Little did we know that limping is the first sign of Osteosarcoma....When his limp did not go away we took him to the Vet. He was misdiagnosed a few times and given medications that did not work. So, we finally took him to a specialist who did a biopsy. This was money well spent, because we then knew exactly what we were dealing with.
Harley was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in January and was not expected to live more than a few months.
This was a sad shock to us, especially since he was still very happy and aside from a severe limp he was very strong and seemed healthy. I started to do rigorous research on the Internet and could find nothing but stories about dogs who died. Finally, I found the McDowell's website and was thrilled to find that he had a specific treatment for Osteosarcoma. I ordered the Osteosarcoma support program with the Maritime Pinebark extract. I also ordered the book "Give Your Dog a Bone".
I changed his diet immediately from commercial dry dog food to meaty raw bones. I also gave him the Osteosarcoma Support and Maritime Pinebark extract twice a day. I did this religiously and did not waiver from the diet or the treatment. We decided to amputate his rear right leg, but we did not do the Chemotherapy. Harley recovered from surgery very nicely. Everyone told us that Dogs do very well with 3 legs and they were right.
I am very happy to report that Harley is still with us over 21 months later. He now weighs about 80 lbs., mostly due to age and losing his leg. His quality of life is excellent and he has learned to get around very well with only 3 legs. He can even run! I would recommend McDowell's treatment and the raw diet to every dog owner. I believe the combination of diet and McDowell's treatments is a VERY powerful one. We realize how lucky we are to have Harley with us and we can only hope that his story will help another dog!
Sincerely
Laura
