Heidi 9

27th April - Celebration?

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

Chilli Pepper

Hi Beverley,

As fate would have it my poor 7 1/2 year old Cocker Spaniel Chilli Pepper was diagnosed with anal sac carcinoma and it has metastasized into her lymph nodes about 2 months ago. She had surgery 2 weeks ago to remove the anal sac and surrounding lymph nodes and the surgeon assured me he cut out what was feasible but this process wasn't a cure but will hopefully give her a longer better quality of life.
The owner of the kennels I put my other dogs into called me to advise of your article in April's issue re cv247 which was the best thing that happened to me and Chilli Pepper as I have always been against chemo for dogs especially Chilli as she is quite sensitive to all things relating to vets if you know what I mean!! I was in turmoil until i checked out your blogs and all the stories from yourself and other people with similar situations and whether it works on Chilli Pepper or not I feel it is worth a try..I spoke to my vet who is very open minded and he called the vet in Edinburgh who is on your list and I am able to go pick up some cv247 from him as he has had to order a bulk load and has only given it to one dog 2 mths ago and hasn't heard since if he feels it is working. Nevertheless I would never have known all this wonderful info if it wasn't for you Beverley and your research team so thank you from the bottom of my and Chilli's heart.
I have also been trying to research the maple syrup and bicarbonate of soda remedy to cure cancer..basic principle by heating the two ingredients together bonds the ingredients and the cancer tumours crave the sugar and soak up the mixture and then the bicarb goes to work to kill the tumour from the inside out..most stories on internet are by people cured but my vet also said he didn't think it would harm her or be affected by giving cv247 at the same time...have you any ideas on this?
I also have a couple of things that not sure about mainly the diet thing...the liver, carrot juice and supplements didn't seem that balanced and my vet was a little concerned about this..do you think I could give her Nature Diet which is natural and balanced with a content of 60% meat and I have been giving her lamb as feel chicken has antibiotics pumped into food whereas sheep need to graze grass so they are prob as organic as could hope to get without trying to balance a diet based on Barf. According to your literature on diet low red meat so chicken seems to be more desirable? Also had noticed in blog last time the name of those pig capsules pancreatic juices but am unable to find it now?
I am desperate Beverley as I am sure you can understand having been through the same trauma with Sally but how wonderful that she then defied odds by reacting to cv247 and living til 16 and its things like this that have given me hope although trying to stay optimistic is hard as I love Chilli Pepper so much as tears run down my face now thinking of a day that I will lose my best friend.
I know you are busy running a fab mag but if you do get a moment to read through my ramblings and give me advice on the above queries I will be eternally grateful from one lucky dog owner to another.

thanks Nikki Herald X and Chilli Pepper lick

Hi Nikki and Chilli Pepper

I totally understand how you are feeling. It is a very upsetting time.
I will tell you what I know about CV247 and the diet. The diet is equally important as the CV247. It is weird and my normal vet was sceptical – he wanted me to feed a canned prescription diet. Innovation doesn’t come from regular vets, so it’s understandable that John advocated something many vets think of as strange. But there is logic behind it. From my time in the waiting room it was the people who stuck rigidly to the diet that got success. Those that wavered and just gave the dog what it liked or treats that were not on the diet, didn’t get better.
Some dogs did get a bit lean when they were battling cancer, my Sal was – but I thought it was worth it and in hindsight it was. And to be honest she was already thin when we started as she was so ill she couldn’t digest. Therefore I don’t think I had the same dilemma others did. And Sally loved her weird diet, I think it was things she was craving as it was what her body needed. When she was ill, before diagnosis, she stole the broccoli from my shopping.
John was adamant about a chemical free, salt free, sugar free diet. That the body – liver especially – should not be sidetracked in dealing with non-food items. It needed to concentrate on fighting the cancer. His attention to detail was so great that he insisted on bottled water, too – but not in plastic bottle – it had to be glass.
It kind of makes sense and the results seemed to back it up.
As far as the maple syrup idea I don’t think that would work with CV247 as introducing sugar would be against the diet. I’d say you’d try one or the other – but that together probably neither would work. It would be worth checking out Heidi’s regime on the blog as her owners are using alternatives, too.
My instincts were to throw myself into one method and just treasure every day. We weren’t offered traditional alternatives as Sal was inoperable. With CV247 you do no harm no matter the end result, there are no side effects.
It is all or nothing though, I’d say don’t bother doing CV247 if you aren’t going to do the diet.
Good luck with which ever path you choose and if you’d like me to record your story on the blog, I’d be happy to do that. The blog can help replicate John’s waiting room – people pass on tips and support each other.
The drug was Tryplase by the way, it helps absorption and is or was made from pig's pancreatic juices – so hopefully natural stuff.
Best wishes
Beverley


Hi Beverley,
Thank you for your most speedy and informative reply to my rambling email! I am so glad I spoke to you as now I have a path to follow...I am enjoying chilli pepper each day as I always have but I will leave the maple syrup and bicarbonate of soda for now to concentrate on cv247 and the specific diet of raw nz lambs liver, juiced up organic carrots(another great tip from you as I also cant find organic carrot juice anywhere just like cinnamon's owner). What other supplements are required to be mixed with the above menu and I have noticed a few vitamins and is omega 3 oils to be added as cinnamons mum has done? If chilli pepper loses weight it will be better for her as she should be 12kilos and is 16 so the weight loss will be an advantage! Can she get raw bones or should it just be liver? I'm sorry to keep barraging you with questions but I have read so much that you email was a relief of concise information! I will be glad if you can add Chilli Peppers story to the Blog as not that good on a computer so only know how to email you! It has been very informative and also gives me some hope that denying Chilli Pepper chemo is the best decision as I know she will not cope with that but try explaining that to specialist cancer vets! Just for information sake my vet put me in touch with the vet on your site regarding cv247 stockists in Edinburgh so went today and picked up 2 bottles (600ml each)of the cv247 at £89.70 and then went to Boots pharmacy to order vit c powder at £7.15 per 100g as may be advisable to let other people considering this to have a rough idea of cost as i had no idea how much is was going to cost. The cv247 will last me around 2 mths as she to get 4ml twice a day. Thanks again for your time Beverley..

Yours Nikki + Chilli Pepper XX

Hi B,

Me again....! Diet to be low in sugar but ok to have organic fruit....I would like to give her apples and blueberries but not sure it this would put too much sugar in her diet? What do you think as apparently apple seeds have some anti cancer properties and blueberries have great antioxident qualities so think would be a good thing but not sure if too much sugar or is it refined sugar that is a nono?

Thanks Nikki x

Hi Nikki and Chilli Pepper
I remember John saying he hated berries and mushrooms. Any other's out there heard him going on about berries being the worst thing on the planet you can eat? As he was iffy about parsnips because they have loads of sugar I would go very easy on the fruit if you're going for the vintage Carter diet. Anyone else remember John Carter's line on apples?
Cheers
Beverley

Heidi 8

22nd April - week 6

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

16th April - week 5

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?

9th April - week 4 & girl stuff

http://www.mekuti.co.uk/books.htm

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

8th April - My new Grrra?

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

6th April - Jogger’s Nipple?

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.

5th April

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

4th April - Grown

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

Cinnamon 6

Cinnamon is loving her raw liver even more. She is now hanging around the kitchen waiting for me to give her a piece. I can't believe how much she loves it now when she used to turn her nose up! My other 2 cats still will not eat it. I know John Carter recommended giving NZ lamb liver but I don't think its organic, so does anyone know if this is correct as I thought most fresh food had to be organic. I have looked at the organic carrot juice in the supermarket but the only one I can find has lemon juice in it. Is this the one most people use? I'm not sure carrot juice will go down well with Cinnamon but I do put a little organic raw or cooked carrot mixed in to the food sometimes.

Am I the only CV247 user writing on this Blog, where has everyone gone?? No one is giving updates anymore, which is a shame as we can help one another. There must be quite a few people out there who's animals are using it and it would be so nice for us all to keep in contact and swap recipies etc. Even if you feel it may not be working and your pet is still poorly, keep in touch and we might be able to give you a shoulder to lean on and talk to one another and share our problems. Are there no other feline friends?

Well, my little angel is still ok, tumours are about the same as on my last post, but she is still well and has her mad half hours zooming around the house, jumping on the window ledge and knocking over the photos, but I don't care, as long as she is happy and not suffering thats all that matters.
Maralyn

John was always fine with NZ Lambs liver, he thought it was the best as the lambs were apparently all grass fed. With regard to carrot juice I made my own. I have a Anthony Worrell Thompson juicer and I just make carrot juice fresh as I need it. It is for me these days not the dogs as I got a taste for the stuff! Some juicer don't cope with the strain of carrots - but this one has lasted a long time already!
Beverley Cuddy

Cinnamon 5

Unfortunately, yesterday I noticed another very small lump has returned again between her shoulder blades, making it 3 noticeable lumps now. Indeed I am terribly disappointed that perhaps the CV247 isn't working for my Cinnamon especially with all the trouble I went to corresponding with Beverley to obtain the formula. However, reading over the trials again posted on this blog, some dogs were treated for 24 months before tumours regressed, so perhaps I can keep on hoping. Sarcomas are fast growing so perhaps her system hasn't conquered it yet, so I won't give up hope just yet or perhaps I will never give up hope!! The good news - she is finally eating raw NZ liver - wow! After Mandy's comments on raw liver, I thought I would try again. I first gave my other 2 cats a piece and they turned their noses up, went over to Cinnamon and offered a piece to her and she loved it, so I have given it to her as a tit bit for supper. I have also looked into the Transfer Factor which has been recommended but am doubtful about using it after reading what some websites say about it. So, maybe it is still early days yet and fortunately she is still in good health otherwise so I shall continue with all treatments and wait and see what the future holds and keep you posted - Maralyn

Cinnamon

Like Herbie's owner, I too was pleasantly surprised to see my article on Cinnamon in Dog's Today magazine. So thank you Beverley for printing my article and hopefully it may help other CV247 users. Cinnamon is still well in herself and now on her second bottle of CV247. Unfortunately, her 2 tumours still seem to be slowly growing but are still small at present so I am praying that they will start to slow down eventually. I am now putting organic grated carrot into her food and mixing it with organic chicken and organic pet food and she and my other 2 cats seem to enjoy it. I also give her the NZ lamb liver but still have to mix it with organic pet food or she won't eat it. I buy the dried wheatgrass juice from Xynergy and just add water and syring it into Cinnamon's mouth, perhaps it might be easier for Herbie's owner to do it that way if Herbie won't drink it. I have also added in Omega 3 oil now and shall keep adding other vitamins in the hope that it helps her.

Thank you

Maralyn

Herbie 2

It was such a nice surprise to open this month's edition of Dogs Today and find Herbie inside - thank you, it really made my day!
I just wanted to let you know how he was getting on, five weeks down the line. There have been no miraculous cures like Heidi's, but he has stopped going downhill. A few weeks ago, I wasn't sure he would last the interval between my asking my vet for a referral and receiving the first bottle of CV247 in the post. Given that, it's major progress for him still to be here, and still eating, and wanting to go for walks.
I'm still feeding him organic meat and veg, but I'm no further on with vegetable juices. I've just spent two weeks growing some wheatgrass, and half an hour assembling the juicer, to produce about a centimetre of dark green liquid which he won't touch. I've just drunk it myself, and it's quite pleasant. (Maybe I should have juiced some liver as well.)
Thank you again,
Helena and Herbie

Vets wiling to prescribe CV247

Vets who have indicated a willingness to prescribe CV247

Mr Richard Allport B.Vet. Med.,Vet.M.F.Hom., M.R.C.V.S.
Natural Medicine Centre
11 Southgate Road
Potters Bar
Herts
EN6 5DR

Email: info@naturalmedicinecentre.net
Telephone: 01707 662058

Barbara Jones BVMS MRCVS VetMFHom
Oakwood Veterinary Centre
Babbinswood Farm
Whittington
Oswestry
Shropshire SY11 4PF

Email: barbarjones@onetel.com
Telephone: 01691 679 699

John Hope-Ryan
Masefield House Veterinary Surgery
Wells Road
Malvern Wells
Worcs
WR14 4PA

Email: john@mhvs.co.uk
Telephone: 01684 576464

Paul Grant
35 Addington Road
West Wickham
BR4 9BN

Email: paulgrant64@hotmail.co.uk
Telephone: 020 84623455

Alan Marshall BVMS MRCVS
The Bard Veterinary Group
15 Catherine Street
Dumfries
DG1 1JF

Email: mail@thebardvetgroup.co.uk
Tel: 01387 255295

Jane Murphy
Lordship Lane Vet Surgery
509-511 Lordship Lane
Dulwich
London SE22 8JY

Email: ejanemurphy@hotmail.com
Telephone: 020 86934677

Andrew Prentis MRCVS
Hyde Park Veterinary Centre
61 Connaught Street
London W2 2AE

Email: hydeparkvet@aol.com
Telephone: 020 7723 0453

Peter A Culpin BSc MA VetMB MRCVS
Clinical Director
Pets Naturally
26 Chepstow Corner
Chepstow Place
London
W2 4XE

Email: pcvet@petsnaturally.com
Telephone: 020 7221 9200

Octavian Galla DVM,MVSc, MRCVS
Companion Care Vets
Inside Pets At Home
Great Northern retail Park
Leeds Road
Huddersfield
HD1 6ND

Email: huddersfield@companioncare.co.uk
Telephone: 01484 411804

David Batchelor BVM&S MRCVS
Batchelor, Davidson and Watson
19 Hillhouse Road
Edinburgh
EH4 3QP

Email: bdw.vets@yahoo.co.uk
Telephone: 0131 332 0458

Nick Thompson BSc.(Hons) Path. Sci., BVM&S, VetMFHom, MRCVS
Holisticvet Ltd.
Apthorp Centre,
Weston Chiropractic and Holistic Centre,
Weston Road,
Bath
BA1 2XT

Email: nickthompson@holisticvet.co.uk
Telephone: 01225 48 7778

Gavin Durston BVM&S, MRCVS
Thrums Veterinary Group
20 Forfar Road
Kirriemuir
Angus
Scotland DD8 5BY

Email: vets@thrumsvet.co.uk
Telephone: 01575 572643

Manuela Wight, MRCVS
Highfield Veterinary Centre
145-147 London Road
Sheffield S2 4LH

Email: apts@highfieldvetcentre.co.uk
Telephone: 0114 2554667

Heidi 7

2nd April - Week 3

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