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Missing Link!

Great update! Go Nell!

We went through this fairly recently, so the experience is still really fresh in my mind. My boy was originally diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the tibia after a sudden bout of limping that didn't resolve with rest and NSAIDs. X-rays showed several lesions in the bone that had a "moth-eaten" appearance. Everything happened really fast from there. He was diagnosed on a Friday, and had the amp done the following Monday. Later, the pathology report revealed that his tumor wasn't *actually* osteo. It was spindle cell sarcoma (a type of fibrosarcoma that occurs in the soft tissue and has a much better prognosis). Either way, the amputation was still fully necessary, so in that respect, we had many of the same experiences as owners with osteo dogs. Here's the original thread if you want to read through it. Henry was in the ICU for three days. Around page 11, you can see the photos where he comes home and we make all the preparations to keep him comfortable. For me, that part was a welcome relief. Once I was in 'prep mode' and had tasks to do, it was easier to stop sitting around, crying, and feeling sorry for myself. When Henry got home, he was VERY swollen with pockets of fluid all over. Even though he had been on Amicar prior to surgery, he was also really red and bruised (for me, that may have been the most shocking part). He came home on Tuesday, and I took the rest of the week off (plus the weekend) so I could monitor him really closely. I was really diligent about icing and massaging every 2-3 hours for the first few days, and I think that really helped with his fluid retention. Plus, he LOVED that part! About a week in, he developed an abscess near his incision. Even that wasn't too bad. It cleared up with daily flushing and antibiotics. As everyone else said, the first two weeks were the hardest. But, as you can see from Henry's birthday thread, he was back up on his feet, walking/running a 3 mile hike... only 18 days post-amp! We've just celebrated two months post-amp last week, and I'd say he is 90% back to normal. He still balks a bit at going up stairs or jumping into the car, but he can and will do those things on his own with encouragement. His personality is still a little more subdued than before, but much like Charlie, he still loves to run and play with toys and boss his brother around. It's incredible how they just accept their new life and move on. Some of the most important helpful pieces of information I learned from more experienced owners were these... 1. There are an overwhelming amount of medications post-op. Antibiotics, opiate-based pain meds, NSAID-based pain meds, nerve-based pain meds, anti-nausea, anti-diarrhea, Pepcid, joint supplements, and on and on and on. There were upwards of 20 pills a day, and it got very hard to keep everything straight. I ended up getting one of those "medi-minder" things from the pharmacy that had slots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also, Amicar was essential for the bleeding, and Gabapentin helped a lot with phantom pains. 2. Stay ahead of the pain, and don't be afraid to ask your doctor to increase/reduce/change meds if you think something is off. Henry didn't do well on Rimadyl. It upset his stomach, and he stopped eating after being on it for a few days. I called, and the vet was able to reduce the Rimadyl and add Gabapentin. Also, after 10 or so days of being on opiate-based pain meds, he had a noticeable behavior change when we started weaning him off. Very low-energy and mopey, but did start coming back around soon after. Some greys really don't do well on opiates- it seems to have the opposite effect where they're jittery and restless. I know a few grey owners who have had horrendous experiences with Tramadol, Morphine, etc. If you notice any symptoms of that, call your vet immediately! 3. Like I mentioned before, the icing and massage was very beneficial. We rotated between two of the gel-filled ice packs. Every two hours, I would faithfully ice and massage around his good leg, belly, and incision site. I did that for about five days, gradually tapering down. He really enjoyed those massage sessions, and even though the fluid would come back after a few hours, it really did help. The bruising was almost completely gone when he went for his 7 day incision check. 4. If you have hardwood floors or linoleum, make a path with non-slip rugs or yoga mats for when your girl comes home. This will help prevent her from sliding around, falling, or accidentally being bumped/knocked over by your other dog. And this sounds really simple (but I think we were so bombarded by all the "big stuff" that we put it on the back burner), make sure her nails are well trimmed. It took me a long time to realize why Henry wasn't walking on hardwood. It was because his nails were getting long and everytime he'd slide, he'd knuckle up on his toenails. That made the problem even worse because he'd get "stuck." We saw an immediate difference after clipping and dremmeling the nails down. 5. Know that YOU, as a human, will most likely have a harder time coping with Nell's amputation than she will. They really don't "miss" their old leg. Osteosarcoma is one of the most painful types of cancer to deal with, so losing that leg will almost certainly be a welcome relief for your girl. Try to look at some photos online of three-legged dogs to prepare yourself about what to expect. This REALLY helped me. I had a much easier time accepting Henry's three-leg appearance than my boyfriend did, which I accredit to my many hours spent Googling, Greytalking, and researching. Aside from Greytalk, I belong to an online community called Tripawds, which is also geared for owners of doggie amputees. I lean more toward Greytalk for health and medical info because it's more greyhound-specific. But Tripawds also has a ton of pictures and stories of dogs who have come through amputations with varied experiences. Please do come back and write about Nell's recovery and progress. I'd be happy to share more of my experience and give you my two cents on any helpful information we might have. Also, I make a line of cancer-awareness martingale collars that are pictured in my Etsy shop. Please feel free to pick one out, and I will send it to you free of charge. Sometimes little things like that help in the sense that you can embrace the situation and show the world that you're rolling with it! Just PM me the information on where to send it (if you can't use the Greytalk PM function yet, send me a message on Etsy). Best of luck with your girl, and please keep us updated on her progress.

This is actually true. Cats have all kinds of nasty bacteria on their teeth, many that are not even known or common in any other infection. I got bit by one of my own cats a few years ago (for the record, he's a good cat- it was just a moment of sheer panic for him). And within an hour, my hand was swollen up and infected. Incredible pain- the doctor gave me strong painkillers. I believe augmentin is usually the standard ABX for cat bites.

Yep, you're right. With Hen's leg amp, he was in pain, but it was under control. The spider bite incident was the only time I ever had to stay up with him all night. He cried and panted and refused to put any weight on it until we got him to PVSEC. With his tumor leg, he walked fairly normally until the leg came off.

Sounds like it's deeply infected, possibly into the joint. Not surprising, as cat bites are notorious for rapid infection. Something similar happened to my Henry- he was bitten by a spider and had all the symptoms you're describing. I had never seen him in that much pain before or since. Henry had to have IV antibiotics and a joint tap to flush out all the pus. He was on two different types of oral antibiotics for about six weeks. I ended up going to the e-vet at a specialty clinic, as they were more prepared to deal with an infection of that caliber.

So sorry to hear about Nell's diagnosis. If it's any consolation, my boy had a back leg amp two months ago, and he is doing absolutely wonderful. People are constantly telling us, 'Wow! He gets around so well on three legs!' Seeing how much joy and life he still has eliminated any doubts I had about doing the amputation. Hoping Twiggy's mom and Charlie's dad chime in to share their experiences and photos. Also, please join us in the osteo thread. The people here are a real wealth of knowledge and support.

We feed IAMS from Sam's Club, and once we did get a bad batch. Bags can get wet or damaged during the shipping process, which I think is what happened to us. I called IAMS, and they sent us a voucher for a free bag. Sam's Club replaced tainted one for our trouble.

Are you crating her only when you leave the house? If so, she may have started to associate going in the crate with you leaving. That's the most common way adopters create crate aversion in new dogs. You can help the problem by crating her at random time and random intervals, even when you're home. Always reward and praise. Give her a high value treat, kong, or chewy to keep her busy.

Very helpful article. I've had moments of "OMG, WHAT HAVE I DONE?" with both of my dogs. It does get better with time.

I know a lot of people swear by Melatonin for hair re-growth, but we had a horrible experience with it. Shortly after starting it, Henry had recurring bacterial skin infections. It cost me hundreds in skin scrapings and antibiotics. Eliminated the Melatonin, and he went back to normal.

Wow, hearing about all those mets is so sad... Though, I'm glad the report gave you some solace that you made the right decision for Lana. We are TWO MONTHS post-amp today, and Henry had had a few big milestones recently. He is now going up the second floor stairs on his own! I wasn't going to start pushing him to do stairs until his chemo treatments were over, but the other night, I saw him come up on his own. I was shocked! Since then, I've been getting behind him and giving him a little push to get started. But now, he's a stair-climbing fool! He went up and down half a dozen times today, totally on his own. I have a feeling that he had been snowing me this whole time (presumably because he enjoys being carried). We had a little break in the weather yesterday, so we had some off-leash adventures. He was in all his glory, running and exploring... If I had any doubt whether amputation was the right choice, seeing how much fun and joy he still has totally diminishes them. He had bloodwork last week, following his second round of Doxo. Everything, including the WBC count, was in the normal range. He also gained two pounds, which is good because he'd been looking especially ribby the last few weeks. Round 3 is this Saturday, and that means we'll be over the chemo hump. I know that the last few rounds may take a heavier toll, but I'm staying optimistic that he'll come through just fine. Once we get all this chemo crap over with, we'll be free to do all kinds of greyhound events in the spring. We have a busy year ahead of us!

Thinking of you guys. Kim and Casper.

Poor girl. My Henry is only 6, which is why we decided to go the amputation route. I'm glad we did (we actually found out later that his cancer wasn't osteo, but a rare form of fibrosarcoma). But I don't blame you if decide not to. It's really a crapshoot trying to figure out how much time you'll have left. Lots of support and good advice on this forum. I'm hoping for the best.

I looked into Denamarin awhile ago for Henry. Not sure about individual supplements, but you can get actual Denamarin on Amazon for a pretty reasonable price ($63 for a 30 day supply). http://www.amazon.com/Nutramax-Denamarin-Tabs-Large-Dogs

Oh my goodness! Just now seeing this. Glad she's okay You can send Lydia over to our house at any time. I've become a pro at carrying Henry up stairs.

So very sorry for this horrible news. How old is your girl?

{{{{Maggie and Bella}}} Thinking about you guys and hoping for the best.

Outside cats = prey Inside cats = family members It's likely your guy is legitimately small animal safe, but was just acting on his instinct. I remember when my cats killed a squirrel, it was really sad and horrible. I couldn't believe they would do something so violent, but they continue to be friendly to small dogs and my inside cats. Apples and oranges. As for a vet visit, 100% yes. Cats carry a wide variety of bacteria on their teeth, especially ferals. They are some of the nastiest bites to whoever is on the receiving end. Definitely get him to the vet soon to start antibiotics. He may also need a rabies booster as well.

Oh no! Not Millie! Very sorry for your loss. I so enjoyed your posts about her and Roman.