Articles
Kita - Canine Prostate and Bladder Cancer
Please, Don’t do Nothing
At 9 years old, Kita, Erik Johnson’s
When Kita was first diagnosed, I felt desperate. Our only options were pain pills or euthanize him on the spot. We decided to take him home and make him comfortable; the equivalent of hospice care for humans.
At first, we followed the veterinarian orders and loaded Kita up on pain killers. But they just seemed to make him sick. He would vomit several times a day and it seemed to be linked to the pain medications that were supposed to make him feel better. For a dog that was so vibrant and full of life just months prior, it killed me to see him this way.
When you are scared, I think some people just freeze and stop thinking on their own. Your emotional investment prevents you from seeing beyond what your veterinarian tells you and you often fall in the trap of doing nothing, but waiting for the inevitable. That is what happened to me.
But, luckily, we decided to take Kita off the pain medications to see what would happen and strangely he was immediately better. This sudden reprieve from illness got me thinking. The veterinarian told me the pain pills would make him feel better, but they didn’t. The veterinarian also said there was nothing we could do, but now I questioned that. Doing nothing just felt like giving up. And I was not about to give up on my loyal dog who would go with me everywhere.
I am in the herbal industry and eventually it dawned on me that I should try one of our products for my dog. Like I said, at first I was scared and thought I was doing the best I could for Kita if I just listened to the doctor’s orders. But I believe in herbs and have seen first-hand the positive effects they can have on one’s health. What did I have to lose? After all the veterinarian did not give me any options. So I opted to give it a shot.
Within 10 days, Kita was back to looking like a puppy again. His eyes got their color back and it was like the nightmare never happened.
For the next 16 months, we went on several walks a day and Kita was treated like every day could be his last. He was given all kinds of foods we normally would not have given him and a huge helping of love. This along with the herbal products really seemed to keep him stay in good health for a wonderful 17 months in total from the time we got the original diagnosis.
All seemed to be going well, and it felt like Kita would go on forever. But then one day it was like a switch got turned and he lost the use of his legs. The veterinarians suspect that the cancer metastasized to his spine, interfering with neural activity. So, on Christmas Eve, we had to let him go.
I think no matter how it happens, it is always difficult to lose your dog. However, as painful as it was to lose Kita, I think it would have been more painful if I did nothing. This way, I know I gave him my best shot -- he deserved that.
Bio
Owner’s name: Erik Johnson
Where they live:
Dog’s name: Kita
Dog Breed: Akita-mix
Type of Cancer: Prostate and Bladder cancer
Age at Diagnosis: 9
Prognosis: 2-3
Outcome: 17 months
Primary treatment: Herbs
Email: erik@pet-helper.com
Web address: http://www.pet-helper.com
Full Bio
Erik Johnson grew up in
Moving to Arizona to be closer to family, Erik and his wife now operate several health related businesses including Healthy Living Solutions (www.hls-herbs.com) and The Internet Health Store (www.theinternethealthstore.com) featuring herbal solutions and other products for people and Healthy Pet Solutions (www.pet-helper.com) featuring herbals and other items for dogs, cats and other family animals.
An active community volunteer with the Lions Club, Erik also makes time for 
racquetball (and driving lessons) with his teenage son and long walks with his new dog, Bella.
