My Baby Birthday Girl

Tomorrow is my Teddy's twelfth birthday.  Even though she is my baby, she is now an old girl.  I've got a couple of toys for her and we'll make sure she gets a happy romp.  Maybe I'll even thaw out a few whole sardines so she can have a special super-smelly meal.

I took this picture of her chewing an antler so I could send it to her favorite aunt. She gets a picture every time Teddy gets a bath, and I had her drying in front of a space heater here after a bath last week.  Due to increasingly troublesome skin issues, she is getting bathed 2 - 3 times per week... much to her dismay!
 

She sleeps a lot more these days.  Since she is now probably the equivalent of 80 human years, I suppose that is to be expected.  Since her skin is such an issue, she is often a bit zonked from being dosed with Benadryl.

I am sad to say that she probably isn't going to be around for many more years.  We will be grateful to have two more, but I will be surprised if we are able to get that.  When I talk to groomers and trainers, most tell me that they love Goldens but don't want to get one because they only live to be 9 or ten years old and losing them is a real heartbreak -- so I know we are getting bonus time with her now.

Teddy's cancer is progressing.  She is still eating and playing with gusto, so that is good.  Her lymphocyte count is around 8K -- the highest it's ever been, but still not high enough to consider chemotherapy.  Even if it got that high, we would opt out at this point.  Summer is her special time, where she is outside for hours and around some of her most favorite people.  With so little time left, we won't deprive her of that.  Her lymph nodes are now much larger, some very prominent.

One of our biggest issues, is that dogs with T-Zone lymphoma are super susceptible to  Demodex Mites.  These parasites live in dormancy on almost all dogs.  Having an compromised immune system makes it difficult for the dog to fight them, so they proliferate and bite.  Teddy's had recurring skin issues most of her life, but we were able to control it.  Since her cancer has progressed, she is in a perpetual state of risk for skin infection.  This has been not only disheartening, but extremely expensive.

For almost two years, we used a pricey oral medication, Apoquel, which was very effective.  It does lose it's efficacy after prolonged use, and we also started to worry about elevated liver values.  We've opted to go to an injectable anti-itch product called Cytopoint.  For her weight, it costs $122 every six weeks.  The clinic also tacks on a $15 vet tech charge to give the shot.  I have asked them to just fill the prescription and I will inject it myself.  The shot is sub-cutaneous (given in the loose flap of skin at the back of the neck).  I've given cats sub-q fluids many times, so the prospect of this isn't that bad. 

The vet thought that $15 wasn't really that much extra to pay, but when you're spending over $300 per month, it gets to the point where you have to make difficult choices.  In fact, we're not doing anymore blood work because it would be more expensive to start any other treatment for something else we found.  I did want to ask him how many hours someone on his staff would have to work to afford all this, but I refrained because he really is a good man.  However his techs would probably have work an entire week to afford what we are spending each month.  Putting it in that perspective, I think it's understandable that we need to economize.

My goal is to curtail the cost of maintaining healthy skin so that we will have funds if needed in the fall to start chemo.  We've been spending at the vet, groomer, and local dog wash.  I've purchased clippers and a high velocity pet dryer.  Each day, I clip a little of her fur so that it stays short (which is important for dogs with mites), she gets a bath using RX shampoo 2 - 3 times per week.  That shampoo needs to soak in for ten minutes.  It's important for her not to stay wet, which is why I got the dyer.  Boy does she hate this, but I don't feel we have much choice.

Each year I have looked forward to her birthday because I remember back when she was just a day old and I picked her out.  Now, it's a bit bittersweet and I am aware that each one may be her last.  Anyone who wants to wish her a happy birthday and maybe send good thoughts to the universe or any deity that looks out for good dogs, please feel welcome to do so.  We appreciate it!