How Low Can You Go

Nacho resting after yesterday's chemo treatment

Nacho had his second dose of Vincristine yesterday after an unexpected week off. He was scheduled to be given the Vincristine a week ago, but his neutrophil count was too low. After the break, his neotrophils were still low, but high enough to be safely given chemotherapy.  We also opted for a Cerenia injection on the days he has chemo to help combat his nausea. I was hoping his topical Zofran would have been delivered by now, but Nacho and I are still waiting for FedEx to arrive.

A day after chemo, Nacho seems to be resting fairly comfortably. He still has his appetite and has been asking for his favorite treats all day. Feline Greenies are his favorite, by the way. Nacho can be picky about his food and treat options, but he never turns down his Greenies unless his nausea is really getting the best of him.

We are bracing for next week as he receives what may be the toughest drug in the CHOP chemo protocol - Hydroxydaunorubicin (Adriamycin). The vet mentioned it may cause kidney damage, so we're very anxious about how Nacho will respond. It's also a possibility that his neutrophil levels may again be too low for chemotherapy, so we will have to wait and see.

The interesting thing is that even though we have had low leukocyte levels these last few weeks, Nacho has been probably the most active during this time since he became ill. He's all about going for a walk in his backyard (supervised, of course!) and playing with feather toys. We've even caught him wrestling with his brothers Blaze and Artie again.

We truly feel blessed that in any case, we've had a beautiful past few weeks with our loving boy and have enjoyed seeing him playing painfree again!

Nausea, Sniffles and Steam

Nacho's on the mend after a rough bout of an upper respiratory infection, likely brought on by the Vincristine as well as Prednisolone. We spent a Saturday in the animal ER to get him checked out just to make sure his lungs were clear. They were, so after some fluids and Lysine supplements, he is much less congested and was able to do this week's chemo treatment. We also spent a few days patting his chest in a steamy bathroom (coupage) to get him cleared up.

Nacho hanging out with his girls

This week's chemo treatment was Cytoxan, and he seemed a bit nauseous afterward. His appetite wasn't as fierce, and it was difficult to get him to take the Cerenia tablets for nausea. We ended up taking him in for an injection to help him through the rest of the weekend.

Otherwise, Nacho's blood work looked better this time around! His anemia is improving and the white blood cell count is now within normal limits. He also managed to gain 1/2 pound over the last week. We are excited to see the improvement and are enjoying every moment with our brave boy!