In October 2014, Payton was 11 and diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his heart.  We did not want to put him through chemo at that age and with a tumor in that location.  Our vet recommended going to a holistic doctor.  We did acupuncture and various holistic liquids and powders.  All of that increased his mobility and we believe kept the tumor stable as follow up echocardiograms found it to continue to stay the same size.

In October 2016, Payton lost his appetite and was lethargic.  X-rays and bloodwork showed he had an adrenal gland tumor that was most likely cancerous.  Our vet suggested we stop all the supplements to give his liver a break and to stop the acupuncture.  We decided on that mostly to not have to take him out and in the car.  His walking was good and he was content.

Payton is now 15, and it will be 3 ½ years since his first cancer diagnosis.  He’s moving a little slower and wears a belly band for his leaky bladder, but still follows us around when he sees us go to the kitchen and begs for food, things we know are good signs.

He’s been on three (vet approved) road trips to our house in Henderson, Nevada. We can tell he loves it out there, he has a fenced yard and does not have to climb any stairs.  He’s been to the Vegas strip and has been in the pool.  We hope he stays strong and will be with us when we move at the end of next year.

Every dog is different and we know we have been very lucky that Payton has adapted to what is going on in his body.  We enjoy every minute with him.