Homemade Food and Cancer

by Anonymous
(US)

My 9 year old lab fell over one day while on a walk. She got right back up so I didn't think much of it. Then she started acting strangely. She would occasionally have accidents in the house and would back away when I tried to love on her. Then she started slipping and falling down. I took her to the vet who told me it was most likely a brain tumor. After two seizures I took her to another vet who told me the same thing. She put her on pheno. I took her to a dog neurologist. Same diagnosis, and suggested I spend a fortune on a MRI.

Devastated, I went home and researched. It seemed like the symptoms were worse after she ate. I threw away her kibbles and started making her food. I gave her eggs, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, and brown rice. What did I have to lose? I told the neurologist about the association with eating and she said if my dog's liver isn't functioning properly that she could be converting the protein in the dog food to ammonia. However, the blood tests did not show any problem with the liver. I continued to make her food. I found low protein recipes on line.

My dog very slowly improved. After about a month she was having very few unusual episodes and seemed much more herself. My husband said it was probably the pheno, but I kept making her food. After 6 weeks there were no episodes and she was running and wagging her tail.

We drove her 13 hrs to Florida and she was perfect. Since I was going to be without a kitchen for a few days I stopped in to a dog health food store to get a high quality canned food that only had chicken and veggies. The lady also gave me samples of the same brand of dry food. I gave my dog the can plus the sample that night and the next morning. By afternoon she was close to death! She was barely moving, had difficulty breathing, wouldn't eat.

I couldn't see a vet until the next afternoon, and I was sure I was going to have to put her down. I carried her to the vet and she just lay on the floor. The vet took blood tests and hydrated her, and mostly comforted me. I took her home and expected she would not last through the night. The next morning my girl greeted me with a tired smile and a wagging tail. She gradually ate yogurt, rice and chicken broth. Soon she was back to her old self! Her blood tests still show no liver problem but you will never convince me to quit making homemade food for her. I am sticking with the low protein diet and she is running and playing and has no sign of any brain tumor symptoms!