Christmas Trapper

I promised Trapper that if he stayed with us through Christmas, I'd give him a steak for Christmas. He did it! And he loved the steak! More on that later.....

Since the last update, Trapper had another Lomustine treatment, this time combined with L-asparginase on December 16. At that time we also added gabapentin to hopefully help with his increased muscle weakness/pain in his back end. To help address the possible inflammatory bowel disease, we have increased his azathioprine (an immunosuppressant that he's been on for years for his immune-mediated thrombocytopenia).

Trapper's never been a fan of snuggling, but we have had some nice snuggle time on the sofa the last few weeks. (Just don't tell him I posted these pictures!)

  

Mr Sleeping Beauty....

At the vet, ready to see his favorite doctors and nurses!

Before his chiropractic and laser treatments, Trapper ran through some tunnels, jumped a few 4" jumps and jumped onto the low table. I was sad to see him have trouble getting over the one 8" jump that he took, and noticed that his telltale barking while running agility was gone. He was too busy focusing on getting through the obstacles with his weakened body.....  I do, however, remember how incredibly fortunate I was to compete with this pup until he was 13 years and 4 months old. What a gift! I'd give anything for him to be able to run with the joy that he used to. (Though he does look pretty happy coming out of that tunnel!)

 Don't let his expression fool you... he loves Dr Andi! He was cranky at the time of treatment, but I'm sure it helped him feel better the next day.

 

Love this shot--not only is he showing off his Christmas collar, but I see the sparkle that is Trapper.
That steely look of determination. He really is a dog like no other.

On Dec 23, I took Trapper in for a CBC follow up from his Dec 16 chemo treatment. I took this photo when we got to the vet's office. I thought Trapper was just being his usual badass self by the look on his face, but then realized that he was stuck.....His left leg had slid down between the seat and the wheel well and he didn't have enough strength in his back legs to get himself out. Most dogs would welcome help getting out, but not Trapper! He glared at me, and eventually started snarling and snapping at me. Soooo, quick trip in to the vet to borrow a party hat, and I was able to get him unstuck. It wasn't easy though, and Trapper was pissed off at me! Merry Christmas, Trapper style ;D

Trapper waiting to get the treats off his paws. Unfortunately, when I released him, he didn't go for the treats....combined with the "stuck in the car" situation, this lack of willingness to move for FOOD which he LOVES really
hit home with me how weak he was.

Trapper's vet was also quite concerned about his back end weakness (his back legs just slide out from under him on smooth surfaces), so she fashioned these hobbles to help him out. I'm not sure whether he's licking his lips because he just ate treats or because he wants to eat us for putting hobbles on him--LOL! Seriously, though, they have helped A LOT! His grandma even sewed him a few pairs so they'd be smooth with no knots (thanks, Grandma Sandy!) We've also added twice a week vitamin B injections and alpha-lipoic acid supplements. His weakness seems to come and go, and we're hoping it improves with these new treatments.

Christmas morning!!

Christmas gifts! Trapper has a bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin.

Trapper spying to see what Joker & Blaze got....

"I want to eat it NOW!"

Waiting patiently for me to cook his steak.

Ready to EAT!!

Trapper is certain he should eat the leftover steak

Unfortunately, on Christmas night, just 9 days after the Lomustine treatment, Trapper's lymph nodes became enlarged again. If the drug was working well, he would have stayed in remission for 21 days. The cancer appears to have become resistant to Lomustine. On December 26 and again today (Dec 29) I spoke with the vet about our options. Tomorrow Trapper will go back in for a CBC and we will either treat him with Vincristine or Mitoxantrone, both drugs that have worked well in the past. We stopped using them for Trapper because we thought they were causing stomach upset and making him feel miserable. Now that we know the stomach issues may be unrelated, we will give them a try again. We're now trying to balance the lymphoma, the stomach upset and the hind end weakness against each other. We don't want to use such an aggressive chemo that it throws the other 2 off, but obviously want to keep him in remission as long as possible.

Poor Trapper is feeling really puny tonight. Hoping that the vitamin B and chemo will restore that sparkle to his eye....

This is an extremely difficult time. Two years ago when Trapper was diagnosed with lymphoma, I asked about the end. What would happen? Eventually we would run out of treatment options. We're not there yet, but we're close, I'm afraid. I hate to see him suffer. The days that he's having no fun, or worse, when he's sweet and pitiful, I fear the inevitable. It's such a huge obligation we have to care for our furry kids all the way through their lives. I just so want the old, cranky, spunky Trapper back. I enjoy every moment I can with him, regardless.
Hug those pups.............
Kirsta & Trapper

A day of thanksgiving....

The new medicine works! Trapper's first treatment kept him in clinical remission for about 18 days. We would have preferred that it work for the entire 3 weeks, which is how often the drug is administered, but we're thankful that it did work. Also, Trapper's white blood cell count stayed in a reasonable range, and he has felt AMAZING! He's been having a great time...more on that in the photos below.

More great news is that Trapper's stomach upset issues are MUCH better. Some days his system is totally normal. It's possible that the medication to treat the protozoa worked, but more likely we think is that Trapper self medicated....WHAT?? Well, we've been giving Trapper home cooked food for months now, trying to settle his stomach. He's been eating chicken, rice and hardboiled eggs. Well, we had just bought a new bag of kibble for Joker and Blaze, and accidentally left it unsecured and Trapper did what Trapper does....gorged himself, of course! He came waddling upstairs looking like a stuffed turkey, and guess what? His stomach got better! So, we left behind the home cooking in favor of kibble and he's doing much better. Who'da thunk?? And thankfully, his appetite is still over-the-top amazing.

The reality is that these cancer cells are fairly resistant, which isn't good. So, on the second Lomustine treatment on November 25, we increased the dosage a bit, hoping that it will keep him in clinical remission for the entire 3 weeks, until December 16. We also hope that his white blood cells stay up, which we'll know after his CBC on December 2.

Here are some photos of Trapper's adventures the last few weeks:

Trapper says he'd like to eat me for giving him a bath...not a happy boy. But, he was nice and clean
afterwards (and I still had all my fingers!)

My little snow monkey after his first Lomustine treatment.

Handsome boy!

Don't tell Trapper I told you, but I think he really does love me...the growls and snaps are just his cover....

Trapper's "chicken leg". Poor guy has lost a lot of strength and coordination, but it doesn't slow him down!

Celebrating Trapper's 13 3/4 year old birthday on 11.22.14. So thankful he's here to celebrate!

"Seriously, you're making me wait in the SNOW because you think it's a great picture??"

Trapper enjoying a snow snack on Thanksgiving Eve.

Trapper and his crazy little sister, Blaze. Blaze absolutely LOVES Trapper, and he's pretty fond of her, too ;D

Trapper loved his walk in the snow, even if he slipped a few times.

Classic Trapper. So VERY annoyed by me insisting on taking his picture.

Trapper, Blaze and Joker on a walk in the mountains on Thanksgiving Day.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am so very thankful for my Trapper boy, for the fact that we've found the resources for his life-saving treatments, for the amazing medical staff that cares for him, for the support of my awesome husband who lives with Mr. Crabby, Snarky, Bossy Trapper, but still understands how much I love Trapper (and he does, too!) and for my dog-loving friends and family who feel the ups and downs of this journey with me. Thank you all for your support and give your pups an extra hug from me.

Kirsta & Trapper (who's super excited about the steak that I promised him for Christmas)

The end of 2nd remission and a new treatment protocol

On Tueday, Nov 4, I felt Trapper's lymph nodes, and they felt enlarged. Unfortunately, Trapper's cancer vet agreed the next day, so we chose to start him on a new chemotherapy drug, Lomustine. Though we could have re-started the Wisconsin-Madison protocol, he would have had the same reaction as last time, and been so very sick. We just couldn't do that to him. I don't want to keep him alive for ME, and let the chemo slowly kill him. Lomustine is in a different class of drugs, so we're hopeful that it will put the lymphoma into remission, but not make Trapper sick. He will have a CBC run next week, Nov 11, to see how his liver, white blood cell and other counts look. Lomustine treatment results in an average remission time of 4-6 months, but we are hopefully that Trapper will double that number as he did for his first Wisconsin-Madison protocol in 2012-13. Lomustine is the last "reliable" chemo drug we have for lymphoma treatment.

Unfortunately, we still haven't resolved the GI upset issues. The treatment of the protozoa hasn't helped his symptoms. We don't know what's causing his symptoms for sure, though we suspect either Inflammatory Bowel Disease or an atypical form of lymphoma that's "hiding" in his intestines.

The final challenge facing Trapper is hind end weakness. His back legs have become very weak and they slide out from under him without him realizing it and/or being able to control it. It's worse in the evenings when he's tired, and we're going to start adding some rugs and towels to the smooth surface floors to help him out :)

So, that's a lot of bad news, isn't it? Now the good news! The good news is that before starting the chemo, Trapper's CBC numbers were good and his activity level, appetite and general demeanor are great! An abdominal ultrasound showed no masses or free fluid, and he's up to 49.8 pounds!! No more skinny puppy ;) These are all fabulous signs that point to Trapper's fierce desire to live, not to mention his stubbornness (like mother, like son, I guess...)

Assuming this chemo drug works well, we will try to wean Trapper off the Prednisone, which is very likely contributing to muscle wasting and weakness in his back end. My hope is that he can regain enough strength to return to agility to play in class :) Low jumps, of course, but I'd love to be able to run with my boy, again, and I know he would love it, too..... We may also be able to add or increase some immunosuppressant drugs to address the possibility of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I'd be so thrilled if Trapper could get back to normal in his GI system, and I think he would feel a ton better, too.

Trapper says the best news is that the fecal transplant option is off the table, at least for now. ;D We would have had to of delayed chemo to do the fecal transplant. The reason is that if we did the transplant, then chemo and Trapper developed a bacterial infection due to his the suppression of his immune system from the Lomustine, we'd have to start antibiotics. The antibiotics would erase any benefit that may have been gained from a fecal transplant. So, just add it to the list of possibilities not utilized at this time :)

Waiting for the vet. You can see a bit of his back leg weakness in this photo.

Trapper feels great! He even got toys out of the basket and wanted to tug, which is a
really good sign--he's not usually big on toys.

Keeping his toys close and waiting for his wonderful vet to return.

Hi, Mom. I love you, even though I pretend not to....

We are getting in as much snuggle time on the sofa as possible...

So, that's the update for now. Please send healing thoughts, prayers and anything else that might help for my buddy to get yet another lease on life. We're making the best of every day, while trying not to think too much about the potential negative alternatives. Thankfully, when I get a little too weepy or clingy, Trapper growls and lets me know that I shouldn't count him out. He is such a rockstar :)

Hug your loved ones and thanks for all your support....
Kirsta & Trapper Wrapper, little Snipper Snapper (he's going to kill me for telling you that nickname!)

And the plot thickens.....

Change in plans! We took Blaze and Joker's "samples" in for testing before going forward with the transplant. We discovered that Blaze had a protozoa population (!) in her system, which is odd because she gets checked twice a year and it hadn't ever turned up. Regardless, it ruled her out as a "donor" and raised the question of whetherTrapper had the same issue. The protozoa in question causes just the type of symptoms Trapper has been experiencing for 7 months... It's only known to cause symptoms in puppies and adult dogs that are immunosuppressed (as Trapper has been for 8 years). We are hopeful that treatment might resolve the issue, but time will tell....Tonight we started the first day of a 10 day treatement. For those biologically inclined, you might be interested to know that the medication doesn't kill the protozoa, but inhibits the synthesis of folic acid which prevents the protozoa from reproducing. So, stay tuned....never a dull moment with Trapper!

On a happier note, Trapper actually played with Blaze tonight! It was brief, but it was awesome to see! Trapper is definitely feeling much better not being on chemo anymore :)

That's all for now....fingers crossed that the next update will be that the medication worked!

Kirsta & Trap

You're doing WHAT to me??

Trapper has improved over the last couple of weeks! And we have a very interesting treatment planned for him. More on that in a bit...

Love these little paws--Trapper hangs out in the bathroom/laundry room door when we're not home since he needs a little more space than his kennel these days given his tummy issues.

HUNGRY!

I'm thrilled to say that Trapper's appetite is AWESOME!! We were at the vet a couple of days ago and Trapper's up to 49.0 pounds!!! It's been months since he weighed that much--I think the 3 times a day feeding is paying off. I'm thankful to look at him and not see a skinny, bony boy!!

The pups waiting for their birthday treats to celebrate Joker's 6th birthday

Waiting patiently while we sing Happy Birthday.

And it's GONE!

Awwww.....such a love.

My wolf dog...please don't eat me, Trapper!!

So, to that treatment I mentioned earlier....unfortunately, even with stopping chemo and antibiotics, Trapper's GI system hasn't gotten back to normal. We have 2 options going forward to address this issue. The first is to hope that the flora and fauna in his gut are out of balance due to all the antibiotics he's been on for several months. If so, a fecal transplant may solve the issue. I'll spare you the details, but feel free to Google it if you want to know more... And if it works, Trapper will owe Blaze and Joker a big thank you. ;D The transplant is scheduled for Wednesday Oct 29, assuming an ultrasound that morning shows no signs of lymphoma in his GI system. The good news is that his lymph nodes continue to be normal size!

If that treatment doesn't work, we'll likely need to add a new immunosuppressant drug to treat what we would assume at that point to be Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Stay tuned....



Trapper chillin' in the kitchen.

 And last, but certainly not least, it's Trap Vader!! I couldn't resist this costume, and it's so perfect for Trapper! I also entered him in a contest to win laser treatments for his hip pain--fingers crossed!

That's it for now...thanks for all the support!!

A little agility and some TLC

Today Trapper was able to play some agility :) The jumps were set at 4", but he had a blast. He loved the tunnels, jumps and weaves. Having been off Rimadyl since the lymphoma returned, he is much weaker in his back legs, but his spirit was there full force. I am thankful for the days when he sparkles like only he can. And, he was able to spend time with his "ladies" from Harper's Ridge, getting a chiropractic adjustment (his shoulder and neck are much better tonight, Dr. Andi!), energy work, laser treatment and of course, treats! So thankful for their care for my little buddy!

Trapper relaxing with me a few days ago



Trapper obviously not feeling well--ears back and such bony hips. Ugh.

 We haven't seen the immediate recovery of Trapper's GI system that I had hoped for. Some days are definitely better, but then he will decline a day or two later. Trapper's cancer doc is on vacation this week, but we will definitely talk with her next week. I'm wondering whether Inflammatory Bowel Disease is causing these issues, or whether there's lymphoma hiding in his intestines.... Or maybe it will just take a little longer.

Trapper's feast for the next few days.

Trapper's weight is a big concern for me right now, and I'm happy to report that today he was up to 47.8 pounds. He's inching higher, and we celebrate the little victories. I'm hoping to see him weigh in at a healthy 50 pounds one day soon....

I have to thank all of my amazing friends, and especially my agility buds. They understand the special bond that a canine-human performance team share. Trapper and I depend on each other and know each other in a way that I've never experienced with another dog.

I'm living in the moment with Trapper--I can only take it day by day. Michael reminds me that Trapper laughs in the face of death -- so true :)

Thanks to all of you for your support! You rock :)

Week 6 and a big decision

On September 30, Trapper had a dose of Vincristine and it was really tough on him. He just felt awful.

Poor little buddy after his Vinc treatment :(

The night of October 2 was hard. I looked at Trapper and his spirit was weak. I really think the chemo was slowly killing him. His life wasn't what he wanted it to be....I'm certain that if he could talk he would have told me so. I decided, and Michael agreed, that we wouldn't continue putting Trapper through this. He is such a proud dog, such a larger-than-life boy, and it just wasn't fair to him.

The next day I spoke with his chemo vet and she told me that in her mind, this treatment was the proverbial "line in the sand". If he had another bad reaction to what had historically been one of the easiest drugs for him, that it was time to consider another path. I can't say enough good about Dr. Karin Cannizzo--I'm so thankful to have her on this journey with us!

So, 6 weeks into the 26 week protocol, we pulled the plug on the Wisconsin-Madison treatment protocol. It served Trapper so well 2 years ago, but it just isn't in the cards this time around.

Trapper bounced back pretty well and thanks all of his fans for their love and prayers...
he's looking like that proud boy I know and love!

Tired baby

There are still days that I look at Trapper and my heart breaks a little. Thankfully, his appetite has returned, but still he's so thin. He had reached 47 pounds, but today (Oct 9) he was only 46.4 pounds. We gave him IV fluids on Oct 3, but happily his diarrehea settled down so we didn't have to give him any more. We're still waiting for his GI system to totally return to normal. I think that will help him feel SO much better.

That is the face of a HUNGRY boy!

Chillaxin' in the living room

So, what now? The first step, to quote the vet, is to see how good Trapper can feel. We want him to be happy, be interesting in playing, and return to agility class, even if it means jumping 4" jumps :) Next step is we hope for a long, long remission time. If/when he comes out of remission, we will likely start him on lomustine, which is the final medication in our "bag of chemo tricks". Until then, as much snuggling as Trapper will allow and gratitude for every day we have with him. And yes, plenty of tears when I think of the inevitable.

Give those pups an extra hug for me and thanks for all the support--it means the world to us!