Prayers for Cinder

My sister's dog, a sweet Norwegian Elkhound, was recently diagnosed with sarcoma in her mouth. It is growing in the roof of her mouth. After the local vet did a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, he referred her to a clinic that does radiation therapy for animals. My sister had to drive 3 hours to a clinic outside of Boston for a consultation to see what options are available (radiation therapy).

She was given two options, daily radiation or weekly. The daily one cost approx. $4,000 and meant leaving the dog there. The weekly one was approx. $1,000 and would involve driving back and forth every week. Neither was a walk in the park.

My sister (who works in a surgical practice) shared her story with one of the physisians. He recommended that she call a researcher (a friend of his) who runs an animal facility and is also a vet.

Ironically, I work at a Cancer Center where this researcher has his lab!

My sister called him up (and I e-mailed him). Miraculously, it turns out that he was looking for one more dog to treat with a very promising new procedure. . . . . contrast is injected into the cancerous cells and a beam of light (like laser) is used to burn the cells (not radiation therapy). He was reluctant to "advertise" this with local vets in fear that it would open a flood gate.

Two other dogs that were treated did very well. This is through a NIH study (national) that will most likely be done on people in the future.

Cinder is scheduled to have this done on Tuesday! My sister only has to pay for the anesthesia!

We are all so excited! Not only is there a good chance that she will benefit from the treatment. . . . but she is a pioneer in cancer research!

Prayers & good vibes for Cinder!!!

It definitely sounds like a promising treatment. I hope it works for dear Cinder.

Good Luck Cinders

Good luck for Cinder!

Prayers for Cinder as well!

I will say a prayer for Cinder

hugs and prayers for cinder

Hugs and good luck vibes for Cinder!!! Hope everything works out OK!

Sending good thoughts for Cinders. I also work at a Cancer Center, and have heard of a similar treatment for humans. From what I have read, it's promising so I hope it holds the same promise for dogs.

wow things worked out, thats a good sign right off i will say a prayer for cinder, i sure hope it all goes well.... updates please

I hope this goes well for Cinder!!!

Good luck thoughts for Cinder!!!

Positive vibes for Cinder!!

My Ellie Mae (a knee high brown dog with floppy ears) had a sarcoma on the roof of her mouth also. The vet surically removed it, had it biopsied, which came back as highly malignant sarcoma. He assumed it had spread and gave her 30 days to live.

We put her on the "love and cheese danish" treatment - basically we slept on the floor with her every night, worked from home a lot, fed her cheese danish (or bagels, or bacon and eggs) for breakfast, her favorite foods for dinner. She would get the sofa and we would sit at her feet on the floor. This went on for a year and a half before she succumbed to a stroke at 15 years old last January. She lived 17 months beyond expecations!!!

I wish the same positive Ellie Mae vibes for Cinder! It can happen!!!!!

Sending prayers to Cinder.

I've been reading about laser treatments an New Scientist that help cells repair themselves and possible application to treat cancer. And from what I've read, it sounds very promising and positive.

A while back I had posted a thread asking for good luck vibes and prayers for my sister's Norwegian Elkhound (dog) who was diagnosed with sarcoma of the mouth.

She had the surgery & special study treatment (photodynamic therapy I think) by a research physician at a local Cancer Center (for people!) and she did just fine. The procedure took approx. 3 hours. . . the doctor called my sister in the middle to tell her that the cancer was in Cinder's bone (under her front teeth) and probably where it had originated. He had to remove her teeth and put in Cisplatin plugs of some sort. Cisplatin is a chemo agent.

Cinder has had her ups and downs since the surgery. My sister had a difficult time giving her pills (pain & antibiotics) as Cinder would find them no matter what my sister used to hide them in. It would take my sister and her adult children hours to get the pills into her.

She was finally done with the antibiotics and then started to bite herself where her new hair was growing in (her back was shaved to attach monitoring devices). Her back became infected and looked like "raw hamburg". My sister had to take her back to the vets. . . for steroids, antibiotics, special ointment . . and the poor dog has had to wear one of those silly lampshade type things on her head to prevent her from nawing on herself.

Her appetite and mood have been quite depressed since she had the surgery and the infected wound on her back has only made things worse.

My sister had to take her back to the vets yesterday for IV fluids and to have the wound checked.

She was given special food (high in fat). Cinder would not eat it on her own, so I had to help my sister to syringe feed it to her. What fun. Poor dog.

She goes back to see the research doctor soon to check the cancer (CT scans).

Please keep Cinder in your prayers.

Oh the poor baby. I pray for her, that she will heal and start to regain her appetite. It's so heartbreaking to watch the innocents suffer like this.

I pray that the cancer cells are gone also.

I'll definitely send up prayers for Cinder . I pray that the cancerous cells are gone and that Cinder can make a swift recovery.

I have to agree with Hope on this one. It sucks to see innocents suffer.


Good luck Cinder!!!

Prayers for Cinder are on the way! I hope the cancer is gone too, please give us another update when you are able to.

Originally posted by Lorie D.
Prayers for Cinder are on the way! I hope the cancer is gone too, please give us another update when you are able to.

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Thanks for your prayers everyone.

Here's the latest update on Cinder. . . .
We have all been so worried because Cinder has lost so much weight, hasn't been eating or drinking on her own. My sister took Cinder to a local vet for fluids last night and was given a lecture by the vet . . . saying that "the cancer was eating her mouth" She was very rude to my sister, but immediately changed her tune when my sister told her that the dog was in a special NIH Cancer Study.

When my sister contacted the doctor who performed the surgery & special treatment he asked to see Cinder and wanted to do a follow up CT Scan today. My sister was expecting the worst.


Much to my sister's surprise, he was extremely pleased with her mouth. He believes he got all the cancer (unless it's in the bone where he cannot see it). He had to suture and clean the wound in her mouth and remove a few more loose teeth. He prescribed some more antibiotics and some pain meds (my poor sister - Cinder does not take pills very well).

It will be a long uphill road to recovery. . . . she's not out of the woods, but at least we have a glimmer of hope now.

Please keep Cinder in your thoughts and prayers.

That's great to that Cinder is responding well to treatment. I'll continue to send healing vibes and energy to her.

I'm scared of putting a downer in my message but is the vet going to check for signs of cancer in the bone?