Osteo Thread

[krissn333]

I need to get Pinky to the chiropractor...every now and then she dips a little bit as she's moving and I think her hip might be getting to her.

 

Her thigh muscle is MASSIVE...it was well-defined before her surgery, but now it's just INSANE...I've been trying to do some massage for her too.

 

Anyone else have any tips?

[greysmom]

We did canine massage therapy with Dude. He LOVED it! And it not only helped keep his muscles loose and working properly, and his skeleton in line, but he got a big energy boost from each treatment session.

[dmswartzfager]

I just looked up Symbra's CBC results from yesterday's blood draw - no chemo for her today - neutrophil count is 1575. I'll call her chemo doc in a few minutes when I know they are there just to confirm.

 

Otherwise, she is happy and doing well - even is a pound or two heavier than I would like her to be. We took her out for a long walk this past weekend in order to tire her out, and were able to get her to ride in Frazzle's cart for the walk home, so I feel better about taking her to events like Gettysburg. Hopefully my dad brings back our camper sometime soon so we can make sure she can deal with getting in and out of the camper and up onto the beds okay before we find out the hard way in Gettysburg.

[JJNg]

Just found out this past weekend that a dog our group just placed earlier this year was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. I heard about it through a fellow group member and don't have contact with his owners so don't have any more details, but it sounds like the diagnosis was confirmed. McCoy's only 3 years old - won't be 4 until July. He boarded at our clinic for a couple weeks while waiting for a foster spot to open up and is a happy, outgoing boy. I think this is the youngest grey I've heard of being diagnosed with osteo.

 

What's even sadder is that this news comes a week after our group just lost McCoy's littermate Steel to complications from severe IBD while still in foster care. Just not fair for either of these brothers.

[krissn333]

 

Pinky lost a toenail on her back foot yesterday (her lupus has caused her toenails to grow strangely too)....poor kid. I had to wrap her foot up yesterday because it was bleeding pretty good. Surprisingly, she could walk and run just fine

 

I took the bandage off today and it looks pretty good. I feel bad for her though-we do our best to keep an eye on those nails but sometimes there's nothing you can do when the nail totally separates from the toe.

[Guest snakes]

I just wanted to send good thoughts. strength, and love out to all the osteo pups and families out there, the H+M board has been a sad place today for our little group....

[45MPHK9]

A tough weekend, indeed. I'm so saddened by the news about Charlie and Joe. Thinking about these two brave dogs and the amazing people who love them so much.

 

[BauersMom]

I just wanted to send good thoughts. strength, and love out to all the osteo pups and families out there, the H+M board has been a sad place today for our little group....

 

Agreed. Hugs to everyone dealing with this nasty disease, whether a new diagnosis or facing the hard decision. It just... sucks.

Edited April 14, 2012 by BauersMom

[krissn333]

Hugs to everyone-it hasn't been a good week for our little family here

 

I am feeling very hopeless today after hearing about Charlie's diagnosis and Jane losing Joe. I just hate knowing that no matter how sunny the days are now for Pinky, at some point there is a pretty good chance that out of the blue we'll be dealing with something bad. There is always that little glimmer that she'll be a lucky one, but today I'm feeling very very sad about the fact that we're more than likely fighting a battle that we cannot win.

[Guest azlorenz]

I just wanted to send good thoughts. strength, and love out to all the osteo pups and families out there, the H+M board has been a sad place today for our little group....

 

Agreed. Hugs to everyone dealing with this nasty disease, whether a new diagnosis or facing the hard decision. It just... sucks.

 

Ditto. [[[[[[[[Hugs]]]]]]]]] to all of you.

[EllenEveBaz]

Sending hugs to all, either in sympathy or full of encouragement, as needed.

[joejoesmom]

Losing Joe has hit me hard. I don't know how much I am going to be able to check this thread. If you hear of anyone who needs help with OSU or will be visiting OSU please have them contact me at:

 

finewhipador-drool@yahoo.com

 

Joe would want me to continue to help those hounds and their humans who have to come to OSU. So I intend to be available, just perhaps not checking in here for a while.

 

Jane

[NeylasMom]

I was gone this weekend and just around to checking H&M. As soon as I saw Jane's thread was locked, my heart sunk. Then I scrolled down and saw Kyle's locked thread.

 

Jane, I didn't get a chance to post in your thread. If you happen to pop in, I am so very sorry for your loss.

 

Kyle, please know that my thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

 

I wish there were something I could do for both of you. We've been rooting for both Joe and Charlie for so long, it's so difficult when things change like this. Hugs to you both.

 

Losing Joe has hit me hard. I don't know how much I am going to be able to check this thread. If you hear of anyone who needs help with OSU or will be visiting OSU please have them contact me at:

 

finewhipador-drool@yahoo.com

 

Joe would want me to continue to help those hounds and their humans who have to come to OSU. So I intend to be available, just perhaps not checking in here for a while.

 

Jane

{{{{{{{{{Jane}}}}}}}}}}

[Charlies_Dad]

Hi Jen, Charlie is still around and we have not given up the fight yet. We are considering all our options currently and need to move forward as soon as possible on one of them. Surgery seems very invasive and we are worried that even if they were to remove it with clean margins, it's very possible there are others. Plus the surgery is major and the time it would buy him would only be 'good' if everything went perfect, clean margins were gotten and he no other sarcomas lurking somewhere else. Those just don't seem like good odds to me. Another option is chemo and there is no harm in trying that if he handles it well like he did before. Other options include Cyberknife which from Dr. Coutu's perspective would likely not be an option due to the size of the tumour. Then there is radiation but from what I understand there are possible issues trying to radiate something in the chest because the tumour moves when they breathe. So we are confused, stressed and worried...

 

Jane, thank you for this. You are amazing and I am so sorry for your loss of Joe.

[giadog]

Jane, I'm so incredibly sorry to hear about Joe. My thoughts are with you.

[NeylasMom]

Hope you are able to figure out the best option for him. Those are tough choices.

[GreyTzu]

Hi Jen, Charlie is still around and we have not given up the fight yet. We are considering all our options currently and need to move forward as soon as possible on one of them. Surgery seems very invasive and we are worried that even if they were to remove it with clean margins, it's very possible there are others. Plus the surgery is major and the time it would buy him would only be 'good' if everything went perfect, clean margins were gotten and he no other sarcomas lurking somewhere else. Those just don't seem like good odds to me. Another option is chemo and there is no harm in trying that if he handles it well like he did before. Other options include Cyberknife which from Dr. Coutu's perspective would likely not be an option due to the size of the tumour. Then there is radiation but from what I understand there are possible issues trying to radiate something in the chest because the tumour moves when they breathe. So we are confused, stressed and worried...

 

Jane, thank you for this. You are amazing and I am so sorry for your loss of Joe.

 

I unlocked the thread. The last several comments sounded past tense and sympathetic, implying... well you know.

 

Glad Charlie is hanging in there.

[Charlies_Dad]

So we did our first round of Carboplatin yesterday. We have decided that we will fight this until Charlie tells us otherwise. Right now we are going day to day and since last Friday/Saturday, Charlie is feeling better. I think all the prodding and stress of being at the hospital all day Friday really brought him down. We are also inquiring on radiation treatments and will determine what can and cannot be done. Surgery is not an option as it's a major operation and there are good chances that there likely could be additional tumours elsewhere that they will not find and we'll only be back to where we are now or worse, they will find it really bad and we would have to make a decision to let him go on the table. As neither myself nor DW are not ones to give up hope, we'll go down this path and see how it goes. The most important thing is Charlie's quality of life and we are both committed to giving him the best and when things change we will make the hard decision to let him go.

[MP_the4pack]

I'm rooting for Charlie. He's got a lot of fans in his corner,

[Guest kellygreyhound]

Just sending hugs and hope for Charlie!

 

So we did our first round of Carboplatin yesterday. We have decided that we will fight this until Charlie tells us otherwise. Right now we are going day to day and since last Friday/Saturday, Charlie is feeling better. I think all the prodding and stress of being at the hospital all day Friday really brought him down. We are also inquiring on radiation treatments and will determine what can and cannot be done. Surgery is not an option as it's a major operation and there are good chances that there likely could be additional tumours elsewhere that they will not find and we'll only be back to where we are now or worse, they will find it really bad and we would have to make a decision to let him go on the table. As neither myself nor DW are not ones to give up hope, we'll go down this path and see how it goes. The most important thing is Charlie's quality of life and we are both committed to giving him the best and when things change we will make the hard decision to let him go.

[krissn333]

Many prayers that he tolerates it well

 

Charlie's story has been such a source of hope for us - and really helped my mom to understand everything that Pinky was going to go through once she had her surgery. Being able to show her a happy pup who had the same leg amputated that Pinky was about to have really made a difference in her level of support in my decision for Pinky. She often asks about Charlie and I'll point her to some new pics you've posted. She was really sad too to hear about Charlie's latest challenge. We're all pulling for him!

 

Tomorrow is Pinky's 9th birthday...I need to stop after work and see if I can pick up some special biscuits for her.

[Guest azlorenz]

We are all rooting for Charlie and sending moral support to you and DW. Thinking of you all.

[EllenEveBaz]

Go, Charlie go! And happy birthday, Miss Pink.

[TwiggysMom]

I am so glad that Charlie is such a fighter! (and has such fantastic people who will continue to fight right along with him!)

 

Hopefully, Symbra was able to have chemo this week. Have you been able to do the trial run with the camper yet?

 

Yay for Pinky's birthday!!! Give her some b'day smooches from me!

 

Twiggy has had her last Palladia. After a 1.5 week break from both Palladia and Cytoxan, her oncologist and I agreed to try her on Palladia only, and less frequent dosing. The nausea started within hours, stool started going south within 12 hours, and within 48 hours the bloody diarrhea started. She has now been pooping what looks like watery ketchup for 2 days. I would maybe consider cytoxan again (but just as likely not); but I'm never giving her another Palladia pill again. I know it is supposed to be the wonder drug, but she just can't handle it, and I won't have her live like this.

 

Through all this she is amazing! She still is hungry as a horse, and bolted into the kitchen this evening when I accidentally rattled her bottle of metronidazole - pills are still the best treat ever for her (b/c they get wrapped in lunchmeat! ).

[Charlies_Dad]

Happy B-day Pinky!!!

 

Wendy, you are making the right decision for Twiggy. Not all pups react the same and Palladia can have some side effects. I"m sorry she experienced these as I am a believer in the drug even though I wish is was cheaper so more people could afford it. For Charlie it's almost a car payment per month and we have been lucky enough to be able to afford it but in the future this will likely not be the case. This makes the future for us and Greyhounds a challenge as both DW and I are being torn asunder by Charlie's new battle. We know we have been very lucky to have him make 21mths post initial dx and should be thankful for that but right now seeing our energetic happy boy in a lethargic state is not sitting well with us. We had a very frank discussion last night that if anything more slips in quality, then we will make the decision to say goodbye. Of our three Greys, Charlie is Mr. Personality and just livens up the house and now that he is so quiet, things are not the same. His energy levels could be the cause of chemo but he was lethargic before that so it could be the pneumonia, fluid in his chest and/or the tumour. We are considering draining the fluid as this causes him to breath a lot shallower and faster so this is definitely causing some of the lethargy but we don't know if anything else is a factor. The good thing though is that his eyes are bright, he's very alert and loves certain foods as long as they do not contain pills, he has become an expert at tossing these aside. Last night was very trying to get his Vetmedin and Tramadol into him.

 

I hope everyone else is doing well along with their pups.