We Are The Cure Blog | Canine Cancer Information

All of us who have pets know the wonderful joy that they bring to our lives.  In our case, being greeted by our three loving Golden Retrievers when we come home each day wipes away every worry or stress we had.  Even if we go out to the store for an hour, upon our return we are greeted as though we had been gone for a week.

I often say to myself why can’t I be like that.  Yes I’m generally a friendly person but if my wife goes out for a short trip to the store, when she comes home is my response a simple “Hi need help with the groceries”  or do I greet her, with the same happiness, sans the tail, that our dogs show.

Come to think of it, if I did greet her every time she came home like our Golden’s do, she would have me carted off to the nearest psychologist but there is a happy medium.

I can learn alot about how to treat my wife, friends and family from our pets. They teach us loyalty, how to explore, how to forgive. That is an amazing one.  And when they find something to play with they can show us how to be silly throwing caution to the wind.

Trust me I have learned that occasionally being silly is a good thing. One day I may even attempt the tried and true dog method of running around the backyard real fast several times and then rolling around in the grass for several minutes.  It’s fun to watch so I bet it has to be fun to do.  I will get back to you on that one.

There are so many other things I can say about our beloved pets and how they teach us about life but instead I would like you the readers to do that. Please share with us, in the comment section below, what you have learned about life from your pets.

Here are some important things to keep in mind while traveling with your pet:

• Make sure your pet is properly identified. Obtain identification with the address of your destination, as well. You don’t want your pet end up in Florida when you’re heading to Texas!
• Whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or automobile, teach your pet to travel in his/her kennel. This training will make the entire traveling experience less stressful to the animal (and you), whether your traveling across the country or across town.
• Make sure your kennel is the proper size for your animal. It should be large enough for your pet to stand and turn around in comfortably (especially for long trips).
• Never leave your pet unattended in your vehicle or in the airport.
• If traveling by plane, book direct non-stop flights.
• Generally, puppies and kittens, sick animals, animals in heat, and frail or pregnant animals should not travel by air.
• Carry copies of vaccination records with you, as you never know when you might need them. Health certificates are generally required to fly with an animal on an airline.
• Plan well in advance and do your research. Some states have strict regulations on traveling with pets. Don’t be caught at the last minute!
• During the summer, certain cities like Phoenix, AZ will not allow dogs to fly on the planes due to hot temperatures on the planes cargo hold while at the airport

If you follow these general rules of pet travel, you and your pet should have no problem enjoying the trip. If you’re still cautious about pet travel, check out Pet Airways — a pet only airline, dedicated to a pet-friendly travel experience for your pet.

This blog was a guest blog written by Josh Weirich of Nurtured Pets www.nurturedpets.com

I received a donation today like we do everyday.  This one came with a story and a picture like many do.  But this one seem to get to me.  It made me cry.  I did not cry because of the words but because of the what the words said and how the picture looked.

The donor proceeded to talk about Mia and how see went through her battle with Cancer getting steroids and chemo treatments and how she lost her battle with Cancer on February 28 of this year.  I get many emails just like this and everyone is very personal to me and I feel and understand their sorrow since I have lost three of my dogs in the past three years to Cancer.

Then the donor said that they were enclosing a picture of Mia waiting at the Vet for her Cancer treatment just two weeks before she died.  And that picture was what got me.  Look at her, how happy she is, so excited to visit her friends at the Vet. Two weeks later she was gone.  I must do more, we must do more.  The research is there, the technology is there, we just need to be there with our support.

Mia at the Vet

Depending on what statistics you read, there are anywhere from 25 to 45 million dogs owners in the US.  Many people have more than one dog which is why those same statistics say there are anywhere from 45 to 65 million dogs in the US.

Being part of a non profit organization that funds canine Cancer research, stats like that get me both excited and frustrated.  I wish I could cosmically speak into every one of these dog owners and tell them to send $10 per year to help fund canine Cancer research.  With 25 to 45 million dog owners that would be $250 to $450 million dollars toward canine Cancer research each year.

If we received funds like that we would have a cure for canine Cancer.  Now, before you say that it would be better used to fund human Cancer research, let me share a few things with you. (more…)

I happened to be the person who gets all the “Ask the Doctor” questions.  I then pass them onto our researchers and doctors to answer them.  I cannot tell you how heartbreaking it is to read some of those questions.   I can feel people’s heart ache and desperation of trying to find something that might save their dog that is dying of cancer.  Just from reading those emails I can see you holding your dog, loving them and crying hoping that something will save them.  I know this because I have done it so many times myself.

I find that with the past three dogs that Sara and I have lost in the past three years that there is that time when you look at them and they look at you and you know it is time.  And that is when you just break down in tears, you hug your dog for dear life and you just pray please God don’t take my beautiful dog.  Please help me find a way.

Just today I had someone call me about a memorial card they got and they were fine until they mentioned their dog’s name and they just cried.  Another time, I got a call from a person who had sent a question to me about their sick dog and later on he sent, not one but, a few donations in honor of his dog that was fighting cancer.  Then one day, I got a call from him.  He simply said “I wanted to call to let you know my dog passed away today”.   I was so touched that he took to time to call me and let me know.  We both cried.

I thought about sharing some of the questions ask, in this blog, but thought, no I don’t want to make everyone who reads this feel bad.  Instead I want to try and give you hope.   Hope that we will have new cures and treatments.  For example, if you get a chance to listen to our podcast interview with Dr. Michael Kent.  You will hear some very exciting news about Canine Lymphoma.  And if you get a chance to read the article on our site entitled “The Road from Hope to Despair” by Dr. Jamie Modiano you will see the things are truly moving forward in canine cancer research. There is also the hope that some dogs are living years with cancer and beating all odds.

I know that a lot of what you will hear and read will not help your dogs right now but in the next five years, I believe you will see more and more dogs being saved from cancer.  Sometimes, I say to myself, so what in five years, I want my Bailey, Ashby and Duncan back.  They were too young.  It is just not fair.

And it isn’t fair.  But it also isn’t fair for me to give up or any of us to give up.  It isn’t fair to all the dogs that will get cancer.

And that is why Sara and I and all of us at the National Canine Cancer Foundation continue to do what we do.  In memory of our dogs and all of your dogs who have lost the battle against cancer and for all the dogs that will get cancer.

Gary