Natural Treatment for Rosy's Melanoma

I've just started feeding Rosy, my basset/heeler mix, a combination of organic low-fat cottage cheese and flaxseed oil (a teaspoon of oil). Instead of dog food at night, she's getting cottage cheese and flaxseed. It's from the Dr. Budwig diet, which recommends it for cancer patients. I did a search and read about people giving it to their dogs as part of a holistic treatment regimen.

Nearly two years ago, Rosy was diagnosed with dermal melanoma after I noticed a dark spot on her muzzle that was growing rapidly. Two weeks later, it was a huge, black mole, so her veterinarian removed it. A week after that, the lab results came back as melanoma. This is what her vet wrote in his e-mail to me, telling me that the lab results were in:

"Rosie's mass came back as a dermal melanoma. These can either be malignant or benign -- this one was in between. The pathology stated we have good margins on the tumor. The best thing to do now is to monitor for re-occurrence of tumor."

I'm scheduling Rosy for a two-year check-up at the end of the year, but, so far, the tumor has not returned (I check it regularly, because it's easy to feel on her muzzle). Everything I've read says the lifespan for dogs with dermal melanoma is no more than two years. One study says that 65 percent of dogs with malignant dermal melanoma "don't last more than two years due to local recurrence or metastasis."

Rosy -- knock on wood -- is doing very well. She still jogs with me a few times a week and doesn't show signs of illness, even though she'll be 10 years old in January.

I started her on supplements immediately after the lab work came back. She takes Omega 3, colostrum in powder form (I mix it with water), barley tablets and CoQ10 (the ubiquinol form). And every day she drinks coconut water, which is loaded with nutrients and considered one of the healthiest drinks found in nature. Twice a day, Rosy also has a tablespoon of coconut oil.


And about six weeks ago, I began giving Rosy daily doses of Vitalzym, an enzyme supplement. Her energy level remains high and I remain optimistic.

Special TV Tribute to Mia

Mia, my late Katrina girl, and I were guests in 2008 of host Randy Swallow on his "County Critters" show, which was co-hosted with chief animal control officer Joe Boteilho.

Afterward, when Randy learned that Mia had passed away, he and his production crew put together a tribute piece that recently aired on CCTV Channel 4's public access station. I'm including a photo (above) of Mia from that shoot. The camera guys took great shots of her. Halfway through the 15-minute interview, Mia climbed onto my shoulder and stayed there for the rest of the segment.

Here's the touching tribute that Randy said to viewers on "County Critters."

"We have some sad news to pass along," Randy began. "You'll remember Mia, a dog rescued by author Cathy Scott during the devastation in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. Cathy and Mia were guests on 'County Critters' last year as Cathy published a book about Mia and hundreds of other pets rescued during the hurricane and flooding called Pawprints of Katrina.

This sweet dog won the hearts of all of us here at Channel 4. Mia passed away in June after a brave battle with heart problems and other medical issues. Mia was just 6 years old."

Thanks so much, Randy and the folks at "County Critters." It's a sad but very special memorial to Mia and one that's greatly appreciated. Mia lives on in so many hearts.