For those of you that follow, I had posted a few months ago about Chocolate, my neighbor’s dog. He was not in the best of shape. The poor old guy had mange and e-canis( blood parasites ), and tumors on his mouth and tongue. If you missed the first post on Chocolate, you can view here: https://bolostail.com/tlc-for-chocolate/

A quick rundown…Chocolate was checked by Dr. Top with blood work that detected his mange and e-canis: WVS(Care for Dogs) checked his tumor but recommended he go to another vet for a second opinion and treatment. His ‘family’ called another big vet clinic here, and from I was told, they said don’t bother, he’s too old. This was sad because at this point the family said they didn’t want to take any further action on the tumors, or other issues.

Losing face is something that is very common in Asian culture, and is very much presented in Thai culture as well. I spoke to my neighbor with kindness and understanding as it just had to be handled in that way. She said that she didn’t understand why Chocolate had moved over to her neighbor’s house to live, instead of their home. It’s because he feels loved and cared for there. He had bonded with Khun Tom, who lives two doors down from me, and Chocolate follows him like a shadow. I have a good relationship with my neighbor and told her I’d treat him the best I could and she was humbled and agreed.

Happy to report that Chocolate is doing well! The mange was treated by bathing him in a special shampoo specifically for skin problems, and given Bravecto. It’s a medication that I also give my dogs as an anti-tick and flea preventative that lasts for three months, and often much longer. It works wonders for skin problems, too. Chocolate’s itching and skin cleared up so fast on this product that I can’t recommend it enough. Here’s a link if you’d like to learn more.

Next, was a 6-week dose of Doxicillin(general antibiotic used for this condition here in Thailand) for the blood parasites. Fortunately, the medication took hold and we followed up with another visit from Dr. Top to re-check his blood and he got the all clear. I’ll make sure to do periodic blood tests, but giving him the Bravecto should make sure he doesn’t get any more ticks that can lead to severe health complications, such as kidney failure, or can even result in death in many cases..

Chocolate also has a bad leg that’s been getting worse. I’ve been regularly feeding him and adding fish oil to his diet for several months and he’s getting around very well. He even goes jogging with Khun Tom around the neighborhood. Click here for our previous blog on the benefits of fish oil in dogs.

The last thing that I feel worked to shrink his tumors is colloidal silver. Yes, it can be a controversial topic – I’ve always been a fan of this product and have used it for years for a range of issues. I started putting it on a large opened wound Chocolate had, and also added it to his food once the tumor appeared and it’s barely there now. This could be a combination of things, but I feel this is doing the most healing. Interested in learning more about colloidal silver? Click here: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/12/2/72

Dr. Top has commented on Chocolate’s progress, “Wow, it’s amazing. Some are helping him to have a good quality of life. His immune system is better, so his tumor can regress.” This is very welcome news indeed.

If you compare the before and after pictures of Chocolate’s tumor, you’ll see how small it has become. Considering the tumor had increased drastically from when it was diagnosed, in just two weeks it had tripled in size, and now it’s hardly noticeable. His severe hip wound healed and he’s in the best condition I’ve seen him in the four years of living in this neighborhood. I’ll keep trying my best to help to care for this old man, providing him with nutritious food and the aforementioned treatments, and keep my fingers crossed he continues on his path of health, while he continues to receive all the love and care he deserves.