These pages will continue to be updated and will expand to cover many illnesses, injuries and ailments affecting sighthounds and other canines. We hope readers will add their own stories to support our focus on health and welfare. Please call back soon but for now we continue our own experiences with canine cancer. Scroll down for details and or read Rowan's and Shira's stories.
Update October 2020: New article on AIHA (auto-immune illness in dogs).
AIHA: An autoimmune disease which causes a reaction whereby the body actually attacks itself. Red blood cells are still produced in the bone marrow but destroyed in the body resulting in chronic anaemia. Trauma can be one of the causes. Fuller description soon.
Sharav's story (see blog for update)
Sharav became ill very suddenly shortly after the traumatic move from Cyprus to the Tuscan countryside. Every stage of the transition was fraught with unexpected problems and anguish for the dogs and owners. This is another story but after a couple of weeks Sharav looked all-in and was examined by a local vet. He carried out extensive tests and finally advised us that Sharav had such severe anaemia he would likely die without a blood transfusion. As no cause had shown up on the tests , nor from our certain knowledge that he had not been anaemic recently (full health check before leaving Cyprus) - they declined to give the transfusion without finding the underlying condition. We were left for a weekend expecting him to die. We cooked chicken liver and iron-rich food and fed tiny bits as often as he would take it. After many dreadful visits to 'specialists' over the next weeks, involving long car journeys and agonising tests for the dog (which has left him permanently nervous and terrified of going near a car) they grew tired of us as they found no cause. Not once did they suggest what was in my mind that it could be an autoimmune problem even though they told us that the tests were strange as they showed his bone marrow was still producing red blood cells. A later assessment by another local vet suggested the dog had been suffering from AIHA and he was lucky to be alive. The 'specialists' had given us some preparations (or rather given us prescriptions for expensive medications, mostly of iron) but they had run out quickly and we had then bought inexpensive but strong iron pills from the pharmacy, gave him 24hours of TLC, as much high quality food as he would eat and some immune-boosting powder. He had almost totally recovered by the time he was diagnosed correctly. Other dogs we know of have been given proper treatment and therapy and still died but again the early diagnoses were wrong or cause unknown- it is a serious condition but in all the cases we have heard of, if it is spotted quickly the dog can recover - see blog for update on Sharav.
Cancer:
While Michael and I were living in the Holy Land just outside Jerusalem between 2002 -2009 one of our Salukis, pet name Rowan, broke his leg while out running with the others. The ‘break’ turned out to be an entirely shattered limb resulting from an underlying cause – a femoral fibrosarcoma. We were told that it was incurable and nothing could be done for him except palliative care. This was terrible news and how we dealt with it is described in detail in my memoir of our time in that land but extracts are included here (Rowan's Story), to draw attention to our particular interest in Immune Therapy supporting traditional or alternative treatments. We would welcome your own views or experiences with such products or other ways you coped with any illness or conditions your canines may have suffered.
In Rowan’s case we rejected the only recommended course of amputation of the affected limb (right up to hip level) but insisted on the surgeon pinning the shattered leg which enabled Rowan to live out the normal median survival time with dignity and with a good quality of life. We do not regret our decision but every case in different and others may have made different choices.
Another of our beautiful salukis was later diagnosed with lymphoma, and her story can be found in Shira's Story.
Update October 2020: New article on AIHA (auto-immune illness in dogs).
AIHA: An autoimmune disease which causes a reaction whereby the body actually attacks itself. Red blood cells are still produced in the bone marrow but destroyed in the body resulting in chronic anaemia. Trauma can be one of the causes. Fuller description soon.
Sharav's story (see blog for update)
Sharav became ill very suddenly shortly after the traumatic move from Cyprus to the Tuscan countryside. Every stage of the transition was fraught with unexpected problems and anguish for the dogs and owners. This is another story but after a couple of weeks Sharav looked all-in and was examined by a local vet. He carried out extensive tests and finally advised us that Sharav had such severe anaemia he would likely die without a blood transfusion. As no cause had shown up on the tests , nor from our certain knowledge that he had not been anaemic recently (full health check before leaving Cyprus) - they declined to give the transfusion without finding the underlying condition. We were left for a weekend expecting him to die. We cooked chicken liver and iron-rich food and fed tiny bits as often as he would take it. After many dreadful visits to 'specialists' over the next weeks, involving long car journeys and agonising tests for the dog (which has left him permanently nervous and terrified of going near a car) they grew tired of us as they found no cause. Not once did they suggest what was in my mind that it could be an autoimmune problem even though they told us that the tests were strange as they showed his bone marrow was still producing red blood cells. A later assessment by another local vet suggested the dog had been suffering from AIHA and he was lucky to be alive. The 'specialists' had given us some preparations (or rather given us prescriptions for expensive medications, mostly of iron) but they had run out quickly and we had then bought inexpensive but strong iron pills from the pharmacy, gave him 24hours of TLC, as much high quality food as he would eat and some immune-boosting powder. He had almost totally recovered by the time he was diagnosed correctly. Other dogs we know of have been given proper treatment and therapy and still died but again the early diagnoses were wrong or cause unknown- it is a serious condition but in all the cases we have heard of, if it is spotted quickly the dog can recover - see blog for update on Sharav.
Cancer:
While Michael and I were living in the Holy Land just outside Jerusalem between 2002 -2009 one of our Salukis, pet name Rowan, broke his leg while out running with the others. The ‘break’ turned out to be an entirely shattered limb resulting from an underlying cause – a femoral fibrosarcoma. We were told that it was incurable and nothing could be done for him except palliative care. This was terrible news and how we dealt with it is described in detail in my memoir of our time in that land but extracts are included here (Rowan's Story), to draw attention to our particular interest in Immune Therapy supporting traditional or alternative treatments. We would welcome your own views or experiences with such products or other ways you coped with any illness or conditions your canines may have suffered.
In Rowan’s case we rejected the only recommended course of amputation of the affected limb (right up to hip level) but insisted on the surgeon pinning the shattered leg which enabled Rowan to live out the normal median survival time with dignity and with a good quality of life. We do not regret our decision but every case in different and others may have made different choices.
Another of our beautiful salukis was later diagnosed with lymphoma, and her story can be found in Shira's Story.
Both stories detail our experiences and we have not tried to hide the fact that we did not beat the odds but we have good memories and not ones overshadowed by drawn-out suffering. There are many cases where dogs have survived well beyond the average time or even made complete recoveries.
Research continues to produce new drugs and hopes for the future but for us we will always maintain that prayer and love are the most important factors in the care of our beloved hounds - and we are not without our miracle stories.
When my Saluki Tamzin was 6 years old our vet at the time, Linda, removed a small hard lump which proved to be a malignant tumour. For a number of reasons Tammy received no further treatments but went on to live another 8 healthy and happy years. Always hope!
Research continues to produce new drugs and hopes for the future but for us we will always maintain that prayer and love are the most important factors in the care of our beloved hounds - and we are not without our miracle stories.
When my Saluki Tamzin was 6 years old our vet at the time, Linda, removed a small hard lump which proved to be a malignant tumour. For a number of reasons Tammy received no further treatments but went on to live another 8 healthy and happy years. Always hope!