Sit, Stay, Heal – What Dogs Can Teach Us About Living Well comes from a canine oncologist who fights cancer herself during the course of the book. Dr. Renee Alsarraf talks about the different animals she sees in her clinic, discusses their outcomes, the death of her own pet to cancer, and her own treatment process.
The book is filled with ups and downs. Each chapter reveals a new canine patient, their diagnosis, and often their outcome. Every story is unique. One time a dog with no signs is brought in because a psychic told them he had cancer. He did.
One time a dog was rushed to the hospital with internal bleeding and lived mere weeks after a grim diagnosis.
The book keeps you turning the pages, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, and always wondering if the author would be okay at the end. I admit to checking up on her and was relieved to see her looking just fine on her Instagram page. You can see her here.
This was a fantastic book in that it never made me question why the author bothered to write it. Her job is very interesting, and one we seldom get a look at. Each patient was interesting, and for the most part well behaved.
One of our own dogs had cancer a few years ago, so I was keenly interested in the dog who had a similar cancer. Sandy’s type of cancer was healed up with a supplement and surgery, whereas this one was not curable as it was in the stomach.
I was surprised to see no mention of Turkey Tails in the book, and now I wonder if it is an uncommon supplement. It worked great for Sandy Pawz, now on year 4 of being cancer free. It worked very well for Sandy and a quick look around shows more studies are being done with canine cancer.
All in all, the book was an enjoyable read. If you’re curious about cancer and don’t mind a good cry (dogs do pass away during the book.) I would highly recommend this book. I read this as part of my reading challenge, which you can see here.
Similar Posts:
- Interview with Dr. Renee Alsarraf author of Sit, Stay, Heal.
- Can Turkey Tails Help Fight Cancer in Dogs?
- Review of Remember Me? Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
- Review of Zak George’s Guide to a Well-Behaved Dog
- Review of When Harry Met Minnie
