Bevd

Thank you all. I am feeling fine really. In fact, I am feeling so fine that this evening, I played with my special friend (you know the one - he's small and square and furry and brown) and I was standing on my head whilst playing ( :!! ) My Mummy had to phone Dexters people today, to let them know how I got on at the vets (they gave Mummy their phone number yesterday). She spoke to Dexters Daddy and Dexters Mummy and they offered to pay for my vet visit, which was nice of them. Mummy said it was OK but asked them to make a donation to Greyhound Gap instead (thats where I am from you see). I have got a bit of a flabby neck. I look a bit silly. But you can hardly tell when I'm upside down, playing with my special friend, so thats not too bad at all. Yours, with a hole (and flab) Ned.

Sending lots of good thoughts from here

Yesterday, I was at an event and I met a greyhound called Dexter. He was a bit bigger than me but he looked nice so I took my parents over to meet him. He was also with his parents and we were both on our leads. Dexter and I said hello to eachother and we both wagged our tails and I was very good and didn't do any silly giddy leaping or nuffink And then Dexter decided that he no longer wished to make my acquaintance and he did make a hole in my neck I screamed (so that everyone within about 100m turned to look at me) and Dexter was told he was norty by his parents (and my Mummy). It wasn't a very large hole and it only bled a little bit (not drips of blood on the floor - just a bit of blood which Mummy got on her hand when she ran her hand under my neck) so I didn't get rushed off to see a vet as it wasn't necessary. Mummy got her special doggie medical kit out (for the very first time ever ) and she was wanting to use the cotton buds because they were pink and she wanted to use the tweazers because they were cute and green and she even wanted to wrap me in a foil blanket simply because we had one to hand but ulitmately, she just wiped my wound with an antispeptic wipe We didn't fall out with Dexter and his parents because dogs will just be dogs and my Mummy did give Dexter a sausage and some tickles later in the day - but of course, Dexter wasn't allowed to say hello to any other dogs again, including me. Today I went to the vets to get some antibiotics just in case Dexters teef had any nasty things on them. Helen The Vet tried to clip my fur off but as I have been working very hard on growing it, I wasn't keen on keeping still. Plus the clippers made a funny noise and they tickled me so I wriggled. A lot. When I got home, Poppy checked me over to make sure that I will survive. (Or maybe she just didn't want me to get her ball...) (Please note that the wound looks worse than it is due to sticky hair/blood/scab etc) Yours, with a hole Ned, aged 5 and a half months (and weighing in at 21.8kg)

Oh I seee - cookies Right, well, as you know, it's heading towards September and then it will be October and you know what that means don't youuuuuuuuuuuu So, whoever gets me as their SS to send to, can I please have a cookie if you have one available. Thank youuuuuuuuu And those bananas

Some of those symptoms sound similar to Cushings.

Sound good so far Continued good thoughts for Dash

Seriously Audrey, if you think Xanax will help and it's something you normally take then take one. You've told your vets that you don't want Asia stressed (which we all understand!) but you need to get your own stress/anxiety levels down because you can guarantee that YOUR stress/anxiety will have an effect on Asia (I speak as an anxiety sufferer, so I'm not preaching - I'm just very familar with the horrible feelings).

Hand fed or spoon fed foods eg, cut up hot dogs, yoghurt, cheese, scrambled egg with cheese, scrambled egg mixed with sardines (it stinks but thats what makes it work sometimes) or some of the tinned recovery food that you can get from the vets. It's very very soft and sloppy and like a pate and it worked with Darcy when she was not eating and it can be fed off a small spoon (or a finger).

What's in those boxes?

Oh I forgot to say the other day that we changed Wallace's current painkiller regime. He was having 2 x Tramadol, three times a day (for his neck pain/tremors issue) and that worked well but they wanted me to try to take it down so we went onto 1 x tramadol three times a day, plus 50g of Rimadyl twice a day. However, that doesn't work well enough because the tremors (therefore pain) came back. So now we've knocked out the Rimadyl and gone to 4 tramadol tabs per day and we'll see how we go with that over the next few days

Hmmm. I wonder if Wallace will be put on that. I was looking at this site earlier http://www.canine-cushings.co.uk/ and found it quite interesting so thought I'd share

Audrey, I think what you have to remember regarding possible infection is that you walk the streets (if you pardon the phrase ) and your other animals also walk about outside so any of you can walk anything into your home. I was in the same position with Darcy and also when we had Ned as a pup who was yet to complete his vaccinations. Nothing happened to my two and nothing will happen to yours. You have to get it into perspective. Your vet is not going to expose your dog to any infection (or no more infection than she is exposed to on any normal day inside or outside of your home). But what he will do is give her the medication that she needs to get better. It's a balance - and it's tipped in Asia's favour. And remission - I don't see remission as a temporary thing. I see it as helping the dog be here and be comfortable for today. We all know what the eventual outcome will be with ALL our dogs, currently healthy or not - so the best thing is to deal with today only and let tomorrow look after itself. I now prescribe (for you) some Rescue Remedy and some deep breaths

This was carboplatin going in. The doxorubacin went in more slowly, via a drip, so on those days, we left Darcy with the vet for a couple of hours and then collected her later. Finished (but she's not really noticed) Can I go home now for my dinner? (yes, you can)

Darcy had Doxorubacyn (my spelling of that changes each and every time I type it, but you all know what I mean!) and carboplatin. She had hers at 3 week intervals and she had her blood counts done mid way between each cycle, PLUS directly before the next treatment. We had to use gloves to dispose of any poo/pee/anything else for the first 48 hours after each treatment because the carcinogens (oh please pardon my terrible spelling) would be shed for that long after treatment, in her bodily functions. Yes, the dose is lower than in humans - and the side effects can be lower too. Is it worth it, if it's a lower dose? (give us another 3 days and we can celebrate 10 months post diagnosis and amputation) Edited to add:- Darcy never had to skip/postpone a treatment and never had any side effects until the very last dose (doxorubacin). She has VERY mild heart damage from this drug. But it's a pay off we'll take. Love to you and to Asia Another edit - I was *so* scared before Darcy had her first treatment. I felt physically ill from the thought of it. I had terrible visions in my head about what we were about to do to her and I couldn't imagine what the actual process would even look like and how Darcy would react whilst it was happening to her. After that first treatment, I was fine (as was Darcy). During treatment three (of four) I took some pics of the chemo being administered so that I could share them with anyone who might want to see in the future (maybe to remove a little of the fear). I'll find the pics for you ...

Funnily enough, I was just coming to find this thread to update after a call from the vet. The results are back from the ACTH Stimulation test and it seems that Wallace does have Cushings, although as yet, he's not showing the normal clinical signs (typical ). Helen (vet) is going to have a chat with Adam (referral centre) and will get back to me with the plan of action. What medication is Emmy taking? Wallace sends her a stripey kiss

I now have visions of Nancy running away, screaming When we'd not had Wallace very long (a couple of days) we had to pop out to the local shops so we put Wallace in his crate (because of the cats). When we got home half an hour later, he was out of his crate, peering out of the window and we entered the house with great trepidation, half expecting to see partial cat remnants scattered everywhere (which of course we did not!). The crate was also intact and to this day, we have no idea how he got out of it Bones - stop giving your mother nightmares!!

Don't be ridiculous please Nancy. If you don't post regular updates in regular threads, your inbox is going to fill up PDQ. More threads as and when necessary pleeeeeeeeeese

OMG. She really is doing *amazingly* well!!! Good girl Asia

That was some break Glad he's fixed and all straight again

Sounds like great news to me!!

I'm glad to hear that she's home Her surgery site looks great! It will bruise though over the next few days so don't be alarmed when it happens. But by this time next week, it will no dount be bruise-free again

As has been said, I think you may need to think of things to occupy him during his recovery. I've not had this sort of situation with a Greyhound but both Ella (Westie) and Radar (crossbreed) have had big orthopedic surgeries and both needed to be crated for a period of time and then both needed very limited exercise. Sprout (crossbreed) has a lesser orthopedic surgery and didn't need to be crated but did need to stay still for a few weeks So..um....things to occupy him which are not just food related (because ideally, you don't want him to be gaining too much weight). I created a little collection of 'special' things which I would rotate so that the patient wouldn't be bored by my 'activity' offering. And you'll need a camera so you can keep us photographically updated, obviously.

We took Darcy to the vets with us this afternoon when we went to collect Wallace and we got the vet himself (Darcy's vet....who is different from Wallaces primary vet...but they are both in the same practice) to come out to see her in the waiting room. She still LOVES him and did all the usual fluttering of the eye lashes and showing him the whites of her eyes Nobody can get over how her hair has come back! I can't begin to describe how thick and curly it is - and then there are the odd areas where she still has her original fur and that's all grey and sleek and long The vet said today that he thinks we 'caught it early and hit it hard'. I do hope he's right.

Leotard? (sorry Bailey!)

I'm so sorry