Osteo Thread

[RedFawnMom]

Berkeley goes in for his three month lung trays tomorrow if you can spare some good thoughts. We could use some good news this week!!

 

He's doing really well except he's been burping up food and water on occasion - any idea what's up with that? It almost seems like hopping right after he eats or drinks makes him spit up a bit.

 

Lucy says she will cross all three of her paws for Berk tomorrow. His Xrays will be fine, just you wait!

 

I know I saw a post once, months ago, about someone's tripod spitting up a little after meals - I think it's just from the bouncing motion. If I ate half of my day's worth of food in one meal and then hopped around on one foot for a while, I think I would throw up a little, too. But ask Dr. Wood about it - maybe the chemo is just making him feel a little off. Or, it could be the ATB's, I think you said he'd been on them a couple of times for UTI and low WBC. I don't think it's anything to worry about, though.

[krissn333]

If he's on antibiotics, they could make him a little bit gassy in the tummy, which might explain the burps. Or maybe just the hopping. I don't think I'd worry too much Good thoughts for Berk's xrays!

[Guest greyers]

I joined greytalk 8 years ago when we first got our beloved Iceman (he was 4). I haven't been an active member since then but now I am back because he was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He has a mass at his wrist bone on the left side. He was fine last week other than typical 11 year old slowing down and now they are telling us we need to amputate or euthanize. I am worried about the meds they prescribed. Is 100mg tramadol twice daily ok for a 76 lb boy? I am thinking if he were under 9 years old, we would amputate without a thought, but at almost 12, I don't think it is worth it to put him through it. In addition, one of the x-rays showed a suspicious area in another leg. I have a bad feeling it would not turn out well. So..are there any others who opted to keep their grey comfortable? How will I know when the right time is. Honestly, on the meds, he barely has a limp and has been going on his typical walks and enjoying them again. I don't know what to do. I can't bear the thought of losing him but I am happy I still have a little time with him. Any thoughts or advice would be very helpful!

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,

my name is Shelly and I too have not been an active member for years (probably about 4 and I think I used some other name). I posted on here a few days ago for ideas and suggestions for my grey who is not eating well and mourning her companion Jimmy James. We lost Jimmy about 14 days ago from Osteo and I lost another grey about 6 years ago from it. NEITHER of our greys did we choose the amputation/ chemo route for. I'll explain a little about both cases in case it may help you to feel more comfortable with your decision and also with your future decision making for Iceman.

 

Petey- he was our first osteo dog and we lost him about 6 years ago. He suddenly developed a limp, they thought it was arthritis so they put him on meds to see, the meds didn't help so they tried another and the pain only got worse and then they found the cancerous area in x -ray in a place they didn't x-ray the first time. We took him home with a plethora of pain meds and kept him comfortable. Unfortunately we didn't have a greyhound savvy vet at the time so no one really taught us what to expect, nor did they warn us about the great possibility of fractures, etc. They didn't even really mention amputation I do not believe.Hard to remember this many years later. He was doing well with short walks and was still eating and seemed happy enough and pain free enough most of the time (always hard to judge this). About a month after diagnosis, I was walking him that morning and a cat crossed our path. even though he lives with cats, an outdoor cat always would set him OFF and he would go into a barking frenzy and start jumping around and going nuts. Cats were his favorite entertainment! Well this cat suddenly crossed maybe 20 feet in front of us and he paused for a moment, perked his ears very slightly and then put them down and dropped his head low to the ground. Almost as though he was saying "its just too much energy to do that anymore mom" I immediately started to cry and I knew that for me, THIS was the sign I was wondering about. I worried about how I would "know" and out vet had simply said "you just will". And this was right... suddenly I just KNEW. A bright light a light came on. I went back into the house, looked at my husband with tears flowing in my eyes and nodded my head. He understood without words passing between us that I had witnessed something that made me certain the time was now. An hour later we were at the vets holding him in our arms as he went to sleep.

 

Jimmy James- He was our most recent loss only 14 days ago and we are still very pained by his loss. I must admit that really for him we ONLY HAD 1 option, and that was to euthanize right there, that day, just 30 minutes after hearing the unexpected diagnosis. Long story short, we thought it was arthritis getting worse and we had an appointment set with our vet to discuss prednisone or other options as the rimadyl wasn't cutting it anymore. Two days before his appointment we had to take him to the ER vet (it was a Sunday) because he had gotten FAR worse the previous 24 hours. We had asked for an injection or tramadol or something to help him be more comfortable for his last day or two before seeing our vet. They had no problem with this and were very helpful, even offering to do the x-rays for us and send us with a full report and x-rays on a disc to take with us to our vet appt. We opted to do it and were shocked to find osteosarcoma.

 

At this point my husband began grasping for anything he could and suddenly was in full "amputation/ chemo etc" mode. I had to ask the ER Vet to leave the room to discuss with him the reality of OUR situation. And that is that Jimmy was almost 12, we have a house full of stairs, stairs to get out of the house and we live in a condo on a hill with about half a blocks walk to get out of the complex for walks and most potty breaks. I asked him to think for a moment about JJ's quality of life and what that recovery might be like for him and for all of us, knowing that it may only give us a year or more tops, and likely even less. After thinking about it he realized where my head was, and that was that our simple boy who LIVED for his 4x day walks and barking at motorcycles, busses and skateboard in his neighborhood would not be the same dog if we chose this option. He thought about it, agreed fully that this was not in the dogs best interest, only in HIS best interest because he didn't want to let go and so we made the decision to euthanize. We had hoped to take him to our vets the next day and do it in her care, but it seems that while at the vets he had a slip and I believe he fractured that brittle bone. His excruciating pain made that decision for us much easier and he could barely even notice we were in the room with him through the pain he was feeling. It was the worst of any dog I have put down. the suffering we watched him go through in that office and our disbelief and feeling of helplessness and complete lack of being prepared for this diagnosis. But I believe strongly it was the RIGHT thing to do for our boy.

 

 

I hope that in sharing my stories they help you feel as though you are making the right choice for iceman and your situation. For some people, they would never consider NOT trying amputation and chemo. For many of us its hard to go that route. Hard to watch our dogs suffer, hard to put them through the surgery, deal with the recovery knowing full well that the huge amount of money and energy and love you are giving might only buy you a short time. Hard to watch them knowing you will lose them far earlier than you are ready. If my dogs were not both 11 when they were diagnosed then I might feel different about my decisions. If I didn't live in a condo with tons of stairs on a hill with a block to a potty area, I might feel different. But we each have our own circumstances that makes our cases unique to us. Follow your heart and do what you feel is right for your family. Relax about "knowing" when the right time is. The time will let you know clearly when you are there.

 

I wish you all sorts of happy moments and memories with the rest of your time with Iceman! Trust in yourself and live each day fully with him.

 

 

On a side note, just wanted to thank you all for this thread. What a wonderful source of knowledge and support on here. I have only been capable of reading a few pages as my own loss is too new, but I can appreciate all the openness and support that is on here.

Edited October 7, 2011 by greyers

[RedFawnMom]

I just caught up on posts and am so surprised and saddened to see how many new pups have joined the club since I last checked in. I hope everyone is at least able to take some comfort from the support offered here. You all are in my thoughts.

 

To share some good news: We will be celebrating 8 months post amp this Saturday. Lucy is healthy and doing great! She's still her silly, loveable self. I am so grateful for these past 8 months and looking forward to many more to come. She's also making rapid progress with her couch privelages. I posted these in Cute and Funny already - hope no one minds me posting them again here:

 

 

 

[joejoesmom]

I just caught up on posts and am so surprised and saddened to see how many new pups have joined the club since I last checked in. I hope everyone is at least able to take some comfort from the support offered here. You all are in my thoughts.

 

To share some good news: We will be celebrating 8 months post amp this Saturday. Lucy is healthy and doing great! She's still her silly, loveable self. I am so grateful for these past 8 months and looking forward to many more to come. She's also making rapid progress with her couch privelages. I posted these in Cute and Funny already - hope no one minds me posting them again here:

 

 

 

 

I love it how Lucy says "I don't need no stinking cover -- you sit on the covered side". I guess she feels that the family's nice dark couch needs some light color Lucy fur to add the "decorator's touch".

 

Edited to add: It doesn't even seem like she is eying the human food on the coffee table!

Edited October 7, 2011 by joejoesmom

[TwiggysMom]

I'm hoping to hear good news from Berkeleys' x-rays!!

 

Twiggy is in for her 2nd chemo treatment today (or first, for a number of reasons I'm not convinced they actually gave her the first dose - charged me for it, sure, but they told me a week later that the chemo hadn't arrived yet when she'd been in for her treatment; what does that mean???)

 

I saw Lucy's photos in C&F, and didn't even realize she was a tripod in those pictures! I'm with Jane on marveling at how Lucy is completely ignoring what appears to be a yummy bagel w/cream cheese! OH, and congrats on the big milestone!

[greysmom]

 

LUCY!!!!!!!

 

 

If we're doing updates, Dude is doing really well. He's been a bit of a picky eater lately - which has me worried as he's a total chow hound - but I'm hoping it's the change to fall weather, and the disruption going on in the house with our other greyhound, Dorie. Otherwise, he's doing awesome and we've been so lucky to have these nine months with him.

 

Good luck to Berkeley!

 

Hugs to all.

[BauersMom]

X-rays clear!

[greysmom]

[BauersMom]

OK, I don't know how I'm going to mentally go through that every three months.

 

We're onto the last two chemo treatments!

 

Dr. felt the burping up food was likely a combination of eating too fast and then hopping around. So we're going to feed him in the crate and give him a chance to digest a bit. My rugs have taken a real beating.

[TwiggysMom]

Yay for clear x-rays!!

 

Is Berkeley getting 5 carbo treatments? (I thought this last one was #3).

[BauersMom]

Yay for clear x-rays!!

 

Is Berkeley getting 5 carbo treatments? (I thought this last one was #3).

 

Today after the x-rays was #4. So he'll be getting 6 total!

[Guest lisajaye2000]

Greyers,

I want to thank you so much for your posting. I am just checking in. We just got back from the vet where we said goodbye to Iceman and let him go peacefully. My husband stayed with him the whole time and my 3 year old and I said goodbye then waited outside. Iceman's diagnosis was last Wednesday and we were able to keep him very comfortable on pain meds. We still took walks everyday all the way around the park by our house for several days. The limp was minimal and he did very well. We spoiled him with his favorite foods and lavished on him to the point he had to tell us to stop. (He always loved his own space as much as his cuddles). Just on Friday, he was backing up when he suddenly screamed. His back toe appeared to have a laceration. His original mass was in his front left leg and the cut was on his back right leg. He would not put any weight on the back leg at all while still limping with his front leg. As we all know, a greyhound cannot walk on 2 legs. He managed all right until yesterday when I tried taking him out and he slipped in the middle of the street, fell down, and couldn't get up. I had to carry my 75lb boy home. When we got home we did pain meds and lots of love. Last night I saw that look in his eyes that everyone talks about when you know. My husband and I were hoping the cut would heal. Looking back and the vet agrees, he probably had another mass in that foot. Maybe the cut was because of a fracture. I don't really know. We went over the x-rays again and he had a very suspicious looking area in that foot. I do feel we made the right decision since he was almost 12 and ended up with the osteo in 2 of his legs. Iceman added so much to our lives. I think the hardest part was coming home knowing he wouldn't be there to greet us at the door. I agree, this sight is a wonderful source of support. Where better to express my great sadness in losing such a sweet, loving, incredible animal but with others who know the plight, rescue, and love of these great companions.

I must admit, there were times when we had Iceman that I thought it would be nice to have a dog that didn't need to be leashed all the time. But how could I give up on owning one of this precious breed? I dedicate this covenant to Iceman: I will always have at least one greyhound until I can no longer care for them. We will have to begin searching for the next lucky grey. Maybe by Christmas. How long did others wait to get another?

Lisa

 

I joined greytalk 8 years ago when we first got our beloved Iceman (he was 4). I haven't been an active member since then but now I am back because he was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He has a mass at his wrist bone on the left side. He was fine last week other than typical 11 year old slowing down and now they are telling us we need to amputate or euthanize. I am worried about the meds they prescribed. Is 100mg tramadol twice daily ok for a 76 lb boy? I am thinking if he were under 9 years old, we would amputate without a thought, but at almost 12, I don't think it is worth it to put him through it. In addition, one of the x-rays showed a suspicious area in another leg. I have a bad feeling it would not turn out well. So..are there any others who opted to keep their grey comfortable? How will I know when the right time is. Honestly, on the meds, he barely has a limp and has been going on his typical walks and enjoying them again. I don't know what to do. I can't bear the thought of losing him but I am happy I still have a little time with him. Any thoughts or advice would be very helpful!

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,

my name is Shelly and I too have not been an active member for years (probably about 4 and I think I used some other name). I posted on here a few days ago for ideas and suggestions for my grey who is not eating well and mourning her companion Jimmy James. We lost Jimmy about 14 days ago from Osteo and I lost another grey about 6 years ago from it. NEITHER of our greys did we choose the amputation/ chemo route for. I'll explain a little about both cases in case it may help you to feel more comfortable with your decision and also with your future decision making for Iceman.

 

Petey- he was our first osteo dog and we lost him about 6 years ago. He suddenly developed a limp, they thought it was arthritis so they put him on meds to see, the meds didn't help so they tried another and the pain only got worse and then they found the cancerous area in x -ray in a place they didn't x-ray the first time. We took him home with a plethora of pain meds and kept him comfortable. Unfortunately we didn't have a greyhound savvy vet at the time so no one really taught us what to expect, nor did they warn us about the great possibility of fractures, etc. They didn't even really mention amputation I do not believe.Hard to remember this many years later. He was doing well with short walks and was still eating and seemed happy enough and pain free enough most of the time (always hard to judge this). About a month after diagnosis, I was walking him that morning and a cat crossed our path. even though he lives with cats, an outdoor cat always would set him OFF and he would go into a barking frenzy and start jumping around and going nuts. Cats were his favorite entertainment! Well this cat suddenly crossed maybe 20 feet in front of us and he paused for a moment, perked his ears very slightly and then put them down and dropped his head low to the ground. Almost as though he was saying "its just too much energy to do that anymore mom" I immediately started to cry and I knew that for me, THIS was the sign I was wondering about. I worried about how I would "know" and out vet had simply said "you just will". And this was right... suddenly I just KNEW. A bright light a light came on. I went back into the house, looked at my husband with tears flowing in my eyes and nodded my head. He understood without words passing between us that I had witnessed something that made me certain the time was now. An hour later we were at the vets holding him in our arms as he went to sleep.

 

Jimmy James- He was our most recent loss only 14 days ago and we are still very pained by his loss. I must admit that really for him we ONLY HAD 1 option, and that was to euthanize right there, that day, just 30 minutes after hearing the unexpected diagnosis. Long story short, we thought it was arthritis getting worse and we had an appointment set with our vet to discuss prednisone or other options as the rimadyl wasn't cutting it anymore. Two days before his appointment we had to take him to the ER vet (it was a Sunday) because he had gotten FAR worse the previous 24 hours. We had asked for an injection or tramadol or something to help him be more comfortable for his last day or two before seeing our vet. They had no problem with this and were very helpful, even offering to do the x-rays for us and send us with a full report and x-rays on a disc to take with us to our vet appt. We opted to do it and were shocked to find osteosarcoma.

 

At this point my husband began grasping for anything he could and suddenly was in full "amputation/ chemo etc" mode. I had to ask the ER Vet to leave the room to discuss with him the reality of OUR situation. And that is that Jimmy was almost 12, we have a house full of stairs, stairs to get out of the house and we live in a condo on a hill with about half a blocks walk to get out of the complex for walks and most potty breaks. I asked him to think for a moment about JJ's quality of life and what that recovery might be like for him and for all of us, knowing that it may only give us a year or more tops, and likely even less. After thinking about it he realized where my head was, and that was that our simple boy who LIVED for his 4x day walks and barking at motorcycles, busses and skateboard in his neighborhood would not be the same dog if we chose this option. He thought about it, agreed fully that this was not in the dogs best interest, only in HIS best interest because he didn't want to let go and so we made the decision to euthanize. We had hoped to take him to our vets the next day and do it in her care, but it seems that while at the vets he had a slip and I believe he fractured that brittle bone. His excruciating pain made that decision for us much easier and he could barely even notice we were in the room with him through the pain he was feeling. It was the worst of any dog I have put down. the suffering we watched him go through in that office and our disbelief and feeling of helplessness and complete lack of being prepared for this diagnosis. But I believe strongly it was the RIGHT thing to do for our boy.

 

 

I hope that in sharing my stories they help you feel as though you are making the right choice for iceman and your situation. For some people, they would never consider NOT trying amputation and chemo. For many of us its hard to go that route. Hard to watch our dogs suffer, hard to put them through the surgery, deal with the recovery knowing full well that the huge amount of money and energy and love you are giving might only buy you a short time. Hard to watch them knowing you will lose them far earlier than you are ready. If my dogs were not both 11 when they were diagnosed then I might feel different about my decisions. If I didn't live in a condo with tons of stairs on a hill with a block to a potty area, I might feel different. But we each have our own circumstances that makes our cases unique to us. Follow your heart and do what you feel is right for your family. Relax about "knowing" when the right time is. The time will let you know clearly when you are there.

 

I wish you all sorts of happy moments and memories with the rest of your time with Iceman! Trust in yourself and live each day fully with him.

 

 

On a side note, just wanted to thank you all for this thread. What a wonderful source of knowledge and support on here. I have only been capable of reading a few pages as my own loss is too new, but I can appreciate all the openness and support that is on here.

Edited October 9, 2011 by lisajaye2000

[Batmom]

Lisa, my condolences for your loss of such a special boy.

 

Run with the wind, Iceman.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Lisa, I brought home Silver to foster the day after I let Jacey go. I signed Silver's adoption papers five days later.

 

I'm still grieving for Jacey, and bringing Silver home right away might seem extreme. But Silver needed a foster home, and I couldn't think of a good reason to wait...

 

She's been a good distraction from my grief about Jacey. And she's been very tolerant of being called the wrong name.

 

I'm so sorry you've had to let Iceman go.

[Guest KarenFergie]

Hi KF_in_Georgia. Like you, I usually adopt a new grey very soon after one of my greys passes on. When our Flo-Jo died a few years ago we had a foster dog waiting to come to us. We adopted her the day after Flo-Jo died. It was not disrespectful to Flo-Jo. We mourned Flo-Jo's passing for a long time. Adding a new grey was a tribute to our living and passed greys. Some people can do it, others need to wait a while. We are all different.

Karen

[Guest lisajaye2000]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. We are going to fill out an application and see what happens. This house is sooooo lonely without Iceman!

[Guest 2Brindles]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. We are going to fill out an application and see what happens. This house is sooooo lonely without Iceman!

I lost my boy Ronan last Sunday to cancer. We adopted our new boy Clancy yesterday - we needed a friend for Molly and for us too. There is no prescribed wait time in my opinion.

[Charlies_Dad]

I am very glad Berk's x-rays were clear!!!

 

 

Lisa, I am so very sorry for the loss of your Iceman. Your tribute to him in Remembrance is great and shows the bond you had. Adopting another pup after losing one to me personally is honouring their memory as I know that is what they would have wanted. I hope that you find another pup who can live up to Iceman.

[Guest Betsy]

I am so sorry for your losses and congratulation to those who have recently adopted new greys.

 

Update on Taylor. I took the advice and took Taylor for a second opinion with a specialist. They confirmed our vet's opinion and recommended no amputation, chemo and to do palliative care. Taylor had actually improved last week and was pretty good this weekend. I went home from work yesterday and could not believe the change. He wouldn't stop drinking water and would drink until he would stop suddenly and then throw up all he had drank. He couldn't use his foot or leg and sometimes his foot would be turned backwards. He wouldn't even eat ham lunch meat. He couldn't lay down and my husband would have to pick him up and lay him down. He was miserable. We called the vet and they said to bring him in at 7:30 am. The vet was surprised how much he had declined so fast. We held him in our arms and told him how much we loved him as he crossed the bridge. It seemed to take longer than Dixie but he was soon gone and is now running free with Dixie, Denny and King. No more pain or drugs.

 

He will always live in our hearts and will never be forgotten. My husband said it perfectly, "Goodbye to our most expensive (he was always getting into accidents and needing medical), biggest goofball (he would goose women from behind), fastest, mama's boy (he was my velcro dog) and longest adoptee. You gave us more love than we could ever give you."

[BauersMom]

I am so sorry for your losses and congratulation to those who have recently adopted new greys.

 

Update on Taylor. I took the advice and took Taylor for a second opinion with a specialist. They confirmed our vet's opinion and recommended no amputation, chemo and to do palliative care. Taylor had actually improved last week and was pretty good this weekend. I went home from work yesterday and could not believe the change. He wouldn't stop drinking water and would drink until he would stop suddenly and then throw up all he had drank. He couldn't use his foot or leg and sometimes his foot would be turned backwards. He wouldn't even eat ham lunch meat. He couldn't lay down and my husband would have to pick him up and lay him down. He was miserable. We called the vet and they said to bring him in at 7:30 am. The vet was surprised how much he had declined so fast. We held him in our arms and told him how much we loved him as he crossed the bridge. It seemed to take longer than Dixie but he was soon gone and is now running free with Dixie, Denny and King. No more pain or drugs.

 

He will always live in our hearts and will never be forgotten. My husband said it perfectly, "Goodbye to our most expensive (he was always getting into accidents and needing medical), biggest goofball (he would goose women from behind), fastest, mama's boy (he was my velcro dog) and longest adoptee. You gave us more love than we could ever give you."

 

Taylor sounds a lot like my Berkeley. I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Guest carla7]

X-rays clear!

 

YAY!!!

[Batmom]

Betsy, I'm sorry for your loss.

 

Run with the wind, Taylor.

[Guest carla7]

Greyers,

I want to thank you so much for your posting. I am just checking in. We just got back from the vet where we said goodbye to Iceman and let him go peacefully. My husband stayed with him the whole time and my 3 year old and I said goodbye then waited outside. Iceman's diagnosis was last Wednesday and we were able to keep him very comfortable on pain meds. We still took walks everyday all the way around the park by our house for several days. The limp was minimal and he did very well. We spoiled him with his favorite foods and lavished on him to the point he had to tell us to stop. (He always loved his own space as much as his cuddles). Just on Friday, he was backing up when he suddenly screamed. His back toe appeared to have a laceration. His original mass was in his front left leg and the cut was on his back right leg. He would not put any weight on the back leg at all while still limping with his front leg. As we all know, a greyhound cannot walk on 2 legs. He managed all right until yesterday when I tried taking him out and he slipped in the middle of the street, fell down, and couldn't get up. I had to carry my 75lb boy home. When we got home we did pain meds and lots of love. Last night I saw that look in his eyes that everyone talks about when you know. My husband and I were hoping the cut would heal. Looking back and the vet agrees, he probably had another mass in that foot. Maybe the cut was because of a fracture. I don't really know. We went over the x-rays again and he had a very suspicious looking area in that foot. I do feel we made the right decision since he was almost 12 and ended up with the osteo in 2 of his legs. Iceman added so much to our lives. I think the hardest part was coming home knowing he wouldn't be there to greet us at the door. I agree, this sight is a wonderful source of support. Where better to express my great sadness in losing such a sweet, loving, incredible animal but with others who know the plight, rescue, and love of these great companions.

I must admit, there were times when we had Iceman that I thought it would be nice to have a dog that didn't need to be leashed all the time. But how could I give up on owning one of this precious breed? I dedicate this covenant to Iceman: I will always have at least one greyhound until I can no longer care for them. We will have to begin searching for the next lucky grey. Maybe by Christmas. How long did others wait to get another?

Lisa

 

Lisa:

I'm so very sorry to hear about your Iceman.

Carla

 

I am so sorry for your losses and congratulation to those who have recently adopted new greys.

 

Update on Taylor. I took the advice and took Taylor for a second opinion with a specialist. They confirmed our vet's opinion and recommended no amputation, chemo and to do palliative care. Taylor had actually improved last week and was pretty good this weekend. I went home from work yesterday and could not believe the change. He wouldn't stop drinking water and would drink until he would stop suddenly and then throw up all he had drank. He couldn't use his foot or leg and sometimes his foot would be turned backwards. He wouldn't even eat ham lunch meat. He couldn't lay down and my husband would have to pick him up and lay him down. He was miserable. We called the vet and they said to bring him in at 7:30 am. The vet was surprised how much he had declined so fast. We held him in our arms and told him how much we loved him as he crossed the bridge. It seemed to take longer than Dixie but he was soon gone and is now running free with Dixie, Denny and King. No more pain or drugs.

 

He will always live in our hearts and will never be forgotten. My husband said it perfectly, "Goodbye to our most expensive (he was always getting into accidents and needing medical), biggest goofball (he would goose women from behind), fastest, mama's boy (he was my velcro dog) and longest adoptee. You gave us more love than we could ever give you."

 

Betsy:

I'm so sorry for your loss

Carla

[Guest greyers]

Greyers,

I want to thank you so much for your posting. I am just checking in. We just got back from the vet where we said goodbye to Iceman and let him go peacefully. My husband stayed with him the whole time and my 3 year old and I said goodbye then waited outside. Iceman's diagnosis was last Wednesday and we were able to keep him very comfortable on pain meds. We still took walks everyday all the way around the park by our house for several days. The limp was minimal and he did very well. We spoiled him with his favorite foods and lavished on him to the point he had to tell us to stop. (He always loved his own space as much as his cuddles). Just on Friday, he was backing up when he suddenly screamed. His back toe appeared to have a laceration. His original mass was in his front left leg and the cut was on his back right leg. He would not put any weight on the back leg at all while still limping with his front leg. As we all know, a greyhound cannot walk on 2 legs. He managed all right until yesterday when I tried taking him out and he slipped in the middle of the street, fell down, and couldn't get up. I had to carry my 75lb boy home. When we got home we did pain meds and lots of love. Last night I saw that look in his eyes that everyone talks about when you know. My husband and I were hoping the cut would heal. Looking back and the vet agrees, he probably had another mass in that foot. Maybe the cut was because of a fracture. I don't really know. We went over the x-rays again and he had a very suspicious looking area in that foot. I do feel we made the right decision since he was almost 12 and ended up with the osteo in 2 of his legs. Iceman added so much to our lives. I think the hardest part was coming home knowing he wouldn't be there to greet us at the door. I agree, this sight is a wonderful source of support. Where better to express my great sadness in losing such a sweet, loving, incredible animal but with others who know the plight, rescue, and love of these great companions.

I must admit, there were times when we had Iceman that I thought it would be nice to have a dog that didn't need to be leashed all the time. But how could I give up on owning one of this precious breed? I dedicate this covenant to Iceman: I will always have at least one greyhound until I can no longer care for them. We will have to begin searching for the next lucky grey. Maybe by Christmas. How long did others wait to get another?

Lisa

 

I joined greytalk 8 years ago when we first got our beloved Iceman (he was 4). I haven't been an active member since then but now I am back because he was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He has a mass at his wrist bone on the left side. He was fine last week other than typical 11 year old slowing down and now they are telling us we need to amputate or euthanize. I am worried about the meds they prescribed. Is 100mg tramadol twice daily ok for a 76 lb boy? I am thinking if he were under 9 years old, we would amputate without a thought, but at almost 12, I don't think it is worth it to put him through it. In addition, one of the x-rays showed a suspicious area in another leg. I have a bad feeling it would not turn out well. So..are there any others who opted to keep their grey comfortable? How will I know when the right time is. Honestly, on the meds, he barely has a limp and has been going on his typical walks and enjoying them again. I don't know what to do. I can't bear the thought of losing him but I am happy I still have a little time with him. Any thoughts or advice would be very helpful!

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,

my name is Shelly and I too have not been an active member for years (probably about 4 and I think I used some other name). I posted on here a few days ago for ideas and suggestions for my grey who is not eating well and mourning her companion Jimmy James. We lost Jimmy about 14 days ago from Osteo and I lost another grey about 6 years ago from it. NEITHER of our greys did we choose the amputation/ chemo route for. I'll explain a little about both cases in case it may help you to feel more comfortable with your decision and also with your future decision making for Iceman.

 

Petey- he was our first osteo dog and we lost him about 6 years ago. He suddenly developed a limp, they thought it was arthritis so they put him on meds to see, the meds didn't help so they tried another and the pain only got worse and then they found the cancerous area in x -ray in a place they didn't x-ray the first time. We took him home with a plethora of pain meds and kept him comfortable. Unfortunately we didn't have a greyhound savvy vet at the time so no one really taught us what to expect, nor did they warn us about the great possibility of fractures, etc. They didn't even really mention amputation I do not believe.Hard to remember this many years later. He was doing well with short walks and was still eating and seemed happy enough and pain free enough most of the time (always hard to judge this). About a month after diagnosis, I was walking him that morning and a cat crossed our path. even though he lives with cats, an outdoor cat always would set him OFF and he would go into a barking frenzy and start jumping around and going nuts. Cats were his favorite entertainment! Well this cat suddenly crossed maybe 20 feet in front of us and he paused for a moment, perked his ears very slightly and then put them down and dropped his head low to the ground. Almost as though he was saying "its just too much energy to do that anymore mom" I immediately started to cry and I knew that for me, THIS was the sign I was wondering about. I worried about how I would "know" and out vet had simply said "you just will". And this was right... suddenly I just KNEW. A bright light a light came on. I went back into the house, looked at my husband with tears flowing in my eyes and nodded my head. He understood without words passing between us that I had witnessed something that made me certain the time was now. An hour later we were at the vets holding him in our arms as he went to sleep.

 

Jimmy James- He was our most recent loss only 14 days ago and we are still very pained by his loss. I must admit that really for him we ONLY HAD 1 option, and that was to euthanize right there, that day, just 30 minutes after hearing the unexpected diagnosis. Long story short, we thought it was arthritis getting worse and we had an appointment set with our vet to discuss prednisone or other options as the rimadyl wasn't cutting it anymore. Two days before his appointment we had to take him to the ER vet (it was a Sunday) because he had gotten FAR worse the previous 24 hours. We had asked for an injection or tramadol or something to help him be more comfortable for his last day or two before seeing our vet. They had no problem with this and were very helpful, even offering to do the x-rays for us and send us with a full report and x-rays on a disc to take with us to our vet appt. We opted to do it and were shocked to find osteosarcoma.

 

At this point my husband began grasping for anything he could and suddenly was in full "amputation/ chemo etc" mode. I had to ask the ER Vet to leave the room to discuss with him the reality of OUR situation. And that is that Jimmy was almost 12, we have a house full of stairs, stairs to get out of the house and we live in a condo on a hill with about half a blocks walk to get out of the complex for walks and most potty breaks. I asked him to think for a moment about JJ's quality of life and what that recovery might be like for him and for all of us, knowing that it may only give us a year or more tops, and likely even less. After thinking about it he realized where my head was, and that was that our simple boy who LIVED for his 4x day walks and barking at motorcycles, busses and skateboard in his neighborhood would not be the same dog if we chose this option. He thought about it, agreed fully that this was not in the dogs best interest, only in HIS best interest because he didn't want to let go and so we made the decision to euthanize. We had hoped to take him to our vets the next day and do it in her care, but it seems that while at the vets he had a slip and I believe he fractured that brittle bone. His excruciating pain made that decision for us much easier and he could barely even notice we were in the room with him through the pain he was feeling. It was the worst of any dog I have put down. the suffering we watched him go through in that office and our disbelief and feeling of helplessness and complete lack of being prepared for this diagnosis. But I believe strongly it was the RIGHT thing to do for our boy.

 

 

I hope that in sharing my stories they help you feel as though you are making the right choice for iceman and your situation. For some people, they would never consider NOT trying amputation and chemo. For many of us its hard to go that route. Hard to watch our dogs suffer, hard to put them through the surgery, deal with the recovery knowing full well that the huge amount of money and energy and love you are giving might only buy you a short time. Hard to watch them knowing you will lose them far earlier than you are ready. If my dogs were not both 11 when they were diagnosed then I might feel different about my decisions. If I didn't live in a condo with tons of stairs on a hill with a block to a potty area, I might feel different. But we each have our own circumstances that makes our cases unique to us. Follow your heart and do what you feel is right for your family. Relax about "knowing" when the right time is. The time will let you know clearly when you are there.

 

I wish you all sorts of happy moments and memories with the rest of your time with Iceman! Trust in yourself and live each day fully with him.

 

 

On a side note, just wanted to thank you all for this thread. What a wonderful source of knowledge and support on here. I have only been capable of reading a few pages as my own loss is too new, but I can appreciate all the openness and support that is on here.