Finally Friday and All That Jazz

After Ozzie received his second chemo last Friday he seemed fine! The usual lethargic behavior but nothing more. Not until a couple of days later! Ozzie came down with bloody diarrhea on Tuesday. Always a unsettling thing to witness, I freaked and called the vet immediately who prescribed Flagyl or generically called Metronidazole  . This medication acts as an antibiotic that works on the GI tract and also helps to calm the diarrhea. Our vet Dr. Tracey, seemed less concerned over the BD then us. She explained that it was a side effect from the chemo and that the drug was attacking the rapid divide of the cancer cells that are found abundant in the intestinal tract. She also recommended a diet of boiled chicken and rice for a few days. He has had some smaller episodes since taking the medication and hopefully this is working its way out of his system! Still very upsetting to see this go on with our poor boy. Though his appetite his still over the top and he is acting fine otherwise! He enjoys chewing on his Nyla-bone and is always seeking a hand out from the dinner table. I know the Dog Whisperer would be appalled, but now a days all good dog behavior expectations have gone out the window! 

  What I refer to as the Bulldog stance, while happily gnawing at his Nyla-Bone!

Again to all of you, thanks for your concern and well wishes! A special thanks to Melinda and Don for your call the other day! Have a wonderful weekend!

Finally Friday and Chemo Treatment II

Ozzie went for his second chemo treatment yesterday. Everything went well as can be expected. Though Ozzie has lost 7 pounds since his last visit. The vet said the weight loss is due to the cancer. Its definitely not due to his appetite which has been ferocious. I am still cooking "special' for him making organic chicken and brown rice dishes. I am not sure in the end how much that will help but it can't hurt and Ozzie seems to enjoy it!


With this chemo protocol he could be with us 4 to 5 months, maybe longer. The vet felt that Ozzie doesn't appear to be in any pain at this time. There are moments where I still cannot believe  that he has lymphoma and that he will beat this disease. But.....yeah I know....

"Hey my bowl is empty! Where's the beef?!

Finally Friday and Hungry Like a Wolf

Here we are again...Friday! Ozzie seems fine with no real outward symptoms of the lymphoma that plagues him. There are some things that he just doesn't do anymore. He would love to sit out on the front porch with his Pop and people/dog watch. He just isn't interested lately, though the heat doesn't help the situation. He seems to get easily over heated ( even in a cooler environment) and pants a bit. That could be from the prednisone or the cancer?! One thing for sure that the steroid has done is stimulated his already veracious appetite! I could be opening a bag of chips two blocks away and he would hear it and come running! Well you know what I mean. Food is on his brain at every moment of the day! He spends a lot of time on the kitchen floor!


Ozzie's next chemo appointment is a week from today, so I will be able to get an idea on where we are at and ask some questions about what to expect going forward. Till then we will just enjoy the Oz and I will keep feeding him his organic gourmet meals. My husband noted that I feed Ozzie better then him other day. Hubby  was eating a hotdog and wanted to give a piece of it to Ozzie. I stopped him and said "Don't feed him that, hot-dogs have a lot of junk in them!" "Well then why do you feed them to me!" he protested."Oh well you may have a point but you don't have cancer!"


One last note before I go, I ran into a woman who breeds Golden Retrievers and she recently had a litter of Goldendoodles. What are they you might ask?! They are a combination of a Golden Retreiver and a Poodle. Sounds like a great mix between two wonderfully tempered breeds! If anyone here in the NY Metro area is interested leave me a comment with your email and I will give you the information!


Have a super weekend all!

Loving his bone pillow!

Finally Friday and Hiding from the Heat

Ozzie really seems much like his ole self this week. His appetite equals at least 4 bulldogs lately and his outings to pee are more frequent all thanks to the prednisone but if that is the worst thing we will take it! There are some things that he doesn't do anymore. He doesn't go up on the couch in the family room which was his favorite place to roost! It's not that he can't physically do it ( he got up there real quick last night for a  taste of some of Pops ice cream) its just that he chooses not to. He rather lay on the wood floor these days maybe because its cooler?! The weather here has been hot, hot, hot! With day time temperatures in the 90's its not fit for man or bulldog out there. 


Ozzie also doesn't nap as long as he use to. He was in the habit of taking long morning naps after his breakfast but now he seems wide awake all the time. I wonder if the medication has something to do with it or his body chemistry has changed?! Well anyway as we roll into the weekend and Ozzie begins his 4th year with us we will do some barbecue and try to keep cool. Saturday's weather forecast has an excessive heat watch for our area because the temps will be in the high 90's with heat index values in the 100 degree range.  Thank goodness for air conditioning!

This is the hungry face staring at me day and night! "Please Mom, can I have some more!"




I have a box fan that I plop in front of where ever Ozzie is laying to give him extra breeze on days like this. Even though we have central AC it still can get a little warmer in the house midday.




Keep your pets indoors and have a cool weekend!




Over Heating in Dogs

Happy 4th of July and 3rd Anniversary for Ozzie

Happy birthday America! As we celebrate the 236th anniversary of America's independence from England, folks will be barbecuing and watching fireworks all over the nation! Its been hot, hot hot here and the week ahead does not look any better. Certainly not bulldog weather. Ozzie is feeling good and has been laying low for the most part. Only going outside to do his business and rushing back in!


I have been making Ozzie some special food to supplement his body's immunity system against the cancer. I boiled some organic chicken breast along with broccoli and organic brown rice. He loves it (what doesn't he love?!) and happily gobbles it up. The Prednisone makes him thirsty and super hungry. He now wakes up at 5:00 AM to eat breakfast and go poddy. Oh well as long as he is eating well and doing his business well I am happy!


July 5th is the 3 year anniversary of Ozzie's adoption. That day was super hot too and when we arrived at his foster home and got a glimpse of Ozzie it was love at first sight! Maybe an organic steak is in order for the day to celebrate? What do you say ole boy? 


Fireworks are great for kids and adults but not so for our pets. Though not much seems to ruffle Ozzie's feathers his friend Katie the silky Terrier is quite shaken by them. Her mom bought her a Thundershirt. She says it seems to calm her anxieties. Maybe something to check out if your pup gets nervous with separation anxiety or thunderstorms, fireworks etc.?! I am not sure if they make a Thundershirt that fits a bulldogs physique though?!


Whatever you do have a happy and safe 4th of July!