Tuesday, May 04, 2010
At Healthy Being Wellness Boutique & Natural Health Services, we not only cater the Humans, but we also cater to pets.
One
extremely popular and effective therapy is the utility of our electro
lymphatic therapy in managing and healing lymphomas in dogs, cats and
small annimals.
Our typical canine lymphoma client is the middle
aged animal presented to the veterinarian because one or more lumps have
been found. The veterinarian rapidly determines that all of the
peripheral lymph nodes (nodes near the skin surface) are enlarged and
firm. Usually the animal has not been showing any signs of illness.
Once it is a confirmed case of lymphoma, we know the average life
expectancy for a furry client with untreated lymphoma is about 2 months from
the time of diagnosis. If this is your beloved animal you probably need some time
to absorb the import of the cancer diagnosis.
It
will also be necessary to follow one or several treatment protocols to
ensure the best care plan for your pet. One of the most effective
therapies is our Electro Lymphatic Drainage Therapies for pets. Our
clients often schedule one or more sessions weekly and see drastic
reduction in both lymph node congestion and size and witness amazing
healing.
Commonly asked questions:
How did my pet get lymphoma?
We
do not know how dogs (or people for that matter) get cancer most of the
time. There are many types of cancer and many possible causes of cancer
(chemicals in our environment – especially cigarette smoke, sun
exposure, assorted viruses and infections). There are important genetic
factors as well. Cancer starts with one or a small group of cells that
have “gone wrong.” It appears that such cells arise in our bodies all
the time and we have an assortment of natural mechanisms to destroy
these cells before they get out of hand. Sometimes these cancer cells
escape our natural mechanisms and cancer develops. It is important to
realize that cancer is not contagious and that, as a pet owner, you
should not feel that you caused this or brought it on your pet somehow.
(Many people feel a need to find blame and latch onto the idea that a
household cleaner or pesticide was the cause. This is a natural part of
grieving but it is important not to focus on cause unduly. Cause is not
relevant to treatment; further, there is no way to verify cause. It is
best to concentrate on treatment. At this time, there is no way to
know what caused lymphoma development in a given patient.
Can my pet be cured?
Theoretically,
yes but practically speaking no. It is best to focus on a realistic
outcome which is the longest possible survival with good quality life.
Different natural treatment protocols are associated with different
“disease-free” intervals.
Does my pet need further tests?
If
a biopsy has not been performed, it is a good idea to have one done so
as to gain the maximum information about the tumor (whether it is slow
or fast growing, what type of lymphocytes are involved etc.) as this
information can help predict the response to chemotherapy. In cats, due
to the effects of the feline leukemia virus on the bone marrow, a
biopsy is absolutely necessary to diagnose lymphoma as there are many
other blood diseases that can mimic lymphoma. In the dog, however, a
lymph node aspirate is frequently adequate to make the lymphoma
diagnosis. Many oncologists will require a biopsy prior to referral.
Other
tests that may be recommended include a bone marrow aspirate and/or a
spleen or liver aspirate. These tests are needed to “stage the
disease.” Lymphoma is classified by stage:
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Stage I:
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only one lymph node involved
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Stage II:
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several lymph nodes in the same general area involved
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Stage III:
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all peripheral lymph nodes involved
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Stage IV:
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all peripheral lymph nodes plus the spleen, liver, and/or anterior mediastinum in the chest involved
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Stage V:
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bone marrow involvement, regardless of any other areas involved
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In
cases of lymphoma that are not as straightforward as the classical
“multicentric” lymphoma described below, staging may be more important.
Staging used to be done regularly after the initial diagnosis of
lymphoma but it has since been found that stage of disease does not
impact upon the response to chemotherapy (ie it is not true that a
stage II will have a better response than a stage IV). The exception is
Stage V, the most advanced stage. Patients with stage V lymphoma tend
to have a poor response to chemotherapy.
How does lymphoma cause death?
Lymphoma
is a rapidly growing malignancy that is able to go and grow anywhere
where there is lymph tissue. This is virtually every organ in the
body. Eventually, the cancer will infiltrate an organ to such an
extent that that organ fails (often this is the bone marrow or the
liver). The patient loses his/her appetite, vomits or gets diarrhea,
weakens and dies. At some point the tumor becomes resistant to therapy
and no further remissions can be obtained.
What types of therapies will help ease my pet's pain?
Lymphoma
is classifed by anatomic area affected. By far, the most common form in
the dog is the “Multicentric” form, which accounts for 84% of canine
lymphoma. In this form, as in the hypothetical case we opened with, all
periphal lymph nodes are large and firm. There are three other forms of
lymphoma:
- Nutrition Therapy
- Drug Therapy
- Electro lymphatic Drainage
Lympoma
can occur anywhere in the body where there is lymph tissue, thus
creating a need to quickly address lymphatic flow in your pet.
OUR RATES:
IN OFFICE:
Lymph Release Session (30 min) $35
Lymph Release Session (60 min) $70
IN HOME: (for you and your pets convenience)
Lymph Release Session (30 min) $55
Lymph Release Session (60 min) $90