[Bambi_Bandit]

Well, its been a while since I've been on the forums. Reason was mostly due to Bandit the Siberian getting the Cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery.

The good news is that she has recovered from her surgery without issue.
The bad is that she still has cancer, but given the type of cancer she has, and the little effectiveness chemo has on her, we have decided not to pursue any chemo or radiation for her, but to make her as happy and comfortable as she could be for whatever time we have with her. We have started her on Peroxicam, which is an anti-inflammatory that has shown "some" help in "some" cancers of "some" dogs, by limiting the blood vessel growth to the tumors and thus slowing any growths, even reducing tumor sizes in "some" dogs. Since the medication is really an anti-inflammatory, her arthritis in her hips have also gone away and she now jumps and runs around like she did months or even a year ago. Quality of life is what we are after and I think we will achieve that with her on this path.

The Ugly is that "G", our min pin shown in the beginning of this thread was diagnosed with kidney failure a week after Bandit got back from Surgery. When it rains, it pours at our house....

There is no treatment for renal failure, so diet change and keeping her hydrated and happy are the only things we can do. Like Bandit, the goal is Quality of life and we hope we can achieve that for her too. It has been a challenge to get her to like the "new" food, and knowing that she has less that 25% function left on the kidneys is heartbreaking, as all other organs and functions are fine. We have done some sub-q fluids (at home) as well, but only on an as needed basis.

It sure is a bummer to have 2 "kids" get old in front of our own eyes, and then have then both get sick on you at nearly the same time. We promised we would not be selfish and drag them on, so watching them be "normal" and happy is the only solace we have.

As mentioned before, when it rains, it pours... so last week as many of you in Texas know, hail hit a significant portion of NW Austin. My 6 year old house now needs a complete new roof (totaled) and new skylight as hail cam busting thru the skylight over the kitchen and hail was bouncing off the countertops and appliances. My stainless steel toaster and stove are even dented...

The drama never ends around the Li household lately...