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obsessed with dogs
Twenty one. That’s how many times we went to the vet last year, according to my year-end credit card statement. Twenty-one times. Now, I don’t have any idea how many times most (normal?) people see their vet in a year. And I know our twenty-one visits are spread over two dogs, three starting in December. …
Today, for Part 2 of the Pet Health survey, I’m taking a look at nutrition and preventative health because, really, the two go hand-in-hand. I asked: What kinds of preventative health measures do you take for your dog(s)? (Select up to 3.) An annual checkup at our vet, plus additional visits if something comes up. …
Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer my three survey questions. The results are in, and… it was fascinating! I wanted to share the results and my interpretations, and – of course – hear how you interpret the data. First up in our pet health discussion: Exercise! The question was: How long …
This is what Emmett normally looks like: And this is what he looked like last night: The good news is that the two bumps were NOT cancerous! Wahooooo!!!! It’s such a humongous relief, and so we continue our countdown to Emmett’s one-year-cancer-free celebration! Anyway, he’s still a bit groggy and definitely sore today. I’m not …
Sigh. Emmett has a lump on his back. We are nearing the homestretch, coming in on one year of him being cancer free. And now this lump. It’s small; the vet says it’s probably nothing, that if it were on any other dog she’d “wait and see,” but because of his history she wants to …
For those of you who are new to this blog, a quick little background note: My darling Emmett was diagnosed with a nerve-sheath tumor last July. It’s a soft-tissue cancer that is, thankfully, low-grade malignancy. After vets, oncologists, surgeons, and a specialist/angel/hero, Emmett had the tumor removed. We’ve been doing regular follow-ups — monthly with …
Don’t forget to enter to win a 60-day supply of Teddy’s Pride. Time’s running out! The contest was inspired by the “Be the Change” session at BlogPaws, so give a little link love to your favorite shelter or rescue on THIS POST (click on the words THIS POST to get the right one) to be …
Chaos. That’s the theme of the past 72 hours. Complete and utter chaos. It started innocently enough with a shift at the low-cost vaccination clinic here in town, something I do monthly, usually with very little to report. I arrived to find the first patient of the day, the most darling little pit puppy, with …
I had a post all ready to go about a very humorous clicker training incident, but I have to set that aside, maybe save it for tomorrow. Because… Emmett is officially into his sixth CANCER FREE month!! We got the call from his oncologist that the biopsy of the tiny bump came back as benign …
This month marks Emmett’s sixth month after his tumor was removed. Six months from when we thought he’d lose his leg. Six months from our consultation nightmares to the specialist who ultimately saved Emmett’s leg. We are so incredibly lucky we found an oncology center with consultants from Purdue University, which has one of the …
For the past few months, I obsessed over dog food research. I want to switch the boys to a high-quality kibble because I want to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep Emmett healthy and cancer-free. Let me tell you… the research available on dog food is pitiful, at best. Plus, the more I …
Yesterday Emmett had his three-month check at the oncologist in Indianapolis. Though he’s been having his leg checked monthly at our local vet, this check was the big one, to see if the cancer had metastasized in his lungs. The oncologist gave him a thorough exam, checking his lymph nodes (clear!!) and his leg (also …
I realized today that after weeks of writing about nothing other than the cancer situation with Emmett, I failed to post the results. The surgery to remove the lump on his leg was successful. The oncologist called us an excruciating week after the surgery to let us know that all went well. The margins came …
Things have settled down significantly around here. Emmett is home and recuperating. Though the surgery went well, they removed everything from skin down to the tendons to get as much of the tumor as possible, so he has a four-week recovery period that prohibits walking, running, jumping, climbing stairs, basically anything fun for a dog. …
We met with the specialist this morning. He was fantastic. He explained everything calmly and clearly, and presented us with a concise picture of what we’re facing. And it’s not what we thought. Emmett’s x-rays showed that he has two microscopic nodules on his lungs. As soon as he said that, my heart sank through …
So. This morning. Emmett’s appointment. We bucked up, said no crying, we need to be brave for Emmett. Deep breaths, etc. We drive to the animal hospital making lame attempts and jokes and reaching into the backseat to rub his silky ears. We are ushered into an exam room, and are visited by a fairly …
I caught myself “lasting” nearly everything today. Today is the last day Emmett will eat breakfast on four legs. Today is the last day Emmett will wrestle Lucas to the ground on four legs. Today is the last day Emmett will nap like this: It was his last four-legged car ride, and his last four-legged …
Wednesday is the day. We take him to surgery at 9 AM, and he’ll have to stay for at least one night but perhaps up to three nights depending upon how fast he’s recovering. I am relieved beyond belief that this option will eliminate the cancer. As I watch videos of other three-legged dogs, I …
The past few weeks careened past us leaving everything in their wake, everything except one question: What are we going to do? We met with the oncologist. He was wonderful, kind, thorough, honest. He presented us with the two options we already knew. Surgery plus radiation therapy (every day for three weeks), which would push …
I wrote last week about Emmett and his lump, the tests that were being done, the hopes and fears we had for the outcome. On Monday night, our vet called with the news. “Cancer,” she said. “A nerve sheath tumor.” Those words, they ripped a hole in my chest. My heart shattered into a thousand …
Emmett’s biopsy on Thursday went well. No complications, thanksfully, and the results should be back by Tuesday. Whenever either of the boys have to be anesthetized, we always joke that they stumble around like a couple of drunk monkeys. But this time around, Emmett took a really long time to fully come out of it. …
While we were on vacation, we noticed a little lump on Emmett’s front right leg. It cropped up suddenly and was about the size and density of a grape. Of course we were worried, but it didn’t seem to bother him. So as soon as we got back to Bloomington, we took him to the …
Lucas had surgery to remove what the vet thought was a hemangioma (a small, benign growth) on Thursday. The pathology came back as an angiokeratoma, which I guess is a little rarer, but still benign, thank goodness. The spot was on his chest, in between his arms. It’s not a spot he can lick, so …
Hello! Welcome back! I hope you had a really nice Memorial Day weekend. A three-day weekend always flies by as we try to cram way too much into three days, and this weekend was definitely no different. Emmett and Lucas attended a cookout on Saturday with a whole pack of dogs: Tank and Buster (my …
