< Updated 2026-02-26 >

< The link to this page –  https://www.forcefreepets.com/Muppy-Joy-Cancer/ >

Muppy & Don–Our Journey with Cancer

An Update–FEB 2026

By Don Hanson, PCBC-A, BFRAP

< Updated 2026-02-26 >

The picture on the far left was taken by one of Muppy’s favorite people, the amazing Debra Bell of Bell’s Furry Friends Photography. It has always been one of my favorite photos of Muppy and me. I’ve always liked caricatures, so a couple of years ago I had a caricaturist turn Deb’s photo into a caricature. Then I asked ChatGPT to create the image on the right. It is my favorite image of Muppy because, even though it exaggerates our appearance, it clearly captures the bond we share and the joy we find in one another’s company. It is now printed and posted next to my desk, and it’s my phone’s home screen, so I can view it when I’m feeling down. It makes me feel better when I’m struggling with the fact that Muppy is not well. It’s not quite as good as Muppy bouncing off my legs and asking, “What are we doing today, Don?” but it’s close.

Incidentally, Muppy still has many days when she bounces off me just as I have described. She did so this morning when we first got up, and again when we went out to the car to take us to the vet. It was a good sign.

On a positive note, Muppy’s tumor has not blocked her bladder, and she is still producing urine. One thing I like about the snow is that it makes it easy to assess the quality of her urine stream. The first pee of the morning, Muppy is cutting snow like a laser cuts steel.

We still need to take Muppy out to urinate every 40 to 90 minutes during the day, basically whenever she asks. The past few weeks, she’s started waking me at night to take her out as well. I’ve never housetrained a puppy in winter, by choice, and now I have even greater empathy for those of you who have. Please understand, I’m not complaining, as this is a small price to pay to still see her smiling face throughout the day. She is having more frequent accidents, which is a boon to the paper towel industry. I also must tell you, I love my Bona mop.

Muppy has also gotten finicky about eating the past couple of weeks, but that is not unusual with senior dogs. We’re dressing up her food with things like scrambled eggs and other tasty morsels.

Muppy has also been straining to defecate occasionally, sometimes taking up to 15 minutes before producing a poop. Yes, I keep track of the time at 1 AM, especially when it’s below zero. While I can dress for such inclement weather, Muppy is out there naked, yet she does not seem to mind. Just to be safe, 15 minutes is our limit.

It’s been almost a month since Muppy’s last visit to see her friend Dr. Abby, so we had an appointment today for a wellness check. An examination of her pooper indicated swollen anal glands, which were relieved. The stool sample I brought in was assessed and passed. We did bloodwork to check her kidneys, as she has chronic kidney disease, and saw a marked improvement from her lab work last month. Lastly, an ultrasound indicated the tumor in her bladder has not grown. I am smiling as she lies next to my desk sleeping, where she most likes to be while I’m working.

Please keep us in your thoughts and send any positive energy you can spare. My greatest desire right now is that Muppy and I can have one more Spring together and some days to amble along in the grass with her sniffing the flowers.

Muppy & Don–Our Journey with Cancer

An Update–JAN 2026

By Don Hanson, PCBC-A, BFRAP

< A version of this article was published in the FEB 2026 issue of Downeast Dog News>

< Updated 2026-01-29 >

< The link to this page – https://www.forcefreepets.com/MuppyCancerUpdateJAN26 >

 Muppy was diagnosed with bladder cancer on June 20^th. As I write this on January 8^th, I am very pleased to tell you that Muppy is still with us, and our journey continues.

Since about 25% of dogs may develop cancer, and the risk rises to 40-50% over age ten, I believe sharing my story can help others facing similar journeys with their dogs. I hope my experience makes your path a little easier.

My earlier column emphasized my concern about how my grief would affect Muppy [FMI–How and When We Grieve Matters, Finding Joy at a Stressful Time]. At the same time, I was also concerned about how my grief would affect me, my wife, my employees, and my friends. When my Golden Tikken passed, I was a wreck. For all concerned, I decided to start seeing a therapist, and it has been invaluable. Never be afraid to seek out professionals to help with your mental health.

I believe that one of the greatest gifts we can give our pets is to end their suffering when the time comes. Over my 68+ years of life, I have been exposed to situations where I felt people euthanized a pet too soon or allowed a pet to suffer for too long. I am determined not to do either with Muppy. My family, friends, employees, and a team of trusted veterinary professionals understand my desire, and I am confident they will tell me what I need to hear. In other words, Muppy and I are lucky that we are not taking this journey alone. That gives me great comfort.

Within days of Muppy’s diagnosis, I developed this list to assess Muppy daily to help determine if she was suffering. Since I live where I work, over the 12+ years Muppy has been part of our family, I have been able to interact with and observe her behavior almost every day. The fact that she is a “daddy’s girl” and that she likes to keep me company helps. Where I erred was assuming anything negative in the list was a 5-alarm fire.

Excited to greet the day – I treasure Muppy and the enthusiasm with which she greets each new day. Physically, she still acts like she did when she was five, as shown in this photo.

Seeking out interactions with us – Muppy has always been emotionally connected to both Paula and me. Any change in this behavior could indicate that she is not well.

However, that intense emotional bond can cause us to affect one another. In November, when I hurt my back, I was obviously in pain. I now believe Muppy picked up on my discomfort. She seemed to insist on staying closer. During this same time frame, there were days she would not eat, and she would get me up in the middle of the night. That, in turn, made me more anxious about her, and it became a vicious feedback loop until I became less obsessed with seeing 5-alarm fires.

Showing signs of pain or discomfort – It’s normal for a person or dog to show signs of pain and discomfort throughout their life. A temporary illness like diarrhea in the middle of the night does not necessarily mean that Muppy’s cancer is getting worse.

Eating normally and maintaining weight – Muppy has always wolfed down her meals except when she’s not feeling well, and again, I overcompensated. Yes, she occasionally chooses not to eat, but she has maintained her weight. I remember my mom not eating as much in her last few years, and even I don’t eat as much as I used to. It’s part of aging and again, not a 5-alarm fire.

Going to the bathroom normally – One of the symptoms of Muppy’s bladder cancer is that she feels like she constantly needs to pee. Thus, her new normal is to urinate and then attempt to urinate anywhere from three to six times before she is ready to go back inside. That means we are taking her out every 40 to 90 minutes while she is awake. This requires constant attention and can be exhausting, but we both know we are there for one another. The fact that she does still pee every morning when she gets up is a reason to celebrate, as it means the tumor has not caused a blockage in her bladder.

Sleeping well – Throughout her life, Muppy has always slept well at night, though she occasionally does not when she is feeling ill or worried about me.

Lessons Learned – At 14+ years of age, Muppy is going to slow down. I need to consider everything on my list and not panic when one or two little things aren’t quite right. Patience and acceptance can help you feel more grounded as your pet ages.

Muppy takes every day as it is and makes the best of it, and I need to remind myself to do the same. Both she and I will benefit when I do.

 Photos by Debra Bell of Bell’s Furry Friends Photography

2025-10-19 – My apologies for the delay in updating. September and October have been hectic months, but Muppy is doing well. In other words, “No News Is Good News.”

I’ve been struggling with Muppy’s dismissal of breakfast and have finally found a solution. Hopefully, I haven’t jinxed it. For the past several days, breakfast has consisted of her AM medications and supplements, and a few treats. She gets her main meal during the day between 2 PM and 4 PM and eats it all. She’s getting the same number of calories, just in one meal. And she is maintaining her weight.

2025-10-17 – Muppy finished her second round of chemo, so she is on a “chemo vacation.” There were no apparent adverse effects, but she will have some blood tests done next week to verify nothing is going awry internally. If everything looks good, she will start another round of chemo at a higher dose.

2025-09-23 – Muppy visited Dr. Monk at Lucerne Veterinary Hospital for a follow-up after Muppy’s first round of chemo. They needed to keep her for a few hours so they could get her to drink and fill up her bladder. Without fluids, her bladder is tiny, and it’s very hard to see anything. Also, because even with fluids, it may not be the same size and shape as it was the last time it was imaged. However, Dr. Monk believes the mass near the neck of her has not changed in size. This is the primary concern, because in this location, the mass could cause a blockage of fluids coming into or exiting the bladder. The larger mass near the top of the bladder is more difficult to assess due to its location. Dr. Monk says the mass is not any deeper, but it may have extended the amount of surface it is covering. They also did blood work to check Muppy’s kidneys and liver, and there are no concerns about the chemo and piroxicam harming her kidneys or liver at this time. She will now be starting her second round of chemo at a slightly higher dose.

2025-09-07 – Four days without chemo, and Muppy’s appetite is back to normal. Friday evening, we took our annual group photo of the Green Acres team, and Muppy was present, front and center. Tomorrow (9/8), we will resume chemo and her other post-diagnosis supplements and medications including the Ondanestron for nausea.

2025-09-04 – Snuggling in the afternoon.

2025-09-03 – After Muppy did not eat any of her breakfast and I reviewed the emails received from Dr. Monk and Dr. Arena this morning, I made an appointment for Muppy to be seen by Dr. Arena today. As we were sitting in the car waiting to be called in, Dr. Arena came out and was talking to the people in the car next to us. Muppy either heard, saw, or smelled her and immediately wagging her tail as she watched them. It’s a good thing when your dog is happy to see their veterinarian!

I had intentionally not allowed Muppy to urinate before taking her to the vet, because I knew they would want a urine sample. After only five minutes in the room with the tech, Muppy let loose with a good-sized puddle of urine, confirming she was not blocked. I was ecstatic even though my dog urinated inside. An analysis of the puddle revealed no signs of a UTI. Dr. Arena also performed an ultrasound, which I was able to watch. Muppy did so well, lying patiently on her back, her head cradled in the tech’s hands as Dr. Arena used the ultrasound probe to look inside her. A video of the scan was sent to Dr. Monk for her review.

Based on today’s exam, we decided the following:

• Chemo (Lapatinib) in AM may be causing nausea, causing Muppy ‘s poor appetite in the morning. Dr. Arena and Monk suggested I stop the chemo for a couple of days/ I also elected to also stop all of her post-diagnosis medications and supplements, with the exception of the lobster blood.
• When restarting chemo, give one tab of Ondanestron (anti-nausea med 30 minutes before feeding to see if it makes a difference.
• Arena provided prescriptions for two anti-nausea meds; Ondansteron – short acting, Maropitant Citrate – 24 hours. Give as needed, such as when eating grass.
• Stop Piroxicam for now.
• Report back at the end of the week

When we got home, I allowed Muppy out back to go to the bathroom, and after going, she had a bout of Puppy Zoomies, so I guess we can say she’s feeling ok. 

2025-09-02 – Muppy is doing very well and continues to start every day enthusiastically. She started chemotherapy last week. It is an oral drug we can administer once a day at home. Later in the week, we also began another medication, an anti-inflammatory, which is expected to reduce tumor growth. At the end of the week, she was experiencing some vomiting and nausea, which I am discussing with her care team. We are doing everything to keep her doing so. This is the team that is helping us help her.

Dr. Abby Arena of Penobscot Veterinary Services is Muppy’s primary veterinarian. She diagnosed Muppy’s cancer and connected us with Dr. Bob Bayer, a former UMO professor and lobster expert who is researching hemocyanin, a component of lobster blood that may have anti-tumor properties. Lobster blood also contains antimicrobial peptides and proteins, which may play a role in reducing oxidative stress and potentially help prevent cancer progression. Muppy is participating in Dr. Bayer’s research,

Dr. Arena also referred us to Dr. Stephanie Monk at Lucerne Veterinary Hospital, who is Muppy’s oncologist. Muppy started chemotherapy, which can be given orally, daily, at home, on August 24. She has shown no ill effects.

Dr. Judy Herman at the Animal Wellness Center in Augusta is Muppy’s homeopathic veterinarian. She has prescribed an appropriate homeopathic remedy to help Muppy’s vital force allow her body to fight her cancer.

Dr. Michael Munzer of All Creatures Acupuncture Holistic Veterinary Therapies in Bucksport is Muppy’s veterinarian who specializes in Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and Veterinary Chiropractic. He is adjusting Muppy and treating her with acupuncture to balance her Qi and to keep her comfortable. He has also prescribed some herbs specific to her symptoms and the bladder. Muppy, as you can see in his photo, finds acupuncture very zen-like.

Beyond her medical team, Muppy has many special friends whose visits bring great joy. Debra Bell from Bell’s Furry Friends Photography has been photographing Muppy annually since she joined our family and was one of our first friends to meet here when she joined the family in 2013. NOTE: Muppy always smiles for Deb when having her picture taken.  I need to put the phone or camera down to get a smile. She has started our 2025 photos, which will be going into a tribute book for Muppy when she passes. Deb has been advised that we are planning on post-2025 sessions.

Muppy is fortunate to have the entire Green Acres and ForceFreePets team in her corner. She loves to solicit (DEMAND) tummy rubs when anyone visits my office. Here, Muppy is with Cristina, one of the Force-Free Pets dog training instructors. Muppy also met Cristina very early on, and they had an instant bond. Muppy recognizes the sound of Cristina’s truck and knows when she’s here.

Many of you have also responded to my article in the August edition of Downeast Dog News, on my ForceFreePets blog, or to my Woof Meow Tip, which started airing on Star 97.7 WNSX yesterday.

Mike D., Paul D, Emma D, Beth H., Bonnie, Randall, & Hope J. Thank you for your kind words and support. They are greatly appreciated.