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Sounds like the same thing we experienced. My Henry started limping slightly, and within three days, he was not using the leg at all. After the amp surgery, he was very out of it, but he seemed relieved to have the source of the pain gone. OSA is one of the most painful types of cancer... I agree that at this point, getting the pain under control is number one, even if it means increasing her dose or doing a combination of several different pain meds. If I remember correctly, Henry was taking three at one time: Rimadyl (general pain), Tramadol (acute pain), and Gabapentin (nerve pain).

Do you know what mg dose the Valium was? It may be that it wasn't enough. Valium *should* work to sedate and calm most dogs. You might ask your vet either for a higher dose or Valium in suppository form if her anxiety is really out of control (it's what we give to seizure dogs to stop cluster seizures; very fast-acting). Trazadone is also good and very cheap, but you'd have to give it before the storm hits.

Definitely agree with this. Chest x-rays will tell you if the cancer has metastasized to the lungs, and if so, how far progressed it is. That being said, 90% of osteo dogs have micro-mets in their lungs (that can't be seen on x-ray) by the time they start presenting with lameness/limping. So, I mean to say, the chest x-rays aren't foolproof. But they may influence your decision on a treatment plan moving forward.

Tried turkey necks today... Not the best experience. Henry had bad gas all night, and Truman refused to eat his. He just licked it and walked away.

I got the FNA for Henry just to be sure we didn't amputate the leg and (in the million to one chance) have it end up being something more benign, like a bone cyst or osteomyelitis.

Agree re: the biopsy. When dealing with OSA, biopsies are largely inaccurate. You have to get it in the exact spot, otherwise it's inconclusive. As the others pointed out, the biopsy is also very painful and you run the risk of the leg fracturing or breaking. I am certain Dr. Couto would agree that a biopsy is a waste of time at this point. It's a rare, rare circumstance that osteolytic lesions in a greyhound are anything but cancer.

Definitely going to give these a try. Thanks for the hot tip!

Agree 100%. Never met a blue who wasn't a little bit crazy.

Zoom Groom is our favorite grooming tool, although we don't use it very often. My two only get brushed when it's the time of year when they're blowing their coat. Many greys are pretty low maintenance on that front! As for teeth, it depends. I have a 6-year-old with fabulous teeth. He gets away with just a water additive and the occasional knuckle bone. But my 2-year-old routinely has plaque and 'gunky' teeth. I've tried a million products on him (CET chews, Petzlife, Dentastix, Greenies). But the only two things that have made a substantial impact are brushing daily and a water additive. In my opinion, the stuff being marketed as 'dental treats' (even ones with 5-star Amazon reviews or the ones sold in the vet's office) are largely ineffective and not worth wasting your money on. If you want a treat with some dental benefits, try bully sticks or, if you can stomach it, turkey necks and chicken feet. Good luck with your new grey!

I'm so sorry. The films very clearly look like osteo to me. The shadows and black spots in the 'bad leg' are consistent with osteolytic lesions (i.e. spots where the cancer has eaten holes through the bone). There's a rare chance it could be a more treatable type, but it definitely appears to be some kind of malignant cancer. I'd do the oncology consult ASAP.

I agree with the others. It's very possible he has residual pain from muscle contractions or falling during the seizure. It's also possible that the seizures were the result of some kind of neuromuscular problem, like a ruptured disc or spinal injury. Did your e-vet recommend a consult with a veterinary neurologist? That's probably your best course of action at this point. If a dog is epileptic (i.e. seizures that come and go with seemingly no pattern and have no connection to another medical issue), they usually start experiencing seizures much younger in life, around 2-3 years old. So in a 9-year-old, I'd be concerned that the seizure is the symptom of another, possibly more serious, issue. Good luck, and hugs for you and your boy.

I hate to laugh because I know this is a huge ordeal for you, but... Maybe Jen will do an in-home with you to teach Brees how NOT to demolish feral cats.

OMG!! I think her cat collars were a bad omen.

Yeah... I did speak to her a year or so ago when she tried to give me another pup from his litter (can you imagine?!) She said the one female she kept was really shy. Unfortunately, I think they're breeding for the physical breed standards, not temperament. Truman is a very handsome dog- he just has a million hang ups.

My heart is breaking for you. I had a long cry after reading your tribute. What a journey... I wish you'd had more time together.

Any news?

Trumie Dooms did fine at Grapehounds! Jen said he was nowhere near as bad as I described, so I suppose I'm nitpicky. It definitely made a difference that he was off-leash (in the ex-pen) and not doing a million face-to-face greetings with strange dogs. The leash sleeve also worked very well. Here he is relaxing with his bro.

Yeah! We briefly met in the hotel, now that I think about it! Truman was acting silly, like he wanted to visit you, then kept backing away. Thanks for saying that. About the Blur of Fur joy-run... I don't really fault him for that one. We were trying to get Henry's leash from his turn, and one of the finish line wranglers grabbed Truman. The guy tried to restrain him in a hug of sorts, and Trumie decided he didn't like that. He snapped at the guy, who immediately let go, and that's when he realized he was free and started running around like a crazy man. After his romp, I was able to recall him back (which would've been pretty good, if not for the part where he almost knocked me over).

I know I spend a lot of time worrying and agonizing about Truman, that I fail to mention that he really is a sweet, goofy boy. I mean, how can you look at this face and NOT laugh?

Truman doesn't crate well (yet another one of his endearing qualities) but I think he'll be fine in the ex-pen set back behind my booth. There are too many dogs to go ballistic over every single one. At events, his main problem is on-leash introductions. As long as I can keep a good buffer between him and the other dogs, I think it will be okay. Denise showed me this brilliant idea for a leash sleeve, and I found one on Etsy. I think this will help us immensely.

No advice, Nancy. Just hugs for you and your girl.

My two males ADORE each other. A few years ago, I was in the same place as you (wanting a boy, but believing I should get a female). For fun, I decided to do an animal communicator session with Jean Ussery at Dewey. She told me that, "it was okay to get another dog, but that Henry wanted a brother." Best decision ever. When you're looking to add another dog, I really believe it comes down to personality and temperament vs. gender.

I apologize if I'm jumping to conclusions, but I want to put this out there just in case others are reading the same implication I am. I'm NOT trying to put him through hell because I'm selfish and want to go on vacation. I'm registered to vend at Grapehounds- these events are how I make money to be able to afford the dogs. There are no other options but to board him, or to bring in an unfamiliar in-home pet-sitter. If I did either of those things, he'd would have a complete and total meltdown. I have turned it over again a million times in my head, and I know his condition better than anyone else. Leaving him at home (separate from his family and housemate) would be ten times worse than bringing him and trying to manage his anxiety at the event.

MaryJane, I thought that too. For the past two months, we've stopped going to obedience classes and dog parks altogether. I was hoping that we could take a break and eventually start again fresh. So the only thing we do now is leash-walk him on a trail by our house. Even with this drastic decrease in activities, he's still having aggressive incidents with other dogs just passing by. I don't know what else to do- I have to exercise him. He had a semi-bad experience with the neuter because these gave him Ace, which gives him an opposite, restless effect. He spent about a day panting and pacing afterwards. But nothing too catastrophic- he had no problems with surgery or healing afterwards. If the neuter had any affect, it was probably a hormone issue. Oh, and Henry's cancer diagnosis/treatment definitely increased his stress. That's when the compulsive licking started. He had suffered some loss, because Henry doesn't have the stamina that he used to. Our attention shifted to Henry too, so (I'm a little ashamed to admit) Truman's problems went on the back burner for awhile. I'm going to FBM in September to volunteer for a week. I'll definitely be paying close attention to how they handle traumatized dogs.

Oh no, no worries! I appreciate the help. I wish there was an easy solution.