Osteo Diagnosis

[Guest Porter]

Our 6 1/2 year old boy Porter was diagnosed last weekend. I am devastated. We have had him for four years. We are opting not to amputate. I will have to read this post thoroughly as I have only skimmed it so far, but I am just so scared as to what to expect.

Edited October 22, 2010 by Porter

[NeylasMom]

Our 6 1/2 year old boy Porter was diagnosed last weekend. I am devastated. We have had him for four years. We are opting not to amputate. I will have to read this post thoroughly as I have only skimmed it so far, but I am just so scared as to what to expect.

I'm so sorry. My heart sunk when I saw a username I didn't recognize as the person who last posted b/c I know what that usually means.

 

We're here for support or to answer questions as needed.

 

Oh, and we'd love to see some pictures of Porter.

[Guest jenmm]

As much as I hate to welcome a new person, this is a very good place for support. My Whizzer is 7 1/2 and we have also chosen not to amputate. Ask any questions you may have. I'll answer what I can, just like anyone else here.

[AndysMom]

Sorry to see a "new member" to this thread. Glad you found us; this is a wonderful group of folks who are all in the same boat.

 

Arathorn ran into some "complications" last night. Another of our dogs bumped him yesterday afternoon and apparently hit his bad leg. They tore into each other. Mojo got in a "lucky shot" and bit Arathorn just below the ankle, where his tumor is located. Upon inspection, we found the tendon was EXPOSED! Rushed off to the vet at 8 PM last night; left him there overnight; they did surgery Thursday night and fortunately were able to close the wound, which was a concern because there is very little flesh and skin to work with in that area between the foot and the ankle.

 

Arathorn came home this afternoon with a bandage and an antibiotic Rx. Thanks to what I've learned on this thread, we discussed adding Rimadyl to his Tramadol (3xday), which the vet agreed might be beneficial. So we're starting that as well.

 

We didn't discover until this evening that Arathorn tore up Mojo's ear pretty bad. The lacerations are all inside the ear flap; no punctures and nothing visible from the outside. So, he's on antibiotics too.

 

I've spent the last 2.5 months worrying about Arathorn and his battle with this evil cancer. I never imagined I had to worry about him getting into a fight!

 

Lois

 

[Guest ChasesMum]

more hugs to all!!

 

greytfulhounds, I am so very sorry. I too will raise a glass to Danny.

 

Porter's peeps, hang out here, these friends really do get it like no one else.

[NeylasMom]

Wow, Lois, that totally sucks. I have to admit that I have a somewhat bizarre fear that Neyla will be attacked by an off lead dog while we're out walking and will be inured badly enough that with the osteo added in I'd have to decide to let her go. Weird, right? This is the kind of stuff that goes through my head. I'm glad Aragon was able to be stitched up and is healing okay.

 

Well, it's my turn to ask for some good thoughts. I got home and Neyla was limping again. Not badly enough to be bothering her, but it's gotten drastically worse over the course of the evening and she is now as bad as she was when she was first dx'ed. She can't put weight on it and I am carrying her up and down the stairs and she is clearly in pain. I gave her the usual Tramadol and Deramaxx with dinner and then when we got home an hr or so ago I gave her her bedtime one early so I can give one extra before we go to bed. I need to dig up my notes on increasing her meds - if she isn't drastically better in the morning, I will probably give her extra Deramaxx, which is the one thing I've been trying not to do b/c I don't want to tax her kidneys, but obviously the most important thing is that she's not in pain.

 

Anyway, if you could all send some good thoughts her way tonight, I would appreciate it. I'm trying not to fall apart, but I can't help thinking the worst right now.

 

So much for our rescue group picnic tomorrow and camping tomorrow night too.

[Guest Porter]

Thanks everyone. This is all still very fresh to me and I am still kind of numb. My Porter's limp has gotten worse over the last few days and I just feel such dread. He is on rimadyl now and I am going to call the vet tomorrow to see what else he can be on for the pain.

I am just really confused on when you say when to a member of you family that you love so much.

(I have no idea how to post a picture;)

[Guest roselle]

Wow, Lois, that totally sucks. I have to admit that I have a somewhat bizarre fear that Neyla will be attacked by an off lead dog while we're out walking and will be inured badly enough that with the osteo added in I'd have to decide to let her go. Weird, right? This is the kind of stuff that goes through my head. I'm glad Aragon was able to be stitched up and is healing okay.

 

Well, it's my turn to ask for some good thoughts. I got home and Neyla was limping again. Not badly enough to be bothering her, but it's gotten drastically worse over the course of the evening and she is now as bad as she was when she was first dx'ed. She can't put weight on it and I am carrying her up and down the stairs and she is clearly in pain. I gave her the usual Tramadol and Deramaxx with dinner and then when we got home an hr or so ago I gave her her bedtime one early so I can give one extra before we go to bed. I need to dig up my notes on increasing her meds - if she isn't drastically better in the morning, I will probably give her extra Deramaxx, which is the one thing I've been trying not to do b/c I don't want to tax her kidneys, but obviously the most important thing is that she's not in pain.

 

Anyway, if you could all send some good thoughts her way tonight, I would appreciate it. I'm trying not to fall apart, but I can't help thinking the worst right now.

 

So much for our rescue group picnic tomorrow and camping tomorrow night too.

I am so sorry Neyla is having increased symptoms, I can't take it when Gracy is in pain or just not well enough to get out of bed. You want to take on the pain your self. You do so much of this site I wish I could offer advise but I don't know what I would do. Have you tried moist heat. Gracy loved moist heat before her amputation. I have one of those bean pillows for the microwave and heated it slightly and then gave her a massage and that seemed to relax her. I'll be sending you white light and thinking of you. Big hug from my home to yours.

Roselle and Gracylove

[Guest greytfulhounds]

oh sherry - i am so sorry that you have "joined the other club" in this thread. my heart hurts for you. it just sucks, and there's no two ways about it. just know that you are in my thoughts and prayers, and that danny was one of the lucky ones, as he knew true love. i will, as i have for all the other os angels in this thread, drink a toast to danny tonight. know that we are all with you in spirit - i am so so so sorry.

 

Thank you so very much, the heartache is unbearable at times......I miss my boy so much. I just can not express how much it has meant to have had this thread & all of you throughout our short journey....it did not feel as scary or lonely & I thank all of you for that.

 

Our 6 1/2 year old boy Porter was diagnosed last weekend. I am devastated. We have had him for four years. We are opting not to amputate. I will have to read this post thoroughly as I have only skimmed it so far, but I am just so scared as to what to expect.

 

I, too, am so very sorry you had to join this group but you are in a great place for support & guidance. I just lost my Danny on Thursday, just a little over a month after diagnosis. I received such great information & guidance from everyone here when I was trying to make my decisions. Please, if I can help you in any way feel free to ask or PM. Adding Porter to my prayers.

 

more hugs to all!!

 

greytfulhounds, I am so very sorry. I too will raise a glass to Danny.

 

Porter's peeps, hang out here, these friends really do get it like no one else.

 

Thank you, it means a lot to me to remember my Danny.

 

Sorry to see a "new member" to this thread. Glad you found us; this is a wonderful group of folks who are all in the same boat.

 

Arathorn ran into some "complications" last night. Another of our dogs bumped him yesterday afternoon and apparently hit his bad leg. They tore into each other. Mojo got in a "lucky shot" and bit Arathorn just below the ankle, where his tumor is located. Upon inspection, we found the tendon was EXPOSED! Rushed off to the vet at 8 PM last night; left him there overnight; they did surgery Thursday night and fortunately were able to close the wound, which was a concern because there is very little flesh and skin to work with in that area between the foot and the ankle.

 

Arathorn came home this afternoon with a bandage and an antibiotic Rx. Thanks to what I've learned on this thread, we discussed adding Rimadyl to his Tramadol (3xday), which the vet agreed might be beneficial. So we're starting that as well.

 

We didn't discover until this evening that Arathorn tore up Mojo's ear pretty bad. The lacerations are all inside the ear flap; no punctures and nothing visible from the outside. So, he's on antibiotics too.

 

I've spent the last 2.5 months worrying about Arathorn and his battle with this evil cancer. I never imagined I had to worry about him getting into a fight!

 

Lois

 

I am so very sorry to read this. Love, hugs & prayers being sent to Arathorn & his family.

 

Wow, Lois, that totally sucks. I have to admit that I have a somewhat bizarre fear that Neyla will be attacked by an off lead dog while we're out walking and will be inured badly enough that with the osteo added in I'd have to decide to let her go. Weird, right? This is the kind of stuff that goes through my head. I'm glad Aragon was able to be stitched up and is healing okay.

 

Well, it's my turn to ask for some good thoughts. I got home and Neyla was limping again. Not badly enough to be bothering her, but it's gotten drastically worse over the course of the evening and she is now as bad as she was when she was first dx'ed. She can't put weight on it and I am carrying her up and down the stairs and she is clearly in pain. I gave her the usual Tramadol and Deramaxx with dinner and then when we got home an hr or so ago I gave her her bedtime one early so I can give one extra before we go to bed. I need to dig up my notes on increasing her meds - if she isn't drastically better in the morning, I will probably give her extra Deramaxx, which is the one thing I've been trying not to do b/c I don't want to tax her kidneys, but obviously the most important thing is that she's not in pain.

 

Anyway, if you could all send some good thoughts her way tonight, I would appreciate it. I'm trying not to fall apart, but I can't help thinking the worst right now.

 

So much for our rescue group picnic tomorrow and camping tomorrow night too.

 

 

Jen, keep faith......Neyla is a tough cookie & with you by her side she has amazing support. I will continue to hold you both in my heart & in my prayers. Please give her a gentle hug from me.

 

The last couple of days since losing Danny have been unbearable.....I miss my boy so, so much. I hope it is okay that I still come here. I feel, somehow, like I am honoring Danny to continue to lend support to others that are facing what we faced. I continue to pray every day for all of you that are still fighting the fight & I know my angel Dan is watching over all of you too.

[Guest azlorenz]

Wow, Lois, that totally sucks. I have to admit that I have a somewhat bizarre fear that Neyla will be attacked by an off lead dog while we're out walking and will be inured badly enough that with the osteo added in I'd have to decide to let her go. Weird, right? This is the kind of stuff that goes through my head. I'm glad Aragon was able to be stitched up and is healing okay.

 

Well, it's my turn to ask for some good thoughts. I got home and Neyla was limping again. Not badly enough to be bothering her, but it's gotten drastically worse over the course of the evening and she is now as bad as she was when she was first dx'ed. She can't put weight on it and I am carrying her up and down the stairs and she is clearly in pain. I gave her the usual Tramadol and Deramaxx with dinner and then when we got home an hr or so ago I gave her her bedtime one early so I can give one extra before we go to bed. I need to dig up my notes on increasing her meds - if she isn't drastically better in the morning, I will probably give her extra Deramaxx, which is the one thing I've been trying not to do b/c I don't want to tax her kidneys, but obviously the most important thing is that she's not in pain.

 

Anyway, if you could all send some good thoughts her way tonight, I would appreciate it. I'm trying not to fall apart, but I can't help thinking the worst right now.

 

So much for our rescue group picnic tomorrow and camping tomorrow night too.

 

Sending good thoughts and lots of prayers Neyla's way.

 

Thanks everyone. This is all still very fresh to me and I am still kind of numb. My Porter's limp has gotten worse over the last few days and I just feel such dread. He is on rimadyl now and I am going to call the vet tomorrow to see what else he can be on for the pain.

I am just really confused on when you say when to a member of you family that you love so much.

(I have no idea how to post a picture;)

 

I am so sorry. All I can say is you'll know in your heart when it is time.

[Guest jenmm]

Ugh, I fear another dog bumping Whizzer's leg. I keep her separated from the rest of my pack. She did open the gate in the house to try to eat with them and I immediately got her out. I even shudder at the thought of her being in the yard with them anymore. They get too rough when they toss around stuffies and they disregard who's in their way.

 

Sending good thoughts for Neyla.

 

Thanks everyone. This is all still very fresh to me and I am still kind of numb. My Porter's limp has gotten worse over the last few days and I just feel such dread. He is on rimadyl now and I am going to call the vet tomorrow to see what else he can be on for the pain.

I am just really confused on when you say when to a member of you family that you love so much.

(I have no idea how to post a picture;)

There are good days and bad days. Whizzer was on Rimadyl and Tramadol at first. Then we wanted to get her switched from Rimadyl to something a little stronger.

 

Sending good thoughts for other dogs out there. Hope today is a good day and take it day by day.

[Charlies_Dad]

Lois, I am sorry to hear about Arathorn's accident! That is very scary. Poor boy, I hope he heals up soon.

 

Another pup has joined us, I am sorry to hear of Porter's diagnosis. Please reach out to us for any questions or concerns as there are many who have chosen your path and experience really does help guide you on this journey.

 

Jen, tell Neyla to cut that out! She is not to limp anymore - period! By the way, when is her 6mth mark? Also to answer your question about why we are giving Palladia to Charlie is because Dr. Coutu has a protocol of Palladia, Cytoxan and Artemisinin that you cycle. As he states, there has been some findings that Palladia can help stop/slow down lung mets so as long as the pup can tolerate and one can afford it, then I think it's a good thing to do otherwise the choice is do nothing. The cost is significant up here for Palladia, alone it's approx. $350/mth for Charlie's body weight (32kg or 70lbs). We also have a holistic approach as well that includes a long list of herbs and supplements that DW has organized. Someday I'll write it all down just as an FYI.

[NeylasMom]

Kyle, thanks for the info on the Palladia. That's really good to know as the members on the arte group seem pretty uninformed about Palladia and have generally not recommended it's use with Arte. Maybe uninformed is too harsh, I just think very few on the board have used it. That does seem really expensive for a drug, but I guess when you consider that the pamidronate treatments with everything involved could run $700-800 down here, it seems appropriate. Everything is so freaking expensive for this disease, on top of everything else unpleasant about it.

 

Thank you so much for all of the good thoughts for Neyla - it means so much to me. I wish I had better news to report, but unfortunately despite getting extra Tramadol she is not better, maybe even a touch worse. I gave her extra Deramaxx with her morning meds and am hoping to get a call from my oncologist shortly. At this point, it is very difficult to not fear the worst, but I will take her in for an x-ray on Monday so we can see if there is progression. In the meantime, I just really need to be able to manage her pain better. that my dr calls soon.

 

If anyone could share what their vet has told them, I'd appreciate hearing it in the meantime. I have the amounts we could go up to for both Deramaxx and Tramadol, but I have 2 concerns. One is that Neyla has had issues with NSAIDs in the past (kidney issues) so I want to be as conservative as I can be with the Deramaxx while still managing her pain. The other is that my vet said I could be pretty generous with the Tramadol, but that when you lower it back down, you have to do it gradually or it can actually create a pain response. So I'm afraid of upping it too much, having it have some ill effect and then having issues if I take her back down. Also, the Tramadol doesn't seem to make a dent in her pain the way the Deramaxx does.

 

The last thing I want to do is be too cautious, but I also don't want to do something stupid. When her limp first popped up in GIG, the Tramadol did nothing, but when I gave her the Deramaxx (25 mg) it pretty much knocked the pain out. So my plan for now is to give the extra dose I gave her a chance to kick in while waiting for my vet to call. Sorry, I know I'm writing a book - anyway, if anyone can supplement with info their vet gave them, I'd appreciate it. I know there are other pain mgt options like gabapentin, but obviously my hands are tied there for the time being. I contemplated a visit to the e-vet to get the x-ray today instead of waiting, but I think that would just be more stressful for Neyla and would probably involve a lot of standing while we waited.

[NeylasMom]

Oh, Roselle I wanted to say thanks for the heat/msg input. I was wondering whether I should try heat or ice, but wasn't sure what would be best. I have been trying to do a little gentle massage. After I walk Zuri I will do a warm compress and then massage gently for a bit to see if that helps. Thanks!

 

Oh, and Kyle, Neyla's 6 month anniversary is Nov 12.

Edited October 23, 2010 by NeylasMom

[NeylasMom]

Talking to myself here. Talked to the vet in my regular vet's office who does acupuncture and she gave me instructions on upping meds. We're going to do 50 mg Deramaxx and 75 mg Tramadol (3x/day) to see if that addresses it. Just gave her the extra 1/2 a Tramadol now. Also set up a consult with her for acupuncture on Tuesday afternoon. We'll get an x-ray on Monday and then decide whether to keep it or not. Her feeling is it will help if this is an overuse/muscular thing, but if her lesion is progressing and this is purely bone pain, it won't make much of a dent.

[Guest roselle]

Oh, Roselle I wanted to say thanks for the heat/msg input. I was wondering whether I should try heat or ice, but wasn't sure what would be best. I have been trying to do a little gentle massage. After I walk Zuri I will do a warm compress and then massage gently for a bit to see if that helps. Thanks!

 

Oh, and Kyle, Neyla's 6 month anniversary is Nov 12.

Ice would work also if she can tolerate it for 15-20 min. If heat doesn't work, try ice, and please let us know what works.

[Guest greytfulhounds]

Kyle, thanks for the info on the Palladia. That's really good to know as the members on the arte group seem pretty uninformed about Palladia and have generally not recommended it's use with Arte. Maybe uninformed is too harsh, I just think very few on the board have used it. That does seem really expensive for a drug, but I guess when you consider that the pamidronate treatments with everything involved could run $700-800 down here, it seems appropriate. Everything is so freaking expensive for this disease, on top of everything else unpleasant about it.

 

Thank you so much for all of the good thoughts for Neyla - it means so much to me. I wish I had better news to report, but unfortunately despite getting extra Tramadol she is not better, maybe even a touch worse. I gave her extra Deramaxx with her morning meds and am hoping to get a call from my oncologist shortly. At this point, it is very difficult to not fear the worst, but I will take her in for an x-ray on Monday so we can see if there is progression. In the meantime, I just really need to be able to manage her pain better. that my dr calls soon.

 

If anyone could share what their vet has told them, I'd appreciate hearing it in the meantime. I have the amounts we could go up to for both Deramaxx and Tramadol, but I have 2 concerns. One is that Neyla has had issues with NSAIDs in the past (kidney issues) so I want to be as conservative as I can be with the Deramaxx while still managing her pain. The other is that my vet said I could be pretty generous with the Tramadol, but that when you lower it back down, you have to do it gradually or it can actually create a pain response. So I'm afraid of upping it too much, having it have some ill effect and then having issues if I take her back down. Also, the Tramadol doesn't seem to make a dent in her pain the way the Deramaxx does.

 

The last thing I want to do is be too cautious, but I also don't want to do something stupid. When her limp first popped up in GIG, the Tramadol did nothing, but when I gave her the Deramaxx (25 mg) it pretty much knocked the pain out. So my plan for now is to give the extra dose I gave her a chance to kick in while waiting for my vet to call. Sorry, I know I'm writing a book - anyway, if anyone can supplement with info their vet gave them, I'd appreciate it. I know there are other pain mgt options like gabapentin, but obviously my hands are tied there for the time being. I contemplated a visit to the e-vet to get the x-ray today instead of waiting, but I think that would just be more stressful for Neyla and would probably involve a lot of standing while we waited.

 

Danny was much larger than Neyla....he was 82 lbs. And, I was giving him Rimadyl instead of Deramaxx so am not sure how the two match up. My instructions for Dan were 150 mg Rimadyl once a day & 1 to 1 1/2 Tramadaol (50 mg) 2 to 3 times a day. So in the morning I gave Dan 150 mg Rimadyl & 1 50mg Tramadol and at dinner I gave him a 50 mg Tramadol. I also gave him his joint supplements, Fresh Factors & fish oil in the morning, another fish oil with dinner & the Arte at bed time. The last couple of days Dan was with us I had increased his Tramadol to 1 1/2 tablets.

 

Sending many prayers for Miss Neyla.

 

Edited to add that my vet had said if we needed to that we could add the Gabepentin to the Rimadyl & Tramadol if the two were not controling his pain. We never got that far......

Edited October 23, 2010 by greytfulhounds

[Guest greytfulhounds]

Talking to myself here. Talked to the vet in my regular vet's office who does acupuncture and she gave me instructions on upping meds. We're going to do 50 mg Deramaxx and 75 mg Tramadol (3x/day) to see if that addresses it. Just gave her the extra 1/2 a Tramadol now. Also set up a consult with her for acupuncture on Tuesday afternoon. We'll get an x-ray on Monday and then decide whether to keep it or not. Her feeling is it will help if this is an overuse/muscular thing, but if her lesion is progressing and this is purely bone pain, it won't make much of a dent.

 

Not sure if this advice is of any help but I work in a rehab office & the physical therapists have told me if it is a muscular pain or injury that you should use ice. That the heat inflames the pain but that the ice reduces the inflamation. So if you think it could be her muscles & not the bone from Dewey then maybe the ice? If you have a bag of peas in your freezer it works great as an ice pack.

Edited October 23, 2010 by greytfulhounds

[Guest azlorenz]

Lois, I am sorry to hear about Arathorn's accident! That is very scary. Poor boy, I hope he heals up soon.

 

Another pup has joined us, I am sorry to hear of Porter's diagnosis. Please reach out to us for any questions or concerns as there are many who have chosen your path and experience really does help guide you on this journey.

 

Jen, tell Neyla to cut that out! She is not to limp anymore - period! By the way, when is her 6mth mark? Also to answer your question about why we are giving Palladia to Charlie is because Dr. Coutu has a protocol of Palladia, Cytoxan and Artemisinin that you cycle. As he states, there has been some findings that Palladia can help stop/slow down lung mets so as long as the pup can tolerate and one can afford it, then I think it's a good thing to do otherwise the choice is do nothing. The cost is significant up here for Palladia, alone it's approx. $350/mth for Charlie's body weight (32kg or 70lbs). We also have a holistic approach as well that includes a long list of herbs and supplements that DW has organized. Someday I'll write it all down just as an FYI.

 

 

Jen and Kyle, I know this is not something you ever wanted to do but between you two you've got both options pretty well covered. You should really memorialize you protocols because if and when this ever happens to one of my pups again. YOU are going to be the people I hunt down for answers. Your support is undying and so very very appreciated.

 

On another note. Flash continues to do well. No sign of anything different from the week before. He is eating steak on his chow at night because why not. He went for an adventure to the pet store yesterday and got lots of attention. Picked up some buffalo neck and marrow bones which will be treats in the next few weeks. Other than that, all is calm.....

[Charlies_Dad]

 

Jen and Kyle, I know this is not something you ever wanted to do but between you two you've got both options pretty well covered. You should really memorialize you protocols because if and when this ever happens to one of my pups again. YOU are going to be the people I hunt down for answers. Your support is undying and so very very appreciated.

 

On another note. Flash continues to do well. No sign of anything different from the week before. He is eating steak on his chow at night because why not. He went for an adventure to the pet store yesterday and got lots of attention. Picked up some buffalo neck and marrow bones which will be treats in the next few weeks. Other than that, all is calm.....

 

 

Shannon, thanks for the words but I dearly hope you NEVER have to come back to Jen or myself for this type of information. I think that due to the sudden shock of diagnosis and due to the time it takes to research everything (a lot of which is repetitive), there should be a 'pinned' topic that details out as much as possible the options between amp & Chemo and pain management along with all the possible approaches, e.g. differences with the three Chemo drugs, acupuncture, holistic, herbs, supplements, etc. This may just help others who unfortunately will go on this journey and will hopefully be a 'quick hit' to at least get a picture of their options. I know that I, and am sure many others, spend the first couple weeks consuming all the information out there. I know Jen from MN, aka BigOrangeDog, has a good blog that provides excellent information on what to expect with amputation along with pictures so one is not shocked when they first see their pup.

 

Give Flash a big hug from up North where the season is definitely turning. It's cold and grey here today and the possibility of flurries can be any day. This will be Charlie's first winter as he only saw some snow when we were at our house in Kennebunk, ME for a Christmas - he did not like that funny white stuff falling on his back. He tends to jump and spin around on the lead, basically telling you he wants to go home! Last year we also saw some snow in Virginia Beach, VA of all places and it was horrific because they are not prepared for those type of storms. I'll be taking my tractor to the backyard to plow a laneway for him to run in and hopefully he enjoys the white stuff.

[NeylasMom]

Shannon, have you read or do you know of Dr. Dressler's book? I know I've mentioned it in here before and I think many of you were familiar with it. I was reading through a lot of it again yesterday and something stuck out to me as a potential option for you. It's on p. 144 - the use of interleukin-2 to reduce lung mets. It's not safe to give internally but can be given as a vapor inhaled directly into the lungs. He mentions 2 out of 4 dogs whose mets regressed entirely, 12 mos for one, 20 mos for the other. The work was done at U of Minnesota Veterinary School by Dr. Chand Khanna (my best of the best oncologist here in DC no less) and Dr. Jeffrey Klausner. Just wanted to mention it in case you were interested in researching.

 

And yes, I'm with Kyle in that I hope you (or any of us) never need this info again! I keep meaning to do a blog, but I don't think it's happening. I am happy to just post here what we've been doing though at some point.

 

Neyla is much improved this morning. Still very concerned, but she is at least able to rest comfortably and could do a bathroom walk, including the stairs this morning. I am also less of an emotional wreck, for hte time being at least.

[Guest jenmm]

Whizzer's foot is rather swelled up and she's licking it a lot. She's been in relatively good spirits though. I hope to take her to the backyard a little later so she can enjoy the warm weather. I wish I had my ex-pen. It's at a friend's house right now.

[NeylasMom]

Whizzer's foot is rather swelled up and she's licking it a lot. She's been in relatively good spirits though. I hope to take her to the backyard a little later so she can enjoy the warm weather. I wish I had my ex-pen. It's at a friend's house right now.

I believe I've heard the licking is usually a sign of pain. Can you up her pain meds a bit more?

 

I bet she would really enjoy laying in the warm sun.

[Guest goldandgreen182]

My Grey started limping, so we called the vet and they said to give it a day and see if it gets better. The next day it seemed better, as he was putting more weight on it, but than the following day he began favoring the leg again. The vet took X-Rays and showed us two things: one was a slight bulge/spur of the bone and the other were 2 little black marks on the bone. The vet said she didn't want to worry us, but it could be cancer. She said since the dog is young and and cancer doesn't usually appear in that spot, that it might not be cancer. She gave us some anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and told us to come back in 2 weeks for more xrays. I don't know if she was giving us her full thoughts, though, and after reading all about osteosarcoma some of the symptoms seem to match. They ordered 3 xrays, and only showed us 2, so I'm also wondering if the third was one of his lungs. I might be overreacting, but it just seems that the vet wasn't telling us everything and were all a bit worried now.

Edited October 25, 2010 by goldandgreen182

[Guest racergirl435]

Sherry, I'm very sorry to hear about Danny.

 

Porter, I'm sorry to hear you've joined this club, but you are definitely in the right place for information and support. You couldn't ask for a more supportive group of people when it comes to dealing with this nasty disease.

 

My boy has been gone 2 months now and I still can't believe it. I still miss him just as much today and keep hoping DH will come around and agree to get another hound. For now, I will continue to lavish all the doggy love onto our lab. She doesn't seem to mind though I know she misses her brother.

 

Continued thoughts and prayers for all the hounds fighting the good fight. Give them all a hug for me.