Osteo Diagnosis

[NeylasMom]

Kim, work with your vet on the pain management. You can give Tramadol as often as 4 times per day and can also add in Gabapentin, which is a drug that helps with neurological pain (there is a neuro component to bone cancer pain). Bone cancer is very painful and I would venture a guess that Rippa is in more pain than she's letting on. That's something I'm learning first hand right now.

 

There are also more "aggressive" pain management options, namely palliative radiation given 2 days in a row and IV pamidronate. Both have been discussed here before if you're up for reading through the whole thread, but in a nutshell both can extend life by managing pain for 1-2 months (I think 1 is more realistic). The radiation in particular can take some time before you see relief (a week or two). Risks with radiation are from the sedation and possible skin changes at hte radiation site, but they're minimal. The major side effect risk with pamidronate is to the kidneys. Both are on the expensive side.

[NeylasMom]

How's everyone doing. It's been a little quiet. Any updates on Rippa, Winston, or Whizzer? Hoping for lots of good news this morning.

[Guest goldandgreen182]

Winston had his amp surgery today. The vets were 90% sure it was cancer, Dr. Couto agreed, so it was the only thing to do. Still in shock, I never thought a 4.5 year old would get this, especially since we've only had him a month. It looks like we caught it very early though, so hopefully we have many healthy months ahead.

[Guest Diablo]

my thoughts are with all the sick pups and there owners.

hope they'll do beter soon

[NeylasMom]

Winston had his amp surgery today. The vets were 90% sure it was cancer, Dr. Couto agreed, so it was the only thing to do. Still in shock, I never thought a 4.5 year old would get this, especially since we've only had him a month. It looks like we caught it very early though, so hopefully we have many healthy months ahead.

Did the surgery go well?

[Sirocco_Nikki]

Checking in for updates. I think of all of you often.

 

Kim, please let us know what your vet says about pain control. Towards the end, Sirocco was getting tramadol every 4 hours with rimadyl 2x day. Our vet said to give him a tramadol whenever he was uncomfortable. His cancer was very aggressive so the benefits far out-weighed any possible side effects.

[Charlies_Dad]

Winston had his amp surgery today. The vets were 90% sure it was cancer, Dr. Couto agreed, so it was the only thing to do. Still in shock, I never thought a 4.5 year old would get this, especially since we've only had him a month. It looks like we caught it very early though, so hopefully we have many healthy months ahead.

 

If you have any questions at all concerning post-amp as it's all too familiar for me, feel free to e-mail me at kyle241_2000@yahoo.com or you can give me a call at 613-362-0379. It's a stressful time but I can tell you, within 2-3 weeks your pups is back to their normal self and it's quite amazing. I hope Winston heals quickly and don't forget to try and stay ahead of the pain curve as that is most important.

[Guest 4rooers]

Rippa saw Anna, our acupuncture vet today. I have upped the tramadol to 50mg 3x daily and that seems to be working along with 50mg Rimadyl 2x daily. Anna did some acupuncture and we are starting on 2 chinese formulas, Wei Qi booster which is an immune system booster and bone stasis which works at the tumor site. She is also ordering some phytoprofen, which is an herbal NSAID and also another herb called bone set, both to help with pain. She has been able to get dogs off Rimadyl with the phytoprofen, this med has no side effects. She also suggested I talk to a communicator to get Rippa's insight on her pain level. I used someone with Ozzie and it helped me.She is also checking to see if different vegetables might be better in the stew I cook for the dogs. They all eat TOTW pacific Stream and stew I make.

I am also adding some blueberries in Rippa's yogurt in the morning.Rippa is still eating well and still wants to go for walks. We keep them short and on level ground. The boys and I all walk together after Rippa. If she gets tired I can carry her, she only weighs 55 lb.

I can't tell you all how much better I feel with the support you have all given. It makes this battle a little easier.

Thanks and prayers going up for all of you.

Kim

Edited November 2, 2010 by 4rooers

[Guest vahoundlover]

Winston had his amp surgery today. The vets were 90% sure it was cancer, Dr. Couto agreed, so it was the only thing to do. Still in shock, I never thought a 4.5 year old would get this, especially since we've only had him a month. It looks like we caught it very early though, so hopefully we have many healthy months ahead.

 

If you have any questions at all concerning post-amp as it's all too familiar for me, feel free to e-mail me at kyle241_2000@yahoo.com or you can give me a call at 613-362-0379. It's a stressful time but I can tell you, within 2-3 weeks your pups is back to their normal self and it's quite amazing. I hope Winston heals quickly and don't forget to try and stay ahead of the pain curve as that is most important.

 

 

Sending prayers Winston heals without a hitch.

 

Rippa saw Anna, our acupuncture vet today. I have upped the tramadol to 50mg 3x daily and that seems to be working along with 50mg Rimadyl 2x daily. Anna did some acupuncture and we are starting on 2 chinese formulas, Wei Qi booster which is an immune system booster and bone stasis which works at the tumor site. She is also ordering some phytoprofen, which is an herbal NSAID and also another herb called bone set, both to help with pain. She has been able to get dogs off Rimadyl with the phytoprofen, this med has no side effects. She also suggested I talk to a communicator to get Rippa's insight on her pain level. I used someone with Ozzie and it helped me.She is also checking to see if different vegetables might be better in the stew I cook for the dogs. They all eat TOTW pacific Stream and stew I make.

I am also adding some blueberries in Rippa's yogurt in the morning.Rippa is still eating well and still wants to go for walks. We keep them short and on level ground. The boys and I all walk together after Rippa. If she gets tired I can carry her, she only weighs 55 lb.

I can't tell you all how much better I feel with the support you have all given. It makes this battle a little easier.

Thanks and prayers going up for all of you.

Kim

 

Kim give your baby girl a scritch and kiss for me.

[Guest goldandgreen182]

If anyone could explain a little bit what to expect once Winston comes home from the hospital, I would really be thankful. How much pain will he be in and for how long? How long will it take him to be able to walk around the house and yard again? Through reading this forum I see that a lot of you use supplements and herbs, so any suggestions would again be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

[joejoesmom]

If anyone could explain a little bit what to expect once Winston comes home from the hospital, I would really be thankful. How much pain will he be in and for how long? How long will it take him to be able to walk around the house and yard again? Through reading this forum I see that a lot of you use supplements and herbs, so any suggestions would again be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

If you email me, I will respond in more detail (I just answered similar questions for someone else). My email is:

 

finewhipador-drool@yahoo.com

 

Jane

[Guest vahoundlover]

If anyone could explain a little bit what to expect once Winston comes home from the hospital, I would really be thankful. How much pain will he be in and for how long? How long will it take him to be able to walk around the house and yard again? Through reading this forum I see that a lot of you use supplements and herbs, so any suggestions would again be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

There are several that have been through this, I don't know that they are all posting in this thread. Perhaps start a seperate thread? My prayers are with you and Winston

[NeylasMom]

Search for BigOrangeDog in H&M, her link to her blog is in her siggie and explains in detail the amputation/healing process.

 

Kim, did your vet mention Max's Formula? It's the third chinese herb blend that is used for cancer. The Wei Qi is for overall immune health, the Max's Formula is for cancer in general, and the Bone Stasis is for osteosarcoma in particular. We've been using the Max's Formula since Neyla was dx'ed. I tried putting her on the Bone Stasis for another issue a while ago and it gave Neyla terrible gas and an upset tummy so I held off on adding it in this time. When I got the news that her tumor was progressing, I started to add it in again. Yep, didn't last - just doesn't agree with her stomach.

 

You might also want to look into mushroom extract of some sort since both you and your vet seem open to holistic treatments. I use a Maitake extract, but many people use K-9 immunity. Mushrooms are pretty well known for their ability to boost the immune system and increase NK cells (WBCs that attack cancer cells).

 

And of course I'm a big fan of the artemisinin regimen.

 

Sounds like you and your vet have a great plan though. I'm going to look into that anti-inflammatory you mentioned, I haven't come across it in my research at all. I'm currently using Boswellia as an herbal anti-inflammatory but I think it affects her stool quality a tiny bit and I can't tell whether it provides any relief or not.

 

Neyla has had a good 2 day stretch. We've actually been able to take little short walks beyond just potty walks and she's back on teh couch and in bed with me. She had her chiropractic adjustment this morning so I'm waiting to see if that will help at all.

[NeylasMom]

I just googled Phytoprofin and Boswellia is one of the main ingredients along with Curcumin which is part of Neyla's artemisinin cycling regimen. How many are you giving per day? Neyla gets 500 mg Boswellia 3x/day and 500 mg of Curcumin/day on her curcumin days (some days she gets only arte, some only curcumin, and some both). I'm just curious to see how your vet's recommended dosage compares. There's Bromelain in one of Neyla's supplements as well so this is reassuring.

[Mystella]

Hi everyone. I popped in here just to give you all a big hug, I hope no one minds the intrusion

[Guest greytfulhounds]

Rippa saw Anna, our acupuncture vet today. I have upped the tramadol to 50mg 3x daily and that seems to be working along with 50mg Rimadyl 2x daily. Anna did some acupuncture and we are starting on 2 chinese formulas, Wei Qi booster which is an immune system booster and bone stasis which works at the tumor site. She is also ordering some phytoprofen, which is an herbal NSAID and also another herb called bone set, both to help with pain. She has been able to get dogs off Rimadyl with the phytoprofen, this med has no side effects. She also suggested I talk to a communicator to get Rippa's insight on her pain level. I used someone with Ozzie and it helped me.She is also checking to see if different vegetables might be better in the stew I cook for the dogs. They all eat TOTW pacific Stream and stew I make.

I am also adding some blueberries in Rippa's yogurt in the morning.Rippa is still eating well and still wants to go for walks. We keep them short and on level ground. The boys and I all walk together after Rippa. If she gets tired I can carry her, she only weighs 55 lb.

I can't tell you all how much better I feel with the support you have all given. It makes this battle a little easier.

Thanks and prayers going up for all of you.

Kim

 

So happy to read that Rippa is doing better! Continuing to send thoughts & prayers to your girl.

 

Search for BigOrangeDog in H&M, her link to her blog is in her siggie and explains in detail the amputation/healing process.

 

Kim, did your vet mention Max's Formula? It's the third chinese herb blend that is used for cancer. The Wei Qi is for overall immune health, the Max's Formula is for cancer in general, and the Bone Stasis is for osteosarcoma in particular. We've been using the Max's Formula since Neyla was dx'ed. I tried putting her on the Bone Stasis for another issue a while ago and it gave Neyla terrible gas and an upset tummy so I held off on adding it in this time. When I got the news that her tumor was progressing, I started to add it in again. Yep, didn't last - just doesn't agree with her stomach.

 

You might also want to look into mushroom extract of some sort since both you and your vet seem open to holistic treatments. I use a Maitake extract, but many people use K-9 immunity. Mushrooms are pretty well known for their ability to boost the immune system and increase NK cells (WBCs that attack cancer cells).

 

And of course I'm a big fan of the artemisinin regimen.

 

Sounds like you and your vet have a great plan though. I'm going to look into that anti-inflammatory you mentioned, I haven't come across it in my research at all. I'm currently using Boswellia as an herbal anti-inflammatory but I think it affects her stool quality a tiny bit and I can't tell whether it provides any relief or not.

 

Neyla has had a good 2 day stretch. We've actually been able to take little short walks beyond just potty walks and she's back on teh couch and in bed with me. She had her chiropractic adjustment this morning so I'm waiting to see if that will help at all.

 

Yay, Neyla!! Sooooo happy to read this!

 

Continuing to keep all of you in my heart, thoughts & prayers!

[Guest 4rooers]

I just googled Phytoprofin and Boswellia is one of the main ingredients along with Curcumin which is part of Neyla's artemisinin cycling regimen. How many are you giving per day? Neyla gets 500 mg Boswellia 3x/day and 500 mg of Curcumin/day on her curcumin days (some days she gets only arte, some only curcumin, and some both). I'm just curious to see how your vet's recommended dosage compares. There's Bromelain in one of Neyla's supplements as well so this is reassuring.

I started the Wei Qi booster yesterday and am adding bone stasis on Thursday. Anna is mailing me the phytoprofen and bone set so I don't have the dosage yet. She wants to add things every few days and see how Rippa does with each addition. She did mention mushrooms as an added immune system boost. Anna comes back next Thursday, so we'll see how Rippa is doing then, This evening when I got home she ran across the yard with the boys like old times. Scares me to death but I want her to enjoy her life too. I work at the VA hospital here and one of the doctors was doing rounds with medical students. I was going to see a patient with a lytic lesion, and when I told the doctor I knew about bone lesions from Rippa, he asked me what I was doing for her. The pharmacist with the group commented I was doing a lot of good things with diet and herbs. Made me feel better.

Glad Neyla is doing well.

Keep it up, little girl!

Kim

[Guest jenmm]

Whizzer is free of pain now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll be able to post in Remembrance.

[Batmom]

{{{{{{{{{{Jen}}}}}}}}}}

[Guest azlorenz]

Whizzer is free of pain now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll be able to post in Remembrance.

 

 

I'm so sorry Jen.

 

If anyone could explain a little bit what to expect once Winston comes home from the hospital, I would really be thankful. How much pain will he be in and for how long? How long will it take him to be able to walk around the house and yard again? Through reading this forum I see that a lot of you use supplements and herbs, so any suggestions would again be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

 

Just in case you haven't found BigOrangeDog's info. Here is a link:

 

My link

 

It is the best information I've found. I was more prepared than my regular vet was.

Edited November 3, 2010 by azlorenz

[teri_d]

oh jen - i am so sorry - i was afraid this was coming soon - i drink a toast to whizzer and her people this evening. i know how it is - wish i could tell you something other than -- it just sucks! whizzer was so blessed to be in your family and you were blessed by her in return - what more could you ask other than more time??? just know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. hugs - teri

 

 

edited to add - the good news of the day is that the MISS NELLIE HOPE FOR HOUNDS auction raised over 10,000!!! maybe someday we will have an end to this awful disease.

Edited November 3, 2010 by teri_d

[Charlies_Dad]

If anyone could explain a little bit what to expect once Winston comes home from the hospital, I would really be thankful. How much pain will he be in and for how long? How long will it take him to be able to walk around the house and yard again? Through reading this forum I see that a lot of you use supplements and herbs, so any suggestions would again be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

Depending on how long Winston will be at the hospital, it can vary a little. Overall, the amp site can be a little unnerving and I agree that 'BigOrangeDog' has a great blog on what to expect. He will be sore and you will need to talk to your vet to ensure you understand the meds correctly and what you can do to increase the pain meds in the event you need to - it will happen at some point. Try to cover your floors wherever it's slippery as you really don't want him to slip and fall. We laid down area rugs on our wood floors and tiles. Having a harness can help for the first little while to help him get up and go out. You can use a towel and/or a sling and they should provide you with one from the hospital. A harness works better but is not a must have. Take some time off work if you can because there will be sleepless nights or let's just say, a lack of sleep because Winston will be uncomfortable at times. The pain med Tramadol can cause some side effects such as panting, restlessness/anxiety. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for your pup to get more back to normal. Each pup is different but you will be surprised how resilient they are and how quickly they do come back. Initially it will feel like they never will be same but before you know it, your pup will start showing signs of their old selves.

 

 

Whizzer is free of pain now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll be able to post in Remembrance.

 

Jen, my heart is breaking for you. Another beautiful pup earned their wings. I am so so sorry.

[Guest vahoundlover]

I am so sorry Jen

 

 

 

Wonderful update on Neyla!

[Guest azlorenz]

Neyla has had a good 2 day stretch. We've actually been able to take little short walks beyond just potty walks and she's back on teh couch and in bed with me. She had her chiropractic adjustment this morning so I'm waiting to see if that will help at all.

 

 

I'm so glad Neyla is doing better. Hugs to you both.

 

Shannon

[Guest roselle]

Whizzer is free of pain now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll be able to post in Remembrance.

Jen,I am so sorry to hear that Whizzer went to the bridge. I'm thinking of you tonight and giving you a big hug.