Eureka!

It's a little after 3pm and we've just returned from Lucy's CT scan. Another wonderful clinic run by a great team: Veterinary Radiology in Mountlake Terrace. Excellent. Of course one of the finest things they did today was deliver good, if incomplete, news. Dr. Kramer said there is no detectable signs of cancer and he doubts Lucy has any aspergillosis. He doesn't know what she has and recommended we proceed with a rhinoscopy with biopsy of whatever Lucy has going on inside her nose. So it was very good news or at least better than we feared. There might still be something of concern, but at this point, I can sleep easy.

Here's an old picture of Lucy from 2002. I have to post it because she was so healthy then and hopefully, will be again!

Today's the day

This afternoon we take Lucy in for her CT scan. I'm anxious, of course, and Lucy is miffed she's getting neither her breakfast nor her morning biscuit. Unfortunately, the appointment isn't until noon, so she'll be a very hungry puppy by dinner.

Our fingers are crossed that they find nothing and that that indicates rhinitis, nothing worse.

Roller Coaster

Thursday I thought we might have to put Lucy to sleep. She was so ill. Awful reverse sneezing to the point she couldn't maintain her balance; gagging on drinking or eating; hugely lethargic. I was constantly in tears. I wanted to wait, however, for my husband to return from out of town so that he could say goodbye. Coming in late Thursday night didn't give him the opportunity, so we chose to wait until Friday afternoon when he returned from work. But we couldn't do it then; we just didn't have the heart. We knew Kate wouldn't be at the clinic on Saturday, so we decided to wait until Monday.

I sent Kate a long email asking about the efficacy of some alternative treatments: acupuncture, homeopathy, herbs and if she'd be willing to try them or preferred I sought out another vet with whom she could work. Because Lucy's nose drips are green (indicating infection), did she think it was worth putting her back on antibiotics? I called several alternative vets, but those who were highly recommended had a full client list and I had not heard of the others.

Saturday afternoon Lucy rallied. Big time rally. No nose goobers, no reverse sneezing, no gagging, good energy. I was hesitant but willing to think that perhaps she'd been suffering from a huge sinus infection and was now on the road to mend. Sunday afternoon dissuaded me of that thinking as the sneezing and runny nose came back with a vengeance. But no gagging—for that I'm grateful.

I heard back from Kate this morning. Besides being a vet, she is a certified animal acupuncturist, so I knew she'd be willing to consider alternative treatments. She said she'd be more than happy to explore different care modalities though she preferred to first know what we're dealing with. Though my husband would like to start Lucy immediately on antibiotics, I'd rather wait until after the CT scan when we can make more informed decisions.

Lucy's health remains on the positive side. We're concerned how voracious her appetite is, but at least she's eating. We just returned from a three mile walk done at a fast clip. At one point she had a leaf hanging from her nose goo, but she didn't seem bothered, so I chose not to mop her up.

I'm hoping to post a picture of her, if not every post, then close to that. Here she is sleeping last night while we were listening to music. With that perked ear, it looks like she was listening too!

Puddles

The last two mornings I've gotten up and found a huge, wet puddle left on the carpet from where Lucy's nose had drained over night. When she gets up, she's started coughing and hacking. Her energy is good on walks, her appetite is fine, but her symptoms continue to escalate.

I spent some time looking up nasal cancer and ended up sobbing. Both nasal cancer and aspergillosis have symptoms that match Lucy's. Now, after work, not even 5pm, I just had a beer. A beer? Anything but reading more about diseases.

My vet, the marvelous Kate Schottman, sent me many printouts, highlighted and notated, on aspergillosis. I tried looking, but couldn't quite stomach it yet.

As I type, Lucy's laying next to me, snoring and whistling. My girl.

Ups & Downs

I went to see Kate yesterday and feel much better though nothing was resolved or changed. Kate said she'd read up on aspergillosis to see if she could find out anything else for me. Not that I haven't been doing that myself, but I don't understand all the medical jargon and am relieved she'll be able to do some translating.

What I got from the consultation is aspergillosis is not that common although the fungus is everywhere. Kate felt that Lucy's symptom of one nostril being runny swayed her towards a tumor or some blockage other than aspergillosis or chronic rhinitis. She felt those would affect both nostrils. I don't know that that makes me feel better—a tumor versus a fungus?—but the progression of the fungus just sounds so sci-fi.

She also assured me if it was the fungus, Lucy's face wouldn't cave in. A silly fear, I know, but I was afraid if it eats away at the bone, that if she bumped her nose, there might be consequences we couldn't visually handle. She said it's more like periodontal disease, slow and invisible. I don't think that's any more pleasant, but I couldn't stand to see Lucy's face altered.

She also supported our decision to do nothing if it's cancer and to not do the ream and flush if aspergillosis. She can come to the house to put Lucy to sleep or prioritize us in a vet visit. That was helpful also.

So I came home yesterday feeling a bit better and thinking perhaps we'll put her through the CT and rhinoscopy just to see what is causing this. I remain conflicted on this because we've chosen not to treat either cancer or aspergillosis, but if it was a small irritant in her nose they could remove, then wouldn't it be worth it?

A depressing prognosis

We took her in Saturday to an internal medicine vet. He was wonderful: very informative and took the time to answer all the questions we posed. He said her lungs sounded fine, so no problem with recurring pneumonia. That was great news. Unfortunately, the meeting went emotionally downhill from there.

She could have cancer, aspergillosis, or chronic rhinitis but of course we won't know which of those without further tests. He recommended first getting a CT scan to see her head and throat structurally. It may show tumors or damage caused by aspergillosis. If the scan looks clean (or doesn't), they'd do a rhinoscopy to see inside the nasal cavities (they may see spores from aspergillosis). If it is cancer, he said radiation is better (and more expensive) than chemo. We've already decided we won't put her through that.

Aspergillosis—what an awful disease! From what I've read, it sounds more prevalent in younger dogs, which I find curious. Why would younger dogs (they specifically did not say puppies) be more affected? At any rate, it's a fungus that eats away at the nasal cavities and can move into the brain. If they see this on the rhinoscopy, they'd scrap out her nasal cavities trying to get as many of the spores as possible and the flush with an antifungal wash. He said he recommends three procedures, although they once did six on a dog and still found it unsuccessful. Plus Lucy could go through all of this and have it come back. His assistant said it is quite a painful procedure and the dog goes home with a pain patch...only to return to the hospital to have it done over again. The treatments run around $2500 a piece.

The tiny bit of information I've seen on rhinitis directs me back to aspergillosis. We're finding this overwhelming.

Lucy is 11 and if we're lucky she'll be with us another 2-3 years. I don't regret putting her through the back surgery despite the long recovery. But I don't think I can put her through the trauma of treatments for what she may be suffering from now. I don't feel it's fair to her, but I will talk to Lucy's regular vet and a neighbor (who is a vet tech) for their input. Perhaps a naturopathic vet may be an alternative. I just don't know.

Tomorrow is Lucy's Nose Day

In my reading, it seems there are certain fungal diseases that can cause the same type of problems (reverse sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing)—particularly for dogs who bury their nose in the ground. That's Luce. Those seem to be curable with medication.

I don't want a tumor...

Medical Maneuvering

I spoke with my vet today and she was kind enough to advise me without seeing Lucy. Lucy's nose issues remain status quo. She's still reverse sneezing (not as much as when she had pneumonia) and she is now "gakking"...making a noise that sounds like she's trying to cough up a fur ball. This happens when she's excited (about to go on a walk or car ride) or drinking water too quickly and makes me nervous about a possible tumor or polyp in her most prized possession—her schnoz.

I could let it ride, but then if it is a growth or something we can solve now, I'd hate to put it off. Kate (the vet) felt using Revolution 3 times in a month may indicate whether Lucy is suffering from nasal mites. However since Lucy is already taking it once a month, Kate thought this wasn't worth it. She recommended we go in for a consultation regarding a rhinoscopy. She recommended a vet (Sherry Wilson at Acces), but when I called regarding prices they were nearly double the cost at Seattle Veterinary Specialists. I think we'll go the less expensive route. Interestingly enough, when I spoke with someone at SVS, they said the cost could vary from $1100 dollars including consultation, surgery, possible over night stay and lab work. It would be less if all those things aren't necessary. Acces said it was $125 for the consultation, $1200-$1400 for the rhinoscopy—labs and overnights were on top of that. That's a fair chunk of change to throw around when there's a less expensive alternative!

Lucy reminds me of Clem, the dog we had growing up. Although veterinary medicine was pretty simplistic back then, Clem spent a lot of time there. He was always suffering from something. I guess dogs are no different than people. Some are just put together using better parts.

Hannah and Molly

Since I showed Lucy with her buddy, Suki, I thought I'd show some of Lucy's other dog friends. Hopefully I'll remember to take a picture of all of them. Although Lucy is well-known for her anger management issues, that doesn't mean she doesn't have friends. Probably her best and oldest friend is Hannah.

Hannah, like Lucy is a mutt. We think Catahoula cross. Hannah is a great communicator. (Hannah should run for President!) When Lucy was a puppy and very bouncy, Hannah just gave her a little lip curl to let her know to settle down. If Lucy didn't get the hint, Hannah might have given a growl and a nip, but nothing beyond that. Lucy has always trusted her. Hannah is 13 going on 14, and although she can no longer mountain bike and her walks are shorter and slower, she is still very enthusiastic and eager. She looks a lot smaller in this picture than she actually is. Hannah probably weighs in the mid to high 40s; Lucy is somewhere in the 52 to 55 pound range.


If Lucy meets a dog as a puppy, they become fast friends. Here's her "cousin" Molly. Molly is a purebred Australian Shepard and just shy of a year old. Molly now weighs probably as much as Hannah and is full of energy. She's being held by her owner so we could capture a picture. Molly is going to be a very sweet dog. When I've walked the two of them together, people ask if Lucy is the mother.

Lucy behaves around puppies like Hannah did with her. Luce is very tolerant of puppy energy—up to a point! First she'll give a slightly high-pitched, back of the throat noise. If the puppy persists, there's a little lip action, perhaps a growl and at the very end of tolerance, a nip. She has never attacked a puppy.

Suki

One of Lucy's buddies (I mentioned her here) isn't doing well. She looks good, but her owner said life is really limited. (This old picture from 2004 of the two buddies makes them look possessed. I think they were; I must have been holding a treat for them.) Suki can only walk about a 3-house distance and then it's tough to return. Sometimes she gets "stuck" in corners and can't figure out how to get out. She has had arthritis for years and it has gotten worse and is certainly affecting her abilities, but more likely we think it's her brain tumor. She taking phenobarbital for her seizures and the amount has been upped. Her owner asked me how we knew when to put Suzy (our first dog) to sleep. What a tough situation to be in!

With Suzy, we knew. Her back end became paralyzed and at that time we weren't aware (or they may not have existed then) of carts. Plus at 18, she was deaf and nearly blind; she slept most of the day. When she lost her ability to walk, at that age, what are the choices? The vet said he could give her steroids, but they'd only work for a couple of days. That wasn't a life. I will forever second guess my decision, but deep down, I know it was kindest thing to do for my beloved dog.

So that was what I told my friend. "You will know." We dog owners are all blessed with a period of time where we can prep ourselves for the inevitable, but of course, we're never prepared enough. The loss is devastating because there is no love like the love from a dog. My heart breaks for them as the deal with their pup's decline...

Precious...as in Expensive

We realized that Lucy, for all her winning traits, is one expensive hound dog. What with her bum front right leg—arthritis? bone injury?—and now her nose, she is a vet's best friend. I sent an email to our vet this morning. I saw no need to come in at this point, though she may be able to run more tests if she deems it reasonable. But the drug regime, (chlorpeniramine 4mg/3 X day) — although lessening the reverse sneezing and coughing, has not eliminated it. Never having had sinus allergies, I am unaware if drugs do eliminate all symptoms. Perhaps I'm just being a worry-wart.

I spoke to a receptionist for internal medicine vets this morning and she explained what a rhinoscopy involved. Putting Lucy out, running a camera up her snout, looking for growths and taking a biopsy. She said sometimes dogs suffer a bloody nose afterwards which would require an overnight and perhaps medication. If it was a tumor, then we decide how to deal with it depending on if it is malignant or benign. Ei! Ei! Ei! Our poor puppy...

9.1 Miles

Yesterday was beautiful—one of those gorgeous, sunny, fall days. Perfect for a bike ride! We decided to take Lucy mountain biking since it had been a couple of weeks since she'd had the opportunity.

There is a place close by that we visit frequently when time is limited. Although we expected crowds, we had the trails to ourselves. The trails are great, convoluted, ever-changing. It seems every time we go, we find a new route or two. Even though the area isn't new to us, there are so many trails, that getting lost is part of the ride. Yesterday was no different although this time we had Lucy with us.

We had ridden with her 6 miles on vacation, so I was thinking that was a good length to do again. It's been about15 months since her back surgery and she's strong, but older and I didn't want to push her abilities. However, in our exploration of some new trails we found, our directional sensibilities got turned around. Ha! Our direction? I can't enter those woods without getting totally confused! In this case, my husband must take the full blame. (In his defense, he always gets us out, no matter where we go.)

So what would have maybe been 6 miles, ended up a third longer. Plus, the riding was more difficult. After 3 weeks of biking in a dry environment, it was startling to be back in the wet, slippery Northwest. I had to concentrate more on the actual riding so that the slippery roots and slick mud didn't throw me. There wasn't anything we could do when we realized we were lost, but keep riding. Three additional miles, doesn't sound like much, but mountain biking can be a full body workout. Sitting here this morning writing this, I can feel those parts I worked!

When we finally made it back to the van, we were all pooped. Happy, but pooped. Lucy got in (with some help) and conked out. She didn't budge until we pulled into the driveway. I can tell today will be a 'slow' day for her.

A Sad Recipient

Our neighbors lost their dog recently–lost, as in they had to put her asleep. If one of the owners wasn't a vet tech, their dog wouldn't have made it as long as she did. She had many health issues, but was a wonderful hound and lived a long, well-loved life.

We hadn't seen them much since this sad occurrence, but I ran into them yesterday while I was returning home from walking Lucy. They asked if I needed any dog supplies: boots, water bottle, biscuits, food, teeth cleaning supplies... I had such mixed feelings accepting their largess, though I recall going through the same thing when our first dog died. I wanted someone I knew who loved their dog to have my dog's things.

So with a sad heart, we took them. And thanked them. How kind; how sad. Lucy loves the biscuits. Although Lucy and their dog didn't get along (both lean towards the alpha side of life), I'm sure Rainy is happy her things are staying in the 'hood.

Vacation

It's been over a month since I've written. All good things have happened.

1. Lucy's hearing came back in her one ear, so that must have been due to congestion from the pneumonia.
2. Her pneumonia is gone. In the beginning of a 3-week camping trip, she ran out of drugs and we had to connect our vet at home with a vet in Boise, ID to get more medication to see her through. At the end of the trip, I took her back into the vet for a chest x-ray which showed healed and healthy lungs.
3. Over the span of the vacation, Lucy did a lot of running. Probably no more than 7 miles at any one time, but she ran with vigor and had no shakes at the end. Hats off to Dr. Sanders and his team for their excellent work. Lucy was full of energy (despite recouping from pneumonia) and was always eager for a mountain bike ride.

The picture is taken in Oregon at Paulina Peak in the Newberry Crater. The drop off is thousands of feet. Look how happy she is! Dirty, but very, very happy.

When we got home, her reverse sneezing returned and intensified. It had been almost completely gone. The vet, during a phone consultation, thought it could be allergies. Of course, there was also the scary possibility of cancer, or another possibility: nose mites. (What a juicy nose to have bombarded by mites!) She suggested I try Lucy on an over-the-counter antihistamine: chlopheniramine (4 mg/3X day). She said if it wasn't better by Monday, to let them know and they'd refer me to a "rhino" specialist. I'm happy to report, Lucy is doing much better. Little did we know what a "precious" girl we have!

Deafness

Can any more happen to my girl? I hope not, unless it is getting healthy, healthy, healthy!

We took an extended weekend trip to south central Oregon, in the middle of nowhere where heat is the king...or is it deer flies?...or mosquitoes? Surprising, considering the conditions, it is an amazing area. We were in Paisley on Summer Lake which during the summer is dry. Nearby are natural hot springs, petroglyphs, bat caves, ice caves, big holes in the ground, birding, hiking, and mountain biking. I'm sure there is even more, but the heat prevented anything but a minimum of exploration or movement. The meteor showers weren't that spectacular, but sitting outside in a natural hot spring adds to the event, so one could hardly complain.

In the above picture taken at the cabin we stayed at in Paisley, Lucy looks alert and as if she can hear me. I doubt it. She was so sick there, or maybe it was just the unbearable heat, but she slept for nearly two days. On the way home, we stopped to do a quick ride around Timothy Lake near Mt. Hood. Lucy stayed in the van which parked under an umbrella of trees. When we returned from our ride, I let her out to join us for a swim in the lake.

It was then we realized Lucy had lost hearing in her other ear. There was no head shaking, no scratching, no tilting of the head, just plain no hearing. I felt like the bad dog owner with an ill-trained pooch. She would walk off and I'd call and she didn't respond.

I wasn't sure if the antibiotics she's taking for pneumonia could have caused the hearing loss, but when I spoke with the vet, she said no. She wanted Lucy back in, but what would they do? We'd just incurred huge vet expenses and I wasn't eager for more if they weren't absolutely necessary. She (Lucy) gave no sign of discomfort. By the time she was home, her energy and appetite were back, she's on two different wide-spectrum antibiotics—wouldn't they take care of any infection? The vet said probably, but told me to bring her in if anything in her demeanor changed.

We're using hand signals to communicate with her. Thank heavens she's been trained on them since a puppy. We just have to make sure she's looking our way. And once again, it reinforces the necessity for always having her on a leash. If it is an infection, the antibiotics should take care of it and her hearing will return. If it isn't...well, we'll have to work diligently at keeping her world interesting, stimulating and safe!

Antibiotics

Lucy is on two antibiotics: Clindamycin (150mg) and Baytril (86mg). Baytril is ridiculously expensive, but the combination of the two (or at least one of them!) is working as she seems more alert. She still isn't drinking, but after taking her in yet again, the vet thought she seemed hydrated enough.

We're supposed to visit friends in southern Oregon—almost to the California border and in the middle of nowhere. It makes me anxious to take a sick dog out in the toolies, but this is one of those spousal issues that I'm losing.

I switched to beef stock today to see if that will elicit more response, but it doesn't do the trick either. Why is she not drinking? What is it about the drugs or illness that makes her avoid water?

In mid-August, the vet wanted me to come in for another xray. Is it worth it at the price if she's feeling better? I'm going to ask several different sources.

Canine Pneumonia!

Unbelievable! As if this old girl hasn't had enough to deal with this past year, she now has pneumonia. The diagnosis has been a long time coming. The first clue something was amiss came mid-May when she started reverse sneezing. This is an odd phenomena (to me) as it sounds nothing like a sneeze, but rather a huge gathering or gasping of breath. It happened infrequently, but ongoing over a couple of months. Finally around the end of June, it was occurring regularly enough to warrant a vet visit.

When I brought her in the verdict was indecisive. Since Lucy's appetite and energy seemed okay, the vet put it down to (perhaps) an allergy. For a couple of days running, Lucy had a mucus-y nose and eyes. I mean goopy, like a child with a bad cold, but this vanished too along with the sneeze. By the end of July, I figured whatever was blooming and bothering her should be over its cycle and indeed, the reverse sneezing was diminishing.

Then came dry hacking. She sounded like a cat coughing up a fur ball. This time I called and spoke with the vet (a substitute), but she didn't seem very concerned. I was uncertain whether to push or not. After all, Lucy just had the surgery a year ago. Did I want to put her through tests for something we had no clue about? Not to mention, the possibly unnecessary expense... The vet told me to give it a couple of weeks. Here it is summer, so Lucy's shedding a lot. She has two little cuts on her that she's been tending by licking. So couldn't she be gagging on her fur?

Then the beginning of this week, her energy plummeted. Her dry hacks turned into wet, deep chest coughing. She tried to stand up and was so unsteady, I didn't know if she could do it. This time I rushed her in and the vet (another sub), on taking her temperature (102.5), decided to do a chest xray and take blood. She said I should take her temp again that night and if it topped 104 to take her to the emergency vet. Well, before bed her temp was 103.7. Our neighbor is a vet tech and I asked her if this constituted an emergency. She said if Lucy was breathing okay, to wait as that was high, but within range. We kept her in the basement (always cool), with ice packs and a cool, wet towel. We slept there too. I didn't sleep, of course, as I was listening to her every sound. By morning her temp was down to 103.

The blood test came back the following day. I don't know much about white blood counts or how they are measured, but Lucy's last white blood cell count was 8,000. This one was 16,000! The vet said this was only slightly out of normal range (which I guess goes to 15,000), but because it was double her normal, it was cause for concern. I brought Lucy back in and they gave her two different shots of antibiotics.

The xray needed to be sent out, but the vet showed it to us and Lucy's left lung (looking at the xray) was milky at the top. Their main radiologist was on vacation, so they had to send it to a sub. The sub went on vacation also, but took the xray with him. (Huh?) They couldn't reach him so wanted me to come in for another set that could be sent out to a third radiologist. Meanwhile, I'd brought Lucy back in for more antibiotic shots and they sent me home with Clindamycin and Baytril thinking these would "get" most bacterial pneumonia. Her temp was back in normal range.

Well, the long and short of it is they finally reached the vacationing radiologist and he said it was pneumonia. They are treating it as bacterial and if Lucy doesn't respond to the antibiotics, then she'll need a throat culture. After her shots and the orals, she is a bit more perky. I wouldn't come close to saying she's normal. Even though she's sleeping most of the time, when she is awake, she seems more alert.

The issue now is getting her healthy and keeping her hydrated. She's to be on antibiotics for 2-3 weeks and then they'll do another xray. For whatever reason, Lucy who normally drinks a couple bowls of water a day, is not even touching it—and it's hot and humid here. I'm drowning her food in 1 1/2 cups of water laced with low-sodium chicken stock. At a minimum, she's ingesting 3 cups a day. Now to get just a little more down her...

House Guests

My brother-in-law was in town for a week and we all had a ball—including Lucy! She was never alone, which is her favorite way to be, and she followed him around as if he was her one-and-only. When he went downstairs, she followed. When he was on the deck, so was she. Here he is reading at the front counter and look who is close by!

The Bath

Soap and water...














Scrubbing behind the ears feels pretty good...

















Torture is almost over...




















The big shake...
















Ah-h-h!!!

Harts Pass and a celebration

We stayed at Harts Pass over the fourth and it was wonderful! No firecrackers; lots of peace and quiet. The drive up wasn't nearly as terrifying as when I'd done it years ago with a stick shift. This time I was the passenger while my husband drove and for being a holiday weekend, the traffic was surprisingly light.

There was still plenty of snow around, but the wild flowers were extraordinary. Gorgeous! We found a little spot besides a babbling brook at which to camp and stayed there a couple of nights. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera.

The day before we rode a couple different trails down in the valley: Goat Wall and the Methow River—the latter being the superior ride. Lucy did all of Goat Wall and a bit of the Methow. We figure she logged at last 8 miles and was fine. Tired yes, but no shaking. It's been one year since her surgery.

Had I thought this out a year ago, I wouldn't have been so panicky about her recovery. If a human had gone through the same process, it probably would have taken a similar amount of time. Her back right leg remains wobbly with an odd gait, but that didn't affect her ability to run and enjoy.

Both nights at the camp spot a doe came into camp to graze. She was alert, but unafraid, and came within 10 feet of us. Luckily, Lucy was asleep in the van!

We gave Lucy a day off while we did a ride on the pass to some old mines. It was interesting to see, but the elevation gain and loss at the altitude made it a difficult ride for me. One of the mines had several collapsed buildings around the site, one of which was definitely a house.

The last day there we went on a four mile hike along the ridge on the Pacific Crest Trail. Lucy was more than ready. She was ahead and eager. Snow! Marmots! Freedom! What more could a dog ask for? I'm sure she added a mile to her walk. The weather was spectacular and the views into several valleys and across to many peaks, awesome.

I wrote a short email to Dr. Sanders to thank him again for the great job he did on Luce.