Happy Haooowlidays from Maxxamillion! Maxx has been a little sick for the past week. But I am happy to say he is doing much better today.

Cancer In Dogs, Maxxamillion fights The Odds!

by: Diana Romaxx

Just like in humans, cancer in dogs is a very serious condition which canseriously impact the life of both the dog and its owner. As with
humans, cancer in dogs is on the increase and today, excluding accidents, almost half of all dogs aged 10 or over are likely to die from
the disease. One of the most common cancer in dogs is the mastocytoma (or mast cell tumor), which is what our family dog Maxxamillion was
recently diagnosed with. What a shock this was to my husband and I because we had taken Maxxamillion to the vet two years earlier for a
fatty tumor that was growing around the top of his left front leg. A biopsy was done and we were informed that the tumor was comprised of
fatty matter and at that time the test showed no sign of cancer. The cause of mast cell tumors is unknown.

The statistics on cancer in dogs was a bit alarming to us, and in fact, the current rate of cancer is higher in dogs than it is in humans.Incidences of cancer in dogs are very difficult to accurately estimate. On average, the highest incidence of cancer occurs in dogs 6 to 10 years of age. Because dogs can't tell us where it hurts, medical treatment for dogs is very different from the medical approach for humans.

According to our veterinarian, Maxxamillion's cancer was spred by the tumor cell itself. Other studies indicate that one of the most
common cause of cancer in dogs is commercial dog food toxins, and preservatives in their diet. Cancer in dogs is always tough to handle because treatment can't be administered as aggressively to them as it is to humans.

Dogs today are a big part of our families and we want to give our loyal companions the best medical attention we can. Early detection and treatment are the best ways to manage cancer in dogs. Treatment of Cancer in Dogs is usally treated by conventional forms of radiation therapy. There are different treatment options for cancer in dogs. Each tumor type within a location has a different treatment and prognosis. Canine Lymphoma is another common form of malignant cancer in dogs. Your pet's diet should most often be low in fat and calories.

One of the options that was recommended to us by our vet for treatment was radiation therapy. Although we live in a big metro city, the problem is that there are very few veterinary clinics that offer this radiation thereapy treatment. Radiation therapy, can also be very grueling on an older dog, and also very expensive. Moreover, it is not a suitable treatment for many cancers. The closest treatment center that we could find for Maxxamillion was over 40 miles away. Before radiation, our vet recommended that we
talk to an encologist about having a 3d ct scan done to determine if the cancer cells had spread beyond the tumor that was removed, but actually, Maxxamillion had two tumors removed, and each tumor weighed 3 pounds. The first tumor did appear in the x-ray and when the vet removed it, he found the second tumor that was hiding. The first tumor was benign and only the second tumor was cancerous. A 3-d ct scan entails putting an animal under anesthesia.

The 3-d ct scan would determine the extent of the cancer or if he was cancer free. Although our vet assured us that the cancer was contained within the tumor he had removed, and there was a possiblility that some cancer cells may have gone beyond the tumor. We were advised that it would be best to take Maxx for his 3-d ct scan five days after the surgery, at which time it was still very difficult for Maxx to move and walk, but we figured that if this was the best fight he had, it was better to go ahead with the radition. Unfortunately, it is an expensive procedure. The radiation therapist also informed us that because Maxx was overweight he would run the risk of complications because fat does not allow the anesthesia to metabolize as it does in thinner dogs. Maxx's 3-d ct scan was performed. After the procedure, which took approximately four hours, Maxx woke up from the anesthesia and was allowed to come home. Max was still groggy from the anesthesia 12 hours later, which we knew might happen because he was overweight.

Due to the fact that it scared us so much and that we would lose him to the anesthesia, we and the therapist came to the decision that it
would be best to monitor Maxx and hope for the best at his age. We didn't want to inflict any more suffering on our baby. Radiation would
have consisted of 25 daily visits with anesthesia being administered each time. If the tumor does come back there is a possiblty that he can have surgery again. For now he is 11 years old and doing much better. He lost a little bit of his step, but he still walks around, plays a lot, goes for short walks, and has fully recovered from his tumor operation.

About The Author Diana Romaxx lives in Chicago, Illinoise. Visit Maxx's Website http://maxxamillion.com.

Hello all, Just want to let every one know Maxxamillion is doing well with his recovery. He is a little stiff around his hind legs from his arthritis. We still give him liquid glucosamine daily for his arthritis. He gets around very well and has very little trouble climbing stair. In the past his vet has recommended Rimadyl, but we just do not trust this medication for a dog of Maxxamillion's age and size. Plus we have had friends of ours have bad results from Rimadyl. The liquid glucosamine has been working very well for Maxxamillion for about three years now. Thanks for stopping by!

It's My Birthday!
Hello every one today I'm 11 years old or 77 in dog years! I got this football pillow as one of my gifts. So I could watch Da Bears play.

Today is Maxxamillions 11'th birthday. It seems like yesterday that this beautiful loving puppy boy came into our lives. We can't imagine him not being in our lives and around the house. Maxxamillion's surgery a few months ago was a lesson on how to really appreciate your loved ones every moment, for tomorrow is not promised us! Today Maxxamillion was spoiled like always, we made him a special batch of his favorite low-cal oatmeal dog bisquits that we make for him. He got gifts and cards from friends and family. We got him a football shaped pillow and some stuffed toys. He loves the pillow a lot, as for the stuffed animals he did what he does to all stuffed animal toys, pull off the eyes. He continues to recooperate each day and we are very grateful to have him with us today. Happy Birthday Maxxamillion!!!! and many many more.
Love Mom & Pop.

Here is Maxxamamillion at six weeks old and six and a half pounds. The beginning of the our little Pawmaster in 1995.

I am happy to say Maxxamillion is doing much better each day. He is still a little stiff on his his hind legs from his arthritis but continues to inprove daily
He continues to get some rehab and short walks around our neighborhood daily. On Saturday he finally went back to his favorite park (Portage Park) which he went to daily for ten years.
We could see the joy in his face and tail wagging high when we pulled up to Portage Park. He got up from his seat with out any hesitation at all. And when we opened the truck door, out came Maxxamillion down his ramp and ready to walk his park again. Oh what happiness we felt to see him in the park again. He marked every spot he could until he had no more. His running days are over but we are so happy he is able to walk around fine. So far he has survived the surgery and the removal of a six pound tumor. We are blessed to have such a wonderful puppy boy. We love You Maxxamillion, Mom & Pop

Today was Maxxamillion's last follow-up for his surgery. He got a clean bill of health as far as the surgery goes. We will monitor him for chances of a reoccurrence of the tumor. He will still be in recooperation for a while longer so his right leg could regain more strength. The picture above is in the back yard after we got back from his Vet appointment today. Maxxamillion has been I survivor since he was an 8 week old puppy. At the age of four a Vet told us he would not survive to be eight. He will be eleven on October 23, God willing. Making the decision to have the surgery was a very hard but well researched decision for us. We could not stand the fact that he was very uncomfortable with the tumor and that it was hampering his ability to climb stairs and getting in and out of the family car (really his). We are very fortunate to have a great Vet in doctor Michael, who has taken care of Maxxamillion for over five years now. Maxxamillion is a family member and putting him down was never an option for us. We will be posting more on the decisions we faced through the whole surgery ordeal.

Maxxamillion is feeling much better and is very close to feeling normal. We're so happy that he can go up and down the stairs without hesitation. Also, for the first time since his surgery, he did his favorite flip upside down on his back barking with joy - which he had always done at least once a day when he'd go outside. As you can see the in the picture, we made Maxx his favorite home made oatmeal dog biscuits, which he enjoys very much.

We want to thank Dr. Fredyniak (Maxxamillion's vet) and his staff at Mayfair Animal Hospital in Chicago. We appreciate his great work, love of animals, and dedication to Maxx's care over the past eight years. Maxx's wound continues to improve with daily applications of Betadine compresses and the help of two types of antibiotics. We feel relief at how well he's been recovering from his surgery.

I'm so happy to report that Maxx is improving more and more every day. He is moving around the house to his favorite spots with more ease than he's done in a long time and going up and down the stairs more smoothly than before the surgery. His wounds are healing nicely with the help of antibiotics. I'm so happy to see him barking at the birds when he's in the back yard.

Yesterday, Dr. Michael, Maxxamillion's vet, removed all of Maxx's stitches. We can tell that Maxxamillion is getting better because he has started playing with his toys again. He also goes up and down the stairs with more ease than he did before the surgery. Maxxamillion is still taking antibiotic medication, but is feeling better and improving greatly with every passing day. Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes, they are greatly appreciated.

Maxxamillion went to Aurora, Illinois for a CT scan last Wednesday to determine if the cancer had spread beyond the tumor. After spending over four hours there, he came home but had a very difficult time coming completely out of the anesthesia. A few days later we received the best news that the cancer had not spread to his lungs or lymph nodes. Although there is no guarantee that the cancer will not return within a few months or a few years, we're so glad that he does not have to followup with 19 radiation treatments over a total of four weeks. We agreed with the veterinarian that at his age and weight it would have been very risky to put him through so many treatments (under anesthesia each time). Although many dogs have survived the same amount of treatments, we're so glad Maxx won't have to go through these treatments. For now he continues to recover and we will continue to post Maxx's progress as he gets better and stronger every day.

Update: Maxxamillion underwent surgery three weeks ago to remove a tumor from his left front side. The fatty tumor turned out to be two 3-pound tumors. He is recovering well with a few set backs one of the tumors had Cancer, he will need to under go radiation treatment. We want to thank all the thousands of get well wishes and prayers we have received for Maxxamillion.