Apollo's Wrist Bump

[Guest bigorangedog]

Hey guys,

So as you may know, 4 of our greys had osteo in 2009. So as you might imagine, I'm a little...hypersensitive now.

 

Okay, so about 2 weeks ago, Apollo had surgery to biopsy some lumps on his back (fatty cysts) and a lump on his gums (epulis), all were benign thank goodness.

 

But he did develop an infection and a bunch of fluid collected under the sutures on his back (which the vet drained off with a syringe) and his wrist on the leg that had the IV became swollen.

 

After a week of antibiotics (cephalexin and clavamox) the incision sites look great. The wrist is not puffy now, but he has a pretty noticeable bump there. It looks like the white dog in the 1st post of this thread. (Sorry, no pic of Apollo yet because he runs away when I try.)

 

The vet has twice talked me down off my ledge about this bump. She promises me that it is related to the IV, and thinks that he had an infection in the wrist joint and some scar tissue built up. He has somewhat less range of motion in that wrist. She offered to do an x-ray if I wanted, but he is so terrified at the vet, so I told her that if she was not worried about osteo we didn't have to do it. But of course I'm worried anyway. I do really, really trust and love my vet. But the past year has made me a crazy worrier.

 

Does it sound reasonable that a bump like this could be caused by an infection? He does not generally limp on it (he maybe will for a few steps, slightly, but not overall), but it does seem to hurt if I bend his wrist. It does not help that he hates his feet being handled. We've only had him since late September (he is 10) and he is a scaredy boy so does not TOTALLY trust us yet.

 

Thoughts, please?

Thanks!!!

[Guest zoolaine]

No advice just

[GreyPoopon]

Just a couple of thoughts, though they're probably worth what you pay for them:

 

1. Is there any chance there is an active bone infection? If so, another antibiotic might be more effective. My clinic tends to use Clindamycin for bone stuff.

 

2. I realize that you don't want to torture him, but if you're like me, you're going to drive yourself nuts if you don't have him x-rayed, especially if he limps a bit. Having said that, if it is OS, it's going to grow, and you'll see it.

[inugrey]

I recently had a freak out related to a new bump too, I so know where you are right now. The most important thing people said that helped talk me down was that osteo is extremely painful the most stoic dog would still let you know s/he was in pain.

 

I don't know enough about an IV site developing scar tissue, but I will say that we determined the bump I found was just that, scar tissue.

 

If he's comfortable or doesn't freak out when you touch the site the possibility of just scar tissue is high.

[tbhounds]

A few years ago one of my girls had an issue with her iv cath. The cath had herniated her cephlalic vein leaving a small bump. It did resolve but, it did take about 6 weeks to do so.

[Guest Smiley]

I wish I had some good feedback for you Jen, but all I can contribute is a big hug and a prayer that this is nothing. I completely understand your worry. Since losing Smiley, I have been over Peanut again and again. Losing a pup, and in your case pups, to osteo is traumatizing and it's hard not to worry about every bump and limp. Many prayers headed your way for a great result! Doing the "No Osteo!" chant for you too!

[Batmom]

If it's a hard bump and it's new, I'd want an x-ray.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Lucas's bump (the white dog in the link, Teagan's brother) was hard and seemed to spring up out of nowhere. It never bothered him and he never limped. The vet said to keep an eye on it. It did go away in a few months.

 

Teagan's wrist bump is still there. The initial x-ray didn't show anything, so the vet suspected scar tissue. (He does run around the yard and also competes in LGRA). He has never limped or favored that leg. While he pulls his feet away because he doesn't like having them handled, he doesn't have any pain reaction to me pressing on the bump.

 

I would say it's possible that the IV could have caused an infection and/or scar tissue. But if Apollo is limping or the bump is very sensitive to the touch, I would want the vet to look at it. If it's hard they can do an x-ray (which would also set your mind at ease regarding osteo). If it's soft they might do a needle aspiration and look at the fluid.

 

If the bump is not painful to the touch and Apollo just has slightly limited range of motion, it could be scar tissue. Teagan's wrist with the bump doesn't seem to bend as far as the other wrist does. It causes no problems, but it does seem a little, stiffer, I would say.

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

[Guest bigorangedog]

Don't know how well you can see it here, but this is a photo of the wrist bump (taken in stealth while he was asleep).

 

 

We are going up to the vet tomorrow, possibly having an x-ray.

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

I recently had a freak out related to a new bump too, I so know where you are right now. The most important thing people said that helped talk me down was that osteo is extremely painful the most stoic dog would still let you know s/he was in pain.

 

I don't know enough about an IV site developing scar tissue, but I will say that we determined the bump I found was just that, scar tissue.

 

If he's comfortable or doesn't freak out when you touch the site the possibility of just scar tissue is high.

This is exactly what I was thinking. With Osteo if it hurts the dog enough to limp they don't get better and stop limping on it. The pain only gets worse with Osteo. As I'm sure you already know with having gone threw it too many times

[Guest bigorangedog]

This is exactly what I was thinking. With Osteo if it hurts the dog enough to limp they don't get better and stop limping on it. The pain only gets worse with Osteo. As I'm sure you already know with having gone threw it too many times

 

Well, unfortunately, as of tonight he is limping. And therefore I will be a nervous wreck until tomorrow afternoon.

[Guest vahoundlover]

Sending prayers it's nothing serious

[Guest Smiley]

Just checking in on you and Apollo today Jen . . . How is he? Continuing to keep you both in my thoughts today!

[Guest eaglflyt]

Hoping the x-ray shows nothing bad and that Apollo feels better quickly.

[Guest dragontearz]

Hope everything is going ok with the pooch, sending good thoughts

[Guest bigorangedog]

It's osteosarcoma.

[dante2zoe]

OMG. There are no words. I am so sorry.

[TheFullHouse]

Oh no, I'm so very sorry.

[Jackandgrey]

Oh God no! I have no words. I am so unbelievably sorry. This is just too cruel.

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

OMG I am sooooo sorry

:grouphug

[Guest LindsaySF]

Oh no, I am so so sorry. I'm glad you got the x-ray, at least now you know.

[Guest Smiley]

This is just too much-after all you have been through, it is just too much . My heart is absolutely breaking all over again for you. I have no words, just a big, gentle hug that I am wrapping you and Apollo in. I am here if you would like to vent, to rant or just have someone to cry with. I am so very, very sorry.

[Guest Energy11]

This is surreal!!!!!!!! Just NOT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

How could this be happening to you ... Again? God, I'd do ANYTHING to help you, anything! I am sooo sorry, sooo sorry!

 

All I can do is send you love, hugs, and more prayers than humanly possible.

 

Love you! Dee

[Guest mcsheltie]

NO WAY!!!! How can this be???????? I wish I could do something. I am so so sorry.

[Guest bigorangedog]

Sigh.

 

Well here I am making this decision again.

 

Apollo is a scaredy boy. We've only had him since the end of September (5 days after Sly died from a pulmonary embolism and 2 days before Crisco died from osteo in his spine), so he does not quite trust us yet. He's not a very trusting guy, but who knows how he spent his first 9.5 years.

 

He is always the first one at the gate when I come home, wagging his tail and going crazy, and then he follows me around for several minutes rubbing his head on me and wanting pets. And when he thinks he's going to go in the car, he play bows and spins and generally flips inside out. He also does like to run and play with the other dogs. He's a very outgoing Meet n Greet dog. But prolonged contact makes him nervous, like if you lie down next to him, he'll wait a couple minutes and then get up and move to another bed. If you mess with his feet, he'll get up and run to the other side of the room. He never seems to quite relax when you're hanging out with him. But I always thought he would get there...with more time.

 

At the vet today, they could not do the lung xray because they could not get him to lie on his side for it. He panicked and kicked and flailed. So he'll need IV sedation for the full radiographic workup that we'll do on Friday.

 

(The surgeon's receptionist recognized me and said, "Weren't you just here?") sigh.

 

If everything's clear (and my vet says it looks like we caught it early) then we need to decide IMMEDIATELY whether to amputate his leg.

 

Immediately, since of course OS metastasizes so quickly. But also immediately because my husband is supposed to leave for China on Feb 24th to pick up our new 4-yr-old daughter. And Apollo needs to have good mobility before I am left alone with him (as the sole caregiver for him, our other 5-yr-old daughter, and 12-19 other dogs for 3 weeks).

 

I don't know whether he can do it or not.

 

I just feel sort of sick. I KNEW that it was osteo, but I thought it just couldn't be. Last February, Tanner died of osteo. 2 days later, Annie was diagnosed and she died in April. In August our schnauzer died of a brain tumor. In September, Sly died and Crisco died. In November Whitey was diagnosed and had his amp. I mean, seriously??

 

Apparently, the universe thinks that my purpose is to run a doggie hospice.