Osteo Diagnosis

[Guest kiki_13]

Hi All!

 

Just wanted to drop in and say hi!

 

To jenmm, I am truly sorry for what you are going through and have unfortunately recently experienced the same - that is why we are all here I guess. . . Whizzer is a beautiful greyhound, God Bless her. Also, to Jen with Neyla - sounds like you guys are doing greyt! - oh sheesh, how both of mine, here or not would love to go on a camping trip! I hope the weather is beautiful!

 

I must say - this gets to be tough talking in this forum, because there are so many greyt dogs hanging on - and not just hanging on yet doing extremely well, thriving with a a terrible disease and with their moms and dads knocking themselves out everyday to get their beloved dog through this with as much caring love and for as long as they possibly can - and the thing is . . . no one knows the ending of their particular life together. No one knows how your dog will be effected, how or will he progress, the outcome of it . . . do you have years, months, or days?

 

And then you have me here , feeling like the bummer, with Bing dx in July and passed now . . . it's a little complex for me, I guess, at this point. I don't really know what to share and what doesn't need to be told about my dog's, Bing's, experience because I think it will be different for anyone and all of us. Not very comforting, I know . . . yet no one can give you an answer anyway frankly.

 

We are here for and to support each other through something not a lot of people understand.

 

I know that the first few days, after the surreal experience of helping Bing cross the bridge, I was relieved of the anxiety . . . the anxiety of the lump, the size of it, his anxiety, panting, and looking at me with an expression I hadn't quite seen before, the struggle to get all of his meds in him with the right amount and at the right time, was he peeing, pooping, sleeping, eating, drinking? I could breathe when he crossed.

 

Now, I just miss kissing his face. He was beautiful. Our years together bring me peace (not a lot as it has only been a litle over a week) but it was a greyt time and I wouldn't have traded it or missed it for anything!

Edited September 23, 2010 by kiki_13

[NeylasMom]

Kiki, your post got me all teary, I think mostly the relief part. It's really hard living with a death sentence, that much I know. At this point, I have decided to try to put it out of my mind entirely, and I'm grateful that I'm in a position where I think I can. I just wish everyone on here were there with me.

 

On that note, we did get some good news today.

[Guest jenmm]

Kiki, Thanks for your post.

 

Jen, glad to hear the good news. I myself am thinking about Dewey. We are scheduled to go, but in the back of my mind is this nagging conscience "how dare you leave poor Whizzer at home to suffer while you're out having fun at the beach" But part of my mind says, I NEED a vacation, I haven't gone on vacation in 2 years. Whizzer will be safe at home, taken care of and there's nothing I can do, she'll be okay. I'm torn.

[Guest racergirl435]

We are sad for the hounds we've lost, yet happy for those that still have theirs. As bitter-sweet as that may be. Part of me is still greatful Seymour went as quickly as he did. The thing that's most been getting through the grieving is being on here and talking to you all and looking at pictures of everyone's pups and actually looking forward to getting another hound. All I can say is that we have to keep on keepin' on because the hounds need us and we need them.

[Charlies_Dad]

Kiki,

 

Your words are so true. Battling this disease no matter the path you choose for you pup is wearing and very stressful. However I must say that these past 8 weeks have brought me even closer to Charlie which I really didn't think possible but it has and I am happy for that. Both he and I made a contract that this journey will be a long one so the future is wide open and as long as he is by my side, he will be my golden boy.

[Guest jenmm]

My boss tells me yesterday I could have time off if my to-do list was under control. I'm sorry but there are things in my life that are more important than my job sometimes, my work will still be there on Monday morning. Sorry, to get off-topic.

 

Whizzer went upstairs. First time in 3 weeks. She's napping by herself. I'm not disturbing her. And the other dogs are letting her alone. The gsd was going to follow her but I made her stay away.

[Guest racergirl435]

Geez...obviously a boss with no pets. I've had that problem. Thankfully not anymore. When we put Seymour down I stayed home the next day. No problem. I got to work and told the office administrator I'd make up the time and she said "Don't worry about it, we've got you covered." And I have absolutely no vaca or personal time left. My current office is full of animal lovers and I am very lucky. The process is hard enough to deal with but when you have a jerky boss who doesn't get it it makes it frustrating.

 

Great news on Whizzer. She's so cute. Everyone give your hounds a hug from me today.

[teri_d]

yep - when we lost rivie my boss sent me flowers - he knows dogs children to me!

[Guest jenmm]

Yep, my boss just has goldfish. But, she's pretty insensitive as well. I'm pregnant and have been having health complications lately and am constantly getting nagged if I miss 5 minutes of work or something. She's asks what time I got there and what time I stayed till to make up that 5 minutes. Geesh, chill out.

 

Anyone have any luck with piroxicam over rimadyl?

[Guest kiki_13]

I am so sorry if I offended anyone with my last post - it has been extremely hard to lose Bing (as it has with all of us going through the process) - he was my heartdog and I am so aware of that now more than ever.

 

Thank you all for being here for me and I so truly appreciate it. It helped me so much! ( Cami is doing better every day . . . )

Edited September 25, 2010 by kiki_13

[Guest kiki_13]

I am greiving . . . . therefore I feel . . . this illness with Bing was just something I wasn't expecting - I know, none of us are foreseeing something like this, yet to me it was like he was here - for longer, I thought months, maybe for his next birthday party - and than he was gone . . . to share a few more favorite pics of Bing:

 

 

 

 

 

Again, thanks for the support and I wish you all well!

Edited September 25, 2010 by kiki_13

[Guest jenmm]

Beautiful pictures of Bing.

 

This has been very helpful here, no offense taken from anybody.

[Batmom]

Bing :wub:

 

{{{{{{{{{{Bing's momma}}}}}}}}}}

[Charlies_Dad]

Kiki, you definitely did not offend me and I doubt any others with your post. This topic is all about what you posted. We are all travelling the same journey albeit some on different paths. Others have traveled before us and know exactly your grief so do not ever apologize for writing how you feel. The good thing about GT is that you are surrounded by those who understand.

 

Bing was a very handsome boy, I wish I could have met him in person. Love the second photo of him laying on the grass and sun in his eyes. His eyes were gorgeous.

[nyGreys]

Stopping by to say say hello & send prayers for everyone.

 

Love the pics. of all the beautiful babies.

 

[teri_d]

ah kiki - nobody takes offense at anything on here - we all are just hurting and emotional!! your bing - love the picture with the kissy on his forehead - how sweet! i totally understand where you are - my heart hurts everyday for rivie and i miss her so -- but we all totally get it on here - and while we are different in treatment/path/location/where we are in this deal -- we are all bound together by the diagnosis and it stinks - hugs to all

[Guest racergirl435]

What they said. Kiki...I thought your post was beautiful and expressed exactly how I STILL feel about Seymour. Your boy was beautiful. So was mine. I hope to find another big goofy boy to help ease the pain. I hope you can get to that point as well. I've even thought of fostering but think I would fail horribly at it and would wind up divorced. lol

[Guest ChasesMum]

Hi All!

 

Just wanted to drop in and say hi!...

 

I know that the first few days, after the surreal experience of helping Bing cross the bridge, I was relieved of the anxiety . . . the anxiety of the lump, the size of it, his anxiety, panting, and looking at me with an expression I hadn't quite seen before, the struggle to get all of his meds in him with the right amount and at the right time, was he peeing, pooping, sleeping, eating, drinking? I could breathe when he crossed.

 

Now, I just miss kissing his face. He was beautiful. Our years together bring me peace (not a lot as it has only been a litle over a week) but it was a greyt time and I wouldn't have traded it or missed it for anything!

 

 

I know. I remember that when Chase passed I realized that I had not been sleeping that well for the couple/few weeks before that. I too could breathe when she was gone...don't feel bad about posting your feelings!! *hugs* :

[Guest azlorenz]

ah kiki - nobody takes offense at anything on here - we all are just hurting and emotional!!

 

 

Bingo! I agree totally.

[greyhounds1234]

I fear I'm about to join this cancer club that no one really wants to join.

Bay and I are off to the orthopedic surgeon on Monday for a FNA and quite possibly an amputation if warranted.

I'm more than a little apprehensive about all of this but if we did catch the cancer early on and it hasn't metastized, I want to give her a longer life than she would have had without surgery/chemo, etc.

I just always swore we'd only do pallative care if osteo was diagnosed so I'm having to re-adjust my thinking to accept this. We lost one of our girls, Cashew, to osteo earlier this year...it was just too advanced to do much for her but let her go. This time is different.

 

Mostly, I'm scared...for Bay and for me. Bay has been pretty much our bomb-proof dog. Nothing phases her. Very mellow, laid back, sweet, etc. She's my velcro girl. She is within eye sight of me, always.

 

I don't even know what questions to ask at this point but I'll listen to whatever you want to say

 

Patti

[Charlies_Dad]

I fear I'm about to join this cancer club that no one really wants to join.

Bay and I are off to the orthopedic surgeon on Monday for a FNA and quite possibly an amputation if warranted.

I'm more than a little apprehensive about all of this but if we did catch the cancer early on and it hasn't metastized, I want to give her a longer life than she would have had without surgery/chemo, etc.

I just always swore we'd only do pallative care if osteo was diagnosed so I'm having to re-adjust my thinking to accept this. We lost one of our girls, Cashew, to osteo earlier this year...it was just too advanced to do much for her but let her go. This time is different.

 

Mostly, I'm scared...for Bay and for me. Bay has been pretty much our bomb-proof dog. Nothing phases her. Very mellow, laid back, sweet, etc. She's my velcro girl. She is within eye sight of me, always.

 

I don't even know what questions to ask at this point but I'll listen to whatever you want to say

 

Patti

 

 

Patti, is is confirmed that it's Osteo? Just curious as I note you are doing an FNA. I really, really hope that it isn't but it sounds like you have been given the probably diagnosis, I am sorry. We chose amp and Chemo for Charlie because he also is young (7) and want to extend his life as long as possible if he is happy and the quality is there. Some of the things we noted with the amputation was:

 

- It is scary to see your pup soon after surgery because not only is the trauma area nasty looking, they are so out of it on drugs, it's just not your pup.

- We left Charlie at the hospital from Friday-Tuesday so that he could recover well and make it easier on us. It cost more however when he came home, we had a fairly uneventful post-op.

- Rugs, rugs, rugs if you have any slippery floors. We have wood and have area rugs and runners all over the place. We had actually contemplated carpeting the house. Now Charlie only stays on carpets, he does not like the wood floors at all and has slipped twice but with no injuries.

- Take time off work as it will be hard 1-2 weeks. I took off one week and worked from home the second and DW stays at home so that helped a lot.

- If you have stairs in the house or going into the house you will have to help Bay with a harness or sling or change the setup in the house if you can for now, e.g. sleep where he will be sleeping and consider a ramp for outside.

- Discuss in detail what pain medicine amounts you can give Bay post-op as there will be times when the pain appears out of nowhere.

- Tramadol and the patch can/will make him pant and can be stressful on him. Both work but just be aware if you are not already.

- Watch for infection at the site.

- Have something cool/cold to help reduce swelling. We used a frozen bag of peas wrapped in a towel and it worked really well.

- Make food in advance if you make his food, that way you don't have to worry about it for a while.

- Don't worry too much, your boy will be back to himself in 2-3 weeks. All pups are different but typically this is when the old character comes back.

- Ask questions when in doubt/concerned/scared, we are all here for you!

 

Kyle

Edited September 25, 2010 by Charlies_Dad

[Guest azlorenz]

I fear I'm about to join this cancer club that no one really wants to join.

Bay and I are off to the orthopedic surgeon on Monday for a FNA and quite possibly an amputation if warranted.

I'm more than a little apprehensive about all of this but if we did catch the cancer early on and it hasn't metastized, I want to give her a longer life than she would have had without surgery/chemo, etc.

I just always swore we'd only do pallative care if osteo was diagnosed so I'm having to re-adjust my thinking to accept this. We lost one of our girls, Cashew, to osteo earlier this year...it was just too advanced to do much for her but let her go. This time is different.

 

Mostly, I'm scared...for Bay and for me. Bay has been pretty much our bomb-proof dog. Nothing phases her. Very mellow, laid back, sweet, etc. She's my velcro girl. She is within eye sight of me, always.

 

I don't even know what questions to ask at this point but I'll listen to whatever you want to say

 

Patti

 

I am so sorry Patti. My fingers are crossed it isn't osteo. I had very much the same opinion about pallative care only if osteo was diagnosed. However, Flash fractured his leg. They couldn't confirm osteo and his lungs were clean so we amputated on the assumption it was osteo. Biopsy of the leg confirmed osteo. We had already gone this far and after reading everything I could get my hands on we came to the conclusion that chemo was the right thing in Flash's case. I never in a million years would have thought I would be doing it but it is the right decision in our case. Flash is doing really well with chemo and is his ever chipper self. Hasn't missed a meal, runs with his sisters and is a big ole snuggle bug. We are enjoying each day to its fullest. I guess what I'm trying to say is whatever you decide is the right decision.

[joejoesmom]

Kiki,

 

Certainly no offense was taken. I heard the pain in your soul when I read that post. You need a place to express that pain. This thread should be a good place for that. If it is too difficult to hear happy news for some of you, perhaps those of us with good news should post on a different thread? What do you think? Or is it helpful for more of you to hear the good news?

 

Patti,

 

I am so sorry you are facing this. Charlie's dad has a lot of good tips. When and if it is time for chemo, remember that certain drugs are available from OSU at no charge -- you still pay for the administration. Let us know when you need contact info.

 

Jane

[greyhounds1234]

This all started with Bay two weeks ago today. Just an occasional limp~mostly when she got up after a snooze~but it was just occasional.

She still had this occasional limp thing going on and we decided to just take her to the vet for xrays, blood work, etc...just to be on the safe side.

Blood work~perfectly normal....xray turned up a mysterious shadow that measured 3cm x 1/2cm...very small...on the outside of her humerous on her left front leg. My vet went ahead and took chest xrays to see if there was any sign of anything...and there wasn't.

She contacted Dr Couto's office and his diagnosis was probably osteo due to the location and that she is a greyhound. Of course, it wasn't a definate diagnosis because my vet wasn't comfortable doing an FNA due to the size/location of the shadow.

 

So, the FNA Monday will be to determine if it is osteo. The vet who will be doing that procedure is an orthopedic surgeon and it's being done at probably the best vet hospital locally. He'll be doing an ultra-sound to make sure the needle hits the right spot. Sadly, he has the personality of a dishrag, but he knows his stuff....and he's the only one in town.

 

Both DH and I are retired so no problem with work. I'm a nightowl and DH isn't so we would only have maybe 4-5 hours overnight when everyone is asleep at the same time. I pretty much plan on being homebound 'til she's comfortable with her new anatomy. Not a problem there.

 

We do have tile in the kitchen and I'd already planned on putting latex-backed runners down for her if she has the surgery. Haven't bought them yet, just waiting to see if we need to.

 

Our house is single story with only one step down to the patio and backyard and we have a couple of long beach towels we can use to help hold her up 'til she can mangage the one step by herself.

 

We keep icepacks in the freezer already, so we're good to go there. I generally cook up a pot of unseasoned carrots and green beans to add to their food and that's already been done.

 

There will be a qualified person at the vet hospital overnight for as long as she is there, so she won't be alone...already got that covered. I want her to stay there as long as needed...it makes recovery easier for all of us.

 

Didn't think about asking about the pain meds before but we have tramadol on hand already, so I will ask about min/max dosage.

 

Think I have all of the basics covered. Just waiting to hear what we are dealing with.

[teri_d]

Kiki,

 

You need a place to express that pain. This thread should be a good place for that. If it is too difficult to hear happy news for some of you, perhaps those of us with good news should post on a different thread? What do you think? Or is it helpful for more of you to hear the good news?

 

Patti,

 

I am so sorry you are facing this. Charlie's dad has a lot of good tips. When and if it is time for chemo, remember that certain drugs are available from OSU at no charge -- you still pay for the administration. Let us know when you need contact info.

 

Jane

 

i LOVE reading the good news - keep it all together - this thread has helped us all get through everything involved with having a pup with os - good, bad and ugly. the good news belongs here just like the rants, the emotions, the support - it's all part of it. no matter your treatment decision, where you are on the path - or if the path has already ended - its all part of it and it all belongs. i am the biggest cheerleader for the good news - and i will be here for you all, just like you were here for me when my news turned south -- there is no better support network than those who are facing the same things - even though the things you are facing may be very different (or at least different today) -- we are all in this together -and we all get it and understand like nobody else can -

 

patti - so sorry you are facing this - keep us posted - you will be in our thoughts and prayers are you go through the fna -