We're midway through week three and Lulu has picked up mucositis among other side effects. Mucositis is a painful inflmmation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract and the mouth. It's very common to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and Lulu has started antibiotics and pain meds to help counteract the discomfort.
The fur around the muzzle is starting to look sparse and you can see more of her pinky brown skin showing through. The top of the nose is starting to become bare and you can really see where the mast cell tumor has taken over close to the skin. The original bump by her nostril which disappeared in the first two weeks of radiotherapy has come back in the form of a large, raw pink bump. The doctor explained that the skin has degraded a little bit and the tumor is fighting back, releasing histamines which has reformed the bump.
Lulu's nose is constantly runny and she sneezes throughout the day (and night). She sneezes even more when she gets excited (like when we come home from work) so we're trying our best to keep her calm. She's also having a tough time sleeping through the night, waking up in fits of sneezes, so I'm going to hunt down a dog bed for her so she can keep her chin up and her respiratory tract clear while sleeping. Unfortunately this probably means no more park visits or playdates for Lulu. Maybe just long quiet walks at night so she can still get some exercise.
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