11.17.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:58 am by
We went to the vet… she look at this pesky sore( its on his left hip) and said that its a possibility that it is infected and would explain why he is running a fever… she also said it could also be the cancer…ugh… she felt his limbs to make sure there wasnt a tumor elsewhere. she prescribed an antibiotic to help with the infection. if it didnt start working by next weekend we would do the xrays and blood work…
so its been about 3 days… my boy still looks so sad. he gets up when i come into the room and Im the one who he comes to… and he has started not to wanting to eat his food smoothie… but he will eat the heck out of some peanut butter. Very odd but that’s my Apollo. Im hoping that the anitbiotic kicks in and does the job. My precious boy is still fighting and as long as he is still fighting Im going to be right here to fight too.
Im thankful that I have this site to come to. Its hard when no seems to understand whats going on and why you want to help these wonderful creatures.
Permalink
11.16.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:52 am by
I sit here this after noon surrounded by my boys. Koa lays under a chair, Apollo on his pillows, Kochice right next to him. I’m trying to relish in the cuteness and quietness of it all.
I am taking Apollo to the vet tomorrow morning. We have been battling a pesky pressure sore that really doesnt want to go away. I think that maybe part of the problem. I took him out side for a quick pee and noticed he was walking slower than usual and favoring that side…. it happens to be the side he likes to lay on which is the opposite side of his amputation. I could sense the pain in his eyes. and my fears are compounded. what can I do? How do I stop it? my boy has been through so much, why does he have to go through more.
I am not giving up…
Permalink
11.12.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:23 am by
I know something is wrong… my husband keeps telling me that everything is going to be ok. Ive prayed and prayed. and find myself at a loss for words.
I look at Apollo and I see the light starting to fade. I keep telling myself that its not time yet. He’s getting up moving around and eating his food… he’s got to be ok… In the back of my mind I know that this darn cancer is still there… making it harder and harder for him to breathe. I keep searching for information on what I should be looking for so that I know when he is ready. the big question is will I be ready to let him go.
Time seems to not be on our side.
Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:07 am by
I cant believe its been a little over 3 months since Apollo came to live with us. Our world has changed and I find that Im constantly wondering about the time that we have left with him. I continue to pray and I know the God will take care of it all. I often wonder how something so ugly can happen to such wonderful animals.
Well, Ive been a bit busy with working. Here is a quick update. Apollo is still going strong. everytime i come into the house he starts to whine… he knows he’s my boy. We go for walks almost everyday. He is still harassing Koa but will stop for a good scratching. We still have issues with dog food. Doing the high protein low carb diet but due to his finicky stomach we still have to blend everything. Making baby food for him is time consuming. The other day we soaked kibble with water for an hour in order to blend it. Trying something new because he is looking a bit thin. We put hamberger meat cottage cheese and eggs it as well. We used our blender so much that it finally stopped. An hour later we found ourselfs at bed bath and beyond looking for another blender. We are constantly looking to put more weight on him… the food has been a long battle. I would like him at a nice healthy wieght so that he has the energy to move to his hearts content.
Looking in to his beautiful brown eyes everyday reassures me that I made the right choose. I worry but thats what I do.
Permalink
10.02.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:42 am by
Hitting the 2 month mark. Apollo is doing great. I swear he moves faster on 3 legs than he did on 4. He is filling out again but still having reactions to different foods. So everything is trial and error. My husband and I have realized that Apollo likes his food soupy and still cant handle dog food…but we are trying everything under the sun. He’s running around the house terrorizing my mini schnauzer Koa. Its wonderful to see him so active and less timid in the house. He still hasnt the courage to make it up the stairs and I dont blame him. There are days when I dont even want to go up the stairs. He and his brother Kochice are like Clash of the Titans when it comes to getting attention. You cant just give one and ear rub… you have to give ear rubs to them all.
. Ive had to put a stop on the chemo treatments. Not because they were there were making him sick: the treatment had no effects but because my husband and I hit a financial bump. I feel horrible. I even went so far as to set up a fundraising account at http://www.giveforward.org/apollosfight in the hope there were some caring generous people out there in my world. It humbled me beacuse I hate asking for help. My co-worker joined in on the fight and tried to get the help of our other coworkers. She was so dissapointed in their lack of responding. Needless to say I am too… even though I realize that non-animal people wouldnt understand the lengths a dog-mom and dad would go through to take care of their children.
I keep praying that people give and show kindness. Im working 3 jobs and the money still isnt enough. I know Apollo notices that Im home later than usual and I know he misses me when Im gone. Im trying to do all that I can to keep my promise to him. I refuse to give up with out a fight!
Permalink
09.12.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:24 pm by
so He ate the food with such gusto… i thought it would stick…. but not all of it did.
I guess i put to much stuff in at one time. So Im going to just add one thing at a time to see what is really irritating his stomach. But Im at my wits end trying to get him to keep food down… I know he’s got to be tired of rice and chicken broth and there can not be very much there as far as nutritional value.
I will keep trying… We didnt come this far to let food stop us.
Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:19 pm by
so as of lately Apollo has had a great appetite but we have been noticing that he throws up dog food and mixed vegetables. Dr ladue who is our Oncologist says that its not the effect of the chemo but that he possible has a food allergy… I was like what? Dogs have allegies? I guess so.. so he has been on a diet of rice and chicken broth to calm his stomach.. seems to be the only thing that stays in.
well we are realizing that he is getting a bit thin now…. we wanted to him to drop a little weight because a front amputated tripawd carries 60 percent of his weight in front and being a great dane weighing 160 is a lot. but now he is getting to slim so here is my bright idea: why not make home cook food since he can’t eat dog food.
so I research recipes for cancer dogs online… its a shame that resource is so slime… I found all of 5 sites that had a recipes. so I am trying one out. went to publix and bought some of the key ingredients… not sure how he is going to take to it but it does kinda look good once i put it together…
I will keep you posted…
Permalink
09.06.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:23 pm by
Its been a bumpy ride. I dont even know where to start. Apollo was diagnosed with osteosarcoma the beginning of August. He belonged to my brother but because my brother and his fiance just had a new addition to their family and could not afford to take care of Apollo. I brought him into my family. Made great sense since one of my sons is Apollo’s brother from the same litter.
After visitin a veternary oncologist to get a second opinion, we had our plan of action. On August 27th Apollo went in for his amputation. At the point he had only been with me for a week and a half. I know that he was still adjusting to a new home but I knew we didnt have time to waste. He came through the surgery beautifully. First few days were the hardest. Apollo was still groggy fromthe meds. He was scared to try and get up especailly since he had face planted on his first try. We had to carry him in and out of the house to go outside to do his business. About the 3rd day he hopped outside on his own and I started crying tears of joy… my boy was on his way.
He had his first chemo treatment a few weeks ago. Virtually no side effects. I am so happy. He loves the ladies at Southeast Veterinay Oncology. They take wonderful care of him. A few days ago we talked to the oncologist because Apollo was vomitting after he ate. Dr Ladue reasured me that it wasnt the effect of the Chemo because hewould be doing it all the time. But then she mentioned he might have a food allergy since it was only after he ate his dog food or my other danes food. So he has been on a strict rice and chicken broth diet until we can get his dietary need undercontrol.
Apollo is doing wonderfully… He cant sit still. Every time i get up. He gets up. I finally slept in my own bed last nite. As a worry mommy, I have been sleeping on the couch for the last 2 weeks wayching over my boy. He was ready to sleep on his own. I was so proud of him. and so happy that the 5 dog beds that I bought for him were still in tact.
Permalink
