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TwiggysMom

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    This Is A Thread I Hoped I Would Never Have To Make

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Twiggy didn't get any edema in her remaining front leg for some reason, it went to her belly instead (which was probably good, b/c there's more area for it to spread out).

     

    It sounds like you are doing all the right things to abate it as much as possible. If it isn't getting much better for a few more days that's probably OK, but if you think he's getting worse, the surgeon should probably take a peek at it.

     

    He really seems to be doing fantastic! (you too!)

    Can Osteosarcoma Occur In Wrist?

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Also recommend x-rays for the peace of mind, if nothing else. Here, where vet costs are quite high, I believe Twiggy's initial x-rays were between $250-$300. (I laugh now at how little that was compared to the 10X that much I often have spent per month since).

     

    Twiggy's osteo was in her distal radius - just above her wrist joint. One thing I've read about osteo is that it doesn't cross a joint. So, if there is something suspicious in between the joint, or on both sides of the joint it is probably either not cancer or a less sinister type of bone cancer than osteo.

     

    I'm sending out healthy non-cancer thoughts for Cal!

    Worried

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Have they done a scraping? It's possible that it could be a fungal and/or yeast infection. I had a foster once with an area below her eye that acted somewhat like this, and it turned out to be both. With a few simple meds it was cured and didn't return.

    Palladia Update -- It's Not Effective For Osteo

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by TwiggysMom

    Dianne, the study that is being referred to in this thread is not published yet so far as I know. I also believe that it is the first completed study on Palladia's effect on preventing lung mets. I think Twiggy's oncologist may have been given access to it because he and Dr. Couto both worked on some of the original Palladia research.

     

    Twiggy went through the same protocol as Nemo so far - 6 iv carboplatin treatments, followed by a metronomic protocol consisting of Palladia, Cytoxan, Metacam, and artemisinin.

     

    You don't mention that Nemo had any significant side effects from the carboplatin, so I'm assuming he didn't and that is good news. Twiggy sailed through iv chemo until her last treatment, from which she had significant side effects (I believe due to administration error; this was before I switched to her current oncologist - the one who has reviewed the OSU study). I also think that her reaction to her last iv chemo treatment is what set her up for intolerance to the metronomic protocol components (all except artemisinin, an herbal she continues to take without issues).

     

    If I were to face it all over again with another dog, knowing what I know now, I would give Palladia a try so long as I could afford it and it was well-tolerated. Twiggy's experience was very unusual. Most hounds have no visible side effects to it at all, and typically only need to go on a "Palladia holiday" due to lowered blood counts on a very infrequent basis.

     

    I understand how difficult it is to make a decision about this. For me, the amp/iv chemo decision was pretty easy, the decision about metronomic protocol was difficult. I so hope that one day we will have more definitive information. In the meantime, you clearly are making your decisions based in the best available information out of love for Nemo, so whatever decision you make will be the right one.

    If You Knew?

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    As long as the dog would be reasonably able to be happy, safe and comfortable in my home - yes.

     

    I do have a difficult home (big city, lots of stairs, full work day, etc.), so I need to consider my suitability for the dog, but if I can provide a good home, then definitely.

     

    Even adopting a perfectly healthy dog, we never know what will happen next month or next year, and when those awful things occur we figure out a way to deal with them, so I'm not sure there's much of a difference adopting with a known issue (at least you know what you're dealing with).

    This Is A Thread I Hoped I Would Never Have To Make

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Tempo is doing fantastic! As you've seen he will lay on either side - to this day, Twiggy is about 50/50 leg-side, amp-side.

     

    As Kristin suggested, you might want to take Tempo out separately for the first couple weeks because going all the way around the block may be a bit much for him right now. Since Twiggy is a girl, I didn't have to worry about her figuring out how to lift her leg for potties. I'm guessing most male tripods end up squatting (I have fostered plenty of 4-legged males who squatted, so it isn't impossible!).

     

    I love the photos you posted. He looks so happy to be home, and you must be relieved to have him back with you.

     

    As for the beds, I'm guessing Tempo is thrilled to be back to what he is used to, and Rocko is thrilled to have his new present (even if that isn't how you intended it!)

     

    I am so happy to see how well you are all doing!

    This Is A Thread I Hoped I Would Never Have To Make

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    The updates on Tempo sound really, really good. He is probably still quite heavily medicated (maybe still on iv pain meds), and that alone could account for a lot of his whineyness. Although his belly isn't visible in the photo, he looks like he has minimal bruising and edema thus far, which is great!

     

    Your description of his personality is another reason why he was such a good candidate for the surgery. Twiggy is also a high-energy, outgoing, adventurous hound, and believe me, that only increases post-amp.

     

    Regarding when to start iv chemo - the current preference is to start it 2 weeks post-amp (after sutures have been removed). The more "old school" method would be to start immediately, but it hits their immune system right when the dog's body is using all its resources to heal from major surgery. Starting chemo so soon post-op increases the chance of infection and waiting 2 weeks has not seemed to change median survivals.

     

    Try to get a good night's sleep before bringing him home, because sleep is disjointed at best for the first week or so.

    Palladia Update -- It's Not Effective For Osteo

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Diane,

     

    My oncologist is (along with Dr. Couto and others) one of those involved in the initial research on Palladia (but not involved in this completed but as yet un-released study).

     

    Prior to hearing about this study, he truly believed that Palladia would turn out to be a turning point in osteosarcoma treatment. He contacted Dr. Couto and requested a copy of the results, and having viewed them, may be a bit less optimistic about Palladia's benefits, but does not want to dismiss it entirely yet.

     

    My girl Twiggy was on Palladia, but had health-threatening side effects and was only able to take it for about 2 months . (She is now >19 months post-amp for osteo and hasn't had any metronomic protocol meds for about 8 months due to significant side effects - most dogs do not have the extent of side effects that Twiggy had).

     

    I'm not sure my information is at all helpful to you, but thought I'd put it out there. If I were to do it over again, personally, I think I'd still be inclined to give it a try, but would stop at the first sign of intolerance. Of course, that is just me - your opinion is the only one that counts in the end.

    Osteo Thread Part Vi

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by TwiggysMom

    Jean, I would just call and ask for an appointment with the vet you are comfortable with. As Kyle and Valerie said, it is so important to be comfortable with the person who you are working with.

     

    I also agree that it would be worthwhile to at least to check into a veterinary oncologist. My regular vet is awesome, but when I "fired" Twiggy's first oncologist, my vet didn't feel comfortable with managing Twiggy's metronomic protocol, and really wanted me to go to another oncologist - I'm glad I did, he is very knowledgeable and sensible.

     

     

    Chris, I remember the day you posted about Dude. It sucked the air right out of me, I just couldn't believe it.

     

     

    I'm so glad to hear that Twiggy is doing well. I'm getting ready for Mountain Hounds and I was thinking of her so I thought I'd check to see if there were updates...glad that earlier injury turned out to be unrelated to her osteo. Way to go, Twiggy!

     

    Hi Teresa! It's hard to think so far ahead, as you know, 9 weeks is a very long time when Twiggy is already 19 months post, but we will absolutely be there so long as Twiggy is still doing well. In the meantime, I just booked a room for GIG next month, and am really looking forward to it. I hope to see you at MH in May!

    This Is A Thread I Hoped I Would Never Have To Make

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I am sorry to hear about Tempo's osteo! I can't believe how many diagnoses there have been here just this week, and I think it was Kyle to said that they seem to keep getting younger. Twiggy was a couple months shy of 7 when she was diagnosed, and at the time we all thought that was awfully young for this diagnosis.

     

    As said before, do make sure they have amicar on hand, that really helps control not only the bleeding but the bruising as well. You've gotten lots of great advice; some additional thoughts I have are:

     

    1- do try keep him in the hospital an extra day (or more) as long as he isn't stressed at the facility (make sure it is a 24-hour facility)

     

    2- be prepared for the shock-screaming; when they try to stand for the first few days home, they tend to scream - I think it is more from surprise and fear regarding not having a limb respond anymore than it is from pain; this is really hard to watch/listen to, but it DOES go away.

     

    3- Once standing, he may forget that he doesn't have a fourth leg to balance him (Twiggy would stand up and then start listing to her left because she was forgetting she had a new center of balance - I would have to go over to her, catch her and re-balance her, then she would be fine).

     

    4- He will have a crazy med schedule for the first 2-3 weeks, you will want to make a chart; some meds are every 8 hours, some every 12, some may be every 6, some have to be given 2 hours before food, others with food, others after food.

     

    5- The bruising will look absolutely awful, and it will get worse before it gets better.

     

    6- Keep a very close eye out for infection. Also try to make his at-home recovery environment as sanitary as possible. Twiggy got a horrible infection that could easily have killed her and landed her in the hospital for an additional 5 days.

     

    So that's the scary stuff, now for the amazing stuff:

     

    1- Just a few hours after surgery, Twiggy jumped up in her recovery kennel to greet the tech who came in to check in on her.

     

    2- When she was released from the hospital, I was trying to figure out how to get her into the car and while I was procrastinating, she decided to just leap gracefully in, as always.

     

    3- A little less than 2 months post-amp, Twiggy was clocked on radar at 37mph in a fun run.

     

    4- Twiggy runs up and down stairs, does crazy spins, plays as hard as she ever did, demands LONG walks (like 2-3 hours!), sprints in the beach, through the lake, digs holes, fluffs her beds, well, hopefully you get the picture!

     

    Jennifer posted a link to an old thread with some early videos - if you click through to my Photobucket, you will see all sorts of adventures Twiggy has had as an amputee. She recently had her 19-month "ampuversary", and is still doing great! We are definitely among the lucky ones, but I want you to know that amputees can have at least as good a life as they did before, and I think most of us would say that somehow they seem to become more of themselves post-amp than they were pre. It is hard to say why, but they just seem to come into their own.

     

    I will be thinking about you and Tempo and will be looking forward to hearing how the surgery went

    Greyhound Cancer

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Dustin, I am so sorry for Jazmin's osteo diagnosis.

     

    As everyone else said, please join us over in the Osteo Thread. There is so much information in there. Honestly, most general veterinarians and even some veterinary oncologists aren't that up to date on osteo treatments and prognosis.

     

    The great thing about the Osteo thread is that we have experience from many, many vets and oncologists, along with some of the latest research and protocols ranging from pain control to amp/chemo protocols.

     

    Right now, Twiggy and I are entering the 20th month of our osteo journey. Admittedly, Twiggy has had a better than typical result, as median survival for amputation/chemo/metronomic protocol is generally considered to be 14 months, but we aren't the only ones to have gotten so much good time, either.

     

    Of course, amp/chemo is not necessarily the right choice for you or Jazmine. I just encourage you to look at all of the options and see which you feel would work best in your situation.

    Spent The Night In Emergency..

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I can't imagine dealing with such a worrying and confusing condition at the same time as going through final exams! That you can handle both so well is amazing!

     

    Neko looks so happy to be at the parade! He is a beautiful boy.

     

    I'm glad he is holding steady, and maybe improving a bit. Sending good thoughts for a diagnosis and treatment plan!

    Osteo Thread Part Vi

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I am so sorry that it was Ben's time to go. You all fought a great fight. I am glad it was peaceful and that you are at peace with it.

    Run free, Ben!

     

     

    Jean, I am very sorry to hear about Gunner's diagnosis. It is such a hard thing to comprehend at first. Whichever route you take, we'll be here for you with support, experience and information. I would have been a mess without the Osteo threads.

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