Please Pray For Gobi

[Laurenbiz]

One of Bernie's best friends has bone cancer.

 

Our fellow Meet and Greet partner, Melanie, has two fawn Greys, Gobi and Tootsie. Melanie doesn't use the Internet much, so I thought I'd post about Gobi here on Greytalk.

 

I received an e-mail from her last week. She explained that Gobi shattered his right back femur bone when he was simply running around in her backyard. She took him to our vet (we both see the same vet,) who then directed her to an E-Vet in Madison. The following day, they amputated the leg because the bone could not be repaired and because they found that the fracture occurred from osteo in his hip joint. I don't know much about vet medicine, but according to our vet and her E-Vet, this is a very unusual and unlikely place for cancer and for a fracture.

 

Gobi stayed at the E-Vet for a few days last week. He is now home, and she said it took him a few days to gain confidence with the three legs. He developed an infection at the incision site, and he is on antibiotics. Other than his appetite being spotty because of the medicine, Melanie said that he is popping and peeing just fine.

 

They want to get him started on chemo hopefully this Wednesday. When talking with Melanie, the decision that he should or should not have chemo depends on the infection he has at the incision site. She is concerned that if he starts chemo later, though, that it may be too late. Nevertheless, she does want to do chemo even though from full-body X-Rays, no tumors or problems with any other bones are visible. I think the chemo would be to get rid of any existing cancer that would be too small to be detected by X-Ray.

 

Yesterday, Justin, Bernie and I went to Melanie's house to see Gobi the first time since his injury and his surgery. We did watch him poop and pee in his yard. He also walked around in the yard just fine, and he walked up the porch stairs just fine to get back into the house. I helped hold his buttocks up when Melanie wanted to do a dressing change.

 

It was very nice to see him, and Bernie was very nice and sat near Gobi the whole time we visited. While I am glad that we visited, I am very sad for him. Gobi was one of the first Greyhounds that we met, and he helped ultimately influence our decision to get a Greyhound, which is Bernie! I remember Gobi as an 80 lb., friendly and mellow fawn boy who always stared right at you until you would take the hint and scratch his ears. Bernie has always liked being around Gobi during our Meet and Greets, and on a few occasions that Justin and I had to leave town without Bernie, Bernie spent time at Melanie's house with Gobi and Tootsie while we were gone.

 

We saw Gobi at the GPA-WI Greyhound Gala event in mid-October. This was only a few weeks before his fracture. Melanie said that she has heard of dogs being able to sense/smell cancer (I've heard this, too,) and she said that she couldn't figure out why so many other Greyhounds at the Gala kept sniffing his right back hip. That was the bad hip.

 

Melanie isn't sure what Gobi's "time" is. With no chemo, she mentioned only a few months. With successful chemo - if any and all cancer can go into remission - then longer. But from the many conversations with her via e-mail and with visiting yesterday, I don't get the impression that anyone is expecting a year for Gobi. Gobi is only six years old.

 

I am very sad, and I'll keep you updated.

 

 

 

Here are a few pictures of Gobi:

 

 

Gobi is usually Bernie's head rest at Meet and Greets:

 

 

Gobi at the Gala, only a few weeks before his fracture (he is the one in the plaid bandana)

[Guest HHHounds]

So sad... we will send prayers!

[galgrey]

Sending the best to sweet Gobi.

[sabrina]

For you Gobi, I hope you pull thru this after all Bernie needs his head rest back

[FiveRoooooers]

Hoping for the very best for Gobi. What a beautiful boy, and so young

 

May I say Bernie makes a wonderful head rest.

[MaryJane]

Have your friend check out the osteo thread in H&M - it has quite a bit of great information.

 

here's the link

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/274810-osteo-thread/

[DesiRayMom]

Best wishes for Gobi. What a handsome boy!

[Batmom]

Sending lots of prayers for handsome Gobi. I'm so sorry he and his people are having to deal with this.

[Charlies_Dad]

Lauren, I am very sorry to read that Gobi has Osteo. I'm assuming they removed the entire bone that showed evidence of Osteo. The chemo is to try and 'control/reduce/kill' and other cancer cells that may have spread. Unfortunately the likelihood is that there are cancer cells and if amputation is the path one chooses (Melanie had no choice in the matter), then chemo should be done and most pups handle it fine. Perhaps a little lethargic and possible upset stomach, the latter can be helped by the vet providing meds.

 

We'll keep Gobi in our thoughts. If you or Melanie have any questions, as referenced previously, the Osteo thread in H&M has a lot of information.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Charlies_Dad

[Laurenbiz]

Have your friend check out the osteo thread in H&M - it has quite a bit of great information.

 

here's the link

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/274810-osteo-thread/

 

Thank you for the link, and thank you to Charlie's Dad for your information, too.

 

Melanie actually has talked to someone at OSU. I don't know if she has plans set in stone with the chemo, but she mentioned that OSU is willing to ship the chemo to the E-Vet here in Madison, and from what I understood, the shipping and the treatment would be free. She said that what she'd be paying for is gas and wear and tear on her car. From her house to the E-Vet's location in Madison is probably a 45-minute drive.

 

I didn't mention in my original post that Melanie is a nurse, too. She actually had a nursing position at a nursing home/elderly care center facility. She told us yesterday that she tried working with them to give her fewer hours so she could be home more with Gobi, but they couldn't - so she actually lost her job.

 

She will talk your ear off with medical terms for his bones and what the surgeons did, etc., and it's all gibberish to me!

 

I will give her that info on the osteo thread, too. I'm not sure if she knows all that information, so it is always helpful! Thank you!

[NancyB]

Sending good thoughts and prayers for Gobi and Melanie.

[Guest BrianRke]

Very sad. Sending good thoughts to Gobi and his family.

[iluvgreys]

Always heartbreaking to hear of another osteo victim. My prayers go out to this dear boy and his loving family and support group.

[Remolacha]

that is so sad

 

 

[mychip1]

Prayers for Gobi....and for her Mom. How unfortunate that her workplace wouldn't work with her on this!

[TheFullHouse]

Lots of prayers for Gobi.

[Guest mirinaaronsmom]

Wow - that really stinks they she lost her job. I'm so thankful that my manager is letting me work from home a couple of days a week when Mojo has to go for his chemo. I say prayers for Gobi and Melanie every day. I hope you all can have much more time together.

[GreytHurleyDawg]

I read about this on GPA-WI's forum and was glad to hear that Gobi got amputated so quickly. It is not an inexpensive procedure so I am very sorry to hear Melanie lost her job. I do not think that they only have a few months left together: I think with Chemotherapy, the cancer can be slowed down so that it doesn't metasticize into the lungs or anywhere else. We chose amputation + chemotherapy for Hurley and we are hoping for up to 2 years of life. Since Hurley is 8 and a half, he would be over 10 by then, not an age to die but at least an older age with us knowing that we are fighting and taking as much pain-free time with him as we can. I really think it takes a positive attitude. We haven't heard Melanie's side but I am sure she doesn't need you to feel sad for her, just strong for her. Not that I don't think she could use some extra company or the help of a support group (we are a pretty good support group right here but there are canine bone cancer groups that meet in person too and all over the internet!!) but it doesn't necessarily mean that all is lost for Gobi.

 

I hope she finds a more meaningful job that supports her family life!

 

I hope she seeks and finds all the resources available to her and Gobi!

 

You can certainly mention that I am going through the exact same thing (minus the job loss part, my job is not in jeopardy but I did call in sick 2 days because of this: on the day of diagnosis and the day he came home from the surgical hospital) and I am looking to get Hurley's chemo started this week or next. You can get my phone number if she is interested in talking! There are two other osteo dogs nearby right now too so we aren't alone and she should NOT feel alone either! I have heard people in the Osteo thread say this is a cruel disease and that it has to be treated aggressively or you just control the pain until it has spread too much. It takes a proactive reaction and from what you have written here, she is doing exactly that! I hope she is being encouraged!! I also have read that racing greyhounds are getting hit the hardest by this cancer over other breeds. It strikes large breed dogs, rottweilers who have been neutered/spayed getting a large share, but the greyhounds'long limb bones and probably their heavy use of those bones can contribute PLUS we have many shared ancestors among our breed so the genes for this cancer have been passed on. The sperm got donated before the sire came down with osteo. It doesn't mean we have to be scared for our healthy hounds but greyhounds are often stoic and it is hard to know when their pain is real. You learn to read your dog's messages but sometimes they hide it for as long as possible, as Gobi did. Hurley waits longer too but his pain threshold seems to be lower than some.