Well, the fight continues!  To get Onyx to gain weight and process food.  She has been on Leukaren for nearly 6 weeks now.  2 more days and we will end it.  Just haven’t seen any changes for the length of time on the drug.  She does weigh 35 pounds though.  Up a little bit.  But her hematocrit dropped after 3 weeks on the drug and although it came back up some in the last 2 weeks, it is still below normal.

So, next step is that we are going to reduce the budesonide (a steroid) to every other day.  She has been on a very heavy dose for months now.  If she holds staple for the next 2 weeks we are planning on weaning her off this steroid, letting her system rest for a week and then try prednisone again. 

She isn’t having diarrhea like she used to, but her stools are still soft “cow patties” and not firm at all.  She is still on her vegan dog food (Purina H/A) but we have been adding some chicken every day.  She is holding that well and may have contributed to the little weight gain.

It has been 3 weeks today that Onyx has been on Leukeran, the chemo drug.  She has no signs of improvement but she has no signs of getting worse.  Although one bad thing is that her hematocrit is dropping.  So our vet had a call in to the Seattle specialist on which way to go next.  Leukeran often takes 3-5 weeks to show improvement but do we wait another 2 weeks and let her blood continue to get worse?  That is the question right now.  Seems like we have tried just about everything.  This drug, to me, was kind of the last hope…..but I guess there are other drugs that can be tried so we will wait to hear back hopefully today or tomorrow.

Onyx continues to be the loving, high energy dog that we adore.  It is not easy seeing her like this.  Especially as winter approaches and although she is a total house dog she loves to go out and run around the yard for several hours.  Just more energy needed to keep warm.  Energy that she shouldn’t have to expend!!  She still has a lovely black shiny coat, but her undercoat never came back in after she shed in the spring.  Probably too much expenditure for her body to go through.

Onyx has been on her chemo drug now for over a week.  So far we have seen no adverse side effects.  But we have also seen no improvement!  She just doesn’t gain weight.  So just a couple of days ago I started adding a can of the low residue food to her normal “no meat” food that she has been eating for a month.  She is getting 4 cups of that a day plus now a can of food.  They are split into 2 feedings.  She is handling this quite well,  Her stools haven’t changed (they still aren’t that great….not diarrhea but they look like small cow patties) which was my greatest fear.  I’m hoping that with a few added calories that she will start to put on some weight.  She is still her usual chipper self. 

Dogs ARE amazing in this respect.  They live so in the moment.  If a human being was going through what she is, there would be moaning, complaining, sitting around or sleeping a lot.  Onyx just keeps charging through life with her wonderful energy and happy attitude. 

Chanel continues to do well.  She doesn’t have the energy that she used to have.  But she is 13 years old and although her health is good, I think the toll that cushings or addison puts on a dogs body definitely is reflected in their energy levels and ability to do what they used to.  Chanel ran all last winter in a skijor team but she won’t be running this winter.  One of her biggest happinesses is laying under my feet while I am snacking at the computer, just praying that I will “accidentally” drop a treat to her.