Merry Christmas to my Dogster Friends

I would like to thank everyone on Dogster and espeically Boxer Town members for all of your love, caring and support for Me, Nikki and Adrienne this year. This Christmas will be my first without them in 12 & 8 years. They will be so missed!!

I wish I could afford to send a Christmas ornament with Nikki's picture on it to our Boxer Town pals. I tried and I did order several to be shipped to my home but I can't afford the cost of packaging and shipping etc to individuals. I will give some away to family members for Christmas.

If you would like a Christmas ornament that looks like the picture in her profile please contact me by paw mail. If you wouldn't mind helping out with the cost I could mail one to you. I could sign the back in gold pen with her name on it and I can send it with either a red or green ribbon. It would be a nice keepsake to remember her by.

Have a wonderful holiday!!

Laura

A Poem from Eve & Family

Gemstone's Nickerboxer
1/09/01 - 08/18/09

"Nikki"

Just one more time
To hear your Rooooo
One more time
To sit next to you.
To feel your breath
Upon my arm
To laugh once more
At your Wiggle Butt Charm
Just one more time
To Rally O
One more shout
Go Nikki Go !
One last walk
Down through the Springs
One more day
For all these things
To feel your snuggle ...
Or make your tea
One more day
To be with me.
Now you are so far away
Yet in my heart
Each and every day .


Thank you so much for the wonderful poem. The words sum up our life, love, adventures & struggles in a very personal way. Huggs to you Eve and your family. My thanks to you with all of my heart.

Laura

Goodbye Sweetheart

It is with great sadness that I have to report that Nikki crossed the rainbow bridge early in the morning on Tuesday 8/18/2009. She went for a walk the night before. Ate her dinner though not as ravenously as normal and really there was no indication that she was as sick as she was until the next morning.

She asked to go out early at 4:00 am and her stool was brown in color and other than a little too firm it was normal. She was somewhat lethargic that morning and when she came back in the house she didn't want to eat her normal "cookie". Right then and there I knew something was very wrong.

She spent the early morning hours laying in places that her mother Adrienne used to go when she wasn't feeling well. First she layed for awhile behind my recliner which Adrienne did when her tummy was upset. Then she layed underneath the dining room table. Adrienne only layed down there when her arthritis was acting up. To my knowledge Nikki never layed in those places. Was she trying to communicate her pain to me in the same ways her mother always did? Was she trying to be close to the places her mother used to go?

When Adrienne was beginning to bloat, and I was calling the animal ER she layed down on a folded up blanket. It was white with pink roses on it. When Adrienne didn't come home Nikki would sniff that blanket and lay on it watching the door. I put that same blanket down for Nikki in the same place it had been when Adrienne layed on it and Nikki got up from laying flat out on the floor, went to the blanket and layed on it. She didn't move from that spot except to lift her head once in awhile until it was time to take her to the vet.

The trip to the vet told us just how sick she really was. She had no energy to try to sniff out the window though she clearly wanted to. When we got to Harris Pet Hospital just before we went inside Nikki had to go. This time her stool looked like black tar. This we already knew was a sign of digested blood. Now there was no question what this day would bring for all of us.

When Dr Wikert examined her he told us that she was very very sick. She was bleeding internally a fair amount and her lungs sounded like the beginnings of pneumonia. He said that if ever a dog was telling us it was time to go it was her right here and right now. He said that after we had already made the decision to help her cross the bridge. He really didn't have to even ask. I knew.

Her blood level was so low that he was not even able to find a vein where he used to easily find one. He tried and tried and finally moved to one of her back legs and with some difficulty found one. My husband and I held her close, hugged and kissed her over and over again but she was gone in seconds. Dr Wikert said that the fact that she went so quickly indicated she had already started on her own.

After a bit I raised my head from Nikki's body and through my tears said to Dr Wikert, "This must be the part of your job that really sucks." He replied, "Well it is definitely not something I enjoy doing but in this case I was looking at a dog who badly needed my help. I am grateful to have been able to help her. There are times when this is much more difficult but not this time. This was the best thing I could possibly have done for her."

We spent a little more time with her, said our final goodbyes and went home to a very quiet house. Kenai was there and got lots of hugs and kisses from us but for me I missed my Nikki. I feel incredibly empty. I do feel blessed to have had to priveledge to love and care for her for the time that I was given.

For every joy that passes a beauty remains. Nikki and her mother Adrienne are a part of the beauty that has been in my life and they will remain with me forever.

Laura

Visit to The Healing Oasis 8-12-09

Mom took me to my appointment with Dr Mulvihill last night. He felt my lymph nodes and told Mom that though they have grown a lot that they can get much larger before they become a life threatening problem. He says she shouldn't continue to give me high doses of prednisone anymore since that is causing the high liver enzymes and I'm not responding to it anyway.

He has added to my list of supplements Chih-Ko & Curcuma. It is used specifically to help with tumors. Here is some information about this medication from the manufacturer.

Seven Forests Chih-ko & Curcuma

My dosage is 4 pills 2x per day so I've got a lot of these to take! Mom is going to run out of hot dogs to hide them in since I am picking these out of my food and won't eat them from my dish. Blech!

He says that besides the enlarging lymph nodes that I'm doing very well and he scheduled our next appointment for three weeks from now. He believes that I'll be there. =)

Growing Lymph Nodes

I'm no longer responding at all to the prednisone and the lymph nodes in my throat are getting very very large. It won't be long before they begin to obstruct my ability to breathe or swallow. Still... I'm eating well and very playful. Mom bought me a new toy with a squeeker in it and I played and played last night. She can't believe how lively I am when at the same time she knows my time left here is very short.

Mom is wondering if injecting the largest lymph nodes with cortizone has ever been done? It just seems if she could hold off the two largest ones it would make a big difference.

Mom is really struggling to compartmentalize all of this. We have Dad on his way home from Washington State with the new puppy Kenai. We have my skin sister Rachel having the first grandchild in the family in September. And then me, slowly but surely being ravaged by this cancer. What an emotional rollercoaster for everyone!

Mom just spends as much time with me as possible and I am her constant shadow. I follow her everywhere she goes when she is home and she plays with me, walks me, and gives me treats all the time.

Elevated Liver Enzymes 7/31/09

Dr Mulvihill's office called Mom today with results from my bloodwork. My liver enzymes are elevated which is to be expected. Also my red blood count is normal but a very low normal. Dr Mulvihill is putting me on Milk Thistle seed to help with the inflamation of my liver.

Mom found a lymph node down further on my chest last night. This means that the lymphoma is spreading to other areas of my body. She showed it to Dad and then she sort of lost it. Dad didn't want me to get upset because Mom was crying so he took all of us for a ride in the car down along Lake Michigan. I stuck my head out the window almost the entire time and I was very distracted while Mom sat in the front seat next to Dad who was driving and she had a good cry.

I hardly noticed anything and Dad drove slow enough so that I could really get lots of sniffing in along the lakeside. It was 9pm or so and the harbor lights reflected on the water. It was a very pretty night.

I can tell Mom and Dad are planning something that also had Dad worried about details and Mom worried about how much she's going to miss Dad. He's driving to Washington State tomorrow to get my new brother Kenai. They're excited but would like to have the trip behind them and Kenai safely home!

Visit to Healing Oasis 7/29/09

Mom started me on another rescue of 60mg prednisone yesterday since my lymph nodes have once again begun to grow quite quickly. She's very concerned about side effects and damage to my body so she took me to see Dr Mulvihill today.

He examined me and yes my lymph nodes are larger than he'd seen before but he says they certainly can get much larger than this. He doesn't believe this it is completely out of control.

Mom did talk to him about the diarrhea I had last time I was on 60mg and he decided to have Mom add to my regimen something he calls Constitutional blend. It is a mixture of Burdock root, Dandelion root & herb, Slippery elm bark (which is supposed to be very good for diarrhea and you can buy slippery elm in the drug store to have on hand whenever it is a problem. ) Yellow dock root, & Turkey Rhubarb. This mixture helps to coat my stomach and other organs to keep the prednisone from damaging my tummy, and it also is supposed to be a very good detoxifying formula. I get 3 cc's 2x per day.

He also pulled some blood since that hasn't been done in awhile and he will decide based on the results how to change my mixture of tea and other treatments that will help continue to fight off my lymphoma but also relieve side effects and prevent damage to my organs.

So far though my lymph nodes are active the lymphoma does not appear to have spread to any other lymph sites on my body or organs that can be identified without an MRI. I am otherwise still very healthy, do not show signs of Cushings disease and my tongue is looking pretty good too!

If we can't control the lymph nodes it won't matter much how healthy the rest of me is... but if we can get them under control then I am in a very good position right now because I am doing very well in every other way. Some increased muscle loss but a dog that has been on pred for the length of time that I have been should have much more.

Mom is feeling a little better and will know much more on Friday when the blood tests come back and Dr Mulvihill adjusts my meds based on tose results.

Great weekend!

Early Saturday morning when I saw Mom wake up I brought her my fox so we could play some tug. I was bright eyed, not panting at all and feeling great! Mom played with me for a bit, then got dressed and woke up Daddy. They got ready and took me for a nice early morning walk down at lake Michigan. We walked on the rocks and I met lots of other pups walking with their owners too.

Mom & Dad were so pleased that I appear to be feeling so well! My lymph nodes are still there and are even growing a bit again but that didn't damper any of our moods! Its amazing how Mom & Dad seem so much happier when they know I'm feeling well and not showing any side effects from the prednisone.

Today, Sunday, I'm still feeling very well. A bit more mellow but not hyper and panting like usual. We all hope I continue feeling like this though Mom knows that fairly soon she's going to have to run me through another rescue protocol of the prednisone to knock back my lymph nodes once again. Until that becomes necessary we're all just going to enjoy this time together!! Good days! Good days!!

Lymphoma Research May Lead to New Therapies

Link to Article

AMERICAN BOXER CLUB
Lymphoma Research May Lead to New Therapies

New research findings showing that the prevalence of B-cell and T-cell lymphomas vary by dog breeds may eventually lead to new therapies for managing this cancer of the lymph nodes, which occurs more frequently in Boxers than many other breeds.

T-cell lymphocytes and B-cell lymphocytes are two subtypes of white blood cells. They are part of the normal immune system, but either cell type may undergo changes leading to the development of cancer known as lymphoma.

The research, which was published in the July 2005 issue of Cancer Research, showed “that in some breeds, there is an excess of T-cell lymphoma compared to the frequency in all other dog breeds, while in others, there is an excess of B-cell lymphoma,” says Matthew Breen, Ph.D., associate professor of genomics at North Carolina State University and one of the research investigators. “We have identified that different types of canine cancer are associated with different chromosomal changes, which may be considered diagnostic of that particular cancer.”

Working together Breen and Jaime Modiano, V.M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of immunology at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, studied chromosomal and molecular changes that occur in dogs with lymphoma. Tapping into molecular cytogenetics, also known as fluorescence in situ hibridization (FISH), Breen and the scientists in his laboratory were able to observe numerical and structural chromosome abnormalities. These aberrations enable researchers to classify cancers into specific subtypes.

“In cancer, chromosomes — nature’s genetic filing cabinets — become reorganized, resulting in bringing together genes that are not normally neighbors,” Breen explains. “A gene in the wrong neighborhood can cause problems for control of the cell, which results in a cancer cell that may propagate and become a tumor.”

Breed-Specific Abnormalities
Certain breeds of dogs have very specific chromosome aberrations and their susceptibility to develop cancer subtypes is assumed due to their genetic makeup. “The predisposition of certain breeds to develop lymphoma has been recognized for a long time, but this is the first indication that the tumors themselves harbor breed-specific genetic abnormalities,” says Breen, noting he hopes the findings will lead to better understanding of why some subtypes of cancer respond better to therapy than others.

“Recurrent genetic abnormalities that occur with significantly higher frequency in a single breed can assist in the identification of candidate genes that are associated with the origin or progression of both canine and human cancers,” Modiano says. This information may also be used to help identify corresponding genes that contribute to the risk of lymphoma in both species.

Researchers in the Modiano and Breen laboratories are focusing on molecular differences between lymphomas to determine the most effective chemotherapy for each kind of tumor. The Golden Retriever is being used as an index breed to compare to other breeds. Besides Boxer, other breeds that will be compared to this index breed include Rottweiler, Cocker Spaniel, Border Collie, Labrador Retriever, and Mastiff.

In addition, studies to determine risk where the scientists will produce linkage maps to compare haplotypes, or the genetic composition of individual chromosomes, of affected and unaffected animals from several breeds are in progress. “The goal is to associate a pattern of inheritance while correlating the genetic abnormalities of a tumor,” Modiano says. “By looking at the DNA in chromosomes we can identify gene mutations that occur repeatedly, and determine how they affect the tumor growth rates and other characteristics about the cancer.”

The information will be key in learning how tumors with different genetic abnormalities respond to therapy and may eventually help researchers to predict treatment expectations and to design new treatment protocols. Targeted therapy, which allows the use of toxic agents to cells based on structural or functional tumor characteristics, “is the wave of the future,” Modiano says. “We’re going to see it come to work and hopefully in an affordable manner.”

The work is part of a large collaborative effort that involves scientists at five institutions. Besides Modiano and Breen, the other scientists are: Elaine Ostrander, Ph.D., of the National Human Genome Institute; Eric Lander, Ph.D., and Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Ph.D., of the Genome Sequencing and Analysis program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; and William Kisseberth, D.V.M, DACVIM, and Cheryl London, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVIM, of The Ohio State University.

Understanding Lymphoma
Lymphoma describes a tumor that grows in lymph nodes and arises from lymphocytes, or white blood cells that fight disease. The most noticeable signs are usually big masses around the neck, in front of the shoulders or behind the knees. Occasionally lymph nodes that are not visible or palpable from outside the body, such as inside the chest or abdomen, are affected.

Swollen nodes may cause other health problems. For example, large masses in a dog’s neck may cause problems breathing or eating, and masses in the chest may make it hard to breathe so animals become tired or lethargic. Cancerous lymphocytes may also infiltrate certain organs of the body such as the gastrointestinal tract, spleen, liver or kidneys, leading to signs such as weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea or kidney failure. Malignant lymphocytes in bone marrow may cause a dog to become anemic and lethargic.

The lifetime risk of lymphoma in all breeds of dogs is estimated at approximately one in 15, yet the lifetime risk for Boxers is estimated at approximately one in four. Lymphoma is one of the five most common tumors seen in dogs, and it occurs about two to five times more frequently in dogs than in people. It accounts for 20 percent of all canine tumors, and four of five cancers originating from blood cells.

Though lymphoma can occur at any age, “it is most commonly seen in middle-aged to older dogs,” Modiano says. “In the dog population, it peaks at about 10 or 11 years and at a slightly younger age in dogs from high-risk breeds. In older dogs, the incidence of lymphoma declines not because the risk is lower, but because there are fewer dogs. If the numbers were adjusted for age, then the risk would continue to be higher with increasing age.”

However, it is worth noting that sometimes lymphoma even appears in puppies. Modiano says that the youngest dog he recalls being diagnosed with the cancer was 3 weeks old.

Managing Lymphoma
Veterinarians determine whether a dog has lymphoma by conducting a physical examination and taking a tissue biopsy. If lymphoma is diagnosed, it is important to learn how widespread the cancer is, which involves taking radiographs and/or performing an ultrasound, obtaining a blood sample for a complete blood count and blood biochemical profile, urinalysis, and a bone marrow sample. These tests help determine not only how widespread the cancer is but also help assess other important health parameters.

Some types of lymphoma progress rapidly, causing death in only one to two weeks, while other types develop more slowly and can go without treatment for years. Surgery is not recommended for managing lymphoma because the disease is not confined to a single site or organ.

Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, although radiation therapy is being used experimentally in combination with chemotherapy and producing promising results, Modiano says. “Chemotherapy using one or two drugs generally results in remission, but this remission is relatively short-lived,” he says. “More aggressive therapy using more drugs significantly improves a dog’s chance for long-term survival. Better than 95 percent of treated dogs will achieve remission, meaning the disease will effectively disappear shortly after treatment.”

With standard care, dogs survive on average 12 to 14 months. However, the intervals surrounding this average are quite large; some dogs can live for years, and others do not survive even one month, Modiano says.

“The length of remission also depends on the type of tumor,” Modiano says. “In general, B-cell lymphomas respond better to treatment than T-cell lymphomas, but this is highly dependent on many other features of each tumor, and we see both very aggressive tumors and relatively indolent tumors that originate from both B cells and T cells.”

Boxer Owners May Help to Advance Lymphoma Research
Owners of Boxers whose dogs have lymphoma can assist researchers by providing samples and financial assistance. For information, visit the Web site for the AKC Canine Health Foundation at www.akcchf.org.

If you are sending tissue samples, the laboratories ask for advance notice of at least 24 hours. For questions, you may send e-mails to info@modianolab.org or to CVM_K9Genomics@ncsu.edu.

Scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard are seeking blood samples of dogs affected with B-cell lymphoma and healthy dogs 8 years of age and older. For information, go to www.broad.mit.edu/mammals/dogs, or you may contact Joanne Lai, the sample coordinator, at doginfo@broad.mit.edu.

At the National Human Genome Research Institute, researchers are interested in blood samples of dogs with T-cell lymphoma. For information contact Dana Mosher, the sample coordinator, at mosherd@mail.nih.gov.

All of the research institutes remind donors to be sure to check the box on the consent form that allows them to share samples with other scientists.

Breeding Dogs With Lymphoma
Breeders often want to know whether it is OK to breed a dog with lymphoma. Modiano advises that dogs with lymphoma probably should not be bred because the disease can be debilitating and because treatment can affect the genetic composition of eggs and sperm.

“Breeding is an energy-intensive process and a female with any systemic disease probably should not be bred,” he says. “On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend against breeding healthy siblings of a dog that had lymphoma unless it is clear that the line or family had a higher incidence of lymphoma than the breed as a whole.

“We still do not understand the heritable factors that account for cancer risk, so it is difficult to make specific recommendations of how to develop a strategy to reduce cancer risk when selecting breeding stock,” Modiano says. When breeders ask him whether they should breed a dog from a family with a history of lymphoma, he asks whether they would repeat the experience of sharing their life with the dog(s), even considering the cancer risk or experience. “If they say ‘yes’ that makes their decision easier,” Modiano says.

Visit to Dr Wikert - Monday 7/20/09

Mom took me to see Dr Wikert on Monday. By then my diarrhea was just beginning to clear up. Still loose. Dr Wikert looked very sad when he came in the room to see me. He just said that I now look like a dog who has been on prednisone for a long time. The muscle atrophy is extremely noticable now and I pant almost constantly.

My lymph nodes weren't too bad. Not gone, but definitely better after the last rescue protocol. He took my vitals, my heart and lungs sound good, I had no temperature and really there is still no evidence that the cancer has spread to anywhere besides my throat but Dr Wikert firmly assured Mom that lymph nodes are all throughout the body and surely it has spread. He says that is what cancer does. It takes up space and uses up resources. Almost like a parasite.

Mom brought in a calendar and showed Dr Wikert each day and what dosage she gave me since the last time I was there to see him. She showed him where she gave me 60mg prednisone and brought it back down quickly. It was during that time I started with the diarrhea. Dr Wikert said that at that dosage the prednisone basically shuts down my immune system and I was suseptible to pick up an illness. The prednisone would also mask the symptoms so he felt we should treat me with a course of antibiotics to make sure I wasn't sick.

When Mom asked about giving me rice to treat the diarrhea he said that she could do that for a couple of meals. He also suggested cottage cheese instead. Dad is giving me that.

Mom asked his advice on future needs for rescue protocols and he apologised for not having much advise to give. Already I have outlived his expectations by a month. He says I am in uncharted territory as I seem to be going against all the rules of a dog with lymphoma who is not being treated with chemotherapy. He has not seen a dog respond to a rescue protocol of prednisone. I've responded successfully twice now. He says Mom is making excellent decisions on my treatment when she's had to and he says she should continue using her instincts. When Mom started to cry a bit because she's been so overwhelmed, he said that he knew we were in for a rough road and there just is no way to make any of this easier.

He gave me lots and lots of treats during my visit and Mom & Dad stopped at Burger King on the way home and let me eat an entire Whopper Junior by myself. Pickles and all. Carbs be damned they want to make sure I have some fun. I've earned it.

I'm back on my low carb diet now! My diarrhea is all cleared up. Mom has me on 15mg of prednisone per day, and I am still panting almost constantly. I still take all of my other things including the tea. Some days Mom doesn't think I look too good. Some days I seem to look and feel great. Thats why we all continue to take just one day at a time!