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It sounds like Tempo continues to do well and is healing. As you wrote, it's only been a week and you'll see by end of week two, he'll be even more like his old self again. As for you, you need some rest! Hopefully today you can get some as that first week can be very tiring just due to stress.

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.

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Had to get up to walk them at 3 AM last night. Maybe his system is just thrown off by all these changes -- this is similar to the schedule I had to keep when I first took Tempo home. Completely exhausted again.

 

He stayed in bed late this morning, and then we went for our morning walk. He's still very slow, but, again, slightly more alert. I went to give them each their biscuit and, without asking, he sat right down for his treat -- another hopeful sign that he's getting back to normal.

 

8605565297_698200689b_z.jpg

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Guest FawnFan

Great to hear that Tempo is doing so well. That's a great picture too! Thanks for sharing and wishing you continued healing and lots of sleep.

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Had to get up to walk them at 3 AM last night. Maybe his system is just thrown off by all these changes -- this is similar to the schedule I had to keep when I first took Tempo home. Completely exhausted again.

 

He stayed in bed late this morning, and then we went for our morning walk. He's still very slow, but, again, slightly more alert. I went to give them each their biscuit and, without asking, he sat right down for his treat -- another hopeful sign that he's getting back to normal.

 

8605565297_698200689b_z.jpg

Such a pretty sit :beatheart :beatheart

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That's an excellent sit!

Kristin in Moline, IL USA with Ozzie (MRL Crusin Clem), Clarice (Clarice McBones), Latte and Sage the IGs, and the kitties: Violet and Rose
Lovingly Remembered: Sutra (Fliowa Sutra) 12/02/97-10/12/10, Pinky (Pick Me) 04/20/03-11/19/12, Fritz (Fritz Fire) 02/05/01 - 05/20/13, Ace (Fantastic Ace) 02/05/01 - 07/05/13, and Carrie (Takin the Crumbs) 05/08/99 - 09/04/13.

A cure for cancer can't come soon enough.--

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What an adorable sit. :wub:

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

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though his swelling has come down a lot, the vet thinks that part of his problem may be that there is still enough swelling in the undercarriage zone that urinating/holding it in may be causing discomfort. he just let it go right in the hallway while we were walking to the exam room. made it easy to collect a sample, but also made a mess. then again, 10,000 dogs have peed in there, so its hard to know whether he thought he was inside or outside. anyhow, they took a blood sample for a platelet test because his swelling had been so severe, and also a urine sample. decided to put him back on his tramadol and rimadyl.

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Even if he's not actually in pain, the tramadol and rimadyl will help him sleep.

 

As for not feeling like himself--well, the sloshy feeling would contribute to feeling bad and also contribute to him wanting not to be active. But basically, you and Tempo have both had a rough week-plus. He'll probably be more himself about the time you catch up on your sleep and start feeling more like your self.

15060353021_97558ce7da.jpg
Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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Guest IrskasMom

Jay, your Boy Tempo is so cute . I just want to hug and Kiss him :beatheart:beatheart:beatheart With a Daddy like you , he will be well soon.

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That is an awesome sit! What a cutie he is.

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.

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the ustream feed seems to black out every now and again. Seems like there are technical problems, but it comes back on when reloaded.

 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/rustytempo

 

in any event, the pathology report is back. it is (no surprise) osteosarcoma. in the bone, they feel that that there is a clear and clean marginal border around the tumor. that, combined with the fact that they found no sign of cancer in the lymph node seems to bode well for his prognosis going forward. i have made an appointment with the oncologist at angell for this friday morning, right after his staples come out. depending on what testing needs to be done (or already have been done), and depending on how his wound looks, its possible that we will begin chemo there and then. i havent spoken with this oncologist yet, though she has apparently consulted on this case, and im told she is both interested in and has a soft spot for greyhounds. nonetheless, i am going to have to start reading up on the various protocols suggested by OSU, and whether carboplatin alone is optimal, or if multiple drugs are preferable. i've sort of avoided the whole topic so far, mostly out of exhaustion, but its time to turn the page.

 

otherwise he is doing better by the day. he's back to being able to snatch his treats out of the air when i throw them his way, and seems much more comfortable walking.

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Glad to hear that he's getting back to his normal self :)

 

Can you tell me about your UStream setup? Are you using an IP camera or one hooked to a computer? I'd like to set something up like that in my room so I can check in on Fritz throughout the day.

Kristin in Moline, IL USA with Ozzie (MRL Crusin Clem), Clarice (Clarice McBones), Latte and Sage the IGs, and the kitties: Violet and Rose
Lovingly Remembered: Sutra (Fliowa Sutra) 12/02/97-10/12/10, Pinky (Pick Me) 04/20/03-11/19/12, Fritz (Fritz Fire) 02/05/01 - 05/20/13, Ace (Fantastic Ace) 02/05/01 - 07/05/13, and Carrie (Takin the Crumbs) 05/08/99 - 09/04/13.

A cure for cancer can't come soon enough.--

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His wound has actually been looking amazingly good, all things considered, the whole time. The swelling is almost completely gone, it doesn't seem to hurt him when I touch it, and there have been no signs of infection.

 

In terms of the Ustream setup -- I have a very basic one. I don't even have a stand-alone webcam, so I simply leave my Macbook open with the Ustream broadcast module on. I find that Ustream works best when I just want to check through my desktop at work during the day (I'm a librarian, and I'm basically at the same desk from 9-5). However, if you're on the go, I've found that skype works much better for checking in from a smartphone. To do it that way, simply set up two skype accounts: one for your webcam at home, and one to call in to that webcam from. Log in to your home account on your computer at home, and set the preferences so that it answers automatically when it receives an incoming call. That way, you can just dial it up from the other account whenever and from wherever you want, and the streaming actually works quite well on phones. Ustream seemed really clunky on the phone last time I tried, but it could just be an iphone thing. Both Ustream and Skype are free.

 

Being able to check in on them whenever I want, from wherever I am has made this ordeal much more manageable.

Edited by jaym1
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Jay,

 

OSU does either carboplatin or doxorubicin alone. They don't start any other chemo agents until after the IV chemo is done. I'm sorry I don't remember how many infusions are done for each (between 4 and 6 every 2 weeks). They do have an experimental drug called suramin. They give this via IV 4 hours before the carboplatin or doxorubicin. It is hoped that it will increase the effectiveness of the chemo agent. Two years ago it was only available at OSU (and maybe a couple of other research centers) as part of a study.

 

OSU also gives Cerenia as a tablet for 3 days following the chemo. It helps settle the stomach. If Tempo is having any stomach upset, they might add famotidine, Reglan, and/or sucralfate. If he gets diarrhea, they will probably do Flagyl.

 

Sometimes for a few days after the chemo, the dog might not want to eat. In this case, some dogs won't eat stinky stuff, others will love the stink. This goes away within a couple of days. Usually the first two or three chemo treatments have absolutely no side affects (although they warn you that your dog might be lethargic -- how do you tell with a grey?). If Tempo does have side affects, it will likely be after the later treatments.

 

I also wanted to say that Tempo may have a urinary tract infection (UTI) despite the antibiotics. Joe developed one. Of course it could also be that he is just getting rid of the fluids. As to the reddish pee: this is also probably him getting rid of the pooled blood but its best that the vet is looking at the urine. Joe developed a problem with myoglobin in his pee about 5 days after the surgery. I am told this is quite rare though. Joe was quite the unique boy.

 

Jane

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Thank you so much for the chemo information, Jane. This will be very helpful. I want to know as much as I can going in, so that I am well-positioned to make the best possible decisions about his care going forward.

 

His urinalysis tests came back, and all is normal, though they are still waiting on the culture to see if there is perhaps an infection lingering.

 

Rocko's racing name was RC Rocko. Both Rocko and Tempo are one generation removed from Oswald Cobblepot. First cousins, though they're part of a pretty big family, to be sure. Rocko's mother is WMS-Delightful who, as you can see, he is basically a carbon copy of.

 

http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?showpic=541498

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Jay, just some advice. You can research the two chemo drugs, Carboplatin and Doxorubicin until you are blue in the face. Both have had 'success' and one over the other from a life expectancy is not that different. We chose Doxorubicin due to some research our local vet did and found the median life span was something like 14mths compared to 12mths for Carboplatin if I am remembering the numbers correctly. Not much of a difference to be honest. Doxorubicin though can cause heart damage so that is also something to consider. This is what I mean you can beat yourself up on data about both.

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.

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Pinky did Carboplatin. Our vet preferred that over the Doxorubicin due to ease of administration (his words) and the fact that the doxo can cause heart damage. Though, the carboplatin can cause kidney issues, so, like Kyle said above, it's a 6 and one half-dozen situation. Our vet does administer both (doxorubicin is used for lymphoma, I believe), but, he prefers the carboplatin for osteo.

 

After she finished IV chemo, Pinky was put on a protocol of Piroxicam (an NSAID) and an oral chemo. She tolerated both very well.

Kristin in Moline, IL USA with Ozzie (MRL Crusin Clem), Clarice (Clarice McBones), Latte and Sage the IGs, and the kitties: Violet and Rose
Lovingly Remembered: Sutra (Fliowa Sutra) 12/02/97-10/12/10, Pinky (Pick Me) 04/20/03-11/19/12, Fritz (Fritz Fire) 02/05/01 - 05/20/13, Ace (Fantastic Ace) 02/05/01 - 07/05/13, and Carrie (Takin the Crumbs) 05/08/99 - 09/04/13.

A cure for cancer can't come soon enough.--

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For whatever reason, he's had a couple sudden outbursts of pain today. First was while he was (I thought) sleeping on his bed, and I heard a few yips. I went over, and all seemed fine. Then, several hours later (just now) he came up to lay next to me on the couch. A few minutes after settling in, and while laying on his good side, he suddenly starting screeching, out of nowhere. Everything I touched made him screech more. I got him up and off the couch, and after 20 seconds or so, he calmed back down, and is now laying peacefully in his bed again. I gave him 25 mg of tramadol in addition to the 50 he had with dinner a couple hours back.

 

My absolute fear -- my worst nightmare, even beyond already having osteo -- is that it's already in his other front leg. So this type of painful outburst is really frightening. He had otherwise been doing really well all day: moving around easily, more outgoing, waiting for me at the door, etc.

Edited by jaym1
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I don't remember you mentioning whether he had any shrieking episodes early on (which is pretty typical). If he didn't and this is new, or he had them at first but hasn't had them in a few days, I'd want to keep track of the details of the episodes (time in relation to meds/food, how active he has been, etc.).

 

It could be this was just a freak thing and won't happen again. It also could be that he is sore from activity - it seems that he has been quite active during his first week+ post-surgery, and his remaining limbs (and his neck and back muscles too) are being used in ways his body isn't used to, so this could easily be muscle cramps or general soreness. There's also the thought that dogs can experience phantom pain like humans can after an amputation. I don't think that's terribly common, as I can't remember anyone here thinking their dogs experienced it, but it's another possibility.

 

If he seems to get more uncomfortable, it's probably worth a call to his surgeon. Otherwise, I'd still mention it when he has his Friday appointment.

 

BTW, your worst fear is one I share - I am so worried that it will come back in another bone, especially in Twiggy's remaining front leg. There's no way I could tell if she is limping, so I watch for any licking or reluctance to walk (I am pretty good at obsessing over the tiniest oddity).

 

Hoping Tempo doesn't have any more break out pain!

Wendy with Twiggy, fosterless while Twiggy's fighting the good fight, and Donnie & Aiden the kitties

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amazingly, he has had no outbursts of noticeable pain since coming home. he was in the hospital for saturday and most of the day sunday after surgery on friday. he would whine and yelp quite loudly while i would visit him there, but the instant he came home, that all stopped, until the two episodes i just described.

 

i was also thinking about nerve pain. he is only on tramadol right now -- no gabapentin. but i may give hime another dose of gabapentin if this happens again.

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