Healing dog cancer…

Before I write up the healing recipes and guidance I'll tell you a little of Toby's story, as he is a very special boy and a real miracle dog!

On 27th April 2015 on the eve my sons 21st birthday meal we got the phonecall to say Toby had cancer. We were completely stunned and knocked of our feet! We had half an hour to get ready to go out meet the rest of the family, and trying to put make up on whist rivers of tears are streaming down your face is somewhat of an impossible task. I'll never forget those first moments of taking in life changing news like that, the trips to the loo as my body went into anxiety overload... having to keep that news bottled up, force down food and laugh at the merriment of my sons 21st, deciding to keep the news to myself until the celebrations had passed.

We had been led to believe for a full month that he had rat poisoning, but I hadn't believed that right from the start as he was always within our sight, we lived way out in the country and he couldn't have been anywhere near any rat poisoning. We always used humane ways of getting rid of the mice, it didn't add up for me. Anyway it turned out that Toby after various treatments for other things that he had a kilo sized tumour in his bladder, kidney and part of his reproductive organs were also affected, there was also a suspicious area on his adrenal glands. Toby up until that last month was full of energy bouncing about and not showing any other symptoms. Then all of a sudden there was blood in his urine and blood clots, then subsequent shaking and temperature variations, so despite no obvious symptoms of ill health at all until those last few weeks our boy was in fact very ill indeed. Then to further complicate things we were told his blood wasn't clotting properly so giving him an operation was potentially extremely life threatening as he could just bleed out, they had said they could get plasma in but that it would still be touch and go. So hardest decision of my life had to be made...Toby was that point 9 years old and way too young to die! Suddenly faith became my best friend!

For the next week we researched the ass out of it...The first thing I did was give him bone broth each day to help support his blood, kidneys and immune system. We asked people to pray, and I gave him hands on healing. I didn't have my reiki at that time, just used the vibration of good intention. By the time he had gone for his operation a week later his blood was clotting properly again. The vet was astounded and couldn't believe it. He had the tumours removed, along with a kidney and had a partial vasectomy which he was not too happy about, and got himself in a terrible mess down below, with rubbing etc... I had to bathe and cream those areas many times a day, and I did at some points think he played on that a bit, chancer!

Anyways we had been told that even with the operation he may only have two to six months, but I refused to believe that. He was skin and bone when we got him back five days later, It was hard to take in how he could have lost that amount of weight in that short time. I wasn't happy about giving him chemotherapy even though it was lower doses that they give humans (apparently they don't like to see animals suffer as much as humans do with this from of treatment). We decided on a alternative method. I started to picture him running about, enjoying each and every moment again. I researched the nutritional needs for a dog his size and recognised that the foods on the supermarket shelves (even the premium ones which is what he got) were drastically lacking in protein calcium and other vitamins and minerals, and the omegas added were in toxic, inflammatory hydrogenated veg oils. Suddenly I got the most horrible stomach churning feelings that we had let our boy down, quite innocently trusting that top brand dog food manufacturers had our dogs health and welfare at heart. So I took the bull by the horns and started making him home-made meals, he still got his bone broth, and we also gave him organic cannabis oil for three months at a cost of £200 per month. He got antioxidant in the from of fruit and raw veg each afternoon, and he also got natural probiotics in the form of a couple of tablespoons of yogurt a day. I had to be very careful of his calcium intake (crushed egg shells) to get things just right as he only had one kidney. I had come up with the mackerel treats recipe before the cancer anyway but I also made him turmeric treats too. Eventually we found a brand of dog food called lily's kitchen that had all natural and superb nutritional ingredients and mixed it with a equally good dry food made with greta sources of protein and sweet potato from our local pet store. That saved me making homemade meals every day. He gets no inflammatory foods at all, mostly white proteins and red meat only once each week.

Toby has now been well for three years and still bounces about like a puppy despite being 12 years old. He has a slight bother with his hip as he has a bit of arthritis. If I was to describe Toby I'd say he is wild, regal, loyal, gentle, mischevious, wise, compassionate, considerate, mindful, alert sweet, intuitive, courageous, protective and amazing!

Toby mackerel treats:

Always use organic when possible.

500g gluten free pinhead oatmeal (soaked overnight)

2 mackerel fillets

1 grated carrot

1 grated beetroot

1 egg

2 teaspoon of spirulina

6 teaspoons ground flaxseeds

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Handful of parsley

You can do a Christmas version of this for your dog or a friends dog by substituting the mackerel for turkey and adding cranberries.

Method:

Rinse and drain oats. Cook mackerel for 15 mins. Melt coconut oil, and add to mixture along with grated carrot and beetroot, spirulina, egg. Use gloves to mis and chase into balls (otherwise hands will go a greenish purple and smell fishy for days, I learned this the hard way!) This mixture will make around 21 balls. place the balls on a baking try lined with grease proof paper and cook at 120 for one hour 15 mins. Give your dog one a day. These only last three days in fridge so put in freezer and just take there days supply out at a time.

Combat cancer turmeric treats:

This recipe was taken from a book called 'How to heal your pet' I just use brown rice flour rather than wheat-flour as they suggest, because gluten isn't good for inflammatory conditions..

115g chickpea flour

55g brown rice flour

1 free range egg

Half tablespoon turmeric

2 apples grated

Method:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with gloves on ( I didn't learn this the hard way!). Roll out to half an inch deep and place on baking tray lined with parchment in oven for 25-30 mins at 190. cut into bite sized squares when cool and freeze, again just take out three at a time and give one each day.

Homemade doggy treat recipe:

My homemade dogs treats are a great natural support for senior dogs, especially those who have arthritis or trouble with joints. Labs are particularly bothered with hip problems later in life.