Hello there from Illinois!

[Scooby]

Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself around here!
I'm Dagmara and I live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I have one boxer, Scooby Doo, who came to me as sort of an accident! I was working at a vet clinic and he was being boarded there. His owners never came back for him and I took him in. How could I say no to a face like that?
On the side of bad news, Scooby's been diagnosed with t-cell lymphoma last December. He's on chemo but slowly it's making him sicker and sicker =(
In essense, I joined this forum to pick some brains on how to deal with Scooby's illness and his eventual departure, and to help me in my search for a new pup =) Look forward to getting to know you folk!

[Doreen]

So sorry to hear of Scooby's illness. I sure hope you find what you need on this forum. If nothing else, we can give support.

[Ron]

Welcome!

Sorry to hear about his illness

[Spyglass Sally]

Welcome to the forum.

[Marylou Mader]

Welcome and sending hope for Scooby from Milwaukee, WI.

What chemo are they giving him?????

Once the chemo stops, he will recover. Has the Vet suggested an alternative diet during his treatment????

It is amazing at the advancements with oncology today.

I agree, who could resist these mugs :0)

[Scooby]

Scooby's currently on the oral drug, CCNU. He's been responding really well to it. He was due for another dose last week, but he was so weak I decided to hold off until his blood count recovered. Poor guy!
The vet hasn't really suggested much on the diet side, but I feed him puppy food and supplements. For lymphoma I've read that high protein and fat diets are ideal, and it seemed to fit!
Thanks for your welcomes =)

[Scout & Gunners Momma]

Welcome to the site from another Illinoisan Bless your heart for taking him in....he will be eternally grateful! I'm sorry to hear that he is having trouble but at least he has you to help him through this. I do not have any experience on this subject but there are pleny of knowledgeable people on here. I hope someone can help you!

[Ruby Red]

Welcome. I am sorry to read about Scooby, that 's so sad, poor boy, dumped by his owners and then to be so poorly too, thank you for taking him in and loving for him. I don't have any experiance of this with dogs although my dad is having chemo at this time albeit in tablet form. 2 years ago my next door neighbour had chemo for lymphona too [intravenously], he recovered great when it finished but he was very, very poorly whilst he was undergoing it - couldn't eat much, just felt sick all the time and was so tired. How much more chemo do the vets think Scooby needs to have? and what's their outlook/prognosis?

[AussieGirl]

Welcome. I'm so sorry to hear about Scooby. I know you can't get kangaroo over there but in my research on foods I found that it is a good source of CLA. CLA can also be found in beef and lamb in high amounts when they have grazed.

There may be a lot of hype about Conjugated Linoleic Acid or CLA but what is it really? CLA is a form of omega-6 fatty acid and can be found in kangaroo and dairy products. It is abundant in the meat and bone of ruminant grazing animals – about 3 to 5 times more than animals fattened on grains. Even though it is not a ruminant animal, research has shown that kangaroo has up to 5 times the level of CLA as compared to other meats. Kangaroo meat has always been used in Australia as a form of pet food and is now gaining wider recognition in the global market.
How does CLA benefit my dog?
1. CLA supports important body functions for overall health and fitness
• Better immune system
CLA can enhance immune response from the body and provide greater overall resistance. CLA may also inhibit the growth of cell-related diseases, which involves the mutation of normal living cells. For example, the presence of CLA could slow the growth of cancer cells or help them destroy themselves.
• Reduction of inflammation
Inflammation occurs because it is the body’s way of responding to an infection or irritation. The presence of CLA in kangaroo may be able to help reduce inflammation by responding quicker to any foreign attack. A reduction in the risk of inflammation means the risk of developing allergies is also lesser – a perfect alternative for allergic dogs. Kangaroo is also less likely to cause a reaction in your pet’s body, as it is a novel protein. Dogs develop allergies to those foods that are most frequently fed. Hence feeding new protein sources would lower the chances of him/her developing any adverse reaction.
2. CLA enhances the building of lean muscles
• More lean muscles, lower fat percentage
Lean muscles are known to burn more calories than fat. Hence with CLA, your pet may stay leaner and will be more capable of burning any excess energy. A leaner body mass also means a lower fat percentage and a healthy weight, resulting in lower possibilities of contracting heart-related illness like coronary heart disease.

• A form of novel protein which is ideal for lowering the risk of developing allergies
• Low fat content (40% of the fat in kangaroo meat consists of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) molecules)
• An excellent source of CLA (promotes anti-inflammatory properties and enhances immunity)

CLA may be one of the most potent cancer-fighting substances in our diet.

In animal studies, as little as one half of one percent CLA in the diet has reduced tumor burden by more than 50 percent.

Source:Health Benefits of Conjugated Linoleic Acid

It may be something you're interested in trying. Wishing Scooby a speedy recovery.

[Scooby]

Don't feel too bad for him you guys! He's having a great time being himself! Thankfully, he doesn't know he's sick; he just carries on and enjoys all the extra treats, walks, and attention. He's such an excellent dog, I'm very thankful for having him in my life Hopefully he'll keep on having good days!
As for the chemo, the vet said he needs to be getting doses to keep the cancer under control for the rest of his life, however long that may be. The medicine really seems to keep the tumors under control (they're in his neck and used to be in his shoulder nodes too, though not anymore)
That's really interesting about the CLAs... I'll have to look into that, thanks!