ahicks51
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Posts posted by ahicks51
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Just a blind stab in the dark- with immunosuppresion, the first thing that jumps to mind is infection: staph, etc., but those don't look like staph. The second thing would be fungal- and although fungal problems present in a strange fashion, those just don't seem like fungi. Then, of course, the potential for malignancies comes up, but the geographic disjunction (eyes and rump? too far apart) makes that somewhat less likely. It implies there's something physiological going on, something related by the whole body rather than a local thing.
My guess is that it'd be a rash from the pancreatitis, but in humans the rash is normally red (maculopapular rash). No idea if it presents any differently in the canine.
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Here's a decent website that gives ratings and reviews of the major pet insurance plans.
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From:
http://www.gcnm.org/heartnews.html
"Many greyhound adopters across the country have been confronted with alarming news from their veterinarians concerning various heart abnormalities in their retired racers. Everything from “heart murmur” to “severely enlarged heart”, “congestive heart failure”, and “tachycardia or arrhythmia” has been offered as an explanation for various, vague symptoms and findings, with minimal evidence to support the diagnosis. And often, these conditions fail to present themselves upon evaluation by a veterinary cardiologist."
The whole article is quite enlightening.
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Howsabout an OTC wormer from the pet store?
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Where are you? Is there any chance a GT'er or someone else could come house-sit for a day or two so he won't be alone if you were to go that route? (Apologies if I'm misunderstanding the conundrum.)
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By spinal fusion, do you mean spondylosis deformans?
Gee, I don't remember the vet using these terms, but I will find out and post back. Is there something I should know if her condition is actually spondylosis deformans?
Probably not; it's pretty common.
On the purely theoretical side of it, spondylosis deformans may (or may not) be related to ankylosing spondylitis in humans; it's an autoimmune disease that begins in the gut, and NSAIDs are contraindicated. But that's two BIG theoretical leaps, so not giving him Metacam for that reason alone would be a poor choice.
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By spinal fusion, do you mean spondylosis deformans?
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If he's age 7 and is a retired racer, there's the possibility that he was in the clinic for more than a "couple months" of research. Sounds like something hinky could be going on.
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Check with the adoption group to ensure the hound is being treated by a veterinarian familiar with the quirks of greyhounds.
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A friend of mine who used to be on here more often had a dog with a spleen that was removed; the pathologists hemmed and hawed over it for 4-5 days, unconvinced as to whether it was malignant or not. Eventually they decided probably not, but in the interim I came up with an interesting paper on psuedotumor of the spleen in the canine. It had some vaguely similar features.
Note that while traditional chemo works best on swiftly growing tumors (the faster they grow, the more readily they succumb to poison), some (non-traditional) methods of combating slower-growing tumors can be used as well. Most revolve around enhancing the immune system.
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Coco had his first two dermal hemangiosarcomas removed in March of '08. I started getting nervous about a couple of growths in the same region, and then I noticed his whole groin had these flat spots that really got me worried, so I took him in to the local greyhound vet.
Fortunately, those spots were in fact nipples. (Those of you who think I know anything relating to medicine can keep this in mind for future reference when I sound like I am making sense.) Unfortunately, there was another spot, on his knee, that I didn't see. Fortunately, all those flat spots were sebaceous excretions that come off with an alcohol wipe. (There's two things you can use to knock me down a peg.) The spot on his knee was tiny; the doc was great- no waiting (he doesn't take appointments), and removed it right there. $58 for everything, and I'm back home.
The reason I even mention this is that the doctor noted, as before, that he'd probably have more- but only one spot after 22 months was pretty darned good. I noted that we feed raw- predator model, very few carbs- and that perhaps the low carbohydrate diet played some role, and he thought this could have contributed.
Someone else noted on the greyhound mailing list that their hound was prone to dermal hemangio, and that the frequency seemed lower when fed a raw, low-carb diet.
So! Random, potentially useless anecdote #48 from AJ.
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You know- it's tough to describe, but there's a figure of eight dressing that's used for certain injuries; if you were able to get it up over the hips (with the top of the hip being the center of the figure of eight), the loops would go to the inside of the thighs- but then you could use that to run a bandage around the circumference of the leg, holding a bandage in place.
Here's a figure of eight for the shoulders:
So instead of the back of the neck being the center, you'd want the top of the hips to be the center. And instead of going under the arms, the bandage would go under the legs. Once that's in place, wrap around the affected leg with a pad. But he'd probably undo that pretty fast, too.
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If the drainage is the problem with the pants, find some way to absorb or blot up the liquid coming out of the drain, to be worn under the pants. A wad of 4x4s, or even a 5x9, to sop up as much as possible. Diapers have superabsorbent polymers in them; if a diaper could be corrupted in some fashion to sop up the drainage, that might help.
Good luck!
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I missed this the first time around.
What are they amputating? Have you considered going to a diet with very few carbohydrates, either home-cooked or raw fed? If not fed many carbohydrates, the impact from the disease is minimized.
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Has depo-medrol injection been used or considered?
http://greythealth.com/lumbosacral.htm
I do know in the past people have used these devices for greys that have sustained injuries; I don't recall there being any reports of them not being tolerated. One was very clever- a PVC pipe frame construction with wheels.
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AHicks51 - you must have a serious science/medical background to provide information in such detail. I will certainly research the websites suggested by you. What interests me the most is the concept of ketosis from low carb/high fat-protein diet. Queenwinniesmom also fed her dog a similar diet, with very positive results.
Very interesting! Super information!
I forgot to mention- they charged us for the first bucket of beef trim fat ($25 for what must have been 20 pounds, easy), and we stopped by the next day- they gave us what must be 5 or 10 pounds for free- with the caveat that they wouldn't have it all the time.
Hyperlipid is an amazing blog.
http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/
Given their druthers, humans on low-carb diets will end up around 80/20 calories from fat and protein respectively. Dogs would probably do well with a similar ratio.
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There's an interesting paper on the web, written by a fellow who was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme- the same cancer that felled Ted Kennedy. A diagnosis with GBM has poor prognosis- typically measured in months. Ben Williams was diagnosed in March of 1995; he's still alive, as of 1 November, 2009. That's pretty unusual.
Ben pulled out all the stops; none of the individual management protocols for GBM are all that good. But if you pull a little bit from column A, a little bit from column B, and so forth, before long- it all adds up. He's exploited all the chemo drugs that he thought appropriate, and- with the help of doctors willing to work with him- added a few more. On top of that, he's used supplements- melatonin, a mushroom polysaccharide called PSK, GLA, fish oil, vitamin D, etc. The guy didn't mess around; he learned everything he could, bundled together the approaches he saw fit, and- well, heck. He's 14 years less deader than when he began. 5-year survival is 2-5%; 14 years is all but unheard of.
http://virtualtrials.com/pdf/williams09.pdf
It'd be interesting to see what turmeric would do. There are some interesting hits on the web with "osteosarcoma" and "turmeric."
http://talentedanimals.com/blog/?p=55
One has to be careful with these different supplements, since dogs tend to expire from things we find perfectly harmless (chocolate, onions, etc.).
ETA: It's probably too late once the tumor starts to grow, but it is conceivable that switching to ketosis by feeding only meat and fat might be of benefit. In other words, a really "hard" form of "predator" model raw feeding, where it's ALL fat and protein. Interesting note from "Fat of the Land" by the Arctic explorer Wilhjamur Stefansson: the diet was 50/50 fat plus lean meat, for over a year at a time. We have a great butcher store that gave us a bucket load of trim fat (the country's so lipophobic these days) that will go to good use. Anyway- during the Bellvue experiment, Stefansson and Andersen settled in at about 2500 calories/day from fat, and about 500 calories/day from protein, with a trace amount of carbohydrate from the meat. Eating huge gobs of fat (provided carbohydrates are kept low) seems to be an excellent way to stay fit and healthy, believe it or not. Similar protocols have been used to manage cancer and epilepsy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet
Unfortunately, that particular diet uses hydrogenated oils- very toxic stuff. "Natural" saturated and monounsaturated fats would be much better- beef, poultry, and coconut oil. The risk of pancreatitis is there in hounds that are not accustomed to so much fat; low-fat diets result in a poorly "exercised" pancreas, meaning not enough turnover of the pancreatic fluid. Net result: stones, caused by precipitation of the salts. Gotta exercise that pancreas with lots of fat in the diet, as with traditional Eskimos, Icelanders, American Indians, and African tribes like the Masai. Heck, the Eskimos used to feed their dogs the extra fat they couldn't possibly eat because the Arctic animals had so much of it.
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This came over the greyhound email list a little over two years ago. The author is Dr. Stack, a greyhound-savvy vet in Yuma, AZ. I think she used to be a track vet at Tucson for a while. Anyway- she's very good with the breed.
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 13:37:12 -0700
From: Don and Suzanne Stack <yumadons@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: MEDICAL: Tips from osteo survivor
<< Anyone out there have a long term cancer survivor, a year or more?
Could you please forward what treatments, feeding, medicines you did
that you feel might have helped your dog become a survivor. >>
My greyhound, Aussie, now 9 years old, is > 4 years post amputation
(Oct 23, 2003). His protocol:
Took x-rays just a few days after noticed him limping. Saw what looked
like osteo at proximal humerus (left shoulder). Did not waste precious
time with a biopsy - amputated the very next day.
Started chemo exactly 1 week post-amputation - the day we got biopsy
results back from the lab (we sent in the amputated limb for biopsy).
Aussie had 6 carboplatin chemo treatments. No problems except a low
WBC delayed the 6th chemo by 1 week.
He's taken 3.75 mg meloxicam (generic Metacam) ever since amputation
because he's got a bad arthritic hock in backleg on same side.
1 year post-amputation, I started him on 10 mg tamoxifen once daily.
Tamoxifen is the anti-estrogen drug that breast cancer survivors take
for the rest of their lives. Anecdotally, tamoxifen may be an
anti-angiogenesis drug (a drug that stops new blood vessels from
branching out from tumors). Tamoxifen can have some problems in girl
dogs but is OK for boys. Not approved nor or you likely to be able to
find out much of anything about it. I just started Aus on it because a
friend's boy osteo grey was started on it by Dr. Ogilvie (ex CSU
oncology guru). I figured if it's good enough for Dr. Ogilvie, it's
good enough for me.
Aus eats the same food as the rest of my dogs, "Enhance Hunter's Edge"
by ARKAT. We feed it because it's relatively cheap (we have lots of
big dogs) and does a greyt job keeping weight on my greyhounds with
once daily feeding. Relatively high in protein, fat, and calories.
Protein 24%, fat 18%, ~585 calories/cup. Aus doesn't get any
supplements or special treatment and is very fit (we live on 2 & 1/2
acres).
Suzanne Stack, DVM
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What function does Naltrexone play? Is it pain relief or does it work on the cancer itself?
It is reportedly an anti-cancer agent; it has little to do with pain relief (other than the obvious- screwing up the effect of opioid painkillers). A few people have reported remarkable success in managing cancer with the stuff; about 1/3 receive no benefit, another third have mixed results, and one third have clear-cut positive results. See also:
http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/ldn_and_cancer.htm
For instances where chemo and radiation are either not options or not desired by the patient, LDN is an alternative. The section on "Noteworthy Cases" on that page has several very interesting anecdotes, including this one:
"Esophageal Cancer. Reverend X is a patient at John Hopkins Hospital where he received most of his medical care. He first developed problems with digestion and some pain in the mid-chest area with swallowing in April 2002. An upper GI exam in May 2002 showed narrowing and irregularity of the lower esophagus. In June 2002, a C-T scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis showed a 2cm thickening of the lower esophagus extending into the upper stomach. Also seen were five enlarged nodes in the chest and five in the abdomen. Rev X refused chemotherapy and began low dose naltrexone in August 2002. In the following months his difficulty in swallowing has significantly decreased and his weight has stabilized. He notes an improved sense of well being. He has had no therapy but low dose naltrexone."
Esophageal cancer has a very poor prognosis. (As an aside, another person wrote in to the LDN list, noting he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and given 11 months to live by one oncologist, 5 months by another. At 13 months, he was still practicing law- in court on a weekly basis- with LDN as the sole treatment.
There are no good studies on LDN and cancer, and there is certainly nothing on LDN + osteosarcoma. It's a longshot, but given how inexpensive and safe it is, it might be worth consideration.
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There's one option that has virtually no side effects, but there's also no proof it works. Low dose naltrexone (LDN) consists of administration of a small (single-digit milligram) dose of naltrexone, a drug normally used to manage narcotics addiction. There will be two problems:
1) Administration in conjunction with opioid pain meds (including tramadol)
2) Finding a doctor to prescribe it
It's inexpensive, very safe, but the "proof" that it works is strictly anecdotal. There's a group for it on Yahoo!:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LDN_4_Pets/
The main pharmacy to compound the stuff for human and pet use is Skip's Pharmacy. Your vet can consult with them.
Skip's Pharmacy, Boca Raton, FL
(561) 218-0111
(800) 553-7429
A few people have found workarounds with the opioid painkillers, but I'm not familiar with them.
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Any odor?
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1) Tick panel
Once that comes back, then look at everything else. Possibly treat with doxycycline even if negative.
Attack Of The Oven Dog
in Training and Behavior discussion
Posted
The new foster has been here for a month. Cute guy, but he's a few fries short of a Happy Meal.
Although he's always shown a fascination with the Oven Dog, last night he decided Oven Dog was public enemy number one. We had finished making dinner, and all the dogs were crowded in the kitchen, and suddenly Pastiak decided to snarl and snap. He wasn't facing any other dogs, so when I turned around I was surprised to see him bare his teeth, nose to nose with Oven Dog, and bark and snap again.
After recovering from several minutes of paroxysms of laughter, he did it again. And a fourth time. He decided to stop some time after that. Unfortunately, my camera didn't have the memory card in it, or I would have caught it on video.
Of course, it's laugh-your-butt-off funny, but is it dangerous? Should I put an end to it if I see it again? (I know- not until I can post video.)