...and then there's koa (koa's 2-1/2 year anniversary)

photo by bob krugmire, 6/17/2006
http://www.thiniceproductions.org/

913 days and counting ...

i get so many questions about koa, i had to bump this to the top again. we're at 2-1/2 years, and this goofball is still going strong.

in april of 2006, koa was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma - an aggressive cancer of the blood vessels. he had his spleen removed (along with a nasty tumor), and we began this journey - though the final chapter has already been written. average survival time for dogs with this cancer is 19 to 54 days following surgery...

thankfully, koa's days since have been pretty good - he's happy and energetic, and no worse for the ware. though I know our days together are numbered (literally), it's an absolute joy to have him here, and oddly, I'm grateful that I know I should be grateful. it makes each day with him that much better. over the past few weeks, koa has had a couple seizures - this is a new twist. i'm not sure if it has anything to do with the cancer, or something else that's going on in his 12-year old, 113 pound lab body. i'll keep watching it, and i'm hoping he continues to be his happy self.

other than his surgery, koa hasn't had any other conventional treatment. since i get so many questions about his strange success, here's his routine:

diet of raw chicken & bones - sometimes beef & organ meat, fresh broccoli (or other veggie high in antioxidants), bananas, garlic, plain yogurt or cottage cheese. (Koa is a 10 1/2 year-old, 80 pound lab - so dose accordingly. Also, I am NOT an expert, vet, researcher, etc. Koa's doing all the work here.)

2700 mg Esiak (NOW brand)
300 mg CoEnzyme Q10
1000 mg Vitamin C
multivitamin
200 mcg Selenium
2600 mg Flax Seed
300 mg Grape Seed
1/8 cup dried alfalfa (high in natural Vitamin K, which helps with clotting - since HSA causes tumors, which can rupture. When the ruptures can't repair themselves, the dogs usually bleed internally - often this is how they die).