Woof – good evening Pack and friends!

I am a very happy dude tonight. A lot has happened —

This AM my grandpawrents took me to see my doctor for infusion #3. It was quite the car ride. . . the seat was slippery even with a blanket. . .being a tripawd makes it even more difficult. [I need to tell Dad to get me a seat belt] We finally got to the doctor’s office. I went inside . . .reluctantly.  After the shot and the vet told me that I didn’t need to wear the t-shirt anymore – unless I want to. Woof! They said the incisions look marvelous. She recommended that I practice walking over low objects like pool noodles or flat 2x4s to practice using a three-point gait and not walk so fast on the lead.

I don’t see my doctor again for 2 weeks! Woof! Something said about the next visit . . . but I was ready to LEAVE. Dad will get that information all figured out. My doctor was SOOO pleased with my progress that I was cleared to visit my friends.

My grandpawrents then took me to visit family and my cousin Wedge. Wedge is a border collie. . . very friendly dude with limited self-control and doesn’t always practice good social manners. He was so happy to see me!  He checked me out and give me a lick or two. We wanted to play, but Wedge was getting a bit too rough. He kept trying to ‘herd’ me. So, I went inside. Maybe the next time I see him, I will feel more like playing his way.

After our visit with family, we stopped by Dad’s house. I was so happy to be HOME. While grandmaw watered the indoor plants, my next-door neighbor was watering the outdoor plants, and grandpaw took me on a walk to the mailbox and back.  He said that I did GREAT.

We finished the watering, and I checked out the couch . . . which felt GRRREEEAAATTT (just like I left it!!!). Then got back into the car and headed back to my grandpawrents house. I slept most of the way home.

I can’t tell if I am tired because it was such a full day or due to my shot. But it sure feels good not to wear a t-shirt!!

Woof-Woof (‘til next time)

Mick

“Woof” – hello Pack and Friends

So much has happened since yesterday evening. I feel like I am back!  Where to start….

I was sitting on the porch swing with grandmaw enjoying the cool of the evening when I saw it — a RABBIT. It was just hopping around nibbling on grandmaw’s plants. Grandmaw put me down on the porch and told me to defend our territory! At first, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. Then it dawned on me what she was saying. I had enough of that rabbit’s trespassing. …Well, off I dashed, and the RABBIT froze, then quickly scampered away. I did it!!! . . . I defended our territory!! My grandpawrents were so pleased. Well, I got a treat for that feat…yum!  Grandpaw also said that I was panting heavily while dreaming last night…guess I was still chasing the rabbit!

I am starting to notice every once-in-a-while that I can go from a hopping gait to a three-point gait. Need to keep working on that one. Hopping is tiring!

This AM grandpaw took me on a very short walk down the cul-de-sac. It was GREAT! I felt ok. Came home and had breakfast. I was a couch potato ’til this afternoon. Then grandpaw took me on another walk – a bit further. Oh, the smell of pee-mail and grass and being outside was WONDERFUL. When we got back, I was so happy to share this adventure with grandmaw. She just smiled and asked me questions and gave me lots of love and scratches.

Tomorrow, I get to see my Vet for the third infusion. I will be so glad when that is OVER. I’m finding that I have other things to do [sleep, eat, walk, play]. Going to the Vet is not on my list of things I want to do. But, I have to go…aww-hoo.

I miss my Dad but I really enjoy my grandpawrents!

Woof-Woof (‘til next time)

Mick

WOOF ~ Good afternoon, to my Pack and friends….

Dad is off on a much needed vacation and asked me to update my blog while he was gone. With the help of my grand-maw and grand-paw, I thought I would put paw to paper.

I have been with my grandpawrents for about 48 hours. Since I didn’t know them very well, we have been getting acquainted and figuring a routine that works for all of us.

There are times when it gets a little stressful – looking for Dad or phantom pains, but these folks have worked real hard to help me feel at home and keep me comfortable.

Between my potty breaks, my grandpawrents have started encouraging me to walk in the grass for a few minutes in the backyard. Such a strange sensation to move on three paws vs four…but I am doing it!! I’m still working on how to gracefully slide into lying down and not to scratch my incision site.

And oh, the treats I get are delicious – they will motivate anyone to get moving.

Today my great-grandpawrents came over for lunch. They brought with them extra t-shirts and a soft quilt for me to lie on. (They smell great.) When they left, I walked with them to their car door to tell them bye and thank you.

After all that work, I topped it off with a soft couch, a warm rubdown and a siesta before dinner. Woof Woof! [woohoo in dog speak] aren’t grandpawrents WONDERFUL!

Till next time —

Mick

Today we got great news from Mick’s vet! They administered the second vaccine dose, and did his 2 week check-up.

The check-up showed a few good things:

1. His incision looks good, and he does not need his cone anymore!
2. We can start weening him off of his pain meds. They suggested giving him them as needed. I think we’ll continue Carprofen and Gabapentin in 12-hour doses until they run out.
3. He can be a bit more active, but keep a shirt/onesie on for another week to keep protecting the wound.

Mick has been a trooper, even if he gives me some attitude when I need to get him off the couch for dinner. He is a definition of a couch potato.

This week is our last week with him until we go on a much needed vacation for a week, where he gets to hangout with my parents. (I know my mom will be feeding him too many treats). With that, I’m going to start easing him into strengthening his movements little-by-little so we can start going on our typical 30-min walks in the morning and evening.

Thank you all for the encouragements and advice!

I think next week you’ll see updates from my parents while they take care of him.

-Steve

Mick started his vaccination treatment yesterday which is part of the ELIAS study, with a subdermal injection of the vaccine. While at the vet, I requested a copy of the paper the researchers published.

In a timeline gist, here’s what happens:

1. Surgery (amputation) of the leg, with a sample going to the manufacturer to create 3 vaccines
2. Surgery + 1 week: First vaccine is administered
3. +2 week: Second vaccine administered
4. +3 week: Third vaccine administered
5. +4 week: Break, to continue to give the body time to build up immune system
6. +5 week: Apheresis, they collect the T-cells from Mick, and send them to manufacturer
7. +6 week: Reinject the T-cells back into Mick
8. +7 week to +8 week: Immune stimulation

So the timeline is very aggressive for treatment.

Requesting a copy of the published paper from the vet, the researchers found that in their small study, dogs would be in remission and be disease free in around 213 days ,and potentially live up to > 730 days.

With any diagnosis of cancer, it was clear to me there’s a lot of options, and it was difficult to choose which one would be best for Mick to have him live a longer pain-free life. After talking with my parents, and Arielle, it dawned on me that going this route for Mick seemed like the best.

1. It’s still part of a study, and the company will use Mick’s data to continue to study Osteosarcoma, and potentially make the treatment better for future dogs.
2. Out of all the treatments, it was the one that showed that it could extend his life the longest. Generally, from what I researched, most treatments would only prolong life an extra 12 months or so.
3. The cost of the treatment is quite reasonable, and in comparison to some treatments be cheaper.
4. Pet insurance could also cover some costs (depending on insurer).

With all the factors listed above, it seemed like a no brainer to do the study.

-Steve

For reference the paper is: Autologous cancer cell vaccination, adoptive T-cell transfer,
and interleukin-2 administration results in long-term survival
for companion dogs with osteosarcoma