dlgwarner

Ringo was just 5. His was growing from his cervical spine. I’m hoping for the best for your pup, but if it does turn out to be osteo, I highly recommend Hope Veterinary Specialists in Frazer. I live in the Philly suburbs too and Hope is fantastic. Paul, Ringo’s littermate was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma at the age of 11. I took him to Hope and he was treated by Dr. Craig Clifford. (Hope has an excellent oncology department.) The kind of lymphoma Paul had doesn’t usually respond well to chemo and when it does, remission doesn’t often last long. Well, Paul went through the full course of chemo, tolerated it well and went into complete remission. He was off chemo for a full year. Unfortunately he relapsed at the end of the summer and crossed the bridge at the end of September at 13, but we had 18 great months that were never expected when we found out it was t-cell.

Thanks everyone for your advice and good wishes. I took John to the neurologist yesterday. He woke up with pain and limping, but when we got out of the van at the specialty center, he cantered, as if nothing was wrong, to the door. He said it sounded like classic ruptured disc and did an MRI. It was completely normal. Which is great news (no osteo). He did a spinal tap to check for meningitis. I'll find out those results Monday. His CBC was also normal So, while I still don't have a diagnosis, John is in a lot less pain with virtually no sign of a limp. He's going to finish his course of doxi and the neuro has him on 30mg of prednisone. While it cost a lot, it seems we ruled out the worst possible diagnosis. I'll provide an update if I find out what it was that caused so much pain and lameness, or if anything changes.

John (one of the Beatle Brothers, if you remember his adoption story from last year) was fine when we went to bed last night. He chased the squirrels as he does every turn out, played, everything fine. At about 2:30 am he was at the side of my be wimpering and cried out when he tried to lay back down. He was circling, limping heavily and panting. I got him a Tramadol, but it didn't help much. He was up every 45 minutes. He was limping so heavily on his right fore leg that we carried him downstairs. He is otherwise a healthy, fit 7 year old, exhuberant greyhound. I'm usually good about seeing every scrape they get on their legs and applying first aid. I thought I missed a cut to his upper pad and he developed an infection (he was very warm.) That, or... It was a year ago tomorrow that we had to say goodbye to his littermate Ringo who had osteosarcoma in his neck. He had the exact same limp and pain response that John was (is) showing. The vet saw him at 9 am. He was running a fever of 104.5. She palpated and articulated his whole leg. Only his shoulder muscles seemed to elicit any pain response, but not as severe as when he just tries to lay down. Moving his head from side to side, fortunately didn't elicit a pain response (as it did with Ringo. That's where his tumor was.) She x-rayed the limb and scapula area, including surrounding spine and they were negative. She said his presentation was pretty classic of acute Lyme arthritis but the snap Lyme test was negative too. She sent blood work out to the lab and sent us home with Rimadyl and doxycycline (in case its Rocky Mtn Sspotted tick fever.) She said if he's not markedly better within 24-36 hours we'll re-evaluate. He was really uncomfortable all day. I worked from home to be with him. He ate and finished dinner, though without his usual gusto. He just had his turn out and was able to get up and down the five steps to the deck, though still limping. He's resting pretty comfortably right now, though he is, and has been licking at his right wrist. Only one time when I touched it this morning did it seem to hurt him (which is why I thought infection) but it doesn't seem to be sensitive to touch, pressure or flexing when I touch it now. Does this description sound familiar to anyone? Any thoughts on where to explore next if he doesn't get better (possible meningitis, though his neck isn't stiff, MRI (k-ching) of his shoulder? Abdominal ultrasound for the possibility of this being visceral referred pain.) Penn Vet School is not far from me and we have some really good specialty centers close by, but I'm not sure what type of specialist I should even seek out. Any ideas are welcome. Thanks!

Here are some photos.

We just noticed that John's skin is peeling ouu his ear, fur and all. It doesn't seem to bother him at all (he neve rubs or scrathces it.) It's right around the area where the tip flops down. On he inside of his ear on the other side of the same spot, its dry and hard. It almost seems like (though I would never do this)if I pushed on it, I would pop a hole right through his ear. I did a forum search but found nothing. Any thoughts?

Oh Janet, we're sending our best wishes to Jake. I hope he starts feeling better soon. Debbie

Oh Janet, I just logged on for the first time in a few days and saw this. I'm so sorry to hear what Peanut is going through (and taking you with her.) I'm hoping for the very best. :grouphug

Yesterday, I got the best possible news. The mass removed from Paul is completely benign! :yay Now, it's just a matter of him recovering from his surgery, he's itching to run and refuses to sleep downstairs by himself. So I've been camping out on the sofa until he is allowed to climb the stairs again. Small price to pay. Thank you all for your prayers ang good wishes. Debbie and Paul :confetti

Paul had surgery this morning for a biopsy. The surgeon decided to take out a 2cm section of his rib to get a definitive pathology report and perhaps to remove all of the offending lesion. The surgery went well and he will stay overnight. I should hear a diagnosis within the week. On x-ray, his lungs were clear, which is a good sign.

Well, we're back from the vet. There's no news and good news. The mass, which is clearly palpable, hard and attached to his rib was not visible on any of the three x-ray views they took. Strange, because both the vet and I expected to see something. His stomach was full, so it did make it difficult to clearly visualize the rib. The good news is that his lungs look clear. So if this does turn out to be a malignancy, we should still have viable treatment options. Hopefully, further investigation will reveal that its benign. My next steps will be to send his x-rays and records to OSU for a consult and also schedule a surgical consult with our vet specialty group here at home. I'm guessing she will recommend a CT scan as a next step. While I hate not knowing, I'd rather wait for positive news than to know bad news now. Thanks everyone for your prayers and good wishes. Please keep them coming.

Soooo glad to here that the vet confirmed it was lymph tissue.

I don't want to alarm you but you may want to ask your vet to x-ray to rule out osteo. A needle aspiration will most likely NOT catch osteo but x-rays can be pretty difinitive. I recently lost one who had osteo growing from the vertabrae in his neck. Tonight I take his littermate to the vet to have a hard lump on his rib x-rayed. I've been doing a lot of research since I discovered Paul's lesion a few days ago, thinking ribs were an odd location. I since learned that ribs are not so uncommon and osteo can even occur in the skull and jaw. If the mass is mobile (i.e. it moves around as you push it from side to side) it's most likely a lymph node. If it doesn't move, I'd insist on an x-ray. Few vets, unless they're very experience with greyhounds go looking for osteo, assuming instead that its a more common malady. If it is osteo, as hard as that is to hear, the treatment is much different from an infection and I know you want to do what's best for Trey. Just as with my Paul, I am hoping for the best for Trey.

I'll be praying for the best for Bella. An MRI is probably the best way to diagnose spinal cord injury. If you have a specialty center near you, she should be seen by an orthopedist and a neurologist.

Unfortunately, no. Immobile and hard, but it doesn't seem to hurt. I'm trying to prepare for the worst but hope for the best.

We recently discovered a hard marble-sized lump on one of Paul's ribs. I' m so scared that it's osteo. I know that rib is an unusual presentation for osteo, but I just lost Paul's litter mate Ringo to osteo in September. He had it growing from the vertebrae in his neck. He goes to the vet on Tuesday night and I'm going to ask the vet to x-ray and perhaps schedule a biopsy. If it is osteo, I'm praying removal of his rib is an option. He's only six years old and I couldn't bear to lose him, especially so soon after Ringo. Please send good vibes his way. I'll keep you posted

Happy Gotcha Day Angel Bee Wiseman. November 28th would have been Ringo's third Gotcha Day too. Amazing coincidence that the two of them entered our lives and moved on to the bridge so close together.

Tricia and Burke, I am at a loss as I stare at my keyboard. I am so grateful to have been able to share Bee Wiseman's birthday and see her in all her special glory. As usual, the center of attention she so deserved. Of the journeys we have shared together, this is the last one I would have wanted to share with you. As painful as the grief is, I hope you find comfort in your memories and feel some of the joy that Bee has broaght to your lives. Ringo and Bee are sharing an extended playdate as they wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge. You will ALWAYS be Bee Wisemean's Mom. With love, Debbie

The night we sent Ringo to the Rainbow Bridge, Justin, my 10-year old son was very upset. He said he didn't know how he could sleep because he missed Ringo so much. I told him that Ringo would visit him in his dreams. Sometime in the middle of the night, Justin came into my room and told me he dreamed that he was at a place where there were lot's of greyhounds playing together. One of them was Ringo. Ringo looked around and saw Justin and ran over to see him. Thank you Ringo.

You were blessed to have each other. Rest peacefully Rainy.

I am so sorry ffor your loss. Run free handsome boy.

Thank you all for your kind and comforting notes. I left my first message via the mobile website and could not add some things I wated in my original post, so I will post them now. When I found out Ringo was sick, I wrote a tribute to hima and every other greyhound who has left witha bit of our hearts. If you'll parden the repost, I think it really belongs here. Who Knew Who knew… that pure joy has such a long nose, Or that devotion and loyalty come with soulful eyes? Who knew… that "Velcro" has long legs, And long tails so easily become wrapped around little fingers? Who would have thought that such playfulness Was accompanies by such noble gracefulness? Who knew… that mischief has perky ears And unconditional love has a sleek, shiny coat? With blazing speed they work their way into our hearts, And with gentle calm they become integral to our lives. Anyone who has ever loved a Greyhound knows. Cherish every minute you have together. For while the love is limitless, The time is always too short. I'd also like to post a video and some photos that opitimize how we will remember Ringo. Ringo Playing in the Leaf Pile

Ringo was only six years old when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. We had six wonderful weeks with him since his diagnosis and he had a great quality of life during that time. Thankfully, his decline was sudden and rapid and he had little suffering. He was my first greyhound, which combined with his wonderful personality made him extra special. We were blessed to have him as part of our family for the three short years he was was with us. We sent him off with a piece of our hearts and he left us with countless fond memories. Run free my sweet, constant companion.

Thanks for all the great advice. It could very well be stress. We're having a lot of work done in our house and have Turned our living room into a storage area for everything that was in our master bedroom. I'm pretty sure it's only one of the cats, so I do think I'll have him checked by the vet. Assuming it is stress, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the behavior stops when our house is back in order.

I know this is a Greyhound behavior forum, but I didn't know of a better place to turn. I've had my hounds two and a half years (Ringo) and a little over a year ( Paul). The cars were here first. This behavior just started about two weeks ago. Any ideas. I've already had to throw two beds away.

The antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria in the intestines along with the bad bacteria. That's what causes the diarrhea. Culturelle, available in the nutritional supplements isle of your local drug store is a very good pro-biotic that will restore the intestinal flora. I open the capsules and sprinkle it on their food. Keep in mind that the runs will probably stick around until the antibiotic is finished. Be sure to keep Clark on the antibiotic for the full duration prescribed by the vet to reduce the chances of developing growth of any antibiotic-resistant infections. Good luck. I hope he's feeling better soon.