First 2010 update - Started the Neoplasene treatment

I did start Oakley on the Neoplasene treatment on December 31st.  This incorporates a pretty big change in his diet.  Prior to starting, I had to transition him to a raw diet:  raw meats and veggies.  The veggies however, I tend to cook though.  I also transitioned Maya to the same diet - just easier that way.  It is a lot of work, but hopefully will get easier as I get my own system down and prepare foods in advance, etc.

So, basically, I did go with contacting Michelle Yasson in Kingston, NY.  I had my 1st phone appt on December 23rd.  It went well, she was very nice and answered all my questions.  Explained the treatment, went over everything.  I do have to get him off his Piroxicam, which I am a bit leery of doing.  I'm scared that this drug is what is keeping the tumor from getting bigger at the moment.  The thing is is that the Neo is supposed to destroy the tumor anyway.

He takes the Neo in his food - it is a nasty, bitter liquid that is quite astringent tasting.  The difficult part is hiding the flavor in the food, but so far I think I have been doing a good job of that.  Using Neo on a regular dry dog food diet is just not possible.  You have to feed raw, raw/cooked, or cooked diets.  The drug can also cause nausea, especially at the higher doses.  To start he is to have 1.0cc twice per day.  I started him out at .5cc 2x/day, then .6cc, and today I'm going to do .7cc 2xday.  I didn't want to just throw him into a full dose without knowing if he will react right off the bat.  Before I feed him his breakfast and dinner, I prep his tummy by giving him a small yogurt mixture mixed with DGL tablets and a Slippery Elm supplment.  This is to help prevent the nausea.  If this doesn't work for him as he gets into the higher dosing, I will probably have no choice but to have him use the Reglan (antinausea med that can be described).  I hope though that the all-natural approach works out well.

As far as using his Piroxicam, we are slowly working him off it.  He is now only taking it every other day for the past 4 days.  Today we skip.  I noticed already this morning, that he did a quick huffing/snuffy noise after his yogurt.   He hasn't done that since the end of November.  I am concerned that after skipping his piroxicam the other day that his symptom returned, but it's very likely that the Neo that I have given him is actually starting to work on the tumor.  I was told that we would see a return of the symptoms as the tumor and cancel cells are being killed off and the body works to get rid of the dead cells.  If this is the case, it makes sense that he would have some irritation in his nasal/sinus passages.  Let's hope this is why he did it.

Our big fear is that we may end up shortening his life by trying this therapy when maybe if we didn't pursue it we could keep him with us for another year or so.  I guess it is a gamble.  There are a lot of success stories, in which this helps prolong the animal's life and even cure the cancer where it doesn't return.  The FDA only approves this in veterinary use and the Neo is only considered a supplement.  They should be doing human studies, IMO.  I don't know the success of doing this with the type of cancer that Oakley has, but Michelle Yasson has been treating another dog with Oakley's type of cancer now for 7 months and she said that so far there has been no progression of the disease.  I am at least going to try this for 2-3 months and then see about getting some type of xray, possibly another CT, but I'm kind of ruling that out at the moment, and see if there is any way to find out if the tumor has shrunk at all. 

I have also found a local holistic vet in Blaine to help.  They are so nice there and I'm hoping we will have the support we need to help us through the treatment if we need it.  At least one of the vets there has heard of the Neoplasene and they have heard positive things about it.  I am working on trying to find a way if there is a way to dilute the Neo that we have and somehow get Oakley to inhale it, like a mist or something, through his nose.  This might require sedation.  But, I'm still researching and have to talk to Yasson. 

Well, I have to get the dogs' breakfast ready and administer Oakley's supplements and the Neo.  Will keep everyone updated on our progress.  Please say some prayers that we might have a fighting chance to beat this cancer!