NeylasMom
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Posts posted by NeylasMom
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Glad she's recovering well overall.
Did OSU stop their free chemo?
I'm also curious, did the vet tell you those are the survival numbers without chemo? Those seem more like what I would expect with chemo, but I'm admittedly a bit out of the loop as it's been a few years since I've dealt with an osteo dx. Of course I hope you have multiple happy years together.
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Thanks for the feedback so far.
To be a little more specific, pond would have water that moves. I don't know a lot about ponds, but I am interested in the type that recirculates the water with a pump. Actually saw a neighbor's that is on a bit of an incline and the water runs down over some rocks before landing in the pool of water. I don't know how much that affects things like algae, etc (presumably better?), But that's what I'm thinking of. Highly unlikely I would put fish in it. More am extension of my garden so irises, etc growing in it.
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I haven't decided yet. Will be fairly game day decision wise. I do need to reach out to my sitter to see if she wants to stay here with Skye. If not, that makes things a lot less likely.
But yes, if we go, things will be different. Violet can't do as much these days anyway so we will likely spend a lot more time at our home base at Seneca Lodge, but that's fine with me
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Two outdoor related questions for you:
Does anyone have a non-elevated bed (not interested in the coolaroo type, we have those and Violet doesn't love them) that is suitable for leaving outdoors all of the time (completely waterproof) and thick enough for an older grey who needs an orthopedic bed? Bonus if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
And does anyone have a man-made pond in their yard that the dogs have access to? Have you had any issues? Do you worry about or have to monitor for blue-green algae in the summer?
Thanks!
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Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like we should continue to explore it as an option.
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You might want to search H&M as well as there's been some discussion in osteo threads.
My experience, 0/2. I tried it with both Neyla and Zuri when they had osteo, but didn't see much if any improvement from it. But worth keeping in mind that in both cases that was later on when it was getting more difficult to manage their pain. And on the other hand, I didn't see noticeable side effects from it so I would try it again in the future.
Also, you may know this, but it supposedly doesn't relieve pain itself, but enhances the pain relieving abilities of an NSAID so you give them together.
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Has anyone had a vulvoplasty done on their dog? I'm pretty convinced we're at the point where it needs to be done, but I'd love to hear about people's experiences. Honestly, the scariest part might be the 2 week recovery period of inactivity (this is for Skye, not Violet).
In all seriousness, any type of anesthesia/surgery always scares the crap out of me, but I think it will give her relief. The specialty place I like has a surgical group so I'm thinking about reaching out to them. It's probably overkill, but I feel better because they have an ER on site, can consult with a vet anesthesiologist, and while it's its own practice, Skye has had an emergency dental there so her anesthesia protocol can easily be passed along.
I extra don't want to do this with the current restrictions in place, but I'll at least get the ball rolling. Thanks for any input you can give.
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Glad you were able to get in! Please keep us posted. I chose the same route as you for Zuri though his radiation treatments were 2 total on consecutive days. Unfortunately we were one of the about 20% that don't see a benefit from the radiation, but the Zoledronate did help. Hoping you have fantastic results!
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On 6/16/2020 at 8:57 PM, tbhounds said:
An 80lb dog can absolutely be given 800mg every 8 hours of gabapentin but, perhaps one should re-think their drug of choice for a dog in that much pain. Codine/Tylenol should be considered or amantadine.......
Fwiw, the palliative specialist we worked with was the one who guided us to increase the Gabapentin dosage to manage Zuri's osteo pain as a first line of defense (NSAID was already at max dose). I think the benefit is the general lack of side effects and it does seem to manage osteo pain quite well.
I've never had luck with Tylenol/codeine or Amantadine, unpleasant side effects with the former and completely useless with the latter, but obviously that's an n of 2 and just anecdotal. It's worthwhile to try different things and see what works best, but I think Gabapentin can be quite effective.
I do agree with Greysmom on the Tramadol. Not sure what vets are doing these days with it. We had Zuri on it, but that was several years ago now and at they time the folks in the know we're saying it wasn't that effective for dogs.
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Gabapentin has a huge safety range so that amount is not out of the question, but if you jump from 400 to 800 you're going to have horrible side effects. I wrote a long post before about how to increase Gaba, will have to check back later to find it or explain again, but quick version, change one dose at a time, not all three, by 100 mg, wait for any side effects to subside, change another dose. When all 3 are increased by 100 mg, and side effects have subsided, start again if needed.
Fyi, dogs can build up a tolerance to Gabapentin so another reason increasing the dose is reasonable.
Fwiw, my male (70ish lbs) was up to 500-600 per dose with his osteo before I euthanized him. And my current greyhound just has back issues and seh gets 300 am, 400 pm, but when she has to be sedated she gets 500 the night before and 500 the morning of to keep her calm. This is a 60 lb max female.
ETA: I'm really sorry you're dealing with this. My other comment, coming completely from a place of knowing your pain is to remember that you're dealing with a very painful terminal disease. If you can't control his pain, or he's having noticeable side effects from the med increases it's probably time. I'm also assuming he's already maxed out on a NSAID and is making taking Tramadol?
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Not enough information to know. Do you have video? That would be easiest.
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I'm sorry you haven't been able to get am earlier appt. That is beyond frustrating. Is that vet your only option without driving 3 hours? If so, my suggestion would be to really read up on the palliative options and consider whether you would really want to do them. None of these treatments are without risks. Zoledronate still has a risk of kidney issues, both palliative and stereotactic radiation can weaken the bone and increase the risk of a break. All of the radiation treatments require multiple sedations, though it's a very light, quick sedation for the palliative version. Stereotactic requires 2 longer periods of sedation, first or get the scans and then to do the treatment.
Also call the office in Phoenix and ask for estimates, or ballparks and decide if you would want to pay for them (none of them are cheap, I think Zuri's radiation was at around $2K and each Zoledronate treatment was $500-600 or more when you added in the vet recheck, blood work, etc. Stereotactic when I last checked a few years ago could easily cost you close to $10K when all is said and done.
Then if you think you want to pursue any of them, consider driving to Phoenix. I would try to work out scheduling with them in a way that you can proceed to the treatment(s) in the same trip, at least the first time. Osteo really isn't something where you want to wait 2 months if you're going to do anything.
Also, where we are everything is still contactless, which typically means handing your dog over to them, but our veterinary dentist agreed to look at photos I sent and then do the consult by phone because we knew she was going to need the dental regardless. So you might be able to convince someone to at least start with a phone consult. Hopefully Dr. Couto will serve that role and help you narrow down your options.
I don't mean to sound pushy, it's just that time is of the essence. You might have to get a little creative to work out what's best. And if it turns out nothing but meds until they're not doing their job is it, there's nothing wrong with that either.
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13 minutes ago, JenniferS said:
Have you looked into Pamidronate or other similar infusions? We did this with my boy Wylie a few years ago and he had 6 good months post-diagnosis. It is essentially a bisphosphonate that may help strengthen the bone and reduce pain (along with pain meds). My vet was very happy with how it helped Wylie's bone around the tumor to calcify.
Just fyi, Zoledronate is the newer version. Pamidronate isn't used anymore because it had a higher risk of kidney damage.
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So here the radiation oncologist is separate from the regular oncologist so you may want to ask if you can schedule directly with the radiation person. Both stereotactic and palliative radiation are options, and the latter has advanced. There's also IV Zoledronate (that would be your regular oncologist).
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3 hours ago, RaineysMom said:
can you ask your friend if he just soldered the feet of the batteries to the unit? I'd be willing to try that myself if that was it (already have it opened up)?
How did you get yours open?
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Yay! Does your computer friend want to do this for a reasonable fee? I think there are several of us who would pay. I would especially pay if it could be converted so I could replace the batteries in the future.
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Gah, so long to wait
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So do we have to wait until you order batteries to find out if you're successful?
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I don't have anything to offer re: Proheart. Just wondering if there's any chance Bette is getting reinfected, in your yard for instance? I know these hooks are an absolute pita so I'm guessing you've already thought of that, but thought I'd mention it. Sorry you're dealing with this. I hope the Proheart does the trick if you decide to try it.
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4 hours ago, IvorHambitt said:
Thank you both so much for your responses. What has worried me is that it feels like an escalation, with much less of a warning before snapping this time. Although I'm starting to doubt my memory now, I think there was a brief freeze but no growl and the bite caused punctures and bruising. I'm going to speak to his rescue about any guidance they have. I'm trying to keep in mind that both incidents were around food and were not out of the blue. I'm so worried that we're just not the right home for him :-(
You need the help of a qualified professional to talk about a training plan and how to manage the situation in the meantime. This is something you can address if everyone in the home is on board, but it will take time and in the meantime you need everyone to be safe, for his sake as well as yours. Can you email me? I can't PM at the moment. I'm a trainer and can offer you some resources depending on where you are located: jboydmorin @ gmail
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I think the best thing you can do to slow progression is to have a PT plan in place to improve/maintain core strength. We progressed from in home PT exercises after Zuri's diagnosis to underwater treadmill and then maintained with exercise, especially on uneven surfaces so hiking for us and walking hills.
Also, cold laser, massage, acupuncture, and meds - all that good stuff - but it's a vicious cycle if you do less exercise because the dog seems uncomfortable so their muscles get weaker, which makes it harder for the to compensate for the compromised spine.
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Yikes! We have two living under the sheds, but the sheds are in a different area than our fenced yard. But this makes me nervous as Skye loves to bolt out of the door at night to go find critters to chase and bark at.
Hope you're two heal up quickly!
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I spoke with my vet and the vet opthalmologist we see because Violet does have an eye tumor we do regular check ups on. Both agreed this sounded like a seizure related to a neurological issue. So it's watch and wait and see the neurologist if they continue.
I thought this immediately last night and feel now it's even more likely that the "disc issues" we have been dealing with for the last few years are likely a slow growing tumor. But we'll see.
Amantadine:
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
Thanks for the update. Glad it's helping Bea.