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This is a personal account of my initial thoughts when my dog was diagnosed with Lymphoma in February 2021. I am not a veterinarian and cannot offer any medical advice or share what I think others should do with their dog. I'm only sharing this information to give others and idea of what to expect, because that is what helped me through this journey. To see a full list of supplements I'm adding to Scout's diet along with other steps I'm taking to help my dog survive this diagnosis, please visit my post Treating Canine Lymphoma Traditionally and Naturally.
A couple of days ago, we received a crash coarse in lymphoma in dogs.
A couple of weeks ago, I found a lump on Scout's throat. It wasn't soft and squishy like a lipoma and his lymph nodes were slightly swollen, so I made an appointment to have it checked out. The vet found the same lump and felt that it was just his lymph nodes, but agreed that a complete blood panel and a fine needle aspirate were needed to make sure.
Although Scout's blood panel was perfect, the lab found cancer cells in the sample they received. My dog has lymphoma. What the hell?
After going through hemangiosarcoma with Sydney, I thought I'd have a few years before I had to confront cancer again and I hoped that I paid my dues and our dogs would be cancer free. I was wrong.
What is Lymphoma in Dogs?
Canine lymphoma is a common cancer in dogs that is caused by the excessive growth of lymphocytes and are commonly seen in bone marrow, thymus, lymph nodes, spleen, skin, eye, the nervous system, and bone.
In Scout's case, his lymphoma presented in swollen lymph nodes (mandibular lymph nodes), which can grow to be 3-10 times their normal size. The normal size of the mandibular lymph nodes is about 10 mm in length that move freely beneath the skin and they're not painful. Right now, Scout's lymph nodes feel like two marbles in a sock.
At this time, the cause of canine lymphoma is unknown, however, people have blamed bacteria, toxins, viruses, and magnetic fields.
<div id="mediavine-settings" data-blocklist-auto-insert-sticky="1" ></div>How is Lymphoma in Dogs Detected?
Scout's cancer was found through a fine needle aspirate and others that I have spoken to have had similar experiences. Additional tests can be done to determine which type of lymphoma a dog has – Type B is most common; Type T is more serious. At this time, I'm not going to push for further testing until we see the oncologist.
What are the Symptoms of Lymphoma in Dogs?
Scout has zero symptoms other than the lump that I found and swollen lymph nodes. In my reading, I learned that other symptoms, which can present as the cancer progresses, include…
- lack of appetite
- low energy
- weight loss
- increased thirst/urination
- fever
- difficulty breathing
The vet tech asked me if Scout's bark changed. With a tumor sitting in front of his throat (it moves around a bit), it may press on his vocal cords, but this hasn't been our experience.
Choosing a Veterinarian Oncologist
Thanks to the pandemic, many of the oncology veterinarians are booked up until March/April. Because canine lymphoma can be aggressive, I want to get Scout into a clinic as soon as possible and proceeded to contact every veterinarian oncologist in the area and one got back to me. I had to call several clinics until I found one that had an immediate opening.
Scout will be seeing Dr. Brittany Evans, who is an oncologist who specializes in lymphoma.
“We've been here a few times for our handsome man and all of that was fantastic, but in September he was diagnosed with B cell lymphoma. Everyone told us to go to BARC, which I'm sure is fantastic but, we got an appointment with Dr. Evans here at Animal Medical and she has been a gem. Even through Covid. If I'm being honest, our initial plan was to start here and move to BARC when we could, but Dr. Evans has been so warm, thoughtful, and thorough with Pierre's chemo plan that we couldn't leave. Not only her but also Jeni. I'm not sure if you have ever taken your dog to the vet for an extended period of time, for treatment that is less than ideal, but usually they don't want to go. Pierre runs to Jeni whenever he sees her, even going through chemo! She is also so warm and kind. We couldn't have asked for a better experience than we have had with this team. Thank you Dr. Evans, Jeni and team!”
Review left on Yelp.
How Much Does Cancer Treatment Cost?
In my research, I learned that this can cost us around $5,000. So far, I've spent a little more than $300 – wellness check, complete blood panel (which was normal), and the fine needle aspirate. I know that we'll have to decide on additional tests to confirm the cancer, to see how far the cancer has spread, and to better determine the treatment. There are two types of lymphoma – b-cell lymphoma (which has the better prognosis) and t-cell lymphoma.
The additional tests include (but not all are required in every case):
- more blood tests
- a urinalysis
- x-rays
- ultra sound
- bone marrow aspiration
Treating Canine Lymphoma Chemotherapy or Natural?
Another thing we'll have to decide is how to treat Scout. I've read a lot about the CHOP method, which is a chemotherapy protocol most effective with multicentric lymphoma (not sure if this is Scout's cancer). I've also read that dogs and cats handle chemotherapy a lot better than humans, many with fewer to no side effects. However, chemotherapy can last up to 6 months and it's quit expensive.
There are natural treatments that include diet, herbs, and other alternative cares such as acupuncture. These treatments can be equally as expensive and because alternative options aren't widely excepted, it's difficult to trust that this path will work so I would only do this under the guidance of an experienced veterinarian who has a solid track record of successfully treating all kinds of lymphoma and other cancers.
We're waiting until our appointment with the oncologist before determining the direction we plan to take with Scout. Our goal is to get him into remission and, God willing, cured.
Thankfully, we have pet insurance though Embrace. I switched the dogs from Trupanion to save money. My only concern is that Embrace has a $10,000 annual cap – so I pray that we don't go near this amount. I'll only be responsible for the $200 deductible.
I will return to update this post with the final cost when we're on the other end of this diagnosis.
Choosing a Cancer Diet for My Dog
All of my dogs are raw fed. Scout and his sister were transitioned to raw when they arrived in our home at six weeks of age. With this diagnosis, I plan to switch Scout over to Answers Pet Food full time. Because of the fermentation process, I think APF is a fantastic compromise since our oncologist wants me to take Scout off of kibble and feed him a cooked diet (which I will weave in here and there). I'll be adding the following supplements to this diet:
- Canine System Saver – a supplement that decreased inflammation and boosts the immune system. I usually add 2 capsules a day to his meals (1 capsule twice daily); while we worked to get him into remission, I will be giving 6 capsules daily (3 capsules twice daily).
- CBD oil capsules from Canna-Pet – I add two capsules to the bowl, twice daily. CBD oil not only reduces pain, it also boosts gut health, the immune system, and it has cancer fighting/tumor shrinking capabilities. CBD oil also supports dogs going through cancer treatments by reducing side effects and making the treatment more successful. A few weeks into Scout's chemo treatment, I began giving him a dose of CBD oil from CBD Dog Health two to three times daily. I believe that it along with other supplements are why he's doing so well.
My goal is to keep Scout's immune system strong while adding food and supplements that are known for their cancer fighting properties, including Chinese herbs. I learned from Sydney that some herbs cause tummy upset and interferes with appetite and Scout needs his strength. I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing (adding the right things) to his diet; I don't feel comfortable guessing.
To see a full list of supplements that I add to Scout's diet, please visit my post Treating Canine Lymphoma Traditionally and Naturally.
What About Essential Oils?
Of course, one of the first things I did was head over to animalEO to find out which essential oils would be best for Scout. And thanks to my obsession with essential oils, I had many of the recommended oils on hand.
- Every Monday, Scout will enjoy an Aroma Boost massage. The Aroma Boost collection is a series of five essential oils that I apply along my dog's spine from tail to neck and massage in – one oil at a time.
- Twice during the week, Scout will enjoy Boost in a Bottle, which I will apply along his spine and on the lymph nodes.
- Daily (24/7), I'll diffuse oils in the house that will promote calming and emotional support: Strength, Sunshine in a Bottle, and Calm-a-Mile Neat.
Next Steps on our Cancer Journey
Scout has a veterinarian appointment next weekend and that's when we'll learn what to do next. I'm keeping an open mind. After this appointment, I'd like to schedule acupuncture appointments and I'm crossing my fingers that I can find someone who makes house calls.
I've had people recommend so many things and I chose to ignore the masses because this has the potential to be a very stressful time for us and I can't take on mountains of unvetted advice while also listening to our veterinarian.
So, instead, I've been speaking to pet parents who have dogs that have survived a lymphoma diagnosis. If this is you, please feel free to share the details of your success in the comments.
I'm feeling confident this time around because we caught the cancer early, Scout has been raw fed since he was six weeks of age, he's a healthy and strong dog, and my dogs aren't exposed to loads of toxins. And, I'll be honest, I'm still hoping that this is a misdiagnosis and we'll learn that a mistake was made at the lab. #fingerscrossed
I will continue publishing updates as I share everything that we experience to help others who are facing the same cancer diagnosis.
If you are going through a lymphoma diagnosis, I found this post on the blog Three Dogs, One Bar very helpful. The author is a vet tech and she shares a detailed account of her dog's diagnosis and treatment.
To see a full list of supplements I'm adding to Scout's diet along with other steps I'm taking to help my dog survive this diagnosis, please visit my post Treating Canine Lymphoma Traditionally and Naturally.
Hello! Thank you for this wealth of information! My dog was diagnosed with lymphoma in January and we started COP therapy. My vet said not to test for B-cell Vs T-cell and to save my funds for the chemo (even though I had the funds to pay for this information and was willing to do it so I could have more info re his prognosis). Now that he has started the chemo and his lymph nodes have all shrunk, is it too late to find out the type? Many thanks
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Big hugs to you and your family.
Hi – I will keep you and Scout in my prayers. It sounds like you are doing all the right homework – there is so much to take in and try to evaluate, and even among experts, there’s not a ton of consensus about what works and doesn’t. I’m writing to share our experience which may or may not be helpful – but I’m local to Seattle and this is still fresh in our mind. What we found was that time was of the essence – and unfortunately, worked against us. Ironically and sadly, the date of your post is the day we had to let our beloved girl go. We observed some minor GI distress (occasional diarrhea and constipation) followed by less and less interest in eating over the course of a week or so. In retrospect, perhaps there was a bit more lethargy there, but she was 11, so there are things you just sort of chalk up to as general aging. We had assumed possibly an intestinal blockage since she has been known to eat large parts of her toys. When I took her in to our regular vet, the x-rayed and found no blockage, but did find an enlarged spleen and did some bloodwork (results took days to get). At that point, we didn’t know if it was benign or malignant enlargement, and if malignant, the type of cancer. The next step was an ultrasound, but only full service animal hospitals do this, and this was a Friday before a 3-day weekend (with a blizzard that came in on Saturday that further hampered availability of care and receipt of various lab results). By Friday evening, she was starting to decline noticeably with lethargy and labored breathing at night as well as inappetance. The fastest way to get an ultrasound was going to be to admit her on an emergency basis and hope they can get her into the queue…simply making an outpatient appointment for an ultrasound was going to take many days. We did get the ultrasound – it was highly suggestive of a mass on the spleen, also showed an enlarged liver, and possibly some free fluid in the abdomen. Lymph nodes were not particularly enlarged. They did fine needle aspirates of her lymph nodes, some areas of her spleen (but not the defined mass as aspirating those can cause them to rupture) as well as an area of her liver. It took several days to get the aspirate results back which of course delayed determine what (if any) course of action would be appropriate. Ultimately, everything came back positive for lymphoma. Then comes the step of getting an oncologist consult – again things are booked up weeks in advance. I called at least 10 places around Seattle and once again learned that the best way to try and get her seen quickly was admitting her as an emergency patient – and also with one of our vets pulling some strings with a former colleague. We actually got her a consult within 24 hours going the emergency route at Animal Medical Center with Dr. Evans. She was wonderful and easily the most knowledgeable person as it relates to canine cancer that we interacted with during this whole process. Though it would have taken a substantial amount of additional testing to confirm, Dr. Evans believed our dog didn’t have multicentric lymphoma, but a much more rare and aggressive type called hepatosplenic t-cell lymphoma. Though Dr. Evans mentioned some possible options, but unfortunately, our dog just continued to decline such that chemo was not really a viable option – her liver was shutting down, she wasn’t eating, couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep, and her belly was starting fill with fluid. We took her home so we could spend her remaining (and sadly very short) moments together. Ultimately, she passed away 1 week after that first visit that identified the enlarged spleen. Without a doubt, that was the hardest week of my life and the 2 weeks since have been a fog. Like so many other owners of pets who’ve been diagnosed with cancer – we’re in disbelief at how rapidly it occurred…how our dog who had been so vibrant and healthy all her life declined so quickly…and how life changes once they’re gone. Anyway, sorry this is a downer, but I would be happy to share our experience and what we learned if it would be any help – particularly since it happened so recently and we are here in Seattle. I guess the main thing I would suggest is that time may be of the essence. I would have given anything if only we had been able to identify that enlarged spleen a week earlier when she appeared generally healthy…we might have been able to get the final lymphoma diagnosis in time that she might have been a candidate for some type of chemo to give her some more months with a good quality of life. We also considered various holistic approaches including turkey tail mushrooms (and I had been feeding my dog turmeric golden paste off and on for what turned out to be the last 8 or so months of her life – though this was not done because of the cancer diagnosis which we of course had no idea about until the end) Best of luck to you and Scout!
Sending prayers for Scout’s recovery and healing!
Gee…you can’t get a break. I think everyone here knows you do the best for your kids as possible and I can be quite sure, we are all rooting for you, Scout and the rest of the family. We have had our fair share of cancer here as well, hemangiosarcoma, nasal cancer, oral cancer (twice-2 different dogs), but so far, no lymphoma.
You are an amazing Mom and I hope you are not ever blaming yourself. We all know raw feeding is ideal, but there is only so much we can do with food in the single generation of our shelter rescues. If kibble would disappear and generations were raw fed, the research suggests only then would we see a reduction in cancer in our beloved.
I wish you the very best, Kimberly. And thank you for sharing with us, the good, the bad and the truly ugly. I imagine it is difficult for you to be so open when you are suffering so much inside.
Fingers crossed
Love and light to all of you