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Okay, I’m Ready For You

October 2, 2013

I took that photo of Widgie this morning just before giving her the first set of pills for the day. She had her third chemo treatment yesterday at the oncologist in Burlington. Her lymph nodes have shrunk dramatically, so we're clearly gaining ground on the lymphoma. She's her usual self, too — on Monday she was rolling around on her back in the grass in the front yard, enjoying the fall sunshine.

But there is this small matter of all those pills. Her morning regimen looks like this:

The evening regimen is about the same number of pills, but we swap out a couple of different meds for others.

Bless her heart (literally and figuratively), she's been a real champ and so tolerant. The easiest way to take these would be in food, which is how she used to take her heart pills. But she stopped eating when we tried to get all these pills in her with food.

We'd have the same issue with "pill pockets," too — those sorts of things are fine with just a couple of pills, but when you're talking about a dozen different pills going down the hatch, there's only one sure-fire, reliable way to do it: Open mouth, drop pill at back of tongue, nudge pill down throat, and quickly close mouth. For the occasional pill she manages to not swallow, I say to her: "What comes up … must go back down."

So that's the routine Widget and I do twice a day. (For some reason Alayne insists I'm "better" at this than her and thus I'm the one who does it. I guess guys have to be better at something, eh? But gentlemen, notice how we are always better at those very things the ladies would rather not do anyway?)

Widget has gotten fussy about food, too, and some days she will eat certain things and not other things. She keeps sending different menu requests to the kitchen and waits to find out if the chefs can satisfy her ever-changing needs. (We're still trying to figure out if we can do duck à l'orange.)

Meanwhile, this annoying guy shows up twice a day to stick pills down her throat.

—

New Shelter Challenge Begins

The latest round of the Shelter Challenge is underway and runs until October 13. You can vote every day here. To search for us, type in our name, Rolling Dog Farm, and Lancaster, NH 03584.

They have redesigned the contest site and made other changes. Please note that I cannot help with technical or voting problems. I also do not have an "inside track" to anyone at the Shelter Challenge, and I don't know any more about the contest than anyone else does. So if you find yourself having issues, please consult their FAQ page here and their Rules page, which is a pop-up you can find linked on this page.

Thanks for your votes!

Posted in Dogs

25 responses to “Okay, I’m Ready For You”

Diana K

October 2, 2013

Widget loves you anyway.

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Valerie

October 2, 2013

Good Morning precious girl…so nice to see your beautiful face…your family loves you SO much and takes such excellent care of you…you are one lucky little girl xox

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Linda

October 2, 2013

Holy Cow! That’s a lot of pills for anyone, let alone a little dog! One of my cats would only take her heart meds with a piece of cheese wrapped around. But she only had 2 pills. Bless Widget’s heart and yours!

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Mariele

October 2, 2013

I’ve had great luck with Braunschweiger. It’s soft, malleable and to dogs (and some humans) smells wonderful. I think it also disguises the taste of the pills.

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Leila K. – Belfair, WA

October 2, 2013

Bless her heart! (and yours too) Glad to hear the lymph nodes are shrinking…I know it isn’t easy or fun to give an animal pills…my last cat loved the pill pockets, but rarely did I have to give him any, and my current cat doesn’t like them. But she’s a fussy eater too. I pray it gets easier and she will adjust quickly. You all take care of each other.

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Barb Ribinski

October 2, 2013

Isn’t there anything she likes enough, like peabut butter or cream cheese, where you could do a few pills in each. Both of those are good for her and might be a change of pace and fool her (ha!) for a couple days at a time. I’m sure you’ve tried but just a thought. Glad she’s doing well. And so sorry that all our voting can’t get you back in the top 10. Not sure if it’s their finnicky website or what. I’m staying optimistic, though.

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Karen

October 2, 2013

We use a pill shooter which works great with the dogs and really well with cats. Might want to try that. Widget is a trouper. Glad to hear it is going well.

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Lisa

October 2, 2013

Steve, your emotional strength never ceases to amaze me. This kind of pilling is no small feat. As for the Widge’s food, I wonder if there is a pet equivalent of ‘Ensure” around, similar to what they give human cancer patients…am aware of one for cats, not sure about dogs. You are an incredible caregiver; Widget is a very “lucky dog” to have you on her team. Good luck to you both!

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Tonya Allen

October 2, 2013

Oh my goodness, that is a lot of pills. I’ve had good results with a bite-size piece of bread spread with cream cheese or peanut butter, depending on the culinary preferences of Le Dog. Fold the pill inside, and down the hatch it goes with barely a chew. I’ve never tried this with more than two pills at one time though, and I’m sure part of the food fussiness is due to the pills themselves making her a little nauseous or making food taste strange. Poor Widget! I’m very glad to hear that they are having an effect. Makes it all worthwhile.

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Bob

October 2, 2013

Our girl looks good. Perhaps she’s thinking some Chinese take out would hit the spot. We are all pulling for the RDF High Commander.

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Mary H.

October 2, 2013

Widget is such a beautiful little girl. I hope she continues to feel better. And I hope you and Alayne feel better in the coming days as you adjust to Widget’s new normal. The vets at WSU told me I would have more difficulty with the lymphoma and chemo than my corgi would. They were right.

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Moon Rani

October 2, 2013

I use chunky peanut butter to get pills down my dog, if that idea helps you. She can’t distinguish the pill from peanuts.
Bless her heart and Alayne’s and yours!

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Ann

October 2, 2013

I’m happy to read that you’re making strides in kicking the lymphoma, sending good vibes that it stays that way!
Widget’s pill collection looks like mine! Poor dear, that’s a lot of medication to have to deal with. One of my dogs has to take a couple of daily meds and with her, I pretty much do what you do, Steve…I open her mouth, stick the pill (sometimes more than one) in and then blow in her nose which makes her swallow. Works like a charm. I’m sure Widget knows that all this is being done to make her better. Now if you can just get the menu right…lol

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Margaret

October 3, 2013

You are both such troopers. Looking good girl! So glad to hear it’s all worthwhile, and that you have such loving care.

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Carla Polastro-Nigro

October 3, 2013

I’m so happy to hear that Widget is responding well to her chemo treatments and that she is her usual “bossy” self.:-)
Thank you, Steve & Alayne, for taking such great care of Widget (and of all your other furkids, of course). God bless!

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Glends

October 3, 2013

So crazy about this girl.
Widget you are so special!
It’s wonderful you have the right parents!!!

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Shirley * James/Portland, OR

October 3, 2013

Love to you Widget and keep heading towards health as your Mommy and Daddy to ALL they can for you!

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gayle

October 3, 2013

God love her she is the face of the Farm.

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Pamela Payne

October 3, 2013

Glad to hear that Widget is responding well to her treatments. Hopefully you will find a solution for all the pill taking. We have to do the “open mouth, back of throat and nudge them down” also. Seems like after awhile they get used to that routine. Hopefully Widget will also 🙂 With our dogs, I am the “best one” to do the pill giving so I understand where you are coming from Steve.

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Diane Borden, Chehalis, WA

October 3, 2013

I love the idea of Braunschweiger. What a dog really, really, loves is anything that a human is eating for dinner. But then the Widge has maybe lost her appetite for that as well. You all are such troopers, humans and dogs alike. I’m sure you’ll make it through this time, and the Widge will have you trained to her every whim!!

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KCMarla

October 3, 2013

My Chi used to make me nuts when I tried to get her to take pills wrapped in lunch meat or cheese….she spit them out every time. My “miracle” has been to simply dip my finger in and coat each pill in peanut butter on the end of my finger tip…she licks the PB off and down the hatch the pill goes with it. If it is a large pill, I just cut it in half. Works like a charm!

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Cassie Betz

October 3, 2013

Widget is not the type of girl to let lymphoma get in the way of living her life. Through sheer bossiness, she’ll send that cancer packing! 😉 Sending some good old-fashioned Montana love her way!

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Kathleen Rivard

October 4, 2013

Widget, do it for all of us that love you so much. It is a lot of pills to swallow tho! Hugs and kisses to you all!

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Penny

October 4, 2013

Widget wants her pills in Velvetta!!!!

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Miranda

October 5, 2013

I’m sure you’ve tried all the tricks the rest of us know but I’ve used peanut butter on a pill and when it sticks to the roof of the mouth all that tongue slurping and swallowing to get it off meant the pill went down. I varied it with just plain butter and sometimes honey and sometimes honeybutter. Get well wishes and hugs to the Widge!

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