Jan 8 Extended dog family

Yesterday was a hard day in my extended dog family.  

There are some who bring a light so great to the world 

                          That even after they are gone, 

                                    The light remains. 

                                                Annie 

                    March 27, 1999 - January 7, 2013

This morning, Arri and I are very sad.  Last night, Sweet Annie went to the rainbow bridge.  She started having seizures as a result of the neurological disease.   Combined with the cancer in her lungs, her mom made the torturous decision to ease her pain.  We will miss hearing Annie's Adventures.  I am comforted knowing she will be waiting at the Bridge when Arri moves there.

In addition, CCI also lost Service Dog Garbo.  Garbo graduated in May 2002 from North Central Region.  She was in Glamis' graduating class.  Peace and hugs to Brian.

With all the sadness, I do have a bit of good news.  Arri had a quiet night with no coughing/breathing episodes during the night.  This morning I gave him an appetite stimulant and within and hour he was looking for his food bowl.  He did not eat a huge amount of food but the was happy to be eating it.

Jan 7...back to the vet

Well, this hypochondriac mother needs to cut back on caffeine or something.  With Arri not showing an increased interest in food and what seemed to be shallower breathing.  I called and got an appointment to see the vet.

It turned out to be unnecessary but it was informative and helpful.  Arri is down 2 lbs from last week.  He showed the most energy of the day thumping his tail and wiggling while laying down.  Arri was more than happy to eat the cookies offered to him. He even left everyone's fingers attached.  One of the workers went through chemo and said that it caused her taste buds to change.  Certain things she used to love, she couldn't stand the smell.  She had cravings for other (sometimes unusual) foods.  I learned is that it very well could be more than a week before his spirits perk up - although it was good to see him so happy to see everyone at the vet.   I guess that means he needs more visitors.   Decreased appetite is not at all unusual and may take a while to come back.  I understood this much better when I was given a 14 day supply of appetite stimulant.  Oh- it can take that long.   They offered him some different canned food.  He seemed to like the baby food best.  He has been preferring small bites of food.  He is actually chewing his food but he does want to bite pieces in half.  With this said, it was suggested that I add water to any food I offer and mash it up.  Make it easier to just swallow down.  It is moments like that that mean a lot.  It seems like a very simple solution but it never crossed my mind.

And then I learned that I was taking his current condition for granted.  I was worried about slightly shallower breathing.  The vet said he was honestly amazed at how well Arri was doing considering the x-rays.  Dogs with x-rays like Arri's don't act like Arri is acting.  He also said that in talking with the people at MSU, they also were amazed by how well he was doing.

Hug your pups and cherish the time you have.  They leave us far, far too soon.

Jan 7 We made it to another day.

By the end of the day yesterday, I was happy with the food Arri ate.  We discovered he enjoyed Oregon's Eukenuba.  So he had 5 handfuls of that as well as some more cookies.  

I have to force myself not to smother Arri in hugs and pets.  Last night he sat on the sofa with me.  Started on the opposite end but ended up right next to me with his head in my lap.  Oregon is such a jealous boy.  As soon as Arri put his head in my lap, Oregon jumped up and was going to squeeze between us.   I don't think so Oregon.   So he laid down on Arri's lower half - causing a coughing fit. That got him kicked off the island.  That boy needs a day of play and out of my hair before I kill him.

We had a brief sighting of his old self last night.  Uncle Darryl, Aunt Debbie, cousins Becca and Joel stopped by.  He have them a couple of good warning barks - the kind we have not heard in months.  Once everyone was in the door, Arri laid back down to recover from the excitement.

Arri had a rough spot during the night.  Thought we were going to have to tap his chest for fluid today.  He seems to have stabled out but again, not eating yet today.  His 'happy' is also missing.  His eyes are bright but the tail is still.  I am walking such a fine line between illness and chemo reaction.   I am not sure when to stop making the chemo excuse.

Thanks for bringing me mom, but I don't think I want to walk around the park today.

The 3 garbage disposals are at daycare today.  They needed to run and play and I needed them out of my hair for a bit.  We tried taking Arri to the park.  He did get excited - jumped up and grabbed a toy ready to go.  But when we got to the park, he didn't want to get out of the car.  I pulled him to the edge but still he didn't want to get out.  When he did get out, he went to the grass, peed, walked 5 feet and sat down.  He was done.

Now he is laying with his rear in a patch of sun, guarding my back as I type.

Jan 6 Eat puppy, Eat!

This morning I didn't force Arri to get out of bed with everyone else.  He would get up when he needed to.  It was not long after everyone was fed that he did get up and go to the door.  He seemed to have some energy so I was hopeful about breakfast.  Boy was I wrong.  He completely turned his nose up at turkey and rice.  He also refused:  cooked egg, dry kibble, canned kibble, cold chicken and much to my amazement - peanut butter on bread.  He took one bite and not another of:  baby carrot, meatloaf, bread and yogurt.  The only thing he would eat happily was Old Mother Hubbards Classic biscuits.  The goof ball will only eat cookies for breakfast.  Since it was the only thing he would touch, I gave in and he got a handful.    I am hopeful that as the day goes on, he will take something of a bit more nutrition.  He always loved popcorn so during the football games, I will see if he will eat some - no salt added.

Oregon and Summer are never far away when
Arri is getting his mini meals hand fed to him.

I was briefly encouraged after church when Arri gladly accepted a piece of hamburger and a chunk of canned food.  When the other 3 dogs went to the park, I fixed Arri a bowl.  He turned his nose up at it.  I gave him a few more cookies and he ate them.  Tim took him for a short trip to the park.  He really wanted to go.  He didn't go far but he enjoyed the trip.  While there, he ate a few carrots and 2 handfuls of kibble.  So I think now we know the game he is playing.  Some food still doesn't appeal to him but what food he will eat must be hand fed to him.  Well, if that is what it takes, we will do it.  Really small amounts of food seem to be better anyway.  If he eats to big a bite or too much at once, he starts coughing.

With all the trial and errors on food, the other 3 garbage disposals will be very happy with their dinners.  They will split what Arri refuses to eat.

Jan 5 Arri has trained me well.

After refusing breakfast, I went to the store for chicken and rice to make for Arri for lunch.  I didn't want to start him on special food just yet but he does need to eat something.

Around 1:00 I gave him a small meal of chicken and rice.  He only ate part of it.  Every time I walk through the kitchen, I grab a piece of kibble or biscuit and he eats those pretty quick.  Since he is not eating or drinking much I am not making him go outside.  As soon as he went to the door on his own, I jumped up and let him out.  I was so happy he was motivated enough to move.  He did what he needed to do and all was good.  Dinner was more chicken and rice.  Now this is how quickly Arri trained me.  Yes, he is already getting an extra meal and it is special food.  But now I am not even making him get up to eat.  I brought his dinner to him and let him lay down while eating.  Spoiled dog?  Maybe a little.  He managed to telepathically convince me to give him a bite of my bread with peanut butter on it.

I believe his lethargy and disinterest in food is a side effect of the chemo.  The doctors certainly did not give me an imminent end attitude.  Still, i touch his paw or scratch his ears often enough to annoy him.  And at the moment, Tim or I has to be at the house with him.  No reason other than I just don't want to leave him alone.

Annie replied to Arri's e-mail today.  What I didn't mention before is that Annie is also very close to the end. Her illness is slightly different but she was in the hospital at the same time as Arri with fluid in her lungs too. They took slightly different routes in getting there, but they are on the same road to the Rainbow Bridge now.  Arri was hoping to get there first so he could prepare the place for her and show her around but it may happen the other way around.  Everything Arri and I go through we think of Annie and her mom and pray for them.

Jan 5 Home!!!!

It was only 2 days at the MSU Vet hospital but it was a very long two days.

I'll start with yesterday.  Around 11:30 am, The oncologist called to review Arri's condition.  He was eating well and in high spirits.  He is such a flirt, I don't doubt he was having fun despite all the needles and tests.  The good news was that the mass on his liver did not appear to be cancer.  The bad news was that all the rest of the masses were.  In addition, they were at a fairly advanced stage.  Arri had chest x-rays and ultrasounds back in September and was declared clean.  So all of this has grown and spread in less than 4 months.

Checking out at MSU:
Hey mom!   Do you see the cookie jar by your elbow?
Those are for me!!  gimme one

As far as treatment, we have two choices.   A chemo injection that is repeated every 3 weeks.  It can also be injected right into the mass in the chest for more specific treatment.  The other treatment was an oral chemo that is taken 3 days a week at home.  Since time is a factor I chose to go with the injection.  There may be more side effects because the dose is higher but it also may be more effective in the short term.  We did not even talk about radiation.  They have to sedate him for that and his lungs are already compromised.

I picked up Arri at 4:00 on Jan 4.  He was happy and playing the 'I'm disabled' game.  They were using the sling with him.  I met the Oncologist and then we walked over to check out.  I didn't use the sling and Arri was fine.  The Dr thought that was pretty funny and was impressed with his attitude considering he is fairly sick.

The drive home was quiet.  He is breathing much easier.

Arri teaching Freckles the proper way to watch my back.

Once home, he was inspected by the other dogs.  Oregon was a bit pushy but never knocked him down.  It didn't take long to notice he was feeling weak.  His rear end was riding low when he walked.   A side effect of the chemo - at least for a few days.   Inside the house, I sat at the computer and he immediately was back to work, guarding my back.  He must have been training his successor because Freckles the cat, Summer and Glamis were close by him.  Yep, Oregon was in the other room killing a toy.

I lifted him onto the sofa but he seemed fidgety.  Like he couldn't get comfortable.  Possibly because he was pinned by two other dogs.  He needs a bit more space now.   Last night everyone was in the kennel except Arri.  He only had to share the bed with me.  Even then, he wanted his own space and not my space.  He did seem to have a good night.

This morning, he didn't get off the bed until I picked him up and moved him.  He had no interest in breakfast. Yes, this concerned me ALOT.  The hospital said he was eating fine.  I took a deep breath and remembered he just had a big chemo shot and nausea can be a side effect.  He ate a baby carrot and a piece of pupperoni but turned his nose up at a banana.  i won't force him to eat with special food just yet as it may just be the chemo.  I will offer him a bunch of small meals during the day - chicken and rice is always a winner.

Jan 4 A letter to Annie

This morning I found this letter in my e-mail from Arri to his girlfriend Annie.  Annie is a month or so  younger than Arri and they cyber grew up together.  They have never met but have been long distance sweethearts since the beginning.  



Hey Sweet Annie

It's Arri.  I'm going to be moving to the Rainbow Bridge soon.  I am still in the hospital but mom is coming to get me today whether they like it or not.  She is upset that I am two hours away so she has not been able to come to see me every day.  I have been doing ok but this morning I woke up breathing a little harder.  My heart heart has been declared perfect but then I already knew that.  Our lab hearts are pure love, nothing wrong with that.  It is rest of me that is breaking down.  I have nodules in my lungs, masses on my liver and kidneys and there is a mass in my chest cavity.  Today I am being transferred to an Oncologist to see if there is any medicine to shrink the lump in my chest.  It is a good thing mom talked to the 'real' doctor last night.  The student dr she talked to this morning upset her because she didn't know what was going on.  She tried to tell mom that oncology might not see new patients on Fridays.  But mom kept her cool because she already knew the reason I was not going home was because oncology would see me right away if I was transferred.  If I had come home and tried to get an appointment, we wouldn't get in until next week.   Mom has not given up but we know that time is running short.   As I am typing this, the student oncologist called and said the 'real' oncologist will call in a little bit but the plan is to start a chemo treatment and go home for the weekend.  They reported that I am happy and comfortable.   She believes them but having me so far away and dealing with different doctors everyday is taking it's toll on her.  She will be 100 times better once she comes to get me because my happy butt is just what she needs. 

I'll keep you posted on how I am doing.  You take care of yourself and don't catch what I have.  It scares our moms.

Licks, wags, wiggles and LOVE from 

Arri