Thanks Debra!

Hey Tazzie 2 & Susan - yeah he's off the Piroxicam. He was put on Cerenia by the emergency vet later that night when he was still vomiting, and Yoda's regular doc had me add the Sulf. after I called her to check on that the next day.  Also he has been on Pepcid since the weeked.  So, my understanding is he's on everything possible at home, and yet he still isn't 100%, so the vet tech was telling me on the phone last night that he may have to come in and stay overnight for treatment.  I hate the sound of that so much, but also realize it'll probably be the best thing since Yoda has been fighting me so hard on taking his meds in the last 24 hours or so.

I'm just getting a lot of mixed signals from him.  He hasn't been lethargic, he's been peppy.  His gums brightened to their normal pink after being pale for weeks.  Yes, he had some black stool Wednesday and a little yesterday, but this morning it lightened back to brown - however it was rather loose.  And after he fought against taking his meds this morning, shortly after I laid down his regular food, he got up and ate, but only about half of it.  Still after refusing a tiny morself of meaty goodness, eating half his dry food seemed like a good sign against nausea.

Haven't gotten the call yet from his oncologist.  I called to leave a message to be sure my message from last night didn't slip through the cracks, but I expect she's just been tied up with other urgent cases.  I'm getting a little concerned though that I'll need to call in sick to work.

So that's a little shorter and hits the highlights.

Wow, we are so overdue for an update, I don't know where to begin...

Given that the melena (black stool from digesting blood) didn't last, the coughing didn't return, and that a few different anti-nausea drugs weren't fully successful, (and there could be other reasons that I have since forgotten), Yoda's oncologist has concluded that Yoda's enduring nausea/lack of appetite (now, at least) is a symptom only of the cancer, not an ulcer/intestinal bleeding.  She even predicted, the day before it happened, that Yoda may have some appetite at a certain time of the day, for example, he may refuse food in the morning that he will take in the evening. 

This is our new new normal, and it's given me some peace, because at least Yoda is being consistently okay now, rather than seeming like he needs to go in for an emergency visit every other day.  So morning through late afternoon, Yoda won't take any kind of food (except maybe a fish-skin stick treat, mmmmmm).  He isn't as active, but is generally happy to go for walks.  But, sometimes as early as 5pm (often later), he will eat.  He'll eat a lot actually, and I have to check myself that I don't let him over-eat even though, at the same time I'm afraid he's going to waste away, only eating at night.  

Yoda is even eating dry food again.  But he won't eat the Salmon & Potato dry food I switched him to a couple months ago (because he loooooves fish).  He seems to associate that with his pills and/or his nausea and if I try to mix anything good with that food, he'll spit pieces out.  However, as I tried everything that he might possibly want to eat, when his queasiness was at its worst, I discovered he would eat his good ol' Lamb & Rice dry food.

Besides eating in the evening, he seems like he's 100% as far as energy.  I got him a stuffed ball to de-stuff over and over (I refill it for him) and he'll go four rounds sometimes before tiring of it.  And his walks have me running to keep up.  But that's all nothing compared to what he did tonight... but that has to have it's own thread.  It'll be in the "Share Your Story" forum, if you haven't already seen it by this time.

So, I am very relieved.  I don't let myself worry about his... morning sickness?  He doesn't seem to be in any pain and the nausea (assuming that's what is putting him off his food) seems like it must be better that it was, because his watery mouth has been gradually decreasing and I think it's been back to normal for a day or two now.  In the evenings, into the night, we eat, drink and are merry!!  His oncologist actually said three times, in the same e-mail, that that Yoda's appetite is as good as it is in the evenings, at this stage, is really excellent.  (I guess I came across like I needed three times the reassurance, heh heh).

I think that's all the important info.  Now, I expect I have a lot of catching up on reading posts - it'll probably take me through the weekend - so I'm going to try to get a start on that now before bed.