3 Year Anniversary ~ Cancer Free!

March 19, 2012 ~ Cider's 3 year anniversary ~ Cancer Free

Her tail is wagging full speed!

Happy and Healthy with a few more white whiskers.

Cider will be 12 in July.

We're enjoying the GREAT warm weather and putting the chairs out on the deck early this year.

Happy New Year 2012 !!!

Cider is a happy healthy cancer survivor ~ Wishing you all the best for 2012!

(and looking forward to warmer weather)

2 Year Anniversary ~ Cancer Free !

This is Cider on March 19, 2011 ~ our two year anniversary since her cancer surgery! Cider is happy and healthy and cancer free. Cider will be 11 years old this summer. She is still a puppy at heart.

Cider's leg is still flat where the tumor was removed.

All that remains from the surgical site is a bit of black scar tissue.

We are ready to enjoy Spring ~ the snow has almost melted :0)

1 Year Anniversary ~ Cancer Free

It's a deal ~ A five year Contract ~ Let's shake on it : )

It was a year ago today ~ March 19, 2009 ~ that Cider had her surgery. All is well and she is happily enjoying the early Spring we are having in Ontario, Canada.

Wishing you all the Best for 2010

My Christmas present this year is a happy healthy dog : ) I am thrilled she was given a clean bill of health last May, 2009 and has continued to do well. We look forward to many more years with our goofy girl.

It is a pleasure to have Cider as part of our family.

Wishing your family, friends and beloved pets all the best for 2010!

Cider's Story

Our dog Cider successfully recovered from her Cancer Surgery in March 2009. Her post surgery healing took about 2 months.

I have opened this blog to the public now, so I can share Cider's story with other pet owners that may be experiencing the same thing. Cider had an egg sized Soft Tissue Sarcoma removed from her front left leg. It was a rather aggressive "de-bulking" surgery that stretched her remaining skin to the max. We chose this option over amputation or chemotherapy. We knew it would be a difficult road, as the first two Vets we talked to recommended amputation.

Cider's story and her 2 months of post surgery challenges are summarized in the blog posts below. I would like to thank Dr. Julius Liptak and Dr. Charles Bruce of the Alta Vista Animal Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario for saving Cider's leg. To "shake a paw" is a wonderful thing : )

The Healing Properties of Manuka Honey

During our dog's post surgery recovery it came to our attention that granular honey is very beneficial when applied to wounds that are slow to heal. We were told that any local unpasturized honey would do . . . but after doing some reading online it seemed worth the extra $20.00 to buy Manuka Honey. What's twenty dollars? . . . after oncology vet bills! The Honey Research Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, New Zealand has been researching the healing properties of Manuka Honey for over twenty years.

After reading online I learned that unpasturized granular honey rapidly clears infection by destroying bacteria and repairs damaged skin. It has been used on humans with burns, ulcers and bedsores. It hastens the healing process and helps to regenerate new skin growth. After several weeks of little change (only negative) we were certainly willing to give granular honey a try.