Devastating News In Our Household...

[lovinggreysslp]

Sadly I too know what you are going through. I know it's hard but we tried to make the best of the days we had left. Thanks to the wonderful advice here on GT we added gabapentin to our pain meds which did seem to make a difference. Sending prayers.

[iluvgreys]

Adding my prayers and hoping you can keep your girlie comfortable to the end. Have found that a combination of NSAID and tramadol works best... and you need to be prepared to up the dose as the cancer progresses. Many hugs to you. OS is SUCH a monster.

[RedFawnMom]

I am so sorry to hear this. We are also battling osteo and I know how devastating the diagnosis is. I really felt like the whole world turned upside down when I heard Lucy's dx - everything changed in an instant. You and Indigo are in my thoughts. I hope she has many happy days with you.

[Guest ellieb]

Just returned from our regular vet. It was comforting.

 

• 
   
  
• It is osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in her left shoulder/upper leg. It has just begun in her lungs, too.
  
• A fracture is not imminent. We were convinced her leg was like a piece of uncooked spaghetti and would snap if she sneezed. He says, "We will get there, but not right now."
  
• Her current pain meds are good. We will stick with those for now. If there are any unpleasant side effects, we can switch to herbs.
  
• We can leave her home alone, but should just gate her in the kitchen. That will keep her from getting knocked over by Max or falling.
  
• The back steps are okay for now, but she probably needs assistance going down. Stay close to her and maybe even use a sling to assist. Coming up should be fine, since there are only 3 steps.
  
• She should be on a food with high protein and fat, but low carbohydrates. Carbs mean sugar and sugar is fuel for cancer cells.
  
• He gave us 2 herbal supplements to help support her immune system.
  
• He agrees with our decision to forgo amputation and chemo at her age.
  
• Prognosis? He was hard to pin down on that. He says weeks or maybe months, before it will be time to let her go. Depends on how she responds to everything.
  
• When it is time to let her go, he will make sure it happens at home. (This was very important to me.)
  

 

All in all...I feel better. I am still sad, of course. I think we have a little more time with our wonderful Indi Roo.

 

Thank you for all the prayers, white light, good mojo, etc. Keep it coming. We still need them!!!

[queenwinniesmom]

Oh, I'm so sorry. Too many of us know how horrible that time of diagnosis is. So many emotions to deal with, and you are trying to decide what to do for your precious hound. It's overwhelming. But I think when you have made a decision and formed a plan, you are free to think about that time that you have left, and how you want to spend it.

I say this a lot, but I think it's true. They live in the moment, knowing nothing of the sadness to come, and if you let the monster steal this precious time away, it has won again.

I think that the location of the tumor and the fact there are lung mets does rule out amputation. Keeping her safe, as pain free as possible, trying the supplements and high protein diet are all good, and that's exactly what you are doing. Loving her with all your heart, cherishing each day, and listening to her when the time comes to say good-bye---those are the most precious gifts you can share.

[4My2Greys]

Sending you a and letting you know that you and Indigo have been in my thoughts.

[Magdalyn58]

I am so, so sorry. Sending prayers and wishes for peace for you all.

[maggiespet]

I am so sorry. Prayers for Indigo. Hugs for you. Cancer is so cruel.

[fsugrad]

[cmc333]

I am so sorry to hear this. We lost our Gypsy in December 1 month, 2 days after dx. She was not a candidate for amp either; I wish she had been. We had her on rimadyl, tramadol and gabapentin. I worried about overdosing her and when I look back now, I think I was to conservative with her pain meds. And (at least in our case) Gypsy was fine - as fine as could be - on a Sunday and then Monday I looked at her and knew. They really do let you know, in a very certain way. I was scared that I wouldn't recognize the "look" and would keep her going in pain, but that shouldn't have been a worry. They very clearly let you know when the time is right.

 

Enjoy every moment with her and spoil her even more so. Take each day as a gift and treat it as your last day together, cause you might wake up the next day and find it is Time.

 

Connie

[NeylasMom]

I'm glad to hear the cancer is not as progressed as you had initially thought and that you will hopefully have more time together than expected.

 

Not to be a negative Nellie, but please do have additional pain meds on hand, even if you don't need them now. As so many of us have learned the hard way, things can change quite quickly, often on the weekend when you're vet is not available and bone cancer is very painful. I would have additional Tramadol and Gabapentin on hand, with instructions from your vet on how high you can go and at what increment you should add/increase each of them.

 

I hope you have a lot more time with your girl.

[mychip1]

Continued wishes for comfort for your baby.

[Houndtime]

I am so sad and sorry to read this. Make each day special. Take photos and make memories. Much warm and good thoughts coming your way.

[EllenEveBaz]

((((((((Indigo))))))))))

 

I've never had a dog let me know when it was ready to go. I've always had to make that decision on my own.

[Guest ellieb]

Indigo still seems like herself, just lazier. My life is consumed by her schedule.

 

6:00 AM/6:00 PM: Breakfast, Rimadyl & Tramadol.

9:00 AM/9:00 PM: MycoSurge & Da Zao Wan (herbs from the vet)

Noon/Midnight: Tramadol

 

Getting her to take the noon/midnight Tramadol is the most difficult. I've put it in a canned Wellness "meatball", creamed cheese, peanut butter. We've wasted a couple of pills because she eats the cover food and spits out the pill.

 

Her limp is worse. Appetite is good. Bathroom habits are pretty normal. Gas will peel paint! Not sure if it was the immediate food switch (which I would never have done in a normal situation)or if it is the medications/herbs. She seems unaffected. The rest of of need gas masks!

 

Tried to have DH give her midnight dose last night. I am so tired and just wanted to sleep more than 6 hours. Disaster. He flipped on the overhead bedroom light, couldn't get her to take the pill and dropped canned dog food on our bedroom floor. I discovered the dropped food when put my bare foot in it at 4:00 AM. ...le sigh...

 

It is funny. She and Max have never been snuggle buddies. Since her DX, they have been much more cuddly. Maybe she needs the comfort & he knows something is wrong?

 

Keep the positive energy coming our way. Just trying to keep her as comfortable as possible.

 

Hugs~

Ellie & the gang

[KF_in_Georgia]

Try a thin-sliced, deli-style lunchmeat. (Smoked turkey, around here.) Put the tramadol in the center, and roll the lunchmeat up like a burrito. It's harder to get the pill out of it. (And lunchmeat is neater than canned dog food if it hits the bedroom floor.)

 

Around here, the dogs have realized they can take pills the nice way or the not-nice way. Eat it politely in your lunchmeat-burrito, or Mom's gonna pry your mouth open, poke the pill down your throat, and hold your mouth closed until you swallow. Pills rarely come out of the lunchmeat.

[NeylasMom]

Did you ever do training with Indigo? I realized too late (on Neyla's last day ) that if I got out the clicker, she got excited because it was training time and I could give her her meds wrapped in cheese as "rewards" for doing some sits or downs without her realizing. I would take shredded cheese and mush it in my hand until it got soft, then form a little ball around the medication with it so the medication was completely hidden. For a really long time I just did what I always did, which is give them in raw meatballs. When she started to lose her appetite a little bit, I switched to PB, then toward the very end, the cheese balls. It was only the last day or two, after I had scheduled for the vet to come to our house and she had really lost her appetite that we had difficulty with even that.

Edited March 21, 2011 by NeylasMom

[carronstar]

Continued prayers and good thoughts for Indigo.

[Guest bethac]

Another option is a "pill shooter." Not sure that is the technical name, but it kinda looks like a syringe but you put pills in it, then you can shoot the pill down her throat. I know it sounds nasty, but we had to do this with our terrier when she had cancer. It was very helpful.

 

Sending more hugs your way. Yes, I can totally believe that your entire life revolves around Indigo at this point. It is just what we do for our fur kids.

[4greyhounds]

:grouphug

[tammystroops]

our prayers and thoughts are with you.

So sorry you have to go through this.

[Remolacha]

more and

 

it sounds like you have an awesome vet!

[DesiRayMom]

and

[LuvEarsies]

i've had great success with velveeta cheese for giving pills, slice a bit off the brick of cheese, push pill into center, roll into ball - the dog usually swallows it whole, the pill never has a chance to "fall" out in their mouth or onto the floor because they don't chew it

Edited March 21, 2011 by LuvEarsies

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Tramadol is very nasty, bitter tasting. Something like cheese or lunch meat where she can't detect any of the taste on the outside of the "package" might help. Sending prayers for your beautiful girl!