My Toe and other stuff

Ok guys. Sorry its been so long since I last blogged.

Mum and I have been really busy.

I have been to the cancer specialist a few times since my last blog.  So far they are very very happy with my back leg.  My hair has all fallen out in the radiation zone, and I have pink skin.  It gets sunburnt easily. Mum puts sunscreen on it.  I still can be a bit sore on it, and have a lick and limp a bit, but mostly it is really good.  Mum is very happy.

The last time I blogged, I think I mentioned my toe wasn't looking very happy.  That's the toe on my front foot (the same foot that I had a toe amputated on because I had a cancer when I was only young).  Well it didn't improve.  Mum did a biopsy and it came back inconclusive (wow that was hard to type).  The pathologist people weren't convinced that it wasn't a cancer, but couldn't be sure that it was.  Mum watched it for another week or so, and then I went back to Dr Rod.  He didn't like the look of it either, so he biopsied a bit more of it and xrayed it to make sure it wasn't in my bone.  It came back indicating it was just infection and the xray was all clear.  However two weeks later and it still wasn't healing and all my lymph nodes were up.  My toe wound was open and red and really sore, and started bleeding at the slightest touch.  I had to wear my bucket and a bandage for ages.  So I went back to Dr Rod again - he decided that the best option was to take off my nail and my first bone out of my toe.  If I was another dog, and not already missing a toe, they would have just taken the whole toe.  The results came back, and the for the third time it said it was an inflammatory process, this time without infection, however the bone was affected and it was a good decision to take it off.

So now I have a paw that looks like a birds foot.  Mum bought me some special boots from New Zealand, and I'm going to have to start wearing them.  Unfortunately, I was wearing a bandage for so long, my nails have grown really long and the affect the way I'm walking on my paw.  Mum can't trim them (not while I'm awake anyhow) because the quick which is the blood vessel and nerve are right at the end.  Every night mum has been using a nail file and trying to wear them down without causing me any more pain.  She is going to keep trying for another month or so, but if she doesn't get anywhere, she says I have to have them cut right back, and I will have to be asleep for that.  Mum says they will hurt and bleed a lot.  I hope she can get them back for me.

Today mum took me on my first walk in ages.  Biscuit came too.  It wasn't really that far and was all on flat ground.  I got pretty tired though, and by the end of it I was carrying my back leg and limping on my front leg.  Mum says we are going to do it more often now and try and build me back up.
It was great though.  We accidently met up with our friends from the RSPCA demo team.  7 and Phatty.  It was fun to walk as a little gang.

What else has happened since I last blogged.
Koffi (my beagle sister) had her birthday, she turned 7.  We had a cake and it was sooooo yummy.

My little brother Poco has become totally obsessed with me.  He's forever sticking his sticky little tongue in my ears, eyes and nose, and he tries to snuggle up with me all the time.  Mum and I can't even have cuddles without him getting jealous and barging in.

We went to the RSPCA open day and did some tricks as part of the DEMO team.  It was lots of fun.  (Mum stole these photo's from Uncle Graeme who took them on the day. He takes great photos).

Look close - check out the treat I tossed and then catch off of my nose.

Mum is doing a TAE course (Training and Assessment).  She has been going every saturday for 6weeks.  She has had to do a few presentations.  She did one for the students at TAFE on Enrichment.  It was lots of fun.  Poco, Gaston and I got to test out all the enrichment toys - we made a bit of a mess.

Mum has been pretty busy.  She works 3 jobs (6days per week) and is doing the TAE course on her only day off.  She didn't realise how run down she must have been getting, and got shingles.  Wow, did you know you can get shingles in your mouth.  She was pretty unhappy for a few days, and even had 3days off of work.  She has only just started to be able to eat properly again now.  But I think it was good, I got to have 3days of snuggles.

Oh well, until next time.  I will try and keep you posted.  In a few weeks when my hair on my paw has grown back, I will post a photo.

Lots of love and licks

Arthur

Week 6 - 2weeks since my radiation finished

Wow, this week has been the best so far. Things improved so much in just a few days.

On Monday I was still in quite a bit of pain.  Mum took me to work with her and Dr Jenny cleaned my wounds again and gave me a new pain patch.  I went to training with Poco and Mum that night.  The other trainers commented on how much I had improved.

On Tuesday I went to college with Mum, everyone commented on how bright I was, and I even started putting my paw to the ground a bit, and I was happy and chilled under the desk.

Things continued to improve and on Wednesday, and I went to training with Mum.  She did orientation, but I was still a bit crusty so I wasn't allowed to participate. Instead Poco and Meg were the stars for the night.  Mum stopped giving my pain pills on Wednesday.

Thursday I went to work again with mum, she was looking at my wound and giving it another clean, when she noticed my front paw (the one missing a toe already) was bleeding.  She cleaned it and had a closer look a bit dodgy.  Dr Peter gave mum some special cream to use and hope its infection.  Anyhow I had to go to my revisit to see Dr Rod again at BVSC that afternoon.  Dr Rod was very happy with my leg, but not so happy with my toe. I have two weeks for it to start improving or else I  will have to go for another biopsy because it may be another type of cancer.  If it has improved or at least not got any worse I have to go back for another check in 1 month.

my new toe lump

waiting to see dr rod

On Thursday night we went to DEMO training.  It was really cold.

On Friday I had a sleep in with mum and Poco, the last of my scab fell off, I started consistently walking on all paws and mum took off my pain patch, and I'm medication free and bucket free too.  Yipeee!!

Considering how bad things were last week, and knowing that this Friday just gone was meant to be the peak of my burn and pain, Mum was actually seriously considering amputating my leg last week just to get rid of the pain.  But it turns out, I'm just an overachiever and actually peaked a week early.  Which probably explains why my pain etc was so intense.

Thinks are pretty much back to normal here, mum took my crate down, and I've moved back into my regular bed and mum is back in her bed too.

My leg looks completely healed, but is pink and hairless at the site of radiation.  All the swelling, weepiness, scabiness etc have gone.

Mum is a bit stressed out again over my toe, but really things are so much better.  If my toe is another cancer I will probably have to have it amputated, and because I'm already missing a toe on that foot I might struggle a bit.  Mum is really happy that I still have my back leg, or I'd be in some serious trouble.

We will give you another update soon.

Lots of love and Licks

Arthur

Week 5 - the first week post radiation

OK, this week really wasn't great.  I mean, it was good that I didn't have to go in for anymore radiation treatment, but my pain stepped up about 10levels and I've really struggled a lot of the week.

I don't like it when mum is out of my sight, and I panic and cry and scratch at the doors if I can't see her - even just into the next room.  I have to constantly be following her because I'm worried she might escape again.

On Monday I went to work with Mum at the vets.  I slept in one of the regular cages because I couldn't fit my bucket in my normal soft crate.  I actually rested ok most of the day and Monday was pretty comfortable.  Granne came and got me before mum and Poco headed off to training.

On Tuesday I went to college where mum also works.  Mum took my cushy bed and put in under her desk.  I was really restless most of the day, and had extra pain pills a few times but still really couldn't settle.  Mum took me home via her vet work, because she had to drop off Fog the rooster so he could go to his new home.  While we were there Dr Jenny gave me a new pain patch too.  I went home and was still in a lot of pain.  I couldn't sit still and yelped a few times and shook a lot.  Mum and I didn't really sleep much on Tuesday night.

By Wednesday morning, I was more comfortable, especially after my morning pain pill.  I went to college again with mum and actually slept a lot of the day.  Mum picked up Poco and Granne on her way home and we all went to training.  Granne did Poco's training and Mum took most of the class.  They looked like they had a good time, and played egg and spoon races and water bucket relays whilst Poco and the other pups had to walk on a loose lead. I was happy enough to watch from my crate.  After training I said hello to my friends, and had some tummy rubs and wagged my tail a bit too.

On Thursday I went to Mum's vet work again.  I had an okay day, with a few extra pain pills.  My leg was getting really sore, and scabby and weepy.  It's so scabby I leave bits behind when I lay down, it grosses mum out when Poco and Biscuit do scab patrol and eat my left overs. Mum talked to Dr Sue and Dr Peter - and they added in Valium to help me sleep at night.  When mum came home from work she dropped me off and then ducked out to the shops, and then we went to DEMO training at the RSPCA.  It was a quiet night, and not all the dogs were there, but we did go for a walk as a team.  It wasn't too long which was good and I did enjoy going.  Unfortunately in the car on the way home I knocked my leg and most of the scab pulled off.  I yelled a lot, mum pulled over and Granne fed me some chippies to help take my mind off of it and Mum shared her coffee with me.  Granne and Mum put some special cream on it that night, but it really hurt a lot.
I took my valium and slept a lot better.  Only an hour or so of restlessness just after 1 in the morning, but then I settled down and slept ok again until 7.  My pain meds had worn off by then and I was in a lot of pain, but didn't whine or complain because mum was sleeping still.  When she woke up she felt really guilty, and I was in so much pain I couldn't get up.  Mum gave me a pain pill and I was able to get up an hour or so later, I even surprised her by jumping up into the raised garden bed and digging a hole - but I couldn't get down by myself.

Resting after my 1st dose of Valium

Friday was a better day, and Mum took me to work again. Dr Jenny and Ameilia cleaned my wounds, and I cried a little but tried to be brave.  Later Dr Jenny changed my pain patch that night.  Then mum and I went to her staff meeting at the RSPCA - I made lots of noise, and played with my toys - much like my normal self.  Mum gave me another Valium when we were leaving and I went to bed, but had another bad night - woke up 3times and each time mum couldn't understand what I needed.  She took me outside, gave me pain meds, cuddles etc.  I'm not sure I even knew what I needed.

Saturday was a better day, mum gave me Darby's spare DAP collar. In the morning she went out for a couple of hours and came home with a couple of new chickens (Majorie and Mazie).  When she got home we went on a really slow walk/hop/sniff with Granne, Aunty Fi, Holly, Finn, Mum and the other puppies.  I coped pretty well and we got to rest a bit along the way and at the half way point.  Koffi got to play on the kids equipment. On the way home we stopped to pick up subway for lunch.  I slept most of the afternoon.  Mum noticed that my leg doesn't seem as swollen and I didn't cry when I had my cream put on.  I also didn't need the same amount of pain meds. I slept on Grannes bed overnight or out on the couch rather than in my crate and I was happier even though I couldn't see my people.

 

 

On Sunday, Granne, Mum and Poco went to training.  When they came home, Mum let the chickens out and took my bucket off and let me eat a Jumbone under supervision.  We stayed in the yard, had cuddles, tummy tickles and sunbaked for an hour or more.  It was really nice. The rest of the day was pretty chilled, and I have been pretty relaxed and happy.  I've only had 1 strong pain pill today, but will probably get another for dinner.

 My leg doesn't look very nice at the moment, but it actually looks better than it did earlier in the week.

We are hoping this week is better, and I continue to improve.  On Thursday I have to go to see Dr Rod for my first revisit post radiation.

So until next week.

Lots of love and licks

Arthur