Canine Cancer Update - April

We had our April visit with the Oncologist yesterday and the girlie is doing well.  Her cancer is progressing, but still at a fairly slow rate.  Most of her lymph nodes are showing very minor changes in size, however the one under her chin on the left side has gotten larger.  It doesn't seem to bother her, but she now is very competent at snoring.

The past few weeks have seen some pretty good sales on vitamins at Rite Aid, which when also combined with a $4 off $20 coupon has enabled me to get her stock of turmeric and folate replenished.  They also sell an organic mushroom blend supplement which is being discontinued.  60 capsules are $6.49.  The powder I'd started her on had a very similar blend and 100 servings is around twenty-five bucks.  That's a large savings per serving.  After finding the reduction at one store, I went to another and found two more bottles.  I'll be hitting all of the Rite Aid stores in our area to find as many bottles on clearance that I can.  A friend is being sent fish oil monthly by the VA and they won't stop, even though he's asked them to.  They won't take the supplements back either.  He's passing them on to us, which is helping us save bit more.

Teddy is also back in the water, which is pretty amazing as large ice floes are still making their way from Lake Erie down the Niagara River.  The cold doesn't bother her.  She's still got a lot of energy and a real zest for romping, running and swimming.   Her appetite is still non-stop too.  These are all things greatly in her favor.

We are noticing that she has begun to look like the senior dog she is, but that's to be expected at 11.  If she gets a little stiff after a particularly active day, one baby aspirin seems to help.   She does seem to have a little bit more of a challenge jumping up on our bed (which is higher than average).  Although she doesn't need steps yet, we'll probably have our guy Jimmy make some.

I'm still very bummed and sad that my dear girl has developed cancer.  This has made me much more tolerant of some of her jerky behaviors.  As sweet as she looks, she's got a bratty side that seems to charm the pants off others, but can drive you crazy if you live with her.  So, I've been trying to see her quirks the way others do and appreciate what we have.   The median survival for this type of Lymphoma is often greater than two years -- even without chemo.  We don't know when it started or how much time she has left.   Not being able to be objective, we will start chemo when the vet advises us to -- but she doesn't seem to think that will happen soon.  So for now, we will keep up with her raw diet, nutritional and herbal supplements, grooming, dental care, and as much exercise as she can manage.

Please keep sending your thoughts and prayers our way -- our little family appreciates it so much!