Support for Canine Cancer

Looking for something to do on Sunday? Want to get out and enjoy the weather for a good cause? There is a walk going on in 12 cities across the Nation to help raise awareness for canine cancer. Check out the 2 Million Dogs Walk. It's for a great cause and I only wish we could go. Unfortunately, Gracie and Webster are both still on antibiotics, and it's probably best that they don't go until they are done and have a clean bill of health.

We've been aware of Luke and his beautiful dogs for a year or so. Lynette met Luke, Hudson and Murphy at the 2009 Cincinnati Pet Expo, and I had read an article shortly before that. What dedication. The three walked from Austin, TX to Boston, MA to raise awareness for canine cancer, which prematurely took Luke's beloved Malcolm. It's such a great cause that really needs a larger awareness. Little did we know a year ago that we would really become part of his cause...personally. I would recommend checking out this walk if you're free, reading Luke's blog, and/or buying something from their online store. I know I will be keeping track of my days in 2011 on one of their calendars.

Gracie update

The wife took Gracie to the vet this morning to get her stitches out while I was helping a friend move. The incision looks much better now that the stitches aren't scrunching everything up. They were definitely ready to come out. The bottom of the incision didn't heal together as nicely as the top part, but all in all, it looks pretty good.

On the down/gross side, she's starting to sneeze a bit more and mucusy snot is slinging out of her nose. Well, it may not be "as" dramatic as that, but it's still kinda gross. The Doc thinks it might just be the infection moving forward a little so we're just going to monitor it for changes over the next day or so. If it gets worse, we'll add an additional antibiotic into the mix.

On another, not so happy note, the Doc also got word back about the x-rays she posted online for a second opinion on the spots she saw. The person that commented on them wasn't the radiologist she was posting them for, but instead another general practitioner. She said she was only taking their comments with a grain of salt because they were a general practitioner, and she was looking for a radiologist's opinion. Even though they weren't from the radiologist the comments weren't what we wanted to hear. They said that they thought the spots looked to be caused by a cancer rather than associated with pneumonia. Sigh... After the first x-rays we were told that if it is indeed cancer and it's in her chest, they don't really advise any treatments because it's not curable at that point. We may opt to do some treatments to improve her quality of life, but even that may be negligible (and not to mention expensive).

We also got word back on the additional staining that the lab can do to figure out what type of cancer it is. $359 for the additional stains. Not as cheap as we would have liked, but reasonable, I suppose. Well, better than the $500+ that I was worried it might be. I really want to find out what it is, but we've talked and aren't sure we should spend it, if it's not really going to matter if it's not really treatable. Still up in the air, but we will definitely be getting another round of x-rays after her course of antibiotics are finished. Fingers and toes crossed that the spots are gone with the second x-rays and we get our happy and healthy girl back!