Mom is doing a happy dance.   Today I got my 4th chemo treatment.  And they took x-rays of my chest.  Dr. Tripp told my Mom: “The lungs are clear!” and Mom started smiling from ear to ear and dancing around.  (I’m blind, so I couldn’t see her smile, but I could FEEL it.)

I got treats for being a good boy at the vet and chicken from Mom when we got home.  Today is a good day!!!  Yum!  Mom promised me more special food for dinner before she left for work.

And, my oncologist Dr. Tripp’s office (Animal Medical Center of Seattle) is sponsoring the 2 Million Dog Puppy Up! Walk in Seattle on Nov. 7.  Mom signed us up for that.  There will be another walk in Auburn (a bit south of Seattle) at the same time.  GEEE!

JAMES the poodle (wondering what special goodie Mom will have for me tonight)

So you know Pawrents!!!  Always hovering.  On the watch!  Mom noticed two lumps on my head.  We went to the vet today and she said I’m fine!  They were just cysts and she drained them.

PAWTY with other tripawds tomorrow!    JAMES

I found a lump on James’ head last night.  It feels hard.  It wasn’t there before.

James was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his left front leg (which was amputated), but he also had a cutaneous hemangiosarcoma on his right front elbow.  He will be going to the vet on SAT morning and also has a surgery apt. for Mon 10/4 to remove the lump (provided his WBC count is ok).

I am worrying about this new lump….

Nancy

It’s one week since my last chemo treatment and I am feeling so much better than I did last week.  (Last week was tough.  I wouldn’t eat at all and Mom says that’s harder on her than the first 2 weeks after my surgery were.)

I actually greeted Mom at the door when she came home from work last night.  She was so surprised!!  And my appetite is back.  I still turned my head away from the Wellness canned food.  But Mom’s pretty smart.  She has many bowls for me now.  And when I didn’t want the Wellness, she immediately offered me a bowl of Newman’s Own Organic Chicken.  I really like that!!  I ate big mouthfuls!  Boy, I’m hungry after not eating much for a week, especially when I wake up in the middle of the night.

Mom’s a good sport.  I woke her up at 12:30a.m. and at 5:30a.m. barking for more FOOD! FOOD!  She hopped right out of bed and brought me more!  But she sure looked tired this morning.

We have a Meet and Greet this weekend.  I don’t really want to meet any BIG dogs.  Well, maybe, if they promise to be nice.  I only weigh 8.5 pounds!  And I hear that the other Tripawds weigh a LOT more that I do.  I hope no one falls on me!

JAMES

P.S.  Mom bought me my very own Costco Rotisserie Chicken (to feed me by hand when I wouldn’t eat).  Well yesterday, while Mom was gone, Katie and TJ broke into the refrigerator, opened the plastic container, and ate all the rest of MY CHICKEN!!!  Katie’s got a new nickname:  FATSO!

Just when I was feeling great and gobbling up my food, we went back to the oncologist and I had another treatment.  That was Wednesday.  I ate breakfast and a small dinner on Wed. and haven’t wanted to eat since.

Mom is counting:  Day 1 of Chemo, Day 2 of Chemo, Day 3 of Chemo.  She says I will probably feel better tomorrow.

In the meantime, I won’t even eat my K9-Immunity (which I love).  So Mom gave me Vanilla ice cream last night and I ate it!!  Thanks Spirit Cherry!  Mom says that Spirit Cherry’s Dad says not to feed milk-stuff while on chemo.  Darn!  I liked the ice cream.  Mom is going to get vanilla soy milk tonight.

Mom read all about Cherry’s Magic Biscuits and she is going to get me some.  I figure that Spirit Cherry must have been really smart, being a Big Poodle.  So I told Mom that I want to try Cherry’s Magic Biscuits.

JAMES

I am feeling better now than I have in months!  See me in my spiffy preppy puppy plaid poodle coat!  I am eating well, sleeping well, and pooping well.  Pretty good for an old dog!  My new FidoFleece coat is warm and cuddly.  We went to an agility trial all weekend.  I was hopping around outside the RV on the grass.  Polly, Eddie and Katie got to run in the arena.  TJ and I napped in the RV.  It was a great weekend.  Just about every time Mom came back to the RV, she fed me more FOOD!

And I went swimming last night in the heated pool.

JAMES

The Preppy Puppy Plaid Poodle

Today I am feeling GREAT!  I look very spiffy in my new Fido Fleece coat.  It’s fall in Western Washington and damp and rainy.  I have my new coat to keep me feeling all snuggly.

Happy Birthday to my Uncle Bobby today!  He always says:  “Today is a good day to be alive!”  I agree!  Today is a great day.  I feel good.  I had my blood work done 2 days ago and Mom said that my white blood cells and neutrophils (whatever they are) would probaby be very low.  But they weren’t!!  My blood work is excellent.

I came hopping out last night when Mom got home and immediately started barking for FOOD!  FOOD!  Mom was so happy.  She picked me up and I gave her kisses all over her face.  I am eating lots and lots to make up for all the food I didn’t eat last week.  Ha ha!

My whole pack and I slept at Mom’s feet last night when she was at the computer.  Mom said that was a very good time.

And then I got Mom up twice during the night barking for FOOD!  FOOD!  FOOD!  (Mom looks pretty tired this morning.)

JAMES

Ever since I started chemo, nothing tastes the same.  I’ve been giving Mom a hard time, not eating.  A few days ago, Mom tried to feed me my wet dog food by hand.  I spit it out.  Then Mom tried to feed me my favorite cottage cheese by hand.  I spit it out.  (Mom ended up with sticky food all over her hands and clothes.  YUCK!)  I did eat some vanilla yogurt.  I also like organic fig cookies (I think Mom hides pills in them, but I still like them).

Finally, Mom got Paul Newman’s organic canned Chicken.  Guess what!  I like it!!!  I ate some Wed. night and I ate nearly an entire can last night.  Mom did a taste test:  Taste of the Wild canned duck on one side of my bowl (which I used to love) and Paul Newman’s organic canned Chicken on the other side.  I ate all of the PN Chicken.  Later, Mom tried to fool me by mixing some of the PN Chicken in with the duck…but I wouldn’t eat it.

Mom was very HAPPY that I ate last night.  I only eat a little bit at a time.  I barked for more food at 2am and at 4am.  When the PN Chicken was gone, Mom gave me some really good sliced turkey.  Then I threw up about 10 minutes later!!!!!  Maybe I ate too much.

I have to be careful, because I have irritable bowel syndrome and I get diarrhea really easily.  Mom tries to limit the fat in my food to 3% or less.  The Paul Newman Chicken is 6% fat (maybe that’s why I like it)! 

Mom would really like it if I didn’t wake her up all night long.  She’s got big circles under her eyes now.  She’s hoping that if I sleep in the big bed with her, maybe I won’t get up so many times at night.  We’ll see!

JAMES

P.S.  Mom says she loves me very much.  She tells me that every day.  Even when I spit food out.

I had my 2nd chemo on Wed Sept. 1.  I had a great appetite Wed. and then stopped eating on Thurs and Fri.  On Sat I ate Mom’s turkey.  That was good!  and finally late SAT night, I decided that I was hungry and barked for food.  I ate almost all of my kibble Sat night/Sun morning.

But by Labor Day, I didn’t feel like eating kibble any more and don’t want it today either.  I will eat turkey.  Kibble just doesn’t smell or taste very good.

My pack and I were at an agility trial for three (3) days over Labor Day weekend.  Teegan’s Dad was there!  Teegan is a Doberman who got osteosarcoma many years ago and survived 2 1/2 years after amputation. 

James