Xanadu & Marci

Xanadu started feeling poorly as the rainstorm moved through Friday night. The poor guy just didn't seem to rally even with extra TLC. He also ran a fever and had an elevated white blood cell count when he went to see our internist on Monday. Prior to getting the labwork finished, we also did a couple of xrays and ultrasounded his abdomen. With his life-long history of bowel troubles, we wanted to make sure that trouble wasn't beginning to brew again. His gut looked okay, but boy his poor spine!

At some point in his life, he did have a traumatic injury (possibly a kick) that damaged 3 ribs and 4 thoracic vertebrae - and they do cause him discomfort. He has two vertebrae over his hips that are fused as one - a birth defect. And, when he had his tail amputated, a piece of vertebrae was left behind - another source of pain. Poor guy! Once he's feeling better, we will work on long-term pain management for him. In the meantime, he's on Amoxicillin and Metronidazole, subcutaneous fluids, and Pepcid to deal with the infection he has going on. He's starting to feel better today, his fever's down and he's eating again.

Marci had some difficulty breathing again, also late last week. Since our cats are doing their springtime shedding, I guessed there was a hairball issue. This pretty girl keeps her long hair stunning all the time! Into the house she came for some close monitoring in a quiet atmosphere. I also gave her a fan, turned on "low" so the air movement would make it easier to breathe. Large doses of laxatone and lactulose to lubricate things through, plus some added fiber in her diet all made a difference. By late Friday night, Marci was feeling better; she was back to normal by Saturday morning.

It's been a busy weekend with these kitties, but slowly we are returning to quiet and normal!

King of the Loft!

Ballou's House of Blues has a loft on one end of it, and most of the kitties find their way up there at bedtime. Today, Ballou claimed the entire loft for himself, perched in such a way as to keep others away and his view of the room at its best! He often prefers one of the crates in the loft, like the one behind him, for bedtime. He picked the perfect place to hang out today, as our sunshine disappeared and we spent the day in heavy drizzly fog.

Summer Tans

Leonard and Pepper decided to spend some time working on their tans, sprawled out in the little bit of sunshine they could find today. Everyone else could be found napping inside. These two are the most senior of our seniors, so afternoon sun opportunities are especially important to them!

Sparky Left Us Today

While his new chemo drug Cytoxan had made him tired, and cause a little diarrhea, Sparky continued to eat and get around pretty well. He was enjoying new-found foods in his diet - home-cooked chicken and rice, baby food, Gerber meat sticks, and sugar cookies! He slept in his old favorite sleeping spot last night, barking once for me to get up and change his bed when he had peed. This morning, he had a 105 fever and could barely walk. Off to work he went with me. He shuffled into the hospital, barely making in the door, and as we were drawing blood and placing an IV catheter, he quietly passed away.

Sparky was with us only a little over a year, but what an amazing year we had together! I'll miss his daily companionship during chore-time and his wonderful warm personality as he greeted visitors. We will all miss his eyes, the windows to his soul and spirit, that after some time and lots of love, began to shine again.... That sweet blonde teddy bear of a dog touched all of our hearts and taught us all about learning to love again....

Rest in peace sweet spirit, you will be missed!

Sparky Week 2

Today he began an oral chemotherapy drug called Cytoxan, given once daily for 4 days. He has a high white blood cell count, so we've added in antibiotics to help fight infection. He had fluid tapped from his chest today, so he's breathing easier. Ultrasound showed that the tumor has reduced in size, and the fluid in his chest is looking better, so this is all very encouraging news.

His energy level is down a little, but he's still getting around to help feed the animals. He continues his Chinese herb regime along with his traditional medications. We'll keep the blog updated!

Sparky Begins Chemotherapy

Sparky's knee is healing pretty well ~ he can put some weight on it and even walk a few steps on a level surface. The fluid cytology came back and confirmed that it is indeed chyle, which is caused by leakage from the thoracic duct or one of the lymph vessels that drain to it. The most common causes are a tumor, a trauma, heartworm disease, or right-sided heart failure.

We know he has a mass - the most common mediastinal (middle of the chest) tumors are either a lymphoma or a thymoma. One can be reduced and managed with chemotherapy while the other one can't; surgery is just not an option for this sweet ol' guy either. So, after quite a bit of discussion with our internist Dr. Slusser, and our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin, we've opted to try chemotherapy. If the tumor is due to lymphoma, it should respond to the chemo by reducing in size, which will keep the fluid from building back up in his chest. If it's not, well, we'll cross that bridge when we need to.

Sparky received a dose of vincristine today, a small intervenous injection, and also had his chest tapped again. Today, we removed 1400mls from it, and he was feeling much better afterward! He has a recheck in a week, and we'll evaluate how well it worked.

Just Hangin' Out

Melody decided to spend some quality nap time with Sparky today. He's been pretty bummed out since he can't do his normal daily routine - at least until his knee heals. Just outside the picture on the couches are Quincy and Holly, making it a full living room of blondes!

Hank

A former Kentucky boy, Hank was very surprised to hear that there is sun in San Diego, and today he spent as much time as he could following the sunbeams around. Here he is rolling around on the bench in the kitty room. It's a wonderful day to be a kitten!

A Sparky Update

While Sparky's front leg is healing well, and his knee is healing slowly, we had another blow to his health yesterday ~ he had a little cough as he walked in to work with me, and an x-ray revealed fluid in his lungs. Uh oh. Then an ultrasound of his heart found the cause ~ a tumor in his chest. Big uh oh.

We did a procedure called a thoracocentesis, in which a needle is inserted into the chest cavity and fluid is drained off. After 850 ml's were drained off (a little over a quart) he was feeling much better. And he sat through all the work-up and procedures like a perfect gentleman! An analysis of the fluid we drained from his chest is pending, as it may reveal what type of tumor this is.

Today he saw our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin, both to work on his orthopedic issues and deal with his newly diagnosed cancer. He received a chiropractic treatment and energy work, and will be starting some Chinese herbs and nutraceuticals and vitamins to help support his body. Healing Touch, Reiki and a fresh, whole food diet are also in store for him. In the picture above, he's outside in his favorite spot, on a blanket, where he can watch everything going on. The yellow rope handles belong to the sling that I use to assist him as he walks ~ 80lbs is a lot of dog to lift! I'll post updates on the blog, and hope that you will keep him in your thoughts!

Sparky

Poor Sparky! As arthritic as he is, it doesn't take much to cause him trouble. Whether he tried to get up wrong, or too fast, or another dog ran into him we'll never know for sure, but what we do know ~ Sparky has torn a ligament in one of his knees. In addition, the "wrist" of the opposite front leg has been strained too. The result is an 80lb dog with two gimp legs.

Not a super great way to start out the new year.

Sparky saw our orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lenehan on Thursday. We took some x-rays and were relieved to see that the injury to his front leg is just that, and not the beginning of a bone tumor - he's just the right age for that to happen. We are weaning him off the Prednisone that he's been taking for his arthritis in the hopes of starting an NSAID such as Previcox or Metacam which he can use long term without the steroid side effects (he's been drinking like crazy - not fun if you can't easily get up to pee!) Our fingers are crossed that his knee will scar down and heal, but that takes 8 weeks to know for sure. All other issues considered, surgery is not our first choice, as his recovery would be very difficult.

Sparky will be seeing Dr. Laflin, our holistic veterinarian, this coming week, for supportive care - acupuncture and Chinese herbs. In the meantime, he's getting the best maid service one could hope for and he's taken up residence in the living room where he can immediately order room service!

2 New Faces

Two cute feline faces joined us over the weekend. Xanadu and Hank came from the Grayson County Humane Society in Kentucky. Their sweet personalities endeared them to the staff, who tried desperately to find them forever homes. It just wasn't meant to happen.

Xan (as his friends call him) had a spinal cord injury at some point in his pre-shelter life, causing him to have bowel troubles and the inability to carry his tail normally. His veterinarians in Kentucky amputated his tail so it was no longer a source of pain or a place for hygiene troubles. He's had to be "cleaned out" more than once under anesthesia, and even had a colectomy (a partial colon removal) to keep everything moving through. He needs daily monitoring to make sure everything works like it's supposed to!

Hank is a Manx by breed, so his troubles are similar to Scooters, with both fecal and urinary incontinence. He doesn't always know when he needs to urinate, so his bladder has to be checked and expressed when needed. His nerve function to his colon is also lacking, so he needs someone to keep an eye on his rear end too!

These 2 have prompted us to consider building a new kitty room in the future, where all those who are incontinent can live worry-free, named of course "Poo Corner".

Ringing In The New Year!

This is how most of the critters are spending New Year's Day ~ napping because it's so windy outside there's not much else to do! This is also how Holly has been spending most of her time since she's been here. If she's not napping on the floor in the living room, then she's sleeping behind the chairs in the living room or on my side of the bed. She's trying to play a little, but isn't sure how to work into the wrestling matches yet.

We wish you the best in 2008!

Caring For Each Other

The friendships that form amongst animals are amazing and we witness unlikely pairs bond frequently. Several of the animals that live here with us have personalities that make it difficult for them to blend into a normal household, age and disabilities aside. MeiLi is one of those critters ~ always preferring to be the "only cat" in most any situation. She hasn't been feeling well the last few days, suffering from a sinus infection.

Today I found Scooter spending a good part of the morning with her, giving her a bath. He stopped every time he saw the camera, so that's why he's just sitting beside her, trying to look like he doesn't care. As soon as the camera disappeared, he went back to work, making sure her whole body received attention. They spent quiet time napping together afterward too. She looked a little better tonight, wanting to get up and eat with the other cats, so that's a good sign (if you can't smell with a stuffed up nose, why eat?)

I'm hoping that the rainstorms coming in a couple of days will help her out. 50mph+ winds are blowing dirt and pollen around today, so the HEPA filters are running to help us all breathe better. But nothing matches the care that Scooter has given MeiLi today. Who would have thought it?

A Balancing Act

As I'm cleaning the kitty room in the house, I often pile up the laundry and move stuff around in order to mop every nook and cranny, because Scooter tends to leak urine everywhere! I couldn't resist stopping to snap this picture of Tara who somehow managed to climb into one of the cubes for a nap while it's perched precariously on top of several other cat beds. I'm not sure how she did it - this pile easily fell over on me when I went to grab it to wash. She's more agile and lightweight than I thought!

A New Bed

MeiLi got a new bed for Christmas. We purchased a heated kitty bed for her as she's often found sitting so close to the space heater it looks like she wants to climb in it! We've tried shirts and sweaters, but clearly I don't share her sense of fashion! The chair with the bed is MeiLi's domain now, but Uno and Poppy are allowed to sneak in it and Scooter's allowed to sit beside her too!

Home For the Holidays!

We have been very blessed with wonderful donations during this holiday season! As a result, we are able to help a couple of more seniors find a warm bed and love. This sweet girl is here with us as a result of your kindness.

Meet Holly (her new name!) who joined us today. She came from the Riverside county's Coachella shelter, where she was turned in at their front counter as a "stray". She'd been at the shelter for almost a month, and her time was almost up (I didn't know that until I read her paperwork once she was home). The shelter staff was free-feeding her to help her gain weight, but she seemed so depressed when I first met her I'm sure she wasn't eating very well. As I first came across her in the kennels, she was curled up in a little ball, trying her best to stay out of the puddle of water inside her run.

Once she was on a leash, in my hands, she transformed into a little old lady with spring in her step and she ran out of the shelter door, never looking back! This afternoon, she received the "Four B's" - bath, brush, blow dry, and biscuits - and loved them all. She's an incredibly sweet love sponge, who craves constant touch by humans. All of the other dogs have welcomed her, and enjoy the extra biscuits that have come as a result of her moving in.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide Holly with the warm bed and love she deserves!

Quincy's Favorite Present...

From the early Christmas we had yesterday is the fuzzy snowman. He loves to carry a fuzzy toy around and sleeps with it too until someone tries to steal it away!Spending the day with his fuzzy wears him out though, as you can see, he needs a nap after a hard day of fuzzy play!

Christmas Came Early...

When our Girl Scout friends visited today. They asked to bring a few presents for the animals, which I gratefully said "yes" to. I had no idea what they had in mind ~ large bags of dog and cat food, cat toys, dog toys, hay for Roger rabbit and so much more! It was so wonderful and so overwhelming ~ we can feed the dogs for over a month and the cats for a couple of months!

Favorites for the dogs include the kong toys with treats inside, the rawhide candy canes, and the biscuits! The cats really enjoyed new flavors of canned food and the catnip mice too. Roger dined on timothy hay and he and the goats and horses enjoyed celery sticks. Roger also has new chew toys. Sparky was the official dog-in-charge of treat distribution!

Thank you girls, you have made Christmas extra special!

Poppy's Tummy Troubles...

Continue. He responded somewhat to the new medication trial, but the "miracle cure" we were hoping for just didn't happen. His medication has been changed to continue the new steroid Budesonide, but also adds in Leukeran, a chemotherapeutic-type drug to suppress his immune system, and Metronidazole, an antibiotic used quite a bit for intestinal infections. We'll also be consulting with our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin for her input as well. With any luck, maybe we can avoid the heavy-duty medications with the help of homeopathy or herbs!

Don't Bug Me...

I'm napping! Pepper was the first one to the tallest cat tree after breakfast, the one with the best view and best bed! She's getting along well with the other kitties, and as long as they agree she gets this particular spot for napping, all remains well!