Sunday,
October 25, 2009
Edition of the Carroll County Times

Visit the Site
-----------------

Buster’s struggle: Author chronicles dog’s fight with cancer

By Brandon Oland, Times Staff Writer

After frolicking in the snow nearly three years ago, Buster developed a limp.

Valerie Wood, Buster’s owner, figured he slipped on an ice patch.

Not so. A trip to the veterinarian confirmed Buster, a 10-year-old boxer mix, had an inoperable tumor in his left front leg. In the 10 months that followed, Wood and her husband did everything they could think of to help and comfort a dog that had given them so much joy.

The Finksburg resident chronicled her experiences in “Breakfasts with Buster,” a 60-page book released in August. “Breakfasts with Buster” is available for $20.99 at amazon.com or through www.breakfastswithbuster.com. It is not yet in area book stores, Wood said.

Although Buster died in November 2007 from complications of bone cancer, Wood said the treatments and medication suggested by area veterinarians helped Buster live longer than anyone expected. Wood said he was originally given just one to two months to live.

The book serves as a memoir for Buster and a treatment guide for pet owners with cancer-stricken pets. Once Buster was diagnosed with bone cancer, Wood needed to decide what to do next. Wood ruled out radiation and chemotherapy since it would not cure him. She also decided against amputation. Buster weighed more than 160 pounds and Ward said she couldn’t fathom Buster being able to amble about with just three legs.

Wood said she spent hours surfing the Internet trying to find alternative treatment options that might help Buster in the final months of his life.

“I felt like all the information needed to be in one place as a jumping off point,” said Wood, who consulted with area veterinarians Earle Flick and Linda Gray while writing “Breakfasts with Butler.”

Wood’s suggestions include traditional and nontraditional treatment options.

“You don’t want to just treat the cancer,” said Gray, a roving Woodbine veterinarian who makes house calls throughout Maryland. “You want to be strengthening the bone as well.”

After Buster’s cancer diagnosis, Wood made several changes in Buster’s care.

First, she changed his diet. Instead of relying on traditional dog food, Wood said she started cooking more for Buster. She offered him ground beef, chicken breast and vegetables. Buster gobbled it all up.

“We wanted to eliminate anything that was grainy or sugary because cancer basically feeds on acid,” said Wood, who expressed regret about not feeding Buster more home-cooked meals before his cancer diagnosis.

Wood said she relied on Gray’s holistic treatments. Gray said she prescribed traditional medication along with some unconventional treatments. Buster was fed a combination of cottage cheese and flaxseed oil, a treatment
Gray said has been shown to combat cancer in humans.

Gray also gave Buster his first acupuncture treatment. Wood said she wasn’t sure if her large dog would take kindly to acupuncture needles, but Buster just flopped and let Gray work her magic.

“He was such a good boy,” Wood said.

Wood said Buster was a gentle giant. He was friendly with Wood’s pet cats. He loved to chase after trucks, including United Parcel Service vehicles that matched his own brown fur.

Whenever a train would rumble past on the tracks less than 200 yards away from the Woods’ home, Buster would perk up. He released a harmonious howl whenever the train whistle blew.

Wood included her memories of Buster in her book. Writing about Buster proved therapeutic for a grieving owner who called him the best four-legged friend she ever owned.

“We still miss him terribly,” she said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reach staff writer Brandon Oland at 410-857-7862 or brandon.oland@carrollcountytimes.com.

Information

Title: “Breakfasts with Buster”

Author: Valerie Wood of Finksburg

What it’s about: After Wood’s dog Buster was diagnosed with inoperable bone cancer, she tried a number of different treatment options. She chronicled her experiences in the book.

Pages: 60      Price: $20.99

Available at: www. amazon.com, www.breakfastswithbuster.com