Storm was well and dandy till last Saturday. He was his old self, ate, walked around, played around and just was a happy pup. Saturday night, everything changed. He became anemic and very pale. His energy level just dropped and he was panting nonstop.

He had his first chemo appointment on Tuesday and there was absolutely no way we could have taken him in that condition. The vet said that this is common for dogs with hemangiosarcoma cancer and they’ll have good and bad days. He said chemo is 50/50 for him and he might actually get worse.

He explained all the tests that Storm would have to do prior to chemo and all the things we should anticipate from vomitting to more blood transfusions, to further blood tests etc etc. My heart sank just listening to him explain all the tests and I couldn’t bear to think of Storm getting any more needles and getting any weaker and depressed. I called back and said we’re not coming for chemo as he’s still quite weak.

Tuesday night was horrible. He was wobbly and his eyes were wider open than ever. He looked like a small goldfish that somehow jumped out of its bowl, panting and trying to live its last minutes. He threw up a number of times and couldn’t sit, walk or stand straight.

We prayed for him and left him in peace in hopes that he may recover. I had joined the Summer Foundation, a support group for owners with dogs in the same boat. In the midst of all this, I checked my emails to see that a few people had suggested Yunnan Baiyao to help stop internal bleeding.

Thirty minutes before all stores would close, we managed to buy it and gave him two capsules with more B12 pills. In the morning, we gave him another two capsules and just left him in peace. By mid day, he was a different dog. He got up again, walked around and was alive.

Today he’s still weak but much better. He’s got life in him again and wags his tail happily. If I can suggest something for anyone going through hemangiosarcoma with their dogs is to definitely get B12, B complex, iron supplements and Yunnan Baiyao. Better to have them and not need them than to need them last minute and watch your dog pass.

As for his chemo, we’ve delayed it for now. We want him to be happy and right now he’s still quite weak and the thought of him actually getting weaker and having to suffer and stay at the clinic for days scares me.