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Rusty was a teddy bear of a dog. A 5 year old Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, he was diagnosed with enlarged lymph glands in April of 2018. After multiple rounds of tests, the veterinarians were perplexed when tests came back inconclusive. Eventually, Rusty was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma. 

When I set out to investigate treatments for Rusty, it was important that those treatments would not negatively impact the other dogs in my home. I met with a local well-respected Veterinary Oncologist who performed a sonogram to determine if there were organs, other than the lymph glands in his neck, impacted by Lymphoma. After she detailed that Rusty had signs of advanced Lymphoma in multiple organs and there was no guaranteed cure, we discussed the various options available for palliative care. She agreed that a holistic approach would likely be a better option for Rusty given our particular circumstances.

I was referred to Dr. Terry Pollock of Veterinary Holistic Center in Springfield, Virginia. Dr. Pollock had a history of treating lymphoma in companion animals. Right away she started Rusty on acupuncture. Slowly, we added multiple herbal supplements to support his immune system. During this time, with the exception of his overly large lymph nodes in his neck, it was hard to tell that Rusty was sick. He would play with the other dogs and he loved to eat. Dr. Pollock explained that a change in Rusty’s diet may be beneficial. She referred me to a Puploaf recipe developed by Dr. Judy Morgan. It was a little more work and a little more money to spend on pet food, but all of my dogs experienced very positive outcomes from shifting them to this new homemade diet. 

As time went on Dr. Pollock suggested that I add massage therapy to Rusty’s treatment. I located a local massage therapist CanisBodyWorks.com. Sara came to my home to give Rusty his treatments on opposite weekends of Rusty’s acupuncture treatments. Rusty loved his massage therapy appointments. 

All of the veterinarians I spoke with told me that most dogs live only a few weeks or a few months once diagnosed with Lymphoma. Rusty was the anomaly. He thrived for over 25 months on this protocol. Eventually, his little system tired and it was time for him to leave us, but there is no doubt that Rusty’s quality of life was well preserved by this protocol.