Prayers Needed For Karen And Her Little Girl, Penny

[Guest zoolaine]

You go Penny girl!!!!! :confetti So glad to read a good update. her puppy story made me cry - how can people be so cruel but what a wonderful momma Penny has to rescue her and take care of this very special girl. For Penny

[RaineysMom]

just seeing this!! SOOO glad she's doing better!!!! Poor thing!!!!! what a horrible thing for that owner to do!!

[Magdalyn58]

I'm crying tears of happiness reading Penny's update!! Prayers are coming that she continues to improve.

[crazygang]

Just read the update. That is absolutely fantastic news.........we're so pleased for Karen and Penny.

 

They both deserved a break especially after the start in life she had....bl**dy marvellous

 

Miracles do happen!

[Guest longdoglady]

Great news, keep up the good work Penny

[Guest Adrianne]

Wow, wow, and wow!!!!!

[duncan41]

Another GT miracle! Good job, Penny! I just LOVE tears of joy and relief! Don't you???????????????????????

[Guest bluefawn]

Hello all.

 

I HATE when I have to come on here for things like this!

 

A lot of you, who were at Mt. Hounds last year, might remember my friend, and co-first aid presenter, Karen . I just received a call from her. Karen's 12 yr old TINY brindle girl, Penny, has Osteo of the spine, and is in BAD PAIN!

 

Just three days ago, little Penny was doing zoomies in the snow around her Mom's backyard. She has deteriorated DRASTICALLY within the last few days! This little girl, along with her sisters and brothers, were dumped as puppies, on a highway, and set on fire, by their owner! They came into the adoption program, badly burned, neglected, and with broken bones! Penny survived this, but cannot survied OSTEO!

 

This fiesty girl, survived being adandoned, burned, broken bones, etc, ... and now, has cancer! Karen has been a wonderful Mom to this little girl whom she has had since a pup, and had to nurse back to health.

 

We are asking for ALL the PRAYERS you can muster for Penny and for Karen! Karen's daughter, Amy, is going over to spend the night, but I think, from what Karen said, she will be sending Penny to The Bridge by tomorrow. Penny is in such pain, she is refusing to eat, and Karen cannot even hug her.

 

Karen and I thank you for any positive thoughts you can give, and for your prayers.

Thank you so much! Dee, Curfew, Goldie, Oakly, Staggerlee, and Cari. Robert H. (Bob) DeYonker, Bold Energy, Dasher and Max, waiting at The Bridge.

 

PENNY UPDATE! It is all good! :-)

 

Hi Liliana! I am so very happy to hear your decision! As a matter of fact, Penny has completely returned to normal, and is not on any medication. She is no longer limping or in any pain. Thank you so much for taking the time to look at her x-ray! I checked out the OSU website and you are all doing such an awesome job with the greyhounds )Thank you again, so very much!Karen

 

--- On Tue, 2/23/10, Greyhounds <greyhound@cvm.osu.edu> wrote:

From: Greyhounds <greyhound@cvm.osu.edu>

Subject: Re: PLEASE, send a copy of the x-rays to Dr. Couto!

To: "Karen" <lovegreys@yahoo.com>

Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 11:24 AM

 

Hi Karen

 

We got the cd with the chest film and we looked at it with one of our radiologist. We did not find evidence of a lytic lesion on the spinal cord.

Did your vet looked if she has a corn? If she does not, the next step might be a consultation with a board certified orthopedic surgeon and/or a neurologist to determine what is going on. The good news is that we don’t see any bone tumor in the chest film that you sent us.

 

Please let us know how we can help

Liliana Marin . DVM

Veterinary clinical sciences graduate student.

Greyhound Health and Wellness Program Coordinator

http://www.vet.osu.edu/1872.htm

The Ohio State University

[Guest bluefawn]

Hello all!! Penny's Mom here! Sorry to take so long to get on here and say a HUGE THANK YOU to each and every one of you for your love, prayers, and support! The greyhound community is the BEST, bar none!

I was so devastated to have Dr. Vernon tell me that Penny had a tumor on her spine! I literally fell apart. My daughter Amy had to come and stay with us. I was emotionally devastated. I went from having a sassy, juvenile 12-year old to having a very sick grey who I had to carry outside to potty. She literally could not walk; she was just too weak and in too much pain. I kept staring at that x-ray and asking, "Where? Where is there a tumor? I don't see what you are talking about." He just pointed and then proceeded to tell me that Penny "...has had a good life, and now it's time to let her go." I could not believe what I was hearing (or seeing)! It just didn't seem real. I took Penny to the car and went back in and paid the bill. I was crying non-stop the entire last hour, and still dazed. I walked outside with a paper in my hand and holding her leash and still crying. A man stopped his car and rolled down his window and said, "I am so sorry. I went through that last summer when I lost my dog." I told him thank you, and I was grateful for his condolance and his concern. I drove Penny home and put her in her bed. Amy came to spend the week with us, and I was so grateful for her company and her support. I obtained the phone number for a vet who would come to our house when the time came to let Penny go. I have always planned for her to go to the Bridge while I hold her in my arms and kiss her little sweet face and talk softly to her. But God knows I was not ready to do this!! I lay in the floor and cried and asked Penny to not leave me. I sobbed uncontrollably for hours. Family members called, and I could only talk through heavy sobbing. I don't remember any of my conversations with them. My Mom said she has never heard me cry like that, and she was very worried about me. The next day, I went back to Dr. Vernon's office to ask him what kind of time I had and to see if I could get a copy of the x-ray and office notes, as I wanted to try to get a 2nd opinion. He said he would be glad to make a copy of both for me, and he did. But he said that he had let all of his colleagues there look at Penny's x-ray, and that they also said it was a tumor on her spine. But he changed from C-6 to C-7 overnight - that was a red flag. Dee had suggested that I get Tramadol for Penny to give her for pain. Dr. Vernon had only given me Feldene (Piroxicam), an anti-inflammatory. As I turned to leave, he said that I could bring Penny back in to have her euthanized. WHAT???? I couldn't believe he threw that comment in.

Anyway, I mailed the CD and notes the next day to Dr. Couto's office at OSU Vet Hosp. He was in Spain at the Scooby shelter, and would not be returning until 2/22. I missed my first Medical Terminology/Anatomy & Physiology class on Tues., and just sat in the floor with Penny every day and night, stroking her little back and tummy and head. She was so unresponsive. I laid my hands on her that night and asked God to heal her. I thanked Him for sending me this little fractured angel so many years ago, and that I had promised Him I would take good care of her, and that she had actually taken care of me for so long now, through all the stuff I have been through, and that I wasn't ready to give her back yet. I begged him to please heal her as only He could. I still believe that I got a miracle! She gradually got better and better, and this past weekend I was able to stop all medications. She is no longer limping or in any pain. She is back to her sassy little self! I am so glad that I hung in there with her and did not put her down that first day when she was screaming and I could not even touch her. She even bit me once when I did, but it was because she was in so much pain. If I had put her down then, it would have been for nothing!! So I want to encourage any of you who have a situation like this to please, please get a second opinion, and also do not be hasty to put your beloved pet out of its misery until you are very sure that all help has been exhausted! It scares me to see how close I came to losing Penny for nothing but what has turned out to be either a real tumor, and we got a miracle, or a misdiagnosis. I am seriously looking for a new vet.

Thank you again, each and every one of you. And thank you again, Dee, for giving me Dr. Couto's contact info! I am sitting here just having such warm and grateful feelings for all of your posts and how much love is in the greyhound community. If any of you come to Mt. Hounds, please do stop me if you see us (or if you attend our Pet First Aid Seminar that Dee and I will be doing on Friday), and say hello!! We love you!!!

Karen and Penny

 

Another GT miracle! Good job, Penny! I just LOVE tears of joy and relief! Don't you???????????????????????

 

 

YES I DO!! Tears of joy!! I am just so thankful to have my little girl back!! Thank you for your post and for your support!!

Love,

Karen & Penny

 

So, so sorry to hear this. Osteo of the spine was how I lost my heart boy Crisco in September. He only lasted a week from diagnosis - also in severe pain. I knew that when he would not even eat a DQ peanut butter blizzard, that we were at the end. Wishing freedom from pain to Penny and peace to Karen.

[Patsy]

What marvelous news! I'll nudge her off the nightly candle list for this joyous reason--whahoooo.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I'm sitting reading your post and the only word I can think to say is wow.

Terrible experience for you, and I am just so happy to hear such a very good ending to a heartbreaking story.

 

Penny is truly a gift

[duncan41]

Penny - an extra special little girl with an extraordinary Mom! It's hard to smile through tears, especially at work! There's a reason for her story - I won't even try to guess what that reason might be, other than to renew our faith in our fellow greyt dog owners and their miracle hounds. Many prayers for Penny's continuing good health!

[Guest boondog]

Words cannot express how happy I am for you and your girl

[Guest Energy11]

Penny - an extra special little girl with an extraordinary Mom! It's hard to smile through tears, especially at work! There's a reason for her story - I won't even try to guess what that reason might be, other than to renew our faith in our fellow greyt dog owners and their miracle hounds. Many prayers for Penny's continuing good health!

 

 

Miracles, DO happen! :-)

[joejoesmom]

Karen,

 

I can't tell you how much your story has touched me. I know of other mis-diagnosed hounds that OSU saved, but yours is the first time I have heard the whole story. I do believe that God brought you and Penny together to save each other and help each other through life.

 

Dr. Lili Marin and the rest of the Greyhound team at OSU are truly wonderful people. Every time I go in there I am just in awe of them all.

 

Although I think your vet should have insisted on a second opinion from an oncologist, it is somewhat understandable that he mistook what was probably an old injury for osteo. From what I understand, it is unfortunately not uncommon for general vets to misread xrays of dogs with old injuries. I am so glad that your friend Dee recommended OSU. Dr. Marin looks at evidence of cancer many times a day. I know it is a thrill for her when she can deliver good news.

 

I wish you and your Penny many more hugs and snuggles.

 

Jane

[Guest bluefawn]

Karen,

 

I can't tell you how much your story has touched me. I know of other mis-diagnosed hounds that OSU saved, but yours is the first time I have heard the whole story. I do believe that God brought you and Penny together to save each other and help each other through life.

 

Dr. Lili Marin and the rest of the Greyhound team at OSU are truly wonderful people. Every time I go in there I am just in awe of them all.

 

Although I think your vet should have insisted on a second opinion from an oncologist, it is somewhat understandable that he mistook what was probably an old injury for osteo. From what I understand, it is unfortunately not uncommon for general vets to misread xrays of dogs with old injuries. I am so glad that your friend Dee recommended OSU. Dr. Marin looks at evidence of cancer many times a day. I know it is a thrill for her when she can deliver good news.

 

I wish you and your Penny many more hugs and snuggles.

 

Jane

 

Hi Jane,

I sure appreciate all the posts on here. I have been a member of Greytalk since 2006, but they somehow "lost" me, so I rejoined in 2008. I love this forum so much! I was on the Greyhound-L since there were only like 285 of us, but it got so crude and there is so much fighting going on all the time, and a ton of disrespect! I still get the digests, but I never post any more. I am just starting to post on Greytalk again I am glad you are familiar with OSU and the folks there. Actually this vet, Dr. Vernon, did 3 years at OSU and he is supposedly a bone specialist. That is why I even listened to him in the first place. But... as I said... I should probably find another vet. I will be asking around, especially of other greyhound families, to try to find a vet who is really greyhound-savvy. I had a great vet for 23 years, but I can't seem to ever get to see him any more, and that is why I moved to this vet. It gets very scary when we have to trust our babies to another human being who has taken a vow and done the time to be a vet, but even with all the greys out there, there still seems to be something missing.

Thank you, and all of the other Greytalk members, for all your love and support!! It is so nice to come her and feel the love )

Karen & Penny

[Guest greytexplorer]

Karen and Penny,

I'm just now reading thru this entire thread (I've been on a roller coaster too) and all I can say is

heavenly days!!!!

mercy me!!!

 

Miracles are wonderful things

 

So glad you still have your Penny, and I hope you 2 have MANY more years together

 

~Pat

[Houndtime]

What a totally amazing story! G-d bless little Penny. It is as if she were born again.

[Guest bluefawn]

Hello again All!

Another update on my girl Penny. She became incontinent all of a sudden last week. I took her in for a urinalysis and it came back with no leukocytes, a few casts, but nothing significant. Dr. Rosenquist started her on amox to see if that would help if perhaps it is a UTI. Penny was not any better yesterday, so I took her in for a follow-up. She drew blood to rule out kidney disease. She called me this morning and said her blood work is "perfect". So she gave me some PPA to help with the incontinence. In the meantime, I had started getting doggy diaper supplies. I bought Simple Solution Washable Diapers at Petsmart. I tried all kinds of liners, but they all leaked. So now I am all set for when I become incontinent LOL!! I finally went and bought some regular human baby diapers. I bought Pampers Extra Protection with x-tra absorb zones (they are wings that fold out). I used these as liners only, for the washable diapers. It works perfect and no leaks!! YAY!!

 

This incontinence started the day after I switched her food to IAMS Active Maturity Proactive Health food. I am really wondering if this sudden incontinence is related to that. I didn't feed her any of that at all yesterday, and she is having hardly any bladder leakage today. I have not done any research or heard anything about this IAMS food causing any problems or issues, but I am going to look for any info on this. If any of you have any info, let me know please Penny has never had any accidents in the house, ever, even as a puppy. This is a sudden issue and I feel that there must be a fix for it. But, if not, she is still my special baby girl and in my eyes she is still perfect in every way )

 

Penny is still her silly, sassy self! I have my "old" Penny (pun intended heehee) back!! I love her sooooo much!! I am happy, happy, happy!!

 

Thank you all again for all of your prayers and your lovely messages!! I cried as I read them, and I could feel the love you were all sending for Penny and me!

Love,

Karen and Penny "Miss P"

[duncan41]

I have no clue if the incontinence is related to the food switch, but I am a big believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. Was there a health related reason for the new food? IMHO, I would feed the miraculous Miss Penny whatever she was eating before the incontinence started and not change another thing to see what happens.

Oh, and give her as many belly rubs, ear scritches and nose kisses as she can stand! That always works around our house! Still sending boat loads of prayers for her continued good health!

[Guest zoolaine]

There is some discussion here:

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/250293-alternative-to-science-diet/page__st__20

 

on incontinence and food allergies

[Guest bluefawn]

There is some discussion here:

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/250293-alternative-to-science-diet/page__st__20

 

on incontinence and food allergies

 

 

Thank you for the link Good "food for thought". I looked at all of the pages and links. I may look at one of the 6 star rated foods for next time. The Wellness I purchased for Penny is rated 5 star, and that is a good start

[Guest FreddyGirl]

So glad she is doing better. Bobbi had some pottying issues when she was in pain for the last week and a half. Now that she is feeling better, she is starting to tell me again when she has to go.

 

LOVE this girl.............

[Guest bluefawn]

I have no clue if the incontinence is related to the food switch, but I am a big believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. Was there a health related reason for the new food? IMHO, I would feed the miraculous Miss Penny whatever she was eating before the incontinence started and not change another thing to see what happens.

Oh, and give her as many belly rubs, ear scritches and nose kisses as she can stand! That always works around our house! Still sending boat loads of prayers for her continued good health!

 

Hey Linda, I had purchased the IAMS because at the time, I was unable to get to Sams to get her the food she had been eating. She had been on Exceed, which had been recommended to me by another greyhound person. But after reading the info available online and then looking at the ingredients on the bag, it's a wonder Penny had not been sick before now! ugh! But she seems to be doing well on the Wellness formula, although I am still gradually introducing it as should be done when switching to another type of food. She had been on Purina One before the Exceed, and all of my greys have been on that. Penny was raised on Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy (IAMS brand), and then IAMs once she reached a year old. But I had switched them all to Exceed or Purina One, whichever was available at the time. Penny is my last surviving grey, and I wish I had learned about pet food ingredients before now. But it would not have saved any of them. Lydia was 7 when I adopted her in 1993, Sassy was 5 when I adopted her in 1994, Evan was 1 1/2 yrs. old when I adopted him in 1995, Ladybug was 2 when I adopted her in 1995, Nash was 7 when I adopted him in 1998, and Katie was 7 when I adopted her in 2005. (Only Katie and Penny are still living) I adopted Penny in 1998 when she was 10 weeks old. She is one of the original 3 Mississippi puppies - if you were/are on the Greyhound-L, you know who she is ))

Thank you again for your prayers - they are very much appreciated )

[Guest Energy11]

I have no clue if the incontinence is related to the food switch, but I am a big believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. Was there a health related reason for the new food? IMHO, I would feed the miraculous Miss Penny whatever she was eating before the incontinence started and not change another thing to see what happens.

Oh, and give her as many belly rubs, ear scritches and nose kisses as she can stand! That always works around our house! Still sending boat loads of prayers for her continued good health!

 

Hey Linda, I had purchased the IAMS because at the time, I was unable to get to Sams to get her the food she had been eating. She had been on Exceed, which had been recommended to me by another greyhound person. But after reading the info available online and then looking at the ingredients on the bag, it's a wonder Penny had not been sick before now! ugh! But she seems to be doing well on the Wellness formula, although I am still gradually introducing it as should be done when switching to another type of food. She had been on Purina One before the Exceed, and all of my greys have been on that. Penny was raised on Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy (IAMS brand), and then IAMs once she reached a year old. But I had switched them all to Exceed or Purina One, whichever was available at the time. Penny is my last surviving grey, and I wish I had learned about pet food ingredients before now. But it would not have saved any of them. Lydia was 7 when I adopted her in 1993, Sassy was 5 when I adopted her in 1994, Evan was 1 1/2 yrs. old when I adopted him in 1995, Ladybug was 2 when I adopted her in 1995, Nash was 7 when I adopted him in 1998, and Katie was 7 when I adopted her in 2005. (Only Katie and Penny are still living) I adopted Penny in 1998 when she was 10 weeks old. She is one of the original 3 Mississippi puppies - if you were/are on the Greyhound-L, you know who she is ))

Thank you again for your prayers - they are very much appreciated )

Hey Karen! I am glad you are now feeding Wellness! :-) GOOD STUFF! I am sooo glad you baby girl is doing sooo well, and that we will be able to do our first aid seminar again this year at Mt. Hounds :-)) Good luck with your classes! Give a HUGE hug to your furdaughter, Penny, and your skindaughter, Amy, for me! Love, DEE