vjgrey

Argh. Gabe is in for chemo today, but that's on hold because his oncologist thinks his back leg tumor has progressed pretty substantially. They're doing x-rays now so we know better where we stand and what our options are. Meanwhile I'm trying not to have a total meltdown in Starbucks. What an ugly, awful disease.

Oh my god. That's horrific. There just aren't words for how sorry I am.

Unfortunately, oncology offices seem to be worried about that, too. Or at least mine does. I have to really push to get more than exactly a week's worth of Tramadol for Gabe. Normally that's fine because his appointments are generally once a week, but sometimes they're not, and sometimes he needs a little extra to control his pain (e.g super cold days). They're always very hesitant to give me more. Edited to add - I'm generally very happy with his oncology office and strongly agree that you need a specialist if you have one in your area.

I love sleep woofs.

I'm so, so sorry. I was a wreck the first few days after Gabe's diagnosis. I did feel better once we had a plan. Amputation wasn't an option for him (Osteo in two limbs) so we're doing chemo, radiation and four types of pain meds. The radiation has made a huge difference for him. Without it, we would've had to let him go a week after diagnosis. He's now three months post-diagnosis and doing well.

I can't see anything in the pictures, but you know your hound's feet better than anyone else. For what it's worth, if you are seeing/feeling a hard mass that feels part of the bone, I wouldn't wait until next week to have it checked out. I may be super Osteo-jumpy since we're going through it now with Gabe, but it's such a fast-moving disease, I wouldn't risk letting it go for a week.

A couch roach! :wub: So glad she's home and comfy.

My hounds aren't raw fed, but they get (boiled, shredded) chicken every meal as a kibble topper. We also make 95% of their treats (dehydrated chicken). We go through SO MUCH of it and are wondering whether it would be worth it to get a dedicated freezer and buy in bulk. We'd also be interested in buying other things occasionally - marrow bones, turkey necks, chicken feet, etc. Any good local sources? I think we pay about $1.50 a pound at the commissary, so we'd like to beat that if possible.

Yes, but in our case, I think the "aggression" is medical, not behavioral. And we don't have kids.

I agree. TONS of positive thoughts for you and Ace. You and your hounds have really been through the wringer lately.

How I wish flexi leads had never been invented. I don't think anyone should use them. For anything. Ever.

What a perfect tribute to your beautiful boy. I'm so sorry.

Such a sweet little face. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Isn't it a weird feeling? Yesterday was three months since Gabe's diagnosis, and it feels like it's been so much longer. Which is okay, because with him, I WANT time to slow down. Gabe has a pretty sensitive stomach, but he's had no real problems with chemo (knock on wood). The only side effect we've seen is a little tiredness for a day or so after his fourth.

I'm so sorry you've gotten such bad news. I'm sending tons of positive thoughts for you and Toby. I hope the surgery and chemo go well.

Oh, ugh! This is the first I'd heard about this. Looked it up and discovered that the same plant makes Deramaxx, which Gabe has been doing great on for the last month. SO not pleased about this news.

I'm SO, so sorry. I hope you have a lot of PITA, DIVA time left with her.

Best Bully Sticks I'm SO glad you posted this. I meant to place an order yesterday but didn't get around to it. 15% off for my procrastination is pretty good.

It's not unusual for greys to hog the furniture, but if he's barking, growling and snapping at you, he doesn't belong on the couch. Also - if he won't respond to "off," he doesn't belong on the couch.

Jane, tons of good thoughts for you and Joe. Gabe's radiology office just called with good news for us - "nothing to worry about," in his urinalysis. She said she'll defer to his oncologist on whether it's a good idea to continue pamindronate (or to continue on the same schedule), but they see no signs of kidney failure, no UTI, not even dehydration. BIG exhale. Gabe really seems worn out today, though. I'm not sure whether it's chemo #4 catching up with him, the radiation/anesthesia, the three vet appointments in three days, or maybe a combination. We plan to spend a lot of couch time together this weekend.

He does CBCs but apparently not chemistry panels? They collected a urine sample first thing this morning and are doing in-house testing, so I'm waiting nervously to hear the results.

I'm so very sorry, Jane. There are no good or easy choices for us, are there? I can say that for Gabe, radiation has provided almost immediate pain relief. He's gone from unable to stand without sling assistance to walking without a limp within hours of the treatment. If we hadn't had radiation to fall back on, I think we would've had to let him go within a week or so of diagnosis. I do REALLY worry about a fracture, though, and specifically the "How on earth would I get him in the car?" worry. I'm married, but my husband works long hours/is away for business a lot. Often, it's just me and the hounds, and I can't lift an 85 pound dog. Fortunately, the one time it became an issue, my landlord was in the area and able to help.

Math does my head in, but I know that all of his doses have been less than than what's recommended for his weight. I think the first two, he was only given 50%, because he was having issues with lameness at the time, and his oncologist didn't want to risk serious side effects on top of all that. The next two I know were given at 95%. So he should have...a little over a dose and a half left? I imagine I'll be speaking to his oncologist soon about his kidney values, so I'll ask him then.

But I paid for the carboplatin for that first treatment myself. So if they received four doses from OSU (as per the vet tech) they should still have one left, no? Assuming a dose = a vial. She just said they received "four vials."

Oh! Before it slips my mind again - Does anyone know how much carboplatin is generally used per treatment? Am I right in thinking one vial per treatment? I ask because when I picked Gabe up yesterday, the tech told me they were almost out of OSU's carboplatin and that I would need to have more sent or pay for his next treatment. I asked how many they received (because I know they'd sent some partial shipments, due to the shortage), and she said they'd gotten four vials. He's only had four chemo treatments so far, and OSU's carboplatin didn't arrive until the second treatment. Am I right in thinking they should still have one left?