You MUST go back and look at the older entries!  Craig/Hubby found some great pictures of Zak as a puppy and they are so adorable.  He attached them to the appropriate entries.

This morning I checked Zak’s lymph nodes and they were fairly large around his neck.  This morning was the first day of cutting his prednisone by half and I’m concerned that this is premature.  He seems relatively O.K. for a normal dog, but Zak is not a normal dog.  He no longer cares about getting into the shower - I think he gets too hot.  He seems hungry most of the time and pants more than normal.  He typically whines when he wants ANYTHING, but not so much now.  This afternoon his lymph nodes seemed reduced and I started him on a special dog food from the doctor developed to help sustain dogs with cancer (higher in protein and fat).  I was warned that some dogs do not like it but Zak gobbled it right up. 

Zak has really never been a “chow hound”.  Eating is more of a utilitarian function for him – he would much prefer the attention of humans.  This turned into the “growling game” which Zak loves to play.  First of all, you must understand that Zak has never and would never bite anyone or any animal (rodents and lizards excluded).  I would put his food into his dish and he would just stand there and look at me until I pretended to get his food.  As I approached, Zak would start growling which would escalate the closer I got.  By the time my face got to his bowl, he sounded like a grizzly bear that was about ready to rip my face off.  His muse was revealed by the fact his tail was wildly waging.  I would then kiss him on the nose; he would whine, give me a kiss and then eat his food.  He is now so hungry he has no time for the growling game.