Riley’s Thankful Thursday Pupdate

Well, first, I want to thank my kitty friend Brian for Brian’s Thankful Thursday.

As y’all know, we were all trying to figure out where I was going on Tuesday. Ends up it really was to a different vet, but this one only does allergies and stuff like that. Her name is Laura Wilson, and I like her. Mom Amy will tell you that I wasn’t scared going into the building, either! The place is called Lighthouse Veterinary Allergy & Dermatology.

Chia: Awww…you didn’t go to the beach without me, didja?

Riley: You can ignore the peanut gallery, folks. I do that all day long. Anyhoo, she was gentle and nice and I really liked her voice. I was so relaxed that I actually fell asleep when she left the room!
Ends up I’ve got allergies and what’s called a secondary bacterial infection from the allergies. I listened close when Doc Laura came back in and she and Mom talked. Here’s a breakdown of what I heard:

1. Doc: We could do the full allergy testing but Riley’s got a heart murmur, and we would have to check to see what level it is first because of the sedative involved. Also, we wouldn’t know for a year at the least if the allergy serum was working…and he’s a large, 12-year-old dog. (Not sure what my age and size has to do with anything, but let’s just go with it. I don’t want stuck with a bunch of needles anyway.)
2. Doc: We could ignore the Glacier Peak Holistic food sensitivity test that was done and do an elimination diet. Mom: But what protein could I feed that he hasn’t already been eating. (At that point the Doc started naming kibble type diets that had kangaroo –hmmm, wonder what kangaroo tastes like — buffalo, and all kinds of other meat.) Mom then said no, we’re sticking with raw. What else? Doc: rabbit. Mom: I don’t have a gun, and have you looked at the price of rabbit??
3. Doc: Atopica (cyclosporine capsules). Once a day. Expensive, but there’s a generic one that Riley can have after we see if it works for him. That takes 30 days. It doesn’t suppress the immune system like Apoquel and it doesn’t tell the brain to ignore the itching like Cytopoint, and it’s not a steroid.

At this point they agreed to go with option 3. I also got doxycycline hyclate (I asked Mom Amy to spell that for me) to help clear up the bacteria, and I’m still getting my special baths. But I can’t get them outside tied to the truck anymore cause it’s gettin’ a bit too chilly for that. And I also got new drops for my ears. I like getting them; Mom Amy puts them on her fingers and gently rubs the insides of my ears. It feels good.

It’s time for my post-breakfast nap, so I’m gonna get comfy with my Rainy Reindeer and my bone, and will see y’all next time.
Your friend, Riley

I’m Getting Sea Rum

Mommy got a job. I liked it better when she was home with me all day. I slept in her lap a lot! Now Mommy is working at another church, uh, I mean a synagogue. I think that’s right. Anyhow, it’s another place where God lives.

Lucy: Grodd lives here with us.

Good grief, Lucy, I said God, not Grodd. Anyhow, I grodd — dang, I meant got. I got to go to the synagogue with Mommy last week. Everyone came in Mommy’s office to meet me and pet me and tell me how sweet and pretty I am. One lady even said that I had leg hairs like the big Clydesdale horses! Mommy was real busy keeping me under control working, and she forgot to take any pictures. I even got to go to the staff meeting because I threw a fit when she left me alone in the office across the hall, where Mommy made me stay on her lap and everybody ignored me.

We left work early and went up the road a short piece to the special vet’s where I had gone two weeks ago. He is called an allergist, and I heard he comes here to Chattanooga from the Knoxville Veterinary school at UTK. That’s where really good animal dogtors teach students how to be animal dogtors. He is supposed to be very special, or maybe on a special list.

I really didn’t know why I was there, but I should have guessed it wasn’t for anything good when Mommy lost the battle about holding me for something that was about to happen. She had to wait in the lobby while they whisked me into the inner bowels of the building. I remained brave. I didn’t even flinch when they cruelly stuck a needle in my arm. The next thing I knew, the world kinda’ started spinning. Then everything got peaceful, and I didn’t care what was happening. I heard the sound of clippers, like what Mommy uses to groom me, before I felt little pricks, but it didn’t bother me at all.

Before long, they gave me a shot and the world started coming back into focus. The nice nurse, Noah, wrapped me up in a fluffy towel and brought me out to Mommy. Mommy held me and talked sweet to me, but I was kind of a little bit mad at her for not saying, “No,” like she does when the vet places want to shove the glass stick up my patootie. I wouldn’t even look at her. I kept growling, but the growls all faded out into pitiful whimpers. Finally, I let my anal glands empty on her arm.  I thought I heard Angel Lexi coaching me on that one.

I  wanted Daddy to hold me when we got home. I feel safe in his arms.Nurse Noah gave Mommy a paper showing what I tested positive to.  I am allergic to 17 of the things they tested me for, ranging from different trees and grasses to fleas and house mold. Nurse Noah is going to make my sea rum on Monday and mail it to me. I sure hope it tastes good!

Xena, the Polka Dot Schnauzer Warrior Princess

 

A Cone without Ice Cream

Do you remember when Mommy and I almost died in an almost car wreck? And then I was banished to the back seat with a seat belt harness? I hated it soooo much, I shook so hard every time we went somewhere that my teeth started to get loose. OK, maybe not, but I thought they did. We now have a compromise. I still have to wear my seat belt harness, but I get to sit in the front seat. Mommy checked about the dangerous airbags, and they only work if there is at least 50 pounds on the seat. Since I am only 13 and one half pounds, no problemo. Hey Mommy, where are we going?

Mommy: To the vet. The one you like.

Why are we going to the vet, the one I like?

Mommy: Because you have been shaking your head and flapping your ears, and I can’t find anything wrong. Your ears are as clean as a whistle, and…

How clean are whistles?

Mommy: Very clean, Xexe, just like your ears. And now you have a sore under your left ear. You know I put lavender essential oils on it for 2 days, and yesterday I used the Vet-tech Sea Salt spray, and it isn’t any better. It keeps seeping. 

40 minutes later (the car ride is almost 30 minutes each way): Dr. Smith said the same thing you did about my ears being super dooper clean. I wish my favorite vet, Dr. Karen, had been there. Thanks for stopping the helper lady from putting that glass stick up my butt.

Mommy: I had to. I didn’t bring my earplugs.

And when Dr. Smith said he wanted me to take prednisone – whatever that is – you said, “No” again. And then you were nicer about saying no to the next medicine, and the next…

Mommy: I just suggested some other things, and he said they would work just as well for a hot spot. And I already have the sea salt spray, so we didn’t have to buy more. 

But I know I saw you give them your plastic money!

Mommy: Yep. I paid $54 for them to tell me you have a hot spot and that I can just keep doing what I was already doing. *mumble, mumble*

30 minutes later: Hey Lucy, I went to see the vet lady but she wasn’t there so I saw the vet man and guess what? Lucy: I don’t know, Sis, what did the vet man say?

He said I am a hot spot, just like when Daddy uses his phone to get on the internet. I bet I could save Daddy a lot of money.

Lucy: Better look behind you, Xena…your tale is growing.

My tail doesn’t grow, silly Lucy Ducey. He wanted me to take medicine, but Mommy suggested I eat ice cream instead. I am still waiting for it.

Lucy: That doesn’t make any sense. I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Well, I kept my head down under Mommy’s arm most of the time, so I couldn’t hear real well. But I know she said something about a cone instead of even more medicine.

10 minutes later: Why are you doing these things to me? Where is my ice cream?Mommy: You’re not supposed to scratch your boo boo, so I am trying a big band-aid before I have to get the cone. What ice cream?Lucy: I don’t think you have it on her right, Mom. 

I want my ice cream.

I am Xena, the Schnauzer Warrior Princess with a big cone and no ice cream.

A Vet Visit and a Lesson on DNA HW Testing

Xena: How did you like your  bath, Lucy? This is the first one I ever saw you get.

Lucy: It wasn’t bad, especially with Mom in the tub with me. And I want to be clean and smell good to go visit my friends at the vet’s. I even got a pretty scarf.Lucy and Xena: Is it time to go yet, Mom?

Xena: Hey back there! Lucy! What are they going to do to us when we get there?

Lucy: Hmm, I think they’re going to pet us and give us treats.

40 minutes later

Lucy: Hi nice vet lady. What’s your name and where did they take my little sister? Tell the other nice lady to not give her treats. She gave me a treat and Mom yelled at her. Well, she didn’t exactly yell. But Mom told her I’m not allowed to have those kind ’cause of me being on the raw diet. I don’t want the other lady to get in trouble with my Mom.

Dr. Karen: Lucy, sweetheart, you don’t have to worry about Xena getting treats. We are taking a little bit of blood from her leg, just like we’re going to do with you. It doesn’t hurt much, just a quick pinch. 

Lucy: Why are you stealing our blood?

Dr. Karen: Your Mom asked us to do a DNA Heartworm test. That way you don’t have to take heartworm prevention, because it lets us know even if there are tiny little baby heartworms in your blood. If there are, one shot will kill them. The difference between this and what’s called the occult test is the occult heartworm test only lets us know if the heartworms have grown up and are around your heart. Then it is hard and dangerous to kill them. So we are going to do this every 5 1/2 months to make sure you and your little sister are safe from the big bad heartworms.

A little later, after blood is drawn and bill is paid.

Lucy: Wasn’t that fun, Xena? We got new friends and we’re going home now. I lost over five pounds, too. I weigh 51 point 7 pounds. And I heard them say you are up to 15 pounds! You are getting to be a big girl, Xexe. 

Xena: They also squirted some medicine in my mouth (bordetella) and stuck another needle in my butt (3-year rabies). Yep. Fun. *sigh* I’m going to sleep now. Wake me when we get home.

Mom’s note: I started asking myself, “Why am I poisoning my dog every month?” And of course, my answer was so that she didn’t get heartworms, as well as fleas and ticks.  Then I found out about DNA testing for heartworms. It catches any that are present while still in the early stages (microfilea), and they can easily be killed with one shot of ivermectin. The DNA HW test must be repeated every 5 1/2 months. The cost is also less or the same as monthly heartworm prevention, depending on what your dog weighs. I urge you to read about it here. There is also a recipe for all natural flea and tick prevention, as well as mosquito repellent, using essential oils.

I feel like I am slowly navigating my way through a “brave, new world,” defying all the traditional ways our veterinarians are taught to care for our dogs and cats, and learning new, safer ways to keep them safe; ways that my holistic vet wholly embraces. I feel very blessed and less alone to have Dr. Karen by my side on this new journey with my girls.

Things That Were, Are, and Will Be

I think all our toys are deaded.

Lucy: Hey Xena, Mom said if we were good dogs, we might each get a new Bully Horn for Christmas! And some new used stuffies, too!

Xena: Yay! I want a bully horn! And new stuffies! Wait, what’s Christmas?

Lucy: This will be my first Christmas with Mom and Dad, too. I hear that Christmas is a magical time of the year when all your wishes come true. And some believe that if you listen closely, you can hear the animals talk.

Xena: But we talk all the time!

Lucy: I know that, but some people don’t hear us. Maybe it is Christmas Eve when they realize that we are as real as them, with feelings and thoughts and need the same kind of love and care as them.

Xena: Hmm. I will have to think about that after lunch. Hey Lucy, did I tell you what a fun time I had at Rocktoberfest with Mom and Dad? I wish you could have been there.

Lucy: Maybe next year I won’t be so afraid of things and can go, too. I know it helped you get over some of your fears.

Xena: I’m not afraid. I’m a Warrior Princess! And I can eat chickie feet with the best of them! For some strange reason, Mommy took this picture for Halloween, but she didn’t get it on our blog.

Lucy: Yes, pretty scary. *grin* Say, I heard you are going to Angel Lexi’s vet today. Mom is taking you to Dr. Karen to get a leap tow shot.

Xena: Yep, and I won’t be afraid, either. She’s something called whole is tick. I hope I don’t get any ticks from her.  I can already leap, but I have never had to tow anything. I heard Mommy talking to Dr. Karen on the phone,  and she and Mommy see things the same way and won’t argue. Mommy will protect me and say, “No,” if they try to put that glass stick up my bee hind again.

Lucy: Do you realize that none of that made any sense?

Xena: Pthhh.

I am Xena, the senselessly brave Schnauzer Warrior Princess

 

 

 

The Screaming Mimi’s

I had another boring busy day at work. I was a good girl (mostly) and always did my potty outside. I have started my plan on escaping the gate by diligently chewing the corner of it. Who needs a file when I have puppy teeth? When Mommy picked up the phone camera to prove my guilt, I looked innocent and ran to my bed.

Then the preacher lady came in. She talked and talked and it was soooo boring, I couldn’t stay awake.

Wake me when something fun happens.

On the home front, I am getting used to my play pen. At least that is what I want Mommy to think.

Oh, I almost forgot – at least I have tried hard to forget – I went somewhere new called The Vet after work. I was violated. OMD! How can someone do that to the back end of a puppy? Mommy said the people in the next county could hear me scream. I couldn’t tell you much after that, other than the Vet Lady said I was healthy and Mommy said, “No,” to needly things they wanted to stick in me.  I think she must have gotten mixed up and taken me to the Halloween Chamber of Horrors I heard someone talking about. Mommy and the Vet Lady also had a disagreement about my food, but nobody yelled or called each other bad names. I know Mommy won, ’cause I am still eating my chickie chick and dear deer.

Oh, and Mommy is trying to return that stupid car seat that I hate. It tried to kill me! Earlier this week I was screaming my fool head off expressing my displeasure at being stuck in it again when it tipped over backwards and I got caught under it and my harness got really tight around me. I was panting so hard to get my breath that Mommy looked back and saw the monster car seat attacking me! She pulled right off the road and drove the rest of the way to the dentist with me in my kennel.

Oh yes, the dentist office. Mommy called to see if she could bring me to stay in the front office with the workers while she disappeared into the back to have something done to her mouth. They said yes, and I would have to stay in my kennel. Guess what! I never saw the inside of my kennel while I was there. The ladies kept coming up from the back and holding me and passing me around. It was pretty nice. And no one violated my back end. Daddy went to the same dentist the next day and they all wanted to know why he didn’t bring me.

Yep, I’m that addictively adorable.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess

 

Lucy and Riley at the Vet

A week or two ago – I have trouble keeping up with time – Dad took me and my beau Riley to the vet. I had bumps on my upper lip and under my chin.  Mom had already asked Mr. Google, but didn’t think what I had looked like that pappy stuff. Concerned about tumors, my pawrents decided a vet visit was in order. Since Riley was almost due for his vaccinations, and had been scratching himself silly over fleas he got at someone else’s house, and had been off of heartworm protection all summer, Dad made him go too.

First it was my turn. This was a different vet for me. Dad said Dr. Karen was the lady who took good care of Lexi and gave her a cute puncture for whatever was wrong with her leg. Dr. Karen does a lot of what’s called East Turn medicine, and her husband is a dogtor there too for everything not East Turn. Everyone was so nice to me and I was very, very good. Turns out I really do have that pappy stuff, so Dr. Karen told Dad to just give me some L-Lysine pills for a month or two and it would go away. Then it was Riley’s turn. I am embarrassed to tell you  what he did. OK, I am going to tell you anyway. Oh, and Dad wasn’t able to get any pictures. You’ll understand why in a moment. Instead, I am borrowing some pictures from Mr. Google to illustrate my point.

First, Riley begged them not to do anything to him.

Then, Riley saw the tech pick up a needle and he screamed like a banshee.

Riley got so worked up that my Dad told them to put a muzzle on him. My guy is strong, and he was throwing himself all over the room with all his strength to try to get away.
My Dad and three vet techs were holding him to try to steal some blood, and the lady with the needle still stuck herself instead of Riley. I was like…

I just didn’t know what to think. They finally got some of Riley’s blood and he doesn’t have any heartworms. I sure hope they tested his blood, and not the vet tech’s.

Then it started all over again when the tech got the rabies shot ready. And once again, I was like…

Everyone was relieved that he wasn’t getting any more shots. Later, while we laid in bed and watched TV with Andrew, I asked Riley why he acted like that. He said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, woman.”

I am sure I didn’t imagine it… right Dad?

Love and wiggles, Lucy

Piper Update

Piper went to an emergency vet clinic at 4:00 Eastern Time. Although we knew Piper’s heart is enlarged, and has been for years, it does not look like he is in congestive heart failure. His liver is extremely large because of his heart problem. His liver is pushing all of his organs, including his stomach, down, causing the distension in his abdomen. His food was just sitting in his very full stomach. The food had nowhere to go since his intestines were also full. The dogtor did something called a rectal (don’t know and don’t want to know) to clear it out. That worked, and Piper went outside and pooped for five solid minutes. He felt much better, as we all would in that situation.

He went home with instructions to go to his regular vet and have his insulin level checked. He is an insulin dependent diabetic. He seems to be out of the woods for right now. As funny as it sounds, the digestive issue would have been life-threatening if it hadn’t been resolved today. We just don’t know yet what can be done about the enlarged liver and the problems it is presenting. Many thank to everyone for their POTP, prayers, concern and comments.
Piper was feeling much better, with a smile on his precious face even while his eyes were getting heavy on the way home.

From Bad to Worse by Lucy

This morning Amy saw bloody liquid drizzling out of my owie. She put one of her T-shirts on me and took me back to the vet. It is a long ride and by the time we got there my her shirt was soaked in bloody wetness. I was happy to be at the vet doctor’s office because they are all so nice to me. Then Amy left me and the vet people irritated my owie with a saline salute. I mean regaed it. Or gated it. Or something like that. And they closed it back together with metal things. And I am on medicine so I don’t get an insect. Or something like that. It is all because of what I did to my owie with my tongue. All of you were right. I thought I was being clever when I didn’t let Amy see that I could still lick it, even with the pretty blue donut thingy around my neck. But it seems that I was a bad girl and now I am being punished with this horrible collar of shame. I can’t sniff the ground to figure out where I want to go potty, I can’t reach my water or food, and I get stuck places. I am on sick leave from work, too, but at least Jeff will be here with me and let me sleep in his office. *sigh* I have to go back to the vet doctor this Friday. Maybe if I am real good and do everything I am told, all they will do is pet me and give me treats and tell Amy to take the collar of shame off me.

My Owie and No Prayerful Vision

Hi, I’m Lucy. I know I said I wasn’t going to start blogging until after I had fully recovered from the cut the vetdoc made on my belly. But I think you, my new friends, need to know what has happened around here. First, I kept waking Amy up during the night with what she called my incest licking. Or something like that. I couldn’t help it, the glued-together cut on my belly has been bothering me. She punished me by going out all alone with Jeff to a place called church this morning. When they got back, Amy took one look at my red belly and put this thing on me. I don’t understand why she would put something on me that she said would interfere with my prayerful vision. Or something like that. I can only see what is right in front of me, and I am freaking out every time I get a glimpse of something off to the side. What if aliens are coming at me? Or squirrels?

                I have no prayerful vision.

I know there is a boat in the driveway, so I thought maybe this was my life vest and we were going boating. Nope, just a walk down the street and back, and not a very long one at that. I am being a very good girl. Can anyone help me get this off?

  Doesn’t Amy know I can’t lick my owie now?

 

Meet Lucy

                 Lucy in my office at St. Luke

This sweet girl is a rescued, dark brindle bullie mix. She came to live with us a week ago on Saturday, while I looked for a good home for her. I don’t get attached to dogs quickly, so no problem. Besides, she isn’t a schnauzer! We figured it was better to pick out a name to call her rather than keep referring to her as “the dog.” I came up with Lucy.  Monday afternoon I approached Jeff with tears in my eyes and asked if we could keep her. Without hesitation he nodded and said, “Of course.” WE HAVE A NEW DOG!

Lucy makes the house feel alive again. She has also filled a little bit of the space in my heart that Lexi’s passing left desolately empty. I imagine that space will keep filling as we get to know and love each other even more.

Lucy has been accepted as the new, permanent church dog. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her- staff, volunteers, parishioners, children. The pastor’s 10-year-old daughter comes after school and runs through the hall playing with Lucy, and sits or lays on the floor petting and hugging her, and saying, “I love you, Lucy.” Lucy has also been great with the few younger children she has chanced to meet over the last week.

Jeff called her “the perfect dog.” She has a temperament that can’t be beat, is playful without being obnoxious (you know what I mean), knows a few simple commands, barely sheds and has not had any accidents in the house. No, she waited to go to work with me to pee on the hallway runner. And to Petco to pee about 87 gallons on the floor while I sorted through new collars. So, maybe “almost perfect.”

I took her to the vet on Tuesday, where I found out she is a little over a year old and 58 pounds. While there, I was able to observe her interacting with two smaller dogs. I saw tail wags and friendly nose touches. That is also where I realized  – while the vet was searching her abdomen for a scar indicating she had been spayed – that she had gone into heat. She went back yesterday for an ovario-hysterectomy. She is home now, resting at my feet, and obviously not feeling her best after major surgery.

Lucy asked me to let everyone know that she looks forward to blogging with all of you and making new friends, and hopes to be accepted and loved in this community as well. She indicated that she will start blogging after she has had time to recover from her surgery.

An aside to all who might be wondering if this means I am no longer looking for a schnauzer. Not as obsessively. Not as actively. But there is always room in our home and hearts for a second dog if the right one comes along.

Renal Failure Update

Lexi asked me to update all her friends in Blogville as to her condition while she is at the vet’s this morning getting another – and possibly final – kidney treatment.

After her second treatment yesterday, more b/w was done. Her kidneys are responding somewhat. But not enough. The vet said the key is if she will eat and also keep it down. All I could get her to eat yesterday was some goat cheese we were having with supper. Her little cousin Piper was here and she perked up enough to beg at the table. All my tricks and coaxing couldn’t get her to eat anything else though. She has gotten very thin, and she has started shivering. I don’t know if it is from pain or what, but Jeff suggested that her body isn’t getting enough fuel to keep her warm.

We should know withing the next few days if she is going to recover enough from the kidney failure to continue with any kind of quality of life. Wow, this is a hard one to write. I think it will soon be time to call in her family and friends to say their last goodbyes.

I don’t have any brave Lexi or Mom pictures to show you today. I think we are both feeling pretty scared. Lexi has never been a snuggler or lap sitter, and now she wants me to hold and snuggle her most of the time. I will give her anything she wants.

I want to thank everyone so much for their prayers and support. 13 is a good, long life, and she has already lived 3 months longer than the 30 days the oncologists gave her. I am so grateful for these past three month.

Lexi or I will keep you informed. It’s almost time for me to go pick her up from the vet, where the techs all love her and where they are all doing everything possible to help her have more good time left.  So I will say good bye for now.

Amy, Lexi’s faithful servant

Hospital Stay Today

And Tomorrow, I am told.

I haven’t been feeling so great. I haven’t said anything ’cause I thought it would pass. Kinda’ like all my food has been passing the wrong direction at 5:00 in the morning the last two days. I not only gave it all back this morning at that hour when Mom and I both wish we were asleep, but I continued to puke at work. I haven’t been eating much, either, ’cause my tummy has been upset. I did eat some peanut butter treats and cheese last night. And lost it all this morning.

So Mom cancelled her lunch with the boss lady today and took me to the vet. First they did x-rays, just pictures, really, of my chest and neck. I got to go back and sit with Mom while Dogtor Rob looked at them (Dogtor Rob is Dogtor Karen’s husband – Dogtor Karen was out of town today.). Then I sat with the nice tech while Mommy went back and looked on the computer to compare my x-rays from May with the new ones. The big tumors on my neck aren’t bothering anything – that’s the good news. Now for the not good news: the tumors in my lung have gotten really big, too. Mom and the dogtor also looked over my blood work from May. Dogtor Rob said he wanted to steal my blood again to see what was going on, especially with liver and kidney functions. He said that could be causing me to puke.

Waiting on Mom’s lap

Mom promised she would not leave, not even to get lunch, so that made it better when the tech carried me back for the vampire to suck my blood. I waited with Mom while they processed it, or whatever it is they do. The dogtor came back in the room to show Mom the results. He said if I was a person, I would be on dialysis right now. He said they needed to keep me all day to do a “slow drip” of fluids and give me some kind of shot that makes my intestines do things like a dialysis machine would do. Weird, huh? So they take my blood and are giving me back water. What a jip.

There’s your purse Mom. Let’s make a run for it.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Mom left. That was the worst part, not being with my Mom. She came back and got me before they all went home because she insisted she wasn’t leaving me there all night. They left a needle called a catheter in my leg and have it all bandaged up with gauze so I won’t pull it out. I have been quite successful in getting sympathy by holding up and limping on that leg.  I have to go back tomorrow and have the same thing done, then they will steal more blood either tomorrow night or Saturday morning.

For tonight, Dogtor Rob sent home some new swill food called k/d for kidney diet. I think I will turn my nose up at it like I have at the i/d Mom bought yesterday. Wait, what’s that you are waving under my nose, Mom? Wait, I want some…sorry folks gotta go!

 

Catching Up

              I’m Ella.   My BFF Piper left me.

You may remember that Mom took me and Piper on a road trip over the Fourth of July weekend. We went Up North to Pee Yay to see my bestest friend Rhonda. Ella had to stay at our house with my Dad, who also had to stay at our house. I don’t know why, so don’t ask.

He, he, they can’t find me.

While we were there, Piper invented a new game of hide and seek. Mom watched the whole thing, but my friend Rhonda suddenly saw something moving around under the blanket, and out popped Piper’s head!

 

 

 

 

 

Bed rest is prescribed for my knee.

Also while we were Up North, I fell down the stairs going up to the bedroom. You see, I was following Mom up these wooden stairs and my left leg sort of gave out on me because of the hip dysplasia. I slid backwards down 3 steps. When I tried to stop myself with my right back leg, I twisted my knee. *sigh* This week Dr. Karen checked my knee and it is sprained. I am supposed to try to stay off it as much as possible, take my pain pills and ice it several times a day.  I get 3 pain pills, which makes me sleep a lot, which keeps me off my leg! Brilliant!

 

Why are we here?

After returning home, Piper cried and fussed and drove Dad crazy hid behind the toilet when me and Mom went to work. Mom said she would try taking him to work with us the next day. Daddy cried with joy and kissed Mommy’s feet. Dad thought that was a good idea. Piper is not a working dog like me. He doesn’t know how to behave in an office. He kept running down the office hallway and barking at the nice man fixing our air conditioning. He tried to leave with some people that we didn’t know. And someone  left a puddle in our boss’ office. What Mom? No, why would you think I was jealous and acted out because the pastor held Piper in her lap?  I guess no one will ever know “who done it”!

 

 

This is a good place to eat my lunch.

Since then, Mom has been taking only me to work, which is as it should be. She has to carry me up and down the stairs to protect my knee. We go upstairs to the big hall to eat our lunch because 99 degrees is too hot to sit outside. Mommy does take me outside a couple of times a day, though, to roll in the grass and soak up some of that wonderful sun.

I’m a good boy riding in the car.

Piper has always hated riding in the car because it made him feel sick to his tummy. He would run and hide if he suspected a ride was imminent. Not anymore! Now he wants to go everywhere we go. As a treat, Mom took him for a ride to Walgreen’s to get my pain medicine. Mom apologizes for the bad picture. She said it was hard to get while driving idling at a red light. You can see he is sitting up on the back seat. His normal riding position used to be as low as he could get on the floor of the back seat. Mom says we have made a breakthrough!

I think that gets us all caught up. I had better go and put ice on my knee now. Oh wait! Be sure to come back for a visit on Tuesday. Us Mayoral Candy Dates have HUGE announcements to make, and I don’t want you to miss it. We will all be linking to each other’s blogs so everyone knows everything!   I can’t wait!

Health, Friends and Flowers

First, an update on my health, because inquiring minds want to know, right?

Saturday Mommy and I went to see Dr. Smith, who is another dogtor where my beloved Dr. Karen works. I’ve developed another tumor under my left ear. It’s odd, almost like a cyst, but not. It doesn’t bother me any, though, and the decision was to leave it alone unless it gets much bigger or starts seeping anything. Then there was the matter of the strange, splinter-like thing sticking out right next to one of my front toenails. Dr. Smith said it was like a hangnail on a person, and that it can be cut short and it wouldn’t hurt me. I think Mom forgot ’cause she hasn’t done that yet. Finally, Mom told Dr. Smith I had kept her up most of Friday night with the squirts. He got me some of that paste medicine that Mom squirts in my mouth to soothe my gut. I am glad it doesn’t taste too bad.

Unfortunately for all of us, the paste didn’t work. Mommy says Saturday and Sunday nights were an exercise in patience and stamina for her. When Mom called back on Monday and said the paste wasn’t working, Dr. Smith said to give me Imodium. It is mint flavored and not too bad to swallow. After it started working, I noticed that my tummy was upset, so I needed to go out a lot during the night to eat clover. Mommy is walking around looking kind of like those zombie things you see on TV. I can’t help it if it all happens for about 12 hours, starting at bedtime. I heard I am to sleep in our bedroom with Dad tonight and Mom is sleeping by herself in the guest room. I don’t guess Dad is going to get much sleep tonight. He will be zombie daddy tomorrow.

Oh, I almost forgot. On the way home from the dogtor on Saturday, just as Mommy was driving over the Chickamauga Dam, I went into a seizure. There wasn’t anything she could do without risking having a car accident, so she just reached over and stroked me to help me stay calm. It didn’t last more than a few minutes and really wasn’t too bad. I wasn’t scared, but I was kinda’ ticked off that my right side went all weird. My right legs got stiff and my head kept pulling to the right. As soon as possible, Mom pulled off the road and held me and within a couple of minutes I was ok and ready to help navigate us back home. When Mom told the dogtor, he confirmed what she thought. The melanoma tumors have probably moved to my brain. I don’t really understand what that means. Mom said to not worry about it, just try to eat what I like and enjoy my life.

Speaking of enjoying, my cousins Piper and Ella came to stay with me.

That’s me in the front. I’m the boss.

AND I found out today that Mommy is driving up to Pee A this Friday and she is taking me and Piper with her!  Yay! I will get to visit my friend Rhonda and my friends Pai and Claud.  It will take 10 or 11 hours each way, but I don’t mind the drive. Ella is staying home with my Dad.

Finally, lookie what Dad surprised Mommy with. He also bought her sweets, but they didn’t last long enough to take any pictures, BOL. Can you believe she didn’t share her cream horn tonight?

Unresponsive

NOW what?

Unresponsive. Yep, that’s what this Big C is to the poison they pumped into my system up at UTK. Even after making me “sick as a dog” (excuse the pun) it only poisoned ME, not the C. There are more tumors growing in my upper gums. So no more chemo. The nice Dr. Karen has now put me on an herbal and another medicine to try to slow down the advance of the C.

How much longer, Mom? You forgot my breakfast!

After that news, we moved to my favorite room at the animal hospital – the one where I get my acupuncture! My appointment wasn’t for about 87 hours, but nice Dr. Karen said there was no sense me going home and coming right back, so she would get to me in a little while if we could wait. Mom agreed, but no one remembered I had not had my breakfast. All ended well, as the treat dispenser named Angela came in before I died of hunger and started feeding Wellness Treats into my mouth while Dr. Karen made me a pincushion. My hip does feel better, and we stopped at Mickey D’s on the way home!

Pee S, I overheard Mom talking to my other bestest friend named Sky about getting me another massage! Umm, I think it was for me, anyhow. I will let you know.

Back to Work, Back to Vet, Get Well Cards

It’s been a rough kind of week. As many of you know, I had my first chemo treatment last Thursday. Being the good employee that I am (and not eligible for sick pay) I went on in to work at St. Luke last Friday. Here is me getting everything done so I can go home when Mom is ready:

Some of my friends sent me get well cards. First, Noodle, Macy and Molly e-mailed me the cutest cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My boyfriend Noodle also sent me a video card:

Then I got some real live cards  from the mail person. They were actually from Noodle and his family (he wrote he loves me on the back of the envelope!) as well as the beautiful goldens,  Bonny, Belle and Bess and their family. They both had slips of paper in them that made Mom get all teary-eyed. I wonder what they were…

I like my cards, but where are the treats?

I have been taking two different pill for nausea, a pill to stimulate my appetite, and a pill to stop the squirts. I’ve been getting up lots during the night ’cause I keep feeling like I have to go out, but all I do is strain and dribble from the back end. All I want to eat is steak and sometimes chicken, and sometimes I can’t even eat that. Today I ate chicken, and Mom made me pumpkin and oatmeal cookies from a healthy dog cookie cook book. I ate most of one.

I don’t feel good, Mommy.

Then, a little later, everything  I ate came up all at once. I felt like I was going to die! Obviously, I didn’t. Mom called the oncology vet at UTK, Dr. Walters, and she said I had to go to the hospital here in Chattanooga, and that she was going to call the doctor there herself. Mom took me right away, and of course they stuck a glass stick up my poor patootie. The vet tech took my pulse, too. It was odd, no one has ever taken my pulse before. At least it wasn’t invasive like that awful stick. She said my temp and my pulse were normal. Dr. Smith came in and checked me and did what Dr Walters had suggested. He stuck another needle in me (this is really getting old) and started fluid running sub q. That is short for under my skin. Then he gave me a shot to help with the nausea. Mommy told me I was going to get that shot and that it would burn a lot and that I had to be brave. The dogtor said I keep having the squirts because my intestines are very irritated from the chemo and it makes me feel like I have to go potty all the time. I now have more medicine to take with all the other medicine I have. This one is to sooth my intestines and help with that almost constant feeling of urgency, if you know what I mean.

After they were all done and had finished taking all Mom’s money Mom had paid them, I got to go home. I was sooo glad to see Mom! I felt some better when we got home, so I helped Mom eat her pan fried hamburger, then I ate some more of that store broiled chicken, then some of my homemade cookies. I have still been running outside with the feeling that I have to “go” but all my food has stayed down. That is very important to me.

Hoping for a more restful night and no more urgent potty misery!

I am Lexi the miserable with the tired Mommy.

 

How’s Lexi – Glad you asked

Yesterday I had a very upset tummy most of the day, even to the point of throwing up a bit. Mom talked to the local vet who called my oncologist in Knoxville, who told her what drug to call in to the pharmacy to help with this chemo sickness. We went and got it on the way home and about 30 minute after Mommy forced it down my throat I was feeling lots better. Mommy was happy when I ate a good supper of homemade chicken and rice. I felt so good that I went into the play position and Gracie and Mom and I played for almost a half hour. I did most of the barking and Gracie did most of the running. It felt good to feel good again.

The weird thing is, the oncology doctor said with this particular poison they used on me, if I was going to get sick it would be in one to two weeks. She said dogs don’t usually get sick from it, but if they do, it is never in the first week. Mom and Dad say I have always been an over-achiever.

When I woke up this morning – still on the mattress on the floor with Mommy – my tummy was a bit upset again, so I refused food. Yes, very un-schnauzer-like. Mom understood and didn’t insist. Instead, she said, “Let’s go for a ride!” and we jumped in the car – yes, I actually jumped in the car, something I haven’t done for a long time – and headed to the local vet. Two nice girls came in the exam room and sat down on the floor with me while they cut and pulled out the stitches from my forehead, the back of my neck and my upper leg. They said I behaved the best of any dog they have done that for. Then Dr. Smith came in and said the gaping hole in my forehead has scabbed over and seems to be healing nicely. He said Mom doesn’t have to spray the liquid bandage on my forehead any more and that I don’t have to wear the dreaded cone any more. HIGH FOUR! When we got home later this morning I was ready to eat some homemade chicken and white rice. Since I gobbled that all down, Mom cooked me more chicken for supper, along with brown rice which is supposed to be healthier. I am not nearly as fond of that nutty taste and ate more chicken than rice. Even so,  my tummy is happy and full and I am ready for a nap with my friend Gracie.

 

Chemo

Mom is helping me with my blog while I am getting poison chemicals pumped into my body.

Here’s the scoop: I have lumps in my right lung and they are bad. Real bad. The melanoma vaccine takes about 3 months to work. We can’t use it because I will be d-e-a-d before it can work. Yep, it’s that bad. Mom had decided I wasn’t going to get chemo or radiation because she wasn’t going to let anyone make me feel sick and miserable. When the doctor team assured Mom that very rarely do dogs get the bad side effects that people get, she said let’s get it started, then.

So Mom handed me over (traitor) and these otherwise nice people stole about half  drew enough blood to do many tests to be sure my organs are in good enough shape to withstand the chemo. I am a hearty schnauzer and my organs said, “Yes! Hit us with your best shot!” Traitors.  They were so enthusiastic that the dogtor stuck me with another needle and started “infusing” these chemicals into my system. *sigh*

I have to go to my local dogtor in a week to get more blood stolen. Then in another week for the same thing. Then in another week for that plus to get poisoned again. *sigh*

Mommy said she refuses to be “dogless” in one to three months, and that I am the only dog she wants. If determination alone (plus being filled with chemo poisons) will save me, I may live to be an old(er) dog yet!

Oh, I also wanted to let you all know that my wonderful boyfriend Noodle started a GoFundMe to help Mom and Dad with all the vet bills. I guess cancer can be expensive. If you want, you can check out his post

Coming Together for Lexi

to read how you can help – just if you want to, that is.

I am Lexi, cancer patient and Mom’s favorite schnauzer.

 

Taking it One Day at a Time

Mom, where is my breakfast?

This morning we were up early, but Mom didn’t feed me.

Me on the table at the dogtor, with my hated cone, my necrotized forehead and my new wound bandage spray.

Instead, Mom took me for a ride to the dogtor. I had managed to paw at the stitches in my forehead enough to get the incision really infected. So much so, in fact, that some stitches were missing and I now had an infected gaping wound between my eyes. Dogtor Smith said the skin had necrotized. (huh?) Mom says I look like one of those India women with a red dot on my forehead and that I am her “gorgeous worgeous.” That’s one of her nicknames for me. I think the dogtor has a sense of humor too – he said it could be much worse. Question: How do you bandage a dog’s forehead? Answer: You don’t. Instead, he told Mom she had to spray sterile wound wash on it twice a day and then spray this special sea salt liquid bandage on it 6 times a day, and it should heal up ok. In the meantime, guess what I have to wear. Grr.

I heard Mom ask if the Labs were back. Back? You mean they had been here once and gone again? Dogtor Smith disappeared for a few minutes and came back in with a paper in his hand. Apparently the Labs had delivered the paper and left. While the dogtor explained what the paper said I could feel Mom getting real upset but holding it all in. It must have been a news paper because there was very bad news on it. Dogtor Karen – who is my favorite – came in the exam room and said she is contacting the University of Knoxville, who has a great veterinary school, and an oncology place in Atlanta to see if I am a Candy Date for a Melanoma Vaccine that could erase the bad news. I hope so. I want to be a Candy Date again. Anyhow, Mom cried a lot today and I laid by her to comfort her. I must have done a good job because she asked me if I wanted to go for another ride. “Of course I want to go for a ride with you, Mom,” I answered. So we hopped in the car and guess where we went…Mickey D’s!! We shared a hamburger and a caramel sundae. I got the caramel all over my beard and I kept trying to lick it from the inside of the e-collar. It made Mom laugh. Hmm, I wonder if it is my birthday again.

This is Lexi and Mom, taking it one day at a time.