Well today is Thor's 11th birthday! We have had a good time, too. For a boxer 11 is a big milestone. This is a milestone I was told we would not see, which makes all the more sweeter.
It has been rather warm here, so we got out in the morning. First we went to the dog park and had a grand time making new friends. Thor ran and played right along with all those dogs that were so much younger than him. It was great fun to watch.
After that we went to the "barkery" and picked out a special yummy treat. Thor picked out a dinosaur cookie, and couldn't woof it down fast enough! There wasn't so much as a crumb left!
He also got to ride around with the top down, and as previously posted we know how much he enjoys that! He, or rather we, had a good long nap after lunch. We picked up some other treats while at the barkery and is getting a few of those throughout the day as well.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Good News
I know it has been about a week and a half since I have posted. We have been a busy household. We had company last weekend and more arrives tomorrow for two weeks.
There is good news to share! While doing Thor's ultrasound they checked out his tumor and it is, and I quote, "tiny." This is great news! And somewhat puzzling. Hemangiosarcoma is a fast growing aggressive cancer. His tumor apparently is not growing. So I am thinking it was misdiagnosed. I hope to talk to my regular vet this afternoon when I run in for a refill on Thor's thyroid pills.
Next is while doing the ultrasound, he had just a few bladder stones. This is also great news as he was full of them before. Needless to say I was doing a happy dance on Friday afternoon. I haven't had a chance to ask the vet about the cranberry capsules as he was gone for the day when I picked Thor up and I had company after that, I am hoping to get a quick moment with him today.
Thor has been full of energy and playing lots with his little sister Arabella. He did injure his front paw while playing the other night and made the most awful noise! It was between a yelp and a growl. I have never heard anything like that before and hope I never hear it again. I had them stop playing and made them lay down quietly after that. By dinner a few hours later Thor wasn't limping at all! What a relief! Thor hasn't had any pain meds in what seems at least a month and I didn't want to put him back on them.
My other "project" with him is to get him into a cardiologist. Our regular one has left the local practice and will return in 2 years after the competition clause of his contract is up. I called Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine and they have lost their cardiologist as well. So now we have an appointment with Missouri University College of Veterinary Medicine. They don't have an opening until June 4th so I took that one. I don't have enough of his heart medication to last until then and will talk to my regular vet about just getting a one month supply to hold him over. This is not a medication that can be skipped.
All in all things are going well and everyone is happy in the Starling household! We are even looking forward to a vacation at the end of next month!
There is good news to share! While doing Thor's ultrasound they checked out his tumor and it is, and I quote, "tiny." This is great news! And somewhat puzzling. Hemangiosarcoma is a fast growing aggressive cancer. His tumor apparently is not growing. So I am thinking it was misdiagnosed. I hope to talk to my regular vet this afternoon when I run in for a refill on Thor's thyroid pills.
Next is while doing the ultrasound, he had just a few bladder stones. This is also great news as he was full of them before. Needless to say I was doing a happy dance on Friday afternoon. I haven't had a chance to ask the vet about the cranberry capsules as he was gone for the day when I picked Thor up and I had company after that, I am hoping to get a quick moment with him today.
Thor has been full of energy and playing lots with his little sister Arabella. He did injure his front paw while playing the other night and made the most awful noise! It was between a yelp and a growl. I have never heard anything like that before and hope I never hear it again. I had them stop playing and made them lay down quietly after that. By dinner a few hours later Thor wasn't limping at all! What a relief! Thor hasn't had any pain meds in what seems at least a month and I didn't want to put him back on them.
My other "project" with him is to get him into a cardiologist. Our regular one has left the local practice and will return in 2 years after the competition clause of his contract is up. I called Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine and they have lost their cardiologist as well. So now we have an appointment with Missouri University College of Veterinary Medicine. They don't have an opening until June 4th so I took that one. I don't have enough of his heart medication to last until then and will talk to my regular vet about just getting a one month supply to hold him over. This is not a medication that can be skipped.
All in all things are going well and everyone is happy in the Starling household! We are even looking forward to a vacation at the end of next month!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Ultrasound Tomorrow
Thor is feeling much better and has been running and playing during the week. Tomorrow he is going to the vet's for an ultrasound. Not that anything new has happened, but because the staff needs training with the ultrasound machine.
Thor is basically a vet's dream patient. He will let you poke and prod him and as long as you give him some love while you do it, he is a happy boy. Well, as long as you don't touch his nose he is happy. He hates having his nose touched! He won't snap or bark, just pull away.
Since Thor is so well behaved, my vet called and asked if we would let him be their test subject. He gets a full body ultrasound and we can see if the cancer has spread for free. I of course jumped at it!
Now back to his bladder infection. Thor is doing well on the antibiotics. I was giving him yogurt to balance out any side effects of the antibiotics, but it gave him gas. Now he is just getting an acidophilus capsule instead and it is working quite well.
We got back the analysis of his bladder stones. They are 95% struvite which means he is not producing enough acid in his urine. It is usually corrected with a prescription diet, but because of Thor's history of pancreatits he cannot eat it. So my vet is now doing some research to see if there is a supplement he can take. Someone suggest apple cider vinegar in his water or cranberry capsules. I am going to check with vet tomorrow. I am hoping the capsules will be a good solution. As for the vinegar, I'm a bit leery as I don't want Arabelle to start having the opposite problem as they drink the same water.
Well, we will wait for tomorrow and see!
Thor is basically a vet's dream patient. He will let you poke and prod him and as long as you give him some love while you do it, he is a happy boy. Well, as long as you don't touch his nose he is happy. He hates having his nose touched! He won't snap or bark, just pull away.
Since Thor is so well behaved, my vet called and asked if we would let him be their test subject. He gets a full body ultrasound and we can see if the cancer has spread for free. I of course jumped at it!
Now back to his bladder infection. Thor is doing well on the antibiotics. I was giving him yogurt to balance out any side effects of the antibiotics, but it gave him gas. Now he is just getting an acidophilus capsule instead and it is working quite well.
We got back the analysis of his bladder stones. They are 95% struvite which means he is not producing enough acid in his urine. It is usually corrected with a prescription diet, but because of Thor's history of pancreatits he cannot eat it. So my vet is now doing some research to see if there is a supplement he can take. Someone suggest apple cider vinegar in his water or cranberry capsules. I am going to check with vet tomorrow. I am hoping the capsules will be a good solution. As for the vinegar, I'm a bit leery as I don't want Arabelle to start having the opposite problem as they drink the same water.
Well, we will wait for tomorrow and see!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Rough Start to the Week
Thor is due for his annual Holter monitor. It is a 24 hour heart monitor. He suffers from arrhythmia's and takes medication for it. His prescription will run out this month. I called the clinic that has done it in the past and I asked for an appointment even saying he needs this test. They told me the cardiologist is no longer with the practice but another doctor, and internist, is taking his patients for now. I'm not thrilled but he needs the test.
( A little warning this next part is going to be a bit gross.)
Monday morning I let Thor out to potty after my shower. After he comes in, I go to blow dry my hair. As I am leaning over Thor walks by and I notice blood between his back legs. (Thor had a blockage in his urethra and has been rerouted to potty like a girl.) I get a little freaked. I grab a tissue and wipe and I hear something hit the floor. I find a small off white chunk of something. I wipe Thor some more and several chunks are now in the tissue. Now I am really freaked. I am thinking, "OK, so maybe God planned for us to see the internist today."
We get there on time for our appointment, they are running behind. Not a big deal, things happen especially at a vet's office after the weekend. 30-40 minutes later we are taken to an exam room. I mention the Holter, and I am informed, they don't have any. OK, now I am getting a little ticked I just waited and I am not getting what I came for. Fine, next issue. Thor is passing stones. Well they could do the the test but it would be less expensive if my regular vet did it. OK, yes Iam glad to save the money, but it was the way they said it. It was like it was going to use their precious time up to take care of my dog. So I left there and got into see my regular vet that afternoon.
I get to my vet and explain what is going on. They run a complete blood count and chem panel on him. Which I got a copy emailed the next day. They are also sending the stones out to be analyzed to make sure it is just and infection. My vet says he believes they are just bladder stones caused by the infection.
Now for the kicker, when Thor's tumor was discovered they knew there was a bladder stone. They told me about it, but never mentioned it was caused by an infection. Don't you think this would have been something I needed to know? Granted they thought he was close to to death but they even said it could take a month. Would you want to spend your last month with a bladder infection? They also didn't mention it in the report to my regular vet. I was livid! My boy has had an infection for 2 1/2 months.
He is doing better now, no blood and no more stones. I am going to contact Kansas State University and get his Holter done through them. I do not think I want to walk into that other clinic again. It used to be great. I had a lot of confidence in them, but they changed hands a year to a year and half ago, and I don't think it is the same quality. Maybe that is why the cardiologist left. I did find out he left to open his own practice but due to a competition contract clause has to wait two years. He is practicing about 1 1/2 hours away. Even though I do like him I think I am going to go to K-State just the same.
( A little warning this next part is going to be a bit gross.)
Monday morning I let Thor out to potty after my shower. After he comes in, I go to blow dry my hair. As I am leaning over Thor walks by and I notice blood between his back legs. (Thor had a blockage in his urethra and has been rerouted to potty like a girl.) I get a little freaked. I grab a tissue and wipe and I hear something hit the floor. I find a small off white chunk of something. I wipe Thor some more and several chunks are now in the tissue. Now I am really freaked. I am thinking, "OK, so maybe God planned for us to see the internist today."
We get there on time for our appointment, they are running behind. Not a big deal, things happen especially at a vet's office after the weekend. 30-40 minutes later we are taken to an exam room. I mention the Holter, and I am informed, they don't have any. OK, now I am getting a little ticked I just waited and I am not getting what I came for. Fine, next issue. Thor is passing stones. Well they could do the the test but it would be less expensive if my regular vet did it. OK, yes Iam glad to save the money, but it was the way they said it. It was like it was going to use their precious time up to take care of my dog. So I left there and got into see my regular vet that afternoon.
I get to my vet and explain what is going on. They run a complete blood count and chem panel on him. Which I got a copy emailed the next day. They are also sending the stones out to be analyzed to make sure it is just and infection. My vet says he believes they are just bladder stones caused by the infection.
Now for the kicker, when Thor's tumor was discovered they knew there was a bladder stone. They told me about it, but never mentioned it was caused by an infection. Don't you think this would have been something I needed to know? Granted they thought he was close to to death but they even said it could take a month. Would you want to spend your last month with a bladder infection? They also didn't mention it in the report to my regular vet. I was livid! My boy has had an infection for 2 1/2 months.
He is doing better now, no blood and no more stones. I am going to contact Kansas State University and get his Holter done through them. I do not think I want to walk into that other clinic again. It used to be great. I had a lot of confidence in them, but they changed hands a year to a year and half ago, and I don't think it is the same quality. Maybe that is why the cardiologist left. I did find out he left to open his own practice but due to a competition contract clause has to wait two years. He is practicing about 1 1/2 hours away. Even though I do like him I think I am going to go to K-State just the same.
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