giadog

Gia's amp is today!! I feel woefully unprepared.... But I'll keep reading everything I can get my hands on while she's in the hospital!

Gia's biopsy results came back today... The throat lump is benign! We go ahead with the amp on Wed., and now I'm officially terrified! I feel terrible for her right now... The combo of meds she's on has sent her into an anxious dysphoria, and she's a nervous mess. My doctor recommended cutting back on Tramadol as long as she doesn't seem to be in too much pain.

I'm so sorry, Sheshe. We're in the same boat as you right now, just got the diagnosis. We haven't decided on which route to take, but I wish you and Bella nothing but warmth and love.

Budsmom, believe me, I already have my own issues with them, unfortunately! But thanks for the advice, in case I hadn't known. It's terrible when people in our position have their lot made even harder uneccessarily. We got Gia home last night, and at first she was pretty out of it, but by the time bedtime rolled around, she really was feeling just like her old self (albeit pretty sore!). But it was good to see our sassy, snarky girl back in action. I wish the results wouldn't take so long, but the doctor assured us we were fine waiting a few days. I so hope the throat lump isn't anything that's going to keep us from treating her!

So we had the dr. appointment, and it didn’t really go as planned…. We figured we’d just be there setting up the amputation as soon as possible, but while we were doing the physical, we noticed a lump in gia’s throat, too. So now we’re biopsy-ing that as well as the leg, to see what’s going on. The three options are that the throat lump is A)nothing, a weird coincidence of dead cells, in which case we’d move forward with the surgery as planned, B)a cancer that’s RELATED to the leg tumor, which might be a good thing b/c it could mean that the leg tumor ISN’T osteosarcoma, but rather a metastasization of whatever kind of cancer is in her throat, and therefore easier to treat. We’d still do the amp in that case, but there could be a higher chance it wouldn’t come back in a year, or C) a completely different kind of cancer, in which case we’d probably NOT do the surgery then and just move on to palliative care, b/c when you’re facing TWO cancers, you’re basically effed. So now we're back to waiting and seeing. They'll probably get the results of the biopsy back on Monday, so we're thinking surgery on Wednesday if that's the route we take.

I haven't yet read all the new replies, but I wanted to post about what's going on while it's still fresh in my head.... So the dr. appointment didn’t really go as planned…. We figured we’d just be there setting up the amputation as soon as possible, but while we were doing the physical, we noticed a lump in gia’s throat, too. So now we’re biopsy-ing that as well as the leg, to see what’s going on. The three options are that the throat lump is A)nothing, a weird coincidence of dead cells, in which case we’d move forward with the surgery as planned, B)a cancer that’s RELATED to the leg tumor, which might be a good thing b/c it could mean that the leg tumor ISN’T osteosarcoma, but rather a metastasization of whatever kind of cancer is in her throat, and therefore easier to treat. We’d still do the amp in that case, but there could be a higher chance it wouldn’t come back in a year, or C) a completely different kind of cancer, in which case we’d probably NOT do the surgery then and just move on to palliative care, b/c when you’re facing TWO cancers, you’re basically effed. So now we're back to waiting and seeing. They'll probably get the results of the biopsy back on Monday, so we're thinking surgery on Wednesday if that's the route we take.

Hello all. I'm all for super-secret-handshake clubs, but I never hoped to be part of this one! Although, I suppose I have been for months now. We lost Moe Moe, our cattle dog, to osteo last month, but it came on and overcame him so quickly, I didn't have time for things like posting and learning and information. So, lucky me, Gia decided we still needed to learn. She was diagnosed this afternoon with osteo at the top of the femur, in the shoulder joint. She's our first dog, the best grey ambassador there ever was. She's only 9, and she requires attention the way some of us require oxygen. Because I'm what you'd call 'an obsessively morbid worrier,' I'd already conveniently considered our 'osteo options' well before it ever became a realistic concern. That means I knew long ago that Gia would be, mentally and emotionally, at least, an optimal candidate for amputation. Luckily, her physical results agree, so that's the option we're going to pursue. We meet with our oncologist tomorrow. I don't know him personally, but he comes highly recommended by both my vet and by people whom I trust, so I feel very comfortable. Unless he tells me things I don't want to hear, of course. Then he's a godless heathen. I really just want to move quickly. We noticed an on-and-off limp just a few weeks ago. It became a constant limp a few days ago, and it was diagnosed today. She said the bone didn't look too far gone, so I'm hoping we caught it quickly and can remove the offensive tissue before there's too much micro-mestastatizing. Because of extenuating life circumstances, everything's going to be excessively miserable while we figure this out, but I'm hopeful we can power through all of the *cowpile* and come out unscalded on the other side. I'm sorry, I've started rambling, but I spent last night having one nightmare after another about being trapped in a tornado, and now that's what my brain feels like. How prescient of me.

Thanks for the input, everyone. Based on some of the advice, I've got some ups and some downs.... on the plus side, DH and I work basically opposite schedules, so he'll be home during the day and I'll be home at night. On the downside, he's scheduled to have knee surgery on Tuesday, so I'm not sure how much help he'll be able to be. Hopefully his recovery won't be so extensive that he can't help Gia with hers. Cost is frightening; we're still recovering financially from Moe Moe and Apu's stay in the e-vet after the fire, but we have $2500 of insurance coverage for Gia, so hopefully her surgery will be without incident and the insurance will at least cover a majority of the up-front costs. We'll be getting a decent insurance settlement from our house fire, so I can scrimp on getting stuff back for the house and put more towards Gia. The good news about being in our rental house is that it's a single story, where our real house is a raised ranch, so to get outside at all she'd have to tackle a lot of stairs. We'll be in this house for at least a few more weeks. Mostly, I'm scared of her being in so much pain afterwards... I come a bit unhinged when one of my pups is suffering. I've sent a e-mail consultation request to OSU, and we're set up to meet the oncologist tomorrow. I'm fully ready to get this moving as fast as possible, but I also want to be able to read as much as I can in the meantime to prepare myself even a bit for what comes after. I don't know this oncologist myself, but he came with the highest recommendation from my vet, whom I trust implicitely. One thing I'm not worried about yet is her appetite, I HIGHLY doubt anything could put Gia off food for more than an evening! And charlies_dad, I promise, there's going to be NO problem staying angry.

Hello, all. Gia was just diagnosed with osteo. I'm absolutely sick. We're definitely considering amputation because she's a good physical candidate... youngish (only 9), well muscled, and the cancer hasn't metastasized at all. Mentally, I definitely think she'd handle it. She' pretty much our bombproof HBIC, so I think she'll take it in stride. But I'd like to hear any insight you all have... if you've done it, what it was like, was it worth it, the time it gave you, etc. We're meeting with an oncologist tomorrow morning at 9:30, so I'm trying to move quickly if we do go ahead with it. Thanks in advance. colleen

It's cancer. They're doing a chest x-ray now to see if it's spread to her lungs. If not, she's a good candidate for amputation.

Gia's x-rays are today. My 'No Cancer' mantra is playing full force inside my head. Her bloodwork came back yesterday and the vet said it looked good, so that's hopeful, right?

I'm guessing it must have been something in a past lifetime, when I WASN'T such an awesome person. Thanks everyone!

Hi again, everyone! If you're not all good-thoughted out for me, we could really use some for Gia... A week or so ago, we noticed she would limp a bit after jumping down off the couch or bed. It progressed to a serious limp, all the time. We took her in yesterday and they did a quick physical and bloodwork, and made an appointment for Xrays on Tuesday. They determined the pain is in her shoulder area. Gia's our first baby, but she's not much of a baby anymore... 9 years old. It's amazing how quickly that sneaks up on you! So anyways, please send prayers and thoughts that it's not THE BAD THING, and that she's just got an old-lady shoulder!

Pam, I'm so sorry. I know what it feels like to get 'flooded', and I just wanted to let you know I'm thinking good things for you.

Moe Moe went to the bridge at 1:40. He was held tighly by both DH and I, and the last words he heard were of love. Thank you all for extending to him your thoughts and prayers.

I think we have to let Moe Moe go today. He was doing well overall, then yesterday went downhill so quickly. First I came home from work and noticed his back left leg was completely swollen and hot to the touch. His tumor is in his pelvic bone, not actually his leg, but that's the leg that always showed all the symptoms. Then last night, I noticed there were no potty accidents (pee) around the house, which is unusual for him. This morning I took him out to potty, and he still was unable to pee. He's no longer excited about eating, and I think his poor old body is just shutting down. I'm sure we could go in and cath him, but it's just going to be band-aiding problems over and over again, and they'll come fast and faster. His eyes are tired and he's telling me he's ready. I hope I'm not just doing this because it's too hard on me, I hope I'm reading him right. My sweetest old man always takes such good care of me, I want to make sure I take care of him. I love you, Moe Moe.

I will always remember Bee Wiseman--her name and her stories. My heart aches for you both.

I'm so shocked and deeply saddened to read this news. Like everyone else here, I fell in love with Wabi through pictures, stories, and some great dandelion-eating videos. My heart breaks for you, Xan.

Thinking of you all. Thank you for doing everything you can to make him happy and comfortable.

I'm so sorry for everything you're going through. We had a similar situation, and I can still vividly remember the heartache and fear. My thoughts are with you and Minny, and now Cash as well.

Just seeing this now! Glad to hear she's in good hands, but still sending all the healthy energy I can!

This is the diet we put Butkus on when he was diagnosed with cancer: Breakfast: 2 scoops Orijen 6-fish kibble 2 scoops plain yogurt His prescription meds (steriods and pheno pills for seizures) 7 maitake mushroom pills 1 I-3 supplement pill 1/2 dropperful of goldenseal extract a pinch of plant enzymes 3 tablespoons brewed essaic tea Dinner: 1-2 scoops hamburger/veggie mix (once a week I'd lightly sautee a mix of hamburger, kale, blueberries, tomatoes, edamame, and broccoli sprouts, then scoop it out for dinner every night) 5-6 raw chicken wings 1 scoop cottage cheese His prescription meds 7 maitake mushroom pills 1/2 dropperful goldenseal extract pinch of plant enzymes 3 tablespoons essaic tea Twice throughout the day, when NOT on a full stomach, we gave him 3 IP-6 pills. Hope that helps!

If you've had the films done, please get in touch with Dr. Liz Pluhar at the University of Minnesota Vet School. They're doing a clinical trial on brain tumors, and if Ozzy's got a diagnosis he may be accepted. It's an awesome study that helped our family out tremendously.

I'm so very sorry you lost such a special dog. Run fast at the bridge, Echo!

I'm so very sorry. Run fast and far at the bridge with your brother, Spur!