GreytHurleyDawg

Oh no, Ace!!!! I hope the screaming stops for good. I am so sorry to hear about the tumors. I am sure you will make the right decision. When it rains, it pours sometimes. Can't they use a patch of skin from somewhere in order to get the surgery done? I guess greys don't even have butts to draw from...... I hope your next treatment plan goes forward swiftly since all we can do is treat when tumors happen. I wonder if you can speed up the process or if the onco is comfortable with waiting until the 26th? Hugs for you and your fur family!!

I missed adding my condolences to Lily's family...it sounded very quick and I know that is the fear many of us have. I am happy that there are no regrets. I also missed mentioning Luli's diagnosis...it has been too busy of a week here on this thread. In response to: I called my vet to see if they do chemo and was told no. I asked if there was anyone nearer than Coral Springs and they were going to check. When they called back I was told my regular vet could do the chemo and an emergency vet in Deerfield could also do it. I'm thinking, no, we need an oncologist to be there that would recognize whatever might come up. I don't think we should trust the treatment to someone that would probably just have to call the oncologist. I need to word questions better. I called for a consultation appointment and was told the first available was the 25th. I left a voice mail with for the nurse asking to be squeezed in Tuesday when Scott could go. She told me they could squeeze us in if we needed to. They won't be back in the office until Tuesday so I won't know until then. They only work Tuesday through Friday., It sucks how veterinary oncology is quite laidback. We found ourselves in the same bind upon Hurley's diagnosis: we saw the Dr. on the last day of her work week and she was returning late the following week because of a conference. So, we were left to stew from Wed to Tues. I knew in our case that I had to convince my husband that we had to act and come to a treatment agreement by the day she came back...fortunately, she was available by email (usually answered by the following day) and I was not ashamed to use that. We skipped a day despite the long time and saw her again the next Wed. We made all the plans at that appt and have never looked back. Coming to terms and feeling right about your decision is a gift. I hope you get the Tuesday appt!!!!!! Be prepared, as much as you need to be. On to Twiggy, OMG what an awful day, especially considering it was supposed to be a celebratory day....no more chemo! I would be terrified if there was blood from either urine or stool. I hope she is clear now!! Please update when you know more. I can't (frankly) believe your oncologist took quick and lazy measures with your dear Twiggy. She does not sound very caring. I don't think it sounds like she is using good medical practice either. What did your regular vet say about her? As for the blood comment, *I* believe, based on my lab knowledge from doing urinalyses on human urine, that blood that stays intact throughout the spin (centrifugal) is possibly from the bloodstream....it is no accident that the dipstick is positive for blood....and it is more of a problem then. Blood that shows on the dip but lyses (dies off) during the spin is less of an issue. Fresh blood in the urine/stool has to be coming from somewhere. I hope you find your answer or that it stops completely and it can be chalked up to dehydration. I wouldn't make a very good doctor because I am too roundabout in my speech patterns. Well, I would be your average doctor. Anyway, I hope for a good update on Twiggy!!!! I have no updates for Hurley, he and Woodie and Petra are all currently fast asleep and dreaming of dinnertime....I have raw food planned for that!!

Whew!! What a huge relief!!! Plenty of good thoughts for a quick and uneventful treatment!!

So much to say and I'll probably forget a topic or two! I'm sorry about Shimmie! As for Ben, those are many good questions and all questions that need to be decided after you meet the oncologist (or during that)...it is amazing how a good oncologist is the link to the next step. I realize how lucky I am since our onco is 5 minutes away...at our 24 hour e-vet. For your personal sanity, I would ask if you have a closer oncologist than the one you have? Granted, you only have to see this doctor about every 3 to 4 weeks but I still would search for something closer. hopefully, you are getting exactly what you need from this one if you are not able or willing to go elsewhere. Also, did you send the xrays and all info to OSU yet for a second opinion?? This was crucial in Hurley's diagnosis and for many other hounds here. Forgive me if I just missed that. The reaction you get from your onco will also clue you in to your future plan for your greyhound. Most educated people appreciate the recommendations from a research hospital like the one at OSU. You just follow the directions in post #1. But there are always vets who do not appreciate this information and the fact that you are seeking their recommendation. Mine has gone to conventions to see Dr. Coutu so I feel VERY good about her. Best of luck during your decision making.....it is a difficult and stressful time but not something to ignore. We have all been there and are HERE for you!! (I reread this and I sound like I consider you a new member here but you actually have done this all before. Rather than edit the whole thing, I hope that osteo treatment has improved since your last visit here and that your options are greyter now....hugs for you and your family!!) Hurley will be getting repeat thoracic xrays before his next chemo as well. Of course, it has to be done but I also felt a little stomach butterfly when I read that. But, one day at a time....we will deal with it if mets are found and we will celebrate a little if he is clear! We had some good news in the bill department! Our VPI insurance had a comment on many of their payments that said: further benefits will be considered upon receipt of the pathology report. With all the craziness going on, I got the path report and never thought to send it in because it came after the surgery and wasn't even performed until after the amputation. I finally sent it in and got the same amount that I initially got for the amputation: I only got 1/3rd of the total at first and then I got the second 1/3rd yesterday!!! I also got a little bit for two other appointments as well. That made my day with all the post Christmas bills, our possibly needing a different car and then a small trip to NYC next month! The snow came pretty hard today....fortunately Hurley can run through the fluffy stuff with no problems!! I will always gladly shovel a path for him!!

I'm just reading this now (shush! I've been busy!) and that receptionist would be akin to having a receptionist in a pediatric office tell the parents of a child that "a good quick kick in the ass would clear that right up!"....it's just unimaginable!! I assume you are making the switch now so good luck, I hope there aren't anymore repercussions from Ms. Bitchy Monster. We have a regular vet office which is fine for annual work and minor injuries but the big stuff goes to the 24 hr vet nearby where everything is pretty state of the art. The advantage of our regular vet is that they have several vets, maybe 5, so we are constantly making appt's for the same day or the following day. Since we always make morning appt's, I don't know how it would be if I ever go back to 1st shift and have to fight for the 4pm time slot!!! Anyway, CHANGE now: RUN and DON'T LOOK BACK!! But you can write the letter if that's what people do. I would just leave and, if they asked, say the wait is too long, the receptionist stinks and my other vet makes me happy.

My prayers and thoughts for Shelby right now!! Hoping for a good update!!

Yay FedX!! You are proving thatother treatment plans work too!! Pinky, I feel so bad for your bald spot!! Kisses and hugs in the hopes that it all gets better! Gabe reminds me that Hurley is just a touch tired after his chemo too. But it sounds like Gabe's appetitie is right on track!! Has there been any sign of the lameness or is he still doing good? Pepper, get better soon and have clear xrays, too!! We just booked a 5 day trip to NYC at the end of Feb. Fingers crossed that Hurley stays well and good! The hounds will probably be staying at the house of our former president of GPA-WI. So, NO worries about them!! I wanted to find a sitter before booking and they, fortunately, had the availability.

Hurley was given Chemo #3 yesterday and has had no problems so far! I do have the Cerenia if he gets nauseous. His wbc was at 3400 and the nurse (or technician?) said 2000 is their cutoff, with 2000-3000 being iffy. So, he was doing fine. The neutrophil count was unavailable at our appointment. She said Hurley is very good and stays in place while gettting his infusion...never giving them trouble. I find this slightly hard to believe but good for him if its true!! I am so grateful to be at this stage and doing so well!! He had a tiny lump (mosquito bump sized) on his ribcage: very soft and squooshy. The doctor aspirated it anyway and it was just fatty cells. Hurley is now our last dog to have a fatty lump....Woodie and Petra both have them near their armpits and they are larger than Hurley's little one. Does anyone know if this is diet-related? Good thoughts for Pinky, Gabe and Ace!!!

Well said, Kristin!! Maybe I have been affected by people that do have pity in their eyes when they see Hurley. I don't know if it's true pity or a lack of understanding how he manages but there is NO reason to pity these guys. Celebrations are definitely in order!! I never mean to come across as sad and complaining so I apologize if I do but thanks for being here everyone! I just need to remind myself of how unforgiving cancer is and be glad for the good times we are experiencing now and hope for more good news as treatments progress: for everyone!!

Oh Berkeley, Oh Twiggy, Oh Pinky, Oh Charlie and Gabe! (I definitely have santa's reindeer lineup in my head right now!) It is good to hear (and SEE) good news from the hounds! 4 miles! Hurley is jealous: it is supposed to warm up here by the end of the week so I hope to get a nice, long walk in when I have another couple of days off. Berkeley sure is excited! And adorable, my eyes didn't leak but I wish it was the middle of the day right now and that I was about to take Hurley and co. for a walk. In more detailed response to the bond with Hurley, I have to give him extra attention right now (which I enjoy!) but this illness kind of gives me an excuse for it to be "okay". I always tried to give equal attention to the pups but it is Hurley who most responds to it and has always most needed it. This isn't his first brush with serious illness either. He has had two prior ICU stays and worries me the most. He is also a companion hound who loves people versus the attitudes of my other two who don't have that need for attention as much. So, I have extra thoughts for Hurley Dawg and I feel okay about it. He has started whining in the mornings now, especially when he hears us awaken (alarm goes off, we hit snooze or reset time...we live the luxurious mornings due to our 2nd shift jobs) and I think he gets lonely downstairs. I will probably have to sleep on the couch for the last hour or so in the mornings!! He does love to snuggle. I definitely don't want to feel like I didn't do everything for him, both emotionally and medically, so it is nice to take the time to look back at life instead of always going forward. Thank you, Kyle, for writing that about Charlie. I don't know if it's the rear leg vs the front leg amputation that throws me off a little but when I see a pic of a front leg amputee standing strong...it's like Hurley doesn't quite match up to that brave face because his missing leg is behind him. So, from a side view, I see him using his two front legs normally and the rear one hops behind and is doing a lot of work to keep up with the ambition of his front two legs. Hurley was always a giddy and agile jumper so he never looked like he needed his front legs at all....his back legs sprung him forward. I was afraid I would feel like this but I don't feel emotion about it, I just notice it. i certainly don't mean to scare anyone either, just that for me, the transition seems gradual. Ok, last topic....has anyone asked you if they need a prosthetic leg? The answer IS no but I wonder how a prosthesis could be used and whether anyone has used one. I'm just curious. I think it would get in the way if the dog wasn't standing during use. But if there was one that was easy to clip on, how would that help and be used? I know, you can file me away in the nutso cabinet but sometimes asking the obvious questions leads to good discussion or good ideas!

I have been away from this thread so long (my subconscious takes over and steers me away to happier places sometimes, not to mention work and holidays sucking my time away) that I had to go back to page 7 or something!! Happy New Year Everyone! I am sorry to read of some new members. I hope everything is going alright for everyone. I just wanted to post a piccy of Hurley and give you his update and some of my thoughts. The ups and downs with Gabe have been intense though...I hope everything calms down again for him! <3 <3 Hurley is doing very well, I don't think his immune system is too bad off, we are scheduled for chemo #3 on Wednesday this week. I will wait and have his blood drawn then and maybe ask about the numbers since we are all curious. I want to compare the cost of doing it there vs with our regular vet ($42 CBC) anyway. He runs, he eats, he plays, he roaches, he snuggles, he very rarely whines (which IS something he used to do when he wanted to go upstairs to our bedroom) and he is enjoying life!! He loves going for leash walks and car rides, he is adorably excited all the time. He still hasn't mastered the (3 in the back and 2 in the front) steps...somehow his motivation just isn't there or he is squeamish about hurting his leg. But I do not think it's anything to worry about. His remaining rear leg does seem to buckle quite frequently so we think he isn't getting quite as much exercise as he needs. We have discussed upping his leash walks to at least one a day. With the weather coming in the near future, I don't know how that will affect our plans. He gets pushed by Woodie (our 90 pounder) in the house and his leg will buckle too. But Woodie has always been too pushy and Hurley and Petra have always been forced to move or blocked, as the situation may be by Woodie's oblivious movements (someone mentioned the term bull in a china shop...that's him!). My worry would be that something was happening in his remaining leg but I thought I'd post here and see how other tripods do with the weight-bearing that must be done. He has to hop to move, of course, and I still feel slightly surprised each time I see it. Kristin, I know how you feel as well about not wishing this on anyone but glad to still have your beloved pet with you and fighting this so well. I completely understand! My pic, finally! Here is Hurley after he set up the tree, strung the lights and decorated it with all of our ornaments! He was damn tired after all that festive work! And, panning back a little bit, this is where his supervisor hung out: Alright, i admit that neither dog had to do any work except give me moral support, and THAT they did! I had the best Christmas tree this house has ever seen! Stay healthy and happy as long as you can!!!!

I am so sorry to hear of Mr. Murphy's sudden passing...he raced out of life like the racer that he is. I am sure he has hooked up with Bailey already....I have never seen that photo before of Bailey resting on Mr. Murphy's armpit and I love it!!!! That is the epitome of contentment! All my sympathies to you and your family! It is not worth it to worry about not being there at the end: my father passed away similarly (my mother had been on high alert for the end and he passed while she was taking a restroom break and the nursing aides were taking care of him) and it seems to be quite common. Could it be a higher calling?? {{{{Hugs}}}}

What a touching story about a greyhound who won your heart and will never give it back, at least not in the same shape. Callie sounds like a precious and loving hound. I am glad you had so many years with her and that you still have dear Pixie. I have my own tripod and they surely do manage to get along fine and fight the cancer until the end. Thank you for sharing Callie's ending and I hope you find a new beginning at the right time...she will be in your heart forever!

Good thing Gabe got in before Christmas! I am glad Twiggy is out of the brain tumor woods! Hurley runs out with the other two hounds and I can't even notice any decrease in speed or excitability....just less of a concern for squirrel patrol but those rodents are on winter break until Hurley gets back to 100% anyway!!! And we'll take as long as we can at 100%!!! Happy Holigreys!

Wendy, I am glad to hear it has slowly been getting better and not worse but what a couple of months of scariness!! You mentioned it started before the chemo but was it after the amputation? I wonder if you will ever get a real answer. I sure hope so! This neurologist was the one that was an OSU grad or something, right? Did you ever send the video or the info to OSU? Hurley once had a petit mal seizure, we assume. He all of a sudden tried to get up on a hot August night and could not stand up or right himself. We supported him and he recovered within a minute. We walked him, he peed outside and then we took him to the vet who did not find anything unusual. Fortunately, he never had one again. My only explanation was the heat: it had been continuously hot (and we do not have central a/c so the portable a/c turns off when the bucket gets full) for days and was finally getting very slightly better on the night it happened but maybe he couldn't "take" it anymore. Does Twiggy always have the episode in the same location? Could there be a trigger like the furnace turning on? Our hounds seem to be sensitive to our furnace, sometimes they get agitated and bark. It's just a thought, I doubt it's right. I like the phantom leg thought that was mentioned. Many good thoughts to you and Twiggy!! Keep us posted on what the onco thinks! Chemo #5 means only one more after that and her body can relax!!

I agree with Wendy, that had to be a stressful and harrowing "vacation". At least he is home now getting all the recovery he needs! I hope to hear more good updates.

Yay, Nubes!!! We can breathe out a collective sigh of relief!! I hope the infection keeps healing since he is not out of the woods yet!

Our chemo drugs also made it on the 8th (one day after my doctor was working). Whew!!! We got Hurley's blood drawn at our regular vet and the White count is low but I guess it's not low enough for our oncologist to delay the chemo because, as far as I know, we will be getting Chemo #2 tomorrow! We took (carried) Hurley upstairs to our bedroom last night and I had to come down to pee in the morning. He jumped off the bed (I guess that was okay) and got some scritchies before I came down and then, as I was stuck on the toilet, I hear paws coming down the steps....I knew it wasn't Petra because she loves to sleep in. It was Hurley, all by himself down the wooden, steep, scary steps!! And he made it fine! I don't know what I would have done if he fell but he is pretty scrappy! Yay! He is also running in the backyard as fast as the other two -and- loving it! But tomorrow we will keep him separated and quiet until his appetite and excitement level come back.

Well, it's not totally horrible, we now know there is a foreign object in there. The swelling must make it impossible to get to though. I hope he starts getting better. We all know home is the best place to recover! I know exactly what you are going through with the sling (we just used a towel): dogs just don't like it. Hurley has fallen quite a few times too and it's no fun but it does happen. I also know what it's like to have a toe problem bloom into something dangerous (from Woodie's broken toe that was bandaged and then got infected). Kisses and gentle scritches to Nubes! Can you notice the swelling going down when you apply whatever the vet recommended? Keep an eye on everything...healing can be a slow and problematic process. I am hoping for a nice recovery, of course!

Hugs to you Kristin! I was thinking the same thing (about next Xmas) while I was decorating the tree today...it is our first live tree (well, my family always had them but for me and my hubby) and I had to stop and hug the little guy, who was conveniently lying underneath the tree! They are definitely here to be cherished! It sounds like all had a wonderful day! I guess OSU is very busy or short stocked. I'm glad we can update each other. Berkeley is VERY handsome and dashing in that coat! I saw Xan's portrait of Faye Oops on facebook, it was very touching and absolutely beautiful! Btw, Gabe should get refunded the chemo money when the drugs arrive!

Yay, this is the first time I have had a chance to read this! It is also good for me to know to let my own osteo/ chemo dog rest more and let his immune system do its work. So far, so good after 1 chemo here. Thinking of Twiggy who is going through some tougher times!

Thinking many good thoughts for Twiggy and that we all can hang in here while we wait!!

The onco did email me back and he will need a CBC before his chemo so yay! I can take him to our regular vet and I want them to see him and check him out anyway since we haven't been there since this began. She said I was welcome to the Cerenia if I want it. The odd thing is that OSU was going to send the chemo out on Dec 1 and my onco had not received it yet by the 7th. I won't know for sure until she gets back to the office Monday but I quickly emailed OSU back since that seems too long unless OSU got really delayed mailing it. I forgot to say GO Gabe!! And my thoughts are with Twiggy right now (another thread).

I hope you guys are safely home by now! Please update when Nubes has a chance!

Oh, Twiggy and Wendy!! I am so sad to hear that Twiggy is exhibiting symptoms that could be related to a brain tumor. I REALLY hope it is nothing to worry about. Are these types of seizures very typical of a tumor? I reread your post and apparently the oncologist thinks so but I would hold out for the neurologist's input. Obviously, you are choosing the right path by ruling out the worst first....and I pray that it does get ruled out! Twiggy does need to see next summer and I want to see and meet sweet Twiggy myself. I keep telling myself not to relax and trust that the chemo will do everything needed in my Hurley's case but it is so hard not to. Just keep fighting and don't give up. But if the time has come to make a big decision, then let me know how I can help because this is just too huge to believe. You are not alone in this! I agree that Dr Cuoto and/or OSU can help. And they seem very nice and caring too. Keep us posted, I am very hopeful that this could be drug-related or mouth-related!!!! Or who knows what else? Johanna