Aerosmom

She was given Carboplatin. I think the drug that made Winslow sick was Cisplatin. So I don't think it was the chemo. She's still having the screaming episodes -- and they are actually way longer than 10 seconds. I think it's primarily after she's been lying down for a while. A few people have suggested muscle spasms/pain, so I'm going to try to massage her legs and back and see if that helps at all. Does anyone know massage techniques for a grey? I'll try to do a web search too.

Sophie looks great. I don't know much about the chemotherapy drugs, only that the Carboplatin and doxorubicin have similar results. I think the Carboplatin is more expensive too. Give Sophie a big hug. I'm praying for a great outcome for her! Once you get over the shock of the diagnosis, you just want to get rolling on keeping this cancer at bay for as long as you can. Sophie looks great. I don't know much about the chemotherapy drugs, only that the Carboplatin is supposed to have less side effects but the end results are very similar with doxorubicin. Give Sophie a hug. I'm praying for a great outcome for her!

So phantom pain is not phantom, but real pain caused by nerves. I cannot remember what we did for Max. I think it was tramadol only. Trying to get ahold of Kathleen. It didn't last long. Can you tell if she is having any muscle spasms? I don't think she is, but she seems to scream most often when she stands up. She's not that active either, which could be because she had the chemo on Tuesday and it's very hot here today.... If the phantom pain is actual nerve signals, is it treatable with Tramadol? It seems as if the episodes are not decreasing in frequency either.

I'm sorry to hear this. Sending many prayers for Whistler.

It's almost two weeks post-amputation for Snickers and she's been on Tramadol 2 x day since coming home from the vets about 11 days ago. Her stitches were removed on Tuesday, and she had her first chemotherapy at the same time. I've heard from other greyhound owners and read that the screaming might be a reaction to the Tramadol. I'm really getting stressed out about this because I thought the amputation was supposed to alleviate the pain. It's tearing me up inside to hear her cry like this. It seems to be most frequently when she stands up, but sometimes she'll just scream for no apparent reason. The episodes last for a very long 10 seconds or more. I withheld the Tramadol this a.m. because I thought if it's phantom pain it won't help and I wanted to see if she did better without it. I haven't noticed much difference so far and just broke down and gave her one because I thought maybe she is having muscle spasms. I've asked the surgeon about this, and they have witnessed it, and I've just been told that they can't find a focal point for the pain and for me to continue with the Tramadol 2 x day for another week. No one seems particularly concerned about this. I think at this point she has five or more of these episodes a day/night. It's making me feel very guilty for putting her through all this when it was supposed to help her. Any experience/advice is much appreciated! I've been trying to research online and haven't found much info. I also e-mailed Dr. Couto's group and they said that the typical bad reaction to Tramadol is more delirium and a consistent reaction, not these sporatic fits. It tears at my heart everytime I hear her cry like this. My worse fear is that there is cancer somewhere else in her body that is causing her to scream. I also posted this on Circle of Grey -- I'm hoping someone has some experience/advice about this.

I can't imagine your sadness right now. Just wanted to add another voice here that echoes the sentiment that we could tell how much you loved Skittle. May the raw pain eventually subside and the good memories help you heal. I feel for your family.

Oh no! What horribly sad news. I'm so sorry.

Many prayers for Alan! I would consult with a neurologist as soon as you can. If it's a disc, they can operate and help him. There's a lot of good info on line about spinal cord injuries -- I did a lot of reading about spinal cord disease for Cricket. Hopefully it's just temporary inflammation or something reversible.

Sorry to read this! My heart goes out to you and Skittles. I'll be praying for a safe journey and recovery.

Snickers is back from her first chemo appt. They gave her carboplatin and also took out her stitches. She's been randomly yelping and I hope it's because the stitches were pulling. They couldn't find any other area where she had an obvious painful area. She's been a bit withdrawn and not very interactive since the surgery. I hope it's just the recovery period and she eventually perks up. It makes me feel guilty for putting her through all this, but it's the best chance for her long-term health and quality of life... We took the compression bandage off yesterday because it seemed like all the edema in her remaining front leg was gone and the bandage was just getting in the way of her walking. I hope the carboplatin is killing those cancerous cells. It feels better to be doing something to battle it instead of just waiting when you know it's probably growing inside.

Prayers for your Cody

Update: One week post amputation Snickers is getting around well on her three legs, even with the remaining front one wrapped in a compression bandage. She still yelps out on occasion, not sure if it's the phantom pain or real pain but it's awful to hear it because you wish you could do something. Her sensitive brother Aero actually gets up and leaves the room when he hears it. She is going up and down the deck stairs (three of them) easily and has not lost her balance at all! Just before we adopted her, she was a broken leg girl so maybe she already knows how to balance and maneuver on three legs. The only thing that is bothering me is that she seems so depressed. it makes me feel guilty for having done this to her, but I know that I'd make the same decision again because it gives her the best survival chances. She's eating her regular meals but will not eat treats, which is very uncharacteristic of her. I hope she's back to her old self soon -- I miss her big slurpy kisses and limitless enthusiasm for everything. She is such a BIG personality and it's not like her to be so quiet and subdued. The compression bandage on her remaining front leg looks loose! I hope the swelling is down although I can't tell for sure without removing it and they want it on until Tuesday. The really wierd thing is we're seen her littermate Cricket sitting with one of her front legs hidden -- like she's mirroring Snickers. Next hurdle is chemo, which starts on Tuesday.

I'm not sure because Snickers had a pain patch only before the surgery, but she seemed to notice when it started working because she would turn and look at it. What longdogs said about there being a drop in the drug level until it works makes sense. Snickers panted a lot and seemed agitated for at least the first three to four days home, especially at night. It's really hard at first. We're one week from surgery and it's finally getting a little better. for Sophie for you

Sending prayers for Skittles.

The scarey thing is the surgeon on duty said that the edema/seepage wasn't normal and that she hadn't seen it before even though she had seen greyhound amputations before. I freaked out yesterday because I thought she was bleeding to death and then later that she had broken her good leg. Oh well, at least it is nothing, although my emotions could have been spared. I should have posted a question on the Circle of Grey -- probably would have saved a lot of panic. On the positive note, Snickers is doing really well today and slept much more soundly last night. I took a shower this morning and left Snickers sleeping on a cushion....only to find her upstairs when I was done. I was a little upset at myself for not anticipating this, but it shows how much spunk this girl has. From now on she's going to be in her crate until her incision is healed.

Still praying for Sophie.

Thinking about Sophie and you.

What perfect timing for this thread! I am only halfway through it, but it's so helpful to have detailed information about the surgery and recovery. We're on day two post op at our house with Snickers.

Update on Miss Snickers: (from Mom -- my daughter posted yesterday.) She is so so happy to be home. We had a rough night, with a lot of panting and pain. But I gave her more Tramadol and she's now sleeping without the panting. I'm not sure the Tramadol and Metacam are enough for her -- I waiting to hear back from them to discuss this. I think the more she sleeps and rests the quicker she'll heal. Aero and Cricket are being great with her -- Cricket has been very sweet and worried about her sister. I stocked up on Dogsters Frozen treats so she can have something yummy to do when we ice her incision. Her remaining front leg is very bruised and swollen today...I'm going to ask the vet about this too.

I'm glad you figured out what's wrong with Mia -- I hope her treatment goes well and she continues to improve.

She is so happy to be here too. We'll be thinking of Sophie today.

Prayers and good thoughts from Snickers and us.

This is her daughter, Ali. I'm sitting her keeping an eye on Snickers. She's home and very sleepy. As I thought, nothing can stop Snickers from being goofy. Despite a three-human barracade, she managed to leap out of the car. She was thirsty earlier, but has calmed down enough to get some rest. Thank you for all of you prayers and support. Ali and Snickers

Left front. Do you need to gather the bottom of the t-shirt with a hair elastic so she doesn't trip?

Hoping for good results for Abby. It's going to be a long week for you.