Today, after 7 weeks, we went back to the veterinary neurologist. The good news is that Sailor is progressing. She has not lost any weight, but she has lost fat - doesn't have those rolls of fat that she had previously, but still doesn't have the muscle mass that she should. Her energy level is much better, and her neurological responses in three of her four feet are good. The problem still lies in her front left leg, which is the one that causes her to stumble. That is also the foot with the benign growth. The vet expressed some concern that after a month it has not begun to recede and also the fact that it is on the pad of her foot. Most are located on the top of the foot. He suggested we have our regular vet re-test the growth. There were a lot of technical terms, but the re-test should show whether the growth is beginning to break down or whether it is still the same. If it is still the same, then surgery is a possibility to remove it. We will make a trip to our regular vet this week to see. I don't see any surgery happening until our head vet returns from vacation in August, and the neurologist said that if our vet had some reservations about removing it (it is in a very sensitive area), we could have a vet surgeon do it.
On a happier note, the vet said we could discontinue the B-12 shots and the supplements that she now takes. I think I will continue with the supplements until they run out, which the vet said was fine. As far as the steroids are concerned, she will continue with the current dosage every other day for 6 more months. Seems like a long time to me - until February 2017 - but we will do what we have to do. My husband thought the vet said that Sailor had probably regained as much neurological strength as she was going to get, but I'm not sure that's what he said. But, if that is the case, it is still 100% better than she was 4 months ago.
Sweet Sailor is so beloved by every one she meets. The entire staff of the neurology clinic has fallen in love with her, and she returns the favor. The receptionist today said she was so sorry that it would be 6 months until she gets to see Sailor again. How fortunate we are to have Sailor, and especially fortunate when we could have lost her 5 months ago.
If any of you reading this blog are in the same situation we were in back in February, please keep the faith. There is hope if you get the right treatment.

Happy to report after one week of steroids every other day, Sailor is tolerating the new regimen well. She actually seems to have more energy and wants to play with her toys (squeaking them obsessively) and will play catch with her tennis ball. That is something that she hasn't done for a long time. She is still not up to chasing after a ball, but she does stalk it:) Her feet still get tangled up sometimes when she moves too quickly, but her gait sometimes is reminiscent of her days before she developed SRMA. Definitely an improvement. I have tried and tried to upload a video of Sailor and her ball catching and retrieving, but can't seem to make it work. Finally, I think these will work.

Sailor catching ball

Sailor fetching ball

Her appetite for anything edible (except kale or spinach) remains strong. But, she is very happy with baby carrots for lunch and green beans for dinner. We think she may have lost some weight or at least replaced some of that bad fat with muscle. She's weighs too much to hold her to be weighed, so we'll just have to wait for the vet visit to confirm that. Now that she is a year old and no longer officially a puppy, we will begin switching from puppy chow to regular dog food, a process that takes about 10 days.

Just a note about the growth on Sailor's left foot. She still has some bleeding when she has been actively playing and still has to wear the boot when she goes outside, but it looks as though it is finally beginning to wear down in some spots. Three months is a long time to wait for it to go away, but we only have two more months to go.