Heidi’s op went well & her recovery from the aneasthetic was nothing short of miraculous; there was a little trembling & some whittering but she calmed down so quickly & has not looked back since. Yet again, Barbara’s needlework is very impressive & H has an extremely neat scar along her tummy. 3 lumps were removed; the large one, a smaller one developing behind it & a lymph node. We should get the results of the biopsies next week.
She has just had her post-op check & Barbara is delighted with her progress. She has been given permission to start walking alittle further than around the garden, but is already looking keen to get moving. Apparently the skin along her sides looked a little bruised which was possibly from the weight & movement of the big lump, so it must have been pretty uncomfortable for her. I cannot imagine the freedom she must now be beginning to experience.
R x
Hello Beverley,
I'm sat here writing this this with a lump in my throat, trying my hardest to hold back tears. Malcolm, 13 years old and my best friend, was diagnosed with lymphoma nearly two years ago. With a healthy diet and the help of radio therapy we managed successfully to beat it into remission for all this time, but last week it's reared its ugly head again with a vengeance: Malcolm, who was quite happy to do a 2 hour walk last week Sunday, and go for a full day out the week before, is now so weak on his legs that they just buckle underneath him and he goes for very slow short walks now. They still take ages, because he is still very interested in every little smell that comes his way. It is because he still has that spark of life in him that I want to fight for him in every way that I can.
I came across your article, and sent the link to my vet, asking her to order it for Mal, but a couple of my friends have told me that it can take a while, because CV247 isn't licensed in this country. And time is what we haven't got .... The vet reckoned that we are looking at a couple of months but seeing as he is, I don't think we even have that.
I read about Kate Clayden, whose Weimaraner Pippin sadly died of lung cancer, and her generous offer of the bottles of CV247 that she has left. I don't need them for free, I am more than willing to pay for them, because money can be borrowed but time can't. If Kate doesn't want any money for them, I'll give a donation to a rescue or something - I'm really not after a freebie!
I'm sure I'm not the only one asking for this. I'm including my address so that, should we be lucky, you know where Malcolm lives.
I'll attach a picture of my gorgeous boy, which was taken only 2 weeks ago, when he still showed all the signs of a healthy dog, and we were completely unaware of what was about to happen.
Thanks for reading this, and please send my heartfelt condolences to Kate and her family.
Best regards,
Billy de Goede
Re: CV247 for Malcolm
Hi Malcolm
Really sorry but the bottles were snapped up in minutes, yours is the third email so far and Kate was very efficient and posted the bottles yesterday afternoon. What I can tell you is it is possible to get CV247 quickly. Your vet can order it direct or more quickly he/she can order it from one of the existing vets that have stock. Or you can be referred to a vet on this list who will usually post out to you if you are too far away to attend – Richard Allport has done postal consultations for others for eg.
Here’s the link to the list of vets who have CV247 in stock:
http://petswithcancertryingcv247.blogspot.com/2009/04/vets-wiling-to-prescribe-cv247.html
Can I wish you the very best of luck with Malcolm, my dog Sally had liver cancer many years ago which is how I discovered John Carter and Cv247. It worked for Sally and really was my only hope as she was inoperable. It is gentle and easy to administer, but the diet is key and you need to read up on the blog about the regimes that others are following. Sally loved her diet so it was no trauma.
I’m forwarding your email to Kate, too.
Kind regards and good luck
Beverley
Dear Beverley,
I'm devastated to have to tell you that Malcolm passed away the day before yesterday. My vet pulled out all the stops and arranged for me to be able to pick up some cv247 from Barbara Jones in Oswestry on Saturday. We left Mal, and my other 2 dogs Kiera and Sparky, at home with a friend. Mal at the time still had a spark in his eyes which told me that he hadn't given up fighting yet, so I started him on it as soon as we got back. It was too late tho, by Monday evening the spark in his eyes had gone, and he was looking so very tired. On Tuesday morning he was the same, so I called the vet and arranged for Mal to be helped on his way that afternoon. He spent the morning in the garden in the sun and still wanted to go for short walks around the neighbourhood, but it was obvious that his fighting spirit was gone. He got a sedative at home, which sent him off to sleep, and he never knew anything about that dreadful last trip to the vet's.
So now I'm left with 7 1/2 years worth of memories and hundreds of pictures - and nearly 2 bottles of cv247 and a bag of vitamin C powder. Like Kate before I'd like to give this to another dog, I'm just wondering if the bottle that has been opened - and kept in the fridge since - will travel well in the post, or would you per chance have heard about anyone near Manchester who would like it?
Another thing that I would like to ask is a donation for it to Greek Animal Rescue, which is a UK based, registered charity, who I will be forever indebted to for giving me my Malcolm. No amount can ever compare to the happiness that Mal has given me for so long, but the money could maybe pay for vet treatment for another poor, abused and abandoned animal in Greece, who then might be able to live a happy life with a family. I hope that that would not be an unreasonable request?
Thank you very much for your help.
Kindest regards,
Billy
Please email me and I will forward your emails to Billy. (beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk)
I cannot believe it’s so long since I last wrote anything. I’m really sorry to those of you who have been concerned that something may have happened to Heidi - I assure you she is full of beans & raring to go!
The operation to remove the growth on her mammary gland is booked for this Friday. Her heart is strong (although the murmur is still detectable) & she is in a totally different place to where she was before the last op, as am I. I no longer wait with baited breath for her bark first thing in the morning, wondering if she’s made it through the night, but I do still relish the sound of it when it slips out from her joyous little body while she waits for someone to come down to see her in the morning.
I have been taking some time out of work to reassess my journey. Many issues have raised their heads in the last month or so & one of them was about trust. I watched Heidi that day; her trust is implicit. If there is something she’s unsure of she runs to me & always has from last November. If I need to do something for her, after I’ve explained it she will let me do anything & will come over when called at the vets, even though she’s feeling a bit wobbly about it she trusts me to keep her away from danger. The level of her trust is immense. Her history is one of broken trust & here she is offering it to me freely & unstintingly, unconditionally. It is never forced, although sometimes she takes a millisecond to consider it, she always comes forward. If my little collie can trust in such a way & live with the consequences of it being abused (in the past) why should I give a second thought to who I can & cannot trust? For today, I trust. If tomorrow that is broken, so be it. I’m going to avoid wasting time worrying about what might be & focus on what is.
I give you all my assurance that if there is any change in Heidi’s health, I will write it on the blog. When she was going through traumas before I found it really helpful to just write it all down, but when things are going well it’s harder to write; “Heidi’s really fit & bouncy. Watched a snail today.” could get a little monotonous! No news is good news here.
Travel well.
R & H x
We saw Barbara today to check Heidi’s thyroid levels are what they should be. Her pulse was a steady 95 (now NORMAL!!), her heart sounded strong, although the murmur is still there & her thyroid levels are just outside what they should be. Hurrah!! Instead of upping the Soloxine we are seeing whether we can illicit a change by adding more kelp to her diet.
On the flip side of this her mammary lump is quite large now & is very tight in the skin. Barbara’s instinct is to remove it as it would be a relatively straightforward operation to do & Heidi is much stronger now & far better able to deal with it. We will wait a few weeks to get her thyroid in the right range & then work on really boosting her up for another op. Some may question why we didn’t remove it when the thyroid was done, but I still believe that she had enough to deal with after that one procedure without adding to her discomfort & trauma. She really is a different dog now.
Is the CV247 working? This is a complete unknown. A thorough check of her thyroid area revealed no lumps, bumps or swellings (i.e. no return of the original cancer) so on this basis something within her regime is working & I ain’t going to change any of it!
While we were waiting for the results we had a lovely game with a little squeaky ducky. Heidi was barking & grinning like she was the happiest dog in the world. I couldn’t help grinning either; when she first came to us her mouth / eye coordination was rubbish (she can’t see much detail) but she was really trying to catch ducky & even incorporated Meg’s technique of using her front legs to funnel the duck into her mouth (sometimes with success). She then showed me that she could fetch too, but made sure I didn’t get it afterwoards by running around me at a rate of knotts tossing a look over her shoulder at me that said “catch me if you can”!
Raise a glass to Heidi & a wonderful veterinary team at Oakwood. Thank you.
R x
Dear Heidi. She now has cystitis. How can one endure so much going on with her system & yet remain so bright & vital, filled with love for each day & those she encounters on her journey through life.
I was looking back through her (many) photos & was struck by the changes in her eyes. In her early pictures she looks slightly vacant, or resigned to her fate. At this stage I felt that she may make it to Christmas. Then over Christmas she started to twinkle at us & you can see her whole face relaxing. Her facial expression is somewhat different in that she now clearly smiles, sometimes even grinning at us & you can see it both in her mouth but especially in her eyes. She’s one cheeky girl!
Thank you world for sending Heidi to us.
R x
We had a wonderful day trip at Easter to Pembrokeshire to drop off my old van - Greenacres Rescue are going to make good use of it & it looked as though it would be well loved too! It was just so amazing to be able to show them Heidi. Who’d have thought she’d get this far? Both Sarah & Mikey remarked on how bright her eyes are & how strong she is (they were more discreet about her weight but she was a little scrap when they last saw her!!).
A few days prior to this I’d been remembering her energy when she arrived here last November. I’d spent some time with her giving her healing & TTouch & then went over to Meg to give her some loving & her strength was such that I had to take a step back from her. Heidi had so little at the time that the contrast was quite overwhelming. After remembering this, I went to kiss Heidi on the top of her head & she really pushed her head up into my face, almost as though she was saying, “That was then, this is now. Look at how strong I am now.” Since this day she has found ways to demonstrate her new found strength to us - a cock of the head with a jink from side to side, running full pelt around the well or doing her little foot tapping dance she does when she’s excited. You cannot imagine the joy I feel when I see her & feel her now.
The raw diet is being eaten with gusto & we are now very gradually cutting back the portions. We are unable to change it to 1 meal a day as she has supplements needed for 3 so she’ll just get less. Poor girl has gone from being slightly less than bothered about food to being obsessed. Our 13 year old Dyson packed up last week & she has been doing a great job of picking through the fluff for us!
We went for a lovely walk in Pembs, up the valley from Nevern towards the Llwyngwair Manor. It was the longest walk she’d had for a while & loved paddling in the mud & sniffing the flowers. On the return we took Meg down to the river (she’s part duck) & the 2 of them had the best time ever! I have some lovely pictures in the new camera but have yet to work out how to transfer them. Heidi & Meg were really sparkling (pretty wet too) - I hope I can share them soon along with the video.
Heidi’s lump is still pretty large, but it doesn’t appear to be bothering her. I was giving it far more attention than was healthy so have decided to not bother with it unless it starts to bother Heidi. If the lump wasn’t there you really wouldn’t feel there was anything amiss - she’s lively, bonny & bright & just so full of life. Who could ask for more?
Isn’t hindsight wonderful? I’d noticed HRH spending more time than usual licking her bum from either last week or the week before. It suddenly occurred to me last night that she’s not been spayed… Heidi’s in season! Again, she’s taking it all in her stride & not being tarty with the cat as Meg is usually (then it’s the postman, but that’s another story).
I re-read my copy of “Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats” by Kymythy Schultze last night. One of its joys is that it can be read from cover to cover within an hour & it has so much useful & relevant information. There is one section I’d like to quote here which confirmed my thoughts on the CV247 diet:-
“In 1997, oncologists from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine published diet recommendations to help combat … cancer. Their recommendations suggest excluding lactate- & glucose-containing fluids, because cancer cells thrive on sugars & create lactate as a waste product. Lactate poisons the animal by depleting its energy, thus weakening it. The study recommends limiting sugars & simple carbohydrates. The researchers concluded that a diet relatively high in fat & low in simple carbohydrates resulted in a longer survival time for cancer victims.”
“Of note is the fact that cancer cells cannot utilise fat, which is an excellent natural energy source for dogs & cats. They also found that omega-3 fatty acids reduce lactate levels & have the ability to reduce or eliminate metastatic disease. Since heat & hydrogenation destroy these essential fatty acids, raw foods are a good source of these vital nutrients.”
“Sugar comes in many forms. Many processed & even “natural” foods contain sugars. Grain & dairy products are biologically inappropriate sources of sugar for dogs & cats. The study also recommends feeding protein that is highly biodegradable. The body cannot utilize nutrients if it can’t easily break down the food within the body.”
from “Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats” by Kymythy Schultze (my dog nutrition bible!)
Kymythy recommends only feeding one meal a day as dogs are not designed to have food nearly constantly in the gut, but as HRH is on 3 meals we need to consider this change carefully. I changed her breakfast this morning from her usual mix of everything plus her supplements to a small amount of porridge (which will be phased out) to which I added a little of her meat ration & 1/2 the liver to cook slightly in the heat from the porridge. A finely whizzed carrot was mixed in with her supplements & my love was poured in with it. It is beginning to feel better, but still needs a fair amount of tweaking. I had to ask Chris to check she was eating it & was amazed when he said the bowl was empty & she was trying to remove the pattern!
This is completely by-the-by but life would be so much easier if both the dogs ate the same food. We tried to work out how many hens we’d need to keep if we started to “build” our own organic food as it is so expensive. When we got to 36 as a rolling number we realised it would be a little uncontrollable plus we’d be up to our necks in chicken pooh! We’ll find a way - after all we live in the midst of rural Wales surrounded by farms…
R & H x
Heidi is doing so well; she has her usual bounce back & is merrily circling her way around the dining room. She was a little unsettled when the out-laws first arrived (coinciding with her bump expansion so she was probably feeling a bit grim), but they quickly fell in love with each other.
All protected & safe
Heidi is now wearing her t-shirt & grrra daily (we take it off at night on the basis that I’d hate to wear one all night!). Thankfully, I’m a bit rubbish at throwing old things out so was able to massacre a bra & stitch it to the bottom edge of her t-shirt & use one of the straps around her hind leg to hold it in place comfortably. I continue to be surprised at how cool the lump is within its sling but can only assume that friction has been reduced. She is certainly able to gallop around the garden at full tilt while she pursues Meg with her ball.
I decided to go with white in case anything untoward happens to the lump; it would be easier to see if anything gets damaged underneath with white, but it will also need cleaning more often. I will use a gentle handwash so the amount of chemicals potentially being transferred to her system through very thin skin will be reduced.
A childhood watching Blue Peter was not wasted…
I have been curious at how many people are focused on an animals 
ill-ness as opposed to their well-ness. It’s been tricky with this blog so far as it has been about her daily life with illness, but it can be very easy to take ones eyes off the ball & miss the well bits. Yes, Heidi has a variety of lumps over her body, a bad heart, a dodgy liver, hypothyroidism & who knows what else, but when you look at her you can only wonder at how healthy she looks, how light her step & how bright her eyes are.
On the diet front I have been getting an increasing feeling that I need to move her onto a mainly raw diet. She loves her cooked food but I do feel she’s missing something from the nutrients with it being cooked. There are so many conflicting pieces of advice for dogs with cancer - feed carbs, don’t feed carbs; reduce protein, increase protein; fats good, fats bad. It’s very easy to get into a flat spin so I decided to take my own advice - trust your instinct.
We will lightly steam some of her veg & chop it up finely in the blender. Her raw veg will go through the juicer & she can have that with a small amount of porridge, & the potatoes / rice / pasta will be cut right back to a balance with her greens. The CV247 diet specifies a large amount of carbs which doesn’t sit right for Heidi (it is possibly fine for another dog). The fish & liver will be fed raw or made into treats. The more people speak about their experiences with John Carter, the more I wonder at where the diet came from which is given with the CV247 now. Wheatgrass & carrot juice is mentioned, a supplement called Tryplase, the liver being fed raw, & so on. It’s all very confusing so I’m returning to a diet which isn’t hugely different to the one provided but may feel more “alive” when being fed. When her mix is made up daily it feels faintly sluggish whereas Meg’s food feels vital & alive (she’s fed all raw). I can only work with what I feel (unless I’m given irrefutable evidence otherwise).
I’ll let you know how it goes.
R & Hx
We have stopped the homeopathic Phytolacca (which we were giving after her lump disappeared & for mastitis / mammarian cancer) as we suspect it may have been stirring things up too much & are speculating this may have contributed to the flare up at the weekend. Heidi is very happy & has resumed her bed rotation at night instead of just sticking with one all night which she’d done from Friday. She’s now wearing her sling very happily (an old bra cup attached to her t-shirt &a piece of elastic which holds it in place). I have been surprised at how cool her lump remains in it, but it has been pointed out that previously it would have been swinging from side to side which could have either created some inflamation &/or soreness or just increased the blood-flow. We’ll have to watch in case she gets jogger’s nipple…
I have been getting far too involved in outcomes recently & realise I need to let go of them. I’m doing what I can to support her, friends & other lovely people are sending her what you can to help her, she is loving her life & the rest is really unknown therefore worrying is pretty pointless. In being concerned about her future, how can I truly appreciate her today? I’ll tell you something, she’s having a lovely day filled with Meg, her food, people around her to fuss, tickle & scratch her, comfortable beds in just about every conceivable position to make the most of sunshine (where’s that gone then?), the cool, the warmth, the soft, the peaceful & the most advantageous place to watch food being prepared.
I ended up on the floor with HRH last night. With mother in law on the sofa (we’re nothing but hospitable here) I took my bed under the stairs with Heidi. She didn’t budge from her bed (dog, not MiL) all night, which is unusual for her. There were moments when I stretched my hand out to check she was still ok & she was so deeply asleep that she did not stir. The lump this morning is still large, but is slightly less tight within the skin.
I have wondered what caused the change -I was burning some thyme & eucalyptus oils for MiL who has a stinking cold & a cough as they appeared to help. Heidi had had a busy couple of days; it’s so easy to get carried away with her as her whole face lights up when playing. Good bit of mental health stuff. Yesterday she slept very little, I think just from the change in routine & resumed her position as “Velcro Dog of the Year”.
Everyone else has gone out for the day & I’m hoping that she can catch up on some z’s
10pm - I have just felt Heidi’s lump & it is bigger than it has ever been before & really quite tight inside the skin. It is the first time I have felt concerned about it bursting & am unsure what to do. I have just spoken to Lesley (on call vet) who has suggested that if it were in serious danger of bursting Heidi would be showing some signs of discomfort (licking, whining,etc), there may be a discharge or signs of thinning of the skin. None of these apply & she seems quite bright (although tired after a day of family).
Lesley has also suggested we stop the Phytolacca until Monday when I can speak to Barbara to see whether this may be having some influence on HRH’s lump.
Please may we have a quiet week with her this week?
R x
I find it difficult to believe that it’s three weeks since Heidi’s op. She has been through so much & yet here she is bouncing around the garden like nothing has happened. Remarkable.
We had her blood test results on Tuesday. She is now hypothyroid which explains why the scales hit 13.6kg (a whole kilo heavier than when she came to us last November, & a kilo I never thought we’d see). We’ll have to watch she doesn’t pile on the pounds with her all new metabolism so have started to cut back on her food - there was rather a lot of it.
We now give her her Soloxine an hour before her meals & this morning you’d have thought I’d killed her mother the way she looked at me. You see, if we are in the kitchen we are feeding her not giving her the most meagre piece of cheese & then walking away for an hour before the good bit happens. I was quickly forgiven (albeit an hour later). HRH is now constantly hungry & will graze anything off the floor. BO (before operation) even bits of food on the floor would be left, but now anything is game; fluff, bits of wood, chicken pooh (that’s generally outside…), soil, potato peeling which have missed the compost, etc.
The lump which disappeared last week has gradually reappeared. I have no reason to panic about it - I’d much rather have Heidi with a lump & feeling comfortable than her without it & feeling dreadful, which she apparently was. She is so vital at the moment & so very keen to be out & about again, & that is what is important. Obviously I’d be delighted if it went & stayed away, but only if she feels well with it. Barbara has suggested we make a little bra for her to keep the lump protected from knocks & abrasions so the sewing machine will be put to use this weekend. Would it be a Grrrrra?
It’s just so wonderful to see her verve back again. Although her twinkle was always in her eyes, even when she was feeling dreadful but there was anxiety there too, the sparkle has returned to her eyes. That collie mischief which leaves you utterly vulnerable to smiling all the time is back. When our old cat, Spike, was living out his last days I had several people tell me I should have him PTS. My answer was always the same; while he has that twinkle in his eyes, no matter how small, he stays because he wants to. He, like Heidi, had bad days, but you could feel the strength of their will to stay through it all. The road to wellness or physical death isn’t easy & is strewn with obstacles, but by knowing there will be “off” days & looking for the light in their eyes you will know whether it’s right for them to continue with your support or whether it’s time to help them out of their failing bodies. The day Spike died the spark was just a glimmer. He wanted neither water nor food, but just to be held for one last, peaceful cuddle. He needed no help to leave & when he did leave it was one of the most precious moments I have ever experienced. There was no fear from either of us & it was beautiful. I still cry for him as I miss him but he reached out with his silver-grey paw & touched my soul.
Bob Champion said, “With hope, you can achieve anything.” With hope, fear has no place to reside. With hope you can look into your companions eyes & support them in a way that is appropriate. It is possible to be both hopeful & realistic by taking one day at a time & enjoying each, precious moment with them. Stroking their faces, gently scratching the point behind their ears which makes their eyes go soft, quietly brushing their coats, or just watching them while they sleep, telling them softly how much you love them.
Take time to get to know their twinkle, it will serve you well.
R x
Heidi gets the following every day (bear in mind she also has a heart problem - items specific to this will be marked with an “H” - so don’t be put off):-
CV247 - 3mls mixed with 1/2 scoop (provided) of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) until fully dissolved. I mix this on a saucer & add a little food to mop up the liquid then feed it to HRH. She usually licks the saucer clean.
Daily food ration (split over 3 meals) organic where possible:-
9oz boiled potato or rice (we alternate),
9oz raw carrot, lettuce, fruit etc. (we use apple, carrot & banana)
9oz cooked greens - we do a mix of cauli, broccoli (every 2 or 3 days so as not to upset her thyroid balance - remember it was removed), cabbage (as suggested) but also, spinach, celery, sprouts, etc. We steam these lightly over the boiing potatoes / rice.
9oz oat flakes or brown bread (we make up porridge cooked slowly as baking it is uneconomic)
4 1/2 oz chicken or rabbit - I chop it up small & chuck it in with the pots/rice for a few minutes (it doesn’t take long to cook through)
2 1/4oz slightly cooked egg or boneless fish. Again, these are alternated day to day. The egg is put in with the drained potato while still hot which cooks them lightly, or the fish goes in with the pots / rice for about 1 minute.
2 1/4 oz slightly cooked liver. In with the pots/rice for about 1 minute at the end of cooking or fish it out with a slotted spoon. I understand that JC recommended New Zealand lambs liver. A friend was told that the lamb there is grass fed & doesn’t get all the (GM) grains.
Mash the potato with the egg while hot. We whizz up the veg in a blender so it’s rough chopped & mix this with the potato & chopped chicken. The liver & fish also get whizzed & put into the mix along with the porridge. It can be quite gloopy so we add some of the liquor from the potato / chicken.
We tend to make up 2 days worth & chill it, but it would be easy to do a week at a time & freeze it down. Her bowl (ceramic - avoid plastic as chemicals can leak into the food) is warmed with hot water then the food put it & stirred around to warm it through. This avoids chilling her stomach. We finely grate apple or carrot over each meal, or sometimes add mashed banana.
Dry Mix -
1/2 tsp dried angelica (ground)
1/2 tsp dried dandelion (ground)
1/2 Vit. B complex (crushed) - stress vitamin
1 neem multi-capsule - immune boosting & heart support
1 turmeric capsule - anti-cancer, immune boosting, H
1 1/2 scoops Dorwest Herbs Keepers Mix - general booster & thyroid support
This all goes into a jar, is mixed up & shaken over each meal.
1 cap Vit E oil (H) & 1 cap Evening Primrose Oil (H) are put onto her lunch
1/2 tsp Milk Thistle tincture x2 daily - liver support
Motherwort & hawthorn 3 x daily (H)
PLEASE CONTACT A QUALIFIED HOLISTIC VET ABOUT WHICH HERBS / DOSES ARE APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR ANIMAL.
K9 Immunitas 1 capsule 3x daily www.petlabs.co.uk - immune boosting
Cottage Cheese & Flax oil
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 tbsp organic flax oil
Both whizzed in the hand blender & given as “pudding” after breakfast with 2 x K9 Immune Factor (also Petlabs) which is Transfer Factor, reputed to be a good anti-cancer supplement. The amounts of the cheese mix vary with the size of the animal. Heidi loves her pud & is most concerned if I forget! Meg loves licking out the bowl afterwards too.
I sometimes drop a couple of Apricot Kernels in as an anti-cancer “treat”, but HRH sometimes spits them out so it’s quite ad hoc. Other animals eat them like treats so it will vary from individual to individual.
Heidi’s diet wasn’t a dramatic change from what she was eating before so she was able to go straight onto it, but to change an animal over to this one from a dramatically different one should be quite straightforward. Allow about 2 weeks (more if you are concerned that they will go off their food) & take out a small amount of the old, replace it with the new & mix thoroughly. This will allow them time to adapt to the new flavours, but will also enable their gut flora & fauna to get used to changing something different (they will have become specialists at digesting their old food & may find a change challenging). This is a good, simple, easily digestible diet, butmore importantly, it’s balanced. It appears to be fundamental to the CV247 efficacy & it’s surely worth a try, after all, you’ve gone to the trouble of finding someone to give you the CV247.
I’m sure that the method I have described above is a variation on a theme of what others are doing, I’d love to hear, but the principle is the same. Heidi certainly enjoys eating it & has not turned her nose up once - even on stinky fish day!!
You can go right off roller-coasters.
Heidi called to me at 5 this morning & I found her shaking all over, slightly chilly, with cold feet & very pale again. I sat quietly doing TTouch with her for about 5 minutes & she calmed. Her colour had returned so I went back to bed. At 8 this morning I found her shaking, pale & looking utterly dejected. I found no trace of any discomfort but gave her Arnica just in case, Aspen for the trembling & Rock Rose before spending about 20 minutes doing more TTouch; Chris joined us to do ear-work & she gradually calmed down. There was no sense that this was anything like last Thursday’s crisis, but I rang the vet for advice anyway. Once we’d established that she was eating ok (from a spoon though - she is poorly after all) it was decided we’d play the “wait & see” game that seems to go with this condition.
The day has been spent dodging up & down the stairs; 15 minutes work, 15 minutes with Heidi, 15 minutes back in the office, & so on - thank you self-employment! During one session I noticed how her coat has changed; it’s gone really curly (which it does when she’s under the weather), the skin around her ribcage is incredibly tight & she twitches when I stroke her middle back - unusual for her.
Her breath has been almost toxic since Thursday. It’s enough to make your eyes water but we go to great lengths to avoid making any kind of issue about it. I received a lovely e-mail form someone I met at a local show last year who is going through similar traumas with her dog & suggested that Heidi was “lysing”. Not heard of it so was pleased when Pam explained, “Lysing is when the body is overwhelmed by dealing with dead cells, some dogs have been cured by the Cancer but died of the lysing and post mortems have shown that the cancer had gone but the body just couldn’t cope with dealing with the amount of dead cells.” Cheering, but bless her, she did follow this up with the observation that Heidi seems to be coping with it. It makes sense to me & I look forward to hearing what Barbara feels.
With this in mind I have been giving her Crab Apple flower remedy through the day as a good cleanser. I will give her another dose of Milk Thistle at tea-time too to help her liver clear out the yuck. I have been interested that she has consistently rejected healing today, much preferring TT, strokes & tickles. She had her jumper back on for about an hour this morning as she was so chilly, but that came off when Chris lit the fire before lunch.
Lump update. The tenderness & pinkness has gone & the pouch has refilled to about half of what it was but it feels very different to how it was before Thursday (it’s ok, I’m not squooshing it around, just light strokes are enough to establish the changes). Before there was a definite “connector”, a bit like an umbilical cord, but now it just feels like fluid filled pouch.
HRH is much brighter this afternoon, even managing a little woof at the Postman, but is still on restricted exercise to allow her system time to deal with whatever is going on in it at the moment. Her eyes have remained bright throughout & she is still able to do vertical take-off & landings to the sofa.
Thank you everyone for your lovely messages & wishes. They mean so much.
R & H xx
Heidi is brighter today, but certainly wasn’t up to going out for a walk - maybe she heard Barbara saying that she was going to be taking things easy for a couple of days. Instead, she snuggled into me on the floor for more cuddles.
It struck me at that moment how much TTouch can do to change you from an onlooker or pill-feeder to a participant in the journey of your companion back to health. Heidi is still in some discomfort & her breathing was very rapid. Moving the skin gently over her ribs you could feel the tension held there. After only a few minutes of doing Raccoon TTouches over her ribs you could see her relaxing & breathing more easily, & she eventually did a big sigh, indicating that the worst of the tension had gone & she was able to breathe deeply. She then went into a deep sleep which can only be healing.
Her discomfort level must have gone down dramatically as she rolled onto her back & showed me her pouch. It’s still pink, but she was happy having it handled gently. She’s also clingy, but that is understandable.
We were planning a trip out on Saturday, but we are now having a quiet weekend at home, snuggled up on the sofa!
R x
This is written with some hesitancy.
We had a shock today. Heidi looked a little uncomfortable when she walked over to me so I checked to see whether her lump had maybe got caught in the bottom edge of her t-shirt (it hadn’t happened yet, but you never know). I felt her lump, then I felt it again, then I called Chris over to feel it in case I’d made a mistake.
The lump had gone.
Chris confirmed it. She still had the bulge of skin & it felt quite flabby, but there was definitely no tumour, no tightness, no resistance & no tenderness. I galloped off to share the news with Barbara, but by the time I had returned Heidi was shaking all over, her lump area was very tender & her tail was well & truly clamped tight to her stomach. Aaggghhhhh! Aconite, Aspen, & Carbo Veg as her gums were white then straight into the car, pausing only to explain to Meg that it was ok, we’d be bringing Heidi back later in the afternoon (the whole time praying it was true).
By the time we arrived at the surgery, Heidi was still shaking & I was a mess. I was useless & burst into tears when I got into the surgery, & dear Helen - thank you for the cuddle, it was so appreciated. Barbara had a feel & thought she might have knocked the lump, gave her some Arnica to ease the discomfort (the one remedy I forgot to give!). Further investigation revealed that the nipple was quite pink & hot & her abdomen was very tender. The suggestion was that the lump has been reabsorbed & she now has mastitis. Heidi was given a painkilling injection - her teeth were still chattering with the shakes poor girl.
Her lump was very definitely there the previous evening - she showed us when she was rolling on her back, but it had gone the next morning. I never anticipated that it would go quite that fast. All I know is, it’s not there now.
This bit is conjecture only: could the body have reabsorbed what it was able to deal with, & when Chris & I were feeling it very gently, it caused more cells than the immune system could deal with to go into her system causing her to go into shock (pale gums, shaking)? Our lovely communicator, Jackie, felt that her cells were “claggy” & not running smoothly. If they were handling a load of cancerous cells is it possible this is how they would feel? Last week when I was giving Heidi some healing I sensed the cells leaving the growth along something which looked like an umbilical cord & each individual cell was enveloped by a glorious red pillow of a blood platelet where it was literally loved to death. Is this what her system is doing now? Has her immune system been boosted to a point where it can now manage this? All the herbs, homeopathy, transfer factor, reishi mushrooms, good food, love, healing & now CV247 have enabled this to happen. As I say, conjecture, but something has caused a dramatic change.
When asked what one thing made the change, it would be like asking how long would she have lived without any of this. Who knows. As I tell my TTouch clients, when helping an animal back to balance there may be many pieces to the jigsaw, but it’s only when the final piece goes in that the picture reveals itself to you. Bear in mind that Heidi had been on her regime from December 2008, & only started the CV247 2 weeks ago. Why the change now? I leave you to draw your own conclusions. My jury is still out as to whether this is a spontaneous reabsorbtion or the tumour bursting after a knock; whichever way, her immune system will be working 19 to the dozen.
Heidi is weary, still quite tender & very clingy, but the shaking has stopped & we are ready for bed.
All well on the western front.
Yesterday morning & this morning was greeted with cold legs & feet so I spent about 1/2 hour doing Ttouch over her ears to support her heart & all over her body for the circulation. She adores Abalone on her torso - her eyes just seem to melt away as she slips into a dream-like state. She’s back as quick as a flash when I go to her front feet though!
Whoever returned the medium t-shirt, thank you. Heidi is now wearing it & it fits beautifully. Meg had got herself into such a state without her jumper that I put her old t-shirt on; it’s about 3 years old now & looks as though the moths have been at it (they haven’t, she’s just run through too many bushes), but within 1/2 an hour you could see her beginning to return to our planet & she actually spent most of the evening cuddled up on the sofa with us which is unusual at the moment. This morning I was greeted with a cheery grin & a very waggy, wet kiss the second I opened my eyes. This is the same Meg who was struggling to get up in the morning & would return to bed at the drop of a hat. It’s almost as though she has lost her protective skin & feels vulnerable when she’s not wearing either her Hotterdog or her T-shirt, but she is so relaxed when she is. I’m very grateful we have them in the house. Perhaps I’ll get her a new one for the summer… Since Heidi has been wearing her t-shirt today she has stopped being a velcro dog; it must have been exhausting for her as every time I moved somewhere she would have to follow. At lunchtime I had to call her over for food for the first time ever! She is so much more chilled in it.
I feel that although Heidi’s extremities have been generally better, there are times when they are so cold that she evidently needs the medication so I have given her a half dose (as suggested by Barbara) so that any potential light-headedness can be coped with more easily. Fingers crossed.
We’re back at the vets this afternoon for a progress report. I wish the surgery was closer - 50 minutes each way can get wearing, but they are SO worth the journey. I shall post something later if there is anything to report.
How’s this for progress:
Heidi has put on weight & is now up to 12.9kg (this is the heaviest she’s been with us); her heart has stopped making the “pinging” noise & is a steady 100bpm which indicates that her heart is definitely under less pressure, although the murmur remains; her wound is healing well & beginning to shed bits of scab (sorry if you’re eating); her mammary growth is much less tight & is more mobile within her skin - Barbara expressed concern that there was a danger of it bursting before (I’m glad she had kept that one to herself). The expression used was “Heidi is doing very well.” Everyone was amazed at how bright & lively she is, & they hadn’t seen her on the grass before we went in where she was having a delightful bounce.
Whatever you are sending Heidi’s way, do please continue if you are in a position to - it really is making an extraordinary difference & she still has a way to go. We are all hugely grateful to everyone. My hope is that others may be inspired by Heidi’s story & establish their own teams of people who can create the same magical healing & supportive environment where the animal or person can get the most out of the treatment they are receiving. It would also be good for others to appreciate what can be achieved naturally, working with the animal & creating a healthy body instead of attacking its natural defences.
My smile is wide. Heidi’s tail is wagging furiously. Meg is grinning & doing helicopter-tails. Moley is giving everyone special Moley kisses. Kugel watches from her spot on the stairs. Tig calls for more food please. Do share our joy.
R x
Heidi is amazing. The extra dose of herbs each day is doing the trick & her legs are warm & her tongue has lost its blue tinge. Thank you Barbara.
HRH has been really bright & managed a trip out yesterday with my parents to a garden centre. She looked a little flat at one point so I opened the side door of the van & did some TTouch with her. While I wasn’t looking, Meg popped out & went off sniffing around the car park which would have been fine if I’d had a pocket full of treats to get her attention back on me. She’s pretty emotionally wrung out at the moment & was therefore unable to hear me. I realised too late that wasn’t coming back as I saw her tail disappear into the farm shop. I grabbed her lead & trotted in behind. It was one of those moments when you just wanted the ground to open up & swallow you. The shop was heaving. Meg isn’t a people person but hadn’t realised that there were quite so many in there until she’d done one complete circuit, looked up & saw what, or rather, who was around her. You could see the panic wash over her as she dived under one of the display stands. I prayed there was nothing edible under there or there may have been rather more explaining to do when I grabbed the debris from her mouth. It was a good news, bad news situation. Beer bottles all neatly lined up in tidy rows. That was before Meg arrived. She had turned into a snarling wreck who had no idea which way to turn or what to do. I was endeavouring to remain calm as any sign of any kind of emotion tips her right over the edge & you stand NO chance of doing anything with her; this was against the odds as I was getting truly filthy looks from some of the shoppers, & sympathetic ones from others. They perhaps didn’t realise that I knew she wasn’t meant to be in there, even though I was grovelling around on my hands & knees replacing the falling bottles as I went, calling out abject apologies the shop-keeper whilst endeavouring to clip a lead onto a snarling, snapping dervish. I was keeping the image of her flying out from under the stand & snapping at one of the children right out of my mind (that took some doing as she’s more than capable). She was SO scared poor girl. I was relieved to see a quarry tile floor which meant she could skid elegantly across it when I eventually got a hold of her collar. I truly hate dragging a dog over a floor but there really was no option. Once the lead was on her, she suddenly came back to our planet, looked around in wonderment at the devastation then trotted out alongside me as though someone else had done it. Darling Meg, I do love you, but I’m glad I understand you & your ways. I rue the day I vaccinated you & made your brain misfire the way it does.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Heidi had launched a successful takeover bid on Meg’s front seat position & was very happily sprawled in the sunshine. I returned to the shop minus Meg & continued grovelling to the shop-keeper (without explaining that my dog truly is a nutter or using the excuse that she’s a rescue (she isn’t) which some people happily fall back on) while I collected up the still rolling bottles to line them up in neat lines once more. Will I ever be able to show my face in there again?
Who's getting the therapy?
Heidi not only managed this trip out but then spent a happy hour wandering around us while we had afternoon tea - terribly civilised, if only you knew. She was very happy to sit with my dad & get some special strokes while she leaned gently in. By late afternoon she was very deeply asleep with her legs in the air back on the sofa & she remained so through the rugby. Her supper was dutifully wolfed then she returned for a snooze. Yesterday was her first walk away from home & it was a total joy to see her trotting happily along the lane. Meg was overjoyed & did her special “happy gallop”, missing out the buzzing part where she invites the other to play by pushing her bum out toward them as she passes. Heidi, as usual, paid her no attention!
My family are completely amazed at how bright she is, & Chris commented on how well she is so soon after her operation. My response was this:-
1. I don’t know of any other dogs who have so many people sending them healing, love & prayers to help them with their recovery.
2. Having a vet whom we trust completely means that we aren’t spending our time worrying about whether there is anything else we could be doing, because we’re already doing it. Also, with our feeling confident, Heidi is going to pick up on this & spend her time getting well instead of worrying about what we might be worrying about.
3. We have the space on our Welsh hilltop for her to get fresh air & no worries about being bothered by people or dogs.
4. She’s an incredibly determined creature who looks as though she’s made a decision to stay & will do all she can to achieve that.
Today she is happy, bright & warm, barking when something interesting happens (like the new lamb by the pond - they say that sheep spend their lives finding new ways to die, but I think this lamb was starting on day one, it was very precarious until it was moved). Her new bark is so strong & deeper than it was. It still fills you with a deep smile as it is an expression of her happiness to be alive.
Blessed be.
Heidi is much brighter this morning but still icy cold in the leg department. I have put her body suit on her after a load of TTouch. Her ears are at least warm now & her legs & feet are less sensitive to being touched; it must be horrible being so cold in the extremities, but very comforting having warm hands make little circles all over you. She was back in her bean bed last night, which she’s not been in since the operation. It is an over-large affair which Meg alwaysstruggled to coordinate her way into & used to try to beat it into submission by stamping her feet all over it!. Heidi just leaps into the middle & she’s set for the night. It was lovely to see her snuggled in.
When Heidi & I returned from the vet yesterday we were greeted by a very anxious Meg who gave us both a very thorough once over. I then realised that normally when I go somewhere either on my own or with HRH that I always explain to Meg where we are going & roughly how long we’ll be. We left in such a hurry yesterday that I said nothing to her. Her demeanour on our return was very much one of the concerned parent, “Where were you? I didn’t know when you were coming back, or, indeed, if you were coming back.”
Meg used to suffer from terrible separation anxiety as a youngster & someone suggested we tell her what we’re doing before we do it & the change was incredible. I could tell her what time we’d be back & she’d disappear to one of the sofas & settle down. If we were ever going to be late back from the time given I’d send her a thought message that we’d been delayed & she’d be fine, but if I didn’t she’d be very anxious on our return. Yesterday’s anxiety was about a lack of information & a mental note has been made; no matter how rushed our exit from the house, we must take a few moments to explain the situation, what might happen, what the consequence could be & any timings. How awful to imagine not seeing your new best friend again. Sorry Meg. It was an oversight.
Heidi is seeing one of her favourite people today; her Grumps (so named by my nephews!). There appears to be a little bit of magic when the 2 are together & I think it will do her good to have some people therapy now she’s ready for it. He will understand what she’s going through as he has had heart problems & an encounter with cancer.
R
We had an unscheduled trip to the vet this morning. Heidi’s gums were very pale & her legs were icy cold again from first thing this morning & the Carb Veg was making little difference so Barbara suggested I brought her in. Heidi met a beautiful blue merle collie (sporting a TTouch body wrap for her anxiety) in the waiting room but really wasn’t herself today, preferring to stay glued to my side rather than cruising the waiting room for fuss like she normally does. Her temperature was up slightly but nothing else appeared untoward. We are increasing her twice daily dose of Hawthorn & Motherwort to 3x a day for 3 days & if there is no change we have the Fortekor to try. Fingers crossed the herbs do the trick.
I have nothing against conventional medication, but if something can be addressed in a way that it works synchronously with the beings system & helps it to heal itself it has to be preferable. From what I have seen, much conventional medication can upset a natural balance which exists within every body, sometimes requiring further medication to redress the balance, & so on. The joy of working with a holistic vet is you know when conventional medication is suggested, all other avenues have been exhausted & this is the only one to take.
Beverley Cuddy mentioned that John Carter insisted on CV247 animals drinking only bottled water from glass bottles to ensure that they are as chemical free as possible. The herbs which Heidi takes for her heart are in alcohol & I pondered over this with Barbara. On a level playing field (i.e. no heart problem) we would work towards a chemical free existence, but ours is somewhat bumpy so a small amount of alcohol is going to ensure that she’s alive to get the benefit of the CV247! On the water front, we are going hunting for springs this weekend as our well water supports a healthy population of frogs & newts but I’m unsure how good it would be for our little dog (apart from being highly entertaining!). One thing we are not short of in Wales is water…
Plenty of TTouch for Heidi this afternoon & I shouldn’t have mentioned alcohol.
