Local canine cancer survivor thrives with alternative treatment

Turbo, a golden retriever from Bay Village with a malignant tumor, has improved with a change in diet and supplements.

Meet Turbo, an adult male golden retriever who is owned by Ed and Jackie Noonan of Bay Village.

Turbo is an 8-year-old rescue dog that was adopted at the age of a year-and-a-half from Love-A-Stray Dog Division in Avon Lake.  

The popular and beloved golden retriever was originally bred in Scotland. They were originally bred to retrieve for hunting purposes. The breed is one of the most popular family dogs in the world. They have been trained in multiple capacities such as search and rescue, disability dogs, hunting dogs, detection and show dogs. Goldens love water and are easy to train. Their long coats do require regular grooming.

Four years ago Turbo was diagnosed with a malignant mast cell tumor on the upper right side of his nose. This is a common location for this type of aggressive malignant tumor. 

Golden retrievers have a very high risk of developing mast cell tumors, suggesting there is a genetic background for this disease. This tumor also fluctuates up and down in size.

Mast cell tumors in dogs are very common, accounting for 20% of all skin tumors in dogs, according to vetmed.wsu.edu.

Turbo was referred by his local veterinarian at Avon Lake Animal Clinic to Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Akron. There Turbo and his owners consulted with a board-certified canine cancer veterinarian to discuss surgical, radiation and chemo options. Turbo was facing major reconstructive surgery all the way up to his eye in the hopes of getting clear margins. He was also facing three months of recovery to hopefully still be able to use his mouth and be able to eat and drink normally.

Ed and Jackie chose another option for Turbo which has done wonders.

Turbo's diet was changed to a dehydrated, whole-grain, chicken pet food.  It is rated at human-consumption quality and all of its ingredients are from the USA. Turbo also gets a Chinese herbal powder called Xue Fu Zhu Tang by Kingdom of Basil, which has been documented to help dogs with mast cell tumors. Turbo receives Benadryl, turmeric, fish oil and omeoprazole with his meals, all based on his weight.  

His zest for being a lovable and happy golden retriever has not slowed down. Turbo's family and veterinary team are pleased with the outcome and applaud him and his family for having these positive results on his cancer journey.

If your pet has been diagnosed with cancer or another condition please consult with your animal hospital to ensure the most safe and effective treatment plan is put in place to receive the optimum results.

Nancy Brown

Nancy Brown

Owner, Hot Diggity Dog, Inc.

Blog writer for Ohio Pet Expert

Advocate for lost, stolen and injured pets

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Volume 13, Issue 4, Posted 11:08 AM, 02.16.2021