The vet, part umpteen
Back from the vet. Again. Olive managed to yank out one of her front paw claws somehow. So we got that checked out, and she's back on clavamox for that and a second, much more mild leg abscess. (The abscess issue is something we're just going to have to deal with as it comes. She gets spinal spasms that cause her to bite that leg. It's just a matter of antibiotics when necessary, since we can't stop the spasms.)
It was also the first vet visit in months where the word "cancer" did not come up, and the focus was basically, "well, she's becoming paralyzed and we don't know why, so let's explore options to keep her as happy and mobile as we can," which is pretty much the assumption I've been working under for months. Spinal lymphoma would have caused far more kinds of deterioration than what we've been seeing, so I've been doubting that possibility for awhile now. She might not be able to walk (she's dragging a lot), but the appetite is strong, she's not lethargic, and all the other vitals and functions are normal. That little lump in her belly is no longer tender and he was not worried about it, as it's not swelling or dense in a way that bothered him.
She gained a pound in the last month. She is now a 7lb Bean. Doc was very happy about this.
In any case, he's going to follow up with the neurologist for further insight later today.
Changes: she's now getting prednisone twice a day. We'll see if it has any effect on her stumbliness. We're both pretty skeptical, but it can't hurt to up her steroid dose for a short trial (2 weeks) just to see. If it doesn't, it'll be back to business as usual.
So that's that.
Now, I am going to lay down and watch bad tv, because my head feels like a water balloon. My husband gave me germs.
It was also the first vet visit in months where the word "cancer" did not come up, and the focus was basically, "well, she's becoming paralyzed and we don't know why, so let's explore options to keep her as happy and mobile as we can," which is pretty much the assumption I've been working under for months. Spinal lymphoma would have caused far more kinds of deterioration than what we've been seeing, so I've been doubting that possibility for awhile now. She might not be able to walk (she's dragging a lot), but the appetite is strong, she's not lethargic, and all the other vitals and functions are normal. That little lump in her belly is no longer tender and he was not worried about it, as it's not swelling or dense in a way that bothered him.
She gained a pound in the last month. She is now a 7lb Bean. Doc was very happy about this.
In any case, he's going to follow up with the neurologist for further insight later today.
Changes: she's now getting prednisone twice a day. We'll see if it has any effect on her stumbliness. We're both pretty skeptical, but it can't hurt to up her steroid dose for a short trial (2 weeks) just to see. If it doesn't, it'll be back to business as usual.
So that's that.
Now, I am going to lay down and watch bad tv, because my head feels like a water balloon. My husband gave me germs.