Osteo Thread Part Vi

[KF_in_Georgia]

Victor and Shihmei, I'm sorry to welcome you and your lovely Lana to this group that no one wants to join. Let us know if you have any questions.

[TwiggysMom]

Hi Victor,

 

I just talked with Rich & Laurel this afternoon about your girl. I think they're contacting you with my info so we can chat off-line, too.

 

I was so sorry to hear about Lana. It sounds like you've been getting good advice and doing everything right so far.

 

Those are such great photos of your pretty girl!

 

The hind leg amp surgery is a bit less invasive, I think, than a front leg amp. At the very least, it is much easier to carry a hind leg amp if necessary! It is still a tough recovery for all (hound & human), and there will be a number of nights with little to no sleep.

 

After the first couple weeks, though, things will start getting much, much easier!

 

I look forward to hearing from you! Maybe we can have a tripod reunion this fall!

 

Wendy

[greysmom]

I'm so sorry to see all the new members of our sad little group. This thread had been so quiet for so long.

 

No one has yet found a great solution for front-leg amps and a harness. I think the best thing is one of the commercial "slings" that can loop around the whole body. Casper should do fine getting into the back of an SUV. He'll have both back legs for the propulsion part. My Dude simply would. not. wait. for me to lift him in. I never thought he could do it with only one back leg, but he was jumping in and out before his stitches were out. Scared the crap out of me every time.

[Victor]

Lana is a beautiful girl. I'm sorry for the awful diagnosis.

Thanks, 45MPHK9. It truly is heartbreaking.

 

Victor and Shihmei, I'm sorry to welcome you and your lovely Lana to this group that no one wants to join. Let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks, KF_in_Georgia. This forum has already been immensely helpful, but we'll be sure to ask when we have questions.

Edited July 8, 2013 by Victor

[Batmom]

Hoping all goes well with Lana.

[Victor]

Hi Victor,

 

I just talked with Rich & Laurel this afternoon about your girl. I think they're contacting you with my info so we can chat off-line, too.

 

I was so sorry to hear about Lana. It sounds like you've been getting good advice and doing everything right so far.

 

Those are such great photos of your pretty girl!

 

The hind leg amp surgery is a bit less invasive, I think, than a front leg amp. At the very least, it is much easier to carry a hind leg amp if necessary! It is still a tough recovery for all (hound & human), and there will be a number of nights with little to no sleep.

 

After the first couple weeks, though, things will start getting much, much easier!

 

I look forward to hearing from you! Maybe we can have a tripod reunion this fall!

 

Wendy

 

Thanks, Wendy! Reading about Twiggy on this forum has been a real source of inspiration for us. We'd love for Lana to be able to meet her!

 

We haven't received your contact info from Rich & Laurel yet, but we'll be sure to get in touch when we do!

 

Thanks again,

Victor

[Guest FawnFan]

I'm sorry to hear Lana has joined this club too. She is really beautiful! Wishing you all the best with her upcoming surgery and recovery. May you get to enjoy lots of time together.

[Victor]

Hoping all goes well with Lana.

Thanks, Batmom. We'll be sure to post updates.

[Victor]

Can anyone recommend a good harness for my newly tripod? I see some nice ones online but not sure which is best for greyhounds. I appreciate any information or advice on this. Casper is getting around better. I'm glad to see him go to the bathroom by himself (I'm not far away!!)..nervous mom.

We just ordered one for Lana on Etsy:

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78900259/greyhound-assistance-harness

 

It was recommended by Northcoast Hounds:

 

http://northcoastgreyhounds.net/store/index.php/cat_140

I'm sorry to hear Lana has joined this club too. She is really beautiful! Wishing you all the best with her upcoming surgery and recovery. May you get to enjoy lots of time together.

Thanks, Fawnfan. Lana will be happy to hear that you said she's beautiful.

[robinw]

I'm sorry to see so many new club members.

[BauersMom]

I think the best thing is one of the commercial "slings" that can loop around the whole body. Casper should do fine getting into the back of an SUV. He'll have both back legs for the propulsion part. My Dude simply would. not. wait. for me to lift him in.

We got the Ruff Wear harness for Berkeley (front amp) and it worked ok, but it is hard to get harnesses like that on and off since you have to lift up the front leg to get it on. We ended up taking it apart each time, so we could avoid having to lift him to get it on... we did use it early on (maybe the first week?) because he kept trying to lift his leg to pee and stuff, and it gave us a handle to grab him when he did those sorts of "forgot I don't have enough legs to do this" moves.

 

The one thing to keep in mind with front amps is that they have all of the power of their back legs, but have lost the ability to steer as finely in the front. So Berkeley could jump into the car ok but didn't quite "aim" as well when not running straight lines or with anything that required turning, etc. Just something to remember with the front amps.

 

I have a rear amp tripod now, and he steers and navigates a lot easier than Berkeley did.

Edited July 8, 2013 by BauersMom

[krissn333]

Pinky was a rear leg amp, so Victor please feel free to PM me about your beautiful Lana. I'm so sorry you've joined this club, wishing Lana an extremely successful surgery.

 

If you haven't already, read the blog post that's linked at the beginning of this thread re: what to expect after amputation. It was very helpful to me.

[Guest Jchallis87]

blitz was a rear leg amuptation 2 weeks ago and shes already jogging and hopping up into cars and on couches..she even roached for the first time post surgery yesterday. they do really well. the first week is rough. you really gotta help them along especialy with peeing etc but now she almost brushes me off if i try to help she doesnt need or want my help anymore and i spent a week sleeping on an airmattress in the living room to make sure she got her meds and that she was comfy. its rough but they bounce back quick shes even bossingthe other 2 dogs around again....on a side note blitzs drugs have been stopped at the canadian border and health canada wont release them!! are there any canadians on here who have gotten the carboplatin from ohio state?? if so did you run into any problems? i dont know what to do!!

[Charlies_Dad]

Victor, I am sorry your Lana has joined this group. Our angel Charlie was a rear leg amp and he did fantastic as a tripod. With a few days of having him home after his amp, he was moving around on his own with very few issues. From there he only did better and ended up out-racing our other four legged boy to squirrels in the backyard.

[MrAlexTheDog]

for the first time since her leg amputation katie walked up to her foodstand on her own this morning, waiting for her food bowl to be placed in it. she ate maybe 3/4 of its contents, which is pretty good.

and also for the first time since her surgery she walked into the kitchen and waited to be let out in the backyard, so i let her out back. she did nothing but stood in the sunshine with eyes closed and sniffing the air. then she wanted back inside.

[Charlies_Dad]

for the first time since her leg amputation katie walked up to her foodstand on her own this morning, waiting for her food bowl to be placed in it. she ate maybe 3/4 of its contents, which is pretty good.

 

and also for the first time since her surgery she walked into the kitchen and waited to be let out in the backyard, so i let her out back. she did nothing but stood in the sunshine with eyes closed and sniffing the air. then she wanted back inside.

That is excellent! She is slowing getting back to herself.

[Victor]

Pinky was a rear leg amp, so Victor please feel free to PM me about your beautiful Lana. I'm so sorry you've joined this club, wishing Lana an extremely successful surgery.

 

If you haven't already, read the blog post that's linked at the beginning of this thread re: what to expect after amputation. It was very helpful to me.

Thanks, Kristin! I don't seem to be able to PM yet (perhaps because I only just joined GT?), but I appreciate the offer! I did have one question that perhaps you could answer? I read that for front leg amputations t-shirts are often used to keep the hounds from licking their sutures. Did you use anything to cover Pinky's sutures while she was recovering?

 

blitz was a rear leg amuptation 2 weeks ago and shes already jogging and hopping up into cars and on couches..she even roached for the first time post surgery yesterday. they do really well. the first week is rough. you really gotta help them along especialy with peeing etc but now she almost brushes me off if i try to help she doesnt need or want my help anymore and i spent a week sleeping on an airmattress in the living room to make sure she got her meds and that she was comfy. its rough but they bounce back quick shes even bossingthe other 2 dogs around again....on a side note blitzs drugs have been stopped at the canadian border and health canada wont release them!! are there any canadians on here who have gotten the carboplatin from ohio state?? if so did you run into any problems? i dont know what to do!!

That's great news about Blitz! I hope Lana bounces back that quickly. I imagine Lana is not going to be too happy with us for the first week or two. (Sorry I don't know anything about getting the chemotherapy meds across the border to Canada.)

 

Victor, I am sorry your Lana has joined this group. Our angel Charlie was a rear leg amp and he did fantastic as a tripod. With a few days of having him home after his amp, he was moving around on his own with very few issues. From there he only did better and ended up out-racing our other four legged boy to squirrels in the backyard.

Thanks, Charlies_Dad. That's reassuring that Charlie recovered so quickly. Lana has always been able to out-race our other greyhound (Duke), so she'll be delighted if she can keep that up!

[krissn333]

Pinky's stump was kept wrapped (sort of an elaborate gauze/vetwrap diaper ) until 2 weeks post-op when her staples were removed...wrapped around the stump and then up and over the back and around the remaining back leg so she could still pee/poop without issue. We changed it every 3-5 days. Keeping pressure on it and keeping it wrapped really helped to keep swelling and seeping to a minimum and I also didn't have to worry about her picking at her staples. For the last few days before her staple removal appointment, she was bandage free because she was moving about so much that it didn't want to stay put. But it was very helpful for the first week and a half after her surgery. It also gave her a bit of cushion too in case she bumped her stump on something.

 

If your vet would like to talk to our surgeon about it, he would most gladly share some tips and tricks. Dr. Ryan Less at Kimberly Crest Veterinary Hospital. 563-386-1445. He is an AMAZING surgeon and a heck of a nice guy. Pinky's stump was BEAUTIFUL. I have a picture somewhere that I took of it to show someone here when they were worried about scars. Pinky had no scars, just the funny line where the black hair from the top of her leg met the white hair from her underside (once her hair grew back in).

 

Ah, here it is:

 

Here she is with her hot pink dressing. Dr. Less told me he just had to put pink on her since she was Pinky, afterall

 

 

Ah actually here's a video of her hopping around just a couple of days after surgery (she no longer wanted my help!). it's not really wrapped around her remaining leg (sorry, it's been over a year since her surgery), but around her midsection.

 

And please, if any of this stuff helps you out, feel free to take it to your vet, etc. I have no qualms about sharing things that will help!

 

http://s995.photobucket.com/user/krissn333/media/Pinky/5125d158.mp4.html

She was my little wallaby...I do miss her so!

[Victor]

Pinky's stump was kept wrapped (sort of an elaborate gauze/vetwrap diaper ) until 2 weeks post-op when her staples were removed...wrapped around the stump and then up and over the back and around the remaining back leg so she could still pee/poop without issue. We changed it every 3-5 days. Keeping pressure on it and keeping it wrapped really helped to keep swelling and seeping to a minimum and I also didn't have to worry about her picking at her staples. For the last few days before her staple removal appointment, she was bandage free because she was moving about so much that it didn't want to stay put. But it was very helpful for the first week and a half after her surgery. It also gave her a bit of cushion too in case she bumped her stump on something.

 

If your vet would like to talk to our surgeon about it, he would most gladly share some tips and tricks. Dr. Ryan Less at Kimberly Crest Veterinary Hospital. 563-386-1445. He is an AMAZING surgeon and a heck of a nice guy. Pinky's stump was BEAUTIFUL. I have a picture somewhere that I took of it to show someone here when they were worried about scars. Pinky had no scars, just the funny line where the black hair from the top of her leg met the white hair from her underside (once her hair grew back in).

 

Ah, here it is:

 

Here she is with her hot pink dressing. Dr. Less told me he just had to put pink on her since she was Pinky, afterall

 

Ah actually here's a video of her hopping around just a couple of days after surgery (she no longer wanted my help!). it's not really wrapped around her remaining leg (sorry, it's been over a year since her surgery), but around her midsection.

 

And please, if any of this stuff helps you out, feel free to take it to your vet, etc. I have no qualms about sharing things that will help!

 

http://s995.photobucket.com/user/krissn333/media/Pinky/5125d158.mp4.html

She was my little wallaby...I do miss her so!

 

Oh, she's a cutie! That pink "diaper" suited her perfectly, too! Thank you for sharing these photos and the video. I'm amazed that even with the diaper she was able to squat. I was wondering about that! Thank you for Dr. Less' contact information. I'll mention that to Lana's surgeon when we see him tomorrow!

[TwiggysMom]

Steve, that's so great to hear about Katie starting to make her own decisions again. I so clearly remember the first time Twiggy got a determined look in her eye and demanded that I take her across the street! Before long, Katie is going to rule the world!

 

Victor, I emailed you just a bit ago. Please forgive my rambling style - I didn't take time to organize my thoughts too well!

 

Kristin, Pinky pics make me smile. I miss seeing her

 

Jenny, I am so sorry that Blitz's meds are being held up at the border. Does OSU know? Maybe they could help expedite somehow? I'm glad to hear that she is reclaiming her rightful place in the household !

 

Looking forward to another update on Casper!

[Charlies_Dad]

Missing Pinky...she was such a sweet girl.

[krissn333]

If you watch the video that I posted, at one point Pinky heads over to my brother, who is petting Ace and Fritz. At one point their heads are all together and I just teared up looking at that yesterday, thinking of them all together again.

[MP_the4pack]

Vistor, I'm sorry you had to join this club. Your baby is beautiful. My black girl Emerald has a white stripe up her nose too. Gorgeous baby.

 

I will hold her in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow.

 

One thing I remember most when my Diamond had her amp. She wanted to do stuff she was not yet ready to do immediately afterwards. I had to watch her carefully. She forgot sometimes that she didn't have that leg any more. By the way, she was 12 and had a very happy and painfree 6 months before OS struck another leg.

 

I hope Lana gets into a competition with Twiggy who survives the longest!!

 

 

Casper and Katie.............. way to go! Good updates.

[krissn333]

It's always very interesting to me to hear others' experiences. Pinky seemed to always know that that leg was gone. Actually she sort of seemed glad to be rid of it

 

She did FLY up onto the couch on her own, I think it was the DAY AFTER she came home, so, roughly 48 hours after surgery (she came home 24 hours after her surgery because she was angry at the vet's office ). The FIRST time she tried to stand up on her own, she had some difficulty getting her remaining back leg under herself. She also had a decent amount of fluid buildup in the remaining rear leg, which didn't help how it felt). She learned very quickly though and was very good at it.

 

The first time she jumped up into my Jeep scared the bejezus out of me, but, she could do it, so, I stopped trying to make her let me help her She didn't want help. The attitude change in her from being a follower to being her own dog was just amazing. I never stopped being amazed at how awesome she was.

[Victor]

Vistor, I'm sorry you had to join this club. Your baby is beautiful. My black girl Emerald has a white stripe up her nose too. Gorgeous baby.

 

I will hold her in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow.

 

One thing I remember most when my Diamond had her amp. She wanted to do stuff she was not yet ready to do immediately afterwards. I had to watch her carefully. She forgot sometimes that she didn't have that leg any more. By the way, she was 12 and had a very happy and painfree 6 months before OS struck another leg.

 

I hope Lana gets into a competition with Twiggy who survives the longest!!

 

 

Casper and Katie.............. way to go! Good updates.

Thanks, MP_the4pack. We'll be sure to watch Lana carefully after her surgery!

If you watch the video that I posted, at one point Pinky heads over to my brother, who is petting Ace and Fritz. At one point their heads are all together and I just teared up looking at that yesterday, thinking of them all together again.

I noticed that—it was so sweet! I take it they all got along well?