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He gets one when he takes his tablets without a fuss - he has it down pat now and always gets one... He is such a good boy, I just say 'open for me' and the mouth opens ever so slowly and I pop the tablets in and he swallows because he knows he is going to get a biscuit... I feel the need to make his life as enjoyable as possible. If I had it my way I would close the office and spend everyday with him... I love the look on his face when I come in to make lunch and flop on the lounge next to him - we have a game of catch me if you can most days when he is well (although, I am the only one doing the chasing)... Thanks again for all the support and advice Jodie Here is a pic of my youngest with Ollie

I have not tried to give him the marshmallow/licorice/ginger stuff yet... He is happy again and wants to play and go for a walk - I just don't want to do anything that changes that - selfish? I will try it next week when the antibiotics stop (one less thing to take) Touch wood, he has not vomited since Monday night... If all goes well, he can have his second last chemo session next week. Then with only one more to go, I think I am going to make it the last one. We will continue with the holistic approach and some help from our wonderful vet... Cheers Jodie and a not so sick Ollie dog

Hi Helen, My boy will do anything for an arrowroot biscuit - all I have to say is open for me and he does it. I even use the glass droppers in his mouth and he has never bitten down on them... I am pretty lucky, even if he does not like it he still takes it... Cheers Jodie

Thanks for the ideas on how to get him to take the marshmallow... I am going to try both tomorrow as he is still a bit low today - I just don't want to stress him in any way... I will try the cheese in the morning and the drench at night (can I just do this using a syringe?) He is a lot better, still wants to play sometimes but I can tell he is not himself. He did not vomit at all last night, so hopefully he is on the mend. Cheers Jodie

Ollie loves cheese... I will give it a try... I will give him a piece of cheese before his dinner and see if he will eat it... Thanks for that Erny... DOL has so many people with so much information... It is great to have so many people helping - I would be lost without you all.. Thanks Jodie

Because it is being used as an antiacid treatment and I thought that it could not be used with the tagamet. And it is supposed to be mixed with his food (3ml twice a day) and he won't eat his food when he can smell it on there. It also has licorice and ginger in it as well. I am not sure how I am going to get him to take it - he just recoils at the smell of it. I will keep trying it every couple of days but will have to make sure that he does not take the tagamet within a couple of hours of having the holistic medicine. Cheers Jodie

Thanks Helen, I will print out that info on tagamet and take it with me next week - I am glad I stopped the marshmallow holistic drops. I will have to spread his tablets over more of the day instead of just giving them morning and night. Thanks Jodie Edited for clarification

Well no such luck with a sleep in... Even when he is sick, he still gets up and drags himself to the front door around 7am, thinking we are going for a walk... Poor baby has hardly been for any walks in the last 2 weeks. Helen here is the drug list: Morning: 1 x Vitamin C - 500mg 1 x Lymphodran Plus (nutritional supplement) 1 x AntiOx Excel (Comprehensive antioxident and free radical scavenger) 1 x Thyroxine (for thyroid malfunction) 1 x Tagamet (for stomach ulcers and antihistmine) 1 x Amoxil (antibiotic for possible infection - because his white cell count was out again) 5 mushroom drops - 1/2 dropper Ipecac drops - 1 dropper if needed 3ml of marshmallow, licorice, meadowsweet, ?? and ginger (for nausea and ulcers) - I have stopped this at the moment because he won't eat his meals with it on... Evening: 1 x Vitamin C - 500mg 1 x Omega 3 fish oil - 1000mg 1 x Thyroxine (for thyroid malfunction) 1 x Tagamet (for stomach ulcers and antihistmine) 1 x Amoxil (antibiotic for possible infection - because his white cell count was out again) 5 mushroom drops - 1/2 dropper Ipecac drops - 1 dropper if needed 3ml of marshmallow, licorice, meadowsweet, ?? and ginger (for nausea and ulcers) - I have stopped this at the moment as he won't eat his meals with it on... He is eating: Morning: 1/2 cup of HSD - UD 1 dentastick Evening: 1/2 cup HSD - UD 250ml pulped veges with a little free range chicken 1 dentastick His water dish holds 1.5 litres of water and it is usually filled 3-4 times a day.. Both the vet and the holistic vet know what he is taking from each other, but your input would be appreciated. Thanks Jodie

Gosh Helen, I don't know how you do it with two beloved pooches ill... So glad to hear Miss Lucinda is so well (makes the heart sing)... Hoping and praying that Oscar has more 'NOT TODAYS'... Give them both a big kiss and hug from Ollie and I.. Jodie

He is a gorgeous boy Helen (not that I am biased or anything ) Well it is a quarter to three in the morning and we have been up for the last couple of hours because he is vomiting again. He has finally just settled and is sleeping on the lounge. If I attempt to get up and go to bed he will be up haunting the halls until I come and sit with him again... It is times like these that my heart breaks for him... He is so sick... He vomits, then goes and drinks water and vomits again. This went on for hours last time but seems to have settled in just a couple of hours this time... I want to take his temp but don't want to disturb him - think I will leave it until morning. I am pretty sure it up a bit (just don't know how much without taking it)... Fingers crossed it is over for tonight Jodie

Helen, Even the vet asked me yesterday if I was OK... He said I looked really tired... It can be exhausting sometimes, especially at the moment as I am up and down with him quite a few times a night... But he is worth it... I can always catch up on sleep on the weekends (Ollie dog and I curl up on the lounge for a nap) - showing my age now I am confident that we can overcome this hurdle just like all the others. He now has some antiacid medication, so hopefully that will help with the tummy problems... And some more antibiotics (just in case)... I just made a huge bowl of porridge and could not eat it all, so he finished it off for me (so the appetite is good today)... Will keep you all updated as we go. Thanks Jodie and Ollie dog ETA a pic as I have not posted one for a while. This was taken just before Christmas last year... (I really need to get some new pics of him)

Sorry Rozzie... At least you know he spent his last days a happy old fella... RIP Keera Jodie

Thanks Erny... You and Cal, Helen and Lucinda are constantly in my thoughts... You guys are a tower of strength for me... It is a long and winding road we travel... Jodie

No chemo as the vomiting has not really stopped. He is not being sick very much but enough so the vet would not do it today. We have come home with some tablets to help his tummy and another course of antibiotics... Maybe next week when we have finished this lot of antibiotics he can have the chemo. He only has two more lots of chemo before he is finished this protocol. Then we are just going to use the Macrolone (one every second day) for a while to see how that goes. At this point I don't think I will put him through another chemo protocol... Cheers Jodie

How is the little guy - what did the vet say?

The vet called this afternoon - Ollies blood tests were OK, white cells were a little high (makes a change, they are always so low)... However because he has still been vomiting, we have decided to delay chemo until Friday. If he is still vomiting on Friday, it will be delayed until he is well enough... We went for a walk this morning and he bounced around the park - it is his first walk in over a week... Jodie

Great news about the reduced number of seizures. Hopefully the antibiotics will help with the discharge. Give her a big hug from me - I think about her, Lucinda and Oscar often. (Ollie is a constant reminder that we are all in the same boat)... Cheers Jodie

Hi all, Just to let you all know, he is OK - just another stomach bug... Our wonderful vet has done a full blood count again, just to make sure it is nothing sinister... On a very good note: The pea sized mast cell tumour that has been on Ollies right rump for the last few months, cannot be felt anymore Even the vet said that this is great progress considering all the time he has missed his chemo. I know he is not cured (he cannot be, apparently) but I must admit, I was so happy when the vet went to check the lump and could not find it... Warley, I would love to come and visit if MR nasty pants would be nice to other dogs - he has been a real toad lately, too bossy and cranky... I could still come over for a visit Cheers Jodie

We just spent the whole night up with Ollie - I have never seen him vomit so much... He does not have a temperature, which is a good thing - so it is probably not an infection... So we will be going off to the vet again this afternoon. He seems hungry this morning but I have only offered him about a quarter of a cup of his HSD-UD and water. Poor baby, he is really flat this morning. Jodie

Sorry no advice Shek, just lots of good vibes... Jodie and Ollie dog

We are obviously feeling well again... I stripped the beds yesterday morning and stupidly left the bedroom door open... My fault, I know he cannot help himself... He destuffed my european pillow - only mine, nobody elses... We have not been walking all week, but I think he is bored so we will head out tomorrow morning for some much need exercise...

Tessa Bell, it is probably wise to try one thing at a time and give it a week or so to work. Just check the instructions and dry her off really well. If you can get her used to the hair dryer, I use it on my boofer and it is great. Whatever you try, please do not use tea tree oil. It can be a long road with the poor pooches that get itchy. It took my sister about a year before she finally said enough is enough and relocated her beloved pooch back to my mothers. All because she was allergic to the produce store across the road from where my sister lives - every time she came to my sisters house she would break out in a really red rash and scratch non stop... She used to bring Elly up for sleep overs (because she missed her so much) and then she was stolen.. Got her back again when she was about 9 or 10 years old, only to have the itch return in a day or two, so she eventually had to give her away. Hope it all gets better for you soon. Jodie

Hi Tessa Bell The dog really needs to be treated... Would you like to be left with dry itchy skin??? I know I wouldn't... If a shampoo states to leave it on for 10 minutes, then it should be left on - I know from experience that I need to leave Ollies shampoo (malaseb for itchy, dry skin) for that amount of time. We have not had a problem since we started using Malaseb. We wash every week in summer and fortnightly in winter time. Someone on DOL has great results from Pinetarsol (from a chemist) for the same problems. Sometimes it is a mite that causes these problems and only the vet will be able to determine this - that is why I say the dog needs to be treated, sometimes only the vet can help. It could be from a food allergy, plant allergy or mites... They all need different treatments... Good luck, I hope your pooch stops itching soon. Jodie

Bugger... Was hoping that it was all OK now... Big hugs to you both Jodie

I agree Erny, With so many wonderful DOLers sending all those good thoughts and well wishes, I am sure we can keep this cancer at bay for quite a while Cheers Jodie