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.
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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}
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