Going to the Dogs
So many people have let me know that they have been thinking about us and Alyx and asking about how she's doing. I'm here to tell you that she is doing fabulous. She's almost completely healed from her surgery, although the spot where they shaved her is still bare. The chemo beads they placed in the incision spot have almost all dissolved. Her oncologist told us at her last appointment that we should "take her home and treat her like a normal dog." Those were the best words I could have heard.
We did have a bit of a scare following her surgery. The doctors were monitoring her kidney functions and the first few weeks her levels were quite abnormal. They talked of all kinds of things, including "renal failure." I held my breath and bribed her to drink more water with splashes of cage free, organic, low sodium chicken broth. But last week, when they retested her, all levels were well within the normal range. It seems that having two surgeries, one of which a pretty major surgery followed by chemotherapy, is a bit hard on 11 year old canine kidneys. Who'd a thunk it, huh?
But she bounced back and is doing great. She's back out there walking her two miles a day with Daddy and Freyja and playing and running around like the young pup she still is.
Speaking of Freyja, though... Wow. What were we thinking there? She's a delight and we really do love her. But... wow... ummm... handful? We've been having some food aggression issues which are scary. I mean they put dogs down for food aggression issues when they come to shelters. But our poor girl was virtually starved before she came to her foster family and she eats every meal like she hasn't eaten in days and she may not ever eat again. Add to that the chaos of small children and other dogs and you can see where the aggression lies. We've been feeding her by hand now and that has eliminated all the aggression. We also have her in obedience classes where I'm sure she'll soon outshine the other drab pups.
A couple of days after Alyx received the all clear from her doctors, Mike was playing with Freyja and called me over. "Hey, Heather. Have you noticed this lump on Freyja's mouth before?"
My heart sank. "Lump? What lump?" Sure enough, she has a lump growing within her right cheek. I took her to the vet and she assured me that it would be "very rare to see cancer in a dog this young." I laughed at this, "Like a mast cell tumor beneath the skin, right?"
She's going to have it aspirated when she gets her spay done next month. I don't know what we'd do if she too has cancer. We've blown our dog budget in the last few months. I won't even tell you by how much, but canine cancer treatment doesn't come cheap. Plus, we're having to build a fence around our backyard -- one that Freyja cannot jump over, all 55 lbs of her. And chew toys. Do you know how expensive chew toys are? Like 20 bucks a piece and when your puppy goes through them like they're cotton candy, that adds up. Oh, and don't forget the dog behaviorist who will be coming by for private sessions to rid her of her "rescue dog baggage."
Yes, we're doing our part to stimulate the economy. But we can't do it all by ourselves. Go out people and adopt yourself a dog!! Lots of dogs out there needing homes, especially those so called forclosure dogs -- dogs who's owners had to turn them over when they lost their home to forclosure. So get out there and stimulate by adopting a dog!
Anyway. That's our update. Truman, by the way, is as he always is. Just in case anyone is wondering. Poor Truman. He's such the middle child.
We did have a bit of a scare following her surgery. The doctors were monitoring her kidney functions and the first few weeks her levels were quite abnormal. They talked of all kinds of things, including "renal failure." I held my breath and bribed her to drink more water with splashes of cage free, organic, low sodium chicken broth. But last week, when they retested her, all levels were well within the normal range. It seems that having two surgeries, one of which a pretty major surgery followed by chemotherapy, is a bit hard on 11 year old canine kidneys. Who'd a thunk it, huh?
But she bounced back and is doing great. She's back out there walking her two miles a day with Daddy and Freyja and playing and running around like the young pup she still is.
Speaking of Freyja, though... Wow. What were we thinking there? She's a delight and we really do love her. But... wow... ummm... handful? We've been having some food aggression issues which are scary. I mean they put dogs down for food aggression issues when they come to shelters. But our poor girl was virtually starved before she came to her foster family and she eats every meal like she hasn't eaten in days and she may not ever eat again. Add to that the chaos of small children and other dogs and you can see where the aggression lies. We've been feeding her by hand now and that has eliminated all the aggression. We also have her in obedience classes where I'm sure she'll soon outshine the other drab pups.
A couple of days after Alyx received the all clear from her doctors, Mike was playing with Freyja and called me over. "Hey, Heather. Have you noticed this lump on Freyja's mouth before?"
My heart sank. "Lump? What lump?" Sure enough, she has a lump growing within her right cheek. I took her to the vet and she assured me that it would be "very rare to see cancer in a dog this young." I laughed at this, "Like a mast cell tumor beneath the skin, right?"
She's going to have it aspirated when she gets her spay done next month. I don't know what we'd do if she too has cancer. We've blown our dog budget in the last few months. I won't even tell you by how much, but canine cancer treatment doesn't come cheap. Plus, we're having to build a fence around our backyard -- one that Freyja cannot jump over, all 55 lbs of her. And chew toys. Do you know how expensive chew toys are? Like 20 bucks a piece and when your puppy goes through them like they're cotton candy, that adds up. Oh, and don't forget the dog behaviorist who will be coming by for private sessions to rid her of her "rescue dog baggage."
Yes, we're doing our part to stimulate the economy. But we can't do it all by ourselves. Go out people and adopt yourself a dog!! Lots of dogs out there needing homes, especially those so called forclosure dogs -- dogs who's owners had to turn them over when they lost their home to forclosure. So get out there and stimulate by adopting a dog!
Anyway. That's our update. Truman, by the way, is as he always is. Just in case anyone is wondering. Poor Truman. He's such the middle child.
posted by The Histrionics of a Fat Housewife at 8:31 PM
3 Comments:
I am so glad everyone is ok. I check your posts everyday, watching like a hawk for new news.
omg I can understand why she has food agression but that is a dog issue your mom always worked really hard on to make sure the dogs in her household would never have. I can remember being at your house and your mom telling me specifically to get in Vicki's food, take it away from her, pull on her while she was eating. At the time I think I was 4 and thought it was really cruel when later I learned that it's just dog training.
no worries on Truman.. he has RK, that's all he needs in life.. his little human savior.
Glad Alyx is doing so well!
ohhh one more thing, we're going to dinner at Texas De Brazil tonight, wanna come?
Hey, tell Truman he's MY favourite of your dogs. I really don't know the others. I think I met Alyx but that's all. Didn't get to know her like Truman. And I'd like to meet the new one too. Freyja? Hope it's just a wart or something on the snout. Not cancer. I eat every meal like it's my last too. So I think we'd get along.
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