Guest terrymurnane Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 My little girl had thyroid cancer in both thyroid lobes how long does it take for her parathyroid to produce calcium? I'm supplementing her with tums and other medication does anyone know can she survive? will her parathyroid starting making calcium at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 How was her thyroid cancer treated? Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terrymurnane Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 How was her thyroid cancer treated? She just had surgery by a certified vet 3 weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Did she have a total thyroidectomy? What did the surgeon say? Were her parathyroid glands healthy and preserved? Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindles Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 (edited) The parathyroid glands don't produce calcium. They produce parathyroid hormone which increases the blood concentration of it. Calcium has to come from the diet. Why would you be supplementing with tums? What did your vet tell you about her prognosis? Edited August 9, 2011 by Brindles Quote | Rachel | Dewty, Trigger, and Charlotte | Missing Dazzle, Echo, and Julio | Learn what your greyhound's life was like before becoming part of yours!"The only thing better than the cutest kitty in the world is any dog." -Daniel Tosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terrymurnane Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Did she have a total thyroidectomy? What did the surgeon say? Were her parathyroid glands healthy and preserved? I felt really good about her surgeon and picked the best one. The surgeon took out both thyroids and relocated her parathyroid in a muscle. Her margins were clean and all the other tests, x rays, and ultra sound came back good. i'm letting her get back her strength before i see an oncologist. Have you had any experience with this? I'm very upset. she only has one parathyroid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Assuming parathyroids were left in and are believed undamaged, calcium supplements are often given for a time after a total thyroidectomy, for longer if calcium remains low, sometimes forever if parathyroids don't appear to have recovered from any trauma. The surgeon (or your regular vet, in consultation with surgeon) should be able to advise you about your dog's particular case -- what to give, how often to monitor, etc. I don't think it's always predictable how the parathyroids will behave after an involved surgery. Hoping your dog is cancer free now! Ah, you were typing while I was! I don't know how having just one parathyroid affects things. AFAIK a dog can be well managed without parathyroid function but again, how to manage and monitor would be questions for your vet -- I would have to look stuff up. Best luck to you and your pupper going forward. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greymama002 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Our Tina had thyroid carcinoma, and a thyroidectomy about 6 months before she came to us. The only medication she took was Soloxine twice a day to replace what the thyroid gland would produce. We had to have her blood levels monitored every few weeks until we arrived at the proper dosage. Then it was just every few months to be sure it was still in the right range. Her prognosis was very good, and she lived a very active life with us for 16 months. Her death was unrelated to the thyroid cancer; she had heart damage from also having heartworms. We were never told anything about giving her calcium; she ate the same diet as our boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terrymurnane Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 The parathyroid glands don't produce calcium. They produce parathyroid hormone which increases the blood concentration of it. Calcium has to come from the diet. Why would you be supplementing with tums? What did your vet tell you about her prognosis? The surgeon put her on the medication because her calcium is low. I'm doing what she tells me and we keep doing blood test to watch her calcium, because at first her calcium was dangerously low. She was hospitalized and need calcium through the veins. Our Tina had thyroid carcinoma, and a thyroidectomy about 6 months before she came to us. The only medication she took was Soloxine twice a day to replace what the thyroid gland would produce. We had to have her blood levels monitored every few weeks until we arrived at the proper dosage. Then it was just every few months to be sure it was still in the right range. Her prognosis was very good, and she lived a very active life with us for 16 months. Her death was unrelated to the thyroid cancer; she had heart damage from also having heartworms. We were never told anything about giving her calcium; she ate the same diet as our boys. My baby girl Zora is also on Soloxine 2 x a day. Next week , they are testing her to see if the soloxine is the correct dosage or if it needs to be increased. She needs to be on it for 4 weeks before being tested, as I was told. Assuming parathyroids were left in and are believed undamaged, calcium supplements are often given for a time after a total thyroidectomy, for longer if calcium remains low, sometimes forever if parathyroids don't appear to have recovered from any trauma. The surgeon (or your regular vet, in consultation with surgeon) should be able to advise you about your dog's particular case -- what to give, how often to monitor, etc. I don't think it's always predictable how the parathyroids will behave after an involved surgery. Hoping your dog is cancer free now! Ah, you were typing while I was! I don't know how having just one parathyroid affects things. AFAIK a dog can be well managed without parathyroid function but again, how to manage and monitor would be questions for your vet -- I would have to look stuff up. Best luck to you and your pupper going forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terrymurnane Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Hi, My vet and Board Certified surgeon are speaking about her. I.m aggressively working at this because I love her so much!! I lost a greyhound 5 years ago, it broke my heart. She is stuck with me because I'll do whatever I need too. I'm not losing her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindles Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Sounds like you're on the right track. Have you asked your vet about medications that regulate PTH and calcitonin? Seems to me that no matter how much calcium the body takes in, nothing will happen if the right hormones aren't present to regulate uptake. This may be far-fetched, but dairy cows can suffer from "milk fever" (very low blood calcium) during their first days of lactation. Treatment is a simple Ca injection, but if untreated, the cow can go comatose and even die. To counter this, they are fed rations with anionic salts in the days prior to calving. It tricks the body into increasing the blood Ca concentration, which offsets the drastic decrease at calving that normally causes milk fever. Can they do something similar in dogs? My retriever had thyroid cancer. He had half of his thyroid removed. They told me he would live about a year and instead he lived another four and died of an unrelated cause. Good luck to you and your girl - I know where you're coming from. Quote | Rachel | Dewty, Trigger, and Charlotte | Missing Dazzle, Echo, and Julio | Learn what your greyhound's life was like before becoming part of yours!"The only thing better than the cutest kitty in the world is any dog." -Daniel Tosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terrymurnane Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 The parathyroid glands don't produce calcium. They produce parathyroid hormone which increases the blood concentration of it. Calcium has to come from the diet. Why would you be supplementing with tums? What did your vet tell you about her prognosis? The surgeon put her on the medication because her calcium is low. I'm doing what she tells me and we keep doing blood test to watch her calcium, because at first her calcium was dangerously low. She was hospitalized and need calcium through the veins. Our Tina had thyroid carcinoma, and a thyroidectomy about 6 months before she came to us. The only medication she took was Soloxine twice a day to replace what the thyroid gland would produce. We had to have her blood levels monitored every few weeks until we arrived at the proper dosage. Then it was just every few months to be sure it was still in the right range. Her prognosis was very good, and she lived a very active life with us for 16 months. Her death was unrelated to the thyroid cancer; she had heart damage from also having heartworms. We were never told anything about giving her calcium; she ate the same diet as our boys. My baby girl Zora is also on Soloxine 2 x a day. Next week , they are testing her to see if the soloxine is the correct dosage or if it needs to be increased. She needs to be on it for 4 weeks before being tested, as I was told. Assuming parathyroids were left in and are believed undamaged, calcium supplements are often given for a time after a total thyroidectomy, for longer if calcium remains low, sometimes forever if parathyroids don't appear to have recovered from any trauma. The surgeon (or your regular vet, in consultation with surgeon) should be able to advise you about your dog's particular case -- what to give, how often to monitor, etc. I don't think it's always predictable how the parathyroids will behave after an involved surgery. Hoping your dog is cancer free now! Ah, you were typing while I was! I don't know how having just one parathyroid affects things. AFAIK a dog can be well managed without parathyroid function but again, how to manage and monitor would be questions for your vet -- I would have to look stuff up. Best luck to you and your pupper going forward. My Zora is cancer free now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terrymurnane Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Sounds like you're on the right track. Have you asked your vet about medications that regulate PTH and calcitonin? Seems to me that no matter how much calcium the body takes in, nothing will happen if the right hormones aren't present to regulate uptake. This may be far-fetched, but dairy cows can suffer from "milk fever" (very low blood calcium) during their first days of lactation. Treatment is a simple Ca injection, but if untreated, the cow can go comatose and even die. To counter this, they are fed rations with anionic salts in the days prior to calving. It tricks the body into increasing the blood Ca concentration, which offsets the drastic decrease at calving that normally causes milk fever. Can they do something similar in dogs? My retriever had thyroid cancer. He had half of his thyroid removed. They told me he would live about a year and instead he lived another four and died of an unrelated cause. Good luck to you and your girl - I know where you're coming from. Thank you, She is on Calcitriol 2x a day, 3 tums every 6 hours, soloxine 2x a day and a pet tab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Quote Caroline, Mom to Daphne (49B-50215) and Penny (41D-55779)Remembering Bridge Angels Margo and Sabrina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Cancer free sounds like music to my ears. Hugs to your girlie!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newgreymom Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 After my own thyroidectomy, my calcium went very low. My endocrinologist said sometimes it takes a while for the parathyroid to "wake up" after the trauma of the surgery. Maybe that's all that's going on. Prayers for your girl.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) I can only speak from my personal experenice with human thyroid cancer. I had a total thyroidectomy in 1979 at the age of 19. They put me on calcium pills which made me deathly sick to my stomach. I told my surgeon and he said "so stop taking them". I did and here I am 32 years later. My retriever had thyroid cancer. He had half of his thyroid removed. They told me he would live about a year.... Interesting, as in humans it is one of the most survivable cancers as it is sort of self contained. My surgeon told me that one was able to choose a cancer, thyroid would be the one to pick. Wonder why the prognosis is so much worse in dogs? Edited August 10, 2011 by Hubcitypam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 My Mom had her thyroid removed years ago. She takes Soloxine and nothing else, and is one of the most healthy 81 year olds I've ever met! Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindles Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Interesting, as in humans it is one of the most survivable cancers as it is sort of self contained. My surgeon told me that one was able to choose a cancer, thyroid would be the one to pick. Wonder why the prognosis is so much worse in dogs? Interesting! I'm not sure. Maybe the type of cancer? His was an adenocarcinoma, which my vet said is a very aggressive type. Also, his was not a total thyroidectomy, which meant there was a chance that the cancer could come back. The vet that did the surgery (an excellent, well renowned surgeon) said the tumor might grow back in 6 months and he'd live about another year. The longest he had ever seen a dog go was three years before the tumor grew back. The dog lived a year after that. My retriever went four years and nothing ever came back. Quote | Rachel | Dewty, Trigger, and Charlotte | Missing Dazzle, Echo, and Julio | Learn what your greyhound's life was like before becoming part of yours!"The only thing better than the cutest kitty in the world is any dog." -Daniel Tosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) My friend's dog (non-grey) has severe hypoparathyroidism (as an autoimmune condition) and has to take prescription-grade calcium supplements. He's been doing it for years, and he's fine -- just needs regular blood monitoring to make sure his blood calcium is in range (going too high is as much a danger as too low). So just to reassure you that even if the parathyroid never returns to normal function, your girl can have a perfectly long and normal life on supplemented calcium. I know from human thyroid surgery (which I had last summer) that the surgery can (though it doesn't always) damage the parathyroid glands because they're so close by, but I don't know that there's any precise way to estimate when they might recover. Edited August 10, 2011 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Interesting! I'm not sure. Maybe the type of cancer? His was an adenocarcinoma, which my vet said is a very aggressive type. Also, his was not a total thyroidectomy, which meant there was a chance that the cancer could come back. The vet that did the surgery (an excellent, well renowned surgeon) said the tumor might grow back in 6 months and he'd live about another year. That makes sense. IME adenos are pretty aggressively reoccurring. I don't know the statistics, but I suspect most thyroid cancers are not of that variety. We usually just refer to it as thyroid cancer, not by the actual type of cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terrymurnane Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 After my own thyroidectomy, my calcium went very low. My endocrinologist said sometimes it takes a while for the parathyroid to "wake up" after the trauma of the surgery. Maybe that's all that's going on. Prayers for your girl.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnaBehr Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 My friend's greyhound was diagnosed with para-thyroid at least five years ago and does just fine on Tum's in her food with each feeding. Good Luck. Quote Mom to Melly and Dani Greyhound Bridge Angels - Jessie, Brittne, Buddy, Red, Chica, Ford and Dodge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytpups Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Glad to hear the words "cancer free". That must be a huuuuuuuge relief. Quote Jan with precious pups Emmy (Stormin J Flag) and Simon (Nitro Si) and Abbey Field. Missing my angels: Bailey Buffetbobleclair 11/11/98-17/12/09; Ben Task Rapid Wave 5/5/02-2/11/15; Brooke Glo's Destroyer 7/09/06-21/06/16 and Katie Crazykatiebug 12/11/06 -21/08/21. My blog about grief The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not get over the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to. ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies_Dad Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 It's great to hear your girl is cancer free. Good thoughts for recovery and a long long life! Quote Kyle with Stewie ('Super C Ledoux, Super C Sampson x Sing It Blondie) and forever missing my three angels, Jack ('Roy Jack', Greys Flambeau x Miss Cobblepot) and Charlie ('CTR Midas Touch', Leo's Midas x Hallo Argentina) and Shelby ('Shari's Hooty', Flying Viper x Shari Carusi) running free across the bridge. Gus an coinnich sinn a'rithist my boys and little girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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