Feeling Good

Finny has had three good days in a row and this morning was great too! He is slow to get up in the morning (he takes after his mama) but once he's up, he has energy, is interested in eating food, and is in good spirits. I think part of it is that we have figured out a good combination for his medication where he is comfortable but not feeling like he needs to expel gross fluids from his rear end. Lovely thought, no? Last night we played in the back yard and he helped me search for a kitten that is apparently wandering around our neighborhood. It's not ours but I hate the idea of a lost kitten in the big bad outdoors! Poor baby. He also helped himself to the cat food I left outside for the kitten. He must really be feeling better!

The Prof and I are heading out of town so our caring pet sitters will be watching him and the cats. I hope that won't throw him off too much but they come three times a day and spend a lot of time with him. He is such a good boy.

So here's hoping to more good days!

Happy Birthday, Finny!

Today Finny turns eight years old. This is an amazing feat for an Irish Wolfhound who was diagnosed and treated for bone cancer two years ago. Sadly, as you all know by now, the cancer came back. Luckily, it does not seem to be bothering his breathing and he is chilling, eating, and getting love. This weekend I plan on making him some Finnegan Muffins (essentially a bunch of peanut butter and flour) so he can enjoy his birthday with some delectable treats.

So Happy Birthday, Buddy! We love you!

The Big C (or M in this Case)

As we expected, Finny's cancer returned in his lungs. He has a ten by eight centimeter solid mass in his dorsal lung. Well, maybe not dorsal, it's up high just below his spine. The good thing is that it's not pressing on his heart or esophagus. He came home with us last night with two different types of medication, prednisone, and an injectable medication that apparently makes him really happy and healthy. Our plan is to keep him comfortable. The veterinarian is calling an oncologist to determine if there is an type of palliative care we can do to keep him comfortable. She is optimistic that we can keep him comfortable for perhaps six months, maybe more. I would love to get six more months but only if he feels good, is happy, and his quality of life is great. Putting him through treatments or agressive therapy is not in the cards. The only option at this point is to do what is best for Finny.

Oddly, I'm not hysterical or depressed. Obviously, it is sad; however, he will be eight years old next week and lasted two years from his diagnosis. That is more than we could have asked. We love him very much and for the next months, he will be fed gourmet homemade treats, and given more love than he can handle

Healing

I'm pretty sure that the regular readers probably do not come around here much anymore. Certainly I have not written here in many months for good reasons. Finny has been doing really well. Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore. Recently, he became ill with a fever and swelling in all of his ankle/wrist joints. He has a discharge coming from his eyes and is in some amount of pain. Due to having osteosarcoma, his immune system is out of whack and it could be causing him to not be able to fight infections. The blood work came back normal and he did respond to an injection of an anti-inflammatory. His fever dropped from 104 to 102. When he's feeling a bit better, he will go home with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and happy pills, aka pain medication. I want to keep him as comfortable as possible. The antibiotics will be started first to see if there is a response. If there is none, it might be that the cancer is back someplace. My veterinarian is also calling an oncologist to see if there are any other options for him.

Our goal is to keep him comfortable and as pain-free as possible. If this event is treatable, that would be icing on the cake but for once, I'm being realistic. He turns eight in less than two weeks and it has been nearly two years since he was diagnosed with cancer. This new illness came on fast and hard. Perhaps it is something wonky. He has had a history of having strange illnesses. But like I said, I'm being realistic. I need to prepare myself as I did for his kitty brother who passed away three weeks ago. At the same time, I might just be numb.

Keep Finnegan in your thoughts. I am not a religious person but think healing thoughts for him. He really needs it right now.