Aerosmom

Does anyone know what size of Bite Not collar to order? Snickers is around 75 lbs. (well, pre-amputation)....I thought I'd get one because it'd be a lot more comfortable than an Elizabethan collar. I'm hesistant to just base in on weight because of our pups' unique physiques... What have you purchased/used and what is the size/weight of your grey? Thanks!

We visited her this afternoon, and she's having a little bit of a hard time -- they've been giving her Valium because she's stressing and panting. I thought her incision looked good, except there was a build up of blood/fluid in the lower part of the amputation area -- they said it was a little more than normal but still okay. She was very agitated though, which makes me feel very anxious for her too. On the positive note, she was up and moving and pulling. And she did eat some homemade tuna treats. I spoke iwth the vet later in the afternoon and he said they checked her levels and they were a little high, but still okay. Also she had fallen asleep, which makes me feel better. I was picturing her panting and stressing the whole time which I'm sure isn't good for her. They might send her home tomorrow, maybe Tuesday....depends on how she is tomorrow. It's awful to see her so agitated. Do the drugs do that, or is it just the aftermath of the surgery. I know it was a very major operation.

I know just what you are going through. We got an osteo diagnosis on Tuesday for our girl Snickers. I kept asking the vet if there was any chance it could be anything else. After the initial shock and disbelief, I read as much as I could on the subject so I could be informed about what was the best thing for her. Not much else manifests itself like osteo unfortunately. Dr. Couto is as wonderful as everyone here on GT says. I e-mailed them and they answered very quickly. Circle of Greys is also a wonderful supportive group. Join right away. Sending prayers for Bullett.

OMG. What a nightmare. I'll be praying for Jester and you.

The surgeon called, and Snickers is awake, but groggy. She said it was "routine", which is great news. She also said we could get the sutures out next Sat. and get started right away on chemo. That seems quick, but as long as the tissue heals well, I'd love to get rolling on the chemo as soon as we can. We're through the first hurdle of this horrible cancer journey.

I dropped Snickers off at the vet this morning, and the surgeon is going to call me before she starts the operation and after. She hates the vet anyway, and has had a week of almost daily vet visits. She was panting and panting. Oddly, I almost feel relieved that it's today because it's so hard waiting and not doing anything for her. I'm praying for a successful surgery and a good prognosis for my little brindle monkey girl I was looking through her pictures this a.m., and came across one of those posters I made...How true it is.

Thanks. My prayers are with Lilah too. She's a beautiful girl. How much Artemisining is Lilah taking? I found a few places that sell it -- any recommendations? The oncologist, Dr. Buss, actually said it has some potential. I'm not sure in what form, but I'm willing to try. I will keep everyone posted about Snickers's surgery.

Update: (I dont' know how to add it to the heading.) We saw on oncologist today, and although the tissue samples weren't definitive, he and the radiologist are 99% certain it is osteo. So rather than waste time, I've got her scheduled for amputation tomorrow a.m. It's going to be hard on her human family emotionally but to know that it gives her relief from the pain and also possibly a better survival rate in the slim chance the cancer hasn't spread, I know in my heart it's the right decision. I'm not too weepy today. I'm actually relieved that we are going forward and doing something for her before it progresses any further. I'll probably be a mess tomorrow though. Does anyone know much about Artemisinin? The oncologist seemed very positive about supplementing chemo with this. Apparently there have been good success with cancer remission with it. It's an anti-malarial drug. I have the 2004 CG article here, but was hoping someone knew more about it. I'll post this under a different topic too when I have more time. Pray for Snickers tomorrow. Forgot to add the good news: lungs are clear, her ALP (marker protein is normal, and a quick ultrasound of her abdomen looked clear. Although it's osteo, her prognosis is good.

I'm so sorry for you and Wenda. My Snickers was just diagnosed this week. She's only 5 1/2 so I am faced with different choices than you. To give you an idea of how fast this cancer is, we took x-rays of Snickers on March 30 when she first starting limping and nothing was there. The x-ray from Tuesday showed bone deterioration and lytic lesions. Unbelievable. Do what you can and enjoy every day with her.

Thinking of Finn. Hope he shared those yummy treats with his sisters. I hope the antibiotics are kicking in.

to your family and Sophie. It's an emotional rollercoster. Hope Sophie is having a better day today.

I just tried and I was able to sign in Maybe I missed the e-mail.

I sent a request to join the Circle of Greys on Tuesday after learning of Snickers's potential diagnosis. I keep checking my e-mail and nothing yet. It sounds like a wonderful support group and I'm so anxious to be able to log in. While I'm waiting for Snickers's biopsy results I want to learn as much as I can about treatment options if it ends up being osteo. Does anyone know how long it takes?

Thanks everyone for your kind and informative responses. Although I only e-mailed them last evening, I have already heard from one of Dr. Couto's associates. What an incredible resource. Snickers is at the vet now, and I have opted for the less invasive fine needle aspirate and hope that we can get some answers from that. On the positive side, the lung x-rays they took this a.m. did not show any obvious signs of metastasis. (if that is the right terminology and spelling). The vets and the assistants are being very understanding and compassionate. I'll update when I hear any news. I guess it takes a few days to get the results of the test so I'll spend the next few days doing a lot of reading trying to absorb as much info as possible.

Prayers and hugs to both of you. I think Snickers and I are in the same boat. You're right, it hits you like a ton of bricks. How old is Cocktail?

Your Sophie's story sounds so similar to what's happened with Snickers. Snickers had a follow-up x-ray today and it had two bone lesions -- they weren't there four weeks ago. Did Sophie have a bone biopsy? They are recommending this, but some say it can further weaken the bone...any advice is appreciated. Prayers for Sophie.

I am still reeling from the news. I took Snickers in for a follow-up x-ray because she had started limping again after a second course of Metacam. The x-ray showed two bone lesions in her upper femur bone. (I think that's where they were -- everything was a blur.) They want to x-ray her lungs tomorrow a.m. and then do a bone biopsy if they are clear. The scarey thing is that nothing was apparent four weeks ago. Any info on options -- needle aspiration versus biopsy, etc... would be helpful. I kept asking the vet if it could be anything else....not likely. I guess at this point we have to determine the type of tumor and then proceed based on the results. She's only 5 1/2. I knew that a limp sometimes foreshadowed cancer, but I thought it was so unlikely because of her age. How do you go about asking Dr. Couto for advice -- is he a consulting veterinarian? Damn. Here come the waterworks again.

I'm sorry to hear about Lilah's pain. She is such a sweet pretty girl, and I enjoyed meeting both of you on Saturday. She looked like she really enjoyed the day. I hope you can fine tune her pain meds. for both of you.

Prayers for Finn and hugs for all of you.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy.

Great photos of beautiful pups. Congratulations on posting! (It took me a long time to figure it out.)

What an incredibly sad story. I feel for your friend to have her Barbie taken so soon.