Tag Archives: CBC

Monkeybutt Central

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So my mom is babysitting this weekend. More quadpawds!!! Fortunately, these ones are pretty small. (I think Tosca poops bigger than these two.) They are pampered city girls, and mom made them stay outside yesterday while we were working in the yard. It was pretty pathetic! They kept running to the porch every time someone went near it, because they thought they were going to get to go back inside. And then when they figured out that they were outside for good, they discovered that the inside of the greenhouse was warm and dry. So that’s where they spent most of the afternoon until dad said they could go back inside. Continue reading →

Another day at the vets (a rant or two)….

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So today we drove down to Tacoma this morning to go to the oncologist.  It was time for Rio’s bi-weekly CBC and we’d also planned a recheck ultrasound.  Sounds like a quick and mostly painless appointment, right?!  Rio and I arrived there at a few minutes after 9 this morning, and didn’t leave until nearly 4:15!  Seriously!!!! Continue reading →

Till there was Woo….

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It’s APRIL!  Rio’s birth month!!!!  We don’t know what day, but she was about 7 or 8 weeks old when I got her on Father’s Day, 2000.  I still remember that little face.  I tried to walk away.  I actually decided I couldn’t take her (we were selling our house and didn’t have a clue where we would live while we built our new house).  But my friend said, “you can’t leave without saying goodbye to the puppy.”  I convinced myself I was strong enough, but I knew deep down that if I went back to “say goodbye,” I would be taking that tiny girl home.

  • The day I found Woo

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    Chemo #3 and all’s well

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    Today we administered Rio’s third round of chemo (CCNU).  She’s been doing really great, although last week’s CBC numbers were considerably lower than when we started.  Dr. Sarah, our oncologist, prescribed Cerenia for vomiting, since she did get sick on the Vinblastine two years ago, but we haven’t needed it so far.  Continue reading →

    Chemo Round 2

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    Today we went for our first dose of Vinblastine.  Rio had some episodes of nausea last time we had Vinblastine (2 years ago), and the doctor gave us some Cerenia in case it happens again this time.  So now we don’t have to go back to the oncologist for another month (fingers crossed).  We go for a CBC next week, then the next chemo is oral, so we’ll just do it here at home.

    She’s now sacked out on the couch, exhausted after the long morning at the doctor’s.  But while we were there, we met lots of really tough dogs and the people who love them.  We met a dachshund who was recovering from a broken back, three dogs with repaired knees/legs, an elkhound with transitional cell cancer, and Jetson, another tripawd just like Rio.  He is somewhat of a celebrity to the local tripawd community (or at least to us!).  He was a K-9 cop prior to his diagnosis with osteosarcoma.  You can learn about his story here: http://www.komonews.com/news/problemsolvers/113246294.html.  Rio thought he was very handsome, yet managed to not appear starstruck, even though he’s way more striking in “person” than he was on TV!  Because of all of the publicity surrounding his retirement, he got enough donations to cover all of his medical expenses for the rest of his life!

     

    Poopy day….

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    Today, the weather is vile and Rio isn’t feeling very well.  Her CBC came back with good numbers, but she’s developed a bad case of diarrhea.  She’s pooped so many times I’ve lost count, and she seems completely lethargic.  Temp is normal, though.  A call to the vet hooked us up with some metronidazole, so hopefully that won’t take too long to kick in.  I also picked up some unflavored Pedialyte and mixed it with low sodium beef broth, and she’s been drinking that down when I offer it to her.  I don’t want her to get dehydrated, and she has no interest in just plain water.

    On the upside, when the vet checked her leg yesterday, she said she didn’t feel any signs of “laxity” or “crepitus” which sounds promising.  However, she’s still having some difficulty getting around.  The clinic where she is going for her oncology treatments is all specialists, so I’m going to see if I can get the ortho specialist to look at it when we’re in next week.

    Happy birthday to me…

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    Yesterday was my birthday, and the best present of all was a happy Woo.  Her dad sent her in to do a little post-breakfast snuggle wearing a festive ribbon on her harness.  My present was a book of Rio.  Her dad had collected all the great Rio pictures from the day I brought her home to post-surgery, and compiled them into an iPhoto book.  We had made a couple of these books before — one of all of our Halloween party guests, and one for the in-laws 25 wedding anniversary.  Apple really does a nice job, and they’re a great memento without the headache of trying to put together a photo album.  They are hardbound and the pages are glossy, and you can easily add captions and text to the pages as well.  And so the legendary Story of Woo will live on now in print.

    Rio has a vet appointment this afternoon.  We’re going to check white blood count and have the doctor take a look at her knee.  She’s been having a bit of difficulty with it — it’s been swollen and at times it simply collapses under her.  Hoping, hoping that it’s just tired from carrying all the load and not something like a torn ligament.