Thursday, September 21, 2006
Today we took Luna back to the optomologist. Her appointment wasn’t for another 3 days but her eye has been looking increasing worse and the medications did not seem to be helping at all. It had also become noticeably uncomfortable for her.
As a result, back to the vet we went. The vet took one look at it and said they have to operate. It seems like we are back to the beginning. They are treating it as if it could be cancer. They referred to the fungus as a “complication.” I guess I see their point when they explained it. Since Luna already has the prominent bulging pug eyes (especially her right eye) and her eye never really fully closes. So, she started to get the growth and her eye continued to not be able to close. As that occurred, the fungus crept in there. That is why the skin scrape came back as a fungus. She has a fungus but that is just the top layer of the problem. There is still a tumor under there.
Consequently, Little Luna is scheduled for surgery next Thursday. They will remove only the growth unless they find there is something more significant under there, in which case, more tissue and maybe the entire eye would have to come out but they feel confident that they can just remove the growth. The growth will then be sent to the pathologist to find its nature.
While we are worried as before, because it is so necessary for her comfort that the tumor be removed that it is also sort of a relieving situation. We don’t want her to “go under” but recognize the necessity of it all. It is an unusual feeling for us with Luna because we don’t know how she responds to anesthesia. Like with Benjamin, we know when he comes out of it, he is very whiny and his eyes are all mucousy. Henry is very laid back after he’s been under anesthesia. But with Luna we don’t know. She hasn’t even thrown up or had diarrhea since we’ve had her. We know all about these things with the boys but Luna is still new to us in that regard. It will be a learning experience for us.
So, again we thank you all in the pug community for your care and support in this hectic time of worry, wonder and medical miracles. May we offer to you and your beloved puggies, that you are always pro-active when it comes to doggy’s health. It is so important to brush up on common health problems. It is also crucial to know when to call the vet and if things aren’t getting better, then call back or get a second opinion when you don’t feel comfortable. Do for your pug what you should do for yourself. He won’t actually thank you for it but you will both feel better in the long run.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
According to the teenage relatives in the family, no wardrobe is complete without a “wife beater” type of tank top. What we loved about this one is that it shouts “girl power.” That’s Luna’s theme. She is the sassy one in the bunch. So, this is really representative of her style.
Monday, September 18, 2006
This is Luna’s Mama’s Girl outfit. It has a little bandana that she can wear around her neck or like a little kerchief like they wore in the olden days. It doesn’t make her eye sore look very flattering and she does look a bit orphanly, but she is such a sweetie she can pull anything off! She even let her sister, QP cat, wear it, too. It is so sisterly to share clothes! Cupid likes Luna the best of all the pugs. Must be a girl thing.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Here sits little Luna in her purple halter top dress lounging with her brother Henry. What we love about this get up is that it is so easy to put on and it stays on comfortably. It is also so “in style” with the neckline as an “A frame” with loop at the chest area. So lovely. It was really funny when we first bought it, though, we didn’t realize that the pattern on the skirt part was of dog silhouettes. It is just adorable. This one came from Petsmart (on clearance) and was the most inexpensive of the lot.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Last weekend, we went on a little shopping spree for the ailing Luna. Here is one of her new outfits. It is a flower patterned dress with lace accents. I wasn’t sure how Luna would react to the lace, but she seems to really like it. After we put the dress on her, she of course strutted around the house.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
On Sunday evening the weather was a little cooler here in Florida, so we decided to take the gang to the park. We hadn’t been to the park since Summer brought the stifling humidity here in sunny Florida so it was a good change of pace for everyone.
As soon as we got there, Benjamin and Henry saw the jungle gym and immediately started tugging on the leashes to get to it. The boys love to run around on the jungle gym and go up and down the slides. Luna followed the boys around as they climbed up and down the jungle gym steps and ran over the bridge, but she declined to go down any of the slides. Benjamin and Henry on the other hand were feeling extra adventurous and even decided to tackle the twisty slides. Here is a pic of Henry coming down the twisty slide full steam ahead.
After playing on the jungle gym for a bit, we hit the trails. After about a two mile walk everyone was tuckered out. Mission accomplished. On the way home, we had three tired pugs!
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Let’s start with the good news, then we will give you a little of the background story…the cell scrape of Luna’s eye came back from the pathologist. It is a fungal growth. Yup. She’s got a fungus. There’s a fungus among us. Gross & disgusting but totally awesome because it is totally curable and NOT cancer!!! Yipee!! We will sleep well tonight. So, there is the short story for all of you reading this on your coffee break. Those interested in the full details, hope you’re reading this on lunch or after hours.
It was Saturday afternoon and we were filled with worry and noticed that not only had her eye not been getting any better but it was getting even worse. It looked a little like pink cauliflower. Don’t know how it wasn’t bothering her, but it wasn’t. Nonetheless, it was growing and getting uglier. We decided to do a little therapy shopping for the baby girl. We went shopping and picked out a few little dresses for our littlest pug. (We will have blogs about this, too, so keep an eye out for the fashion show.)
By Sunday, we had decided that we would have to schedule the biopsy since the vet had said if the medicine wasn’t working then a biopsy would need to be done. Knowing cancer was a possibility, we did not want to wait for the skin scrape to come back, we saw Luna’s sore growing and we would have to act quickly to stop the spread any further. So, early Monday morning, we called and scheduled the biopsy. We spoke to the nurse and explained the situation that the growth was getting bigger, changing shape and the color was getting angrier looking. We discussed whether the biopsy was a wise decision to do at this time or if we should really wait possibly another whole week for the skin cell results. The nurse agreed that the biopsy was the appropriate course of action. The biopsy was scheduled for Wednesday. This was the day that surgeries are done at the specialist’s office.
It wasn’t an hour later that the nurse called back to say that they were cancelling Luna’s appointment for the biopsy because it would not be necessary. The results of the skin scrape came back and it was a fungus. Truthfully, the glory of it all still hasn’t sunk all the way in but I know that everyone in our household will sleep better tonight. The specialist, which is about an hour away, will ship the medication that she needs to take via DHL. It should be here tomorrow or the next day. It is nice that we don’t have to go pick it up from them but we would make the trip if it were urgent. Yay. It’s not urgent. She has athlete’s foot in her eye. Lovely. Yet, not urgent!
While we are very excited that she is fine, we are understandably miffed as to why the specialist never even suggested that it could be as simple as a treatable fungal infection. There were basically 2 causes according to her: re-current tumors as a result of her own body trying to create scars over her dry eye or cancer. Those were the choices. We will inquire at next week’s follow up why this other option was never ever mentioned to us. It would have been nice to know that there were other possibilities but I guess they just prepare you for the worst and then when you get something better, then it really makes your day.
Thank you all, out there in the pug community, that held Luna in your thoughts and prayers. It is so comforting to know that we have your support and warm wishes in times like these.
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