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llm51807

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Everything posted by llm51807

  1. Thanks for photo post and the compliment! He's a pretty handsome dude and the best snuggler I know. And BTW, I rationed my Sly Fox 360 and just drank the last one the other day. I've looked for it a few times while I was in PA, but haven't been able to find it. Heading to Harrisburg next week, so I'll try again!
  2. I can't remember what the exact instructions were after the treatment, but from what I've read and also what Dr. Haney told us, the fracture stat was 30% in the 1st 6 months. After that, the bone actually starts to strengthen supposedly. We traded our SUV for a minivan a week after Cecil was diagnosed so he didn't have to jump into the back. We have no steps in the house, so no going up/down offleash and for the most part, Cecil is a pretty chill guy. He's been pretty easy to control, but he will get a little randy every once in a while and sprint from the dining room to the back door; we work on keeping that to a minimum as well, but there's only so much we can do. I doubt he'll ever be offleash again, and that's very sad for us; he loved to run. We're approaching the six month mark and Cecil had no pain up until about a month ago. He limps now but doesn't seem to have any pain when not weight-bearing. He's hungry and happy and even still wants to go on walks. That said, we hadn't X-rayed since December, so we got a look this week; I was afraid the tumor was growing and the bone was highly damaged. Our ortho vet saw some changes, but didn't really know if it was him laying down new bone and/or radiation result. She sent to Dr Haney and she thought the Xray looked good and didn't think it was active tumor and saw no fratures, but thought it was new bone growth and radiation remnants. She did say the 1st 6 months were the weakest time for the bone and Cecil may have a small injury. She advised to stay to course on the zoledronate treatments, Rimadyl and tramadol. So, as far as we know, the SR treatment was curative for the tumor in the shoulder. That said, he still has some pain, we're hoping it's an injury that will heal and REALLY hoping the zoledronate will help. Dr. Haney did tell us that many dogs have no more pain after the treatment. Cecil didn't have pain going into it, so I can't really judge how effective it was on that front. At this point, this could be bone pain from the tumor or could be injury. Hard to say. His pain is controlled and the fracture risk doesn't seem any greater than it was when he was diagnosed. I'm still glad we made the choice we did for Cecil with his personality. Honestly though, if it was our other boy, Jet, I would be extremely nervous about the fracture risk. He's a maniac greyhound and almost impossible to settle down. He jumps and zooms and romps in the house and is quite anxious without sufficient exercise. Hope this helps. Wish I could be more definitive for you.
  3. This is a question I'd ask Julie when she calls back. I know the names are just different brands of machine, but I'm sure there's something about them that makes them different...whether that's just marketing or actual engineering/mechanics, I don't know. Julie will get back to you - I left a message and then also called Hope. I think I scheduled my phone consult just to get on Dr Haney's calendar and then talked to Julie the next day when she called back. Wow - very good news about disappearing and shrinking lung mets. Really have to wonder if the rapamycin had something to do with it.
  4. Yep, Tricia did take Murray there. I talked with her before we took Cecil. I think Murray did have 3 treatments but he was being treated for a brain tumor. I've heard Cyberknife has some supposed advantages to other "brands" of stereotactic radiation treatments and maybe that is why there is only 1 treatment vs 3. Not really sure, but something to ask the Cyberknife vet. Also, they got us in in one week after I called. It all went very fast.
  5. Are you close enough to Philly to consider going to the same place we did? It sounded to me like their standard treatment plan was 1 treatment for OSA. It was the Veterinary Cyberknife Center, part of Hope Veterinary Specialists. They are in Malvern, PA. www.vetcyberknife.com. I couldn't believe how smoothly everything went and Dr Haney is wonderful. We're about a 6 hour drive away from there, so we stayed a few nights at an apartment-like hotel around the corner from the office. We brought our other hound as well since we don't like kenneling either of them. We got a preauthorization done on the Cyberknife treatment from Trupanion - the vet's assistant, Julie handled all that for us and they paid 90% like everything else since. Oh, and we also sent all of Cecil's records and films to Dr. Haney to review and I had a phone consultation with her before we physically went there. Ultimately, she's the one who decides if the dog is a candidate for Cyberknife. The bone has to be in good enough shape; if it has already been degraded significantly, it was my understanding she would have told us he wasn't a candidate. The treatment weakens the bone even more, thus the 30% fracture rate up to 6 months after treatment, plus the pathologic fracture risk from the tumor. Definitely a con and something I think about every day, which is why we just did the latest Xray check.
  6. Just answered over on the Osteo thread. Thought I'd post there since it might be helpful for others in our crappy club
  7. I'm sorry to hear about Zuri. We also have a lab in a greyhound suit; he's also a handsome black boy. But it's our perfect, roman-nosed, blue fawn gentleman, Cecil who was diagnosed with the dreaded osteo. Sounds like you've ruled out SRS and are leaning toward palliative radiation, but just in case you might find this info about our experience helpful, I'll share. We are past 6 months since Cecil's diagnosis in November and approaching 6 months since his Cyberknife treatment. He had anesthesia for an MRI on a Tuesday and had the radiation treatment on a Wednesday also under anesthesia and that was it for the entire process. We drove to suburban Philadelphia for treatment and stayed a few days. He had no side effects from the anesthetic or the treatment. Started chemo (5 rounds of Carboplatin) a week after Cyberknife (also well-tolerated). Started Zoledronate (biphosphonate) a few weeks ago (also easy). He presented with a limp in November which was immediately controlled w/Rimadyl. X-rays were probable but not obvious for OSA. Apparently we caught it early which is why he was a Cyberknife candidate. We kept him on either Rimadyl or Tramadol (both low doses) this entire time and he had no pain. Last month he started limping, so we added Tramadol to the Rimadyl. He is still limping but not badly and his behavior is normal otherwise. I wanted to get a look at the bone and see if we could see tumor progression so we could make a more informed decision on what to do next. (We hadn't gotten X-rays since the MRI before Cyberkife because they are not a very good indicator of the success or failure of the treatment since the bone will never look normal again). He doesn't do well with X-rays (like any of these big, leggy hounds do?). We got a chest X-ray and a shoulder X-ray today. Chest was clear but shoulder looked a little different, so could be result of radiation or could be active tumor which would be disappointing. Either way, the bone still looked pretty good, so we don't seem have an imminent fracture risk. That said, Cecil has not been offleash outdoors since his diagnosis and never could be (just something to consider with radiation vs amputation). Our ortho vet was pleased with his condition considering we're 6 months in. She's sending everything to the Cyberknife vet - Dr. Siobhan Haney - to get her input on that shoulder Xray. I'm almost certain SRS therapy is not a magic cure, but for dogs who are not amputation candidates (for whatever reason), it seems to be the alternative with the best outcomes, considering quality and quantity of life. Cecil's tumor is in his shoulder (less fracture risk than other leg areas) and it was caught in the early stages of development. And, his tumor is more proliferative than lytic, so his fracture risk is lower. And, we have Trupanion insurance and they have paid 90% of everything. We approaching $10K at this stage. As with all treatments there are pros and cons and probably no single right answer for anyone. Until they can cure this awful disease, we humans will just have to do our best to choose the best of the not-so-good options available for our beloved greyhounds. We'll probably stay the course and continue the zoledronate infusions every 21 days. We've also added in homeopathic therapy, a few supplements (Arteminisin and Curcumin) and fish oil. Depending on what Dr Haney says about the Xray, we might do another round of radiation (probably palliative) and perhaps add more pain meds. I'm just relieved based on X-rays there doesn't seem to be a high risk of fracture, if there would have been, we'd probably start preparing to say our goodbyes. I hope this helps you in some way. No magic cure, but we've had 6 absolutely wonderful months with our boy and he's still happy and mostly pain-free. I'd be happy to share any details if you like. Hugs and kisses to your Zuri and to every osteo hound in this club. And peace and strength to you as you work through these decisions. It's really, really hard. I'm sorry.
  8. Just wanted to add another treatment option for you to explore. We are 5 months post osteo diagnosis with our 8 yr old boy. It's in the right shoulder and our vet also wasn't sure at first after X-rays. The tumor is proliferative vs lytic, so it doesn't look like typical greyhound osteo on the radiographs. Radiologist confirmed aggressive bone lesion. We did not do the FNA biopsy since multiple opinions concurred most likely osteosarcoma, including Dr Couto. All said it was likely caught early. Our local ortho vet (who studied under Dr. C at Ohio State) suggested looking into Cyberknife vs amputation. We did. Not all dogs are candidates (dogs must have no fractures or even micro fractures and decent bone integrity and clear chest X-rays). Studies and stats are few, but so far outcomes of Cyberknife w/chemo are similar to amputation w/chemo. Cecil is a very large greyhound and while he was a candidate for amp, we felt based on some back-end weakness plus the cancer being in his shoulder vs a back leg, amp would be even more difficult for him. We chose Cyberknife. He received one treatment (equal to about 25 - 30 traditional radiation treatments) under anesthetic on December 20, 2015. We followed up with 5 traditional chemo (carboplatin only) treatments. We could do a 6th, but I don't think we will. No side effects from ANY of these treatments so far. He's on 2 tramadol per day and seems to have no pain. We haven't followed up with a chest X-ray since he started treatment because it wouldn't really change anything and wrestling him onto an X-ray table isn't worth the risk in my opinion. Follow up X-rays of the shoulder aren't recommended since once the tumor has changed bone structure, it doesn't revert back, so X-rays won't show changes even though the tumor is gone (hopefully!). There is a significant risk of fracture in the tumor bone (up to 30-40%), so he will never be off-leash outside again. He goes on walks and is normal in every other way. We will consult with our oncologist about starting zoledronate therapy (bone strengthening drug) next. We have no idea how long we'll have with him, but we have had 5 pain-free, excellent months. I realize that could change in a heartbeat, but we made our choice and haven't looked back. We enjoy every moment we have with him (and he's spoiled rotten!). Con's - Not removing the osteo limb can be anxiety-inspiring when you don't know for sure if "they got it all." - High risk of fracture in the first months after treatment - Cost - all in we're approaching $10K for everything w/Cyberknife around $5K of it (we DO have insurance - Trupanion, who has paid 90% of everything!!) - Availability - vet clinics providing the treatment are hard to find - we are in OH and traveled 6 hours to suburban Philly for treatment - Lack of studies and stats on outcomes - it's a bit of a leap of faith Pro's - It's not amputation Wishing you the best with Buffy. I'm happy to answer any questions you or anyone else reading this thread might have regarding Cyberknife. I haven't posted much on Cecil or his treatment yet, but I plan to provide feedback to our community about Cyberknife as an optional treatment for the horrible osteosarcoma monster. So far so good...5 months in.
  9. How I LOVE hearing this news! Awesome job Taylor!
  10. Your tribute and your photos are beautiful and perfect. Thank you for sharing Murray with us all these years and this one last time. I'm heartbroken for you and Burke.
  11. Oh no, Tricia and Burke. We are so very sorry. I doubt there are any words I could write that could bring you comfort right now. Knowing your journey with Murray and the love you two have for your best boy breaks my heart. We are thinking of you both and sending you peace and love.
  12. Thanks for the update, Tricia. Moving in the right direction and other options available if the prednisone doesn't get the job done - great news!
  13. After reading your post on IG, I came looking here for details because I couldn't get you and Murray out of my mind. I know you're enjoying every moment with your handsome boy and we're all sending Murray good, healing energy. Thanks for sharing your experience with Trupanion. I've had it for a few years for both my boys and I've yet to use it. I cringe at paying the premium every month, but I keep it for exactly what you just described. I won't cringe anymore when I write the check; I'll just pray I never need to use it.
  14. Does this have more to do with SA and the need for alone training than to crate or not to crate? The fact that she cried and whined and barked when her first family left her all day may have less to do with the crate than just being alone. I don't think I'd be so fast to ditch the crate; it sure makes the transition easier and safer, especially with cats involved. That said, if she's crazed in the crate and could injure herself, then it's not an option. I have one that hated the crate and in spite of all our alone training and time, still hated the crate. We removed the crate, and he's been a perfect boy for the last four years. We tried that with our second boy (because we just didn't want that big crate in the house) and he's proven that he can't be trusted with free range of the house AND he is a more relaxed, well-behaved hound when he's in the crate while we're gone. Lots of treats associated with the crate and with leaving the house. They're happy to see us getting ready to go! Good luck!
  15. When Cecil was in pain and before we did the chiro treatments, I gave him Rimadyl which is for pain and inflammation. We really don't like meds for long term treatment unless it's absolutely necessary, but without the Rimadyl he was screaming every time he got up, especially at night. Not sure if Stella and Cecil even have the same issue, but Rimadyl definitely worked for Cecil's pain. Also, our chiro vet suggested heating pad for 20 minutes 3 times a day. I used a buckwheat neck pillow I heated in the microwave, so we did that too along with the Ligaplex supplement and the 3 chiro treatments. I was able to wean him off the Rimadyl a few days after the first chiro treatment and he never limped or screamed again. It's such a horrible sound to wake up to in the middle of the night - sorry you're having to go through this and hope you find a solution soon for Stella.
  16. We had something similar going on with Cecil a few months ago. It started after a sprint around the pony corral at the fairgrounds which is usually pretty safe since it's filled with sand. Anyway, he came up a little gimpy and by that night was limping very badly and it seemed to be his shoulder. It didn't improve in a day or two so I took him to the vet. He was very stoic during the exam and nothing seemed to hurt. Vet said probably soft tissue and to keep him leashed. Limp got better, but he starting screaming when he was moving in the night and when he'd get up from lying down. I started giving him Rimadyl and it worked after a day or so. Took him off after 3 or 4 days and he started crying out again at night (and like Stella, seemed much better in the daytime). Took him back for X-rays fearing the worst and they were clean. We hate medicating but every time I took him off the meds he'd regress in a few days. We have an animal chiropractor relatively close-by, Dr. Sivula in Richfield, OH. Cecil had 3 treatments and went through a bottle of Ligaplex supplement and he seems to be 100%. No Rimadyl for almost 2 months and he's back to sprinting. Dr. Sivula diagnosed cervical spine issue based on X-ray and exam. If you Google cervical spine and dog, the first thing that pops up is an x-ray of a greyhound spine, so as racingdog says above, its probably pretty common in greyhounds.
  17. Hello and welcome from NE Ohio. Logan is so handsome! Did you adopt from Greyhound Adoption of Ohio? We've got a growing group of hounds in the Y-town area that get together for hound walks and GAO Meet & Greets if you're interested and close by.
  18. We've been having a similar issue with Cecil. Seems to be shoulder and at first very pronounced limping that tapered off with no meds, but then he started crying out and yelping every time he got up from lying down. Vet visit who said he suspected soft tissue and gave him Rimadyl and that seemed to help, but after 4 days on meds we took him off and pain came back. Back to the vet for an Xray and it was clean. We stopped meds 3 days ago after about a week and a half and no crying out or limping so far so we're hoping it was soft tissue. I have an appointment for him next Monday with a doggie chiropractor just to get him checked out (similar to Seamus, it seems shoulder/neck related and works itself out once he's up and moving around, so maybe something is out of place and pinching a nerve?). All that said, if he continues to have issues, my next step will be sending the X-rays to Dr Couto to review. My vet said flat out that the X-rays look perfect, but he's NOT a radiologist and if Cecil wasn't feeling better with treatment and time that he'd want someone else to take a look at the X-rays, and who better than Dr. C. If your handsome boy isn't feeling better soon, I'd send the X-rays to Dr Couto to review and consult a chiropractor. Hope he's feeling better soon. http://www.coutovetconsultants.com
  19. Yep, looks like pyoderma. Not sure if it's always staph, but seems most likely. Cecil gets this occasionally and because he has a sensitive tummy we don't give him oral antibiotics. We use the topical Duoxo products. They have a shampoo, a spray and a medicated wipe. The worst he had it was maybe 7 or 8 smallish patches on his belly, armpits, groin area and then one large (golfball diameter) spot on his back and all his hair fell out in a chunk (freaked me out!). That was the first time he had it, but with diligent shampooing and spraying, we got rid of it in about a week. He's had a few spots here an there since and I use the wipes all over his belly, groin, chest area for a few days and it will go away with no spreading, but I check him all the time to be sure none pop up. Not sure why it happens, but it seems more likely in the summer. I've read about others who seem to have a harder time getting rid of it and they mostly use oral antibiotics. Not sure if we just get lucky with topicals or if maybe they're better and vets just naturally go the oral antibiotic route because...well, because that's the modern way, I guess. Hope your boy is better soon.
  20. Wow, great response and very encouraging in general. Cecil is on VetriScience BD which also contains a probiotic, so I wonder if there was some kind of overload when added to the change in the food. Thanks so much for sharing this information. Glad to hear Cody's poop is back to perfect! We're still battling over here but we've seen some improvement as I work in the Iams green bag with the rice and beef. Not happy about the Iams, but it it works and we can get him stable, we'll think about transitioning to something else...maybe. Thx again!
  21. Hmmm....we feed TOTW High Prairie as well and I've been having problems with one of ours. He has a history of tummy troubles and he spent 3 days at the greyhound boarding kennel a few weeks ago. I figured someone slipped him a few milkbones (for him, that's all it takes). But in the back of my mind, I have been suspicious of the TOTW. We had just opened a new bag the very day we took them to the kennel and I distinctly remember it was a different color. Our other boy has super-consistent "museum quality" (that's cracking me up!) poop and nothing has changed for him on that same bag of TOTW in almost 4 weeks. Meanwhile, my other guy has been on boiled rice and beef for weeks. I thought we had a breakthrough, but as soon as I added some calcium and a multivitamin to his bland food we went back to pudding poop - not the liquid he started out with, but he certainly is not ready to transition back to the high protein kibble. I bought a bag of Iams in the green bag since that seems to be approaching legendary poop-firming status on this board. Don't love the idea, but even the bland diet doesn't seem to be firming things all the way up. We're transitioning to the green bag and things are about the same. Not sure if TOTW was the original culprit, but makes you wonder. Keep us posted on their response if you can and good luck!
  22. Cecil has had staph on his belly, legs, and even a patch on his back that caused a big chunk of hair to fall out. He also has an extremely sensitive tummy, so I try everything possible before putting him on oral antibiotics because that will turn into a 3 month battle with diarrhea and pudding poop. That said, we used the Duoxo chlorhexidine products - there's a shampoo, a spray, and wet wipes. It took a week or so of diligent shampooing according to the directions on the bottle, but we got it. He's had a few spots since and I'll using the spray or wipes to keep it from spreading. I think that's the key - catching the first few spots. I can speculate on how he got it, but staph is everywhere including the skin and it normally doesn't cause a problem. It could be immune system related? If not for Cecil's GI issues, our vet would have certainly given us some kind of oral antibiotic, but I'm glad he didn't. Maybe the topical route is worth a try. Good luck to your pal and her girl.
  23. Mine get probiotics all the time, but at a lower "maintenance" dosage. When you first start probiotics, some, maybe all, recommend a higher initial dose that's almost double - just follow the directions on the label. When we have an issue, I bump him back up to the higher dose. If he wasn't already on probiotics I would not wait, I would add right away. Our other boy with no issues was on antibiotics for almost a month and he started getting diarreha. As soon as I added the probiotics his poops firmed up in a few days. BTW, it took 10 days on rice and beef before we turned the corner. We got a formed poop yesterday finally. I'll feed rice and beef, but add in supplements (multivitamin and calcium) and some veggies for another few weeks and then try to transition back to kibble. As GeorgeofNE said, if you can fast Puddy, it might speed up the process of that belly "reboot," but that doesn't work for us, so I think it adds to recovery time. Be patient, but also be sure you keep testing for the Hooks for a little while. It took us months to get rid of them and we had a few negative results and then would get a positive - they're tricky.
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