To order:  https://savingsickfish.org/order

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Let’s dose this out for a dog that weighs about 66 pounds.

Flintstones Complete – Give one tablet per day

NAC 600mg – Give two caps per day

Rx Colchecine 0.6mg – 1.5 tablets by mouth once a day.

Rx Prednisone 20mg – Give 1+1/2 tablet twice a day for 14 days then 1+1/2 tablet per day long term.

Fenbendazole 1 gram packets – Give 1.5 packets by mouth daily for 3 days then 4 days off.

DHEA 100mg – Give 3 capsules by mouth once a day every day.

Geranyl Geraniol 150mg –  Give one capsule by mouth daily

TUDCA 250mg –  Give two caps by mouth once a day

Berberine 500mg – Give one capsule by mouth once a day

• DMSO Fluids once a week
• Costco Kirkland’s Signature Salmon and Sweet Potato dry dog food.

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Read Joe Tippens actual protocol for humans if you want.

How much is Colchicine? The following prices are for NINETY tablets.

 

By “subscribers” I just mean, owners of the new book “Saving Sick Fish” by Dr Erik Johnson available here.

I digitized part of my fish health library. I posted it online with the door locked so I’d be able to read the books from time to time waiting on my fiance to finish some shopping or whatever. The books compile nicely on a smart phone screen.
Each book offers something very useful from beginner to advanced.
Each book is searchable. And if you find something you wanna remember you can highlight and copy text.
But because there is no commercial reason or use for these besides my own edification, you aren’t set to download the files, nor share, nor print them. The work belongs to the copyright holder where applicable. Many of the works don’t have a copyright holder extant, concerned or even ‘still alive’.
Not much has changed however, since 1976- with the workings of a hermit crabs’ gills. No major renovations in 300 million years to be exact hahahaha.

www.savingsickfish.org/docs-personal-library/

Odd things, in Veterinary medicine when a Mastocytoma shows up. Let me catch you up.

Here’s some highlights if you’re looking at a Mastocytoma / Histiocytoma diagnosis with a pet of your own:

1. Dog seldom die of Mastocytoma.
2. Dogs seldom die of Histiocytoma
3. Histiocytomas and Mastocytomas often appear identically.
4. Mastocytomas are “Graded” on a scale running from 1 to 3.
5. Some Mastocytomas are like Millennials and basement dwelling videogamers who are happy to achieve thirty years old living unmarried in their parents basement. On the other hand, some Mastocytomas are like Elon Musk and spread like the culturally co-opting phrase “I celebrate Ramadan” at an “inclusive” post menopausal white woman dinner party.
6. Chemotherapy and radiation have no impact on whether your dog will have another Mastocytoma. About thirty percent of dogs sprout another Mastocytoma whether you spend $12,000-$21,000 on an oncologist, or NOT.**

For starters, you can’t usually tell by looking at a “mass” whether it’s a Mast Cell Tumor (mastocytoma) or a Histiocytoma. (Same “cancer” except it’s made of renegade Histiocytes).

Nearly round, raised pink ‘mass’ that sometimes bothers the dog, sometimes changes in size from day to day and usually drops the hair growing on it. They look like someone tried to graft a strawberry onto the skin.

So it’s not REALLY a visual diagnosis. But it tries to be.

When you suspect a Mastocytoma I like to remove the mass with the widest margins I can still close safely. I like to remove the mass-primary and also go a little deeper and take whatever subcutis I can, usually there’s a layer of fat you can take without consequence to the dog or the surgery. When I get my results back and they say “narrow margins” I can sleep at night knowing I took it a step further and got “more”

What exactly IS a histiocytoma or mastocytoma? Apparently it’s a giant “party” of cancerous / renegade inflammatory cells that have aggregated in one location which creates the equivalent of a mass. The argument might maintain that ONE mastocyte went ‘crazy’ and formed a tumor with a zillion clones of itself. Sometimes I wonder if these “masses” of cancerous mastocytes are actually “working on something” we don’t understand. Like a ‘dog pile’ instead of one cell creating a mass of it’s own replicates. Ahhhhhh who cares.

For the most part, “gone is gone”.

Histopathology of one Mastocytoma reflects “grading” and the typical biopsy report:  2024-04-26mastocytoma

I recommend a biopsy of these masses. A histopathologist can look at the mass under a microscope with special stains and tell us what kind of tumor we have, and then they can GRADE IT. And a higher grade mass is harsh and fast. A lower grade mass (Grade I for example) is like that kid that never launches because he’s on his videogame every spare moment. They don’t grow, fast if it all and they don’t move around. They stay right where they started. You can remove them without a trace.

These days: Franchises and corporate veterinary environments have found a lucrative, chemo/radiation approach to Mastocytomas. I haven’t seen one case where it made a difference over just leaving the dog alone after resection. **

If your dog has something that looks like a Histiocytoma or Mastocytoma, you can try smearing it with some hydrocortisone or giving some antihistamines to see if the cells can be ‘dismissed’ and disperse. In all likelihood, removal is a better option, cutting wide and going deep. Interpret the biopsy with “How we will handle potential future masses or ‘growbacks'” and then decide if you want to pay for oncology or not. Chemo/Radiation has not made a difference to the pets we sent out for it, or for those owners who didn’t want it. (And there are a LOT of those who can’t afford it.) And it’s from these cases WITHOUT chemo/radiation that we see in clinical-practice that even without it, dogs do “pretty well” with high odds of survival.

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[ps2id id=’why-chemo’ target=”/]Okay so here is how that goes. In the eighties and nineties we removed Mastocytomas and held our breath. 20-30% of dogs got another Mastocytoma sooner, or often: Later. Which we’d remove and nobody died.

More recently, it’s been far more profitable to do chemotherapy or radiation on the Mastocytoma cases especially if they are high grade. And then: Over the years subsequent: 20-30% of dogs get another Mastocytoma sooner, or often: Later.

Which leaves ME wondering why we’re doing chemo and radiation on all the Mastocytomas if the outlook for recurrence is clinically the same?

NAC Canine n-Acetyl-Cysteine NAC For Dogs.

I’ve had questions about NAC. And there’s a LOT of hype and “buzz” around it.

First, “What is n-Acetyl cysteine (NAC)?”

It’s an Amino Acid. It’s rich in cysteine and serine. Yay!

Where to get NAC Quickly, Affordably and Safely

We used to use n-Acetyl cysteine as an “inhaler” and it would VERY effectively break down and move out mucus in the lungs and bronchi.

Then I guess someone thought: “We should inject n-Acetyl cysteine into dogs, and feed it to them. And just see what happens.”

And found out that it’s “magical” and benefits practically everything they tried it on. (150mg/20lb Once a Day at least, all the way up to 100mg/lb is recommended in some places.)

My recommendation:   20mg per pound once or twice a day. 60 lbs = 1200mg once a day.

I mean, n-Acetyl cysteine kills effing GERMS!!! It boosts the number and function of anti-oxidant producing cells and production in the body. n-Acetyl cysteine’s used in airway AND neurological injury. It can help the liver to heal, to survive intoxication, and to help restore function.

And, n-Acetyl cysteine has all the benefits of other “big time” antioxidants. It’s a precursor to Glutathione, the OG (original gangsta) of antioxidants.

Where to get NAC Quickly, Affordably and Safely

I am presenting a small curated list of articles that flesh this out and some doses from “reasonable and trustworthy sources” on the Interwebs.

Optimal Nac Dosages For Dogs- A Guide. – PetShun

NAC_In_Traumatic_Brain_Injury

Amelioration of oxidative stress using N‐acetylcysteine in canine parvoviral enteritis – PMC

Antibacterial effect of N-acetylcysteine on common canine otitis externa isolates – PubMed

Top 9 Benefits of NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)

Effect of N‐Acetylcysteine Supplementation on – Clinical Score, and Survival in Hospitalized Ill Dogs

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Dosing NAC In Dogs

Green is the recommended dose for the dog. In yellow is a higher-end dose and caution could be exercised as it’s possible to upset the stomach with NAC in the higher dose ranges. Where to get NAC Quickly, Affordably and Safely

Where to get NAC Quickly, Affordably and Safely

Surgery Recovery Suits have a few features to look for:

These features are IMPORTANT

1. You might need one with full front leg coverage
2. You might need one with full hind leg coverage.
3. And you just might need to protect the dog’s trunk or soft parts like the following one:

So one feature is leg coverage or not.

The second feature is whether the dog can still get to it’s soft parts. (Private parts) which is sometimes undesirable)

In the above image –  there is NO ACCESS TO HER GIRLPARTS –  the hole is for where the dog’s tail goes through. YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE SUIT FOR THE DOG TO PEE AND POOP.

Which leads me to my NEXT feature and that’s the VELCRO tabs you see going up on her sides. That makes this thing

1. Infinitely adjustable
2. Quick to open and reclose

So make SURE when you buy that you get the one that protects the girl / boy parts if that is the “point” of the suit. And make sure it’s got the tabs going  up the sides of the abdomen and:

1. NOT zipper
2. NOT snaps.

Any Surgery Recovery Suit you choose should have two Velcro tabs running up either side of the abdomen in front of the hind legs. THAT is adaptability and ease-of-use.

Here’s Where to Start (Click Here)

Conserving SeaTurtles in Fresh Water – It Can and Should Be Done.

The TL;DR – Sea Turtles can survive and thrive in fresh water. They would be safe from a globe full of fishermen who harvest as many as they can catch. Breeding sea turtles could at LEAST be done artificially but it’s possible they can learn to reproduce on artificial beaches. Feeding sea turtles would require manmade feed. Space needed for sea turtles would be large lakes. Impact on the environment could be gauged in smaller private lakes and bodies of water. (Bibliography)

Since I was in my teens I’ve dreamed of rearing Sea Turtles in fresh water. I always thought it was possible and now I know that it is. My first exposure to that reality was a side show in Florida. A man had a Sea Turtle swimming around in an above-ground swimming pool in fresh water. Apparently he did not know they only lived in salt water.

The turtle had been captive (on display) for at LEAST five years in exclusively fresh water eating bits of fish, and probably dog food.

Two other cases of Sea Turtles that “got lost” in fresh water ponds, and which swam up the Potomac to happily swim around for an undetermined amount of time prove that freshwater does not kill Sea Turtles. These cases are described in the limited bibliography below. (Bibliography)

Reasons that Chat GPT AI Generated articles conclude that Sea Turtles can’t survive in fresh water:

• Kidneys are engineered to handle tons of salt.
• The Sea Turtle is engineered for Salt Water
• There’s no mollusks, lobster, jelly fish in Freshwater.
• Freshwater pollution is bad for them
• Freshwater predators & diseases are unknown to them.
• Marine water is optimal for them.

And that’s LITERALLY all there is.

These push backs are SURMOUNTABLE entirely. For example we can FEED the Sea Turtles in the habitat / conservatory.We can conserve them against other turtles and predators. We can control certain environmental conditions including heat and alkalinity.

Let’s look at that list again:

• Kidneys are engineered to handle tons of salt. (But they can handle fresh water just fine if acclimated)
• The Sea Turtle is engineered for Salt Water (And a cactus is engineered for the desert but can live in a house)
• There’s no mollusks, lobster, jelly fish in Freshwater. (Sea Turtle Food would not be challenging to manufacture)
• Freshwater pollution is bad for them (Wild in freshwater, MAYBE but no more deadly than a boat load of hungry fishermen in Manila)
• Freshwater predators & diseases are unknown to them. (This would require initial quarantine and experimentation but their worst predators and diseases would actually be ABSENT.)
• Marine water is optimal for them. (No evidence suggests that Fresh Water couldn’t be as good or better)

Would You Be Risking Threatened, Wild Sea Turtles to Your Experiment?

NO not at all.

Every Sea Turtle in the conservatory could be purchased from a turtle farm in the Caymans. NO WILD TURTLES WOULD BE RISKED. (Where the turtles would come from)

The advantages would be numerous

1. Turtles would start out young and adapt to freshwater more easily
2. Bouyancy issues would be easier on the animals practically raised in fresh water
3. Adaptation to new (commercial prepared Mazuri) food would be smoother for young turtles
4. Breeding would be several years off while the Conservatory developed the needed infrastructure, technique and experience.

We would need:

• Mazuri Feeds to design and produce a food for the Sea Turtles
• Blink or Ring or similar to provide cameras to detect human and other predators and provide an early warning.
• DJI to provide a few drones for capturing images of thieves, predators and announcing their location to law enforcement
• Fiberglass inground and aboveground pools for the young turtles being prepared / acclimated to the facilities.
• A front end loader to engineer and build the holding water for the young turtles.
• Acres and acres of fresh water land in Southern Florida so that the turtles could receive the correct temperatures and light.
• Sand for artificial beaches
• Incubation and Hatchery equipment
• Invitation to any Sea Turtle conservationists ,  marine biologists or similar to advise on all things “Sea Turtle”.

Will this ever happen?

Almost certainly not. Mankind has a tendency to “extinct” animals. And so far the only animals that have survived that are FARMED and IMPORTANT.

It is ABSOLUTELY probable that in the interest of keeping NO SEA TURTLE IN CAPTIVITY, the powers-that-be will (in the Big Picture) condemn the species’ to death at the hands of fishermen across the globe even while saving “one nest at a time” on Florida beaches.

The Sea Turtle Farm in the Caymans is (to me) the ONLY hope for long range sea turtle survival by attaching economic import and success to SeaTurtle culture. Unfortunate that there isn’t safe “room” in nature for these animals but we can cry about that all we want. It doesn’t stop those thousands of little boats with fishermen harvesting as many as they can catch and laundering them through Hong Kong.

 

[ps2id id=’sea-turtle-bibliography’ target=”/]Partial Bibliography

Turtle Debate- Can Sea Turtles Live In Freshwater- – MarinePatch

Can sea turtles live in freshwater- [Answered]

Can Sea Turtles Live in Freshwater- A Comprehensive Guide – Tortoise Website

Can Sea Turtle Live in Freshwater – Turtles Talk

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Pond Clean Out Needed? How to Fix / Clean Out an Ecosystem / Gravel Pond or Water Feature?

I had “the boys” out to clean out a pond I’ve neglected for NINE years. Sure I did water changes and sometimes I’d clean the filter, but it was pretty neglected. You couldn’t see the gravel in the bottom because of the layer of leaves and mulm.

Two “Johnsons” in my family decided to be pond managers / installers and one’s my son Lock Johnson and one’s my nephew Parker Johnson.

https://www.beholderaquatics.com/
(706) 851-4425
Lock Johnson
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554823165580

https://thepondfixer.com/
404-532-9276
Parker Johnson
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557221360366

• Parker was trained / mentored by Mark Carter in Tennessee. Mark Carter is a Certified Aquascape Contractor with probably 30 years experience.
• Lock was trained by Pond manager / installer Rich Carter (no relation to Mark) in Marietta at Kol Koi.

So both guys have a lot of high quality experience. They’ve only ever done it right.

In managing the pond in Canton (my shame, 9-years-neglected) I got to see both managers in action. I admired that they took great care with the fish, were cognizant of shooting the liner with pressure washers, avoided illness in the fish through proper handling, and cared for the pond like their own. They know better than to sterilize the pond. And they know how to leave “just enough mulm” to avoid clouding after the cleanout.

I HIGHLY recommend either of these two resources in the Atlanta area. Their pricing is fair and their availability is good, at this time but of course they will be getting busier and busier.

Check out their Facebook pages and websites.

Thanks,

Doc