For some background information, check out this original post.
Wally (20 lb Dachshund/Beagle mix) received his 2nd dose of sirolimus on 12/23/2022 — 2mg served to him with peanut butter in his kibble. He ate it right up just as he did with the first dose.
I have not noticed any adverse effect. When and if I do, I will document it right away.
Wally has been sleeping deeper and for longer hours. Normally, Wally wakes up multiple times through the night to rearrange his position, itch or lick. He is more calm and his sleeping at night has been virtually uninterrupted. He has also taken deeper and more frequent naps during the daytime. Before, he would be awake during the day, walking around the house and begging for treats.
With all this extra sleep, I’m hoping his body is healing.
Since his initial dose, Wally has remained extra energetic and bouncy when he is awake. If he is active/alert, his floppy ears flare out to the side, which I am seeing more often.
He has had zero reverse sneezing episodes since the last time I posted, which is a big improvement.
Wally has a small sore on the left side of his snout that has been there for a while. Yesterday I noticed it is scabbing over and appears to be shrinking.
His eyes seem to be clearing up, but the progress is subtle. I’m hoping to see enough change to document with photos. Wally’s fur is much softer to the touch, and his odor has decreased.
Last night we brought Wally along to our family Christmas dinner. He ran all over my in-laws house, sniffing and exploring just like he used to as a younger dog. He has visited many times, but never showed this degree of interest in the smells around their house. He spent about 30 minutes actively exploring each room, corner to corner. It was almost like he was experiencing new smells. For comparison, just a few weeks ago during a visit he showed little interest in exploring and mostly hung out in his pet bed.
One thing I want to pay special attention to is Wally’s nails. As he has aged, two of his claws have changed their growth pattern and sometimes those two nails get sore and infected. When I used a grinder on his nails two days ago, he was less irritated by the process. To me this indicates the nails and paws are less sensitive. The base of his nails are less inflamed and a little crusty/scabby. I will make sure to document whether the nails continue to improve.
The lump on Wally’s backside is softer and looser. Before it was more firm, but now the skin around it is looser which makes me think it could be shrinking. I will begin to record its measurements to document the shrinking.
Wally’s hearing has diminished through the years, and he would not respond to commands or directions unless I was extremely close. When he was younger, he could hear us from across the house. He also started requiring more visual indications of any commands given. I considered that perhaps he was growing stubborn and ignoring directions. However, I think he is showing signs of improved hearing after beginning to take rapamycin. I plan to devise a way to test and document his ability to respond to verbal commands. That way I can better gauge his progress over time.
At family Christmas dinner, I was excited to tell my spouse’s parents about rapamycin, and it turns out I got a little help! My mother-in-law (70) has been a National Geographic magazine subscriber for 40+ years. I saw the latest issue on their coffee table, and the entire issue was on the topic of improvements in aging. I quickly flipped through the magazine and was happy to see rapamycin specifically mentioned. I also saw a two page photo of Matt Kaeberlein, and the caption noted his decision to study dogs and investigate the effects of rapamycin on their aging. MIL prefers traditional/legacy media, so I was glad to see National Geographic reporting on the topic and spreading the word.
Wally will be receiving his 3rd dose soon and I am encouraged by what I am witnessing with my own eyes. I am very much looking forward to sharing more with you all. I will attach more recent pics from today, for the sake of comparison. Helpful recommendations and constructive criticisms are always welcome.
