Rickiesmom

For those of you who have been through chemo, did your vet check blood counts before every treatment, or only at intervals? Do you know why they chose the approach they did? Thank you!

Thank you for the suggestion, I took a first-catch sample in this morning when Jaynie had her stitches out. Surgeon said the results might not be accurate yet because she was on fluids for about a week, stopped last Wednesday. They will run it but suggested re-running in in 2 - 3 weeks. I don't know how results might be affected by the chemo drugs though, so I am glad to have this done anyway - think the last time might have been in October of 2013.

Jaynie's blood results from last week are in - does anyone see anything concerning here? Her Creatinine is only a few points higher than last October, and has been in this range for a couple of years, so while it is high, it is stable. The oncologist has this report as well. Note the reference ranges are quite different from those in the US: As a lay person, I am concerned about all the other values that are outside of normal range, or just squeak into the normal range. Thank you!

Pathology report is back - no surprises, it's osteo. Just glad it finally arrived so we don't have to reschedule Jaynie's first chemo appointment for tomorrow.

Oh no! {{{{{ Jan }}}}} I am so, so sorry. No hound could have been more loved. My heart is breaking for you.

Thank you. I also realized the shaky back leg is on the same side as the missing front one, so it really is hopefully jus rebalancing. The leg doesn't seem lame at all, just shaky.

Jaynie seems perkier today, which makes me very happy, but I do have a question: Her back left leg shakes a lot when she stands, even if she hasn't been walking much. Is this something I need to worry about, or is this just part of her overall balance adjustment? I do have the feeling that sometimes when she is standing, she shifts weight back a bit to take some work away from the front leg. Thank you!

Jackie was one of those GT hounds that made a lasting impression. I am so sorry she's gone.

Thank you Alicia - what you are describing is exactly what we have been going through. That it is normal / typical makes me feel better. I also worry about her remaining front leg. We are only going to the backyard to potty, but it seems like it takes more effort for her to get around.

I am concerned about Jaynie - she seems depressed and I don't know why. Possibilities are - she's missing Jeff (thinking about bringing him home), she isn't feeling well (temp is normal, eating is fine), she's tired from exertion she isn't used to, and just generally adjusting to life on 3 legs. She was much brighter for the first few days she was home - probably thrilled to be out of the hospital, but the last couple of days she has seemed very quiet and withdrawn. I took her for a car ride yesterday afternoon, and she definitely brightened for that - riding in the car is one of her favourite things, so we will do that every day possible. Her pain meds are being weaned down, she's currently getting 300gmg Gabapentin and 75mg Tramadol 2x per day. Her heart rate is still rapid a lot of the time, and her breathing still heavier, like panting except her mouth is closed. There is very little outright panting now. I'm not sure what to make of it all. What has been the behaviour / mood patterns for others who have been through this? Is this normal? Thank you!

Happy Gotcha Day to a very special Direktor !!

Jaynie is on 300mg of Gabapentin 3x per day, in addition to the Tramadol. No Fentanyl patch. Because she has always tolerated Tramadol well in the past, I upped her from 75mg 3x per day to 100mg today guessing the panting was discomfort / pain, and it worked - she has rested and slept much more. Still heavier breathing and still some panting sessions, but much better than last night. That said, she is better in the day, so tonight will tell the tale. I really do think the bandage is playing a part as well, but Jaynie is not on antibiotics, which is probably why the caution in keeping it covered.

I am so sorry. This disease knows no boundaries.

Thank you all for the well wishes. Jaynie is doing amazingly well, other than she has episodes of panting and fast heart rate. In between her breathing seems harder than usual too. Vet thinks it's the Tramadol, I was thinking pain since she's on a pretty low dose (75mg, 3x per day, along with 300 mg Gabapentin) and I upped it to 100mg. But, watching her just now, she's wearing a pretty big bandage and it fits quite snuggly - I wonder if that's it? She goes for a bandage change tomorrow morning and the surgeon will examine her then. One funny thing: she has a nice thick, firm, new orthopedic bed. Very comfortable and good support when she is getting up or repositioning herself. But last night she decided to sleep with me (code for take-over) in an improvised bed made with a foundation of rectangular Costco beds and duvets. Definitely did have more trouble on it too, but it's snugglier and she evidently prefers that. She's busted back to the orthopedic bed now. I think tonight I'll sleep in the adjacent room so I can hear her but she will have to stay safely on her own bed.

Jaynie is home, very tired, but doing quite well getting around. When we came into the house she went to get a drink of water, and then flaked out for a nap:

What a great update! Hope Mojito continues to improve as the Pred is reduced!

Jaynie is doing well - they reduced her Tramadol and she is brighter and more confident. Also eating better, which is great news. She is coming home tomorrow, probably sometime in the morning - I can hardly wait!

Wonderful news about Henry!!

Ducky I am so, so sorry. Pudge sounds like one in a million.

Jaynie is doing better. Will be moved out of the ICU today. She is wanting to get up more, and they have taken her outside (still won't pee there though). She still hasn't eaten but they are weaning down the drugs and think she probably will this evening. She is on fluids to stay hydrated and to protect her kidneys. She is developing a little bit of bruising in what was the armpit area, so they are monitoring and will keep that bandaged for now. They are thinking she may be ready to come home end of day tomorrow, or on Tuesday. Surgeon isn't back in until Tuesday and I would like him to examine her before she is discharged, so Tuesday is fine with me. They suggest not visiting yet. The drugs are still messing with her mind and if she gets anxious it takes them some time to get her calmed down again. I am reading materials from the Tripawds site, and they say she is probably seeing pink elephants right now. They also say not to visit. Using the time to get things ready for her return, covering the floor with rubber backed mats / yoga mats, and have ordered a firm orthopedic bed that should arrive tomorrow. She already has a raised feeder and one pair of jammies without legs, so we're pretty well set. Someone is coming tomorrow to measure, and will build her a ramp out the back door. All in all, things seem to be looking up.

Just called for an update. Jaynie is doing fine. They felt earlier she might be a bit painful so they moved her into the ICU and have upped the pain meds bit. They will call me in the morning but think she will be doing better by then and it sounds like sometime tomorrow they will start weaning her down on the meds a bit. Hoping to be able to go in tomorrow, though not if she is still in the ICU. I know sometimes Jaynie whimpers after anaesthesia, or if given certain drugs like Hydromorphone, so hopefully it was more that than anything. In any event, she is being monitored and well cared for, which is a great comfort.

Jaynie is out of surgery - everything went well. I forgot to take food down for her this morning, so heading out to do that now. She should be home Monday, maybe Tuesday (I wouldn't mind an extra day of monitored healing as long as she's content there - I know she'll be spoiled.)

Thank you for your input, which, combined with others, convinced me to move forward with amputation. Tomorrow my beautiful girl will lose her leg and her pain, and in a couple of weeks we will begin chemo. I learned a couple of interesting things: - Doxorubicin can be given without risk to the kidneys (Jaynie may also be able to have Carboplatin but the oncologist wants to study her blood results history before deciding on a treatment plan) - The most recent research indicates that Pamidronate does nothing to help, unlike previous thinking that it helped build bone and might even slow down cancer progress. I will drop Jaynie off tomorrow at 7am. If you have a moment, please send good thoughts and prayers for my girlie.

Greysmom, thank you for your thoughts. My other thread asked about diagnostics only, not about Jaynie or her condition specifically, which is why nothing rings a bell. Jaynie did have chest x-rays done yesterday, and they are clear. She is currently on Tramadol, Gabapentin and a Fentanyl patch, which she is tolerating, thank goodness. The goal is to keep her comfortable until we determine a viable course of action, if there is one. It will likely come down to her kidneys as you have suggested. I really am concerned about her ability to manage with one front leg, though assuming she can tolerate chemo, it might be worth giving her a chance. I wouldn't put her through it unless chemo is part of the plan. Your comments about Dude are encouraging as we do have a wonderful rehab clinic to help us post-amp. The alternative is to do radiation and pamidronate again, without chemo if necessary, because although the lesion is still quite small it is painful, and we have nowhere to go with pain meds, so radiation is crucial. Hopefully the wait time for this is much shorter than I have been led to believe. I hope other people with front leg amp experience / kidney conditions and treatment will chime in.

I would like to ask for experiences and thoughts within this thread as I don't have the emotional energy to post in the general forum right now. My Jaynie, who turned 9 last month, has a bone lesion on her left humerus that the orthopedic specialist agrees is probably osteo, but will not confirm without a bone biopsy which I declined to do. Ultrasound-guided FNA was not helpful. We have an oncology consult tomorrow, and an appointment for amputation for Friday if we move forward with that option, the alternative being palliative care - radiation / pamidronate / probably chemo as well. I could push the surgery out if I felt I needed more time, but I don't want to give this thing even one extra day of growth if I can reach a treatment decision I am at peace with in time. On the up-side, the lesion isn't that big. Unfortunately it is extremely painful, and I was told that is usually the case in this area because of extensive nerve involvement. Jaynie's case is complicated by a few factors: - she has compromised kidneys, so a key consideration will be whether the oncologist thinks she is a candidate for chemo - she has some mild arthritis in the other front leg - we are managing that with rehab and exercise very well, which is good as she can't have NSAIDs; we do have the option of doing cartrophen injections and of course she is on appropriate supplements; also our rehab person is very good so we will be able to do ongoing conditioning / rehab; nevertheless, I am concerned about the extra stress on that leg when it is alone - I will know more tomorrow, but what I am hearing is that the wait for palliative radiation at the nearest facility (University of Guelph - we live near Toronto) is something like 6 weeks. Although the surgeon said if she was his dog he'd amputate, I would hate to make that choice simply because the timeline for the alternative would seriously compromise her. The next-nearest is in Detroit (no idea about lead time) which is doable but complicated by the fact that Jaynie isn't vaccinated (auto-immune reaction risk) so there is a chance, even with an exemption letter from the vet, that she could be refused entry and once that happens, every subsequent attempt will probably have the same result. *** I would be very interested in your thoughts about keeping a front amp dog's other front leg strong and healthy, as well as effects on neck and back. I would hate for her to go through the surgery, recovery and chemo, only to find the other leg can't handle it. *** If anyone happens to have a kidney dog, I would be interested in what treatment adjustments (drug choices or administration approach) were made to accommodate that. I know someone whose hound received pamidronate over a longer infusion period so it could be diluted more, for example. I trust the orthopedic surgeon and oncologist who are on her case, they are both excellent. But it would be so helpful to hear from other greyhound owners who have been down the paths we are looking at, both to help my decision making and to identify considerations / questions I should follow-up on since "I don't know what I don't know". Thank you so much. (I have started reading the suggested references at the top of this thread, but am not through them all yet.)