Dear friends, Today I’m sharing something a little different and very special. I’d like you to meet Ruby. She’s a 15-year-old chihuahua, soon to be 16, born in October 2009. Ruby’s story is truly remarkable, as she’s not only full of spirit but is also leading the way in naturally and successfully fighting cancer.
Ruby at Hogmanay
Ruby was born in England and has been quite the little traveller, even getting to experience Hogmanay, the traditional Scottish New Year celebration. She came into our lives thanks to my mum, who answered an unexpected knock at the door. A woman was trying to give away a puppy, a tiny chihuahua who had been injured when the woman’s daughter accidentally dropped her down a flight of stairs. Ruby suffered a broken back and damage to her back legs. No longer wanting her, they were going door to door in the neighbourhood, trying to pass her off to anyone who would take her. That day, my mum opened the door and changed Ruby’s life forever. Well, it changed all our lives forever.
Ruby at Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight
At the time, Mum was living in England with my younger brother, while my older brother and I were in Australia with our own rescued dogs, but that’s a story for another time.
Ruby has always been full of energy and spirit. She absolutely loves her food, sometimes a little too much! She has a funny habit of playing with a single piece of kibble, patting it, tapping it, and tossing it into the air several times before finally eating it. Fiercely loyal, she’s spent years protecting my mum and younger brother, Scott. One of her favourite spots has always been on Scott’s lap while he’s in his wheelchair. She may be tiny, but she is truly mighty.
Ruby spent nine years as the only pet in the family. Whenever Mum and Scott went on overseas holidays, she stayed at a local boarding kennel where she especially loved looking after the puppies. Despite never having puppies of her own, she has a strong natural mothering instinct that always shines through. It wasn’t until 2019, when my older brother and I moved to Northern Ireland and Mum and Scott joined us, that Ruby was no longer the sole family pet. That’s when she was introduced to Monkey (5 years old at the time) and Mango (12 years old at the time), two more of our beloved rescued chihuahuas who moved over with us from Australia.
Little did Ruby know that she would soon be introduced to even more members of our ever-growing fur family. She bonded immediately with Monkey and Mango, falling in love with Mango and taking on a motherly role with Monkey. You can see their wedding photos below.
Then, in 2021, we rescued a Juliana piglet named Hamlet and a baby pygmy goat named Lily. When we first brought Hamlet home, she was tiny, believe it or not, even smaller than a chihuahua. She’s a big girl now, but Ruby, ever the devoted mother, looked after her from day one. Even today, despite Hamlet being thirty times her size (though not always in attitude), Ruby still sees herself as Hamlet’s guardian.
It was then, on one ordinary evening in August 2023, when my older brother Wayne was rubbing Ruby's belly that he felt an unexpected lump. We took a closer look at the lump and even googled it, which resulted in mixed explanations. So we booked her into our local vet for a check-up ASAP the very next morning. The appointment was at 10am, and by 10:05am we had been given terrible news. The vet looked at the lump and instantly knew it was mammary cancer. It came as such a shock; Ruby was as energetic as ever, and she seemed so healthy; there were no signs whatsoever other than the lump. Due to Ruby's age, at this stage she was 13 years old; any procedure comes with a higher risk. Our options were to let Ruby be as comfortable as possible and have no treatment or have her go into surgery to remove the lump. As a family, we made the decision that Ruby deserved to be given the best possible chance to survive, so we decided on the surgery.
Our veterinarian Tamara from O'Reilly & Fee Veterinary Surgery in Armagh is the best vet around. We have had animals our whole lives and have experienced a variety of care, but none higher than that given by this practice. She was open and honest about the risks, and she acted very quickly. Ruby was prepped for surgery immediately for the next day, and by the end of that day, she was out of surgery and ready to come home. Ruby is a miraculous fighter; the moment she woke up from the anaesthesia, she was up and jumping like the fun, energetic girl she is. You would never believe she just underwent a massive surgery. Ruby pulled through. Tamara is an expert surgeon and was able to manoeuvre around in Ruby's tiny body to cut out all the cancer she could see. Ruby had a lot removed, 3 nipples included. Of course we wanted the cancer that was removed to be biopsied to test to see if it was malignant or benign.
We waited an agonising few days for the results, and then one evening we got the call. It was benign; we were overjoyed. The cancer was cut out and gone, and Ruby seemed to be thriving. We thanked the veterinary surgery for saving Ruby's life. We continued living life to the fullest for another year, including Ruby and our other dogs in even more events and outings than usual, because you never know how much time you have left.
Every few weeks, I would check her underside and around her nipples for any suspicious lumps or bumps because, unfortunately, once you have had mammary cancer, you are likely to get it again. A few months after the surgery, Ruby was declared cancer-free. I, myself, was diagnosed with cervical cancer and was declared cancer-free, so we had a little celebration.
It was not until one morning in August again of the following year, 2024, that I found a very tiny lump, significantly smaller than the one my brother found the August before. It honestly looked like just a pimple, but it was near one of her remaining nipples, so we thought it was best to get it checked out. We immediately booked an appointment later that same morning with Tamara.
Once again, our appointment was at 10am and by 10:05am, we were devastated to learn that it was mammary cancer returning. This time, Ruby was thinner and, of course, a year older at 14. After discussing it as a family, we made the decision—again—to move forward with surgery. Ruby was given a few days to put on some weight to give her the best possible chance of making it through the procedure.
Although the lump on the surface was tiny, the amount of cancer that had developed underneath was substantial. A large section had to be removed from a particularly difficult area of her lower body. As always, Tamara—the brilliant surgeon—carefully took out everything that looked suspicious, including two more nipples. Ruby had to have a balloon and a drainage tube temporarily inserted to help her body heal.
And once again, to everyone's amazement, the moment Ruby woke up from anesthesia, she was full of energy, jumping around and ready to play, even with a big tube still attached. This little girl truly doesn’t waste a second of life. That night, we brought her home, and the agonizing wait for the biopsy results began—again.
Ruby immediately after the big operation in her surgical suit
A few days later, while I was enjoying my breakfast, I got the call from Tamara. This time, it was not good news. The biopsy showed that Ruby has both stage 4 and stage 2 cancer, and it's aggressive. I broke down upon hearing the news, every cell in my body screaming at how unfair this was, how hard she has fought. I thanked Tamara for everything and asked that terrible question. "How long do you think she has?" Of course, this is an incredibly difficult question to answer. But it was looking like she may just make it to Christmas 2024.
I had to break this heartbreaking news to the rest of my family. I looked at Ruby, and I picked her up and squeezed her tight and said how sorry I was, but this fight is not over. My family never gives up. Our top priority was making sure Ruby wasn’t in any pain, that's always our first concern. We would never allow her to suffer. Once we knew she was comfortable, the next question was: how do we fight this?
We chose to opt out of chemotherapy because if Ruby only had a few months left, we didn’t want that time spent feeling sick and unwell. At that stage, she was still very much herself—happy, energetic, and full of life—and we wanted to keep it that way. That’s when my brother and I began researching natural therapies that might help support her.
We discovered that cancer thrives in an acidic environment, so the first step was to buy alkaline water drops for her water. Next up is the mighty combination of turmeric and coconut oil. For dogs, the combination of turmeric and coconut oil is often used as a natural support in fighting cancer. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may help slow the growth of cancer cells and support the immune system. Coconut oil helps with the absorption of curcumin since it’s a fat-soluble compound and also offers antimicrobial and energy-boosting benefits. Together, they help improve overall wellness and reduce inflammation. This was the power combination we started Ruby on.
Alkaline Water
Balances Body pH: Helps neutralise excess acidity, creating a less favourable environment for cancer cells, which tend to thrive in acidic conditions.
Improves Hydration: Alkaline water may be absorbed more efficiently, supporting better cellular function and detoxification.
Boosts Antioxidant Levels: Often contains negative oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), which may help combat free radicals and oxidative stress.
Supports Detoxification: Helps flush out toxins that can contribute to inflammation and cellular damage.
Increases Energy: Proper hydration and pH balance can support metabolic function and overall vitality.
May Reduce Inflammation: By improving pH and hydration, it may help lower inflammation levels in the body.
Turmeric (Curcumin)
Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties.
Studies show curcumin may:
Inhibit the growth of cancer cells and tumours
Block pathways that allow cancer to spread
Induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in some cancer cells.
It may be particularly helpful with inflammation-driven cancers (e.g., colon, breast, prostate, and skin).
Coconut Oil
Contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and lauric acid, which have antimicrobial and immune-supporting properties.
Research suggest it helps:
Support overall cellular health
Improve nutrient absorption, especially of fat-soluble compounds like curcumin.
Provide an alternative energy source for the body that doesn’t feed cancer cells (which typically rely on glucose).
Luckily for us, Ruby has always loved her food, apart from the brief period before her last surgery when she lost weight from obviously not feeling well from the cancer. She drinks the alkaline water with no issue, as it has no taste; she absolutely loves the coconut oil, and she tolerates the turmeric. It isn't her favourite, but she does eat it. You can tell that at the time of writing in June 2025, I am speaking of her in the present tense, as she is still here with us. Ruby is thriving; she has gained back the weight she had lost, no more lumps have presented themselves, and she is as energetic and lively as ever, going for walks every single day.
Up until April 2025, Ruby was doing excellent, but I still was doing research on fighting cancer, and I came across hemp oil and turkey tail mushrooms.
Hemp oil and turkey tail mushrooms are commonly used as natural supplements to support dogs with cancer:
Hemp oil
May help reduce pain, inflammation, and anxiety and can improve appetite and quality of life. It also has potential anti-tumour effects through its interaction with the endocannabinoid system.
Turkey tail mushrooms
They are packed with immune-boosting compounds like beta-glucans, which help the body recognise and fight abnormal cells. They’re known to support immune function and have been studied for their potential to slow cancer progression, especially in cases like hemangiosarcoma.
So I made sure that none of these natural treatments or ingredients would interact badly with any of the others, and when I found out that they do not and they can, in fact, complement each other, we added the turkey tail and the hemp oil to her diet alongside the alkaline water, turmeric and coconut oil. I will link down below the brands I use and trust that are all designed specifically for pets. Ruby is a small chihuahua weighing around 2.3 kg (5 pounds), so for her, she gets the following daily doses:
3 drops of alkaline into an 8-ounce bowl of water as regularly as she needs water
1/2 a capsule of turmeric
1/2 a capsule of turkey tail mushroom
1 pump of hemp oil
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (more because she likes it and there are no adverse effects of more)
The brands I use are:
Alkazone: Alkaline Water for Pets
Tiana Coconut Therapy: Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for Dogs
Pets Purest: Premium Turmeric Curcumin
Herbal Paws: Turkey Tail Mushroom Capsules
As I write this in June 2025, I’m happy to share that Ruby is thriving, she’s energetic, pain-free, and showing no signs of cancer progression, six months beyond Christmas. At this rate, we’re hopeful she’ll enjoy many more Christmases to come, and it looks like she’s well on her way to celebrating her 16th birthday this October.
We hope that by sharing Ruby's story, we can give hope to those of you out there who receive the devastating cancer diagnoses for your dog to not give up hope. Unfortunately, when this diagnosis is given, most families choose to put their dogs down. We are happy to share that Ruby is not in any pain and her quality of life is as good as it's ever been. Please feel free to comment on this article about Ruby and reach out to me for any advice and support. Ruby would not still be with us if it wasn't for Tamara and her team of vets and vet nurses at O'Reilly & Fee Veterinary Surgery, so we are forever grateful to them.
It has been the combination of the surgeries and these natural treatments that allows Ruby to be thriving in spite of having cancer; she truly is sticking it to cancer. To anyone out there going through something similar, I hope Ruby’s story brings you a sense of hope. Always take your pet’s unique situation and medical needs into careful consideration, and make decisions that honour both your emotions and the science. Consider both natural remedies and conventional medicine to best support your pet. Above all, do what feels truly right for your pet. Thank you so much for reading, and until next time, vegouttt, everybody.
