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Well Cathy we weren't able to touch boomer's nose to stop the bleeds as it was so painful but we did have him lay down and i would sing to him in a calm voice and pet him on his back and the bleeding would stop fairly quickly.I am still finding blood drops in the craziest places in this house.I haven't cleaned the carpets yet.Wow my heart is just aching for you guys.Boomer did what Dash did too with a toy i gave him(just set it down and walked away from us) as I look back I think he could sense the end was near as he was distancing himself from us .Although on his last day with us he was so affectionate and loving. I hope only the best for you all.Just enjoy each day,but you already know that!!I will have you in my prayers tonight.take care
I'm sorry to hear that Dash is on a down cycle. I know that for many of us Dash is our dog guide. It's like I know him personally and I am saddened to hear that he is feeling poorly. I will say an extra prayer for him.
If nothing else this disease is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Yesterday Ginger was spared a big bleed so hopefully we are in a steadying phase again. If she kept up the bleeding as it was last week. we were looking at a fairly swift end.
Thanks for all that you (and Dash) have done for us.
I forgot to add: I have been making the rounds of the thrifts to buy sacrificial blankets to wash up and throw on anything that Ginger lays on. We've rolled up the Persian rugs and put out cheaper loomed rugs and runners in rooms that she hangs out in and have bought some "rag" towels to deal with blood. So far she is still interested in her toys but I can understand why these sick dogs would tend to lose interest when they are feeling down. Thanks again.
Well, hello again. Some of you asked me to keep you updated. Kisses, our 15 1/2 yr old Yorkie is off tomorrow afternoon on Pet Airways to Colorado State University Animal Cancer Clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado. He will be picked up at the airport by his boarding buddy, who will take great care of him and transport him back and forth from the hospital for his work up and 3 radiation treatments. This is about as close to the CyberKnife as it gets. Colorado State University is supposed to have the BEST animal cancer center in the U.S. We're pretty excited and hopeful that this will give Kisses a lot of comfort and a longer time to enjoy his life. He will have another CT scan and exam Friday and then, if all is well, have radiation on consecutive days. Wish him well!!!
Dash, Jazz, Dazzle and I send Kisses lots of prayers and positive thoughts that the radiation can zap his cancer and he live out the rest of his normal life span in comfort. My regular vet and one of the vets that work for him went to vet School at Colorado State and I will say they did turn out a couple fine vets! I hope Kisses handles the travel well. Keep us posted on how he does.
Well we are down to 1.5 days of antibiotics left and Dash does seem to once again be on the upside of this roller coaster ride. A few days ago he was laying in the back seat of the car which is very unusual for him and suddenly seemed to decide that he could not leave me yet as I just can't do without my navigator ( his opinion is women can not drive!..typical man!) .He suddenly got between the seats in his navigator postion looked at me and I knew that he was still willing to continue with his life as that sparkle was back in his eye. We got home he gobbled his food and part of Jazz's and has been doing so the past couple days. At 4:00 he is at the front door waiting to go to the dog park with Dazzle. At the park he follows me around and even will run to catch up to me. I am once more totally amazed at his will to live. I have also cut back on the tramadol that I had been giving him and he now gets 1/2 a normal dose so maybe part of his down slide was infection , the antibiotics along with the panacur for giardia and then the narcotic on top of it all? Anyway he seems to be back and today at the park when a pitbull we had never seen before came over to check out that swelling ( as all the dogs that do not know him have to do) He barked at it and it ran off so he was feeling mighty proud he chased away a big muscle dog like a pitbull!
Later Dazzle had a wild game of chase and tumble going on with that same pitbull and Dash had to go over and bark at him afraid our skinney boy would get hurt by this muscle boy. It was kind of cute him trying to protect Dazzle .
So for now it looks like the navigator rides again . Thanks for any well wishes or prayers sent his way. Jan
Kisses has landed safely and is already at the Canine Health Resort in Fort Collins. Tomorrow is his first day -- a long one with the full work up and CT scan. Then a weekend of rest before the radiation starts. We're very pleased with the service on Pet Airways; everyone was extremely nice and made sure the animals were comfortable.
Hi all,
Jan, I've been thinking about Dash while we were away and was glad to come home to news that he's on an upswing. Go Dash!
Good luck in Colorado to Kisses, too. It figures that we left Colorado just before Scout was diagnosed. We lived about an hour from Fort Collins. I'll be interested in hearing more about how Kisses reponds to treatment and what meds they have him on following radiation.
Scout is still taking piroxicam. We also put him on a maintenance dose of clindamycin, since we seemed to be going on antibiotics again just as we came off them. The maintenance dose (half of the regular dose) doesn't seem to be holding its own, though. If we keep him at the regular dose, I'm going to be putting as much money into that in a year as I would if I just did another round of radiation (well, almost, not including the CT scan)! Not sure what to do on that front...Otherwise he is good but hot. Summer has finally come to New England.
Hey Jan,
Do you have any further thoughts on the doxycycline? Like I said earlier, we're keeping Scout on clindamycin indefinitely because it stops his nasal discharge (not sure what the discharge is from, tumor or radiation). I know doxy is cheap (clindamycin is NOT) and wonder if I ought to give it a try instead. Did it clear up Dash's infection?
Erica
Erica,
The doxycycline did clear up Dash's infection but not as fast as some of the others have done. He tolerated it well too. However with this last infection the vet did not use it. Right now I am hoping Dash does not end up with yet another infection as for at least a week now there has been a wildfire in Santa Maria and despite it being about 60 miles north of us we have been getting the smoke and ash. I came home from work one morning to find Dash outside asleep on the patio with a layer of ash on him. I have a dog door and he prefers to go out and sleep on the patio as it is cooler . I work a 12 hr night ( 3 days a week) so I can not block the pet door as they need to go out so all I can do is hope for the best. I think a 2nd infection so soon after this last one would be too hard for him. I am having a very difficult time getting any pills down him as he clamps his mouth, won't accept a pill pocket or peanut butter and today I tried Liverwurst and he will not even take that! He is very suspicious of anything I offer him now. Jan
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) He barked at it and it ran off so he was feeling mighty proud he chased away a big muscle dog like a pitbull!
