So Thankful

Together with my family on Thanksgiving I am so thankful for still having Bud in my life.  His cancer, liposarcoma, is growing but he is still up, mobile, and happy.  I wash him with my tongue on a daily basis.  Bud just closes his eyes and enjoys it.  Every day is a blessing with Bud.  With some help from Papa Bud can get on the boat.  He eats a bit slower than before he got sick.  So I have to now wait for him to finish breakfast before I get to lick his bowl.

The only time Bud whimpers is when he has to go the bathroom.  He stares at his food and water bowl when they are empty and looks at our family.  He sleeps a lot more which means I sleep more since I have no one to play with.  I grab his paw and bring him my toys which he stands and tries to play for a few minutes.  Then he goes and lays down on his many soft cushy beds around the house or boat.

His cancer has doubled in size.  Not sure what to do.  Very sad. Hopefully we will still have Bud at Christmas.  Planning another sailing trip to Moody Gardens soon, and hopefully Bud will be fit to go. Praying for more time with Bud.

Halloween Costumes for our Dogs

Whitley Lioness in October 2017, so happy

October 31, 2014, Astronaut Whitley and Elvis Hound Dog King, Bud

Dog Health Care on a Boat

 

I am eleven years old Golden Retriever and have had allergies for as long as I can remember.  My food and grass allergies give me canine atopic dermatitis.

Canine atopy is likely to be a polygenetic condition (Shaw et al 2004) but no genes have yet been identified. The heritability of atopic dermatitis was around 0.47 in a group of guide dogs the majority of which were Labrador retrievers but which included some Golden retrievers and Labrador-Golden crosses (Shaw et al 2004).  That is, about 50% of the likelihood of the occurrence of this disease can be attributed to genes.

Beside the broken wrist from jumping out of SUV because I got Bud's leash wrapped around my paw, I have been in great health.

We returned from an afternoon sail from Moody Gardens in Galveston back to our home port by Clear Lake.  I was thirsty since I do not like to drink much water away from shore since  I will not pee on the boat!

Well I ran up to pier to the bathroom and drink some water.  I returned to the boat and drank some more water from the hose.  After some encouragement I ate a little dinner and then something horrible happened.  My stomach began to swell to the size of a small pumpkin.  I went to my matriarch to tell her that I needed to throw up.  She quickly got me to the head to throw up.  She then notice my enlarged stomach and rib cage.  Papa came on board and he carried me upstairs.  They rushed me and Bud to the emergency Vet on I-45.  Bud did not want to go in.

They x-rayed my insides and made sure that my stomach had not twisted.  Thank goodness it had not twisted and was just gas.  They put a big, long tube down my mouth into my stomach to release the gas.  You could hear the gas being released.  The pressure went down, and I felt so much better.  I had bloat without torsion (twisting) also now as gastric dilatation.   No one understands why this happened.  Probably from drinking too much water and getting air in my stomach at the water hose.

Before leaving, make a bloat kit for your dog.

Know First Aid and CPR for Dogs.

Drunkin Sailor Dog Disorder

After the Idiopathic Vestibular (Old Dog/ Drunkin Sailor) Disease

Dogs with idiopathic vestibular disease have some combination of the following signs:

• A head tilt
• An unsteady gait, loss of balance, or falling over
• Circling in one direction
• Eyes rapidly moving from side to side, known as nystagmus,
• Sudden vomiting

SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL: TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT VESTIBULAR DISEASE by Jared Galle of Ann Arbor, MI

Other Cancer Treatment: Taxol

Success Stories of Taxol

Paclitaxel, the most well-known natural-source cancer drug in the United States, is derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia) and is used in the treatment of breast, lung, and ovarian cancer, as well as Kaposi's sarcoma. 

Cannot Keep a Good Dog Down

After discovering that my partner in crime and travels, Bud, was sick with myxoid liposarcoma, cancer of the fatty cells (soft tissue) in his chest and under his arms.  He will be going to the canine oncologist possibly to have it removed, so that I can have more time with Bud.  This cancer (I have heard) can spread to other organs, and he does not want any big masses on his chest.

Here is a collection of my travels across the USA with Bud.  Stay strong.

 We are looking into foods, spices, and herbs to help slow down the growth, turmeric (curcumin), bakers yeast, (beta glucans), apigenin (celery, apples, parsley, teas,artichokes).  I know that we can not stop it, but at least give me more time with my best Bud.


 

Great information before you see the doctor or oncologist from the Cancer: What Should You Ask Vet from Dallas Gold.  

Thank you!

Voyage to the NC Outer Banks and Back

Planning our Trip to the Outer Banks (avoid Atlanta traffic)

Wild Mustangs on OBX

Dogs Sharing the Boat

Two dogs that share everything love the bigger SUV with the big Bud bed.

Bashful Bud, yellow lab, cuddles under Whitley's head while driving across Texas in a smaller SUV.

Bud, yellow lab, sure does make a great pillow for Whitley, golden retriever.

Learning to share tight quarters with a growing puppy.

First sailing trip, everyone finds the best spot

Hot Springs Soaking with Flames

Majestic Hotel in Hot Springs, AR on fire 2-28-14 at 5:45pm

Fire Fighters on all sides to put flames out and keep asbestos contained until the next Saturday morning. Entergy Arkansas turned off the power on the streets so many businesses had to close for the day and night.

After five and a half years, we returned to Hot Springs, Arkansas for two birthdays (Whitley's and JT's), we were excited for soakings and hikes in the mountains.  What a historical place Hot Springs is and now get to see one of these remarkable historical buildings in flames.