We have very good news to share. A friend of mine used to think TVT was untreatable or that the treatment was terribly expensive until I told him it’s VERY treatable and affordable. In fact, TVT is one of the most treatable cancers in dogs and it often heals incredibly well with the proper treatment (which is chemotherapy).
So, he had this TVT-mother dog who had just given birth to five puppies. The whole family was rescued by someone else and was sent to him.
Take a look:
When first rescued – see the tumour? It looked exactly like Amber’s (our other case) – like a half-eaten vulva that had dropped down.
A closer view of the nasty growth.
But the mum-dog was nursing her newborn puppies.
The first step was to get a fosterer for these puppies so that the mum-dog could undergo the chemotherapy jabs. Once she starts on the jabs, she would no longer to be able to nurse her puppies as the drug is toxic.
I blogged for fosterers, but there were no suitable ones.
So, my friend decided he would foster the puppies himself.
Even before that, I had already got the RetroMAD1 for the tvtdog so she was started on it even before her chemo jabs.
There was no visible regression of the tumour in the first few days.
Then, the first jab of chemotherapy was given last Tuesday, and voila…by Friday, the tumour had dried up and was no longer dripping.
The vet who administered the chemo jab said there is normally no visible changes until AFTER the second jab.
Take a look (these photos were taken yesterday, six days after the first jab):
Comparing this with Amber’s case where her tumour was almost exactly as bad, Amber’s only started showing visible regression after 3 jabs.
For this tvt-dog, it has regressed so much even before the 2nd jab.
I am VERY impressed.
I would think the RetroMAD1, as the scientist had already told me, really helps quicken the regression of the TVT. And by doing so, the animal does not have to undergo so many chemo jabs and that is a big help!
For those who are interested in details, here’s what was done for this dog:
10th Aug – Started on RetroMAD1.
16th Aug – Given first chemotherapy jab.
19th Aug – Tumour dried up, no longer dripping.
22nd Aug – Very visible shrinkage of tumour (as evidenced by photos above).
For those who are interested in details, here’s what was done for this dog:
10th Aug – Started on RetroMAD1.
16th Aug – Given first chemotherapy jab.
19th Aug – Tumour dried up, no longer dripping.
22nd Aug – Very visible shrinkage of tumour (as evidenced by photos above).
And how are the puppies?
My friend has been nursing these five puppies all by himself, bottle-feeding them day and night, and he even takes them to work with him every day as they need to be fed around the clock.
When there is a will, there is a way.
It all boils down to whether we want to do it or not.
We hope the mum-dog will get well real fast and the puppies can be re-united with her again.