Oh, the French Brittany is pretty! I don't have to make any firm decisions anytime soon hopefully but I am looking around. If Max has taught me anything it's that you can't control everything but prevention is worth its weight which is why I'm looking at good gundog breeders. Maybe I'll just get one...

I stumbled across a breeder website for gun dog breeders and now I can't decide between a field spaniel, sussex or field bred American Cocker for my next dog. Anybody have any experiences with fields or sussex? I'm leaning toward the field spaniel because I like the size and I like that they're gene...

His white cells are back up so we're on a week of Doxy. Apparently this is not abnormal but we won't be doing another treatment this month based on the bloodwork and life's schedule. He yelps in pain like something's poking him in the mouth once in a while and it's clearly uncomforatable but of cour...

Better. He's drooling, which is unlike him and his energy was low but has perked up a bit so I think he's rebounding.

I called the vet today and left a voicemail and the vet got back to me. Apparently they were just supposed to give light, quick sedation but had to intubate and gas instead because of where they wanted to inject the chemo. He was likely sleeping off the gas. Also the cerenia can cause lethargy. The ...

So we had treatment today and the vets said he did well. When we arrived they gave Max cerenia by sub-q injection then the actual treatment after that. He was groggy but ambulatory on the way home because they sedated him slightly to inject into the mouth tumor. The clinic was super nice and even ca...

Treatment tomorrow at 1030 and I'm second guessing myself but we're doing it. His vet and I agreed that we'll monitor his life quality closely. I'm not going to make his life go to hell to be in a study but I'm hoping for benefits to slow the cancer and give him some stamina and pep back. He's reall...

Max is going to a different vet for the clinical trial and I truly hate being there. The clinic has one entrance/exit door and it's not a double, said entrance is on a corner of the building with a play yard abutting the entrance sidewalk, no airlock, one door from the waiting room to the exam rooms...

Blood work draw was today. Should know if his numbers are better tomorrow or Monday. If they are then we do a treatment on Wednesday.

Minor setback, his white blood count and neutrophils are elevated. WBC are at the top end of the range and neutrophils are about 1000 pts out of range with a reference of 300-1600. So we do a week of cephalexin and recheck and go from there. The chemo is contraindicated for high WBC.

I use interceptor, full dose for weight but on the 45 day schedule and seasonally but the off-season has been getting shorter every year it seems. Interceptor did go off the market but it was bought by another pharma and is back in production. I know, if your vet will write the scrip, Drs foster and...

Putting this here so it's all in one place. As long as the bloodwork comes back where the study wants, Max's first treatment will be on the 20th. I'm excited because this has huge promise for dogs (and people) but nervous too. Second guessing it all but I really want to try for him.

Pre-study blood work is next Tuesday and then I'm told they'll reach out about the study. A lot of hurry up and wait.

I think too that people with reactive dogs are a little bit more proactive about training classes as something to do and keyed into getting a trainer so your classes may be more saturated. Easy dogs are easy so maybe they're less formally trained. While I think all dogs benefit from training, Joe do...

So I think we're in the trial. I got the release paperwork last week and sent it over tonight (stupid holiday brain on my part). The drugs they're using are Veresimod, which is a new immunotherapy and HylaPlat, which is platininum based chemo injected directly into the tumor. No official start date ...

Jean, Max used to be a barker and we replaced the barking with "go see" which for him meant "go look out the window". Once he figured out what "it" was he wasn't keen to bark at it anymore. Might work with Maggie? Dunno, just a thought.

Hi Maggie! You're adorable! Happy Canada Day to you too!

It is more about criteria I think. I got the biopsy report back and it is malignant (and metastatic) melanoma, which comes as no surprise. I hope to hear from the PI's assistant tomorrow about whether he's accepted into the trial or not.

He has been thoroughly vetted for thyroid issues, I assume? Maybe blood sugar check? His belligerence sounds like low blood sugar but it happens so randomly it's hard to know.

would you be willing to sacrifice a pack of hair bands as rewards? You could collect them when he's asleep for another day. I'm only slightly kidding if that's what makes him happy.

I'm working on the biopsy and then send them the results. It doesn't sound like they're turning many away but I won't know for a week at least.

"Mine" is a good resource, also a version of NILF may be in order where all good things come from you and reaching for anything that's "his" is always a trade-up or at least a trade. Given that he's a beagle, I'm assuming he's a foodie? I might either carry easy treats (peanuts, cranberries, charlie...

He's home and sleeping. No eating yet and I won't relax until he does. Now I'm antsy for the pathology results which could be 5-10 days and I'm kicking myself for having to do (and pay for) anesthesia twice. His vet sent his records over today and followed up with the clinical trial team so here's h...

I'm glad Benson is mending even if it is a two-step dance. I wish I could give you my chiropractor but since I can't I'll just say to go with your gut on who to trust for his care, he's in good hands.

My vet linked up to a cancer clinical trial at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMED) recently and I clicked through the article. The trial is for a methodology that doesn't use chemo or radiation, instead injecting an abx directly into the tumor. It'll be intended for humans but they're do...

That's awesome! WTG!

He's grain and potato allergic/sensitive so I'm out on that front though I can do legumes to an extent. I ran the numbers and he's getting about 780 calories/day now and he should be maintaining at 25 lbs if the senior 30 cal/lb math is correct. He's currently at 23.0 lbs and I can't get weight on h...

He's better. The slimy poo went away. I think it was too much fat after we increased the ground beef he was getting. Or he could have eaten something in the backyard, which is covered in wild strawberries atm. We've cut down on the ground beef but I have to get more calories in him without adding fa...

Guess who just realized that Monday, when his appointment is scheduled, is a holiday? This girl. Ugh, my brain is so dead. Looks like we'll do the slippery elm until at least Tuesday.

So I watched him poo this afternoon. It's definitely not firm and it's got a mucassy glob at the beginning but he hasn't had any more accidents today, so that's something.