Thank you Jane for sharing your story with us.

Update Oct 24, 2016: Sadly, little Piri crossed the rainbow bridge on Oct 14, 2016. He was 17 years old. He was loved and still is loved every day by Jane and Yang and all those who knew him and followed him. We know how difficult this time is for Jane, and thank her for her generosity in sharing this story in order to help other pet parents. You can learn more about Piri’s life by following Jane’s blog: windingridgelane.blogspot.ca

Our dog, Piri, is a 17-year-old cocker spaniel. He has been doing fairly well and has been healthy throughout most of his life, but during a senior comprehensive check in the fall of 2014 we found out that he had kidney disease. It was a scary time for us as we didn’t know much about the disease but as time went on we learned how to manage it. Our daily motto was, “We got this, Piri!,” and Piri was doing awesome.

Then towards the end of 2015, we noticed a lump inside Piri’s mouth and after going through many consultations and tests with an animal oral surgeon, cardiologist, and our primary vet to see if Piri was a candidate to go under surgery, we got the green light. In March 2016, Piri had his oral mass removed. However, we were devastated once more when we learned that biopsy results indicated that the mass was cancerous – it was oral melanoma, a highly aggressive form of cancer that will metastasize, most likely to his lymph nodes and lungs.

Hoping to combat his cancer and extend his life, we went to see an oncologist and started Piri on chemotherapy and he also received the melanoma vaccine. In the beginning, he did well, but throughout his treatment, we saw that he was getting weaker, was more susceptible to infections, and ended up having high liver enzyme levels by the third month of treatment. With levels that indicated that Piri might have developed pancreatitis, he was no longer a candidate to receive chemotherapy. We were instead directed to focus on giving him a low-fat diet to bring his liver enzyme levels down (while also ensuring that it met his cancer and kidney needs), in hopes that they would normalize. The goal was to not only bring his levels down but to start back on his chemo treatments.

We were at a crossroads.

A couple of weeks after being off of chemo, Piri was beginning to come back to his normal self – weakened but better. He was no longer having diarrhea and didn’t need to take a number of supportive medicine to help with diarrhea, nausea, and decreased appetite, all side effects of chemo. We just could not bear to put him through the treatment again. While we wanted to combat his cancer and extend his life, we didn’t want to compromise his quality of life.

It was at this time, in June, when we were in touch with NHV products and were introduced to four of their supplements — Es Clear for cancer support, Milk Thistle for liver and kidney detox, Tripsy for kidney support, and Mellit for his pancreatitis. But it would be a few more months later, in September, when we would begin to administer them, which would be a week after Piri underwent his second oral mass removal surgery with biopsy results that indicated his oral melanoma was back. Then it would be another week when we would feel a new lump in his throat. A fine needle aspirate indicated that it was also cancerous.

We have since forgone traditional treatment options for Piri and rely on NHV supplements and a couple more we received from a holistic vet we began to see. I haven’t missed a single dose for Piri, even while going on trips together, and since he is a finicky eater we give his twice-daily dosages mixed with a little bit of water. Piri only drinks now with the help of a dropper and so it makes administering his herbal supplements easy, just like drinking water.

His kidney levels have also improved slightly.

Two weeks after being on his supplements we performed some blood work and noticed that his liver levels have dropped back to normal. His kidney levels have also improved slightly. Because Piri has been doing so well on his NHV supplements, we also decided to switch him over to NHV’s turmeric (he was taking a powder form before). He is still climbing up and down the stairs by himself and has an energetic bounce when he is in a happy mood.

It is a good feeling to know that instead of worrying about the adverse effects medicine will have on Piri while it is trying to do good, we’re encouraged by the natural supplements that are doing nothing but positive things inside Piri’s body. And for the people who are going through similar health issues with their pets, NHV provides much-needed support, help, and encouragement, which is so much appreciated during a difficult time.

We are thankful to have crossed paths with NHV and our only regret is not having known them earlier.

*Product reviews are solely the experience and opinion of the reviewer. Actual results may vary.