GreyWrangler

Things have finally settled a bit with Sprite, as in I am doing all the bandage changes. The skin is healing with the EMT gel but the tumors are growing back and there isn't a dam thing we can do about it. So now to give the vet more $$ again. 8yr old Lottie is going in for her dental cleaning, we know she has at least one cavity so will probably loose a tooth. We will also ask them to remove a small skin tag along the inside one of her knees. Miss Lots at Dewey this year, (in her 2 hounds collar) Red gets to go next month.

acts like such a brat at times, ey Maria. Was the guru dr. A.? As he is called in for that some times, especailly if he is hanging around. But Dr. W is good, too. How was the original vet? Lord knows I think I have met them all over the curse/course of six months and $7000. Oh to you, Rizzo, Kiwi and Mike.

does he wag his tail to one side more than the other? My dog red has two similer spots from wagging too much, lol. Other than that a nice fuzzy butt.

My first grey, Murphy, had a stroke at 7. recovered within two weeks, though there were some lingering side effects. She lived to almost thirteen This may sound like a silly piece of advice but add a k9 multi vitamin to her diet and keep her on it forever. Murphy had a couple of relapses and the coincided with my having run out of the vitamins (very, very tight budget then) Good luck and give her an extra hug from us

this picture of her elbow as of today's bandgae change. I have more but they are to large to upload. I think this is very graphic, not at all what I expected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Sprite has had tumor growth on her shoulder too, so taking skin already known to have some tumor cells not best thing fo her, SO that is why they want to use the chest wall. She lost most of her teeth when she was ten, they were just so bad despite years of cleanings and antibiotics. Best thing we did for her. She felt so much better without those things. lol. That sleeve looks nifty. Nancy

Sprite, Saturday night.

Sprite, who will be 14 this Sunday, Nov 4, had her third surgery on her elbow to remove tumors. They come back as a mixed bag, some soft tissue sarcoma, spindle cell something or other and another kind. I will have to get a c opy of the report. But that is not what I am writing about. There was not enough skin left after this surgery to close the wound, and any wound involving a joint is difficult to heal. She has been in a full leg splint/cast for three weeks so she cannot bend the elbow. It is amazing just how well she gets around. But now the doc wants to do surgery to graft the site. She wants to do one that creates a pocket under the healthy skin along her chest wall, tuck the elbow in and bandage whole leg to her chest. Leaving her a tripod for possibly two weeks, then a smaller surgery to detach it and leave her a healthy graft over/covering the elbow. Otherwise it will be twice weekly bandage changes for months as it granulates in. I need thoughts on this. We do have an okay set up for her recovery here. Only a small step down to a deck with trek planking (plastic wood composite) and can get some type of carpeting for said deck to minimize the slipping. But daytime care are my parents, both in their 70's and my dad has mobility/balance problems, and Mom has early stage Alzheimer's. I work full time away from home Thank you.

Shortly after his arrival here my boy hound tried an approach on sprite, who promptly whirled and had him by the throat (she had teeth then). Haven't seen hide nor hair of his manly side since.

no opinion but reading this makes me real glad Red had been neutered for a while and at two different adoption groups (one twice) in two different states before i brought him home. no hoo hoo dilemmas as it had been a long time since out last bog dog. hmm 'hoo hoo' is not in the spell check. shouldn't it be?

I received an e-mail from a akc club i used to belong to. Thought they might be of interest to others here as they are all breed studies. I have no other information just what is in this post. AKC Canine Health Foundation Alert AKC Call for Participation [August 29, 2007] -- See complete article. Studying heart function in dogs with lymphoma -- All Breeds A new Veterinary Teaching Hospital study is being conducted to determine whether doxorubicin, one of the primary drugs used in treating lymphoma in dogs, may weaken the canine heart. Please e-mail julie_osborne@ncsu.edu for more information. Recruitment of Epileptic Dogs for Seizure Drug Study Continues -- All Breeds The clinical trial demonstrating the possible effectiveness of the pharmaceutical drug Keppra as an additional therapy in the treatment of canine epilepsy aims to recruit 10-15 more dogs to complete this important study in canine epilepsy. Dr. Karen Munana, principal investigator of the study notes that initial results demonstrate that this drug may be effective controlling seizures in some dogs with epilepsy. By adding 10-15 more dogs to this study base, statistical summaries will provide additional information to firm up this claim. The study is multi-institutional study, with veterinary neurologists from North Carolina State University, the University of Tennessee, and Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine participating. If additional information is needed for interested referring veterinarians and/or owners please contact study research technician, julie_osborne@ncsu.edu, or fax inquiries to 919-513-6830. More information regarding this study can also be found here. Dogs with Oral Melanoma -- All Breeds Dogs with oral melanoma are being recruited for a study of a novel vaccine developed by Merial Limited, an animal pharmaceutical company, to determine if this vaccine can help to prolong the survival time in dogs with oral melanoma. Dogs enrolled in the study will receive the melanoma vaccine and associated exams and labwork and radiographs which will be subsidized by the study. For more information on this study email: paul_hess@ncsu.edu or julie_osborne@ncsu.edu or call 919-513-6812.

poor rizzo, hope he's feeling better.

vet got in contact with me. Advised to use reglan (metoclopropamide) 5-10 mg. I did bring come of that home too, so that's what she got. i had laid in a suply of fresh beef for her, as that was all she would eat after her surgery in May, but will sge eat that, OF COURSE NOT. Canned chicken and canned chickenw/rice. Then if she is being really picky, Bacon. (no, not lots, just a piece or two) Sigh. Seniors gotta love 'em.

I am waiting to hear back from my vet, but reply may come after I have left work and well... i'd like to have a good idea before that. and yes: For nausea from the chemo?

is it safe to give a grey compazine by mouth?

On the ride up to the oncology specialist in waltham, ma, she seemed a bit off, refusing and trying to bury a piece of my breakfast sandwich. She did very well. once the first physical exam was over it took 45 minutes for blood work, cbc was fine, X-rays of her chest, which was normal, and then the chemo, adriamycin, and she came out to go home. She was more that willing to help me eat my popcorn chicken on the ride home. This morning she was a bit more finicky than usual about food. She tried to bury the bowl of EVO 95% meat. Sigh But I'd gotten a stash of good stuff from MomtoSweetpotoes and plied her with some ground beef heart to get her PO meds down her gullet. then gave her the rest of the patty on top of the canned food. No Go. I have to use a fork to pick it off the canned stuff for her to eat. Went out to b-fast and stopped on the way home and bought some ground beef, human grade, and she refused that. So another beef heart patty came out and was gratefully consumed. Has she got me trained or what? I have a couple of bags of green tripe for when she gets really finicky. I'll probably try feeding her that outside. Have been told it is.... um a bit noxious I haven't tried to open the bag yet, as i take warnings about green food seriously. Red and Lottie are just a bit jealous at her getting the good stuff. I told them you make it to 13.8 and you'll get the good stuff too. Tuesday she sees the vet oncologist at westbridge, the local vet hospital, then the following Monday she gets another injection, but this time at westbridge. Nancy

I tried to attach this very pictures, but it wouldn't take it for some reason. Thank you Kerri. Miss Sprite 13 yrs 8 months exactly in that shot.

Saturday morning, August 18, Sprite and I will be taking a trip up to Waltham, MA visit New England Veterinary Oncology Group. She has an 11:45 apointment to visit Dr. Cronin and probably have the first course of the Chemotherapy protocol to try and combat a strangely aggressive soft tissue sarcoma located on her right elbow. These tumors in this location have already been removed twice the last being just in May 2007 and it has already grown back. Unfortunately due to it's location they are unable to get clear edges. Our Vet at WestBridge has consulted with Dr. Couto and he has created a protocol. Most of the drugs will be given at or by the specialist at Westbridge, but one of the agents, Adriamycin, they cannot reconsitute as they do not have the proper Chemo hood, so that is why we are going to Waltham. So please keep my sweet Sprite in your thoughts on Saturday.

wow, thank you she definitely will not go hungry.

innova kibble, chicken. Plus canned to tempt her. rotating between california natural chicken & rice, and the EVO's meats - rabbit (was a big hit), venison, chicken & turkey, beef & duck. After her surgery in May she was turned off by kibble. Kerri came through and gave me a whole bunch of the raw diet her dogs eat. Four or five pounds of chicken and two pounds of the beef heart and a big bag of ground veggies. I mixed in eggs, shells, oatmeal, garlic, total cereal and a few other things. She would wolf down the beef, but the chicken, well after a few weeks she wasn't thrilled with it, lol. Just like her elder black bitch, Penny.

He was away from the office for a few days and our paperwork got lost in the shuffle. Thank you Diane. He has contacted and been contacted by my vet. Sprite will start systemic chemotherapy next week for the tumors. Normally chemo is not used for soft tissue sarcomas but these are acting weird, growth has been much faster than most soft tissue sarcoma, so Dr. Couto thinks that perhaps the chemo would be a good choice before a surgical option. Kerri, if you read this do you have any beef heart to spare? I know the co-op is meeting soon. If Chemo affects her appetite I may need the good stuff to tempt her to eat.

yep. WIll bring her to the walk if not too warm and do a senior stroll, lol

Thank you. Information forwarded to the vets. Nancy

That is the information they have.

For the past two weeks my Vets have been trying to contact Dr. Couto. They faxed and left voice mails to the number on his OSU web page. Does anyone have any other contact number for him? this is about a dog with soft tissue sarcoma. TIA Nancy