UPDATE In Dog Memorial - I am back - with very sad news...

[jennielynn1970]

Thoughts and prayers going out to Scruff and you and your family. I'm so sorry you are going through this.

Gentle pets for Scruff.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Tracy, I'm so sorry to hear about Scruff. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[Reachoutrescue]

First, I would like to say thank you for all the prayers and kind words. I only wish you all could meet Scruff so you can truly see what an amazing pup he really is.

Quick recap - for those that may not have read my very lengthy post:

It has been a very long 3 months. We are still battling this unknown illness. Scruff is on Prednisone twice a day. We have been back and forth to the vet's for blood work and his RBC just keeps going down, then up, then down, then up - it was like a roller coaster. Then he was having trouble with his platelets and other cells. This is why the vet put him on the Prednisone - in hope that is is an Autoimmune Hemolytic anemia and not cancer.

UPDATE: Today we went in and they did the blood test in house. Everything looks good except for the RBC - which stayed at 28%, but should be around 35-50%, his weight is up to 69.2lbs, but we are afraid most of it is the bloated belly and I am very concerned, yet his body is all bones. The vet felt his stomach. The vet said his spleen is enlarged still and the extra bloating can be caused by the Prednisone, as that is a side effect. He also said that Scruff will look like a "cancer patient" for a while, as that is another side affect to the steroid - muscle loss and weight loss. Doc said if the meds do work, he will begin gaining weight a little down the road. He put Scruff on another med in addition to the Pred. It is called Azathioprine, he is to get that once a day. The vets said if it is not Autoimmune Hemolytic anemia it is more then likely Histiocytic Sarcoma of the Spleen - or better said as Cancer. If this is what it is, Scruff can live several months or just a few days. Sarcoma of the Spleen is said not to be a painful cancer, but a very aggressive one.

The vet said we can get another ultrasound, but he is not sure if it will tell us anything more then Scruff's spleen is enlarged. Without opening him up, there is no 100% answer - and I will not do that to him, as there are many risks. If it is cancer, opening him up can cause it to spread. He may die on the table - alone. I just can't stand the thought of that.

Doc did say that Scruff still has some "Gettie Up" in him and that there is no need to make a decision at this point. So, plan of action is to continue both pills and do weekly blood tests to be sure his levels stay up.

Please pray for our boy. Everyday that he is here is a gift - I know that - but I want him to stay here and get better. Please, please, pray.

Thank you everybody.

[Reachoutrescue]

I took these the other day - you can all see how much he is fading....













My poor boy.....

[chocolatepuppy]

Oh Tracy, I know how heartbreaking this can be. Hang in there hoping for the best, meanwhile loving every day with Scruff. He's an adorable boy, puts me in mind of my black and white dog RB Corey. I will continue to keep Scruff and your family in my prayers. {hugs}

[lizbud]

I agree with your decision to not do any surgery that won't fix the
problem. As long as Scruff can stay pain free & comfortable,I'd continue
as you are too. Scruff looks so sweet in his pictures, makes me want to
just hug him. Hang in there Scruff, you are in my prayers sweetie.

[Reachoutrescue]

chocolatepuppy - Thank you - it is heartbreaking....I am praying he will get better. He is a strong boy and a trooper. I have faith....

lizbud - Thank you - I cannot let him go through surgery for nothing - I cannot put him through that. I really hope these meds work....

Thank you for the prayers.

[Daisy and Delilah]

More thoughts and prayers going out. He is such a sweet, handsome boy. Get Well Scruff!!! Please!!!

[Reachoutrescue]

Thank you Daisy and Delilah.

Scruff is hanging on.....he goes back in on Friday - so we shall see. He is still bloated, but eating very well and some what active. That is a good sign I guess.

Thank you all again.

[Reachoutrescue]

Hello All-

I just wanted to update you all on Scruff.

He went to the vet on Friday for another blood test. The vet ran the results in-house for us. Sadly, Scruff's red blood cell count went down again - it was at 23% from 28% that it was at last week Friday. His weight stayed the same.

Dr. Lancaster told us that it is Cancer. He said if it was the Autoimmune Anemia, the second medication would have started to make the RBC count rise. Dr. L said that the bloat in his stomach is more than likely a mass and his spleen is very enlarged, which we knew about the spleen. He did say we can do more testing such as a biopsy, scope, or more ultrasounds, but it will reveal the same thing. All it will do is give us a definite answer.

We do not want to put our boy through anymore testing. We know in our hearts what it is. Dr. Lancaster said all we can do now is keep Scruff as comfortable and happy as possible. He assured us that he is not in pain, but just tired. He would like us to keep him on the Prednisone,as it is helping Scruff eat and have good days. Dr. L said there is no need to do anything drastic at this time. He said Scruff will let us know when it is time.

Today was a bad day for our boy. He ate his breakfast as normal and took his pill. Around 3:30pm he threw up all his food from the morning and just laid there looking so sad. He did not want his dinner. He is now resting on our bed - where he LOVES to be. Funny thing is we never really let him up there till just recently. He has his own bed - a futon - but he likes ours better.

So, we will keep our boy as comfortable and as happy as we can. He will go in every 2 weeks for a check up and blood test to see where he is at. We will keep him on the Pred and spoil him to his heart's content. I just hope he knows how much he is loved. He is my third child and I really do love him more than I ever thought I could.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, support, and kind words. The vet bill is very high. If anybody would like to make a donation you may use this link:

http://reachoutrescue.chipin.com/hel...uffs-vet-bills

You may also donate to our vet directly:
Wheaton Animal Hospital
266 Roosevelt Rd
Glen Ellyn, IL
630-665-1500
Please ask for Kim and reference "Reach Out Rescue, Scruff".

Scruff did turn 6 years old on August 25th. Maybe, just maybe, he will make it to 7.....

Thank you all so much.

[chocolatepuppy]

I'm sorry Tracy that it wasn't better news. I hope Scruff has a good bit more happy time left with you. I will keep him in my prayers.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I just read all of this and I'm so sorry to hear about Scruff. I'll keep you and Scruff in my thoughts and hope that you have a few more good memories and good times with your boy. *hugs*

[krazyaboutkatz]

Tracy, I'm so sorry to hear that he has cancer. August 25th was also my RB Sunny's birthday and he would've been 10 years old but I had to put him to sleep in late Feb. of this year because he also had cancer. I hope that Scruff will be able to remain as comfortable as possible and that he'll still have a lot of good days ahead of him. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[sana]

Little Scruff is in my prayers, Tracy. Sorry to hear about cancer, may God give you and Scruff enough patience to go through all this mess. God help and May He give Scruff enough strength to live a long happy life.

[ferky]

Tracy - this post may not be of any help if you have gotten a definitive cancer diagnosis, but I thought I would share anyway. 2 weeks ago I lost my 7 year old Shih Tzu, Miles (in the pic below), to IMHA (basically the same as AIHA). If there is one thing I learned, it's that you have to keep your doggy eating so they can accept the medication. With a fluctuating RBC, I would continue with the Azathioprine in addition to the Prednisone. Those meds are real tough on the stomach though, and the best thing for that is food and some form of stomach acid reduction (Pepsid, Prilosec, etc.). Once they stop taking food, the stomach responds poorly to the meds and it's all downhill from there. Like I said before, if this is speen or another form of cancer, this advice may be of little use.

In my many hours of research on IMHA, I stumbled across this product that has gotten rave reviews. I never had a chance to use it on Miles (it arrived promptly, but sadly after Miles passed), but it doesn't seem like it could hurt. The testimonials are all glowing (no surprise there), and I also spoke to company representatives who sounded geniune and caring. http://www.optimumchoices.com/

Good luck to you and yours.