Happy Wordless Wednesday...
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Lola - One Week Later #PowerOfThePaw
Well, here we are, exactly one week after I realized 2015 was off to the suckiest start imaginable (post linked for those of you who may have missed it). One week after our vet confirmed my worst fear. One week after she uttered those two nasty words: bone cancer.
Lola made new friends at the holistic vet's office on Thursday. I can't say enough wonderful things about our new friend Hannah. The appointment began with some heartache and tough talking - namely she wanted to ensure that we fully understood Lola's diagnosis (sure Dr. C went through the motions on Tuesday, but I'm sure I looked like I was just hoping to spring awake from a terrible dream) and the fact that bone cancer is the most painful type of cancer for any dog or human to get. And, of course, there is no cure (apparently there is a vaccine in the works that would greatly slow down, or possibly even stop the cancer from metastasizing - but that's not an option yet). Our plan was to first and foremost, treat and manage Lola's pain. Hannah warned us of the rollercoaster ride we were about to embark on, indicating there will be good days and bad... and just when we think it might be "time," Lola could surprise us all. She prepared us as best she could for this emotional whirlwind... but I feel like I've been living on that emotional rollercoaster with Zeus for at least a year. I never asked for another seat on this ride, but it is what it is... and I'll do everything in my power to have my baby girl here with us for as long as she can remain a happy girl.
We opted to go forward with the IV treatment that Hannah had told me about when we spoke on the phone. It's not alternative or holistic, but traditional medicine administered by a slow-drip IV which she had recently found out about through another vet who was treating a great dane with bone cancer. The medicine was shown to slow down the growth of the tumor and the bone destruction. Lola stayed at the vet hospital most of the day, as the treatment began with 2 hours of fluids, followed by 2 hours for the medication, and another 2 hours of fluids (the fluids act as a "flush" and are important to the overall treatment). Apparently she made friends with all of the girls, instantly showering them with her charm. They were still finishing up the IV when we arrived to pick her up and while we waited, there was a line of employees coming out to tell us how unbelievably sweet Lola is (believe me, we know... which doesn't make any of this easy) and how they were all showering her with treats all day. If the treatment works as we hope, and things are going smoothly, we can repeat this treatment in 4 - 6 weeks.
We also left with two Chinese herbs to start Lola on, Hoxsey and Power Mushrooms. However, she had some vomiting on Saturday and as a result, we've stopped the Hoxsey for now, gave her a couple doses of anti-nausea medicine and are hopeful that it was the Hoxsey upsetting her stomach and not the Rimadyl (which we added in on Thursday evening). Keep your fingers crossed, because Lola has seemed to be feeling much better since Thursday and not in as much pain or discomfort.
Things have been pretty quiet and low-key at home. Lola spends a lot of time napping (although that's not much different), and I try to get in as much snuggle time as I can. She is still very food motivated and driven. Zeus, Sophie and Teutul are all concerned about their sister and not quite sure what's going on, however I think it may be setting in with them. Tut kept bringing Lola toys and trying to get her to play over the weekend, while Sophie would periodically go over and just lay down next to her sister. Zeus, who often spends time by himself, seems to be a little more concerned about his sister in the past couple of days and has been sticking nearby as well. It is so hard to watch.... and as much as I try to remain positive and keep smiling, I won't lie... we are just devastated. Never did I think we wouldn't have another summer to play outside, another birthday to celebrate, more time to catch up with old friends (including all those foster dog play dates we put off last fall), a chance to take Lola to the race track (really kicking myself for not doing that last season)... Never did I think we'd be loosing the sweetest, most loving dog in the world so terribly soon.
Please keep the paws crossed and continue to send good vibes. While my heart will surely break, I hope it won't be for awhile and that we'll have some good, quality time to spend with our baby girl.
(PS excuse any typos or rambling in this post... I didn't proofread it before hitting "publish" - and please excuse any intermittent blogging during this time)
Lola made new friends at the holistic vet's office on Thursday. I can't say enough wonderful things about our new friend Hannah. The appointment began with some heartache and tough talking - namely she wanted to ensure that we fully understood Lola's diagnosis (sure Dr. C went through the motions on Tuesday, but I'm sure I looked like I was just hoping to spring awake from a terrible dream) and the fact that bone cancer is the most painful type of cancer for any dog or human to get. And, of course, there is no cure (apparently there is a vaccine in the works that would greatly slow down, or possibly even stop the cancer from metastasizing - but that's not an option yet). Our plan was to first and foremost, treat and manage Lola's pain. Hannah warned us of the rollercoaster ride we were about to embark on, indicating there will be good days and bad... and just when we think it might be "time," Lola could surprise us all. She prepared us as best she could for this emotional whirlwind... but I feel like I've been living on that emotional rollercoaster with Zeus for at least a year. I never asked for another seat on this ride, but it is what it is... and I'll do everything in my power to have my baby girl here with us for as long as she can remain a happy girl.
We opted to go forward with the IV treatment that Hannah had told me about when we spoke on the phone. It's not alternative or holistic, but traditional medicine administered by a slow-drip IV which she had recently found out about through another vet who was treating a great dane with bone cancer. The medicine was shown to slow down the growth of the tumor and the bone destruction. Lola stayed at the vet hospital most of the day, as the treatment began with 2 hours of fluids, followed by 2 hours for the medication, and another 2 hours of fluids (the fluids act as a "flush" and are important to the overall treatment). Apparently she made friends with all of the girls, instantly showering them with her charm. They were still finishing up the IV when we arrived to pick her up and while we waited, there was a line of employees coming out to tell us how unbelievably sweet Lola is (believe me, we know... which doesn't make any of this easy) and how they were all showering her with treats all day. If the treatment works as we hope, and things are going smoothly, we can repeat this treatment in 4 - 6 weeks.
We also left with two Chinese herbs to start Lola on, Hoxsey and Power Mushrooms. However, she had some vomiting on Saturday and as a result, we've stopped the Hoxsey for now, gave her a couple doses of anti-nausea medicine and are hopeful that it was the Hoxsey upsetting her stomach and not the Rimadyl (which we added in on Thursday evening). Keep your fingers crossed, because Lola has seemed to be feeling much better since Thursday and not in as much pain or discomfort.
Things have been pretty quiet and low-key at home. Lola spends a lot of time napping (although that's not much different), and I try to get in as much snuggle time as I can. She is still very food motivated and driven. Zeus, Sophie and Teutul are all concerned about their sister and not quite sure what's going on, however I think it may be setting in with them. Tut kept bringing Lola toys and trying to get her to play over the weekend, while Sophie would periodically go over and just lay down next to her sister. Zeus, who often spends time by himself, seems to be a little more concerned about his sister in the past couple of days and has been sticking nearby as well. It is so hard to watch.... and as much as I try to remain positive and keep smiling, I won't lie... we are just devastated. Never did I think we wouldn't have another summer to play outside, another birthday to celebrate, more time to catch up with old friends (including all those foster dog play dates we put off last fall), a chance to take Lola to the race track (really kicking myself for not doing that last season)... Never did I think we'd be loosing the sweetest, most loving dog in the world so terribly soon.
Please keep the paws crossed and continue to send good vibes. While my heart will surely break, I hope it won't be for awhile and that we'll have some good, quality time to spend with our baby girl.
(PS excuse any typos or rambling in this post... I didn't proofread it before hitting "publish" - and please excuse any intermittent blogging during this time)
Monday, January 12, 2015
Amazon Gift Card Winner!
Thank you to everyone who commented, shared and liked our sponsored post about the advantages and disadvantages of electric dog fences. I learned a lot from this post, and hope you did as well.
The $50 Amazon gift card winner has been picked by random number generator...
Congratulations to Kate and the gang over at Retro Rover!
On a sad note, they lost their beloved Norbert to cancer last week. Kate and I have been chatting quite a bit over the past few months about our big guy's issues, and even more so in the past week in regard to the dreaded cancer diagnosis we both received. We've been leaning on each other for days, and despite her own broken heart and loss, she is still checking in on Lola on a regular basis. Friends like this are wonderful... I only wished we lived a little closer, especially during such difficult times.
Please wag on over and show Norbert's family some love....
The $50 Amazon gift card winner has been picked by random number generator...
Congratulations to Kate and the gang over at Retro Rover!
 |
| photo borrowed from Norbert's Mom |
Please wag on over and show Norbert's family some love....
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Black & White Sunday: Knit 1, Nap 2
Wishing everyone a nice R 'n R Sunday. Take some advice from Tut...
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Wordless Wednesday: Cancer Sucks - Power of The Paw Request
Just when I was hopeful for a great start to the new year, Lola had her follow up appointment to recheck her right shoulder xray yesterday. The difference in just two weeks was more than evident (never mind the visible swelling, as well as her obvious pain and lameness). It's not arthritis, as we had hoped...
Dr. C is confident it's osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. Of course, the only way to know 100% would be to put her through an MRI and bone biopsy, which we have opted not to do. The only reason to do this would be if we were going to move forward with treatment which would more than likely include amputation, chemo and radiation. Even if we did pursue these options (which I would in a heartbeat if I knew it was a cure - I'd happily go into debt and eat ramen noodles for years), bone cancer is not curable and there is a better than good chance that this very aggressive, nasty cancer has already metastasized elsewhere. To put Lola through all of the trauma (and hope that she survived it at her age), the most we could hope for would be 3 - 6 months. Instead, we have opted to work on managing the disease and her pain as best we can. Her traditional medications are being increased, and we have an appointment with a holistic vet for tomorrow who has some wonderful ideas that I'm anxious to hear more about.
This is an extremely difficult decision - I can not stand the thought of losing the sweetest dog in the world to such a horrible disease - and as much as I start second guessing things, I know that we're doing the right thing for my baby girl. I just hope that we have a lot of quality time left with her.
Please, keep those paws crossed, send good vibes and thoughts, and extend the Power of the Paw our way. We really need it now....
(and now for the wordless part)
Dr. C is confident it's osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. Of course, the only way to know 100% would be to put her through an MRI and bone biopsy, which we have opted not to do. The only reason to do this would be if we were going to move forward with treatment which would more than likely include amputation, chemo and radiation. Even if we did pursue these options (which I would in a heartbeat if I knew it was a cure - I'd happily go into debt and eat ramen noodles for years), bone cancer is not curable and there is a better than good chance that this very aggressive, nasty cancer has already metastasized elsewhere. To put Lola through all of the trauma (and hope that she survived it at her age), the most we could hope for would be 3 - 6 months. Instead, we have opted to work on managing the disease and her pain as best we can. Her traditional medications are being increased, and we have an appointment with a holistic vet for tomorrow who has some wonderful ideas that I'm anxious to hear more about.
This is an extremely difficult decision - I can not stand the thought of losing the sweetest dog in the world to such a horrible disease - and as much as I start second guessing things, I know that we're doing the right thing for my baby girl. I just hope that we have a lot of quality time left with her.
Please, keep those paws crossed, send good vibes and thoughts, and extend the Power of the Paw our way. We really need it now....
(and now for the wordless part)
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
REVIEW: Merrick Forever Home Holiday Recipe
Merrick Forever Home Holiday Recipe
Where to Find: Chewy.com
While a couple of health issues within our pack may have put us a little behind with posting reviews lately, it does not mean that the pack has not been enjoying the latest yum-yum sent to us from our dear friends at Chewy.com!
We received some cans of Merrick Forever Home Holiday Classic, and boy were the Lapdogs happy to indulge in the tastes of the season!
Founded in 1988, Amarillo, Texas –based Merrick Pet Care Inc. is a leader in the natural and organic pet food category. With a mission to create the most nutritious and wholesome food, Merrick helps families take better care of their pets by cooking up nutritious, real whole foods for pets. All foods are made in the USA using only the freshest ingredients grown by local farmers. The company offers a wide variety of dry and wet foods as well as treats.As one of three seasonal offerings from Merrick this year (including Homecoming Holiday Recipe and Venison Holiday Stew), Forever Home Holiday Classic is a grain-free recipe made with beef, chicken, Yukon gold potatoes, red delicious apples and peas. With ingredients like those, what dog wouldn't drool as soon as you pop the lid? The Lapdogs sure did!
Forever Home Holiday Classic is made in the USA, great for all life stages, and contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives - all very important to this over-protective doggy Mama.
As many of your know, we've been big fans of Merrick for a long time, and recently switched Zeus over to their Senior Medley canned recipe as his main food source. I'm happy to say he's been doing wonderful on it and we have seen a tremendous improvement in managing his mega-esophagus. It's expensive as all heck to feed a nearly-100 pound dog a diet of 95% canned food, and I might be eating more pb&j sandwiches these days, but he is well worth it. Santa sure did help us out a little bit this past month however, as Zeus received gifts off of his "Chewy Registry" from a dear friend, his SC grandparents, and the awesome folks at Chewy themselves, whom we owe a huge THANK YOU to! I've always said they are amazing to work with and have unbelievable customer service, but Chewy's above-and-beyond personal touch and caring about us truly means the world! From the bottom of my heart, thank you.... it's an honor to be a part of your blogging family.And... on that note, remember that 1-2 day shipping is always free for orders of $49 or more at Chewy.com. Our last order actually arrived the very next day - wow! They also offer a convenient auto-ship for items you use on a regular basis (and it's super easy to change the frequency, quantity, etc. once you set it up -- unlike some other sites). We're now using it for Zeus' Senior Medley!
Disclosure: Chewy.com sent some cans of Merrick Forever Home Holiday Recipe to Lapdog Creations, free of charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.
Sunday, January 04, 2015
Black & White Sunday: R 'n R
Happy calm-after-the-two-week-holiday-storm-Sunday! Lola suggests nothing but rest and relaxation today.
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