Tundra. Alaskan Malamute and Proud!

Today is Tundra’s 1 month ampuversary!  Can’t believe it’s been nearly 2 months since we received the bad news.  He celebrated with a romp in the snow. Today he was running around the backyard playing in the snow with his brother.  The two of them have not played like that since we found the tumor.  I wasn’t home, but my daughter said it was quite the sight!  I wish had seen it.   He spent the evening taking the new toy from Timber and teasing him with it.  Ahhh, the joys of a big brother!

Tundra has been wearing the Ruff Wear harness and seems to be just fine with it.  He had his 10 day chemo follow-up blood-work today and we should know the results tomorrow.  We received the Ruff Wear booties today and tried them on him.  It was comical and we hated to laugh, but it looked like what we’ve seen when a cat gets tape on its paws.  We tried not to laugh too hard or too loudly.  Joyce walked him up and down the hallway a few times while I was on the phone describing the scene to a long-distance friend wanting to know Tundras status – and here we are laughing nearly hysterically.  Oh, well, all in good humor and glad we can laugh.  We’ll try again and take him for a walk.

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry!  Been very busy and meaning to post.  Tundra…wow, what can we say?!?  He is doing tremendously well – much better than expected.  So we left you with him having his stitches out and preparing for chemo.  He had chemo last Thursday.  His brother, Timber, got to go to Doggy Day Care and was wiped out that night!  Tundra was mostly normal with just something like two mellow moments throughout the evening and maybe the next day, but otherwise he is just amazing!

At this point, a week after chemo and he hasn’t exhibeted any ill effects.  In fact, he has been more puppy-like, jumping and dancing and doing his face plants in the snow on the deck.  He has been running around and even jumps for his snacks!  He is happy and eating and even obsessed with the thought of food – in fact he has been drooling when his food is served and waits for the command to eat.  We haven’t seen that in a while.

On Monday he will have his 10 day follow-up blood test for the chemo treatments.  We ordered Ruff Wear booties for him and we are upgrading his food from an holistic provider locally.  We have been supplementing his food with salmon that we caught and jarred.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good Woooooo!

Tundra got his stitches out today!  Yeah!  The vet was very happy with his progress.  Tomorrow is his first chemo treatment.  I am feeling a bit nervous, but still hoping for the best.  I am dropping his brother Timber off at Doggy Daycare for the day so he can play with his friends.  Felt guilty leaving him home alone while Tundra got to go for a ride.  I tried to convince Timber that these trips Tundra’s been getting to go on aren’t all fun and games but he’s not buying it.   Should be an interesting day.

Tundra seems to be in better spirits these last few days, in spite of the cone of shame.  He’s back to his old self.  He knows when it’s snack time.  He showed no interest at all in a new squeaky toy until his brother did and then it was suddenly his and Timber was left to just watch.  He rolled in the fresh snow today.  And of course, if he senses your attention is on something else, he’ll sneak in a licking session.  We continue our pill standoff – luckily we only have a few more days of antibiotics.  I am a little concerned that fluid might be building up in his shoulder.  Will probably have to have that checked on Monday.  He was supposed to start chemo on Monday, but the meds hadn’t  arrived as of last Friday.  We’ll have to wait until they get here.

We all had a good night last night.  Things are settling in – but it’s official, Tundra needs to wear the cone at night.  His shirt was soaking wet from licking where the stitches are and where he has a sore on his elbow.  We had the elbow taped pretty well and it stayed in place until he ended up alone in the living room for a little while yesterday – and the bandage is UNDER the shirt sleeve.  I long ago stopped being amazed at the things he can do!

Thanks everyone!  It really is getting easier!

OK, so I am convinced that Tundra is doing better than I am.  Last night I didn’t sleep.  Tundra normally sleeps on my side of the bed on the floor next to me.  He is such a Daddy’s boy.  But that side of the bed  has a narrow walkway and I have been afraid of him settling down in there and not being able to get up or turn around or have the ability get back out.  Last night he was settled there when I went to bed – first time he has been there since we brought him home from the surgery.  I was so happy!  And concerned.  I was afraid that he would need to move and get stuck or strike his stitches on the shelving unit.  But I was happy he was next to Daddy.  Then he got up and went to the foot of the bed to lay with Timber.  Now I was concerned he was going to lick and I would have to put the cone on him.  I saw him put his head down and it seemed like he was down for the night.  Then I awoke several times – every time I even THOUGHT he moved.  I found that he had come back and was laying next to me.  So, all through the night, every supposed movement and my concern over his comfort kept me awake.

He and his brother stayed home and Mom came home at lunch and all was and is well.  He is still a pain in the rear to give pills to and, trust me folks, we have tried all the tricks, Pill Pockets, hot dogs, salmon, fake outs with no pills, etc.  He’s one smart, stubborn cookie with a hell of a nose!

I think I’ll sleep better tonight.  Oh, yeah, this is supposed to be about Tundra…Woo Wooo Woooo.

Joyce and I would like to thank the tremendous Tripawds community for all of your help during this trying time that you all understand!  Just seeing that Tundra is experiencing things that apparently nearly everyone else has experienced makes us feel so  much better.

We have to go to work tomorrow and I still feel trepidation at having to do so, but I think he’ll be fine for a lunch check.  We are fortunate to live in a small town and mom can come home at lunch to check on him.

Thanks, again, everyone!!!!!!!!

So, for some reason, last night was a bit worse than the first night.  We were up at 3 a with a crying Tundra.  He managed to be on his left side so we had to flip him and get him comfortable.  Although we found that he can get himself up from that side, apparently he hasn’t quite got the hang of it.  Then at 6:30 a he was up needing to go out.  He hasn’t eaten a whole lot since coming home Friday, but he hasn’t pooped yet and today we are going to make certain that he does.

We want to thank those of you that have helped us along, and I changed the heading on the About page so more people know to look there to find out who Tundra is and where he live – we are in Juneau, AK.

Question(s):  We were receiving comments almost immediately after starting the Blog.  How did you know?  Is there some setting that flags you when someone new comes aboard or do you just check regularly?  Also, to etgayle, we searched for the elbow pad and could not find anything other than the booties pattern.  Do you have the pattern for or the written instructions for the elbow pad?  His elbow hasn’t got that bad and we put some Neosporin and a bandage on it last night and, as much as he hates it, the E-cone.

Tundra seems more ‘himself’ this morning.  He has already figured out the medicine in his Pill Pockets, however, so that is our new struggle.  We have tried in the past hiding the pills, crushing and sprinkling in food, tricking him with a treat that he eats and then another with pills inside and he figured it out.  Having to force the pills is what we are down to and we hate doing that to him, but he needs his medicine.  He takes (twice a day) two antibiotic capsules, two pain tablets, a Rimadyl and soloxin.  I only have so many fingers left!

First full day at home.  It started out by finding that Tundra had managed to end up on his left side during the night.  He can get up on his own, with some difficulty, if he is on his right side where he still has a leg.  If he is on his left side we need to help him up.  On his left he’s just stuck.  I don’t know if he’ll eventually learn to get up no matter which side he is on, or learn not to lie down on that side, but time will tell.

We discovered he has what looks like a raw sore on his right elbow – I guess it makes sense if that is the only leg he has to lie on and push himself up with.  He is also doing a lot of ‘air-licking’.  I wonder if he has phantom pain or something.  He doesn’t seem too motivated yet, but we are trying to make sure he gets his meds and water.

He keeps licking at the incision site, even with a shirt on we are trying to keep him from licking the area.  Anyone have any ideas/experience?

WOO HOO!  As I am writing this, he had to go out.  He came back in, ended up on his left side and then got up on his own!

Well, that’s it for now.