"I hate to see my dog in pain," she said. "And on top of personal problems we've had recently..."
I stopped my exam and looked up into her eyes.
She told me everything.
She could begin healing.
I could begin praying.
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
I try to post gross pictures here very infrequently. When I do, they are pictures I feel are cooler than they are gross, like Cutie the Cuterebra. The gross pictures I am posting today are not cool, but they are worth showing. I am posting cute (not cutereba) pictures first though so you will have to scroll down if you want to see the shock collar burns. Different patients. Not uncommon. Not cool, just sad.
Okay, are you ready? Both dogs recovered well.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
You can see where the electrodes were on the collar.
This is after cleaning and treating.
Please do not use shock collars on your dogs. At their best, they give your dog an electrical shock to provide negative reinforcement for an action. At their worst, they cause electric burns.
Training can be much more fun for everyone involved.
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
Ricco is an adorable Yorkie.
He has been through a lot in his tiny/giant life.
His osteoarthritis and neurological issues have affected his mobility to the point he has almost no use of his left front leg. He has learned to swing that leg forward and land his little paw right side up and use that limb like a tiny little cane to help him take the next step.
And he always takes the next step.
As amazing as Ricco is, he accomplishes all he does thanks to his equally amazing Mom who is right by him every step of the way. His helper. His encourager. His medicine giver and vet visit partner.
Also, he accomplishes all he does thanks to his friend Reggie the Cat.
Reggie has her own health challenges. She is diabetic, on insulin and special food and has frequent visits to her vet tech friend Kelly. (That part is not a challenge. Everyone loves Kelly. But Reggie does get stressed.)
With all of her challenges, Reggie still looks out for Ricco. She sticks close and meows if she is concerned so Mom can come help. If Ricco falls, Reggie yowls until someone has come to help Ricco. Without Reggie, Ricco would not live as well as he does - or at all.I love these two and their family. I love their special friendship most of all.
Good girl Reggie.
RIP Reggie - November 2017
RIP Ricco - January 2018
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
SOMETIMES MY FRIENDS SPEND TIME WITH ME BECAUSE IT IS REQUIRED BY THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION
My Mom in Law Karen and Dad in Law Phill recently said good bye to their Jacy Dog. Here is Jacy's story, written by Karen.
After several years of not having a dog, we decided it was time to have another dog. Sixteen plus years ago the humane society didn't have the nice website to look on, and we lived too far away to go every day. And we didn't know about the the rescue groups or there weren't as many (and Shawn was in CO, so she couldn't help either)
I just watched the ads in the paper, now I understand the risks there! But one day there was an ad for Lhasas, so off we went with some of the grandkids in tow. There were 9 almost identical puppies in the box, all female!! All of us held them all, and we had no idea which was which!! I finally said ok this one! Cute little fluffy ball of brown and white!
Several days of trying to name her were crazy. She was outside playing when a neighbor said oh, she is Just Cute! Phill picked up on JC and thus she became Jacy!
She learned early on to sit flat on her butt and sit that way for a long time. Every one who saw her marvelled that she could do that. and since it was cute, she got treats and thus learned to be a very vocal beggar!!
She was an only dog for 9 years. Which was fine with her, she wasn't very friendly with other dogs.
We could always let her go outside on her own. She wandered around, visited the neighbors and always came back on her own.
We took her camping with us to Yellowstone and all around Nebraska. She really liked that and was very good!
Then one day her world turned upside down when we brought Lucy home. She went with us to a meet and greet, which was tense, but when they both were getting a drink from the same bowl, I took it as a yes from God that it would be ok.
Guess Jacy didn't hear God say that because she was mad for about 6 weeks. Then one day they started to play tug with a sock and it was all ok.
She got more mellow and tolerated other dogs in the house and yard including Tidus the Pit bull!!
She went with us on lots of long motorhome trips, Memphis, California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and near home camping. But then last winter, in Texas she was really slowing down. Long walks wore her out and riding so far was uncomfortable. She was still pretty playful and would get "the terrors" around the house.
But then one day I saw some bloody spots on her pee pads. Trip to see Dr. Shawn and an ultrasound turned into sad news. Bladder cancer. Since by then she was 15 and there was no cure, we chose to love on her as long as she wasn't hurting.
But as winter was coming and our winter trip to Texas, we knew the time had come. Actually we needed the permission from Russ and Shawn that is was the right thing to do for her. Hardest decision ever! But the right one for sure. We are so thankful for Russ and Shawn who loved us and Jacy through it!
"Are those pictures of your cat?" I asked.
"Yes, they are. I loved her so much. She was a wonderful cat," he said.
Abby was getting an industrial piercing, which I learned just this week means a piercing from one part of the edge of her ear to another part of the edge of her ear.
She needed parents there since she is only 15. So there we stood, Abby who fits in everywhere, and Russ and I completely out of our element in the tattoo parlor, watching the large, scary, beautifully tattooed piercer work his craft.
He continued...
"Do you know she had all her claws and never once used them on the furniture? And she never had accidents. She didn't hunt, and she wouldn't hurt anything. She caught a spider under her paw once, and let him go. She was so beautiful. She always wanted me there. I guess it's a good sign I can talk about her, huh? It's been two years."
I said it takes a long time. He said he always knew she would eventually return to the underworld, but he sure missed her.
"Did it hurt? we asked Abby.
"Yes!" she said.
Thank you for taking such good care of our kid. Thank you for sharing your kitty with us. I know it was difficult. I hope it was healing.
ONE YEAR AGO
SIRIUS VETERINARY ORTHOPEDIC CENTER GRAND OPENING
TWO YEARS AGO
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 18 - An Update in Real Time
Abby and Luna
Luna has now been through four sets of chemotherapy, each about a week apart. The first two were IV treatments at VCA MidWest Vet, the third was at oral medication at home and the fourth was IV treatment again.
Tomorrow will be Luna's next IV treatment, pending good news from her complete blood count and urinalysis today. (Thank you Kelly! For everything.)
Luna at Gentle Doctor after her weekly blood work
Luna does not mind her half day stays with me on Mondays, and she loves her visits with Dr. Clemans and Brandy and the team on Tuesdays. We have gotten into a routine, and none of it seems to be scary to her.
Luna waiting her turn at VCA MidWest Vet
She had a rough couple days last week where she would not eat, but is now eating chicken and rice well. We may have been had in typical Chihuahua fashion, but she really did seem nauseous, and now is all better. We will either wean her back onto dog food or transform her chicken and rice into a balanced diet using the website my friend Dr. Kanne showed me, Balanceit.com.
Luna! That is my blanket from Aunt Pat!
So far, so good you guys! Luna is feeling great and acting onery, just what we hoped! It has been warm enough for evening walks again, so Russ and I have been walking Joy and Luna, sometimes around the block, and sometimes to the elementary school to play. We have all been loving that time, and the whole family has loved our time with Luna.
I will stay on top of getting updates to you! Hopefully they will all be this normal!
Thank you all for all of your support. We love you so much!
Russ-me-Amanda-Abby-Joy-Luna
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
Abby and friends made sure all the dogs and cats had a gift to open Christmas morning! Abby said it matched the picture in her head perfectly.
Thank you from Abby to...
Grandma Finch
Grandma Nelson
Jaime Williams and Ross Nelson
Dr. Adrienne Kanne
Penny and Scott Bell
Kathi Ortmeier
Dr. Pete Bashara
Racquet Corner
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
I LOVE Hill's Science Diet.
Good girl Frankie!
So it was very fun to receive Hill's Science Diet Crunchy Fruit Snacks from Chewy.com to review.
Hill's Science Diet Crunchy Fruit Snacks
Luna wasn’t feeling great (she is all better now!), and Joy could not have the treats because she is allergic to chicken. Having just publicly declared my love for Hill's, I feel it is fair to ask, Why is there chicken in a fruit snack?
I brought the treats to work, and my friends helped me gather data.
The subjects:
Whitney's Odin the Goldendoodle Puppy
Yes please!
Jenny's Frankie the Frenchie Puppy
I AM excited.
and Erika's Tiny Taffi Dog
I would love a yum.
The snacks were an overwhelming hit! My favorite reaction was Odin's. He hid the snack under his paws, seemed to forget where he had put it, lifted his paws and jumped for joy. He chewed his treat a bit and repeated the game. Eventually he ate it, but I think he got a good ten minutes of play out of it first!
Oh! There you are!
Oh! There you are again!
Frankie, you are too cute!
Oh my gosh! That face! Frankie may have gotten more than one treat.
This strange thing is delicious!
All princesses like their treats pre-smashed if they have Tiny Taffy mouths! She ate the WHOLE thing.
Thank you Chewy.com! Thank you Hill's Science Diet! Thank you friends and pups!
This was a fun one : )
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 17 - Back to Normal
"Yes, I believe I own this table."
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Luna is able to jump onto furniture again. She no longer collapses in the hind end on walks.
She has her normal energy level back.
And she and Joy are snuggling again.
I don’t know where we’ll be in a month or 3 months or 6. But this is totally what we wanted from cancer treatment. Luna is happy, and she is Luna.
Luna was a complete <poop> at Christmas. She barked at Mom and Dad's puppies, Oscar and Felix, and had to be held the whole time.
Good to have you back, you bossy little monkey!
Thank you so much VCA MidWest Vet team.
How do you repay an extraordinary group of people for giving time? For giving happiness and normality? I do not think it can be done.
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 16 - Confimation that the Bad News is Bad
Saturday, December 23, 2017
I missed Dr. Clemans’ call yesterday. She left a message. She received Luna’s flow cytometry report. She sounded very sad. I guess it was mostly bad news. She said she would still recommend the course we are on.
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 15 - I Would Spend All My Time Staring at Your Cute Face if I Could
Friday, December 22, 2017
We are leaving Joy and Luna for a few days starting today and again for a longer trip in June 2018. I am, of course, having a much harder time thinking about the June trip than this one.
That is not to say I am not looking forward to the June trip!
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 14 - In Which We Receive Even More Bad News and Fast Track Christmas
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Today Kelly called for Luna’s flow cytometry results. Flow cytometry is a way to further differentiate cells, in this case, Luna’s blood cells.
Luna has stage 5 (the worst - involving the bone marrow) cancer, B-cell (better than T-cell) lymphoma.
I do not know what to make of this. I strongly suspect this is more bad news than good. Someone much smarter than me (that is, internal medicine specialist Dr. Clemans) will be have to interpret these results.
It will not change treatment, but more information is usually better than less.
On an equally important note, I really want to give Joy and Luna the rest of their Christmas gifts early.
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
A new veterinary assistant, J.J. Freeman, had started at Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals.
On the first day I worked with him, he told us his first book of a vampire trilogy was coming out soon.
We were all so impressed!
I have a soft spot for entrepreneurs, especially new authors. I came home and ordered the book online.
On the second day I worked with J.J., I brought the finished book to pass along and told him he is a very good writer.
He asked to hold the book. He had not seen it in Real Life. I might have teared up a little. Maybe.
On the third day I was supposed to work with J.J., they said he had quit by no-call-no-showing. I was perplexed and a little sad.
I hope he is well. I hope he keeps writing. I hope he really exists. Maybe? Probably.
I wish I had been able to work with him long term. I am glad I got to meet him.
One of the products I received from Chewy.com to review was a bag of Rachael Ray Nutrish Beef Soup Bones.
10/10 - would order again.
I appreciate a chewy treat that is not made of real bone. Luna loved it, and I love Rachael Ray.*
*I don't actually know Rachael Ray.
The only improvement I would suggest is including only beef. The ingredient list included chicken, which Joy, with her chicken allergies, could not eat. Do not fear! I got her other treats while Luna was eating her soup bone!
Luna is intrigued, willing to keep an open mind.
Luna gets a smell and is all in.
These are good sized treats!
Luna chews her treat on her elephant bed.
Luna makes cute faces while chewing her treat.
Both Luna and Joy would like a soup bone. Luna, you have had enough for one night! And Joy, you got ALL the other treats!
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 13 - In Which We Realize What a Strange Situation We Are In
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Luna’s disease is a complete mind <game>.
She has a rapidly progressing fatal disease and yet feels great. She looks like herself, yet cancer cells are taking over her body and shutting it down. It is such a strange situation to be in - celebrating her “health” while mourning her upcoming demise. I don’t like it, but I like it better than if she already felt sick. I don’t know what to compare it to, except a very accelerated mourning of a pet’s mortality that you always know will eventually catch up with them. It’s like going from having a three year old dog to having a fifteen year old dog, without getting the years in between.
You just keep being healthy there Joy. I know your lymph nodes are normal because I've felt them 87 times since Luna's diagnosis.
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 12 - Luna's First Chemotherapy Session
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Tuesday was Luna’s first chemotherapy appointment. She spent the day with Dr. Cooley and Brandy and the rest of the MidWest Vet team.
Luna’s chemotherapy medicine was prepared in the morning. An IV catheter was placed in her front leg. She received an IV drip of her medication in the early afternoon. Then she was monitored for signs of illness for the rest of the afternoon. All went well, and Luna did great.
Russ worried that Luna would be wiped out after her first Big Day. He waited anxiously in the waiting room. Luna saw Russ and ran straight to him and jumped up onto the chair with him. She was so happy to see him, and he was so happy she was still her goofy, high energy self.
Russ and Luna's Selfie to Assure Us All was Well
That night, Luna was still fine, but the rest of us were wiped out. While we usually go to Finches’ for dinner Tuesday nights, we stayed home with Luna and rested.
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
THE DAY WE MET DAWN SCOTT'S SON CHRISTOPH, WHO HAD FINALLY ARRIVED FROM HAITI
Luna Lovegood - Chapter 11 - In Which Luna and Her Team Make the Best of Thrombocytopenia
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Luna has a persistent low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), I suspect because her bone marrow has been overtaken by cancer cells and does not have room to make platelets. Platelets are important because they help control bleeding and prevent spontaneous bleeding.
Because Luna’s platelets were still low, her chemotherapy was adjusted to a lower, safer dose.
ONE YEAR AGO
PATIENT PROFILE PICTURE OUTTAKES
TWO YEARS AGO