02/14/2021
Beric update:
He was not able to tolerate Piroxicam. It was the drug that was supposed to slow down the growth of the tumor. We had to stop giving it to him after just a few days because he was starting to show signs of severe upper GI issues. I was worried about stomach ulcers. He has been off of it for 2.5 weeks, but his appetite has not returned. We plan to try a half dose if his appetite ever returns.
He has good days and not so good days. On good days, the only difference in his behavior is the lack of an appetite. Other days, we deal with nausea, lethargy, and discomfort. We have every single medication on hand to keep the bad symptoms controlled. We have what looks like a dog pharmacy in our kitchen. On a regular day, he’s on 8 medications (he was already on 5 of those for his liver and kidneys). We add up to 3 others as needed. He has decided that he wants his pills in peanut butter most of the time. 😉 He gets fed anything he wants that isn’t too fatty - rotisserie chicken, boiled egg whites, baked fish, grilled shrimp, dry noodles, cottage cheese, cucumber slices, apples, low-fat string cheese, lettuce, bread, his rx kidney food, and Amy’s senior wet food. We take it one day at a time and he’s happy most of the time. We will have to judge when it’s time for surgery. He feels the best when we are both home. Lately, he has been asking to sit in my lap while I work at my computer. 🥰
He’s the best boy! 💙
