Rubi's blood work showed her to be in good shape for this month's chemo dose so she got it Monday. I have plotted all her blood test results from the beginning to current on a spreadsheet so i can see how it goes along. My daughter says I am trying to control the situation with data to feel empowered. I think that's way too much thinking but I do feel better when I can glance at the info when I am researching.
Last month's tests showed she had slipped into anemia but that has corrected on this month's results. Of concern to me at the moment is her liver enzyme count, which went from 24 to 98 in one month. the top end of the normal range, where you go into damage, is 118, so it is becoming an issue. The liver is able to recover from toxicity when the cause is removed so when this course of treatment is finished, the effects should diminish. I am giving her a supplement to help mitigate the damage as we go along. But she is doing extremely well and the vet is happy with her progress.
Unfortunately, the respite she had from allergy symptoms is over and she has chewed all the fur off her paws. On Monday, when she got her chemo, the vet gave her a shot of an antibiotic that will last for 2 weeks, a new prescription of prednisone, and atarax. The prednisone is used for the cancer treatment on its own so in this case it will help with both problems. The atarax is for itching, I am not convinced it helps a lot, but she has been more comfortable since Monday night and I am grateful.
More to read below the orange noodley.
One of the mainstays of good health, whether in humans or critters, in exercise for the mind and the body. I take her out for our walks every day, sometimes for over an hour, but they are not strenuous for the most part, i am a little old lady. Before she got sick, I had considered agility training for her because she is so bloody smart and I thought she would catch on quickly and enjoy it immensely. But since her illness costs run in the thousands, I have had to rethink my budget for a lot of things, including training. So I have taken it into my own hands to train her as best I can. I have been using the outdoor exercise area at the college with its slant boards and hurdles to teach her walking on a slant, turning and coming back, and jumping over low bars that gradually get higher. i don't know how the kids use this stuff, but Rubi has a great time running up and down and jumping over. I have her jump up onto the concrete benches, go to the end, sit, turn, come back. It may not sound like much but it is a lot to teach her. She is doing well and seems to have fun trying to figure out just what the hell I want her to do. She has never been allowed on the furniture so she has had to learn the concept of "up". Now she will come up and sit next to me on a bench if she is told to. It took a while for her to grasp that it was ok to be on top of a bench although she has never been told to stay off. She was like that when I got her and my ancient golden had always been a floor dweller.
I think this has been stimulating for her in many ways and I know I have enjoyed playing with her. Bottom line, we are having all the fun we can get, where ever it may be found. So we look forward to next month having had another month of good life.