Beginning the Experiment

(Indy getting electro-acupuncture)

Today Indy went to the vet for her twice-monthly electro-acupuncture treatment, which seems to be really helping her. While we were there, we discussed with our vet the possibility of starting to treat Indiana with the cancer supplement Poly-MVA.

I first heard about Poly-MVA early in Indiana's treatment for her first cancer. As she was doing well and the chemo worked to eradicate the cancer, our vet decided to hold Poly in reserve until we really needed it. In speaking with a vet friend over the weekend, she recommended using Poly on Indiana, for the sarcoma on her back. So while Indiana isn't in a crisis right now, we are looking for ways to slow the cancer without conventional treatment, as well as make her life as comfortable as possible. With the recommendation of our friend, and the okay of our vet, we decided to go ahead with the Poly.

I'll be documenting our experience with Poly-MVA, partly because, well, I have a pet blog, and also because I want other cancer parents to learn from our experience. Maybe it'll help, and maybe it won't, but either way, my posts about it will be honest and true to our lives.

I spoke with a consultant over the phone to order the Poly. Some things I learned: Poly can have a detox effect in the first few weeks. This scares me, because Indiana has done detox before, and it's always frightening to watch. Luckily, the consultant said we could increase her daily dosage of milk thistle (Poly, like most drugs and supplements, is metabolized in the liver--milk thistle has a tremendous ability to lessen the load on the liver) should detox symptoms occur. These symptoms include diarrhea and lethargy. I will no doubt be keeping a close eye out for these symptoms, though we're starting Indiana on a small dose and working our way up.

Also: Poly-MVA energizes the body's cells and therefore can give the dog more energy. Ideally, it is given three times a day, with meals, but the last dose needs to be given a few hours before bedtime so as not to disrupt the dog's sleep pattern. We've been feeding Indy three times a day for the last four and a half years, so that part isn't a problem. But we sometimes feed her right before bed, which isn't probably advisable once we start the Poly. So that'll require a minor adjustment on our parts.

Another thing I learned: Poly is staggeringly expensive. For a dog Indiana's size (70 lbs), one month's supply costs about $600. The company recommends trying the supplement for at least 60 days before discontinuing it (though improvements can be seen in the first month). I imagine she'll be on the max dose for those first several months, and then perhaps go on a lower "maintenance" dose, but I didn't have the heart to ask. If it's working, it doesn't matter. I'll pay any amount.

Some things I learned from our vet: Poly is completely safe. It's essentially lipoic acids (antioxidants) and B-vitamins. Studies have shown it to be more effective against carcinomas rather than sarcomas (which Indiana has). But it has other benefits beyond killing cancer cells. According to her, we have nothing to lose except money. That's good enough for me.

I've started doing a little more reading up on Poly-MVA, something I'll be doing a lot of in the next few weeks or months. It seems like an amazing supplement, and while I don't want to get my hopes up, it has the potential to really help Indiana, not just with the cancer, but with her overall health. I appreciated that the Poly-MVA consultant was careful to make sure I knew that Poly-MVA doesn't work in every case. So they're not trying to sell a "miracle drug," which makes me trust it more.

Our precious bottles are making their way to us as I type this and should (weather-willing) be here by the weekend. We'll start Indy on it ASAP, and I'll update frequently about how she is feeling while on it, and side effects (good and bad), any changes in the tumor, and general impressions about the supplement itself.

As always, I am learning as I go. Count Poly-MVA as just one more thing I've learned from my dog.