Saying Goodbye

(I hate to start this post with a spoiler, but I wanted to make sure this doesn’t get lost in the post.)

Sweet Tucker did not survive the trial he was fighting. There was an outpouring of love and overwhelming concern for Tucker’s family during this time. Those who knew Tucker grieved his loss. Our sweet Handsome Pants. We hope this post has shed some light on the reality of Canine cancer. So many of our friends have dealt with trials such as this, we feel fortunate to have a community of friends to turn to when we encounter the unexpected and scary.

The following message was written by Tucker’s mother Diane: 

I feel very fortunate and lucky we were able to get Tucker his surgery and Chemotherapy treatments.   He was diagnosed in February 2014 and passed away in August 2015. He had a very aggressive cancer, which was unusual that it showed up on a limb.

Collage by Diane

 Hemangiosarcoma is a rapidly growing, highly invasive variety of cancer, and usually attacks internal organs like the spleen, liver or the right heart base.   It is a sarcoma that attacks the lining of the blood vessels; that is, blood-filled channels and spaces are commonly observed microscopically. A frequent cause of death is the rupturing of this tumor, causing the patient to rapidly bleed to death.

Tucker’s medical expenses - $13,758.90  

I want to express my sincere thanks to all my Instagram friends who prayed, sent cards and gifts.  All your support meant more to me than I can put into words.  I have all your cards in an album so that I can look back on these precious memories with a tear and a smile.

The remainder of Tucker’s veterinary visits and expenses:

4/14/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
RX Rimadyl  - $35.40
 5/11/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
RX Rimadyl  -  $35.40
 5/26/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
Exam and bloodwork  - $80.75
 5/26/15 – RX (60 Caps) Chlorambucil- $111.24  Wow the price went up!
 6/11/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
RX Rimadyl - $35.40
 6/24/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
Exam and bloodwork up.  - $101.65
 6/24/15 – RX (60 Caps) Chlorambucil  -  $111.24
 7/17/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
Medical exam, fluids, vitamin injection.  Tucker is not doing well.
Office visit - $150.47
 7/24/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
Tucker has been admitted to the Hospital for 4 days.  Complete work up, x-rays, bloodwork, ultrasound.  I visited with him every day and all he wanted was to be held.
Office visit - $916.68
 7/30/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
Exam and blood work.
Office visit - $103.42
 8/5/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
Exam, bloodwork, fluids, abdominal scan.  Tucker has been admitted to the Hospital.
Office visit - $743.82
 8/6/15 - Tucker is not doing well.  He has started with seizures and I know it time to make that heart breaking decision.  Tucker passed away in my arms this afternoon and I cried myself to sleep tonight.   I could not stop thinking what if I went with the amputation and radiation treatment?   Is this why I feel so guilty?
 8/17/15 – I ordered a glass bead made with Tucker’s ashes and I wear it every day.  Invoice - $143.10

We want to thank Tucker’s humans for the time and energy they spent supplying us with this information. We know it couldn’t have been easy.

Upcoming: Look forward to an update of how they’re doing and what’s changed in their family.

Questions: If you’d like to get in contact with Tucker’s family, or have any questions please send us an email, 

Facebook message us, 

or DM us on our instagram @Gracie_the_bichon

Mr. Handsome Pants

Our Mr. Handsome Pants

In the previous installement of Tucker’s journey you probably noticed that Tucker’s humans had already spent a hefty amount in two short months. This was just the beginning of the cost, doctors visits, and toll it was going to take on all of them.

Tucker has been known to us, and most of his friends, as Mr. Handsome Pants because of the darling pajama pants he sported. We thought this was such a clever way of helping Tucker manage to keep his staples safe from himself.  See what led to the pants:

3/1/14  Visit to Franklin Veterinary Associates.  Bandage and drain removal day.

Office Visit - $11.00

Of course, this brought about a new set of challenges. Tucker could reach the staples and he was transfixed with chewing and removing them all on his own.

I bought a pair of Scooby Doo PJ’s and with some creative scissor skills and duct tape I thought I came up with a great solution.   I put the bottoms on him to protect the staples and we nicknamed Tucker “Mr. Handsome Pants”.

Of course, the next morning the PJ’s were on the bed and another staple was decorating the PJ bottoms.

3/4/14  Visit to Franklin Veterinary Associates  staple removal day and progress exam.  Office Visit - $47.41

3/8/14  Visit to Franklin Veterinary Associates for Medical Progress Exam.

Office Visit - $24.00

3/10/14 Visit with Dr. Boshoven, Radiation Oncologist, VCA Veterinary Referral Associates.  Our consultation went well. He discussed radiation and chemotherapy options with us.

Amputation would have the highest chance of curing him of the local disease and he would still recommend chemotherapy to follow if we choose that route.

Radiation has a good chance of controlling the local disease as well.  As with surgery, however, radiation does not do anything for the possible spread of the disease.

All of this information was overwhelming but I decided against amputation and radiation treatments and go for chemotherapy.

He ordered an abdominal ultrasound.  They found that the lymph node was more round than oblong indicating a possibility of cancer or normal due to the location of the lymph node near the incision site.   They will aspirate the lymph node to rule out cancer. This procedure is scheduled for Friday, March 14, 2014.

Office Visit - $725.10

3/11/14 – Visit to Franklin Veterinary Associates for Medical Progress Exam and Simplicef.     Office Visit - $45.91

3/14/14 – Visit to VCA Veterinary Referral Associates.  Tucker was sedated and Radiology service performed the aspiration of the lymph nodes.  Waiting on the test results was nerve racking.  If the cancer had spread there were not a lot of treatment options.   Office Visit - $745.35

  After many calls to VCA, I received a call from Dr. Shigemoto the Radiologist that performed the procedure on Tucker.  Great News!  No cancer cells in the lymph node.  This means we can move forward with the chemotherapy treatment.

3/26/14 -  Visit to VCA Veterinary Referral Associates.  Appointment with Dr. Intile.  Chemotherapy treatment #1. There will be a total of five treatments given every three weeks.  Tucker had bloodwork, urinalysis, thoracic study.  He is on Cerenia and Metronidazole.  Office Visit - $815.61

4/16/14 – Visit to VCA Veterinary Referral Associates.  Appointment with Dr. Intile.  Chemotherapy treatment #2.  Tucker had bloodwork tests performed and it indicated that he had adequate red and white blood cell parameters for treatment #2.            Office Visit - $479.16

5/9/14  - Visit to VCA Veterinary Referral Associates.  Appointment with Dr. Intile.

Chemotherapy treatment #3.  Tucker had bloodwork tests performed and it indicated that he had adequate red and white blood cell parameters for treatment #3.            Office Visit - $479.16

After this treatment Tucker started losing his eyebrows, mustache and beard. 

Many people asked about Tucker’s breed.  What kind of dog is that?  WelI, he doesn’t look like a Miniature Schnauzer.  I repeated his story many times and it became exhausting.  Priscilla Singletary sent Tucker shirts to wear “They All Matter Find the Cure”, “Fight Like Tucker” #beatcancer, “Cancer Sucks”.

Tucker wore these shirts everywhere and most of the questions stopped.  I will be forever grateful for her kindness.

5/30/14 – Visit to VCA Veterinary Referral Associates.  Appointment with Dr. Intile.   Chemotherapy treatment #4.  Tucker underwent a recheck abdominal ultrasound, which showed that the previously enlarged lymph nodes in his abdomen were smaller in size.  Also x-rays were performed.  Tucker had bloodwork tests performed and it indicated that he had adequate red and white blood cell parameters for treatment #4.    Office Visit - $1244.56

6/20/14 – Visit to VCA Veterinary Referral Associates.  Appointment with Dr. Intile.  Chemotherapy treatment #5.  CBC was done and showed adequate red and white blood cell parameters for administering chemotherapy.  Fine needle aspirates were obtained from several of the nodules along the back of the right thigh and in house cytology showed clusters of what were suspected to be normal epithelial cells.   Tucker was declared cancer free!  Office Visit - $537.88

Tucker did really well during these chemotherapy treatments.  He had a picky appetite following his treatment, but this resolved with a new medicine to stimulant his appetite.

Some hair regrowth on sweet Tucker

At this point we became very familiar with Tucker and his chemotherapy appointments. His friends all rallied around him as he went in for treatment after treatment:

10/1/14 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital.  Appointment with Dr. Altendorf.  Tucker was evaluated for a tumor on his left leg.  He had an exam and

Cytology was sent to Idexx for evaluation.  Office Visit - $111.49

10/8/14 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital.  Xrays and ultrasound performed.    Office Visit - $350.12

10/15/14 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital.  Surgery day. Lesion removal with lymph node removal.      Tucker did really well.  He did a lot better than I did.

I was a nervous wreck!       His diagnosis was confirmed Hemangiosarcoma.   Office Visit - $768.95

Note:  I was in disbelief.  We are going to battle this cancer for a second time!

11/17/14 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital.  The same tests were done by this Vet to ensure Tucker was in good health for the treatment.

Chemotherapy Treatment #1   and he was given an appetite stimulant.

Office Visit - $421.91

12/17/14 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital.

Chemotherapy Treatment #2

Office Visit - $427.21

12/29/14 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital.

Chemotherapy Treatment #3

Office Visit - $455.81

1/19/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital

Chemotherapy Treatment #4

Office Visit - $497.27

2/9/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital

Chemotherapy Treatment #5 with x-rays and ultrasound

Office Visit - $699.81

3/4/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital

CBC

Office Visit – $27.17

3/25/15 – Visit to Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital

Extensive Blood workup

Office Visit - $109.83

4/1/15 - Tucker has had 2 rounds of Chemotherapy (5 treatment each time) which is the limit.  The Vet put him on Chlorambucil which is a maintenance Chemotherapy treatment.  Chlorambucil depresses the function of the bone marrow which can result in anemias and bleeding disorders.

RX (60 Caps) - $74.16

January-February 2014 with Tucker

Tucker’s Cancer Journey:

These next few posts will be a bit lengthy for a blog. I thought about condensing and summarizing (even more than what you see here), but in the end I decided against that. 

What's most important to us about Tucker's series is that it might be a landing place for someone going through this same challenge. For that reason we didn't' want to leave anything out. So please bear with us as we post segments of his vet visits for the next couple of installments of his story. 

Listed below is a chronological summary of Tucker’s trips to the Vet

 January 2, 2014 Tucker was seen by Dr. Runk, Franklin Veterinary Associates, Greencastle, Pa. for limping.  He was given Tramadol 50 mg and Rimadyl 75mg.  Rimadyl is a NSAID.  I kept an eye on Tucker for vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stool and decreased appetite.  Tucker did well and I thought we were on the right track.

At this time the Vet thought Tucker had an issue with his knee. 

Office visit-$52.10

January 24, 2014 Tucker was seen by Dr. Runk at Franklin Veterinary Associates for a lump on the outside of his left rear leg.   During this visit the Vet performed a needle aspirate/cytology and a short procedure ultrasound.  He was prescribed Baytril 68mg tabs.    Office visit - $136.76

January 27, 2014 Tucker was given additional Baytril. We continued to wait for the tests results from the needle aspirate procedure.  Office visit - $36.90

The results came back that Tucker had Spindle Cell Sarcoma is a type of connective tissue cancer in which the cells are spindle-shaped when examined under a microscope.

At this time it became clear that Tucker required surgery.  The tumor on his leg was getting bigger and Dr. Runk did not perform this type of surgery.

I was new to this area and I decided to call Dr. Dubin, Animal Care Experts, Thompson, Ct.  She was my Vet while I lived in Mass. So I made arrangements for Tucker to have his surgery.

2/4/2014  Dr. Dubin requested that I go to Dr. Runk, Franklin Veterinary Associates  for blood work and xrays.    Office visit - $265.80

2/11/2014 Dr. Dubin requested that Dr. Runk performs another Needle aspirate and send to Idexx Cytology and Microscopic description.  Office visit - $159.18

2/18/14  Dr. Dubin requested another cytology, medical exam and he was given

 Clavamox and Tramadol.     Office visit - $86.14

2-25-14  Trip from Pa., to Thompson, Ct to see Dr. Dubin, Animal Care Experts, Thompson, Ct.  Tucker had a drain and staples in his leg.  He did really well during the procedure and I was able to take him home the next day.   

 Surgery - $1,253.58

Tucker was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma it is a deadly cancer that attacks the lining of the blood vessels which can rupture and bleed causing death.

Tucker hated the bandage, the drainage tube and most of all the staples.   He ended up wearing a soft cone but he was smart and had to be either held or watched constantly.

2-27-14  Visit to Franklin Veterinary Associates to have bandage changed and he was given fluids.      Office Visit - $101.00

-Join us next time to hear how Tucker got his nickname of-

***********Mr. Handsome Pants**********

Big News

A message from Gracie_the_bichon:
 

Happy Friday Friends!

Do you ever look at the calendar and realize it’s Friday when you thought it was only Thursday? Neither do I. I feel like most people know when Friday is going to arrive; perhaps it’s just our human that was caught by surprise at midnight. I digress. Let’s update you on some fun news!

Wait for it…..

Wait for it….

Please welcome Willow as the newest addition to the Knight Pack!!

Look at those floppy ears!

Ta-DA!

She’s a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. The breed my humans have been doing rescue and foster work with for many years. Dad surprised us for their anniversary. Apparently I’m only getting older and potentially grumpier, so they better get a puppy now and hopefully we’ll be friends? Lol we’ll see about that.

Willow Bean, as my girl human refers to her, is literally the worst. If any of you are Hamilton fans think of her as Aaron Burr and I’m Alexander Hamilton. Sometimes we’re sort of friends, more like mildly tolerating each other really. Most of the time we wish the other would find somewhere else to live.

The humans all seem to adore her.  Awesome, Wow! (heavy sarcasm)  Anyway, there you have it, our exciting announcement.

This is what happens when I pretend she doesn't exist.

Disclaimer: We’ve had her a while now, but I haven’t allowed the announcement because I was hoping the humans would change their mind and take her back or something.  She is now 4months old and it looks like she’ll be staying indefinitely. Sigh. 

So I guess in the coming weeks we’ll show you some of the adventures she’s been on since we acquired her.

 Stay tuned. Also, we’ll be hearing more about Tucker and some other friend journeys in the coming weeks. Thanks for reading.
 

Happy Friday!

Canine Cancer

 Last post you met our treasured friend Tucker. Later on in Tucker’s life he was diagnosed with Hemagiosarcoma, which according to caninecancer.com is an aggressive, malignant tumor of blood vessel cells.

Before we delve into the journey that cancer led Tucker on, we wanted to first share with you some facts on cancer in canines.

Tucker

The following facts are from:

Chemotherapy Overview from Mid-Atlantic Veterinary Hospital

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy drugs are serious compounds that are toxic to cancer cells.  Chemotherapy drugs may be administered orally, or by intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (under the skin) injection.

How does chemotherapy work?

Cancer cells typically multiply very rapidly, so most chemotherapy drugs target those rapidly growing cells to damage their ability to divide, eventually killing them.

Why chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy can be most effective single treatment for some types of cancer, by offering the best chance for remission while maintaining a good quality of life for your pet.

Chemotherapy is often recommended after surgical removal of a malignant cancer.  The purpose of chemotherapy in this application is not only to try to prevent recurrence of the cancer at the original sit, but also to try to prevent metastasis.

Occasionally, chemotherapy will be used alone for the treatment of cancers that are inoperable, or are not good candidates for radiation therapy, or have already metastasized.  In most of these cases, the goal of treatment will not be to cure the cancer, but rather to improve your pet’s quality of life temporarily by reducing pressure, bleeding or pain.

What about side effects?

Compared to people, pets suffer fewer and less severe side effects from chemotherapy.  This is primarily because veterinary oncologists use lower doses of drugs, and do not combine as many drugs as do human.  All rapidly dividing cells in the body are sensitive to chemotherapy, and while cancer cells fall into that category, so do cells that are found in the intestinal tract, bone marrow, and hair follicles.  Chemotherapy, therefore, may result in gastrointestinal upset, immune suppression, and hair loss in some pets.

Possible gastrointestinal effects include decreased appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea which, if untreated, can lead to weight loss and

Dehydration.

Immune-suppressive effects result when the bone marrow is no longer able to make as many white blood cells, which in turn leads to an increased susceptibility to infection.

Some pets, just like some people, may lose their hair during chemotherapy treatment.  While this is less common in pets, it does happen.  Hair generally begins to grow back within a few weeks to a month after treatment ends.

How Will My Pet Be Monitored?

At each chemotherapy visit, your pet will be physically examined by the veterinarian, and blood will be taken for a blood test to monitor white blood cells and other parameters.  Additional diagnostic tests, such as ultrasonography, may be scheduled as needed.  Once the tests are reviewed and your pet is cleared for the next round of chemotherapy, an appointment will be scheduled.

Next, we’ll take a look at the chronological vet visits to treat Tucker’s cancer.

I hope this will help any of you dealing with or who may deal with canine cancer.

Until then…

***Edited to correct Cancer Diagnosis. Tucker was diagnosed with Hemagiosarcoma not Spindle Cell**