I have an almost 14 year old lab mix who appears to have developed bladder cancer. She seems perfectly normal to us, and the only sign that there is ANYTHING wrong with her was bloody urine about a month ago. As soon as I noticed that, I took her to the local emergency vet, who confirmed she had a UTI but noted that her bladder appeared thickened and irregular on ultrasound. We've since completed two rounds of antibiotics to treat the UTI, which appears to have cleared up, with each round being followed by another ultrasound to re-check the bladder to see if the thickening appeared to have decreased any, possibly indicating it was related to the infection. That does not appear to be the case, so the most likely scenario is cancer (though not confirmed).

I am reluctant to pursue a biopsy, because 1) I am concerned about the potential for internal bleeding or causing cancer cells to migrate to other parts of her body, and 2) even if we confirm she has cancer, I don't want to put her through chemo therapy (particularly when the projected life span on chemo is only 3-6 months longer than simply treating with NSAIDs), so I'm not sure confirmation really changes much.

So, on a whim, I decided to do some research on holistic veterinary care. I assumed such a thing existed, but I wasn't sure how common it is. I was surprised to find so much information about it. I am now considering contacting a local holistic vet to see if there is anything we can do diet-wise or environmentally to help keep our dog as comfortable as possible. I figure at the very worst, it won't help at all, but it won't make things worse. At the very best, perhaps it can slow the progression of the cancer and keep her feeling as good as possible for as long as possible.

So I'm curious if anyone else here has had any personal experience with having a pet treated with holistic care. I do tend to believe that holistic medicine is rooted in some real results, or else I'm not sure it would still be practiced today. I just have no personal exposure to it, so I'm interested in hearing from anyone who may have some experience they can share.

TIA
[Post edited by MP4VT2004 at 10/16/2017 10:23PM]