I don't like Pill Pockets

It's been quite a week. When I came home from the emergency vet last Monday with more pills, mom thought Pill Pockets would be nice for me. As if! Those things are icky and the only way I'll take one is for mom to cram it down my throat. At least they go down like an oyster - or like I think an oyster might slide down never having eaten one.

Smokey likes them but he is becoming a dog of less discerning tastes than he used to be. Anyway, I  ate pretty good on Monday and Tuesday. Then we went to Gainesville again and I had another dose of chemo. We got home with no mishaps. I ate a little chicken Wednesday night and a little more Thursday morning and then my appetite went to sleep and I didn't want food any more. Mom got worried. On Friday she went to Publix and bought organic chicken breasts and thighs, little cans of gourmet dog food, sliced roast beef and roast turkey lunch meat. I turned down everything - even peanut butter.
 

There is no nice way to say it - mom panicked. She called Gainesville. The doctors said not to worry, sometimes dogs don't eat for a couple of days after treatment and suggested I go to the vet up here for a quick check. So off we went. I got poked and prodded and squeezed. But my blood was OK, I had no temperature, and my tummy wasn't tender. I wasn't really dehydrated but I'm not drinking as much as I should so they gave me some fluids. I look like I have a goiter. What next?? The vet said it would disappear. Mom said she would try not to panic but with the holiday weekend coming and me not eating she was still worried.

We went home and all took a nap. When we woke up mom remembered an errand she had to run. We dogs jumped around and barked, "We wanna go!" I looked so lively - and my goiter was gone - so she let us get in the car and we were very happy. We had to stop on the way so mom could move a turtle out of the road. When we got back home, one of mom's friends called. She works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and she's in Alabama coordinating oil spill cleanup - yes, there is still lots of oil coming ashore on the Gulf coast and it isn't pretty. Anyway, her husband had gone out of town on a fishing trip and her daughter would not get home until late in the evening and the dog needed to be let out. So mom left us and went to take Miss Molly for a little walk. Molly was very appreciative.

When mom got home some other friends called. There was a hawk in their yard and it would not fly away. What to do? Mom said she would be right over. She handed out treats and I was interested so she gave us more treats. Then she went off. The bird was a young red-shouldered hawk that must have fallen from the nest. It looked healthy but still had some down. It could fly a little but not much and it was really scared. Mom got a box and a broom and explained what she was doing and why to the bird. It calmed down a little and mom got it into the box and taped the flaps shut. Then she took it to the wildlife rehab place. 

By the time she got home my appetite was really awake and I had some roast beef and crunchy raw carrots but I didn't like the roast turkey. Smokey and Buddy had some. When that package comes out we all line up. I had roast beef for breakfast the next morning. Mom had to go to Publix to get prescription refilled for me and some more roast beef and she got some rotisserie chicken too. WOW! That was really good! So mom baked the chicken thighs and I had some of that too. 

Sunday morning I ate a little bit of dog food but I really want that meat. Mom says she feels like a carnivore but she'll do it for me. For every big bite I get, Smokey gets a small morsel. So far, he hasn't noticed the difference. One day he'll have to go back to regular dog food, but for now mom is happy that I'm eating. She says my ribs aren't quite so noticeable. We have two more days to build up my weight and then back to Gainesville for more chemo. Even though it's a different drug I will probably have no appetite for a couple of days so I really need to bulk up. Mom feeds me four or five times a day but if she'd set all that stuff in front of me at one time I think I could eat it. In between meals I nap on mom's chair or bed or outside. It's warm now but I still like to be outside and sniff and listen to the birds. 

That silly Smokey likes to roll in the leaves.

Smokey and Pasquale are on the wrong side of the door.

We follow mom while she looks at what's happening in the yard. The beauty berries are beginning to bloom. They have pretty teensy pink flowers that become clusters of purple berries in the fall. They are kind of bitter so birds don't eat them until almost everything else is gone.

And the mailbox wren finished laying her eggs and is now on the nest.

Beady eye of wren.

That's it for now. I'm resting but mom promised me a couple slices of roast beef before we turn in for the night.

To Gainesville and back - again

We went to Gainesville on Wednesday to see if I was fit enough for another dose of chemo. Yes! I was!

Even though I've lost the weight I had gained back all my other signs were good. I had another shot of vincristine. I have a new vet and a new student vet. They rotate every two weeks so everyone will get to meet me. Mom waited with me so I only went in the back for a physical exam and to have my blood drawn. Then we sat outside in the courtyard before it got too hot when we came inside to wait. Lots of people came up to pet me and tell me how cute I am. I had to go in the back to have my shot and then we got to go home. 

I slept most of the way home and no vomiting. Here I am with my pink badge of bravery.

I still only want chicken but Smokey eats the rice and dog food and sweet potato. He gets a little chicken too so he doesn't feel left out. He was so happy to see us come home he had to run outside and roll in the grass. It's more fun when his fur is longer because more leaf litter 'sticks' to his fur and he can bring it inside.

One good thing about no rain is that the mosquito population is down. It might rain a little on Friday. The wrens worked on their mailbox nest and if you look closely you can see an egg. Mom thinks there are at least four, maybe five eggs, and the wrens are sitting on them. We have to make sure they stay safe from harm. 

 We have not had rain in more than a week and mom needs to water the plants every day. It was foggy on Thursday morning. The blank spot in the pollinator garden is a new section and things are just starting to grow there.

Mom is going to give me more chicken and raw carrots later. Maybe she'll make another scrambled egg too. I used to like scrambled eggs but last night I forgot I did until Smokey started eating it and then I remembered I liked it so I ate some too. Maybe all t his medication has made my taste buds go ker-flooey.

I'm going to take another nap now.

I am home

I spent the night at the hospital getting fluids and medicine. I was so happy to see mom this afternoon, especially when she took me outside and I peed for about 5 minutes! Home is the best place. I ate some treats and I've had all my pills including my anti-nausea pill. I don't feel like eating real food yet - dry or canned. Maybe tomorrow.

While we were waiting to see the doctor last night, mom read an article about cancer in dogs. Cancer is on the rise in dogs and cats. The article said one dog in four will develop cancer. Watch your pet for any changes in eating or activity or anything that your pet does differently - especially rapid weight loss, lack of appetite and lethargy - and see your vet right away.

I have one special treat that I like right now and I refuse to eat any others even if I ate them before. Mom says I am getting awfully picky for a dog that's lost 10 pounds. She says I have to eat. She's just not feeding me the right food - ha. I'll show her.

Like tonight she boiled an organic chicken breast with some organic white rice. Mom's a vegetarian so meat is not commonly found in our house. I've turned chicken and rice down before, but tonight it tasted really, really good. Smokey got a little bit of chicken and rice but I got most of it. Time to go  peacefully to sleep on mom's bed. I think she's gonna cook me more chicken tomorrow so I'll dream about that.

I'm in the hospital

I could not eat anything all day. I feel so bad. I'm throwing up yellow icky stuff. Mom's worried. She called UF and they said she could bring me down there or go to an emergency vet up here. So we went to one up here and I'm there (another strange place with strange people!) getting rehydrated and some meds to help with the nausea. I hope I feel better in the morning so I can come home.

Still feel crummy

That Pepcid wasn't quite the miracle drug. I really felt sick during the night and went downstairs to be sick. When we went out this morning, I threw up again - icky yellow stuff. We went inside and mom gave me another 1/2 Pepcid with a little peanut butter (it seems I want peanut butter even if I don't eat anything else). We went out an hour later and I threw up again. I still want to eat grass but mom won't let me.

I've had my pills - with peanut butter - and a tiny bit of cheese. I ate one treat. I don't want my real food even though mom put peanut butter on it. I ate the peanut butter. Now I'm taking a nap.

I'm not feeling so good

I didn't want to eat much on Friday - except peanut butter, treats and grass. Mom says no every time I try to eat grass. I had some peanut butter with my pills and some treats. I ate a little food, but mostly I slept. I ate a 1/4 cup of food before we went to bed and then I had to go in the middle of the night.

I ate a little food Saturday morning and a little bit Saturday night. I don't have any more anti-nausea pills. Mostly I'm sleeping today except when we go outside. Mom can tell I don't feel good. I'm trying to tell her what to do but I'm not getting through. I was doing so well until all that throwing up on Wednesday.

FINALLY! I got through to mom. We went downstairs for one more outside trip. She gave us some biscuits when we came back in. I got the ones with charcoal since mom thought maybe they'd help my tummy. And then the word 'Pepcid' popped into her poor brain. The vet said to give me 10mg of Pepcid if I had an upset tummy. So we all jumped in the car (except for the cats) and dashed to Publix. Now we're back and I had half a tablet with a little peanut butter (of course). I hope I feel like a new dog on Sunday.

It's no wonder it took so long. Mom hardly every buys medicine like that. Open her medicine cabinet and all that's there is an out of date bottle of aspirin, dental floss, and some band-aids so old they may not stick. Not exactly a pharmacopoeia.Oh wait. Now, there is a new tube of Neosporin she put on my incision.

Look! I have 6 followers. I think some of my friends from UF are keeping an eye on me in between visits.

No other dog like ME

Thursday night I ate about 3/4 cup of food. Mom had to wake up my appetite with a little peanut butter and some treats. Have I got her trained or what? Of course, Smokey also gets peanut butter and treats so he won't think I get all the special treatment.

I slept all night long and this morning I ate about 1/2 cup of food - Yes! - with peanut butter and treats. I had my prednisone (3/4 tab) and antibiotic with peanut butter. I've been outside several times. I still want to eat grass and managed to bite off part of a blade before mom caught me. She gave me an anti-nausea pill (with peanut butter). I'm going to take a nap now. I still feel a little crummy. She'll see if she can get some more of that nausea pill from the vet before we head into the weekend. I think it would nice to just lay outside in the sun but I can't be trusted.

When we go to the  hospital I see lots of other dogs but I don't see any like me. I've seen a German shepherd, several golden retrievers, a St. Bernard, a chihuahua, schnauzer, labs, and that huge Irish wolfhound, but none with my unique lineage. Also I've seen several cats but they are in carriers so I don't know if they are breeds or not. On Wednesday a woman walked by with two carriers but there were parrots inside not cats! I was flummoxed. At least I never feel like I'm looking in the mirror when we go there because there is no other dog like me.

May 18 and 19, 2011

We got up early Wednesday morning to head to Gainesville for my second chemo treatment. The hard part about the drive is that we leave in the dark and drive east into the rising sun. Generally by the time we head home, we're driving west into the setting sun. At least on that particular morning the temperature was cool - did not get above 50 degrees until we neared Gainesville around 8:30 in the morning.

This is the Small Animal Hospital at UF. Pretty impressive, eh? I wonder about the small animal part since the first dog we saw this morning was an Irish Wolfhound. He was really tall! No one would have to bend down to pet him.

 

 First I had to get on the scale - I gained 2 whole pounds! Everyone was happy about that. Then my student vet came in with some new people and mom had to leave me behind. I didn't want her to go. She promised to be back and I believed her. My student vet has to take time to study for tests so she won't be here the next time I come. She's really nice and I'll miss her, but I know the others will take good care of me too.

Mom went to visit her friends who live in a pleasant retirement community run by the University of Florida. They talked and then went to lunch and took a walk on a nature trail after that. By then I was ready to go home!

Mom came to get me. Everyone was pleased with my progress and I had my second dose of chemo, a pill called Cyclophosphamide (I can't pronounce it either) along with something to make me pee more. They don't want the drug to sit too long in my bladder as that could cause problems later. Mom gave me food and water. (What she didn't know is that I had been eating grass when Smokey and I were on patrol out of her sight for a little while on Monday and Tuesday.) We stopped at the first rest area on I-10 and I went for a walk. I tried to eat grass and mom said, "No!"

Then we started off again and a few miles later I threw up everything I had eaten including a lot of old grass. YUCK. I was embarrassed and I felt bad too. I've never thrown up in the car. Mom said it was OK, so I curled up and went to sleep again. A few miles later, I got up and stood between the front seats. That is where I like to ride when we drive - when I'm awake. I like to see where we're going. Mom reached up to pet me and she saw the look on my face - "I'm gonna hurl, NOW!" And I did - mom's shoulder, the console and the seats. Oh, I felt awful!

Mom pulled off the road and got me out of the car so we could walk a little. She tried to clean up the car some with one towel. The big clean-up would have to wait until we got home. I really felt bad but mom said it was OK and petted and talked to me a lot. Then she put me back in the car and I didn't throw up again. Until we got home. In the house. On the rug.

I didn't not want any food but mom got me to take an anti-nausea pill with some peanut butter and a couple of treats. She ran out of daylight for cleaning the car so had to finish that this morning. Smokey supervised.

 

This morning I had my prednisone and anti-biotic pills with peanut butter and treats but I didn't care about real food. Mom got me to eat a half-cup by dribbling some peanut butter on it. I have to go out in the side yard now and Smokey can't go with me. I like when we get to go out together. Truth to tell, I don't really feel like patrolling today. I just want to sleep and feel better. Maybe I'll eat a little dinner later. Mom says I can't have any more grass!

Early rising is good for what ails you

Monday, May 16, 2011
I felt great this morning. I heard something outside - maybe a fox or a 'dillo. I ran downstairs and out our pet door and barked until it went away. I have to protect everyone when it's dark because Smokey does not go down the stairs by himself except when it's light. I don't know why this is. Maybe he can't see good in the dark or maybe he feels like he has to stay with mom. Anyway, I've always been the one to go outside at night to protect us.

Then I ran back in and flew up the stairs and jumped on the bed and jittered around like I used to do before I got sick. Smokey caught my excitement and he jumped on the bed too. Then the cats woke up.  Of course, mom was awake by then.

We went downstairs. Mom fed all the cats including Friskie on the porch. Then she started the coffee and THEN she gave me and Smokey a whole cup of food each! I gobbled it right down. Smokey is puzzled by our new feeding method. Before I got sick mom used to put food in our bowls in the morning and we ate as much as we wanted when we wanted. Now she feeds us in the morning and the evening and she doesn't leave our food down. He does not go after his food with the same gusto as I do. I think it's because he isn't used to having to eat when the food is offered.

I was still hungry so I checked with Buddy to see if he would drop some of his food on the floor for me. He wouldn't. When he finished I checked to see if he'd left some crumbs for me. He hadn't. Stingy cat.

Monday was such a pretty day; it was still cool and all the plants were happy from Saturday's rain. Smokey and I went outside and patrolled a lot. Mom gave me more food in the middle of the day and another cup of food for dinner. I'm still very hungry. Mom thinks I've gained a few ounces. I can't wait to get on the scale on Wednesday.

As you know from the pictures, Smokey has long, dark fur and he gets hot in the summer. He usually sleeps on the AC floor vent in the bedroom and that means the rest of us don't get any cool air. Last year mom took him in for a haircut. He loved it! He's already had one haircut this year but he was looking a little fuzzy.

Hard to say if it was just fur or he had put on a few pounds because he isn't getting quite as much exercise. ON Tuesday he went to see his friend April for another haircut. He loves April too because she makes him beautiful and cool. April says he knows the routine and jumps on the table by himself. He likes the attention.

He looks like a different dog, doesn't he? And he hasn't gained any weight either so that's good. He felt so good when he got home that he went tearing around the yard by himself.

Me and mom ran some errands and went to the pet food store to get me some more Organix dog food. I love that stuff! I seemed to feel a little more tired today. Maybe because Smokey and I patrolled so much on Monday.

Mom says we have to turn in early tonight because we are getting up early to go to Gainesville for my second chemo treatment. The people down there called today to make sure I'm coming. They like me. Smokey will have to stay by himself again but I think he'll be okay. Jane might stop by and pat him on the head a little bit. At least I'll get a couple of hours sleeping in on the way down. I'll let you know how it goes.

Smokey and I are on Patrol

Sunday, May 15, 2011

We had lots of lovely rain on Saturday. Boy, did we need it. The plants and birds are happy. Mom is trying to grow tomatoes. All those farmer genes from her ancestors aren't helping much. This is a little golden pear-shaped tomato. A few years ago, long before we were even born, mom stayed with some friends in California and they grew these tomatoes. Everyone grabbed some for a snack on the way to the barns and had more on the way back to the house. So far this plant has produced one (1) tomato. Very disappointing.

On the other hand, her friend Paula, sowed, nurtured, and grew these chocolate tomatoes and gave mom two plants. They are doing really well.

We all hope the little eggplants get bigger soon. 

I still have to wear the flower sometimes since I still want to lick my tummy. I thought I had mom fooled about not being able to get around because I couldn't see my feet, but she caught me on the window seat. And then Buddy made me get on mom's bed! He looks so innocent licking his paw. That cat gets me in all kinds of trouble! Smokey said I should sleep in my own bed like he does. Sometimes he is so smug.

Pasquale and Buddy don't pay me much attention but they worry about mom. When mom sits in her chair, Buddy and I get in her lap and take a nap while she reads. We know a warm fuzzy critter is very comforting. The other night Pasquale decided that mom needed comforting but it was around 3:00 a.m. He wanted to walk on her, curl up on her right shoulder and do his deep rumbling purr. They had to compromise because mom said that sort of attention at 3:00 a.m. is NOT comforting.

It's very cool today (Sunday). I ate a whole cup of food this morning and I tried to eat Smokey's food too. I also checked the floor to see if the cats had dropped anything. No such luck.

Mom says I should not be too radioactive so Smokey and I can go on patrol today. We're up by the gate where the wrens are working on the old mailbox nest. Everything looks good from our viewpoint. I still can't run and play but I have a lot of my energy back for short periods. I can run up and down the stairs almost as fast as I did before I got sick. I think my fur is beginning to grow back in those bald spots. Maybe I didn't have mange after all.

Mom has been pulling weeds which is much easier since the ground is soft from the rain.We're on the porch again and the AC is off! We can sleep with the windows open at night. None of us are looking forward to a hot summer. One more round and then I'll take a nap. I'm starting to get hungry again. Maybe she'll feed me soon. Ahh, I ate another whole cup of food for dinner. Yum!

I am Radioactive!

Friday, May 13, 2011

WOW! I have 4 followers! It's nice to know that others care about me and are rooting for me to get better. We had an uneventful trip to Gainesville on Wednesday. The people down there are so nice and friendly. They love me - but who could not? I am so cute and sweet.

We see swallow-tailed kites almost every trip. We saw a dead alligator on the roadside on the way down on Wednesday. It was 4 - 5 feet long. Someone must have hit it while it was trying to cross the road during the night. We'll have to be careful when driving that stretch. Many animals are moving around now because the water is so low. We are having a dry spell (supposed to last all summer). Pretty soon we'll be reading stories about alligators in the swimming pools.

Everyone was pleased with me on Wednesday so I got a shot of my first chemo drug - something called Vincristine. I'm also taking prednisone (for my appetite) and an antibiotic. Mom puts the pills in a little bit of peanut butter that I lick off of her finger. Then Smokey gets some; mom does not want him to feel left out. He doesn't get the pill though.

When we left the hospital around 5:30, mom gave me some food and water. Coming across I-10 we saw a small alligator, about 2 feet long, come out of the grass with the intention of crossing the road. Mom said if it did it would surely get hit. I didn't really hear her say that because I was asleep. Long rides in the car put me to sleep.

When we got home Smokey was very happy to see us but he did fine on his own. At least he had access to the back yard so mom did not worry about him too much. He knows things are different so he is coping as we all are. Mom gave both of us food and I had some pills. Then we went to bed.

Now that I've had my chemo I will be radioactive for 72 hours. No, my pee and poop do not glow in the dark hahaha. Mom says she has used more Ziplock bags (to pick up my poop) this week than she used in the last year! She tries to use as little plastic (a petroleum product) as possible. But she'll do it for me because she loves me - and I love her.

Maybe by Sunday Smokey and I can patrol the yard together. We miss our romps but I don't have the strength right now. I'm eating at least a cup of dry food a day and I get some tasty treats and the peanut butter. But the prednisone makes me pee a lot. I had to get mom up at 2:30 in the morning to go out. I also pooped but she had to wait until the next morning to find it. I like to go under the shrubs in the leaf litter. Brown on brown is my little joke.

I got those awful staples out on Friday morning. My incision is still a little itchy. I am so glad they are GONE! Maybe I won't have to wear the flower to bed tonight. Otherwise I think I feel pretty good. I'm not trying to eat grass when we go outside and I have not vomited or had diarrhea. Keeping my paws crossed on that.

Look Ma! No Staples!

We're sitting on the porch with the fans on. It's a cloudy evening (humidity really high) and we're hoping for rain on Saturday. A cardinal family and a wren family are out teaching their fledglings how to use the feeders and the bird bath. Mom will have to refill the feeders soon.It's so nice out here. Quiet except for the birds; we like listening to birds.

Some wrens have built a nest in an old mailbox. We'll keep an eye on it to see if they lay any eggs.

The wrens are in the mail.

Humiliation, Indignity, and now, Torture.

I am SO humiliated!

We went to see the oncologist on Monday to see if I'm gonna make it for a few months more. She looks like she should be in high school. The hospital is new and huge. The staff are nice but it's still a scary place. We left home at 7 in the morning. I slept most of the way. I'm still not eating as well as mom would like but that canned food has no flavor. Y U C K!

The first person we met was the Grief Counselor! This upset mom a great deal and all she could think of was that there was No Hope! Then the student vet came in. She's very nice. Then the oncologist came in. Like I said, she's very young. She laid out a lot of treatment options and discussed my type of cancer. Lymphoma is more common in dogs but mine is in my intestines and is less common. Also the prognosis to live to a ripe old age is not so good.But for now I am in a clinical trial for a drug called L-Asparaginase or Elspar for short. This means there is no cost for the drug and I have to go back fairly often to be tested to see how my ammonia levels are doing.

It seems like every time I turn around someone is sticking something in me. These people are obsessed with my blood and my temperature. If I'm sitting I don't dare stand up. Isn't that fun!

Mom had a lot of information to process and she had to leave me for the afternoon so they could do another ultrasound (more cold gooey stuff on my tummy) and other tests. Mom went off to get the tire on the car fixed. The repairman said there was no nail but dirt had gotten between the rim and the tire and that caused the slow leak. Mom said, "learn something new every day."

Then she called some friends, Pat and Fred. Pat was out of town but Fred was home so she went to see him and they had ice cream. Fred is the only other person mom knows who also likes to drink beer with ice cream. They didn't have any beer that afternoon but they have on other occasions. Fred had to run errands so mom went back to the hospital to wait.

When they brought me out I had a big blue flower around my neck. The vet said I was picking at my incision too much and they were afraid of infection. Well, how else is a dog to clean a wound except by licking?? I don't like the flower. I can't see my legs or feet and I don't know where I'm going. I walk into things. This is not fun!

I'm stuck and I can't see my feet - how can you expect me to go down this step?

Mom helped me into the car so we could drive home. I got on my bed and went right to sleep even with that silly flower on my head. I sleep a lot these days. Mom says sleeping is good for healing and I have a lot of healing to do.

Smokey had to stay by himself all day - except mom's friend Jane stopped by to visit with him for awhile. She said he was fine. I think he puts on a big show about being left out and once we leave he just goes to sleep.

We had to go back really early on Tuesday for more bloodwork. We got up around 3:30 and were on the road by 4:45 in the dark. Smokey went with us because I would not have to stay long.

I think he got bored with the drive after awhile. I slept but he kept watch. When we got to the hospital they put us in a little room and we waited. Then they took me away and Smokey cried. Mom said it would be OK and I would come back soon. Then the nutritionist came in and talked to mom about what I should eat. I've lost more weight - from 35 lbs to 26 lbs! I'm looking really thin and mom is worried because I'm not eating my special diet any longer. She says I have to eat to get strong to fight the cancer. But that canned stuff is icky and too bland. No More Jello! I try to push Smokey out of the way so I can eat his dry food so can't mom understand that is what I want? The nutritionist said it was OK to let me eat dry food if that was what I wanted. YAY!

I get to eat real food!

We left the hospital and got home around Noon. Right away, mom gave me a 1/4 C of dry food and I scarfed it right down. Oh, it tasted so good and it was wonderful to have something in my tummy. I thought she was trying to starve me to death! Then mom sat down and I got into her lap and we slept for about 4 hours. She didn't put that flower on my head. When I moved to lick my incision mom woke up and made me stop. She gave me a little peanut butter at 5 o'clock because I had to have my anti-nausea pill. I love peanut butter. Smokey got some too but he didn't have a pill. I got another 1/4 C of food at 6 o'clock. Then mom put the flower on my head and went to Publix to get some medicine for me. I think I'm going to be taking a lot of pills and that means a lot of peanut butter. YUM!

Mom made me wear that silly flower when we went to bed last night. I still had it on when she checked me at 3:30 but I managed to get it off later. hehhehhheh.
Our life is a little different now. I think Smokey is a little confused but he is dealing pretty well with it. The biggest thing is that we no longer have free access to the yard. We can't go out with out mom. And she watches everything I do! I mean I can't squat to pee or sniff anything without her watching and it's always, "No, grass, Sierra!"  I have no privacy.

We did get to take a short walk in the evening. I have no muscle tone at all. I used to have such firm muscles but the weight loss coupled with not eating has turned my muscles to mush. Smokey is probably also losing muscle tone - he's eating too much and not running like he used too. Now that I'm eating again, mom says we can take some short walks to help us all. That will be nice because sniffing the same old places in the yard is b o r i n g!

We have to go back to Gainesville this afternoon for me to be evaluated again. If they are happy then I will get my first dose of chemotherapy. There may be some side effects like nausea or diarrhea but I hope not. Anyway, there are pills I can take. The big thing to watch out for is that my pee and poop will be radioactive! This means I won't get to go out with Smokey. I'll go in the side yard and Smokey will have to go in the front or back yard. Mom will have to pick up my poop. 

Maybe I'm supposed to be a Triceratops. Or a caped crusader.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

THURSDAY - I ate a lot of my special food on Thursday. Mom was pleased. Thursday morning was cool and Smokey was feeling spunky. He wanted to play and I had to hide behind mom because I knew I couldn't run like the wind like I used to and I sure wasn't up to his roughhousing. Mom put me on the porch and told Smokey to "GO!" Did he ever!

After all that exercise he really needed a drink from the birdbath (it has the best water).

Smokey woke us up late Thursday night because Pasquale brought something in the house. Usually he brings in a mole and leaves the corpse on the rug for mom to step on in the morning. I don't think mom appreciates those little gifts. Well, it wasn't a mole; it was a skink with no tail. We saw it Friday afternoon when it ventured out from wherever it was hiding. Unfortunately Pasquale saw it too so the tailless skink is somewhere in the house and it will starve to death if Pasquale doesn't find it again. Either way, the poor thing is history.


FRIDAY - I ate a little on Friday morning. On Friday afternoon I didn't feel so good. I was outside with mom while she watered the plants. Her back was turned just long enough for me to snatch some grass - which I am NOT supposed to do. Most of our time outside goes like, "Sierra, No." "Sierra, No!" "No, Sierra!" Well, you get the picture. I threw up a couple of times Friday afternoon and that bothered mom. I felt better after I threw up and ate another spoonful of food. Then I took a nap in her chair. Mom thinks it's weird that I like to sleep with my head hanging down. Smokey does this too.

I am resting in mom's chair.

My incision is itching and I keep licking and picking at the staples. This also makes mom say, "NO!" to me a lot. First she tells me what a good girl I am and then it seems like every other word is NO. I wish she would make up her mind.

Sierra and Buddy hang out.

We all slept downstairs again Friday night. Mom doesn't want me to have to go up and down the stairs if I wake up in the night and need to go out. Usually I sleep in my chair but I wanted to sleep in mom's lap. Her chair isn't as big as mine and I went back to my chair in the middle of the night.


SATURDAY - When I woke up on Saturday, I felt hungry so I ate a spoonful of food. About an hour and a half later I ate another spoonful. After that I didn't feel hungry again until Saturday night. Later mom took everyone on the back deck and brushed us and gave Smokey and Pasquale a pedicure. Buddy does not like having his claws cut. Someone trimmed my nails while I was in the hospital. We like being brushed better than almost anything.


Mom decided we should all go back to sleeping upstairs Saturday night. I think she's tired of trying to sleep in a chair. I can't run up the stairs like I used to do but I curled up in my little bed and went right to sleep. Later, though, I climbed up on mom's bed and slept with her. Pasquale and Buddy slept with us. Smokey stayed on the floor which is good because the bed would be a too crowded if he came up. Mom had to help me get off the bed in the morning. Her bed is high and I was a little leery of the big jump.

SUNDAY - I ate a spoonful of food on Sunday morning. Smokey's food looked better but mom said I couldn't eat his. She said I have to keep eating my special food. I can't tell if I'm just not hungry or if I'm tired of my special food. Sometimes I like crunchy food.

We had to stay in the house while mom mowed the grass, filled the bird feeders, and did other yard chores. Then she went outside to wash the car and get it ready for our trip tomorrow. We have to get up really early and drive to the Vet School at Gainesville to see the oncologist at 10 o'clock (I hope the oncologist can tell me if I have mange or not).  Mom keeps telling me I don't have mange and that they had to shave me to operate and give me IVs and take blood. I'm not so sure about that. Smokey has to stay home and it's just mom and me.

I ate another spoonful of food about 1:30 in the afternoon. Smokey supervised. Actually he told mom he would be happy to eat it if I didn't. You'll note that I picked up a morsel and dropped it on the floor to eat. This trick is in the Doggie Code Book (not sold in stores). It's in the chapter on "Things to do on the Carpet." This includes tricks such as peeing, pooping, throwing up (better in the middle the night and extra points for upchucking on the bed), eating, tracking muddy footprints, leaving dead stuff, etc. Carpet is best but a plain floor will do if that is the only surface available.

Mom got the car ready and then we all (except the cats) drove to fill up the car. While she was filling the tank mom noticed that a back tire was low. She called some friends and we went over there while he put air in the tire. We think we found a nail or wire or something. We won't have time to get it fixed before we leave but we should be able to get it fixed in Gainesville before we come back.

Mom boiled some chicken and rice. She poured some broth, rice, chopped up chicken on Smokey's crunchy food. She poured some broth and teensy bits of chicken on my gruel. I don't think I like that special food any more. Mom added a 6 crunchy bits (grain-free diet) to my food and I ate most of it. Mom says I'm supposed to be on a low bulk diet until my incisions hear. She might be right. I just don't like it much and I want real food. I think I'll be OK if I only have a few crunchies and the gruel several hours apart. Mom says I have to eat because I'm still losing weight and I have to keep my strength up! As a special treat mom gave me half of a small dog biscuit (grain-free!). She loves me. Smokey got a whole biscuit so I guess she loves him too. Smokey hasn't gotten many treats lately because mom doesn't want to give him one if she can't give me any.

We're all napping after dinner. Except mom, who is working on a list of questions for the oncologist. I hope she gets the right answers. I'll let you know what happens. Wish us luck!

Hanging out with your friends in the back yard is the best way to spend a warm afternoon.

My Surgery

Early in the morning of May 3, people came and got me out of my cage. Then they gave me a shot that made me very sleepy. After a long time I woke up but not very much because they kept giving me groggy drugs. I kinda hurt but I didn't really know I hurt. I felt very odd.

Later the vet called mom and explained that she had found cancer in my intestines and lymph node. She snipped out some of the growth and also a piece of my liver. She said could not remove the cancer. Mom was very upset at this news although she knew, deep down, that cancer was the most likely cause of me feeling so bad.

So mom went out an pulled weeds. We have a really bad plant in our yard and hand-pulling is the best way to get rid of it unless you want to use really bad herbicide which mom does not want to do. Mom told Smokey - who supervised when he wasn't chasing squirrels - that it was like ripping out a cancer. That made her feel a little better. Then she took Smokey to the coast! Of course, I didn't hear about it until three days later but it didn't bother me. When Smokey goes to the groomer, mom takes me places. She says it's a lot easier to handle one dog at the time. Mostly that's because Smokey gets over excited and he also likes to show off in front of me. Honestly, though being a dog, he is our protector and he takes his job very seriously.

Here's Smokey exploring the boat ramp at the end of Bottoms Road near Panacea. He wouldn't go in the water because it was moving. And these things looked downright scary to him. Mom said they were mating horseshoe crabs. Whatever. They don't look very friendly to me either. Smokey was impressed by the variety of trash but mom said to let it alone. So he did. Mostly.


 

Then they went to Bald Point State Park. Smokey had to stay on the leash because the shorebirds are starting to nest and he couldn't chase them. Besides, who wants to step in dog poo on the beach? The tar balls are bad enough.

It was  late in the day so they headed back to town. Smokey said he thought I'd be picked up on the way home. He wondered where I was and he slept in my bed that night. He really is a sweet softy. The next day mom left him home alone when she came to get me from the hospital. He was disturbed because he's never stayed at home without me before.

Smokey sniffed me a lot when I came home from the hospital. He said I smelled funny. Men!

I ate a little bit of my special food when I came home but mostly I wanted to sleep. I was tired and a little sore and the groggy drugs were still in my body. Maybe that's why I smelled funny to him.

One thing for sure - it hurts to sit. Don't I look pathetic? And what about those bald spots? Does that look like mange to you?

I was still cold my first night home. We all slept downstairs. Mom put me in my chair and wrapped me in a blanket to keep me warm. I am so happy to be home!