Osteo Diagnosis

[Guest azlorenz]

I hate/love this thread. It's so good to see the good news and it just really f'ing sucks to see the bad stuff. I don't even "know" any of you but I feel like I do. Jenn I hope your girl is doing better (as better as is possible). Sometimes a small part of me (just a very small part because I still miss my boy terribly) is grateful that he did go quickly compared to some because I didn't have to endure watching him suffer for very long. I'm always the one that has to be strong for everybody else and I just don't know how good I would have been in this particular situation. Sorry... I don't mean to have a pop-up pity party. It just sucks without Seymour. God love you all. Give all your hounds a hug for me please. I'm doing a meet and greet with the group tomorrow and I just pray to God it helps and/or that I don't spend the whole 3 hours crying.

 

 

Sometimes you just gotta get it out and over with.

[Guest kiki_13]

". . . have a pop-up pity party . . . "

gotta love you for that!

 

Bing will have been gone for a week today - time passes somehow.

 

Everyone hang in there and have a nice relaxed weekend!

[Guest racergirl435]

". . . have a pop-up pity party . . . "

gotta love you for that!

 

Bing will have been gone for a week today - time passes somehow.

 

Everyone hang in there and have a nice relaxed weekend!

 

Thanks. Through it all, I always do my best to maintain my sense of humor.

 

Funny...I'll be fine for a while and then something just "pops" and I'm bawling my eyes out. At least I'm not crying all the time now. I don't think our hounds would want that for us. I just hope our next hound finds us soon because life is definitely too quiet without one.

 

Hugs to everyone. Greyhound people are as one of a kind as their hounds.

[Batmom]

Regarding diet, it's pretty much accepted that cancer feeds on carbs,

 

Actually, it isn't. It's a myth for the most part; there *may* be one or two specific types of cancers -- not osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, etc. -- where *simple* carbs *might* have an impact, but even that is pretty shaky, scientifically. See for example http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/03/do-you-fear-sugar-might-cause-cancer.html , http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer-causes/CA00085/NSECTIONGROUP=2 .

 

I'd feed your dog what he/she does well on. Carbs are an important source of energy.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Batmom

[Sirocco_Nikki]

Thanks for the welcome and support. Whizzer's on Rimadyl 75 mg 2x/day and Tramadol 50 mg - she was getting 2x/day but I started giving her a third dose. Someone else had mentioned Gabapentin and I'm going to call my vet tomorrow and ask him about it. He's a new vet to us, the first time we went to him was her diagnosis.

 

A question: is there anything special you've done to your dogs diet?

 

We went the pain control only route with Sirocco. Since his cancer seemed to be very aggressive, we gave him whatever he wanted to eat. I fixed him a strawberry shortcake almost every evening. When he started leaving part of his dinner or breakfast, I would give him bites of cheese or turkey later.

 

With our vet's blessing, we upped his tramadol whenever he began to have problems moving or resting. At the end, he was getting tramadol 6 x day with rimadyl 2 x day. There was panting after the tramadol sometimes, but we found that a little ice cream fixed that riteawayquick. For us, pain control took precedence over all other symptoms.

 

Hugs to you and Whizzer

[Guest jenmm]

Whizzer was whining at 2 am for a little, but she definitely had a more settled night.

 

She enjoyed rolling in the sand when we had taken her to Dewey.

 

Looking through the fence with Rachel.

 

I should have some pics somewhere of her and her littermates, Bernie and Yankee. Can't seem to find them anywhere right now though.

[joejoesmom]

Whizzer was whining at 2 am for a little, but she definitely had a more settled night.

 

 

Aw, love the pics. I just sent you an email. I am so sorry, I thought Whizzer was a boy (just seemed like a boys name to me).

 

I agree with Batmom about the food. Dr. Couto says that there are a couple of cancers that might warrant changing to a low carb food (I think lymphoma was one) but that osteo definitely didn't respond to low carbs. So feed her whatever she likes.

 

I have switched my Joe to EVO, mostly because it is his favorite dry food, but also because it won't hurt (and there is a minutely small chance that it might help). I figure since he is getting some high carb foods (he LOVES ice cream) the lower carbs in EVO will balance the treats out.

 

Jane

[Guest kiki_13]

". . . have a pop-up pity party . . . "

gotta love you for that!

 

Bing will have been gone for a week today - time passes somehow.

 

Everyone hang in there and have a nice relaxed weekend!

 

Thanks. Through it all, I always do my best to maintain my sense of humor.

 

Funny...I'll be fine for a while and then something just "pops" and I'm bawling my eyes out. At least I'm not crying all the time now. I don't think our hounds would want that for us. I just hope our next hound finds us soon because life is definitely too quiet without one.

 

Hugs to everyone. Greyhound people are as one of a kind as their hounds.

 

It's so strange you posted that - I thought I wouldn't be ready for another pup for quite sometime, however, the quiet and having just little Cami, who is so completely different from Bing and she is lonely as I brought her right from the track home with Bing, is frankly boring. I wonder if I should relish the quiet or foster/adopt another nut!

Edited September 19, 2010 by kiki_13

[Guest kiki_13]

Whizzer was whining at 2 am for a little, but she definitely had a more settled night.

 

She enjoyed rolling in the sand when we had taken her to Dewey.

 

Looking through the fence with Rachel.

 

I should have some pics somewhere of her and her littermates, Bernie and Yankee. Can't seem to find them anywhere right now though.

 

 

Whizzer is stunning - what a beautiful greyhound!

[Guest kiki_13]

A quick Charlie update! We had our first Chemo today and everything went well after a slight mix-up. We had it scheduled for 10:30am and I received a call yesterday morning confirming the appointment on my cell. Then late yesterday a message was left at our home number that the drugs likely would not arrive on time so they had to push us to Thursday afternoon - let's just say I wasn't happy when DW told me that. She called them back and they stated if the drugs came in early enough they may be able to do something late this afternoon. Fast forward to this morning and I get a panic call of a very emotional DW that now it's been changed to Friday! Supposedly the lady today was not the nicest 'customer service' person and just told her that the appointment was not recorded so you are being pushed to Friday. After that discussion, DW got ahold of the person who orders the drugs and she promised that as soon as they arrive they'll do everything possible - talk about two different stories at the same clinic! Well I decided to call from out of the country and got a very nice lady, I explained the situation and she promised me they would do everything and understood completely the emotional situation. While on the phone with her, their drugs arrived by courier and she called back within 5 minutes asking us to come on down. So Charlie did fine, we are just trying to source Suramin which we cannot get in Canada unless the vet is performing a research study and must prove it. Dr. Coutu recommended this so we are trying to obtain some through other sources (we won't mention any names...no, they are not part of the GT community, I swear!).

Charlie is resting now and got a big ice cream for his troubles so everything is good right now. The only concern is his WBC is a little low (lower than when he had the operation) so we are looking for ways to help him get that back up.

 

A pic of our 'amp' room. It's actually our sun/tea room off our master bedroom and we place our bed on the floor through the French doors so we could be close to Charlie. All the pups are there except Angie (Pug).

 

 

Kyle

 

Just reading back through the posts - it is a different experience for me now. However, I just wanted to comment that I love this pic and would use it as poster in my office/junk room in my home! I love it!

[Charlies_Dad]

 

 

Looking through the fence with Rachel.

 

 

What a beautiful pup Whizzer is. I love the dark brindles.

[Sirocco_Nikki]

". . . have a pop-up pity party . . . "

gotta love you for that!

 

Bing will have been gone for a week today - time passes somehow.

 

Everyone hang in there and have a nice relaxed weekend!

 

Thanks. Through it all, I always do my best to maintain my sense of humor.

 

Funny...I'll be fine for a while and then something just "pops" and I'm bawling my eyes out. At least I'm not crying all the time now. I don't think our hounds would want that for us. I just hope our next hound finds us soon because life is definitely too quiet without one.

 

Hugs to everyone. Greyhound people are as one of a kind as their hounds.

 

It's so strange you posted that - I thought I wouldn't be ready for another pup for quite sometime, however, the quiet and having just little Cami, who is so completely different from Bing and she is lonely as I brought her right from the track home with Bing, is frankly boring. I wonder if I should relish the quiet or foster/adopt another nut!

 

Ditto. I have already started working on dh for another. Both Nikki and Yukon are very well behaved. The house just seems so dull without a ornery, food filching, scoundrel in it. I'm thinking a 7-9 y.o. cat zapping brood with tude would fit in nicely.

[Guest jenmm]

Rough day, so far. I'm glad I can finally work from home tomorrow and will get to spend some much needed time with Whizzer. If she's not doing well, I'm taking off Friday, I'm sick of work dictating my life lately.

[teri_d]

Rough day, so far. I'm glad I can finally work from home tomorrow and will get to spend some much needed time with Whizzer. If she's not doing well, I'm taking off Friday, I'm sick of work dictating my life lately.

 

so sorry she is having a bad day - the ups n downs of os are such a roller coaster - hang in there....glad you will be home with her - she will like that

[NeylasMom]

Rough day, so far. I'm glad I can finally work from home tomorrow and will get to spend some much needed time with Whizzer. If she's not doing well, I'm taking off Friday, I'm sick of work dictating my life lately.

Good for you! You should definitely be able to spend quality time with your girl right now.

 

How is everyone else doing? It's been kind of slow in here lately. Neyla is pretty much status quo although she's been a bit stiff/sore in her back end this week. I really think she could benefit from another chiropractic adjustment but I haven't found a vet yet who can do it! It's too bad too b/c we're going camping this weekend and I'm pretty sure she'd be able to do more hiking if she had one. Anyway, tomorrow is our appt with the orthopedist. Going mostly to talk about her back leg, but I will get a new x-ray of her shoulder to see where we stand.

[Guest ktarantino]

How do you know when it is time to say goodbye.. I have been thinking about this lately. Freddy was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. He still eats and gets excited when we get home from anywhere..but part of me thinks he may be done, like he is just waiting for us to say..ok its time..but then part of me thinks...no he wants to hang on. I know no one can give me the answer, but open to your thoughts.The tumor on his leg grows bigger everyday, he can't go on walks which he loves so that makes me wonder how much is he enjoying life...not to mention somedays I just feel like we are already grieving and we haven't even got to the grieving stage if that makes sense. Anyway, maybe him (and me) are just having a bad day. It is just sad to know the end is near and I feel like we are waiting till he gets really bad to say goodbye...but do we really want to see him get really bad....

 

PS, can anyone tell me how to post pictures, I would like to post his picture, but I can't figure out how

[Guest roselle]

How do you know when it is time to say goodbye.. I have been thinking about this lately. Freddy was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. He still eats and gets excited when we get home from anywhere..but part of me thinks he may be done, like he is just waiting for us to say..ok its time..but then part of me thinks...no he wants to hang on. I know no one can give me the answer, but open to your thoughts.The tumor on his leg grows bigger everyday, he can't go on walks which he loves so that makes me wonder how much is he enjoying life...not to mention somedays I just feel like we are already grieving and we haven't even got to the grieving stage if that makes sense. Anyway, maybe him (and me) are just having a bad day. It is just sad to know the end is near and I feel like we are waiting till he gets really bad to say goodbye...but do we really want to see him get really bad....

 

PS, can anyone tell me how to post pictures, I would like to post his picture, but I can't figure out how

Hi, Gracie was diagnosed in late July and I cried for weeks. I was also grieving for her. IN late Aug. she had her leg amputated, and last week she started chemo. We had to get through the post surgery stage and 2 days after chemo she was spinning her tail and giving kisses galore. My older lab/shep is 18 and I have been waiting for that sign, but it's not coming. I know I'm going to loose both of them at the same time. The sign is not enjoying life' not able to get out of the bed, not able to interact with the other dogs, or with my family. for my older dog, it's not able to go for a walk. Going out for a walk is what he lives for. But the most important sign is inability to control pain. I needed to set goals for this decision, I needed a concrete sign to take the emotional element out of my decision. I hope this helps. I'll tell you this board is a great help and will support you in what ever you decide to do. You are not alone.

[Guest ChasesMum]

1 hand typing...

 

my vet's advice...think of 3 things that he loves, that are his most enjoyed things. when 2 are gone and the last is going, then its time.

 

when mine were no longer eating, or with Chase when she was so swollen she couldnt swallow much, it was time.

Edited September 22, 2010 by ChasesMum

[Guest jenmm]

How do you know when it is time to say goodbye.. I have been thinking about this lately. Freddy was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. He still eats and gets excited when we get home from anywhere..but part of me thinks he may be done, like he is just waiting for us to say..ok its time..but then part of me thinks...no he wants to hang on. I know no one can give me the answer, but open to your thoughts.The tumor on his leg grows bigger everyday, he can't go on walks which he loves so that makes me wonder how much is he enjoying life...not to mention somedays I just feel like we are already grieving and we haven't even got to the grieving stage if that makes sense. Anyway, maybe him (and me) are just having a bad day. It is just sad to know the end is near and I feel like we are waiting till he gets really bad to say goodbye...but do we really want to see him get really bad....

 

PS, can anyone tell me how to post pictures, I would like to post his picture, but I can't figure out how

I worry about that all the time. Everyday really.

[Charlies_Dad]

How do you know when it is time to say goodbye.. I have been thinking about this lately. Freddy was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. He still eats and gets excited when we get home from anywhere..but part of me thinks he may be done, like he is just waiting for us to say..ok its time..but then part of me thinks...no he wants to hang on. I know no one can give me the answer, but open to your thoughts.The tumor on his leg grows bigger everyday, he can't go on walks which he loves so that makes me wonder how much is he enjoying life...not to mention somedays I just feel like we are already grieving and we haven't even got to the grieving stage if that makes sense. Anyway, maybe him (and me) are just having a bad day. It is just sad to know the end is near and I feel like we are waiting till he gets really bad to say goodbye...but do we really want to see him get really bad....

 

PS, can anyone tell me how to post pictures, I would like to post his picture, but I can't figure out how

 

It is a very difficult decision, so very difficult. It sounds to me like Freddy is still enjoying life based on, "He still eats and gets excited when we get home from anywhere". If however he is in a lot of pain, then obviously that trumps all others.

 

To post pictures, you can use www.photobucket.com. Create an account, upload a picture from your PC and then once loaded, hover your mouse/cursor over your photo and you should see a drop-down appear, you want to select the IMG Code, copy it and paste it into your next post on GT and voila! I would love to see pics of Freddy or you can send them to me at kyle241_2000@yahoo.com and I'll post them for you.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Charlies_Dad

[AndysMom]

KTarantino, Chase's Mom makes an excellent point. That's what I'm watching for . . . when Arathorn can't or won't do 2 out of the top 3 things I know he loves. That's when I'll know he's ready to go.

Our boy remains status quo since his OS diagnosis in late July. The tumor on his right front leg is a little larger but not remarkably so. He's still very mobile and favors the leg 90% of the time but gives no outward sign of pain. He's on Tramadol 3x a day with Pepcid once or twice daily.

His appetite's still good. He still gets excited when we come home. He still wants to go on car trips, but those are limited to trips to the vet. I worry about him getting bumped or jostled in the van. He still wants to climb the steps to sleep upstairs with me. He still enjoys snuggling at bedtime. He still gives kisses and lounges all day long upside down on the couch with all four feet straight up in the air.

For now, every additional day with our special boy is an absolute blessing. I tell him several times a day how much I love him and indulge him with special treats like the beef liver I dehydrate for him. (When he's having a bad day, I can always get him to eat by sprinkling some on his food.)

For each of us, the journey is unique. There's no cookie-cutter answer for all situations. But, as Chase's Mom said, when they can't do the things we know they enjoy, we have to decide if we're being selfish in keeping them here with us.

[Guest ktarantino]

 

 

Freddy and Malibu ( Taken in June 2010)

Edited September 23, 2010 by ktarantino

[Charlies_Dad]

They are both beauties! Freddy is another red fawn just like my Charlie.

[Guest roselle]

I love the pictures, especially the smiling greyhound

[Guest jenmm]

Whizzer's never been a big eater, she's always skipped meals, so I can't really use that as gauge. But she loves junk food. Maybe I'll have to stop and buy her a box of donuts today. If she doesn't eat those, then I'll worry.