Chance's tumor sighting (11-8-2020)

The day started with Chance in pain after getting off the bed.  I was scared.  Never saw him like that first thing in the morning.  He went back in the house and got back on the bed.  I sat on the couch and fell asleep with him.  

Then Mark got up and Chance was fine.  So we went on with our day.  

We were outside more than a few times today because it was so nice.  72°

I debated if it was too hot to walk the dogs.  The clouds finally showed up taking care of the sun and I decided to give it a go at about 3:30pm.

Chance and I had a brisk walk, even steady pace and a feeling of freedom.  Between a rainy October and mild injuries we hadn't walked in what felt like forever.  Having to miss out on all of this gorgeous weather we have been having... which really sucked!

We took a little bit longer walk than I had planned, but it felt so good to be moving and I was following Chance's lead and how far he planned to go.  Around the football field and down the paved path we scurried.  Oh, the blessed freedom.  I didn't ever want it to end.  

So Mark is on the roof, finishing up and when I get back with Blaze, Chance is ready to come outside.  So I take my break with him.  After all the kisses, he lays down on his side, in front of me  and I notice he is wider at his abdomen.  It is bulky and very out of shape.  My first thought is that he is having fluid retention again.  I'm trying to figure out how it got so big again and how I missed it.  If anything he's been too thin in that area IMO.  Then Chance rolls up and is now laying on his belly.  The bulge is still there.  It's got to be fluids.  Then he gets up and the bulge goes away.  He just snapped back in shape, just like that.  It takes some more going back and forth in my mind, when I come to the conclusion it was his tumor I was seeing.  I'm stunned.  Scared.  Shocked.  In all the times I've seen him lay down, this was the first I was seeing it.  It's growing.  It's the inevitable.  Wish there was something I could do.  Anything to make him all better.

Chance is still acting very healthy and happy, well as happy as a moody dog like him can be.  lol  Just "seeing" the tumor was a harsh dose of reality.  It messed me up for a while.  We are making the most of our time together, however long we may have, with lots of pics and video.  It's all we can do for our heart dog.  

Tough night with Fiona

 Was up all night with Fiona a few night ago.  She was acting like she was in pain and it came on all the sudden.  Gave her a Tramadol.  Did nothing.  She was pacing and panting and acting like she was going to puke.  She'd been eating rabbit poop that day, so I thought she was feeling sick.  Gave her two Pepto Bismol tablets.  Nothing.  Then I thought it was her liver.  None of her symptoms matched with liver failure.  Back to the pain theory when I watched her try to lay down, after pacing for hours and hours.  She couldn't extend her front legs.  She was so anxious that I gave her a couple of Inositol, which may have slightly helped.  The only thing that calmed her down was going outside and sitting in the rain.  She was actually quiet and sitting down.  We were under the pine tree near duck fence, where we talked.  She told me her secrets, I told her mine.  By the time we went in it was 6:30am and we'd been out for an hour.  By 7:30am I woke up Mark to get ready to go to vet.  Thank God it was Friday and our vet was there.  Just before Fiona's 9:30 appt. she finally laid down while Mark stroked her head and started to fall asleep.  She was exhausted from pacing, panting and being in extreme pain.  The vet gave her a new pain pill to use for 3 days along with her Galaprant and she slept all day on and off, as did I and Fiona is looking so much better.  

Thank God for our vet and modern meds and thank you for taking care of our girl and all our dogs.  We are so grateful her life isn't over yet.

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**Update** 

Fiona is doing great and back to her bubbly diva self.  

No more pain makes for a big smile!

Chance's ultrasound results

 Well, we took Chance in to get his ultrasound.  He really fought going back to the vet for a third time in three weeks and having to wear his muzzle.  Somehow the vet was double booked for appointments and so we ended up dropping him off for part of the day.  Which was one of my worst fears for Chance.

So, we worried for the next four hours until we got the call to pick him up.  The vet called us in and showed us the images she took from the ultrasound.  It was obvious that there was a mass on the liver and the liver itself was made up of cancerous tissue.  It was the hard truth we needed to know.  

While she was explaining the pictures, I kept hearing a dog whining.  I looked up and there was Chance looking at us, crying to go home.  I felt really comforted that I got to see him in the kennel and that he was OK.  It gave me some peace of mind about how his day went.  

Chance is on two medications- one for the fluid in the abdomen to continue to drain out and one for his liver to continue to function.  And if you saw him without telling you he has liver cancer, you would never know he has it.  Chance is still the dog with the most energy, still pulls me along on a walk and is as happy and moody as ever.  

So, we are just living one day at a time with all the dogs and making the most of each day with them.  Pulling out the camera more, trying to hold on to time.

  

Chance's x-ray results

 Chance was finally able to have his x-rays done of his abdomen and the results were not good.  He has a tumor, either on his liver, spleen or pancreas.  It is too hard to decipher with an x-ray, so we will be getting an ultrasound done in the next couple of weeks, to know for sure.   More than likely it is the liver, since that seems to be the star of the organs for these four dogs.  

I've been living pretty much in the moment and it helps that Chance (or any of the other dogs) aren't showing any symptoms.  

But it all caught up with me today when we had to take Blaze to the ER vet for diarrhea that I couldn't stop crying no matter what I tried.  I just started to feel like our world of the 24 Paws was beginning to crumble.  

Piece by piece.  Dog by dog.

It's a little more than overwhelming.  And a bit scary.  

I can't imagine one of them not being here.  

So here's to modern medicine that is helping to keep them all alive and well.  

And to our wonderful vet who has put up with us through many different scenarios and dogs.  

And to you all, dear readers for still taking the time to catch up with us.  

God bless

...and Chance makes three...

 in our liver stories.   So you know by now that Fiona and Blaze have liver disease and are both being treated with 2 medications AND are doing great!  Zappa was tested as well, has one level that is off, but no need for medication.  Recheck in 3 months.  

And then there is Chance...he too was tested and has liver disease, yet he is only on one medication and for the most part is doing good.  Until we discovered his abdomen was full of fluid.  He's lost 7 pounds of fluid as of this post in just 6 days.  

The vet had tried to take x-rays to see where all this fluid is coming from, but there was so much of it that she couldn't see anything.  She was able to rule out congenital heart failure as his heart and lungs were clear.  

So, our vet put him on medication to flush out the fluid and so far so good.  Hopefully we will be able to get a clear x-ray to find out what is going on with our boy.  

Stay Tuned as the mystery of Chance continues...

We got our Fiona back!

It was exactly 2 months today that Fiona was at the vet's office all day practically on her death bed from a failing liver.  We tried some new medicine, Urisidol and it brought our baby back to life!

It has been a long while since she has felt good on a consistent basis.  She is happy, alert, playful and kind of bouncy!  lol  She's been back on regular walks at a steady pace and that has been good.  We take a trail that is 1/8 of a mile loop for her and she loves that walk.

She's having no problems eating and is enjoying the addition of her canned food.    It was the best way to put weight on, while being easy on her tummy when we first started the medicine.  It worked out great!  Except now she won't eat without canned food mixed in. Spoiled girl!

  Thank Woo for all your prayers and support!

I made it!!

We are so grateful for the medicine working and the fact the Fiona is feeling better.  It was pretty scary that first month and now we have two months under our collar.  Fiona getting better every day. Every day there is something new I notice that just adds to her well-being.  We are so grateful for this second chance with Fiona and we couldn't be happier!

Gifts and Blessings of Dogs

I've been struggling with depression my whole life.  It has been especially difficult this summer when we found out Fiona and Blaze have liver disease.  Despite myself, I have found under all that heaviness, the dogs are the ones that can still put a smile on this hardened heart.  They still make me laugh and dance and sing.  And as the years creep up, I find more of my time with them to be quiet and still.  Comfortable to just "be" with each other.  With lots of "eye talk."

I have found that when I am somber, they are too and we rest together.  And when I feel lifted, they celebrate with me.  Believe me there is something to be said for older dogs that have been with us from the beginning...they know you.  They feel you, they understand and they try to change you.  They have their ways and wants to get to you to smile again. 

It is one of the reasons I don't understand why people give up their senior dogs, for the only reason that they are old.  They say that a dog's prime ages are 3-7 years old, but I would disagree, I feel we are still in our prime at 12 years old.  The bond I have with each dog is incredible.  And it is more than the fact they are Brut and Silver's kids.  All four of them have distinct personalities, quirks and special gifts to share. 

And really isn't that what having a dog is all about?  Getting to know them.  Having this mind-blowing relationship with them.  All wrapped up in unconditional love. 

What a blessing we have been given to have dogs in our lives.

 

First Fiona and now Blaze

This has been difficult to write.  I have been putting it off trying to process the information. 

I told you about Fiona having liver disease, well we found out after a hunch and blood work, Blaze has it as well. 

This past year we got DNA test for Fiona and Chance.  Well we also got a health analysis with it.  At this time we already knew that Fiona had liver disease, but it was discovered that Chance carried the same gene for it.  Which lead me to getting Blaze tested after witnessing some of the same symptoms that Fiona had before treatment.  Well, Blaze's liver levels were quite high after getting blood test.  That's when we figured out that this was genetic. 

Blaze is on the same medicine as Fiona and is responding slowly.  They are both taking Urisidol and Denamarin to keep the liver going.  How long it will last is a guessing game, but for now it is working.

We will be getting blood work for Chance and Zappa's liver levels in the next few weeks.  Chance is showing any symptoms right now, but I have some suspicions about Zappa.  I hope I am wrong.

It's been a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster dealing with all of this information.  I thought the scare of Fiona was enough to last me, but now Blaze for certain and possibly Chance and Zappa.  Scary stuff. 

Keep the 24 Paws of Love in your prayers.  Thank you.