Worst News Ever...

[Guest Willow8]

I feel so very bad for you. I lost my Mac to osteo last year - in the shoulder and leg. The Circle of Greys sounds wonderful - I wish I had known about it. Please know that lots and lots of folks will be thinking of you and Darryl in the weeks to come.

[Jackandgrey]

I'm so sorry Laura. I was so hoping this was not going to be the result. The coming days will be hard and so special. Hold him to your heart. Spoil him. Take lots of pictures. Remember he lives in the moment and is still happy. Come here to us to be angry and sad. To share stories about your best boy. We're here.

[Shaysmom]

There are no words to say that will ease your pain, but I am sending prayers. Enjoy your time with your sweet boy.

I am so sorry.

[Guest boni923]

Breaks my heart to hear of such horrible news. I am sure you will continue to hear it, but be strong and enjoy the time you have with him. Prayers for both of you.

[MaryJane]

I'm so sorry to hear about your pup's diagnosis ...

 

I faced this in August of 2005 when my 8 yr old was diagnosed with osteo in his rear leg. I decided to go ahead and have amputation with chemo. My decision was simply based on the fact that my "Onyx" was not ready to go -- he was too full of life or as I like to say "full of piss and vinegar". He was also a very confident boy and I felt would be able to handle the countless hospital stays and many of the other difficulties with less trauma than other greyhounds would. Going this route is not for everyone though. I do not regret my decision and would follow the same course again for "Onyx". I do have two other greyhounds now and would likely deal with it differently if they are ever diagnosed with this because they are more fragile and less able to deal with "new" situations.

 

My "Onyx" lasted almost 8 months. After the leg was amputated he was pain free and quite happy. He was able to get around and even ran around the yard.

 

But, osteo usually spreads and this is what happened to my "Onyx". Most doctors are very clear that the prognosis is not good with this cancer. He didn't start having pain again until very close to the end and it was not as bad as the pain from the osteo. The osteo did spread to his chest and spine and that was making it difficult for him to breathe, walk, and keep himself steady.

 

Before I even went down this path, I thought about the choices I would face in the future. I came up with about 6 things that would help me identify the degree to which his quality of life might be diminishing and thus, allow me to determine when it was time for the next step. I will share these with you with the understanding that every person is likely to have a different perspective of the "degree of ability" that is acceptable.

 

1. Does he get excited about taking a walk

2. Does he still enjoy eating his food

3. Does he still come over to me and sit next to me and wait to be petted

4. Can he still go out and relieve himself

5. Does he get up and greet me when I come home

and most important .

6. What do I see when I look in his eyes .......

 

 

 

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

As someone who is travelling this road with you, my heart is breaking for you. No matter how long they have it is never enough.

 

For pain control, we are using 3 different meds: Metacam 1 x daily, tramadol 4 x's daily and gabapentin 3 x's daily. It's controlling his pain for now although we are increasing. Take the time to do everything with Darryl that you want to do. Celebrate the good moments and cherish your time now.

 

Definitely hop on Circle of Grey. Dr. Lake has given some good advice as well as others on the list who have already walked the road we're on.

 

it took a bit for me to stop thinking of Gus as having a ticking time bomb on his leg. Talking with folks here and CoG has really helped me come to terms with what we are facing.

 

Many hugs to you and Darryl. Enjoy the good days and celebrate each moment you have with him.

 

 

[Guest KyGrey]

I am so sorry.

[gracegirl]

Oh, I am so sorry. I have no advice to offer. It's just not fair.

[Guest Rosie_Dozer]

Laura ,I'm very sorry .

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I am sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Sending prayers for as much pain free, quality time as possible.

[GreyTzu]

I am so very sorry.

[queenwinniesmom]

Too many of us have been faced with this diagnosis, and can share your sadness, and understand your anger. I think the days after the diagnosis are the hardest. But once you decide what to do, and know what is right for you and your boy, you just need to concentrate on making the most of the precious days you have left. Greytalk and Circle of Grey are good places to be during this difficult time. I agree with RobinW's advice---it never hurts to get a second opinion, especially if that opinion is from Dr. Couto. No one knows osteo in Greyhounds like he does.

I always recommend that anyone try artemisinin. It's been beneficial to many hounds with osteo, including my Winnie, who was with us for over 3 years after her amp, with no chemo.

Sending good thoughts and healing white light to you and Darryl.

[Guest Vinnie]

Laura - We can only wish you and Darryl as many pain free and loving days as possible as you face this most awful disease. And it's definitely ok to be angry with the world when something like this happens to our beloved greyts - it's not fair - and we know this from experience unfortunately. We lost our Angel Vinnie at 14 months to this very aggressive and dreaded disease. He was diagnosed at 11 months and we did the amputation and chemo hoping we would be one of the lucky ones that actually beat it - but it was not to be.

 

We treated every day as a gift, took lots of pictures, cried, yelled and found GT - I remember that someone had mentioned Circle of Grey as well but we never did get around to joining - so many people here supported us as we went through everything that I felt this was where our answers were. And it was - we became part of Dr. Cuoto's study and in return, Vinnie got part of his chemo through the study. And when we needed to know more about amputation and being a tri-pod, we got tons of advice, photos and information along with a friendly shoulder to lean on from everyone here. I don't think we would have been as comfortable (as much as we could be) going through everything without the support of our wonderful GT family.

 

Vinnie got treats and stuffies, fresh cooked food, lots of love and we took lots of photos and videos. Granted, it took me a year and a half before I could really look at them without becoming hysterical - but I am learning how to handle it and when I see another osteo diagnosis I can usually answer without falling completely apart. After Vinnie's surgery he loved to run and it was a beautiful sight. We now have his sister, which sometimes hurts too, like yesterday for their birthday. I wouldn't give Gracie up for the world, but I sure wish Vinnie were here to celebrate. There isn't a day that goes by that he is not on our minds as I am sure Darryl will be for you.

 

Please feel free to PM us if you would like - or if you cannot pm - our email is bobcatproduction@comcast.net - please feel free to contact us. And if you feel that the meds are not helping Darryl - call your vet back as I am sure that they will either up the dose or give him something else that will work better for him. Hugs and scritches to you both, we are truly sorry that you are having to go through this - just remember, you are not alone.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Vinnie

[Guest Sula]

Hi Laura,

 

Just wanted to offer my support too. The gift is ours to borrow, we know this, but it doesn't hurt any less. I love what others have said about spoiling the heck out of him. And enjoying every present moment because, in the end, that's all we have.

 

Big hugs to you.

[greypuppyluv]

I'm so sorry.

[seeh2o]

I'm so sorry. I lost my dog Chaka to cancer very quickly. It was way too late to think about treatment. Everyone told me I would know when it was time, that she would let me know. There's no way to explain it, but they were right. It is one of the hardest things I've had to do. My best advice is to soak him up in the time you have left, make sure he knows how much you love him (he already knows), spoil him rotten. Try to have your friends and family who are a part of his life come to visit him, it's helpful to you, them and him. I also cut a tiny bit of Chaka's fur before she passed to keep for myself in a special box.

[Guest JohnnyBell]

I'm so sorry .

[Bevd]

I'm very sorry to hear your news We too are dealing with osteosarcoma with our one of our dogs (Darcy Deerhound) but as hers had not spread, we did go ahead with amputation and chemo (for us AND for our dog because I knew she was able to cope with it).

 

I wish you as many happy times with Darryl as possible

Edited April 29, 2008 by Bevd

[Guest greyscot]

So sorry

[Guest argolola]

You will all be in my prayers. I'm so sorry.

[Guest greybookends]

:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[KahluasMagic]

Having just lost Magic to Osteo, I know the feeling. I'm so sorry. It is the worst news ever. Praying for many painfree days for Darryl. Enjoy your time with him.

[Fiona3]

I'm so sorry for this news. We lost two beautiful greys to cancer just as they were about to turn 9. I remember the shock and anger that they were too young for this, that we didn't have enough time with them. I wish I could find the words to comfort you. Spend as much quality time as you can with your boy, spoil him like crazy. And know we are all here for you should you need us. :grouphug

[Guest VaGreymom]

I am so sorry you and your boy are having to go through this. You both will remian in my thoughts and prayers.

[Burpdog]

I know all too well how you feel.

 

He's already on a NSAID (previcox is basically the same as rimadyl). Because of the line going down, you must be very carefull--hopefully the leg won't break. If the combination does not work pain wise, move to tramadol and morphine. When Mahogany was at the end, she was on 100mg of tramadol three times a day and morphine (30-90 mg) twice a day. I've used 100mg of tramadol every 4 hours.

 

Your vet may or may not be correct as to the time left. The average with amputation and chemo is 14 months. Some longer and some shorter. In my opinion, you do not want to amputate if it's too high in the shoulder, or if it has gone into the lungs (most vets won't do this anyway). Radiation will take the pain away.

 

Wish I could tell you something that fixes this