Ginger meets Mary Lou 7-08
again)but this is an outside hunting dog she does not belong in a
hospital but she is being very brave and stoic. Her kidney function is improved as the IV fluid is working. But if the calcium level doesnt drop that means the cancer isnt responding, this happens quicker in dogs than people. I will know more from tomorrows bloodwork.
I no longer feel Ginger may think I've abandoned her, she made that
perfectly clear. The staff at the hospital are very knowledgeable and
good with animals, I dont think she is in any pain or discomfort
(except of course the IV tubes bother her and she has to wear an
ecollar when not monitored. she is not apparently bothered by that, as some of my other dogs would be.)
Your continued prayers and support are appreciated. I believe in
miracles and the power of prayer
---Friday 15
This morning's bloodwork showed a slight improvement in the calcium level and creatinine (kidney), no improvement in BUN. She had eaten a few spoonfuls of food late last night, none this AM. This afternoon (530) the vet said she had eaten a whole bowl of food, was brighter, he did an ultrasound and the swollen lymph nodes had gone down a 'fraction'. She is still wagging her tail whenever someone comes in the room, he said she seemed more alert and 'brighter'. . Of course, sick as she was when we got there Wed, she walked into the clinic (well, not her normal proud strut, head up, tail up, more of a shamble, but she was walking... greeted an elderly guy in the waiting room (at least walked over to him and stood there waiting to be petted), wagged her tail at each new person, licked me in the face when I said goodbye, etc. He said some dogs with not as bad bloodwork and cancer wont even get up and walk and have to be carried in, so its
hard to tell from 'clinical signs'. . Ginger is a very friendly and
loving dog (though very polite about it, not 'in your face' friendly
like my DB) and apparently that is still with her no matter how sick
she is.
He said basically she is improving, very slowly, she still needs to
be on the IV fluids because of her kidney failure. He said if her CA
level continues to drop the swelling should go down, and we'll be able to tell if there is underlying kidney disease (or permanent kidney damage).
thursday 14
Called oncologist Today in AM, talked to vet tech, said they'd done
blood work and the calcium level was down a little bit but all other
labs the same, including kidney and liver. So she is still in renal
failure. Tech said she had eaten a little last night and in AM, has
had 1 course of chemo, said they walked her outside and she was a
little 'brighter' (shes been on IV fluid since I left her there
yesterday). Called again around 530, talked to vet. She has stopped
eating. She still 'alerts' wags her tail when people come in the room
her kennel is in. He is now saying she may have some kind of
underlying kidney disease, since she is so small for an Irish setter
and we know nothing of her parentage it may be congenital. He said
wait and see how the bloodwork is tomorrow. I got the impression that dogs usually respond to the chemo faster, my recollection of what he originally said was often within a few hours, at the latest within 2 days, the calcium going down shows some response but I gathered (you know how doctors are) that he is very worried about the renal function and mainly worried that she is not eating (as an indicator that she doesnt feel better) My heart is aching thinking of leaving her alone up there, I wish I could tell her somehow I havent abandoned her. Poor Ginger has been abandoned by her guardians so many times, and here it must look like to her I've gone and done it too.
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