Brosa has reached another milestone!

On Thursday evening, Brosa had his long-overdue annual health checkup.

His rescuer, Lee Anne, and I had both hoped in the past that he might eventually reach 50 lbs and not be such a miniature Boxer (ha ha!), and I'm happy to say that he has!

His 2 year old muscles have matured and he now weighs 51.5 lbs, which is up from 43 lbs last year - we're so proud!  Our vet, Dr. H, loves him, loves his exuberant personality, and says he's in great health.  She cannot believe that he doesn't have any issues with his cleft palate either.   Here's a photo from today.

Re-acclimating the Cats

I will always be sad about Oscar's passing (and I find myself missing him a lot today - he would have enjoyed such a lovely day), but there is an upside to his moving on, and that is, the cats, who were the original furkids in this family, now can rejoin the rest of the house without fear of injury.

This is good news for them both - I have been saying that it's especially good for Judah, who is 18 years old and will now get to enjoy a good quality of life as a family member for whatever time he has left.  But I also realized it's especially good for Kayzee too, as she is the more shy one who will be the only cat in the near future.  She will be losing her companion, her mate, and it would have been a tragedy had that happened while Oscar was still alive.  This is her opportunity to be comfortable with all of us again and not be alone when Judah passes on.

The past few days have been spent re-acclimating the kitties to rejoining the rest of us in the upstairs part of our home.  In fact, it only took mere hours on Wednesday for Judah to realize that he could come back upstairs.  He has reclaimed his throne as the King of the household.

Kayzee, being the more skittish one, has been more shy about joining us, particularly since Brosa wants to treat her as a plaything when she runs.  He is learning though not to chase her.  Today appeared to be the big break-through as Kayzee has been shaking her moneymaker all over the house, teasing Brosa relentlessly, ha ha!

Please enjoy the following photos which document the life the cats have reclaimed.  While Kayzee is only seen once below, she has been around a lot today, but constantly in motion which makes it difficult to snap photos of her.  As I sit here typing, she is sound asleep on the back of the couch snuggled with Judah, which is exactly how it should be.

KAYZEE (12 Years old)

 JUDAH (18 Years Old)

Brosa (2), Delta (9), Judah (18)

Judah takes a stroll around the yard with Delta and Brosa keeping watch

 

Judah says to Brosa "Yeah, I'm drinking from your water bowl; what of it?"

Judah has taken over the dogs' bolster bed

This is one purrfectly contented kitty

Today was a beautiful sunny (and warm) day.  We took out the pool for the first time this year, and...

...look who has the biggest water dish he's ever seen!

June 2, 1998 - May 24, 2011

Photo by Sabrina Thurlow Photography - May 1, 2011

I sit here with tears in my eyes to announce Oscar's death last night at approximately 6:50 pm Atlantic time.

This past weekend was the Victoria Day long weekend - unlike last year when it was hot and sunny, this one was cold and wet.

Saturday night, as was the pattern this past month, Oscar stopped eating.  Unfortunately, there was no enticing him to try something else no matter what I prepared or opened for him.  He'd take a little sniff, maybe a little lick/nibble, and walk away.  About the only thing he WAS enjoying were his Marrow Bone and Milk Bone cookies, so I let him have them.

But Monday night, I sensed things were changed for the worse.

When Tuesday morning dawned, he was not on the bed next to me, giving me his usual good morning kisses when I wake.  This time, he was on the floor, about to have a bowel movement.  I was able to get him outside on time - his bowels were a strong indicator that he was failing. 

This time, I knew.  His body language told me that he was done and ready.  I made the decision and appointment to say good bye to him that evening.

The air warmed up, and the sun came out.  Oscar spent a good portion of the morning outside with his face in the sun and the breeze blowing his fur.  We went for a final walk up our street and said goodbye to our friend Monica and her Bichon-Shih, Casey, who we have known for years.

I tried to entice Oscar with some more of his favourite foods, which he rejected, but he did eat some ice cream, but only after Delta and Brosa showed so much interest in it.  :)

The afternoon turned cooler and it started to rain.  We cuddled on the couch while he napped.  My mum stopped in for a visit and to say goodbye to him, offering to come with me, but I needed to do this alone.

About 1.5 hours before the appointment, we left home and went for a drive, which he had always loved.  He was too tired to stand up on the door's arm rest to look out the window as he'd always done.  I pulled into the McDonald's drive through to get a hamburger for him and he ate a couple of pieces of that.

Upon arriving at the appointment (early), we were put into the room and I sat on the floor, with Oscar in my arms on his back, while I told him over and over I loved him while giving him kisses and rubbing his belly for a good 10 or 15 minutes.  Then it was time.  With his final breath, I held his head, gave him kisses, and he gave me kisses right back.  There was a little flinch when the needle poked his arm.  Then he was gone.  I stayed another 15 minutes with him; I picked up his body and held and kissed him.

He would have been 13 next week, on June 2nd.

Oscar had been a little bit of a challenge the past (almost) 7 years since I adopted him on August 14, 2004.  He was adopted to be a best friend to Delta at the time (I'm convinced he saved her, or brought her back *into* life in our new home).  He was dangerous around cats and was cranky at times around other dogs.  He was a supreme diva about getting groomed and having his nails cut.  All that aside, he was always entertaining and well loved.  I miss him tremendously and always will.  I hope that if there is life on the other side, he and Duncan will be there ready to be reunited with me.

Click here for the Dogkisser tribute for Oscar

Oscar's still hanging on!

Honestly, I thought by today I would have had to say goodbye to Oscar.  He had begun to stop eating about 1.5 weeks ago.  Thankfully, a friend suggested that I try Medi-cal Recovery canned food for him and he LOVED it - it got him eating again.  I was prepared to live with the results of eating this food (diarrhea/soft stools) but so far, it hasn't been an issue at all except for the pungent aroma going in, AND coming out, lol!

Last weekend, I decided to make a simple ground beef recipe for him at the suggestion of our friend Lee Anne.  It's just ground beef, diced sweet potatoes, chopped green beans, and a large can of Aylmer Accents Petite Cut Tomatoes in Garlic and Olive Oil.  Well, he absolutely loves this too (as do Delta and Brosa).  The first time I fed him last Sunday morning, he threw it up about 5 hours later - I thought he was having trouble digesting it, but it was more likely the fact that I bathed him and took him for a drive that day.

Why did I torment him with a bath?  Because we went to Sabrina Thurlow Photography to get his portrait taken!  His breakfast ended up on her floor (and not her backdrop as I moved him off there just in time thank goodness!).  We spent about 1/2 an hour there and got some very cute pictures.  When I went to view them on Thursday, I couldn't just pick one, and so I purchased the Pet package to get all of the photos on a dvd with the purchase of a certain value of prints/collages.  Here is one photo I can share (I added a "soft glow" effect to it as the photos on the dvd are unretouched - my prints I choose will be touched up in places by Sabrina).

I'm very happy that Oscar hasn't left us yet.  That day will inevitably come, but for now, he's still eating, he's still having good elimination habits (meaning his organs still work), and he's still my rat bastard.  :)

Oscar has a liver tumor

It probably won't be too long before I have to say goodbye to him. :'(

Oscar is a sick little boy UPDATED

Been a while since I've posted!

On April 1st, I took Oscar to the vet as I had concerns with his sudden excessive thirst and some peeing in the house that week.

His urinalysis was "poorly concentrated, no infection, significant protein".  We decided to do a comprehensive diagnostic profile, and I got the results the next day.  All of his readings were for the most part within the high end of normal, with the exception of his ALP (1094 - normal is 20 to 150) and his ALT (423 - normal is 10 to 118).  Those readings, Dr. H said, were strong indicators that he could have Cushing's Disease (either pituitary or adrenal tumor) or some other type of tumor.  She recommended the Cortisol test (ACTH Stimulation) the next Monday.  It required that he spend the day at the hospital.

Oscar wasn't permitted to have breakfast on Monday, April 4th - I dropped him off and had some other appts while waiting for him.  I was able to pick him up mid-afternoon, and the results would be available later in the week.

Oscar had a few accidents in the home, so I really had no choice but to confine him to our powder room (adjacent to the living room) with a baby gate in the door.  This offered him more freedom than being crated.  He has a pillow, his bowl of water, and a pee pad if he needs it.  (flash forward to today - he has only peed in there once - he has been able to hold it until I get home from work, then outside to have a LONG pee!).

I returned the the hospital Saturday, April 9th to get the results of the ACTH - Cushing's Disease is confirmed.  I needed to take a couple of weeks to think and research on what would be best for Oscar given his age, his Grade 4 heart murmur and now this.  What would be his quality of life if given the very expensive (and risky) Cushing's treatment?

In the meantime, Oscar still behaved like Oscar except for the drinking and peeing.

Until this past week.  He has started to go "off" his food and is not the mooch that he used to be.  Breakfast is practically a non-event for him - a couple of nibbles and he's done.  Overall, he is not himself.  Really tired, seems depressed.

I booked another appt last night to discuss treating him, but to also raise these new concerns.  A physical exam revealed he sounded wheezy, and she was very concerned that he's not wanting to eat.  He has lost half a pound since April 1st (weighing exactly 19 lbs now).  Dr. H wanted a chest xray to see what was going on with him.  Below is the text from my invoice.

Office Exam/Consultation - Brief/repeat.
Not eating so well.
Some weight loss and change of body shape.
Things not consistent with Cushings Disease.
Radiology - Initial Study - 2 exposures (large)
Xrays - reveal a very large heart with increased airway densities (damage or fluid in airways).
Abnormal density in anterior end of abdomen in area of liver, spleen may be a bit enlarged and displaced backward.
We could have an enlarged liver or some kind of mass in the area.
Recommend Abdominal ultrasound.
This whole picture not looking like just a Cushing's case.

And so, we wait for an appt date to take Oscar to Westwood for an ultrasound - hoping for next week, but given that it's a 4 day week due to Good Friday, it may be the week after.  In the meantime, Cushing's is low on the list until we know what we're dealing with.

My poor little buddy.

Below is his xray (I've circled the area Dr. H is concerned about). 

 

 For now, we will say goodbye to the Ewok this morning as he's going to Mud Puddle Paws in Mt. Uniacke for his Spring groom! (and he ate his breakfast this morning!  I mixed in some yogurt for him - for all 3 dogs actually - they love yogurt)

UPDATED: We are back from the groomers - he never enjoys it but I think he did well since I got to be there with him to help keep him calm. :)

It's Brosa's 2nd Got-Day

It's officially tomorrow, but as I'll be at work, I'm reposting the original blog post as seen on the BRAC website tonight.  Love my B-man!

Brosa's got day - February 21, 2009 at age 12 weeks