Bella's health problems

I have not blogged for a long time, we have been busy and I have been lazy.   But I have some bad news to give our readers and friends.

We have had regular visits from our two cousins, Molly and Piper.   Their family travels on business and they get to stay with us when their family is out of town.   Last week, Rusty and Johnny came to stay for a week and a half.    Rusty is a former foster of ours that we helped place, he had a very bad elbow that they thought was going to have to be operated on, but he has been getting good therapy and lots of good glucosamine, he now walks and runs without any limp.   Johnny is a 18 year old greyhound/aussie mix who is deaf as can be, but still going strong.   He is always fun to have visit, he is well behaved and he is very friendly.   

Bella was limping a week ago, but we did not think much of it, with all the visitors she had been running hard and playing in the back orchard where there are lots of broken limbs to poke a leg or cut a paw.  Last Friday it was not getting better, so we took her to the vet.   Her limping was caused by a large tumor on her front leg, up into the shoulder.   The vet took a biopsy and we got back the news.   Bella has osteosaracoma and it is already pretty well advanced in her left front leg and shoulder.  

Bella is now on pain medications and something called Piroxicam while we try and find out how to best treat the tumor.  Whatever treatment program we follow, we have to hurry.   It starts in the leg bone, and grows out, so it was pretty well advanced before she started limping.   Bella does not like the vet's office anyway, and spending time in the vets office is not something she looks forward to.   Most of the treatements mean overnight stays in a strange place, sleeping on a hard floor, and not on her big soft bed.   She is not in favor of not having her own comfy bed and family at night.  

In the photos, Bella is wearing a T shirt, she is embarrased by the big bare spot they shaved on her left leg and shoulder.  She says that the shirt makes a good pair of "jammys for her now that she is sleeping more and running less.

The paw challenged ones are very upset.   They were worried about me, I am the one that was given 18 months to 36 months to live about 4 years ago.   They worry about me and they thought Bella was going to be the healthy one of our family.   Now we have to worry about Bella as well.

Cross your paws for Bella, we all want her to stay well for a long time. 

Mogley G. Retriever