Wednesday, December 26, 2018

The Decision No One Wants To Make - Update

I’m watching a dog that I may have to make the decision to put her to sleep.

Her parents warned me.  She’s been diagnosed with lymphoma, but I don’t know if tests were run or if the person at their vet clinic just came up with that because her lymph nodes are visibly swollen.

She’s normally an energetic, very food-driven dog.

But in 2 days her behavior has changed.  She started hiding - either in my closet or under my bed.  My closet doesn’t have doors so she’d go in and curl up in the furthest corner.

She didn’t eat last night and this morning I had to get her from under the bed.  She wouldn’t take her medicine wrapped in cheese.  Normally, I get my hand bit off when she sees that yumminess.

I took her to my vet today.  The dad vet was working.  He gave her a shot of antibiotic because the hernia looking thing on her stomach is infected.  He also gave me some food to force feed her.  And has me stopping her Apoquel and cut her Pred dose in 1/2.

I had to carry her into the vet.  He told me if I need to bring her in every day for them to check her, to feel free to do that.

I force fed her about 1/4 of the little can of food and gave her about 24 ml of water with a syringe.  Apologizing the whole time I’m making her eat.  I’ll try to feed her a little more later this evening.

I gave her a bath when we got home.  A warm bath with oatmeal shampoo.  She just laid in the tub while I got her all clean and talked to her.

She’s a big dog - 25+ pounds.

And at some point she hurt her left, rear leg.  But the vet and I are more concerned with her being so lethargic and the loss of appetite.

I’m really hoping to see some improvement in the morning.  I don’t like seeing her just laying on the dog bed.  I want her to be following me around again barking at me for food.

UPDATE:
She got worse as the night progressed.  Sometime between midnight and 8am sweet Luna passed away.  I let her family know immediately.  My dogs are surrounding me right now - 4 of them are physically touching me.
:-(
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Thursday, December 6, 2018

Portion Control and Wonky Scale

My favorite time of day other than going home to my doggies is peanut butter apple time.  And since my dad taught me that putting apples in the fridge makes them lose their taste - it's even more better!

But this is where my total lack of control with food comes in.  I eat my PBA with a spoon.  I will shovel that peanut butter on my apple. 

So after weighing myself 3 days ago and being 197.4 discipline came in and I've switched to a knife.  However, I've only had my PBA one time since then.  I haven't been hungry in the afternoon. 

I don't follow NutriSystem to the letter.  I don't eat a power fuel in the morning with my breakfast unless my breakfast requires milk.  I also don't eat 4 servings of vegetables every day because the majority of the NS meals have at least 1 serving in them.  Whether it's tomato-based sauce or a veggie mix in their stews, soups, etc.  I also don't drink water.  I drink watered down coffee.  And I don't exercise 30 minutes a day.

I do take a multi vitamin and krill oil.

Since NS has things portioned out that keeps me in line.  But I was going crazy with my peanut butter.  :-) 
So new routine for that is using a knife and not shoveling a big dollop of peanut butter on my apple.

Now for the wonky scale.  Weighed myself this morning with just my leggings on.  196.6
Pfft
Brushed my teeth, took off leggings, moved scale slightly, weighed again.  195.4
Leggings do not weigh a pound.  Not even 1/2 a pound.
My theory is there's a gnome under my house (it's above grade) with some kind of giant magical magnet and he's screwing with me when I weigh myself.

My appetite has dropped considerably this week.  Yesterday I didn't want to eat lunch but realized a little after 12 I was hungry.  (I normally eat at 1115 or so.)  Skipped my PBA and when I got home I wasn't really hungry either.  Waited to eat till 6.  It was very yummy.

Normally, this time of year I'm out walking around the building during my breaks and I'm active at home as well.  But I just haven't been feeling 'up'.  This weekend I do want to start a deep clean and reorg of my house.  I already did that with my shed.  We'll see if I get motivated to start with living room.


Dogs Updates

Cesar at 14 is doing well.  He's got a definite limp/swagger when he walks.  That has to do with the herniated disk in his back - I thin...