog running agility and winning smiles and ribbons.

I knew the fight wasn’t over so I continued to research

treatments globally with a focus on new human therapies

since dogs and humans share similar DNA, environmental

exposure, ingest the same foods, and have the same cancers.

Researchers considered her a gold mine because she

was young, fit, and fighting off cancer.

Four days before the 2005 USDAA Chicago Regionals,

Lucky came out of remission even though she had far

exceeded treatment expectations. My vet was undeterred

and gave Lucky her first chemotherapeutic drug in seven

months and said, “Go compete!” And yes, we qualified. Thank you, Kirsten and Dare!

Unfortunately, this time the lymphoma was really bad and the drugs were not

working. Lucky’s body had become toxic to some of the drugs while the cancer had

become resistant to others. Lucky’s first round of chemotherapy had been so successful

that we withheld the most powerful drug so that drug was in our arsenal, but only for five

doses. Additionally, one of the researchers I had found used an ancillary therapy (similar

to one used with breast cancer) that he believed would work well with the chemo.

Lucky’s last chemotherapy appointment was October 15, 2005. Upon finishing the

chemo, the vet said, “That’s it, no more chemo. Thank goodness she’s in remission.”

Huh?! Yes, Lucky was in her second remission. I was stunned. No one knew how long it

would last. That was seven years ago and she is still in remission. Lucky will be 12 years

old on August 28, 2011. She is fit, still doing a little agility, and running around and barking

at everyone just like any Sheltie. Lucky dog indeed!”

Lucky, Agility Superstar (Photo by: Tien Tran)

You can see this story and other survivor stories on our website at www.wearethecure.

org/survivors. If you have a survivor, please let us hear about them! We encourage you to

read this article each and every month, as we bring you a reason for hope.

Gary D. Nice

President and co-founder

50 teams….check

500+ Bark and Bowlers….check

$42,000 for Canine Cancer….Literally…One BIG check!

The South Florida Chapter of the National Canine Cancer Foundation was proud to host their 2^nd annual Bark and Bowl on Friday May 13^th, an un-lucky day for Canine Cancer!

These teams went all out this year!

Returning to the place that started it all, Palm Beach Strikezone, the Bark and Bowl almost doubled in size from the 2010 event.  50 teams and over 500 people joined this must attend annual fundraiser that generated over $42,000 for Canine Cancer Research.  The Bark and Bowl is made possible by presenting sponsor Florida Public Utilities, Budweiser, the Petco Foundation and HALO, the only dog food to receive the National Canine Cancer Foundations Seal of Excellence.

The 2011 Bark and Bowl recognized working dogs in our community that are susceptible to this awful disease.  We were joined by the Palm Beach County Sheriff K9 unit with Officer Ontario, a German Shepherd, and Officer Clue, Bloodhound Unit.

K9 Unit

Three teams from Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control bowled for a cure and brought their 4 legged mascot,  a victim of a recent cruelty case.  We also had a special visit from Red Ruff from Petco!

Red Ruff Petco!

Barbara Masi, Technical Specialist with the PBSO Animal Kindness Unit, attended the Bark and Bowl with a heavy heart and an all too familiar story to tell.  Just 2 weeks earlier she had lost one of her 2 very special Greyhounds, Comet, to Osteosarcoma.  The Comet and Bullet Team were the ambassadors of the Sheriffs Animal Kindness unit attending special events, schools and summer camps, not to mention appearing as “Bowerina’s” in A Midsummer’s Night Dream.   Comet lived a full life and had more accomplishments than many people, but to all of us we know he still left too soon.   You can visit Comet’s Rainbow Bridge Page:

http://rainbowsbridge.com/residents/COMET007/Resident.htm

His brother, Bullet, was diagnosed with extraskeletal soft tissue Osteosarcoma just a year ago and has undergone 2 surgeries and 5 rounds of Chemotherapy.  Recently we discovered that the Cancer had moved into Bullet’s lungs.

The National Canine Cancer Foundation presented Barbara with one of our Pink Paw WeAreTheCure.org hats personalized for Comet and Bullet, in appreciation for the work she has done and the fight she continues to wage against Cancer.

Our top team this year was Spunky Doodle Velcro Strips who raised over $3,100!  That is the top team fundraiser from ANY of the NCCF events and goes down in the Bark and Bowl record book!  For the first time, teams that raised over $1,000 received free Pawgarita’s and Strawberry Dawg-iri’s all night long with over 10 teams hitting that goal.  Top team shirts went to “The Cure Hunter’s,” top team name to “Barkers Bellevue” and because it’s 5 O’clock somewhere, best lane decorations went to “Barkeritaville.”

Thanks so much to all of our teams, sponsors and volunteers.  Together, We are the Cure.

Everyone is looking forward to filling all 64 lanes in 2012!

Join us for our next Bark and Bowl on October 7 at Bowlmor Lanes in Bethesda, MD!

On March 26th Westbrook Lanes gave us the thumbs up and Bowled for a Cure!

The second stop on the NCCF’s Bark and Bowl was organized by Kim, Amy and the Delaware Valley Chapter of the NCCF and led us to Philadelphia PA. Over 20 teams registered to join the fight against Canine Cancer, some coming from as far as 2 hours away!

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The City of Roses had a new name on January 22, 2011, the City of Paws; Pink Paws that is!

That’s because over 200+ friends came out to support the Portland, Oregon areas very first Bark and Bowl to benefit the National Canine Cancer Foundation.

Cancer is a major health issue in dogs with 1 in 3 dogs being affected, and of those half will die. The National Canine Cancer Foundation is a nationwide, contribution funded, 501 (c)(3) non-profit dedicated to eliminating Cancer as a major health issue in dogs by funding grants directly to Cancer researchers who are working to save lives, find cures, better treatments and accurate, cost effective diagnostic methods in dealing with canine Cancer.

After a very successful inaugural Bark and Bowl in 2010, the NCCF announced that it would take the Bark and Bowl on tour in 2011-First Stop Portland.

A supporter and friend since the beginning, HALO joined us for the second time as the Official Dog Food of the Bark and Bowl. The only dog food to receive the National Canine Cancer Foundations Pink Paw Seal of Excellence, every bowler went home with a deeeelicious sample of Spots Stew and official Bark and Bowl tee shirt! Needless to say, the pups ate well that night. Bowlers competed for raffle items such as a one of a kind “We Are The Cure” basketball signed by Portland Trailblazer LeMarcus Aldridge, Portable gas grill, and Free Doggy Day Care while 3 lucky dogs took home a 15lb bag and a case of Spots Stew!

Teams sign up at www.BarkandBowl.com, tell their story, and raise a minimum of $500 in order to compete. Team Lab Lovers, Pup Patrol, Sasha Chu and Penny and the T’s join business partners like HALO, Budweiser, Whole Foods, John Paul Pet, K103 fm and NW 32 TV in their commitment to Bowling for a Cure. No gutter balls here…it’s all for the dogs! The lights go down, glo balls come out and its Bark n Bowl time with a live DJ, complimentary team pictures on the Pink Carpet, team contests, vendors and raffle prizes all night long!

Mark it on your calendar and join the pack. The Bark and Bowl US Tour continues to roll with stops in Philadelphia, Charlotte, West Palm Beach, D.C., Dallas, Baltimore and Miami! See you there.