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