Scared It's Osteo

[Guest Loki]

About a week ago our 7 year old Loki started limping. It has gotten worse and he is barely willing to move around now. We took him to the vet and it was too late in the day to do an X ray, so they sent us home with some pain meds and anti inflammatory . The Vet wants us to wait another week for the X Ray, but I am skeptical about the value of waiting.

 

After doing a lot of research , we are very afraid that this is ostesarcoma . I hope and pray we are wrong.

 

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated

 

Thanks

Dave

[Guest tysmom]

I'm with you. But I've been known to jump at that diagnosis myself since we are all so afraid and it feels like a matter of time.

Have you seen any evidence that anti inflammatory s are working?

Is it possible he pulled something during a run?

 

There are other possibilities of course.

I know I probably would be hard pressed to take my own advice but I'm a complete nut when it comes to these hounds, but I don't think its unreasonable

to give it a week with the drugs, but certainly if the week goes by and there isn't any improvement I'd want an x-ray.

 

good luck,

deb

[RobinM]

For peace of mind or to make a decision, I would insist on doing the x-ray today rather than make Loki wait another week in pain, especially since it's gotten worse.

 

I do not like the way your vet thinks.

 

Keeping your baby in my thoughts and prayers.

 

 

[Guest Adrianne]

Do not wait. Hoping & praying it's not osteo, but if it is, every single day counts.

[fsugrad]

I don't understand why your vet would want you to wait another week for an x-ray. I would insist on it today.

[Guest Houndstown]

I agree, for peace of mind at least, get the x-ray. I sincerely hope its not osteo, but Adrianne's right, every day counts . . . unfortunately I know from experience.

[Guest Smiley]

Sending you many, many hugs. I know how very hard the waiting and wondering is. Praying that the limp is not osteo!

[Jackandgrey]

If the the pain is not controlled or gets worse in the next day or so, insist on the xray. I very much hope the inflammatory takes care of it.

[Guest Loki]

The pain meds seem to be helping a little. Loki enjoyed a short walk in the rain. We hope to get X rays on thursday evening. Thanks to all for the positive thoughts

[GeorgeofNE]

I'd be very concerned about a vet who isn't aware of how frequently NGA Greyhounds are afflicted with bone cancer.

 

I took my dog in with a limp, and the first thing the vet said was, "Because he's a Greyhound, I want to go straight to x-rays, and even if nothing shows, I want you to bring him back in two weeks for another set."

 

Maybe I'm just fortunate to live in an area with a fairly high number of adopted hounds so the vets know...but I'd call the office tomorrow and insist.

[DesiRayMom]

Umpteenth opinion.....x-ray ASAP. Hope it's nothing much.

[Guest kar]

Best wishes for a fast and full recovery.

[NeylasMom]

Another vote for do not wait. FYI, it's a misconception that pain from osteo can't be intermittent or helped by NSAIDs, especially early on. You need the x-ray to know one way or the other, preferably from a place that can get really good magnification. Really hoping that's not what's going on, but especially if you didn't witness an "event" that might have caused a muscle injury, I would say better safe than sorry.

[Guest Adrianne]

Wilbur was put on pain and anti-inflammatory meds last year when our vet assured us (without xrays) that he was stiff in his rear hip because of arthritis. They worked very well, and I commented several times to my husband what a difference they seemed to be making for him. Three weeks later, his leg just snapped in two while he was out in the front yard, and xrays showed not a trace of arthritis in that boy's joints.

 

I was clueless then on cancer in greyhounds, so I didn't question my vet. My mistake---my big, fat mistake, the first of several that I would make in those last few weeks of his life.

 

Today I know better, and I wouldn't put it off til Thursday. You have options in the beginning; don't lose those options by waiting.

[Charlies_Dad]

Please don't wait. Osteo is one of those diseases that is very painful for your pup and x-rays are the only way to find out. Any vet who is telling you to wait, isn't realizing this disease takes too many of our sweet pups. I dearly hope it's not but one way or another it's better to know so you can do right by your pup. I will keep Loki and you in our thoughts.

[Guest BleuDog]

Sending Many Prayers that it is NOT OS........

 

Get that x-ray FAST......

[Jackandgrey]

Truly there is no need to to panic. It either is or it isn't. Often an initial xray will not confirm one way or another anyway, Those of us who have lost dogs to osteo tend to want to just get on with it. There are other reasons for dogs to limp including corns and old injuries. So lets not panic the poor OP .

[Guest Loki]

Good news. the vet saw no signs of cancer in the X rays. We have called and emailed Dr. Couto and plan on trying to get him to take a look at the films as well. Our plan is leave Loki on the pain / anti inflammatory meds till they run out in a few days and see if the pain / limp continues. We also will likely retest in a month or so either way.

 

Thanks so much to all who replied. This forum has been such a help , and the warm , kind wished are greatly appreciated.

[Jackandgrey]

Good news. the vet saw no signs of cancer in the X rays. We have called and emailed Dr. Couto and plan on trying to get him to take a look at the films as well. Our plan is leave Loki on the pain / anti inflammatory meds till they run out in a few days and see if the pain / limp continues. We also will likely retest in a month or so either way.

 

Thanks so much to all who replied. This forum has been such a help , and the warm , kind wished are greatly appreciated.

 

I'm so glad to hear this!! I hope Loki is back to normal very soon!

[Guest BleuDog]

So Greyt to hear.....Stay POSITIVE....

[Guest JenZ]

So glad to hear the news of the xrays!

 

My two older greyhounds, Lucy (who has since passed) and Clifford experienced lameness in their later years, and I was TERRIFIED it was Osteo. X-rays showed that Lucy had bone spurs on her lower spine that caused the pain, and Cliff had a pinched nerve along his lower spine that caused sciatic-like limping. Corns also showed up on their right paws, around the same time.

 

Take heart- not all limping is from bone cancer, thankfully!

 

Jen

[Guest BlueCrab]

Truly there is no need to to panic. It either is or it isn't. Often an initial xray will not confirm one way or another anyway, Those of us who have lost dogs to osteo tend to want to just get on with it. There are other reasons for dogs to limp including corns and old injuries. So lets not panic the poor OP .

 

Dave - "Jackandgrey" brings up a good point: do you have any history on Loki's prior injuries and have you taken a really close look at all toes and pads for any sign of a corn or foreign body? I've posted in multiple other threads about our 4-month+ experience with corns. I went from knowing nothing about them - and panicking that we might have OS when Trixie started limping to learning a great deal about them and trying a number of remedies, one of which eventually worked.

 

Corns are pretty wily at first and may not show up as very obvious. And not all vets know about them. I love our vets, but they were not corn-saavy. But there's lots of info here on GT about them, so it's worth taking a close look at those pads to see if you can find anything amiss.