This Is A Thread I Hoped I Would Never Have To Make

[Charlies_Dad]

That is video is great! He looks like he is doing fine. I think the chemo is likely knocking him back a bit and that is not unusual.

[jaym1]

doing better today, but still very slow and very little stamina. he will jump up and get excited to go outside, just like normal, but he'll already be slowing down by the time we get to the end of the block. it kills me to see him like this, but hopefully by tomorrow the spring will start coming back into his step. no accidents today, and he ate all his food. going to go back to giving him a sardine with breakfast, and some cottage cheese with dinner in order to keep some weight on him starting tomorrow.

 

i really do miss seeing him run. he was so majestic at full stride.

 

i thought rocko was limping yesterday, and i spent the entire afternoon with a feeling in my stomach like i had swallowed wet cement for breakfast. thankfully, it turns out that he finally demonstrated an ability for adaptive thought: the only trick he knows is "paw," and now every time he wants something -- treat, a walk, up on the bed, breakfast, dinner, or attention -- he stands in front of me and holds his paw off the ground daintily waiting for me to take it.

Edited April 28, 2013 by jaym1

[jaym1]

ugh. tempo sliced one of his front paw pads open on something. the cut is sort of horizontal, almost as though it were cut from the side, so it goes deep, but its parallel to the surface of the pad, which means there's basically a flap of pad almost hanging off. i have to figure out how to help heal this. i really dont want to have to go for yet another ER vet visit. it doesnt seem to be affecting his gait, and he is ready to run and play fetch and walk at any time, but then again, how would i even know if its bothering him since he wont be showing a limp with three legs?

 

anyone know what the best course of treatment is for something like this?

 

 

other than this, he's been doing phenomenally well this week. he was sick the day of chemo, a little slow the next day, and then back to full speed -- 110%, even -- by the following day, and has been that way ever since.

[a_daerr]

Glad he's doing well. Maybe your regular vet's office can put some surgical glue on it?

[Houndtime]

Maybe a boot or a sock to cover it outside.

[MP_the4pack]

He looks terrific in the video.

 

I just wanted to let you know that my Diamond did well after the first several chemos, but towards the later ones she did show more upset tummy than the previous times. But she still came out of it ok.

[Guest FawnFan]

Great video Jay! It is great to see how well he is doing. He really looks great! Congratulations on making it through all of the tough and challenge phases and thanks for sharing.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Rocko has been restless today. He's been a bit talkative.

 

And he's the one who collected all the shoes.

 

ETA: And some clothes...

Edited May 2, 2013 by KF_in_Georgia

[Fudge]

So handsome! So glad he's feeling better

[TwiggysMom]

How's Tempo doing? I hope his pad is healing up; that's got to be a tough one to heal being on his sole front leg.

 

It sounds like the chemo knocks him back a good bit for a few days after each treatment. Twiggy didn't seem to have any effects for the first 4 or 5 treatments, but then again, it was winter and neither of cared to be out in the cold. Maybe he just needs lots of rest for the week or so after each one.

 

I LOVE the video of him running for his ball! What a happy boy!

[jaym1]

he seems to be doing ok with the cut. i've tried to keep it clean, and it doesnt seem to bother him too much unless i give it a good squeeze. the vet wanted me to come into the er, but i could tell they were just going to clean it out and put him on antibiotics, and i cant keep paying the ER fee as i often as i do, so they just put him on claivmox and he seems to be doing fine. still not healed, but he doesnt seem to be paying much attention to it.

 

he continues to look a little thinner to me than i'd like, and despite sardines with his breakfast and cottage cheese with his dinner (each meal is two cups of kibble), he doesnt seem to be putting any of that back on.

 

but in the meantime, we're still having fun every day. he was in fine form yesterday, and barked himself blue in the face at a couple dogs who were roughhousing at the park. it used to annoy me to no end when he did that, but thats what he loves to do, and as far as im concerned he can bark until the whole neighborhood wakes up. gotta make hay while the sun is shining. i just hope it'll be sunny for a long time.

 

Edited May 4, 2013 by jaym1

[krissn333]

He's burning a lot more calories moving this "new" way. As long as his appetite is good, I wouldn't worry too much

 

He's so gosh-darned handsome

[Beachbum1]

he seems to be doing ok with the cut. i've tried to keep it clean, and it doesnt seem to bother him too much unless i give it a good squeeze. the vet wanted me to come into the er, but i could tell they were just going to clean it out and put him on antibiotics, and i cant keep paying the ER fee as i often as i do, so they just put him on claivmox and he seems to be doing fine. still not healed, but he doesnt seem to be paying much attention to it.

 

he continues to look a little thinner to me than i'd like, and despite sardines with his breakfast and cottage cheese with his dinner (each meal is two cups of kibble), he doesnt seem to be putting any of that back on.

 

but in the meantime, we're still having fun every day. he was in fine form yesterday, and barked himself blue in the face at a couple dogs who were roughhousing at the park. it used to annoy me to no end when he did that, but thats what he loves to do, and as far as im concerned he can bark until the whole neighborhood wakes up. gotta make hay while the sun is shining. i just hope it'll be sunny for a long time.

 

That is one HAPPY BOY!!!!!

[Charlies_Dad]

He is a beauty all right! Love that pic, what a happy pup.

[queenwinniesmom]

gotta make hay while the sun is shining. i just hope it'll be sunny for a long time.

 

 

 

Yes, that is exactly what you are doing, and it's clear that he is a very loved and lucky dog. We hope it's sunny for a long time too!

[jaym1]

tempo has been doing a ton of panting today and tonight. its making me very worried.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I'm not going to pretend there's nothing to worry about--but all his vet exams recently have given nothing to worry about, so it's possible he's just sore from pulling a muscle or something or that he's just hot or just not feeling good in ways that aren't scary.

 

When his next scheduled vet visit?

[jaym1]

he's got a chemo session and chest x-ray on friday. he is super energetic, and it is the first fairly humid stretch of mild-to-warm weather of the year, so it could very easily be that he's just not adjusted to the temperature yet. but its impossible not to panic, since the last time i thought it was probably nothing he ended up having his leg amputated 24 hours later.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Do you have a fan he can get in front of? I've set up a big box fan in an area where it can blow safely but the dogs can't knock it over. (It's propped in a corner.) My old boy will lie 18 inches in front of the fan, at which point I'm able to stop stressing out about his panting. (He's on pain meds for spinal arthritis, so when he's panting, I worry that the meds aren't enough.)

 

After a while in front of the fan, Sam will get up and move, but he usually stays in the path of the air. And if he's not there, he's stretched out on the floor, directly under the ceiling fan.

 

And don't worry if Tempo's panting and Rocko isn't. My girl sometimes lies under the ceiling fan, but she rarely gets in front of the box fan and she isn't panting when Sam is.

[krissn333]

The chemo sometimes makes them even LESS tolerant of heat & humidity. Pinky never had to worry because I turn on the AC when it gets to be upper 70's for miss Carrie (who has mild LP), but, she got warmer easier.

 

If you ever have time to read through Winslow's thread, you'll read that Glynis bought him a fan that went everywhere with him

 

All of my dogs were panting at random times the other day because of temp changes though. I'd really try not to worry. I never worry at ONE symptom, it's when it is coupled with something else that I start to worry.

[jaym1]

thanks -- very good advice, as usual.

 

good day for the dogs. they had cottage cheese with their breakfast, sardines for lunch, and leftover steak while we were visiting my sisters house. it is hard not to worry, thoug, especially with his exam coming up at the end of the week. ive been running my hands up and down tempo's remaining leg bones to check for irregularities, swelling, and/or bumps. he does have a weird thing going on in his hind leg, just above the hock. i cant tell if its swelling or muscle tissue, but he doesnt seem to have it on the other leg. its not warm to the touch, and he's not bothered when i give it a squeeze. its possible its been there his whole life, but now im being extra paranoid.

 

in other news, getting ready to go outside in the morning is his favorite time.

[KF_in_Georgia]

The irregularity on his hind leg--left? Or right? Right side, especially right rear, takes a lot of wear and tear in racing because the course goes counter-clockwise. (My girl's Achilles tendon on the right leg is totally out of position, and while she walks okay, she doesn't put much weight on that leg when she's standing still and often stands with it completely off the ground.)

 

And bumps and lumps seem to be greyhound-normal, perhaps because there's not enough fat to disguise them, the way the fat disguises lumps on "meatier" dogs.

[krissn333]

Also keep in mind that they might hook his IV to that leg when he gets his chemo treatments, and he might have a swelling there.

[jaym1]

well, good news for now. its been two months since amputation (just about). tempo had his first chest x-ray today, and it looked fine. unfortunately his WBC count was down around 1400 suddenly, so he couldnt get his chemo today. the oncologist, who i like very much, told me that there is sometimes a delayed reaction to treatment, like this, over the course of chemo therapy, and not to worry. we're just going to go back next week.

 

but in the meantime, more of this

 

 

and this

 

 

 

and this

Edited May 17, 2013 by jaym1

[MP_the4pack]

Even if you lose him tomorrow.........just look at how happy he is today. He is pain free and enjoying life to the fullest. He really looks so very happy.

 

He's a handsome boy, I do hope you get a LOT more happy days.