Thank you Fluke’s Aftercare on behalf of Deborah, Roger, and Theresa! Thank you for your generous donation, as you know, these funds are sorely needed to help battle this disease. Thank you!

Ezekiel, “Zeke”

UPDATE 05-03-2010—

Ezekiel, “Zeke” was born in our home on Dec 26, 2000 and spent his 8 years 4 months with our family. He loved and protected us all and was a gentle giant at 110 pounds. In December 2008 we noticed a lump on Zeke’s neck. Our vet thought it was a salivary gland problem since it was the only “lump” found and surgically removed it in January after the holiday. We were all totally shocked when it came back as lymphosarcoma and we were told that it was very aggressive and he would probably only survive a few weeks. Zeke was not a good patient and hated to go to the vet’s so we did not pursue chemotherapy and found an excellent holistic vet. He proved to be quite a fighter and enjoyed life abundantly and joyfully, happily at home with his family. Zeke lost his battle on May 7, 2009 — 4 1/2 months later. We will always miss him and treasured the time we had with him. — Jani

Angel

UPDATE 4-30-2010—

My name is Kristie. My husband Johnny and I live in Louisiana with 2 dogs that we love like children.

Angel is a 5 year old Carolina Yellow Dog aka American Dingo that wandered out of the woods and into our hearts when she was just a pup. Angel has another ½ sibling named Romeo. They are everything to each other. They’re more than friends, lovers, or even family. They’re best mates. They’re a pack.

Johnny and I were married in New Orleans in July 2009. Romeo was the ring bearer and Angel was the flower girl. 2 weeks after tying the knot Johnny found a lump on Angel’s belly during their daily Poochie Pilates session.

We immediately contacted our trusted family vet. She scheduled Angel to come in the next day to run blood work and diagnose the lump.

She started Angel on 2 medications; antibiotics to take the swelling down and a drug to stop cell regeneration in case it was a mast cell tumor. The following week we received a call from the vet’s office; the tests came back negative for cancer. We continued the antibiotics and were told to contact the doctor if the tumor persisted.

2 weeks later the lump had been reduced, but it was still very noticeable. The alarming part was Romeo’s constant fussing over Angel’s tummy. This behavior was highly unusual so we took him seriously and called vet right away.

Angel returned to the clinic and the doctor took a deep tissue sample of the lump. 4 days later the tests came back and the Doctor called to give us the gut wrenching news.

Angel’s tests came back and the lump was malignant. Our baby girl tested positive for cancer and she would need to begin treatment ASAP!

We were referred to an internal medicine vet that specializes in Lymphoma. I composed myself, held back a tidal wave of tears and read the number I’d just written through blurry eyes. I dialed the number and scheduled Angel for “staging” the following week. Johnny, Romeo and I accompanied Angel to her appointment as a family.

Angel was diagnosed with Stage II Lymphoma. The doc strongly suggested chemotherapy, but radiation was not an option due to the location of the tumor. Angel’s prognosis with chemotherapy alone is 6 months–1 year after the chemotherapy protocol has ended.

The first thing out of Johnny’s mouth was, “Is there a cure?” With so many advancements in science he just knew that there had to be something out there to save Angel’s life.

The doctor returned 2 hours with excellent news! She said, “You wanted a cure, you got it!” While we were waiting for Angel, the doctor was calling her colleagues from across the country to find an answer. All of the doctors came to the same conclusion. The only way to begin CURING canine lymphoma is by, CANINE BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION.

The procedure is being offered to the public at North Carolina State University’s Veterinary Teaching. NCSU started offering this procedure in 2008.

Did you know that 95% of transplants performed on humans were tested on dogs first?

Our hopes soared when heard about this once in a lifetime opportunity to save Angel! The Dr. informed us that the average cost for a canine bone marrow transplant procedure is $16,000. My husband didn’t blink before saying, “How long do we have to raise the money?”

The bone marrow transplant is available to dogs in remission for the first time, of a certain age, over 50lbs and with no damage to any organs. If all of the requirements are met she’ll qualify to receive the cure at end of her 25 week chemotherapy protocol.

Angel began chemotherapy on 9/24/09. By week 2 Angel’s CBC showed that Angel was in complete remission after only 1 treatment! All of the preliminary tests were administered to qualify Angel for the BMT; bone marrow aspirate to determine cell type, echo’s, ultra sounds and blood tests.

Angel’s qualifying tests confirm that Angel is a perfect candidate for the BMT.

Angel’s schedule is as follows:

• May 1st: Neupogen injections
• May 4th: Angel checks in at North Carolina State University
• May 6th: Angel’s Leukaphresis Procedure
• May 7th: Angel’s total body irradiation & transplant

This is the same procedure used on humans, performed on machines that were donated by the Mayo Clinic. They’re called leukopheresis machines and they harvest the patients own stem cells. No donor is necessary!

On April 19, 2010, Angel will begin taking a drug called Neupogen for six days to encourage stem cells to leave the marrow and enter the blood.

Once these cells are harvested, Angel’s entire body will be subjected to radiation (called total body irradiation or TBI) to kill any remaining cancer cells left. Following the total body irradiation, the marrow is transfused into the patient.

As of 3/22/10, NCSU’s BMT Unit has performed the procedure on 14 dogs with B-cell Lymphoma. Angel will be number 17.

Number of dogs with B cell lymphoma that have received the bone marrow transplant = 14:

• 9 are in remission living cancer free lives!
• 2 died from causes un-related to lymphoma.
• 3 have relapsed; 2 are deceased, and 1 is back on chemotherapy and doing well. Dogs who relapse seem to do so within 4 months post transplant.

The longest survivor post-transplant is 15 months and the second longest is at 13 months! Other recipients are 1 to 10 months out from the date they received the BMT.

Angel is completely finished with her 25 week protocol and once chemo is stopped there are no guarantees. We’re thrilled that the BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) and chemo being back to back, because then there is zero room for relapse.

So far we’ve raised $8,000 of the $16,000 needed to save Angel’s life. We purchased pet insurance for the 1st time just before Angel was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, we didn’t purchase a “Cancer Rider” when we enrolled, so what they covered was minimal. Johnny and I need your help to pay for Angel’s life-saving procedure. We are still raising donations through events, garage sales & eBay.

Chemotherapy: $7,500
Qualifying Exams: $3,000
Pre-BMT Medications: $3,000
Helping a dog win it’s fight against cancer: PRICELESS!

Angel has the rare opportunity to fight cancer and win! But she can’t do it without your help. We are grateful for anything that you can offer to help us Save Angel’s life, no amount is too small. We have until May 3, 2010 to save Angel’s life and I’m confident that with your help we will reach our goal in time! We encourage you to share this story with your friends, prayer groups, families and message boards!

Thank you!
Kristie — Angel’s Mama

Unfortunately, Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc., is not be able to offer any financial assistance at this time because our funds are so limited. Angel’s story is amazing and hopefully we can help raise funds for Angel’s treatment in this way. Any sponsor donations made on behalf of Angel will be used to pay unpaid invoices and the checks will be sent directly to Angel’s vet.

Please also give generously to Angel. To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS RECEIVED FOR ANGEL:

Rhea is using Facebook Causes to make a birthday wish donation to Canine Cancer Awareness!
She has set a goal to raise $300 for Canine Cancer Awareness, and from now until May 2, 2010, she will be asking her friends to donate as a birthday present.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/birthdays/318189

Please wish Rhea a Happy Birthday and donate to a great cause!

From Rhea:

This is why I care

Canine Cancer Awareness (CCA) is a wonderful cause. When I lost my Poochie to cancer in 2006, I had no idea that over 50% of dogs and cats develop cancer. So many people cannot afford the treatment for their furbabies and feel they have no choice but to let them go. Money should NEVER be the deciding factor for whether to treat a beloved animal.

CCA is not only active in cancer research but they provide funds to help people who cannot afford treatment for their dogs. My Poochie has a profile on their Faces of Courage page. I would never want to be in the situation of not being able to treat my baby.

Please join the cause and donate if you can. Although I am turning 44, a donation of $5, $10, $15 or anything you can will help save a life. Thank you.

Here’s the link to Canine Cancer Awareness on Facebook’s Causes http://www.causes.com/causes/149615

Thank you for your generous donation through Facebook Causes. Visit the Canine Cancer Awareness cause here:

visit http://apps.facebook.com/causes/149615

Thank you Susan for your generous donation in memory of Sierra. Your funds go directly to vets fighting this disease on behalf of dog families who could not otherwise afford treatment.

Thank you!

Thank you Deana for your generous donation in memory of Sierra and Grimace. These funds are so important to the dog families facing canine cancer who afford treatment.

Thank you!

Tara’s Story

UPDATE 4-9-2010—

Tara is our 9-year-old Shetland sheepdog and the first dog for our family. My son, Michael, picked her out from the litter when she was 6 weeks old because she was friendly and full of mischief- a perfect little boy’s dog. Over the years she has become a wonderful and loving member of our family.

Both our vet and I were shocked in December 2009, when he performed an aspiration biopsy for a lump that had recently appeared on her leg, and it turned out to be a mast cell tumor. Surgery to remove the tumor was quickly scheduled, but, unfortunately, our vet was unable to remove the entire tumor. Our vet suggested that we amputate Tara’s leg and told me that dogs usually adjust quite well to the surgery. It was so difficult for me to even think about surgery which would likely take away one of Tara’s favorite things to do- running around in circles on the hill near our house, herding her imaginary sheep. I decided at that point to try to get further opinions and information regarding treatment options and prognosis. We saw specialists in Rochester, NY, where we live, as well as at Cornell. I decided, after hearing what each doctor had to say, that the best treatment for Tara would be a course of radiation therapy at Cornell. After testing for staging and to make sure that the cancer had not spread, we began radiation therapy in February. Tara would stay at Cornell during the week and I would pick her up each weekend. The doctors and staff at Cornell were so wonderful to her that I never worried that she was lonely or unhappy. In fact, the veterinary students would let her go on rounds with them, so now I call her my “Ivy” dog! Tara’s radiation treatments were completed by the end of February and she had come through it like the brave little soul that she is. I thought that we were done with treatment, but when we returned for her first post- radiation visit, the doctors suggested that I should consider a course of adjuvant chemotherapy over the next 6 months. I am now trying to get the emotional and financial resources together so that she can start chemotherapy the end of April.

Without the generous financial assistance of the Canine Cancer Awareness Fund, I would never have been able to afford to give Tara the wonderful treatment that she has already received. I thank the Fund from the bottom of my heart.

I believe that, when we adopted Tara 9 years ago, I made a promise to her, words that keep running through my head from St. Exupery’s The Little Prince – “You are responsible forever for what you have tamed”. Without your help, I might have failed in keeping that promise to Tara. With that help, we are looking forward to many more wonderful years together. Thank you and God bless you for all you do.

— Sincerely, Michelle and Michael Callan and Tara

CCA has donated $1000 to help pay the costs of Tara’s treatment. Please also give generously to Tara. To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS RECEIVED FOR TARA:

Bubba

UPDATE 3-30-2010—

In 2001 Bubba came to stay with us. He belonged to a neighbor but came to our house because he wanted love and attention. Bubba is a beautiful Yellow Lab and the sweetest, most gentle dog you could ever meet. He just wants to be with his new adopted family and be petted all the time. We didn’t even know his name but our son, who was in college at the time, came home, fell in love with him too, and said he looks like a ‘Bubba’. We already had another dog at that time – our beautiful Cocker Spaniel ‘Lady’. She accepted Bubba and they became best friends, immediately. Unfortunately, in 2005 we lost our precious Lady to kidney failure – which absolutely broke our hearts. She was 15 years, 3 months, and seven days old and had become like a child – even though we had three children of our own – she was our 4th. So…that was a heart-breaking time to loose her, having to put her down. Even though I know I will hold her again in heaven one day, my tears never stop and it still hurts – but having our adopted dog Bubba to help us with love and support, has been a great comfort to us. He has become like another child to us and is so faithful and loving. All three of our children are married now and out of the home so our sweet Bubba has become even more important in our lives for comfort in hard times (believe me, we’ve had plenty of them) loving, supporting, and always being there for us. Every time someone sees him, they always say he is a beautiful dog and sometimes ask if they can take him home. He’s just that kind of dog – one that gives you so much unconditional love and that is always the only thing he wants back – love, to be petted, and sometimes, even though he weighs 75 lbs., to get in my lap!

After we got Bubba we moved several times because of job loss and other things but even though we lived so many different places, Bubba has been our constant, faithful friend to go with us and help us through so many bad and hard circumstances. As long as we gave him a place to be at our feet, he was happy – and also the many long walks we have had together in parks, woods, around mountains, lakes, and in neighborhoods. He has been such a wonderful companion during good times and bad. We love our Bubba so much and can’t stand the thought of loosing him.

Cancer is something we never thought we would have to deal with in such a strong healthy dog. While currently in another job loss situation, we found out that Bubba has cancer. So while looking for employment, we have found ourselves also looking for funding to help us afford CT scans, surgery, pathology, and chemotherapy. This is why Canine Cancer Awareness has become so very much a part of our lives and hearts. We are so very thankful for the many people who care about animals to aid people in our situation needing help.

In 2009, Bubba developed a visible tumor on his right side. I took him to our vet who told us that it would need to be removed. Before we could have the surgery done, he started coughing-up blood. I took him back to the vet – after lots of blood work that gave no direction, he recommended a chest x-ray. When I saw the x-ray I was shocked beyond belief! I saw yet another, different larger tumor on his left side, the size of a baseball. It was inside his lung lobe, close to his heart, his main bronchus, and his rib cage. The vet referred us to a specialist. Following a CT scan, it was determined that it had to be removed and a biopsy done. The biopsy revealed that Bubba has Bronchogenic Carcinoma with vascular/lymphatic invasion, which is very rare in dogs that are only 8 years old. The tumor was so close to his heart at the junction of the stem to the lung lobe, the surgeon was unable to completely remove marginal tissues from around the lobe. This is a very aggressive cancer and there are likely still cancerous cells in the bronchus that will form another tumor in 4 – 6 months. It was recommended that we see an oncologist and start chemotherapy treatments. The recommended chemo agent was vinorelbine, also used in humans. He has to have 8 treatments in addition to another drug, piroxicam, which we give daily at home. With the assistance of Canine Cancer Awareness, we are in the process of getting the chemotherapy treatments at this time. He seems to be responding well and we are pressing-on to save his life.

About three weeks ago, we noticed the original tumor on his right side had begun to grow and change colors. The specialist did a fine-needle aspirate of it and determined it to be a mast cell neoplasia with fibroplasia tumor. Mast cell tumors range from being essentially benign to highly malignant. The most reliable predictor of how an individual tumor is likely to behave is based on the tumor grade. It has been recommended that an excisional biopsy be performed to confirm this mass is a mast cell tumor and to determine the grade of the tumor. This would be done between his 7th and 8th treatment of chemo. After this, Bubba would need to have an abdominal ultrasound performed to evaluate for signs of mast cell tumor spread especially to the liver and spleen.

Needless to say, we are very concerned because our sweet Bubba has another threat to his life. But, we are doing everything we can to provide the necessary treatment to save our precious dog. So…if you are reading this, please say a prayer for us to continue to find funds available to pay for additional surgery etc., and pray for Bubba that he will stay strong during all of this and that God will bless him and us with a long and happy life.

Again, thank-you Canine Cancer Awareness for your generous help and support during a very difficult time in our lives.

— George and Linda

CCA has donated $1000 to help pay the costs of Bubba’s treatment. Please also give generously to Bubba. To help sponsor treatment, you can click on the PayPal donate button below or send a check to:

Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc.
44 Devoe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DONATIONS RECEIVED FOR BUBBA:

Sersha
July 7, 2000 — January 28, 2010

UPDATE 02-13-2010—

Sersha was a beautiful Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever – or Toller for short! He had the heart of a lion and the soul of an angel. Sersha was always intent and focused when working or playing, but underneath it all he was a true comedian. He made me laugh and always found the fun in every situation, whether it was a walk around the block, a drive across many states, or playing in the vineyard with his canine friends. Even then, he would check on me, before running with abandon. He never met a person that did not fall in love with him within five minutes and happily anticipate his next visit.

Sersha was noted to have what was thought to be a bladder tumor in June 2009, with a 6 cm. sublumbar metastases already present. In July, it was definitively diagnosed as prostate cancer, which carried a grim prognosis of 30 to 60 days beyond diagnosis. Surgery was not a good option and chemotherapy was not generally effective. He entered a clinical trial at the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where he received exemplary care and in September radioactive gold nanoparticles were placed directly into the tumors. He did amazingly well, but by November I elected to stop chemotherapy altogether due to tumor progression. Despite all of the pain associated with cancer, he continued to eat well, beg for treats and play hard – his favorite game being fetch of course. (His motto was to "e;Live to fetch, fetch to live" and my arm would weary far sooner than he ever did, even to the end.) It was not until a week before his death, that he began to show obvious signs of pain and discomfort, and yet his disposition never changed, he was always sweet, loving and funny. The tumors had progressed even further than we had imagined. My sister and I, along with his loving vets, were with him at the end. His courage and strength through the pain were truly amazing. Nine and half years was not long enough for him to grace the world!

Always in my heart,
— Maureen