My Cat's Battle

2 Years, 3 Months - May You Rest in Peace My Beautiful Kitty

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Thu, 21 May 2015 03:15:00 +0000

This past 6 months have been a challenging time all around. As such, I've been unable to provide frequent updates on this blog unfortunately. Today however, I made sure to allocate time to write what will be my final post. Weasel was put down today after a strong battle against cancer for the last 2 years and 3 months.

Although I was prepared for his inevitable departure from us, it still stung and I cried. It's so difficult to lose a fur baby. We feel that we need to protect these innocent beings in our lives and it's simply crushing when we fail at this task.

I'm presently visiting my mother so compounding the issue was the fact that I couldn't hug or kiss Weasel goodbye. My husband came home from work to find him barely able to breath and realized that it was time to take him to the vet.

For the past 2 months Weasel has been contending with terminal Ascites - an accumulation of fluid in his abdomen. The cancer had spread to the liver causing this to be the latest 'demon' to tackle. We had Weasel's abdomen drained 3 times. It got to the point where I thought that we could continue draining him until this as well came to pass, but a hernia developed and the reality of his situation was undeniable.

I continued to provide Weasel with his supplements..I realized that it was a waste of time but a small part of me thought that it would provide comfort until his final hour.

When reading this, please don't view his death as a reason to ever give up on your own fur babies. Yes, the cancer inevitably won, but keep in mind that Weasel was only expected to live 3 months with this aggressive cancer, and on top of that, we managed to shrink the pancreatic tumour. We were also up against the fact that Weasel refused to take many treatments that are quite important such as the Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C or Yunnan Baiyao to name a couple.

Just try your best no matter what because at the end of the day, your pets will know you are and you'll have peace of mind that you never gave up on those you love.

Best wishes to all of you. I hope that this blog is a helpful resource to refer to in your 'toolbox of arsenal' against cancer.

Bloated Abdomen

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 21:11:00 +0000

It's been quite some time since I was last able to post an update. This is primarily due to giving birth at the end of January but I was also juggling an enormous workload as a new teacher prior to that.

Up until two weeks ago I believed Weasel was making fantastic progress thanks to the new Nature's Sunshine Paw Paw we had begun adding to his daily regime. He was very busy running in and out all day and had a hearty appetite. He had however escalated his 'bad behaviour' in the recent weeks, leaving bowel movements in the corners of our basement and urine next to shelves as well. Although it's not a renovated part of the house, it still holds tools and other valuables so his naughty ways are extremely aggravating. Because he's been urinating in spots he shouldn't for the past two years or so, I disregarded it as him being a fuss about his litter or not getting his way over something which he always makes a point of indicating is 'not acceptable'.

It turns out that this bathroom behaviour was likely due to the liver tumor. Shortly after Weasel left his excrement gift to us, I noticed that his sides were growing on a daily basis. My husband believed we were overfeeding him but I had my doubts that cats gain weight - or anyone for that matter, so quickly. About a week later Weasel looked as though he had swallowed a giant water mellon. I felt his sides and can only describe it as pushing a water balloon that has a thick membrane in which you can feel the water tightly pushing against the sides.

We took Weasel to have an X-ray at the vets down the street from us. They could see that it was due to the liver and in taking a fluid sample, where able to confirm this. Thankfully there wasn't any blood. We had a decision to make on the spot..is this dooms day or do we go on. I couldn't bear telling the vet to euthanize after all we had done to date so we had his abdomen drained. This may have bought us a few days, a few weeks or even months with him. It's really hard to tell.

I reached out to Dr. Haghighat and stated that it looks like we've hit the end of the road on this long journey. As always, Dr. Haghighat was very optimistic even when faced with this. Due to the fact that I didn't see much point in spending any more on tackling the cancer with funds being scarce with me out of work at the present moment, I politely stated that we were not going to pursue any more treatments. Here's where I was quite surprised (although I shouldn't be knowing how kind Dr. Haghighat is). He offered to treat Weasel for free in an upcoming visit. There aren't too many professionals that are as generous as he is. His belief that Weasel can combat this new hurdle is quite strong. He's reminded me that I need to give Weasel a fair chance and not give up just yet.

So based on this kind offer, today I visited Dr. Haghighat, lugging both the baby and the cat into his clinic (no easy feat I might add haha). Dr. Haghighat did blood therapy and acupuncture on Weasel. Weasel was very well behaved thankfully (unlike previous visits) and seemed to be in very strong spirits when we got home, running around and looking as though he didn't have the slightest clue he has anything wrong with him - an enviable quality animals have I might add. Dr. Haghighat mentioned as well that he felt that another ultrasound was required to see specifically what was taking place. I initially hesitated on this, as I felt it to be unnecessary but once again, his kindness has no bounds and he offered to pay for the ultrasound as well. I truly hope that the information he gathers through treating Weasel can benefit him somehow, as I'm blown away by his passion toward the wellbeing of our fur babies. He's definitely not in this for profit.

In contrast to Dr. Haghighat is the dreadful vet who operates the ultrasound machine in our area..I'm seriously thrilled to connect with him again this week (that was sarcasm btw). I'm sure he'll tell me that Weasel is about to explode in two weeks and there's nothing that can be done about it. He'll likely go into graphic detail about how messy the whole scene will look. At least I'm going in with eyes wide open on his bedside manner this time lol.

This was a long post (making up for lost time). Hopefully I have a brief but positive post in the weeks to come updating you on Weasel's progress yet again - the cat who most certainly has 9 lives.

An Update From Dave and His Cat Moosie

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 17:17:00 +0000

For those of you who have been reading my blog posts, you likely recall one regarding an email I received from Dave. Dave is also battling pancreatic cancer in his cat Moosie and the latest news he shared is that Moosie is doing incredibly well. Dave has provided extremely helpful information on his treatment regime which hopefully will benefit you in your own treatment process.

___________________________________________________________________

Moosie is doing very well! He is healthy, his weight unchanged, and acts like a normal mischievous cat. His treatment is similar to what it was before, but changed a bit.

Here's his current regimen :

I take a 600mg capsule of Doctor's Best Goji Berry extract, a 500 mg capsule of Now brand Lysine powder, a capsule of Life Extension Mega Green Tea extract, and a 500 mg capsule of Doctor's Best or Nutrigold Cucumin C3 Complex, and empty them into a bowl. I mix them up. I take two 100mg Novodalin b17 pill, and cut them in half. A half B17 pill goes into each empty pill capsule.

I fill the mixed powders in the capsules equally. Moosie gets a mixed pill in the morning with 1000mg of Barlean's fish oil, and a mixed pill and 500mg of Food Science of Vermont cold-pressed black currant seed oil.

Every two months I have given Moosie Nature's Sunshine PawPaw Cell-Reg for one week. I empty one capsule at at time, and fill an entire empty #3 capsule with pawpaw. He gets the #3 capsule full of pawpaw 3x a day-- so 21 pills in that one week period.

I also sprinkle organic MSM on his wet cat food twice daily. I give him organic Jarrow MSM.

I have been studying LDN and will probably add that to his regimen later this year. I found out I can legally order the pills and make it myself without a prescription.

Can pawpaw be added to Weasel's regimen? If he is feeling up to it, it works by turning down the voltage of the cancer cells so they self-destruct. Also MSM oxygenates the body, and cancer cells can't live in an oxygenated environment-- studies have shown cancer cells revert to normal cells when taking MSM.

The Super MSM Treatment For Cancer

(Here is a video Dave provided on Paw Paw: http://youtu.be/hD6MGd0Dz5o)

- Dave

Liver Tumor Enlarged

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 02:30:00 +0000

Weasel and I visited the vet yesterday. The news was sad as during an examination, Dr. Haghighat discovered that Weasel's liver tumor has grown. It's very frustrating to learn this as he's on so many supplements already and there's a limit to what I can get a cat to eat or tolerate. Dogs are much easier in this circumstance.

Weasel's treatment at the vet consisted of blood therapy, acupuncture, Vitamin B injection, Traumeel injection, Biopuncture, etc. Essentially, Weasel was a pin cushion. I recognize the need to take action of this nature but financially it's a strain. I have tough decisions to make moving forward as I'm presently in a career transition and have been at school for the past year.

The challenge, as I'm sure many of you have faced, is the guilt in walking away from treatments that may help a loved one. I love Weasel more than words can describe and I would never hesitate to spend more on him if it meant that he would be cured but if the tumor insists on spreading even after spending $1000+, at some point I have to be realistic...it's times like this that a looking glass into the future would be quite handy.

I am aware that we need to still aggressively target the liver holistically. I've added a new product called Si Miao San based off of Dr. Haghighat's recommendation. I looked up this product online and voila, it turns out to be extremely effective in slowing down inflammation and cancer (music to my ears). You can read more about it here: https://pathwithpaws.com/blog/2011/06/17/si-miao-san-slowing-down-cancer-and-inflammation/. In addition, I came across a product called Denamarin that someone on a forum raved about. The company has made capsules for cats and dogs as well as chewable tablets for dogs. I emailed the company hoping that they can confirm the safety of providing a chewable tablet to a cat, as I cannot under any circumstance provide Weasel with pills. You can read more on this product at: http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/cat/cat-liver-health/denamarin-for-cats. A word of warning on this product. It's insanely expensive (Available on Amazon). By far the most costly product of any of the holistic supplements I've purchased to date, which is why I must be careful in the decision I make to move forward on this. If I have a $100 box of pills lying around because the cat refuses them, that would be ludicrous.

I will keep you posted on what the company states regarding the chewable tablets. I would be shocked to hear that there is an issue with it as I currently give Weasel the CAS Options chewable tablets for dogs without any concerns. In fact, I now have to increase his intake to a tablet per day which is what one provides a dog.

First Decline Since Last Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 21:26:00 +0000

It's been a year since we saw any concerning signs of the cancer, and I honestly believed that the worst was left behind us now; however, two days ago, Weasel fell ill - vomiting up white foam all over the house. Since one pile consisted of hair, we assumed it was aggravated by a complicated hair ball...a day later he was his usual self and then last evening while we slept, he fell quite ill again, bringing up his dinner and yellow bile.

This morning my heart broke when I saw Weasel. His eyes indicated that he was in severe pain, he couldn't get comfortable in any one spot and moved constantly. He would look up at me and meow in a manner that indicated he was pleading for me to help..I've never felt so helpless..well since this happened last time at least.

I unfortunately had to leave for work today, with him in this state and me anxious beyond belief. Before I left the house I rubbed Traumeel on his stomach, hoping that it would alleviate any possible swelling but after returning home from work, I can see that it didn't do a thing. He's still sitting in a ball, suffering and in extreme discomfort.

Tomorrow I'm going to see Dr. Haghighat who hopefully can alleviate Weasel's symptoms. I wish I could afford an ultrasound so see what's taking place in Weasel..does he have more tumours? Did the existing ones expand? I truly hate not knowing. Unfortunately in Toronto (and likely elsewhere), ultrasounds for pets essentially rob you blind so it's just not an option at this stage.

I have to remind myself that these 'phases' have happened in the past and they left eventually...ironically the last time this occurred was 2 days before Christmas.

Still Doing Extremely Well!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 17:29:00 +0000

Hello everyone,

I haven't been posting on this blog for the mere fact that Weasel is doing very well and there's very little to report on (thankfully). I haven't changed his treatment regime as it works beautifully. Not only does Weasel behave as though he's in perfect form (not even vomiting) but he's also put on quite a bit of extra weight and his fur is thick and healthy - ready for the cold winter season. I'm very tempted to send the vet who claimed that he wouldn't make it to Feb. of 2015 some sort of sarcastic Christmas greeting card but I can't think of anything subtle and witty enough. Upon reflection, I'm still blown away by how adamant he has been this entire time on the accuracy of his assessments regarding longevity of life. Every day we see people and animals proving that these are simple estimates based on a general group, but that those odds can certainly be defied.

I've created a funny little 'Christmas' themed video to show you. It depicts Weasel in all of his playful glory - furry, fat, funny and fantastic :). Couldn't ask for more.

I hope all of you have had a similar positive outcome in your efforts to save your fur-babies.

1 year, 4 months - A Pancreatic Tumour and a Liver Tumour

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Sat, 24 May 2014 14:07:00 +0000

It's been over a year since Weasel was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On our last visit to the emergency clinic in April, we discovered he now has a liver tumour to battle as well.

Let me tell you, you wouldn't know this cat was ill. Yes, I should be very nervous about his prospects but at the moment, I'm not. He hasn't been ill since I can remember, his weight is great and he looks great. In fact, he's too lively at times and can drive me bonkers, opening and closing the door for him incessantly to go outside - I can't even write this posting uninterrupted haha.

This post is intended to provide you with information on treating both types of tumours, since I don't have anything to report in terms of Weasel falling ill. I'm going to list what we currently have him on.

Any type of cancer:
- 1 tbsp of Essiac tea
- drops of Life Gold (the number depends on your pet's weight)

Pancreatic Cancer and Liver Cancer (I can't recall at this point what targeted what one as he's been taking them for the past year with new additions added in April):
- Hyland's Cell Salts: #1 (Calc Fluor), #2 (Calc Phos), #3 (Calc Sulph), #4 (Ferrum Phos), #6 (Kali Phos), #7 (Kali Sulph), #9 (Natrum Mur), #10 (Natrum Phos), #11 (Natrum sulph), #12 (Silicea)

Although it's a bit of a blur as to what addresses what type of ailment - pancreatic or liver; with cell salts, you can't cause wrongdoing by taking them, as it simply restores a system imbalance. You can read more on each one at: http://schuessler-cell-salts.com/

- CAS Options cut into quarter size pieces. This will help all forms of cancer and can be ground up into the food. It has an appealing flavour.

- Only available from the vet: Heel Mix 3 and Guna Mix 2

- Digestion support - HMF powder (good bacteria) - 1 scoop per meal

For Liver tumour:
- 1/2 capsule once a day of Livaplex
- Cytozyme-LV - 1 tablet a day
- Liquid Hepato (mine is chicken flavour but you can get bacon too)

The above items are tasty and easy to grind or mix up into the food. They strengthen liver functionality and resistance.

If you can manage it (I can't get him to take this), provide your kitty (or pooch), Milk Thistle. It's quite effective for treating liver tumours.

It may seem like a lot to do, but it's well worth it. We've been successful in shrinking the pancreatic tumour, and hope that we have the same success with the liver tumour, now that we've started treating it as well. It's inevitable that Weasel won't live forever, and I'm aware of that; however, through these treatment regimes, I may be able to prevent a terrible and painful death from occurring. I highly recommend taking a similar course of action for your pet in need if you can financially afford to. It is a cost; however, the cost is considerably less than surgery and is spread out throughout the year(s) as opposed to one large sum to pay.

Angry at Traditional Vet

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:19:00 +0000

A day has passed since I took Weasel for his ultrasound and x-ray and now that the news and the events that unfolded have settled into my psyche, I'm angry.

The vet that I saw, was the same one that told me that Weasel had 3 months to live over a year ago. He pressured me into a $5000 surgery and lay quite a bit of guilt on me for not taking that course of action. Yesterday, he back peddled, stating that it wasn't necessarily pancreatic cancer and could be another malignant form of cancer that 'behaves' differently, which explains why we had another year with Weasel..ummmm no. It is behaving identically to pancreatic cancer which is why the liver was impacted. The other traditional vet I saw and Dr. Haghighat confirmed that it's pancreatic cancer without a doubt.

On top of that, he had the audacity to mention that due to the fact that I didn't have the surgery previously, it has spread which will cost more, as they have to remove both tumours. I didn't go there to pursue surgery and he knew that so mentioning it was pretty sad on his behalf.

What I saw, was a man with a god complex - pure and simple. He couldn't admit that we succeeded in achieving longevity of life through alternative methods, and in fact, it's highly likely, we would have lost Weasel had we done the surgery due to the stress it places on the body. The other traditional vet I saw a year ago stated that almost 100% of cats that undergo that surgery die 3 months later due to the severity of it.

This same vet told me at best I only have 1 year left with Weasel. Why on earth would I believe someone who completely screwed up in his last prognosis and why would he have the confidence to state that after seeing his previous error? Why can't these vets stop focusing on such negative outcomes that cannot be proven and instead support their customers, tell them, "you're doing a great job! Keep it up!" or simply remind them that yes, it's a terminal illness but there are cases out there that prove that quality of life is still achievable and even longevity. Positive thinking is our greatest ally when facing these situations. Bringing stress home is not only hard on the owner, but the pet senses it as well. What I witnessed was a process that drives revenue through scare tactics.

Yes, Weasel has another tumour; however, there's the fantastic fact that we shrunk a pancreatic tumour by 1 cm. That is amazing and it's those small victories that mean the world to me and perhaps to others as well.

I will continue to treat Weasel as best I can to address the new tumour and even if I only have one more year with him, that's a heck of a lot longer than what the traditional vets informed me.

By no means am I against traditional vets. I know that they believe in what they do and want the best for animals; however, they really need to educate themselves on alternative treatments to compliment what they practice, offering their clients the best outcomes possible.

Ultrasound and X-Ray Day

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 17:12:00 +0000

Today was the day that I took Weasel to the Emergency Vet Clinic to have an ultrasound as well as X-Ray done. His demeanour and health this past year (although there have been many 'down spells'), has more or less been great. After being informed that Weasel had only 3 months to live, and defying those odds, I really thought that I would have a glory moment today - showing the vets that miracles can happen.

Well, I have to say that my emotions have been thrown back to how I felt a year ago - again. Dr. Haghighat was very kind and warned me that what I will hear will scare me, as vets can make news seem terrifying. He told me to focus on the positive progress we've made and not to let today consume me. It's hard not to though.

The good news is that the pancreatic tumour has shrunk by 1 cm. The bad news is that a tumour has formed on his liver that is 6 cm. Based on the growth of this tumour, the vet predicted that Weasel has a year at best. The two tumours are not even connected. They float over each other as separate entities so it's not an extension of the original one. Once again, surgery would be far too hard on the cat and would require a gruelling and long recovery time with drugs for the rest of his life. I personally think that inflicting that kind of torment on an animal will kill them faster. My goal is to give him as much quality of life as I possibly can and lots of love.

I thought I had mentally prepared myself for whatever comes next..thankful for the year I had but I can see that when the day comes, it could be a horrific ordeal as the vet warned me that the tumour can burst, causing internal bleeding, so Weasel would go down quickly and painfully as well. Seeing someone you love die in such a horrible manner is more than I can comprehend.

On a plus note, the regimes I have been following - which have been focused on the pancreas, seem to be effective; however, we haven't isolated the cancer growth so inevitably, more tumours will emerge. The challenge is administering more and more stuff that targets each area. Milk Thistle for instance is great for liver cancer but Weasel refuses to touch it, and disguising pills in a pill pocket is a dead end street. So even though there are protocols out there that would help, I'm doubtful I can give it to my kitty who is so difficult.

One Year Today

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 04:46:00 +0000

It's rather remarkable. If someone told me on Feb. 22, 2013 that Weasel would be alive 1 year later, I would have thought they were hallucinating. Not only is he alive, but he's doing extremely well. In fact, he really isn't showing any signs of wear and tear whatsoever. I knock on wood as I write this though. He has had many down spells over the course of a year but has successfully come through each time. It's been a while since we had the last one and hopefully it stays that way.

Dr. Haghighat and I had originally planned on having his ultrasound done around this time, on the anniversary of the first diagnosis; however due to time conflicts and an upcoming month of work I have to attend to - unable to leave during the day to take Weasel to the ultrasound, it has been scheduled for early April. I have mixed feelings about this since I currently live with the mindset that we have the cancer barricaded from all sides - unable to spread. It would be truly heartbreaking to learn that it has slowly grown, re-opening the nagging fears of 'when is his last day'; however, I think the research that can come of this is beneficial to others, to the medical industry and to Dr. Haghighat who has been treating him for many months now.

I haven't changed any treatment regimes per say. We did add the CAS Options chewable tablets - cut up into quarters since these tablets are made for dogs interestingly enough. This has been attributed to controlling tumour growth. You can read people's personal reviews on this 'miracle mushroom' product on Amazon. Many have found it to be extremely rewarding results wise. I think that on its own, it's not sufficient but with everything else we're providing Weasel with, cancer has a very slim chance of winning this fight - at least that's how I like to think :).

Truth be told, my biggest challenge at the moment is finding a caretaker to come and feed both of my cats if I take a trip to visit my Uncle next summer (I'm assuming he'll still be well by then - Weasel, not my Uncle, but yes my Uncle as well :). With Weasel's finicky nature, his strange habits and taking hours at times to finish a meal, it's not as though we can hire the local 'pet service' people that do house calls, unless they're willing to hang around for oh - 4 hours or so in total for feedings, then come by at night to put Naltrexone on his ear. If they were willing to do this, the fees would be astronomical no doubt.

I hope that all of you who are facing this same ordeal have found equally positive outcomes. If so, please feel free to provide your responses on how you and your kitty are doing and what treatment regimes you've followed to date. This type of information benefits all.

Running Around Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 17:07:00 +0000

I didn't have a chance to post an update due to the holidays; however, Weasel is more or less back to his old ways again. When we had that scare prior to Christmas, I was able to get an appointment to see Dr. Haghighat and he administered shots that included Vitamin B, an inflammatory aid and something to increase his appetite. Normally I keep tabs on what's taking place so that I can report on it afterward but during this visit I was a bit shaken up with Weasel's decline and was in the mode of 'just work your magic on him!'. He also received a herbal based injection as well but I'm not sure what the 'ingredients' were. All of this is a repeat of what he received on previous visits that seems to get us back on track, and thankfully worked for us once again. What I did pick up that was new for this visit were these large round 'pills' described as 'CAS Options Canine 120 chewable' - according to the receipt. Dr. Haghighat explained their purpose but I was a bit out of sorts so I can't recall their intent unfortunately. Although they are produced for dogs, they serve an equally beneficial purpose for cats and are a desirable product since they have a mushroom taste which cats are fond of. Weasel now receives a quarter of these pills in each meal per day, grounded up and mixed into his food.

I am pleased to see Weasel running around, sitting on my lap and purring quite contentedly; however, he does breath heavily these days which Dr. Haghighat noticed as well. No one has an explanation for it but it does concern me. He has gained 3 lbs since we first started seeing the holistic vet which is great. Aside from these 'vomit' incidents, he's otherwise not showing signs of pancreatic cancer and visually looks better than he has in a few years, with a nice full fur coat and a plump little belly.

Around the mid to end point of January, we will likely take him for his ultrasound which will contribute toward the report that Dr. Haghighat is producing for the veterinarian journals. I'm really hoping that the outcome of this doesn't depress me as I naively feel on most days that Weasel will be around for quite some time. It's when he has those days of severe sickness that I'm thrown back into a 'reality check' that our time together is truly precious.

A Decline Two Days Before Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 13:56:00 +0000

It's been such a long time since anything dramatic occurred, I naively assumed we may be controlling this terrible ailment. That we somehow defied all medical laws...however, Weasel has fallen quite ill. The past week or so, he's been sleeping a lot, not behaving frantic to go in and out all day - showing his usual signs of high energy. I didn't particularly notice it as strange since the weather is cold and he got to sleep on my lap for most of the day while I worked on the computer. Two days ago I started to get concerned as he wasn't himself. He wasn't interested in sitting on anyone's lap. He seemed depressed..then yesterday he was quite ill while outside, and vomited in several places across our back deck. He's been sitting on his little mat since and isn't interested in eating. This morning he made an attempt to come say hello when I woke up, but walked very slowly toward me, then returned to his mat.

It's quite possible he's going through one of these phases we've encountered on a few occasions, which means that he'll become his 'old' self in a few days; however, it will start to become a more frequent occurrence if the cancer is progressing, until we face a time where he doesn't improve after a few days... There is truly no way to prepare for these things. It tears you up on the inside, but I'm trying my best and as such, was exploring what the final stages appear as in the hopes that by recognizing it, I'm 'mildly prepared'. Vomiting is one of them and naturally loss of appetite. The animal can also go into a state of shock and behave in a manner where they're confused. This is often due to massive dehydration. They show signs of lethargy as well . Blood tests can show anemia and low blood sugar. Jaundice can also occur, but not always. We've been battling his anemia but I'm not sure if it has been successful without getting another blood test. I truly wish he would take the Yunnan Baiyao as it would control the mild bleeding from an ulcer that causes the anemia.

I'm hoping to get an appointment today to see Dr. Haghighat, as we saw positive results from Weasel's visit last time. Unfortunately this close to the holidays it's likely the clinic will be fully booked. The timing overall is very unfortunate as I also have family obligations to consider and will be away for 5 days, likely unhappy and worrying the entire time about my poor baby. My husband was going to join me for two days but can't do so any longer, as someone needs to be home. In the past, our automatic feeders and plenty of water was perfect but it's too risky to rely on him eating on his own now.

I'll update this blog if we see progress or a further decline.

Wishing All Kitties Health and Wellness Entering Into The Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 04:10:00 +0000

I'm very happy to announce that Weasel is still doing incredibly well. In fact, his fur is wonderfully thick. His ridiculous ruffle around his neck is back so he has a clown appearance once again (something we haven't seen in years) and he's nice and round - a little plump in fact, which is great to see.

I don't have any new news to report which is great! The remedies we use have not differed from previous posts. Weasel also still gets cooked chicken liver occasionally to address the fact that he was anemic a couple of months ago, which I believe is under control now.

The holistic vet is interested to do another ultrasound in January to mark the 'year' since diagnosis. Although we discovered it in February, Weasel likely had the tumour for quite some time prior to that. My issue with this is that it's incredibly cold outside right now and I don't particularly like shaving his belly to do the ultrasound which will leave him chilly haha. I'm very relieved that that's my largest issue with him at this stage.

I thought you might get a chuckle out of the Christmas Card below that I created for the Holistic Vet, which shows Weasel in the background sound asleep while his brother poses for the camera (I used their formal names). And don't worry, I put the hats on afterward in Photoshop.

I will also send this card virtually out to all of you, wishing not only for a wonderful holiday season, but great health for your fur babies, and newfound happiness when hopefully seeing positive results to your actions.

A Wonderful Story From Dave

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 22:15:00 +0000

Although this blog is about Weasel, I wanted to make an exception with this particular post. Dave emailed me to tell me about his cat Moosie who is also battling pancreatic cancer and in fact, had surgery at the beginning of his treatment plan. He is doing quite well now and what Dave is providing treatment wise is fantastic. Dave's story is below. I hope this helps others:

_______________________________________________________________________

Hey Melissa, thanks for making this blog. Weasel is very beautiful. His looks and personality resemble my loving boy that has unfortunately passed.

I have a seven year old male neutered cat named Moosie. On August 27^th 2013 he stopped eating, and was very lethargic. He was brought in to our vet, who gave him an xray and discovered a tumor in his body. The xray didn’t show where the tumor was, so an ultrasound was performed. The ultrasound looked like a tumor was on one of his lymph nodes.

My vet is an excellent surgeon and very trustworthy. He recommended surgery to open him up and remove the tumor. The vet opened Moosie and discovered many tumors covering his entire peritoneum, a membrane which covers the stomach and most of the intestines. The vet had never seen anything like it in 25 years. The vet thought the tumors were not cancer.

The lymph nodes turned out to be tumor-free. It was questionable to whether there was a tumor on the spleen, so it was taken out as a precaution. The vet explained the spleen is not necessary for the cat to survive, as other organs step in to take over its job.

Right after the surgery, Moosie returned to his old self. He was very hungry and his energy returned. The tumor samples were sent into the lab, and it turned out it was pancreatic cancer. The vet was grim about his prognosis, and referred me to a veterinary oncologist. The oncologist recommended Gemcitabine, a chemotherapy agent, for four weeks, a week off, then four more sessions of Gemcitabine. The oncologist only had treated 2 cases of pancreatic cancer in five years. One cat died one month into treatment, the other cat survived for four months.

While our vet did not see a tumor on Moosie’s pancreas, the pancreas was sending out cells that spread through the body. There might be a tumor inside the pancreas, or not one at all. In pancreatic cancer, cancer is usually spread to the peritoneum, lymph nodes, and spleen. Lungs and brain are spared.

Given the low rates of success, I researched pancreatic cancer. I found this blog as well as other helpful sites. It has been nine weeks since he came home, and Moosie is doing great. He is vibrant and full of life. He was 9 pounds prior to surgery and now is 11.5 pounds. Here are the things I am doing that have helped him:

Moosie was taking Wellness dry chicken dry food. I have switched him over to wet Wellness to insure he has more water going through his system. He also eats organic hardboiled eggs.

He takes 100 mg of B17 Amodalin tablets 2 times a day on an empty stomach(passes to gut easier where it works). B17(Laetrile) kills many types of cancer, and is particularly great killing pancreatic cancer.

http://www.amazon.com/Amygdalin-B17-Tablets-100-Mg/dp/B00415Y7V8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1384153998&sr=8-2&keywords=b17

http://b17vitamin.com/

He gets one 500 mg capsule of curcumin w/ peperine a day with food. Curcumin has proven effective at killing cancer. The peperine is essential as the curcumin is not readily absorbed in the body. With the peperine, it is absorbed 2,000 times more. I give him Nutrigold Tumeric Curcumin Gold:

http://www.amazon.com/Nutrigold-Turmeric-Curcumin-Gold-BioPerine/dp/B0055713UO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384154242&sr=8-1&keywords=nutrigold+curcumin

http://www.naturalnews.com/037879_curcumin_cancer_cells_turmeric.html

He gets one Barlean’s Fish oil (pharmaceutical grade) capsule a day, that provides 185mg epa, 115mg dha (20mg of EPA per pound of animal, and 12mg of DHA per pound of animal.)

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/253393/omega-3-supplements-for-cats

Daily he gets one black currant oil cap from Now Foods. It provides cancer killing compounds gla and quercetin :

http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Currant-Soft-gels-100-Count/dp/B000O2TNKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384155097&sr=8-1&keywords=now+black+currant

Daily he gets one cold-pressed black cumin seed oil cap from Amazing Herbs, it contains cancer fighting compound thymoquinone.

http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Herbs-Cold-Pressed-Black-Seed/dp/B0001CNL1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384155168&sr=8-1&keywords=amazing+herbs+black+seed

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/30/black-cumin-may-treat-pan_n_629602.html

Until two weeks ago, I was giving him 1 ½ tablespoons of 8 herb organic Essiac tea from Swanson. It contains the whole root of sheep sorrel.

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Essiac-Tea-4-1-Pkts/dp/B00AXGJWGE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1384156286&sr=8-4&keywords=essiac+tea+swanson

I was giving him this with his b17, 10cc twice daily. I stopped giving him it when I started giving him pawpaw, as the kelp in the Essiac blend is thought to make the pawpaw less effective.

For two weeks I have been giving him pawpaw. It is a strong natural chemotherapy compound which kills cancer cells. It was studied by a professor at Purdue University for over 20 years. The professor Dr. Jerry McLaughlin studied over 3,500 plants and found pawpaw to be the most effective cancer killing plant. It has over 50 cancer fighting compounds, whereas a chemotheraphy drug has one. It is the only substance natural or man-made to be effective in killing drug resistant cancer cells. I purchased it from Nature’s Sunshine: http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Sunshine-Paw-Cell-Reg-caps/dp/B001X04STA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1384156624&sr=8-2&keywords=pawpaw

Pawpaw is an emetic, meaning at certain dosages it makes one vomit. If it causes vomiting, then reduce the amount given until vomiting stops. The size of the pills are 00 from the bottle, and caused Moosie to vomit, so I purchased size 3 pill capsules. http://www.amazon.com/Gelatin-Extra-Small-Empty-Capsules/dp/B009K6YXFI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1384156755&sr=8-3&keywords=size+3+gelatin+capsules

I fill the larger half of the size 3 pills with pawpaw, and he receives one size 3 pill every 6 hours (4x a day). Dr. Jerry McLaughlin has stated it is best to give every 6 hours as the compound will stay elevated in the blood. I will give Moosie pawpaw for 8 weeks, then probably give it to him for one week a month.

Here’s info on pawpaw:

http://www.pawpawresearch.com/pawpaw-intro.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD6MGd0Dz5o

Moosie also gets half Goji Berry extract pill daily http://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Vegetable-Capsules-120-Count/dp/B000N98096/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384157049&sr=8-1&keywords=goji+berry+extract

mixed with half of a sheep sorrel pill(it is not sheep sorrel root which is better, but I did not find out until after I ordered it.) http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Sheep-Sorrel-Swanson-Premium/dp/B00392KUVA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384157085&sr=8-1&keywords=sheep+sorrel

I open the two pills and combine them together into an empty size 0 or 00 gelatin capsule (left over from the empty unused pawpaw capsule)

The Goji berry contains germanium which kills cancer cells. It is also a powerful antioxidant and has a good source of vitamin c.

I will probably place him on Low Dose Naltrexone(LDN). I do not want to find a holistic vet, so have contacted Dr. Sasan Haghighat who provides phone consultations to vets for a fee.

http://www.holistic-vet.ca/sasan/

I will have him contact my vet to inform him about LDN, and so he may be able to write me a prescription.

I may also give Moosie organic sulfur at a later date, after I do more research about it. It can turn cancer cells into normal cells.

http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer04/Organic_Sulfur.html

I hope this info is able to help others.

-Dave

Better Than Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 01:43:00 +0000

I just wanted to quickly write a post about how well Weasel is doing these days. He's in better shape than he's been in years!! Granted I don't have x-ray vision to see his insides but he sure does have energy! He drains me in fact, demanding to have the door opened and closed all day/night whenever I'm home. He's back to his very vibrant, mischievous and bossy ways haha. He also eats plenty now thank goodness. In fact, I've been able to feed him the Amino B-Plex due to his ability to eat well again. So he's beginning to get his vitamin B intake back to where it was previously.

The last time we saw Dr. Haghighat he noticed that Weasel was anemic, which the blood results proved to be correct. We addressed that with chicken liver 3 times a week and he's doing very well as a result.

This case has been so astoundingly a-typical, that my holistic vet as well as a vet that works in the emergency clinic in Toronto are willing to provide some financial assistance to have another ultrasound done, as it's my understanding this could be published in veterinary journals. I would still have to pay half the fee though. Since I'm cashed strapped at the moment while going through school again, I can't follow through on this, as it doesn't serve any purpose except to satisfy one's curiosity ultimately. Once I'm employed again, if we stay on this fantastic course, I'll look into this and report on the results.

On a side note, lately I've been following the radiation leak that's been pouring from Fucushima into the Pacific Ocean. It has already affected those who live along coastal regions in the US and parts of Canada. If you live in an affected area, I would highly recommend following a detox regime for not only your pet but yourself as well. Once again, it seems our only potential defence to a situation that leaves us as sitting ducks, is a holistic one. Here is a site that you may find beneficial for obtaining detox remedies to keep your pet's immune system as healthy as can be (or yours): http://www.herbalhealer.com/detox.html

Just be certain that there aren't any ingredients such as 'Mistletoe' that can harm a cat. In a quick review, the ingredients seem quite safe.

Improvement But With A Fight

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 15:34:00 +0000

So great news, Weasel is enjoying running in and out all day again, spying on his girlfriend through the fence two doors down, so it's business as usual for now. He wasn't eating very much until this morning. Yesterday was an improvement, but today he returned to eating the amount he use to eat in the mornings. Unfortunately it requires me to be around constantly. It takes hours for him to get through everything. In a month, I won't be around in the day to cater to this.

You may be curious as to know 'why the sudden uplift?'...perhaps this is pure coincidence and unrelated; however, I don't particular believe that... On Monday afternoon there was a cancellation at the Newmarket Holistic Clinic and as such, I was thankfully able to drive Weasel to see Dr. Haghighat. Although Dr. Haghighat had the best intentions in aiding Weasel's recent downturn, Weasel did not exactly see it that way. In fact, this clever little kitty hasn't forgotten the previous visits. The moment Dr. Haghighat started massaging Weasel's neck and trying to relax him, he began growling. No matter how much attention either one of us gave him, he was annoyed and distrusting of what was to come.

The next step was to draw blood, as the vet wanted to inject Weasel with remedies mixed with his blood into acupuncture points. He received an anti-inflammatory remedy (liquid form of Traumeel) as well as an appetite enhancing remedy. The issue however was obtaining the blood. At the point when the vet was delicately parting the fur on this paw, he was growling. The second the needle touched him, he transformed into the Tasmanian Devil and thankfully, no one was harmed. The vet had a plan of action though. All was not lost. Two blocks away there was a large vet clinic that had many members on staff. It took 3 of them to obtain the blood but it was done. I was able to drive it back quite quickly and Dr. Haghighat was able to resume his treatment plan. By the time the injections were complete, Weasel had worked his way into many corners of the room but thankfully the vet was accommodating. Unbelievably, he was able to administer the vitamin B injection at the end, even though seconds before, we were both being swatted at by Weasel who was dripping foam from his mouth in anger. With his ruffle all fluffed up and his body coiled up on his hind legs, he had morphed into a cobra snake before our very eyes.

It's quite amazing to witness an animal's reaction to being helped in dire times, in contrast to humans who are so appreciative. Can you imagine one's loved one, standing on a hospital bed and punching and spitting at a surgeon who just saved his or her life? The idea is ludicrous.

So although Weasel feels as though he was punished, I did see a radical turnaround since our visit. His tail is twitching a lot though, so we're not completely out of the woods when it comes to eliminating his discomfort, but we've certainly made some strides.

On another note, I have the opportunity to get another ultrasound for a reduced price - which the animal hospital is categorizing as a 're-examination' so the fee is reduced which is wonderful. However, although I'm dying to know where we stand on matters and if any of this treatment has really proven to be effective, it's literally throwing money away. Our treatment plan won't differ. If I was wealthy, I wouldn't hesitate but times are tough and I need to pay for daily treatment regimes. For an animal to live 7 months with a terminal illness, it would be fantastic to see if we've stumbled across a treatment that helps. This would provide that proof.

Potentially A Downturn...

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Yesterday was very shattering on the nerves. Weasel ate all of his food in the morning, then an hour or so later, started behaving strangely and laying on a small rug by our kitchen door. He's normally quite active so I instantly knew something was amiss. He began to roam around, trying to get comfortable and sitting in many different places within our house - always low to the ground. Shortly after that, I went to see him and talk to him. He opened his mouth at me and a deep hollow sounding meow came out. He sat there looking up at me with his mouth open and panting. He stayed like this - panting for quite some time. The frustration and anxiety over not being able to help him was something I dread having to endure over and over again and naturally had me thinking the worst on all accounts.

Eventually Weasel was violently ill, loosing all of his breakfast. He vomited again shortly after that but all he had was white foam to release. He had foam hanging from his mouth and he sat there panting. He's been sick numerous times before but this was an unusual reaction. It appeared as though the pain overwhelmed him. What I'm shocked by is how normal he was the previous day, that he did in fact eat his breakfast and then suddenly, out of the blue had this reaction.

In a fit of panic I reached out to Dr. Haghighat on a Sunday - his day off, and unbelievably he called me back. I don't know any other medical professional who would do that, well, at least in my life, that's never happened before. If there was a 'vet of the year' award to nominate him for, I would do it in a flash. His kindness is most welcome when one is facing situations such as this. He told me about the Traumeel, which we were able to obtain at Shoppers Drug Mart right away.

Weasel ate about a tablespoon of food at 11:30 pm last night but otherwise didn't touch a thing and sat on his cat mat all day, trying to sleep it off. What I did notice was that half an hour after I applied Naltrexone on his ear, he jumped up on the couch and came to get a cuddle which was quite the welcoming sign. About 2 hours prior to that, I also applied Traumeel ointment on his ear and some on his stomach, where he's licked his fur off. I'm fairly certain his mood lift was due to the Naltrexone though.

This morning, he was chatting with me again which I was pleased to see, but still barely ate anything. He was willing to eat a large spoonful of food with nothing in it - ie. HMF powder, tissue salts, etc. but refuses to touch the food with the Essiac Tea and Life Gold which could potentially provide him with relief. Any of the remedies he receives can only help and now I have the issue that he's off of everything. I truly hope it's temporary.

This afternoon I'm taking him to see Dr. Haghighat and am hoping that we can administer an injection that will provide relief and/or stimulate his appetite. I'm in somewhat of a sticky predicament in that the visit to the vet usually throws him off of eating, due to the stress of the drive and being poked; however if I don't do anything, he may completely go off of eating, or be so disenchanted with food, that it's virtually impossible to give him remedies.

With respect to how all of this came to be, I did have a thought that perhaps I created the situation. Two days ago, my husband and I moved all of the furniture from the dining room into the living room, as we're clearing the space to do some minor reno work in the dining room. I'm not sure if you've read my previous entries, but a while ago, I had noted that Weasel became ill if people visited or if someone other than my husband or I, fed him. It seems as though any stress or anxiety causes tension that perhaps pushes on the tumour and instigates vomit. The vomiting is obviously quite painful and scares him enough to stop eating for at least a day. Back in the 'good ol' days' when he had the occasional fur ball, he was completely unfazed and it certainly didn't impact his appetite.

This situation is quite an eye opener to how terrifying cancer is. I am thankful in that my immediate family/loved ones have never been negatively impacted by cancer. My mother's melanoma was caught in time so I didn't have to watch her slowly deteriorate in front of me. When one goes through this ordeal, which I'm sure many of you can relate to, it's hard to not fall into a depression due to complete helplessness. I truly thought we had this under control but these past two weeks have taught me otherwise. That being said though, I have to remind myself that I would have only had about 3 months with him, had we moved forward on the surgery which likely involved removing the pancreas. Cats can't handle the toll it takes on them. I've had 7 wonderful months with Weasel since diagnosis.

Tight Stomach

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 13:48:00 +0000

I'm not sure if any of you have noticed this, should your kitty also have a pancreatic tumour, but these past few days, it's really become quite apparent to me. I have another kitty - Gabriel (Goober) who is the chunky round one in the family. Although he's a plump one, if you push on his sides, you eventually feel his ribs and there's a lot of give, as though his insides are soft and malleable. This, from my experience is completely normal and should be what happens.

If you touch Weasel's side, there is no give at all. It feels to me as though there's something pushing extremely hard against his rib cage. His skin is tight and his sides are starting to protrude. I'm not feeding him extra so it's not weight gain due to sudden obesity. He feels tightly bloated. When I looked this up, it was a symptom that some people described when they talked of their own pancreatic cancer.

I'm honestly shocked. He hasn't vomited in over two weeks that I can see (unless it was outside), and purrs like crazy when we give him attention. He's also eating all of his food, including the chicken liver that we started to give him, as his gums were looking grey. Initially he wasn't fond of the liver. He has an apparent 'healthy' appetite. And of course, being a kitty with probably an extremely high pain threshold, he shows no signs of discomfort. I have to wonder if he's one day just going to suddenly pass away on me within a week - very quickly, literally from eating, purring and playing to...nothing. It's an awful thought that I can't shake, but with an abdomen shaped like his, it brings forth a lot of questions.

One tell tale sign that something is wrong is how he reacts when his brother is nearby. Within these past two weeks, if his brother sniffs him or stands too close to him, he suddenly hisses and swats at him. These two were inseparable their whole lives and now he just wants distance. So he is sensitive about what surrounds him that's neither my husband or I.

I suppose I'm naive but I really thought this beast of a tumour was under control. That the growth would stop, but the tumour wouldn't necessarily vanish, just not expand. Had I gone through with the surgery, I would have only had about 3 more months left with him, as they would have had to remove the pancreas and according to the traditional vet I was seeing, the toll is too much on a cat. Although I've had 7 months since diagnosis, no matter what, I'll feel robbed. His little personality fills a room. The thought of not having him nearby is truly devastating.

Helpful Information to Share

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 02:56:00 +0000

Although Weasel's health hasn't changed, I do have new news to provide based on this past week, which I hope can provide assistance to others.

About 4 days ago, Weasel vomited all of his dinner. I don't take these matters lightly and thought that I may need to improve upon the treatment I'm providing him with. I immediately gave him 1 drop of MMS - something I had decided against, which was diluted in 13 drops of water, with 1 drop of the activator. It may have been coincidence, but shortly after he seemed fine again and ate some food I gave him. I started looking up MMS a lot more seriously, as this may be a method of treatment that I can't walk away from. MMS taken directly can have many negative side effects such as nausea. I can't afford to have Weasel feel anything of the sort as he'll lose trust in his food. There is however a method to convert MMS into what is called CDS. CDS is taking the 'gas' vapours from the MMS and the activator, and releasing it into a bottle of water. That solution when taken, does not have any of the side effects from taking MMS directly. On top of that, the bad taste is removed. I watched a YouTube video that explains how this concoction can be made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5UHdyeNCbI

I've ordered a syringe online and will test out this method in a couple of weeks. I'm only giving Weasel a drop a day of this solution, which may be ineffective but I don't dare go up to a level that could cause issues.

In my research for treating cancer, I came across two very useful holistic remedies. One is called European Mistletoe and the other is Curcumin. European Mistletoe is actually used in conjunction with chemo and radiation therapy for people, as it nullifies the negative side effects. It's also used for those who wish to take a holistic approach exclusively. The success of using European Mistletoe for many forms of cancer is incredible! Unfortunately for Weasel and I, it's pretty much ineffective for pancreatic cancer. Pets with other forms of cancer such as liver cancer, can do what's called Mistletoe Therapy which involves injections 2-3 times per week. Your holistic vet can train you in how to administer the injections so that you can do it from home, instead of driving your kitty back and forth all week which is very hard on a pet. I highly recommend that you take the time to search in Google for 'Mistletoe Therapy' and 'cancer' to read the impressive case studies out there. Also, please note that although Mistletoe is deadly to cats when eaten, the extract that is injected into them is not and can prove to be quite beneficial.

What I have successfully been able to administer is Curcumin. It has virtually no taste as long as you don't purchase Turmeric, which I believe is the spice version that contains Curcumin. The capsules are rather large so I knock out a small amount on a plate that measures about 1/2" in diameter, as you don't want to give a small cat the same dosage as a full grown adult human. I mix it with a small amount of half and half cream and add chunks of chicken from the roast I make each week. The chicken seems to grab the milk mix. I have a very finicky cat so I'm truly blown away that he eats it and am very thankful. This website goes into further details on dosage amounts: http://margaret.healthblogs.org/2007/10/11/curcumin-for-cats/

Also, here's just one of many sites that talks about how effective Curcumin is in fighting cancer: http://www.naturalnews.com/037879_curcumin_cancer_cells_turmeric.html

In addition to researching these new aids in the fight against cancer, Weasel and I went by the Holistic Vet Clinic in Newmarket and saw our friend Dr. Haghighat. Dr. Haghighat was very pleased to see Weasel's progress and informed me that he's gained 3 lbs since his last visit. This is great news! Dr. Haghighat was very kind and supportive, listening to my concerns and as usual, focused on the positive and how far we've come with such positive results. It's nice to talk to someone who cares as much as you do about the wellbeing of your pet and has so many positive insights to share or remind others of. He was also, as usual very helpful with information and with treating Weasel. Weasel had an acupuncture treatment which harmonized him and made him very relaxed. I took a photo of him and you can see the small needle near his back end. Shortly after this picture was taken he stretched his front paws out to get comfortable so he felt pretty darn good which is rare at a vet's office haha.

Weasel also received vitamin B injections which stimulates the appetite, and received a holistic remedy that consisted of several different herbs mixed into one concoction. I believe Dr. Haghighat mentioned that one of the remedies was red leaf clover which I haven't heard of yet. We also picked up a new bottle of a mix the vet makes that helps with appetite and digestion.

Dr. Haghighat also introduced me to a new remedy which is called 'Deer Velvet'. Essentially it's an additional immune system booster but also has many other beneficial outcomes which you can read on numerous sites. What I was interested in reading was this statement: "Deer velvet antler has long history of use as a traditional medicine. Although there is not enough evidence that velvet antler can actually totally cure cancer, it still shows that it helps increase the survival rate of the cancer patient. In some cases, it helps prevent the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body, preventing a full-blown cancer." (http://www.velvetdeerantler.org/benefits/cancer-and-deer-velvet-antler/)

This comes in a tablet and has a slight fish scent so if your kitty enjoys fish, they'll love this. I'm going to start by grinding up half a tablet each day and add it to a treat. Initially I'll give it to him separately but if Weasel enjoys it, I'll add it to the other treats I'm already providing him with.

Although there is a lot to look up when treating cancer holistically, it's well worth your research. The results of treating Weasel have been remarkable. I'm hoping he exceeds all expectations and perhaps will one day be a documented success story that helps many others. Also, keep in mind that although it seems like a lot of work, you eventually find your rhythm and a setup that works for both you and your kitty. It doesn't really take up that much time for me to feed him and apply the naltrexone each day. It's just part of my new daily routine in life.

Nothing New to Report Which is Good News!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 17:09:00 +0000

I've been away for a while but that's due to the fact that we're chugging along quite nicely on our current treatment regime. Weasel is doing very well and is still his usual fussy self, being finicky to the nth degree about what he eats. Eventually we find something remarkably tasty to feed him which inspires his appetite yet again. A part of me worries that his fussy ways are the cancer but as far as I can recall, he's been like this. He hasn't vomited in a while so I think he's stabilized. I haven't weighed him in a while either to see if he's lost the weight we successfully put back on him.

I looked thoroughly into the MMS treatment option but it's not possible for us. We can barely get Weasel to eat 3 times a day, let alone once an hour. I also can't risk him becoming nauseous which occurs as you increase the amount of drops administered. If he associates that with food, then our efforts to date will be lost. It's been a constant uphill battle to get him excited about food, unless of course, he's stealing it off a counter, then it's the best thing he's ever had. MMS leaves a funny taste in the mouth as well which I can't risk him associating with the food. He's unfortunately too difficult to give drops too orally for that to be an option. The stress on him wouldn't be worth it.

Periodically I will check the blog to see if anyone has left comments but I won't be posting updates unless I have new information to add. As long as Weasel continues to remain well and our regime stays as is, there's little need for me post. I've thoroughly enjoyed hearing back you though, so please continue to post your experiences with treatment options or to share your challenges, as either myself or another individual visiting the site, may have helpful insight to share, or support at the minimum. My goal is to have this blog become a beneficial source for anyone who's pet is dealing with cancer.

Perhaps Some Need for Concern...

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:50:00 +0000

July was a very busy month for me as I was fully enrolled in school within an intensive program. Luckily Weasel was doing well, so I was able to focus on my studies. This past week however, I've become quite concerned about his well-being once again. Every day for the last 5 days or so, I've woken up to find vomit on the floor. He's not holding his food at all. The only hope I have is that each time, there has been a small fur ball in the midst of the food. What I'm wondering is if the fur ball was the instigator, or, since he's a long haired cat, it's inevitable that there would be fur in there from grooming and it's the cancer that's ultimately causing the vomiting. A part of me thinks I have this cancer properly corralled and he'll die of old age, but I suppose I need to be realistic about this. There is a huge chance that I've only bought time and the cancer is a lot more aggressive than my treatments. I'll keep an eye on Weasel and see if this phase passes, as he has been sick in the past but pulled through.

So far, Weasel has continued to eat his roasted chicken based treat each day that consists of Life Gold, Essiac Tea and Tissue Salts, so I've finally found a solution that he doesn't grow tired of which is good.

I wish I had better news to report. I'm hoping this is purely a fur based issue...

Who Would Have Thought 4 Months Later, He's Fine!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 22:01:00 +0000

I'm very pleased to be able to post positive news yet again. I was informed by a traditional vet that Weasel would live 3 more months when he was first diagnosed. Well here we are heading into July and he's behaving the way he was 2 years ago! Persistence pays off in droves. Not only is Weasel a happy and healthy looking kitty, he's gained 2 lbs!! That's unheard of with pancreatic cancer. He also rarely vomits unless he has hairballs.

We did however had a brief scare two weeks ago. My husband unfortunately left the back gate open and Weasel took that opportunity to escape. Being a curious little fellow, this was probably the most exciting opportunity to ever come his way. Since it was so early in the morning, I feared that the ominous road was nice and quiet, allowing him to pass over it and scurry into new territory. Once the traffic picked up, I had visions of him being hit by cars or stolen by people who like cute furry cats. When 4 hours passed I was sweating. I made posters and plastered a 3 block radius on telephone poles. I also printed messages on little slips of paper which I pushed into the mail slots of 200 neighbouring houses. I received a few phone calls but they described cats with white on them, etc. Many more hours passed with no results. I circulated every hour calling his name, but no response. By meal time I was about to have a meltdown, as I thought the lure of food would bring him home if he was able bodied. 16 hours passed and by then it was 10:30 pm. Suddenly a neighbour called me, as he had the slip of paper I jammed in the door, telling me that when he opened his garage door, he saw my cat. He had had his door open several times that day so I knew he wasn't in that backyard. I went to my back gate and who should fly in but little Weasel, thinking that he was going to get into a world of trouble - acting sheepish. Instead I picked him up and covered him in kisses. He came home in enough time to get his Naltrexone treatment too as an added bonus. I've never felt so overjoyed as I was thinking the whole time, how ironic would it be that I fear him dying of cancer, I pour so much energy into treating him for cancer, only to lose him to a car!! He had small amounts of dry mud on him so I suspect he was cavorting with some female kitties in a nearby yard - enjoying himself far too much to come home.

So back to the main topic - namely treating the cancer. Weasel had another visit with the vet - Dr. Haghighat last Thursday. Occasionally we need to bring him by for a checkup to receive continual prescriptions for the Naltrexone. The vet was very pleased to see Weasel and thought he looked remarkable. Weasel had an acupuncture treatment and a vitamin B shot. He also received a new liquid remedy that the vet made which helps in digestion. We will continue providing Weasel with the Naltrexone, Essiac Tea, HMF Powder, Tissue Salts and Life Gold.

With respect to treatments, for those of you who feel that the cancer has spread too far to treat it with Naltrexone, please consider picking up the Life Gold at the minimum, as it really helps them deal with the discomfort I find. You may find that even a kitty that's quite far gone, will pick themselves up a bit on the Life Gold and attempt to eat.

With respect to new remedies, I was introduced to MMS from someone on this blog. I've been researching into it when I can (I'm swamped in school work at the moment unfortunately - taking a program until the end of July). I purchased an e-book that talks about it but the section for animals is very limited. I also ordered the MMS1 and MMS2 (second one is required for cancer). The downside is that MMS1 has a bad taste. I have the world's fussiest cat so that's not going to fly. There is a way however to make something called CDS from MMS1 which is essentially taking the gas/vapours from MMS1 and trapping it in a bottle of distilled water. That process almost eliminates the bad taste. I have to learn how to do it still. There is a YouTube video to reference. The other downside is that people treating cancer take this every hour. The only way to administer anything to Weasel is by food. I can't give him food every hour, that's impossible. He's not as interested in eating as his brother, who would be 20 lbs if I let him eat when he wanted. So for now, the MMS sits on the counter untouched as I have so much more to learn..also, is it even effective if he gets it only a few times a day? I also fear about turning him off of food as nausea can occur while trying to determine the proper dosage. The success stories from people who take MMS is very impressive so I really want to learn how I can use it to help Weasel. Unfortunately there's a huge difference between treating a cat and a human who cooperates and provides feedback. I do find it interesting that the FDA in Canada banned MMS claiming it's dangerous. That spooks me out a bit; however the retaliation arguments are convincing in terms of how they scientifically explain as to why there is no harm in taking it. The FDA I noticed never retorted with anything that really explains their reasoning..lots of holes. But I have to admit that the whole thing is a bit overwhelming to try out and in some ways, take a risk on. When school wraps up I'll look into it further in August and keep everyone posted.

Weasel Is In Great Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Fri, 31 May 2013 21:21:00 +0000

I wasn't going to add another entry as I thought, well, I don't have anything in particular to add. However, I think it's also important to share with everyone when I have good news. I'm sure many of you are feeling like you're running out of options and consequently time. I'm not sure when you first discovered your kitty's cancer, but I now think that a combination of a few treatments, can at least stabilize the cat and perhaps give you the chance to see them live at least another year..maybe longer.

We've had great success with Naltrexone. Perhaps on its own, it's enough to maintain Weasel's health, and possibly shrink the tumor; however, I don't take my chances using only one remedy so he also receives 3 times a day, Schuessler tissue salts - #10 and #11 - one tablet of each in his meals/snacks. He also receives 1 tablespoon of Essiac Tea and 5 drops of Life Gold. In his main meals we add the HMF Powder for digestion and 1/3 of a dropper of the concoction the vet made for him. I'm not entirely sure what is in it. Although he seems to be off the Amino B-Plex, he is still thriving and hasn't lost any weight! This is great news, as a side effect of pancreatic cancer is weight loss.

Weasel still eats all of his food and now enjoys his snacks. I've discovered that if I get several different flavours in the small tins of wet cat food from the pet store, he stays pretty enthusiastic about eating his treat. He'll only eat chicken and turkey so we run the risk of him becoming bored if we stay with one brand for his treats. He's off on Tuna these days as we overdid it a month ago. What I also do is about once every week or so, I'll make a roast chicken in the oven and keep the carcass which has bits of meat all over it. The flavours from the roasting process soak into the chicken and I'll take bits of it off the bones and spread it across the top of his treat. He devours it. It's just the extra bit of incentive that's needed as the cat food alone isn't enough.

The only side effect we're seeing is a constant discharge from Weasel's right eye..it's a rather unappealing substance, dark coloured and oozy. Since he doesn't have an eye infection, I'm going to assume it's his body detoxifying.

Someone was kind enough to post on this blog a suggestion that I'm going to investigate, and that's to use MMS. They've had great success using it to battle swollen lymph nodes.

Still Going Fairly Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:50:00 +0000

So, I haven't posted in a while as I haven't had too much to report on and in this case, no news is definitely good news!

A few weeks ago, I had to be away, leaving Weasel in the care of others. He reacted quite harshly to that and left vomit all over the house. I thought that they may have administered things incorrectly to him but since then, I've discovered that stress seems to be the trigger. We had company over on Mother's Day and once again he started vomiting. I believe that when his stomach tenses, it places pressure on the tumor and causes him to be ill. As long as I'm home and there isn't commotion, he remains in good spirits.

Due to Weasel's stubborn and extremely finicky nature, I've had to change his food from Halo to an inferior product line, but at this point I just want him to eat. He's off on the taste of the Amino B-Plex so he hasn't had it in weeks. I can only administer 5 drops of the Life Gold. Occasionally I can get the Essiac Tea down him but it's rare. The only stuff keeping him alive is the Naltrexone at this point. He still gets his cell salts and HMF powder which helps digestion. In addition to this, he receives his drops from the vet.

I grew two flats of wheatgrass which I thought would be a huge success. Instead, both cats ambivalently chew on a few blades here and there, and walk away. I now have wayyyy too much wheatgrass to put through my juicer. I imagine it will go bad before I even get through a quarter of it. At least my husband and I will be healthy but the entire point was to fight the cancer.

I can unfortunately no longer afford to go to the Holistic Vet which is a shame as he's been extremely helpful and an integral part of Weasel's progress. I'll continue to purchase Weasel's remedies but due to tight financial times, some compromises must be made.

A Visit To The Holistic Vet Today

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa ) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:40:00 +0000

Today Weasel and I headed to the Holistic Vet in Newmarket. I unfortunately have a very smart kitty who recalls getting poked with needles 4 weeks ago and therefore was incredibly difficult to work with today. Luckily Dr.Haghighat has the patience of a saint and a calm demeanour so we eventually had success.

On a plus note, the vet was very happy to see how healthy looking Weasel is and he hasn't lost a single bit of weight since our last visit which is remarkable. I know that the different treatments we give him each day have been quite effective but of course, being the type of cat he is, it's becoming increasingly challenging to administer them. Just this evening he snuck upstairs and stole chicken from the tenant we rent to. He seemed thoroughly excited to have such delicious food so I grabbed it from him, inserted a capsule of Yunnan, wrapped in cream cheese, cut open macaroni noodles (from a macaroni salad that he liked the smell of), coated it with liverwurst and wrapped that in the chicken he snagged. The Yunnan had 4 layers around it! Do you think he touched it? Heck no. These are all foods he loves but he knows what's in the middle. I've tried pork based pâté and every sticky substance known to mankind. Nothing works anymore. It's frustrating beyond belief when we've made so much progress to date. His intelligence is infuriating and I never thought I would say that.

I may have to prepare these treats and intentionally leave them on our tenant's counter so that he 'thinks' he stole food which he thoroughly enjoys doing. Maybe then he'll eat it.

One unusual 'ailment' I'll call it, although it may not be one, is that 4 days ago, Weasel's eyes started discharging pus. He doesn't have an inflamed iris or any other symptoms that would fall under one of the eye diseases cats can get, nor is this really a consequence of the cancer, just based on the fact that the eyes look clear. The vet stated that it's his body detoxing which would make sense based on how much stuff he ingests each day. It's quite the peculiar thing to see and unfortunately has irritated the corners of his eyes. We picked up natural based eye drops today. I can't literally drop them in his eyes unfortunately so I put the drops on a cotton ball and rub that on his eye, hoping it achieves something.

And on a side note, the Cothivet arrived in just one week from the UK! Not bad! Shipping was just over $1 which blew my mind to begin with. I assumed it would be over a month before it arrived.