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Rocky has been diagnosed with what is likely osteo. I have been lucky enough to hear Dr. Coutos' research and opinions on osteo and in fact heard him speak in June and again in August of this year. I'm not sure I want pursue amputation and chemo but I'm wondering about Artemisinin treatments. I'm hearing less and less about it but thought I'd ask if anyone is getting results or has any information.

Barbara
Majestic and Ranger

"If you want to hear the patter of little feet I'll put shoes on my dogs."

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I'm so sorry to hear this. I bought it when Matty was diagnosed, although she didn't last long enough to try it so I don't have any helpful advice. The way I see it though...it can't hurt.

 

I hope he has a lot of time left with you.

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No advice, just :grouphug

Standard Poodle Daisy (12/13)
Missing Cora (RL Nevada 5/99-10/09), Piper (Cee Bar Easy 2/99-1/10), Tally (Thunder La La 9/99-3/10), Edie (Daring Reva 9/99-10/12), Dixie (Kiowa Secret Sue 11/01-1/13), Jessie (P's Real Time 11/98-3/13), token boy Graham (Zydeco Dancer 9/00-5/13), Cal (Back Already 12/99-11/13), Betsy (Back Kick Beth 11/98-12/13), Standard Poodles Minnie (1/99-1/14) + Perry (9/98-2/14), Annie (Do Marcia 9/03-10/14), Pink (Miss Pinky Baker 1/02-6/15), Poppy (Cmon Err Not 8/05-1/16), Kat (Jax Candy 5/05-5/17), Ivy (Jax Isis 10/07-7/21), Hildy (Braska Hildy 7/10-12/22), Opal (Jax Opal 7/08-4/23). Toodles (BL Toodles 7/09-4/24)

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Guest BasilMom

So sorry to hear this news. I used Art. for my Bridge Girl Holly a few years back. The Drs. gave her about three months.I feel the use of Art. gave us more time with her. She lasted six months almost seven. If you decide to use it,make sure you buy the pure form. Holly Pharmacuticals in CA is one of the best sources.

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Guest MorganKonaAlex

I'm sorry to hear about Rocky. I have not tried it with my osteo. kids but there was a dog on Circle of Grey that had 40 months post amputation that used it. It's totally anecdotal but there were several hounds I heard of with long term remission taking it. My Morgan had 36 months without recurrence without taking though.

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I'm so sorry! From what I've been hearing for years on GT, your best bet would be to contact OSU directly--that the people in Dr. Couto's program wrote the book on generosity of advice and help.

Missing my sweet girl Scout. My snuggler, my chow-hound, my kissy girl.
It never thunders at the Bridge, and your food bowl is ALWAYS filled.

So strange not living in Atty World. I was a love struck handmaiden to your every whim.

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There's another option, but it's a slim one because it probably cannot be used with tramadol or "conventional" opioid painkillers. To the best of my knowledge, it's never been tried with osteosarcoma, but as the side effects are near zero, it should be tried eventually.

 

Specifically, a drug that has been used for decades for management of drug addiction has shown remarkable utility in treating cancer; naltrexone (when used at a dose 1/10th that used for drug addiction) seems to shut cancer down about 1/3 of the time, and another 1/3 may receive at least some benefit. See also:

 

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/ldn_and_cancer.htm

 

The main problem is finding a doctor that will prescribe it. After that, you need a compounding pharmacy that'll make a doggie-sized dose. Fortunately, the latter has become much more common due to the increased popularity of such treatments. See also:

 

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LDN_4_Pets/

 

for specific information on use in pets.

 

Again- no evidence it would work on osteo, much less osteo in dogs, but given that the dose is so tiny- and that the main side-effect is problems sleeping for the first week- it would be worth a go.

Coco (Maze Cocodrillo)

Minerva (Kid's Snipper)

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I am sorry to hear about Rocky, no experience but offering hugs and prayers.

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Roberta & Michael with Furkids- Flower (Shasta Flowers 6/7/06) & Rascal the kitty - Missing our sweet angels - Max(M's Mad Max) 10/12/02 - 12/3/15, Sara (Sara Raves 6/30/01 - 4/13/12) Queenie & Pandora the kitties - gone but never forgotten

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So sorry to hear about Rocky's diagnosis. With Cosmo we had been giving her 2 100 mg doses per day. After we discovered the cancer had spread and decided to discontinue chemo we upped her dosage to 2 300 mg doses per day. She hasn't been on the increased dosage long enough for me to say if it's helping but she does seem to be doing a whole lot better than the vet has expected her to do.

 

Everyone will warn you about not giving it within three hours of giving meat as the meat renders it ineffective. We either bury it in peanut butter or pudding. I had a failed experiment with opening the capsules and mixing the meds into stuff but it's super bitter and she wouldn't eat it that way.

 

We get ours from Holley Pharmaceuticals and they've been very quick with the shipping; if I order it on a Monday I'll get it by Thursday. Right now the 60 count bottle is lasting us 10 days.

 

Here's a link to a website I've found very helpful. As you can see, there's no real consensus on the dosing. We're going a little higher than Dr. Couto's recommendation but not as high as Holley recommends (the cynical me figures there's a reason they have the highest dosage recommendation). Artemisinin

 

If you have any questions at all or would like to vent about what you and Rocky are going through, please don't hesitate to PM me.

...............Chase (FTH Smooth Talker), Morgan (Cata), Reggie (Gable Caney), Rufus
(Reward RJ). Fosters check in, but they don't check out.
Forever loved -- Cosmo (System Br Mynoel), March 11, 2002 - October 8, 2009.
Miss Cosmo was a lady. And a lady always knows when to leave.

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I am sorry. We used it in conjunction with amp/chemo and had 1 day short of 5 months.

 

:dunno

 

 

ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties.

Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi

Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project

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I did use it with Winnie. We did the amputation, but no chemo. And she was with me for 3 1/2 years, till we lost her to kidney failure, two years ago. I have to believe I did something right, with the artemisinin, a high protein, low carb diet, pycnogenol (another immune system booster) and fish oil. But that said, I also feel that we were incredibly lucky. But I would definitely use artemisinin again. I talked to Dr. Couto about it, and he was recommending a much higher dosage. I just gave her 1 pill a day, not at meal time. We got ours from Nutricology, another recomended source. I learned about it in the special cancer issue of Celebrating Greyhounds. It's several years old now, but perhaps you could find the article in archives.

I sure don't think it could hurt, and just might help.

I'm so sorry you've gotten this terrible diagnosis. You and Rocky will be in my prayers.

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Nancy, Mom to Evangelina and Kiva
Missing Lacey, Patsy, Buster, my heart dog Nick, Winnie, Pollyanna, Tess, my precious Lydia, Calvin Lee, my angel butterfly Laila, and kitties Lily, Sam and Simon
My Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Catsburgandhoundtown

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