Today Lucy got her first treatment of the experimental drug Pamidronate, used to treat high levels of calcium in the blood that may be caused by certain types of cancer. Lucy's increasingly high calcium levels have been making her sicker and sicker since the beginning of the year. The high calcium levels indicate that she has cancer in her body but where it is and what kind, we don't know. The cancer itself is not treatable by the Vet, but the Pamidronate will hopefully bring her calcium levels to a more normal level so that she can have a good quality of life. The Pamidronate is being given in place of the steroid shots and Prednisone pills that have been keeping her stable so far.
Lucy did remarkably well at this all day procedure. My Dad took her in at 8am and then we switched off shifts every couple hours throughout the day. In the end, Lucy didn't leave the vet until 4:30pm - a whopping 8 and a half hours being hooked up to an IV drip - 4+ hours of the Pamidronate followed by 4+ hours of just basic fluids to flush her kidneys. We have to repeat this treatment every 3 weeks.
Dr. Svenja Viete checks Lucy's heartbeat.
Photo by © Lydia Marcus 2009
Photographed May 26, 2009 in Van Nuys, CA
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