By Susan Rowney

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer can be devastating news for any dog owner. Understanding that there is a quickly-advancing, life-threatening condition present many times has pet owners grieving prematurely while they accept this news and try to decide what to do about it. However, with pro-active care, and the use of numerous homeopathic treatments, it does not have to be time to say good-bye to our canine companions just because there is a positive diagnosis. One canine cancer survivor, Robin, a Police K-9 Unit member, is alive and well today to prove just that.

It was at the age of eight that Robin, a Golden Retriever owned by Mary MacQueen and a K-9 Unit Police dog in New York state, was learned to have an aggressive form of cancer called Cutaneous Epitheliotropic Lymphoma. While Robin did undergo an initial surgery to have a mass removed, any form of cancer - especially any type of Lymphoma - can never be assumed to be cured just because a mass was removed. Aggressive cancers such as this spread very quickly throughout the lymphatic system, making them very difficult to treat, which surely was a large part of the sadness and shock in Robin's diagnoses. His initial diagnosis was followed by a diagnosis that the cancer was, indeed, in his lymphatic system. Generally, dogs with any form of lymphoma do not have a good prognosis to live more than 9 to 12 months, and only then after chemotherapy.

With this in mind, Mary, Robin's owner and working partner, took it upon herself to find the way to cure him, rather than let this terrible disease claim him. Robin was a breed show winner as a youngster, quickly proved himself to be the best in his police field of scent detection, is a Canine Good Citizen and has won numerous awards, besides being the best companion any dog could ever be, so she decided that she needed to find a way to save him. While his primary treatment began as chemotherapy, since this cancer needed to be stopped fast, Mary - along with vets and a canine nutritionist at Cornell University - brought homeopathic care into his regimen to provide the support and health necessary in not only fighting the cancer, but helping Robin heal after his grueling chemo treatments.

A major part of Robin's treatment revolves around diet, a specific Cancer Starving Diet that was formulated by a Cornell veterinarian and includes salmon, vegetables, fruit and nuts, and the addition of various vitamins and minerals deemed necessary to aid in Robin's recovery. The diet concentrates on lean protein and healthy fats, with limited carbohydrates (which sounds very much like what most people already know to be good nutrition, though rarely follow for themselves or their pets). Antioxidants and nutrient absorption are also key factors in this diet.

Throughout his treatments, pain management continued to be an issue for Robin, and Mary explored natural options once conventional medications wouldn't help. She visited a pain management center where she was taught about different methods to control pain that are generally not used by most vets (because they involve an in-depth process to learn), but which were far more effective than any of the conventional medicines used alone. Robin's pain was diagnosed, then treated, based specifically on his needs and his cancer treatment efforts, and included Physical Therapy, Acupuncture treatments and Chinese herbal therapy.

The road to recovery for Robin was a difficult one, but due to Mary's loving care, and her trust in those recommending natural support with the chemotherapy treatments, Robin passed his cancer screenings last May, marking a full course of chemo and nine months of intense, homeopathic care. Today, Robin is good as new, and a testament to the fact that natural care can be essential in healing and promoting wellness. It is doubtful that Robin would have made such an amazing recovery without the ongoing care to rid his body of cancer, and also the radiation being used to kill the cancer. Robin is a cancer survivor now awaiting his return to the K-9 Unit, thanks to his open-minded owner, and a group of well-informed veterinarians that understand the importance of homeopathic in veterinary medicine, and how much these underutilized treatments can actually do for the body when it needs the most care.

To read the rest of Robin and Mary's amazing story about beating canine cancer, please visit http://grants.landofpuregold.com/robin.htm

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