Hope is at the oncology vet now getting assessed.
How much cancer? Where exactly is it? Can we keep her comfortable?
A quiet afternoon for Hope and Jake.
The cancer vulture is circling, and I can’t shoot it out of the sky.
Windy demands attention.
Our little diva tried to wield her power the other day.
Windy has the determination of a terrier. I needed to leave one morning, and she didn’t care.
I called for her all over the house and backyard. I couldn’t find her. I was ready to exit the back gate and search the woods behind our house – then I heard a faint jingling. I paused.
I walked down the back steps. Nestled behind the stairs under the last step was a relaxed Windy. Enjoying the grass and shade, she was content to let me call her and get frantic. I couldn’t reach her.
Windy is not food driven, but she loves Bill Jack treats. I lured her out, grabbed her, and brought her in the house. Hope and Jake didn’t say a word.
Hope will see her oncologist this week. The tumors under her jaw are not smaller. It appears this chemotherapy protocol didn’t work.
Hope continues to be her active self, chewing blankets, barking at squirrels and demanding walks.
Not knowing what is to come requires a person to be patient.
Hope had an infusion of a chemotherapy drug Aug. 25 and started a pill to work with the infusion Aug. 27. We are waiting.
The lymph nodes under her jaw are large. They had disappeared but returned with a vengeance last week. The oncology veterinarian is afraid there are some cancer cells that have become resistant to the drugs.
Don’t tell Hope she is sick. Two evenings ago when she had bloody diarrhea she was demanding a walk. She is eating well – finishing everyone else’s dishes – and is acting normally. We have medication to treat the diarrhea.
I fear we are losing our sweet schnauzer girl. We have fought so hard, but cancer is an evil vulture that keeps picking and picking. I have lost too many loved ones to cancer.
Hope gave me a gift this past weekend. After I came home from errands and Jake and Windy ran to greet me, Hope stood with them and nosed my hand. Maybe one day she will come up for a real pat on the head.
Your prayers and thoughts are always welcome and appreciated.
Windy finishes Hope's dinner last week. This may not happen again.
Hope is getting chemotherapy now. I am enjoying a chai and Starbucks Wi-Fi.
Hope’s lymph nodes under her chin are slightly raised, but her nodes in her anal area are “really good” the veterinarian said. Hope is not in complete remission, but the vet is please with how things are going.
One concern is, however, that because those nodes in her neck have returned slightly some cells may be resistant to the drugs, so we will continue to take it one day at a time.
Last night Hope stood up for herself. Windy had finished her treat and decided to take some of Hope’s. Hope didn’t like it and they had a fight.
I was shocked but able to yell “No,” run and yell “No” again, and they stopped when I got next to them. They looked at me and at each other — almost as if they were saying, “What happened?”
Neither girl was injured. Jake watched the whole spectacle without comment.
The girls didn’t sleep next to each other last night. This morning, all had been forgiven.
No one better get between Jake and the nearly empty peanut butter jar.
Hope relaxes. Is she plotting her next chewfest?
Hope is continuing to do well. Yesterday she walked up to me while I was sitting on the couch, looked me in the eye and told me she wanted a walk. NOW!
Her “I want a walk” bark infected Jake and Windy. We stopped what we were doing and took the furkids out. I guess Hope is learning to be a manipulator.
The Dog Days of August mean I begin to be away from home more, and Windy is not pleased. One day she got her jaws around a hardcover book. The result was not pretty. A couple days later, Hope decided to use an ottoman as a chew toy.
That ottoman has been through two puppies and numerous moves. I consider it dog property, but Hope did more damage in less than an hour than more than 20 years’ worth of other dogs’ handiwork.
Of course I didn’t get mad at Hope. I blamed myself for removing the blanket I keep on top of the ottoman. I needed to do dog laundry. Regular washing of blankets, toys, beds, etc. is essential to keeping your house from smelling like a kennel. However, if my furkids had their say, they would hide my Tide.
Hope's jaws are fast.
Jake, the good dog, enjoys breakfast in bed.
Hope and Jake wait for therapy.
Hope is continuing to do well. Life seems almost normal, except for having to give her pills crushed in baby food.
Yesterday, Hope went to one of her veterinarians for some Healing Touch therapy, which has helped her behavior. Her trust issues and insecurities have been greatly reduced. Jake goes with her for support. Windy, however, is a problem child and must remain at home.
We returned home, and I let Windy out of her crate. She shot out of the crate and greeted Jake and Hope. She ignored me. I opened the back door to let her out. She didn’t come when I called. She wouldn’t even look at me. I guess she was furious she was left behind. She did not ask for attention from me for at least an hour.
Yes, things are almost back to normal.
Windy, not afraid to channel her inner diva.
Windy and Hope snuggle in for the night.
We have held on tightly to the cancer roller coaster this past week.
A week ago we waited on a response to the recent chemotherapy: an infusion Aug. 6 combined with a pill taken for five days from Aug. 8 through 12. On Aug. 11, we noticed a response.
Hope’s lymph nodes around and under her jaw have shrunken. An exam Aug. 13 was positive. Her veterinarian noticed those nodes as smaller and the nodes around Hope’s anal area had reduced as well. The vet was pleased.
So far so good. Will this new chemo regime work? Can we try it again in two weeks to hammer her tumors? We are taking it one day at a time.
Hope has not diarrhea. She is eating well and demanding walks. She has played with toys and barks at people and creatures she sees out her bay window. Hope seems happy.
Jake and Windy continue to support their sister. They play a bigger part in her care than anyone can imagine.
As for us, we enjoy each good day with our sweet schnauzer girl.
Hope's foster mom came to visit. It was a sweet reunion.
Hope looks up at her daddy.
Hope enjoys an afternoon nap.
Our sweet schnauzer girl is active and bright-eyed. The Saturday chemotherapy hasn’t worked alone yet. We have added a pill form of chemo to it as we planned. It is too early to tell if it is working.
She did play with a toy and demanded a walk.
Please keep all the prayers and positive energy coming.
On another note, if you have any Doggie Wishbone treats made by Merrick Pet Care, they have been recalled because of salmonella bacteria.
Windy and Hope squeeze and snuggle on a bed meant for one.
Hope is not doing well.
The chemotherapy from last week didn’t work. Her tumors continued to grow.
She has three tumors on the right side of her face from her cheek to under her jaw. She has one on the opposite side of her face. In addition, that chemo caused awful diarrhea.
We had an ultrasound Saturday. It showed tumors outside her colon. But she is active and alert—even demanded a walk yesterday.
So, we started one last chemo infusion Saturday. Today a medication will arrive to our house from Arizona. It is a chemo pill she is to take once a day for five days. We need gloves to administer it. It will be the put the capsule in her mouth and make her swallow routine. I know she will not like it.
Will this last chemo work? I don’t know. We only can hope. If it doesn’t—no more chemo. We will move into hospice mode.
I am preparing to get my heart broken.
Hope enjoys some attention from her daddy.
My furkids have no idea that much of the nation bakes in the heat. Their routine goes on in their air-conditioned environment.
Jake was the perfect traveler and houseguest last week. I’ve known adults who behave far worse than my furkids when it comes to traveling and visiting.
Windy and Hope kept each other company, and kept an eye on my husband for a week.
Hope is on a new chemotherapy regime and a couple additional pills. We learned she loves boiled eggs yolks, so we crush her medicine and mix in them. Windy loves the whites, so it is a win-win situation.
Hope still isn’t in remission. I feel two large lymph nodes under her right jaw and one large one under her left. Otherwise, she is active, eating well and seems content. She does have a bit of diarrhea, but we are treating that.
Each day with Hope is a gift; however, I want that gift to be here for as long as she cares to give it to me.
Windy and Hope relax in air-conditioned comfort on a hot, August evening.
Days of Our Dogs' Blog 