Puppy Up Newsletter — August 15, 2019

2 dead dogs

Watch the prologue to 2 dead dogs and then read this from me:

It’s been seemingly impossible for me to properly setup the launch of the upcoming serial podcast – 2 dead dogs – other than this trailer.  Along with the @IHeartHudsonTour, it’s my next great novel creation for the cause that has been years in the making.

For those of you who know some of the backstory of Puppy Up, it’ll probably take you a couple of episodes to understand what I’m trying to accomplish but hold fast is all I ask.

2 dead dogs is both the culmination and distillation of my 12 years with canine cancer since Malcolm was first dx’d.  But in a kick ass – Deadpool for dogs – kind of way. And some of you are part of the cast of characters in the podcast series.  2 dead dogs is much more than just my story and I have big designs for it.

That’s the sneakpeak for now as I’m a firm believer in Res Ipsa Loquitur – let the thing speak for itself.

I’ll post the interview with me about my transformative vision for 2 dead dogs when the series is up and running as I decided first, to let the story unfold and then start the conversation with you.

Episode 1 starts in September – the hard date I’ll have to you very soon.

The I Heart Hudson Tour

I Heart Hudson Tour

Thanks to everyone who came out in torrential rain to celebrate Hudson’s birthday party. As always, he was the Fuzzybutt of the ball and you can find pics at his InstaCrackers page. (Hudson confuses Graham crackers with Instagram so this is how he knows it. Yep—he’s my special boy.)

Wow. I never thought I’d have a Pyrenees make it to Sweet 13. Malcolm was 8. Murphy was 10. And while I had tried to accomplish the same with Murphy, his nasal cancer was unstoppable despite groundbreaking efforts, and he didn’t live to see the Summer of Murphy Tour.

As a 6X cancer survivor with still so much Puppy Up to share, Hudson is front and center on this stage and he’s the Mick Jagger of the canine world. The I Heart Hudson Tour is a docuseries we’re filming and podcasting from start to finish over the next year, and you’ll be a part of the entire process, from planning, production, and the tour itself, which will take place next year.

But you can join the adventure now. Follow Hudson on Instacrackers @IHeartHudsonTour, and if you’ve met Hudson on his cross-country travels, post your stories there. If you want to meet the dog, the legend, the infamous Pyrenees, share your heart stories and where you’re at, and Hudsy will try and come see you on his upcoming tour.

Puppy Up. Talk Soon. YBD

Puppy Up Executive Director, Ginger Morgan, with Hudson.

Ginger’s InstaCrackersStory

I fell in love with Hudson on a hot September day on the side of the road. I had driven to pick him, Luke and Murphy up after they had walked out of Memphis towards Middle Tennessee. I spotted them all huddled in the grass. Luke had the boys tied to his 80 lb backpack. When Hudson realized it was me in the truck, he pulled the backpack and Murphy across the grass to get to me. He was so happy to see me, or maybe he knew the air conditioning was working!  #ihearthudsontour @ihearthudsontour.

CVM Study Explores New Way to Treat Rare Canine Cancer

From:  Veterinary Medicine News
North Carolina State University

A promising study from NC State finds potential in using stereotactic radiation therapy to treat canine MLO.
Stereotactic radiation therapy is a powerful tool in the NC State Veterinary Hospital’s arsenal, attacking cancerous tumors of the brain, spine and those that can reach the heart, all while still protecting normal tissue. Conventional radiation therapy is typically used over many weeks. SRT can often be conducted during just a handful of hospital visits.

New NC State College of Veterinary Medicine research suggests SRT may now be an effective option in treating canine multilobular osteochondrosarcoma, or MLO, a rare cancer that starts in the bone, commonly grows on the head and is most often seen in middle-aged and older dogs.

The study, published in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, is believed to be the first to outline using SRT to treat canine MLO. Its authors are Hiroto Yoshikawa, Tracy Gieger, Michael Nolan and radiation oncology resident Katherine Sweet. We spoke with Sweet about the research team’s promising findings.
What does your study suggest about the potential of SRT to treat canine MLO?

Surgery to remove the tumor remains the treatment of choice for MLO. However, since the tumor type most commonly arises from the skull, the risks of surgery can be unacceptable to some.

Although the dogs included in this case series had a shorter average survival than dogs treated with multimodal therapy, SRT can be an attractive option for owners who wish to pursue non-surgical treatment options that are more intensive than medical management or more conventional palliative-intent radiation therapy.
When compared to full-course radiation therapy, SRT has improved owner convenience and has fewer anesthetic episodes. The higher doses per treatment used in SRT may also have an advantage biologically with this tumor type.

Please find the rest of the article here.

The Curious Story Of A Dog’s Cell that Turned Into A Cancer 

Cancer evolution over thousands of years.

From Digital Journal
By Karen Graham

A contagious canine cancer that conquered the world by spreading between dogs during mating likely arose around 6,000 years ago in Asia and spread around the globe through maritime activities, scientists say.

A detailed genetic study, published in the journal Science, reveals some surprising, and even mysterious, findings about canine transmissible venereal tumor — a cancer that has survived for thousands of years, having mutated and evolved over time.

This fascinating cancer spreads between dogs through the transfer of living cancer cells, primarily during mating, resulting in genital tumors in both male and female domestic dogs. But what is remarkable about this tumor is that the cancer cells are those of the original dog in which the cancer arose.

The only difference in the modern cancer cells and the cells of the original dog are those that have arisen over time either through spontaneous changes in the cells’ DNA or through changes caused by carcinogens.

Ph.D. student, Adrian Baez-Ortega, one of the authors of the study said, “This tumor has spread to almost every continent, evolving as it spreads…changes to its DNA tell a story of where it has been and when, almost like a historical travel journal.”
The study was led by researchers with the Transmissible Cancer Group at the University of Cambridge. The research team studied tumors taken from 546 canines worldwide – comparing the DNA. They created a phylogenetic tree – a type of family tree of the different mutations in the tumors.

The evolutionary process results in constant change – and means that cells at opposite ends of a tumor can be genetically different. By comparing the patterns of mutations and working backward, scientists can identify which mutations arose when and where, and work out how a tumor originated, evolved, and spread.

Read the rest of the article here.

Pup of the Month — Marley Lake

Marley Lake

(By Janessa Lake)

In loving memory of Marley

Marley was a true fighter. The last 3 years of his life he was diabetic, had pancreatitis several times and he fought lymphoma for the last year and a half of his life. He never let his health conditions phase him. He was always happy and spunky throughout this entire journey with cancer. He was so strong throughout all of it. We are fortunate to have had great Veterinarian’s throughout this journey as well that understood his health issues and was always there for me answering my many questions. Marley was a foodie…he loved food, treats, ice cream and peanut butter. He loved going on car rides, taking road trips, and enjoyed the Bark Park. Marley loved snuggling next to me on his pillow and blanket and he would also sleep on my pillow above my head. He also loved when I would carry him and he would sit in my arms like a baby. Marley taught me so much and I am forever thankful to have had such an amazing dog. Marley loved his canine sisters Onyx & Ziggy. He is deeply loved and missed by all of us and he touched the lives of many people. His memory will continue to live on in the lives of everyone he touched.

(Marley was a contestant in the 2020 “Cancer Can’t Keep A Good Dog Down” Calendar Contest and won one of the top spots! Look for him on the August 2020 page.)