[Dailydrool] Elsinore update

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

Well, the blood work came back perfectly normal. No problems with enzyme levels or thyroids or anything. So apparently our Elsinore's new behaviors are most likely age related. Several Droolers have written to tell me their aging bassets are behaving similarly, so Elsinore's in excellent company with that. 

As for the tumor, I've asked my vet for a referral to an oncologist in a couple of weeks. I'm going to ask the oncologist about doing a biopsy. If it sounds as if a biopsy can be done with minimal disruption to Elsinore's quality of life, then we'll do it. I think it'd be good to know what exactly we're dealing with and what we can probably expect from it. That can help us make more informed end-of-life decisions later on. 

Then I'm going to contact the vet who runs a hospice practice and see what she thinks. It'd be quite fitting for a pet therapy dog whose career has been in hospice work to benefit from this kind of care herself. My hope is that this kind of care can help with pain management in a way that'll let Elsinore enjoy a good quality of life for longer. 

This is the same vet who helped our basset friend Macy out of this life and into the next five years ago. I really liked how she spent almost an hour with us (I went along with Jennifer) and listened to all our Macy stories. Her hospice, by the way, is named after one of her own dogs, a basset named Buttercup. So that right there bodes well--a vet who appreciates bassets. We've also gotten some ideas for homeopathic treatments, which look worth pursuing.

Elsinore's quality of life at the moment is exceedingly high. Ken and I are looking at her with new eyes, but she's still living life as she was before we discovered she has a tumor. She's taking long naps, sunbathing, pestering for treats, and being bossy. Life is good of her, and I hope we can keep it that way for a long time yet.

Elizabeth