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10/12/14 - MEMORIAL
Champ lost the battle to
cancer and crossed the rainbow bridge. As hard as it was to make the
decision to let him go, I look back and realize that, yes I saved him from
death in the shelter but I'm the lucky one. There wasn't one day he couldn't
put a smile on my face. I want to
thank everyone who has followed Champ. It's amazing the amount of support
this dog has received from around the world. I know that all your prayers
and love helped him live months past what the doctors had originally said.
I can personally say that I would have never thought that a dog could
change the way I look at life every day, even after having dogs my entire
life. Then Champ came along.
First it was the cancer and besides a little blood from his nose, he was as
happy as could be. Then it was a skin infection (which you probably know was
not the prettiest thing) even then, it's like nothing in the world bothered
him. Then it was an abnormal heart beat. Still every day I came
home from work to see him staring
me down from the bay window with the happiest look on his face. This dog has
really made me think, life is tough and throws you curve balls but you just
have to fight back with a smile on your face.
It's not the same in the house
without him, but I know he's looking down on me.
I can truly say you lived up
to your name as a champ.
You have been to hell and back so I know heavens gates will be wide open for
you. RIP Champ. I'll
never forget how great you were. I'm
gonna miss you buddy.
Our lives may have dimmed, but the
heavens shine just a little brighter tonight
Bill Heitz
http://youtu.be/9DPN3Q3tRXo
10/07/14
We are heartbroken to
announce that Champ has lost his battle with cancer. He took a sudden
turn for the worse overnight and a trip to the vet confirmed the cancer had
spread to his lungs. His foster Dad made the very difficult decision
to help his best buddy cross over to the Rainbow Bridge. Champ was
well loved and will be very much missed. We will post a Memorial in a
few days.
9/11/14
Champ has had a busy month
since our last update. The area affected by the calcinosis cutis expanded
and became infected. We ran a culture on his wound and found out that
one of the organisms was resistant to Clavamox, so we added Zenequin to his
daily medications. To help clear up the deposits, we began reducing
his Prednisone - which started his nose bleeding again.
After speaking with the doctor and doing some research, we decided to
start Champ on two different Chinese herbs, Yunnan Baiyao to control the
bleeding and Coreolis Versicolor (aka turkey tail) to boost his immune
system. Once he was on the herbs for a few days, we went back to the
reduced dose of Prednisone and there was no bleeding!
The wound is slowly healing and you can actually see the calcium deposits
flaking off his skin. Back in January, when Champ was originally
diagnosed with the nasal tumor, his prognosis was 3-5 months. We are
beyond thrilled that he is now a full nine months past his original
diagnosis!
Despite his medical issues, Champ is a happy, affectionate boy. He
loves having visitors, taking car rides, and just hanging out with his
favorite people - especially the little ones and his foster dad, as you can
see in the new photo.
We are committed to helping Champ and hope his story inspires hope for
others who may be in similar circumstances. While we shop around and
beg for discounts, his medications and supplements are still very expensive.
Please consider making a donation towards Champ's care - he deserves all the
support he can get!
8/01/14
It was a good news/bad news
day at UPenn for Champ. His nasal tumor looks great - Champ has no
additional symptoms from that, no problems with his breathing, and the tumor
does not appear to have increased in size. The doctor believes the
lesion on the back of his neck is calcinosis cutis, which can be caused by
longer term prednisone use. He has four additional lumps, on the top
of each leg, that she believes are the same. We will decrease his
prednisone again and that should help those to clear up. All this was
good news and the best we could have heard!
Now the bad news.....as the oncologist was conducting her exam, she
noticed multiple irregular heartbeats, some of which also caused a skip in
his pulse. We ran an EKG and she consulted with one of the
cardiologists while we were there. Even without additional testing,
they are almost positive that Champ is also dealing with AVRC, aka Boxer
Cardiomyopathy. For those unfamiliar with this condition, Champ is at
risk for sudden cardiac arrest that would result in his death. We will
be adding Sotolol to Champ's daily medications to help protect him and keep
his heart beating properly.
This sweet boy continues to be a happy guy. He enjoys hanging out
with his foster dad, going for car rides, and eating (did I mention he has
put on some weight!). If you did not know he was sick, you would never
be able to tell just by looking at him. Champ takes it all in stride.
Champ could use some sponsors for his medical care. You all came
through for him when we asked for food donations, so we are hoping for a few
more angels now!
7/01/14
Champ has now been with the
rescue almost four months and he is still doing really well. He has added a
few extra pounds from being on prednisone, but that just gives us more belly
to rub. He stopped by for a visit last weekend and surprised us by hopping
right in the pool!
http://youtu.be/T1LwlJLZp1U
Besides swimming, his favorite thing to do is to follow his foster dad
everywhere. And eating, we can't forget about eating! Champ will be
remaining on the prednisone, since that has alleviated most of his breathing
issues. If you would like to sponsor Champ's medical care or supplies,
please donate through his Pay Pal link above.
4/10/14
As with every medical case we
take in, we have had to look at our options for Champ, weigh the risks and
benefits, and determine what course of action is in his best interest.
Knowing that this form of cancer is not curable, we limit our choices to
what will keep him happy and comfortable for the longest period of time.
The decisions we make are not always easy, but by focusing on Champ's
happiness, the way becomes a little clearer.
After much discussion, and an equal amount of tears, we have decided
against radiation treatments for Champ. We will treat his symptoms and
keep him as comfortable as we can for as long as we can. Champ has now
been on Prednisone for a month, and is responding well to it. His
breathing is much better and the discharge from his nostrils has stopped
completely. He has made himself quite comfortable in his foster home
and has claimed the big bay window as his own. He just loves watching
the world go by!
Champ has been showing off his tricks, also! He knows how to sit,
shake, down, roll over, and speak. He also enjoys a slow stroll around
the block. There are far too many interesting things to sniff to rush!
He is an awesome boy and we will make sure the next several months are good
for him .
3/10/14
Today's CT scan confirmed the
presence of a nasal tumor. We also found out that Champ had a scan and
scope completed back in January. The biopsies done then indicated
Champ was dealing with cancer, likely chondroscarcoma. This is not a
curable cancer, so even with treatment we are adding months, not years.
Other than his breathing, it is difficult to tell that Champ is even sick.
Please keep Champ in your thoughts and continue to support him as we decide
the best treatment plan for him.
3/07/14
-
Champ is a five year old boy who was an owner surrender to the shelter
due to health reasons, which we will be following up on. Champ did
well with his dog test at the shelter. His foster home reports that
Champ has been a great dog since arriving. He has very obviously found
the most comfortable seat in the house and claimed it as his own! Champ
visited the University of Penn today and received some encouraging news, but
not a diagnosis yet. The doctor was very happy with Champ's overall
body condition and feels confident that whatever is going on is limited to
the upper respiratory system. His heart and lungs sound great and the
only lymph node swelling is in his neck. The discharge from Champ's
nose would be more concerning if it was all blood, but it is more of a
blood-tinged mucous. Champ is not moving much air through his left
nostril, if any. There are no obvious abnormalities with his soft
palette.
The next step for Champ is to schedule a CT scan and rhinoscopy, which is
set for Monday. They will take a good look and also do sample biopsies
to tell us if we are dealing with something like acute or chronic rhinitis,
a fungal infection, or a more serious issue. That procedure is
expected to cost around $2000, so your donations are greatly appreciated!!
Champ is a really sweet boy who follows his foster dad everywhere.
Please consider becoming one of Champ's sponsors by contributing to his
medical care. We will post an update after his next vet appointment. |
