NYOOK

Today's post has little to do with creativity, vegetarianism, paper crafts, or knitting. To tell you the truth I was not sure whether I should be writing about this rather personal matter here. I am trying to let bits of my life through into my blog but I am still not comfortable sharing too much ....
A month ago out 14-year old wonderful blond girl, Nyook was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. We brought her to the vet on Sunday after a bad nose-bleed. She was already monitored and treated for what seemed to be allergies and an infection but the big bleeding on Sunday didn't look like an allergic reaction.

All the regular tests showed that Nyook was in a great shape; her eyes, her ears, her blood pressure and blood work were great. The doctor suggested a more detailed investigation, a head scan, and a biopsy. We left out "prettiness" overnight at the hospital and 24-hours later got the sad and scary preliminary results; it was most likely a tumour, a big one, pushing in her nasal cavity. That Monday was tough; a blur of sadness, tears, and negative thoughts. The super-expensive surgery was out of the question, mostly because of the dog's age. We were worried about Nyook's overall condition, possibilities of frequent nasal bleeds, and the question of time left was definitely on our mind.

While doctors were getting results of the biopsy we began our own research to find natural ways of supporting Nyook's health and controlling her cancer.  What is described below is Nyook's current diet, constructed according to multiple and at times contradicting suggestions found mostly online.

1. We eliminated all grains from her food: no more kibble, no more bone cookies, no more bread, no more rice
2. We switched her to a 99% raw diet.  Nyook is currently eating a mix of raw chicken, raw beef, bits of raw bones, some canned sardines, and a mix of fruits and vegetables throughout the day
3. About 10-15% of her diet are vegetables and fruits.  I've read tons of different opinions about fruits and veggies in dog's diet.  The fact that Nyook has cancer adds additional restrictions so this is what we've decided upon:
   small amounts of apples, pears, peaches, plums, berries
   no overly sweet fruits (eg. bananas), no citrus fruits, no grapes (those could be harmful for any dog)
   small amounts of raw cranberries to support Nyook's kidneys (due to the medication)
   small amounts of green veggies (broccoli, chard, spinach), orange veggies (carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes), and others (cauliflower, zucchinis)
   fresh parsley
4. Supplements:
   fish oil, turmeric, flax seed oil mixed with quark, milk thistle and burdock tinctures, burdock infusion, blackstrap molasses, Yunnan baiyao
5. Medication (prescribed by the vet):
   piroxicam

Nyook has a big meal once per day, around the dinner time.  She gets 2 small "snacks", one in the morning and one late in the evening.

 
During the last consult the vet was talking about a time frame of several months.  I am obviously hoping to beat this prediction and to have our beloved "prettiness" with us for much longer.

Lots of health to all the furry four-legged readers of this blog.