Osteo Thread Part V I I

[JJNg]

Can you post Aston's x-rays here, or start a thread for him? Is the swelling right at the hock joint, or slightly above or below? The good thing is that the hock area isn't one of the common areas to find OSA. So while it's a possibility in any bone, it's not as suspicious as it would be if it was in one of the classic locations. Has he had any previous injuries to that hock that you're aware of?

[Charlies_Dad]

Wishing happy holidays to you and your hounds.

Henry is celebrating early, and giving Stewie a run for his money.

 

He got so excited, his ears fell off.

 

 

You go Henry! Stewie gives you a 'high paw' on the jar.

 

I hope Aston does not need to become a member here. I agree about the 'wait & see', never do that as you know your pup best. When Charlie started limping, I was out of the country on business and Lynn happened to mention it during our nightly call, I told her to immediately get him in for an x-ray and she initially thought why as it should go away but alas it turned out to be our greatest fear. Good thoughts for your boy.

 

Hope all the other pups here and their humans are doing well and having a Merry Christmas. I know this time of year can be hard for many with those who have lost pups this year and for those who are still battling this horrid disease. Our thoughts are with you all.

[o_rooly]

Merry Christmas, all.

I'll post the xrays later today.. currently wrestling with my phone.


Edit: X-rays below. I believe the vet was concerned about the bone distal to (not directly deep to) the swelling, though I'm pretty sleep deprived, so my memory's foggy . No hock injuries that I know of; this is just his "corn leg" that's been favored for most of his life.

Edited December 26, 2013 by o_rooly

[a_daerr]

Those of you who have Ruffwear harnesses, what size did you get?

[tbhounds]

Those of you who have Ruffwear harnesses, what size did you get?

I have 2-a med and a large--I find the large fits better even for my 60 lb girl.

[a_daerr]

I have 2-a med and a large--I find the large fits better even for my 60 lb girl.

Thanks! Do you have the regular one? I think it's called the Webmaster?

[greysmom]

We have the regular Webmasters in medium. I found the large ones needed to be cinched up almost all the way, even on a regular size greyhound. They worked really well for Dude until he chewed through the chest strap - on two different harnesses!

 

ETA: A limp is not always definitive. Our boy never limped at all - at all! - before he broke his leg running in the yard. When we looked back, we did see him licking that leg a bit more, but there was really nothing that we would have keyed in on as pain behavior prior to that afternoon.

Edited December 26, 2013 by greysmom

[o_rooly]

Dr. Couto responded within an hour of when I sent the xrays to him this morning:

"The radiographs show some soft tissue swelling in the medial left tarsus, and old proliferative changes that are likely due to osteoarthritis. Osteosarcoma typically does not affect joints, and joint tumors (synovial cell tumors) are quite uncommon and cause bone destruction (and he doesn’t have any). Do you know if he has decreased range of motion in that hock? Taking a lateral xray of the right hock (for comparison) would be helpful. Is the swelling fluctuant (i.e.; fills fluid-filled)? Instead of a biopsy, [your vet] can do a needle aspirate, simple and painless, and it gives lots of info."

I'm sending his notes to my vet. Aston has no noticeable decrease in ROM in that hock, and the swelling is very "squishy" and feels like there's fluid under the skin.

Edited December 26, 2013 by o_rooly

[MrAlexTheDog]

Dr. Couto responded within an hour of when I sent the xrays to him this morning:

 

"The radiographs show some soft tissue swelling in the medial left tarsus, and old proliferative changes that are likely due to osteoarthritis. Osteosarcoma typically does not affect joints, and joint tumors (synovial cell tumors) are quite uncommon and cause bone destruction (and he doesn’t have any). Do you know if he has decreased range of motion in that hock? Taking a lateral xray of the right hock (for comparison) would be helpful. Is the swelling fluctuant (i.e.; fills fluid-filled)? Instead of a biopsy, [your vet] can do a needle aspirate, simple and painless, and it gives lots of info."

 

I'm sending his notes to my vet. Aston has no noticeable decrease in ROM in that hock, and the swelling is very "squishy" and feels like there's fluid under the skin.

 

good luck with aston, sydney! i need to meet you guys and aston sometime since you're in los angeles.

[a_daerr]

Yay! Good news about Aston!

[tbhounds]

We have the regular Webmasters in medium. I found the large ones needed to be cinched up almost all the way, even on a regular size greyhound. They worked really well for Dude until he chewed through the chest strap - on two different harnesses!

 

ETA: A limp is not always definitive. Our boy never limped at all - at all! - before he broke his leg running in the yard. When we looked back, we did see him licking that leg a bit more, but there was really nothing that we would have keyed in on as pain behavior prior to that afternoon.

I have the webmaster-the straps are super adjustable-you do have to muck with them a bit--I just found the the large had more coverage over the back which for me was more benefical.

[a_daerr]

First Doxo appointment today! Check out the collar.

 

[TwiggysMom]

Twiggy and I send holiday wishes to Libby, Lana, Casper, Treetop, Henry, and Aston! (I'm thankful that it looks like Aston is not experiencing osteo, and that Henry is an honorary-member!)

 

As Kim said so well, it has been a rough year with far too many hounds leaving us from this awful disease. Every new diagnosis and new loss is blow to us all.

 

Twiggy has been surprising me this week. Several times she ran up stairs after me, without any encouraging on my part - she hadn't done that since 7/31! Of course today, she wouldn't come up stairs no matter what I promised her, so we're back in the downstairs room. I wish I knew what motivated her earlier this week! Either way, I'm thrilled that she is still happy and seemingly healthy!

[a_daerr]

Henry's chemo went pretty good today. The next few days will determine how well he tolerates the Doxo. He's seemed normal since we got home, albeit somewhat tired. He also had some diarrhea, but nothing to write home about (yet). He ate all his dinner without any coaxing. We'll see how he does tomorrow.

 

The CBC showed his white cell count was a little low, so he has to be on antibiotics for awhile longer. He's also on Flagyl, Reglan, and Cerenia to help with the nausea and diarrhea. We have a CBC re-check in a week, then our next round on January 18. Everybody loved his collar.

 

Still no word on the pet insurance... I called and they said my claim is being processed and they were waiting for 'confirmation of coverage,' whatever that means. We filed on Dec. 9, and all the records and documentation was received. It was only supposed to take 10 business days, so I can't help but be worried about it. If they aren't waiting on more paperwork from the vet, what could be taking so long?

[Riverhound]

Henry's chemo went pretty good today. The next few days will determine how well he tolerates the Doxo. He's seemed normal since we got home, albeit somewhat tired. He also had some diarrhea, but nothing to write home about (yet). He ate all his dinner without any coaxing. We'll see how he does tomorrow.

The CBC showed his white cell count was a little low, so he has to be on antibiotics for awhile longer. He's also on Flagyl, Reglan, and Cerenia to help with the nausea and diarrhea. We have a CBC re-check in a week, then our next round on January 18. Everybody loved his collar.

Still no word on the pet insurance... I called and they said my claim is being processed and they were waiting for 'confirmation of coverage,' whatever that means. We filed on Dec. 9, and all the records and documentation was received. It was only supposed to take 10 business days, so I can't help but be worried about it. If they aren't waiting on more paperwork from the vet, what could be taking so long?

Alicia, I just had a simple claim for Brees take 20 days when it usually would take 7, at most. It's probably just the time of year. (Normal Brees nonsense. NOT anything serious.)

[a_daerr]

'Normal Brees Nonsense."

That makes me feel a bit better.

[TwiggysMom]

I'm glad to hear Henry's doxo went well. It sounds like that should be a good combo of meds to keep him comfy and prevent side effects!

[Guest fastcasper]

Important appt. coming up on Jan 2. Casper goes in for chest x-rays to see what the tumors have done. He did 2 rounds of Doxo and I think regardless of outcome of the rads, I'm switching him to metronomic chemo. I am concerned about the chemo weakening his heart and I think he is a bit over all the visits. He was out of the house for over 9 hours with his last chemo session and I feel I missed a day of his life with him. I have him on a couple of supplements as well in hopes that they MAY helps just slow things down.

 

Kim and Casper

[Charlies_Dad]

Kim, good thoughts for Casper and you. I hope the x-rays show no additional mets and that the ones previously visible have not grown.

 

Yes while out and about, we parked in a mall to go to a paint store and in front of us is a van with a vanity plate with Gryhounds (or something like that). As we were leaving our car, the owners came up and saw Stewie sticking his head out the window and they commented how much he looked like their boy. We talked Greys for a while (it's so nice to meet fellow Greyhound owners) and found out their boy has Osteo and was diagnosed in July. He went through radiation but unfortunately they stated he is not doing well and they would be setting him free very soon. He is only 8 years old and it's their second that has had Osteo. It just breaks my heart to hear of another pup who I have never met and will never know taken by this horrid disease. So for this special boy who I didn't even get his name, I hope your passing is peaceful and that in time your Mom and Dad will heal from your loss.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Charlies_Dad

[a_daerr]

Keeping my fingers crossed that Casper starts to improve.

 

We're now two days past Henry's first Doxo treatment, and surprisingly, I haven't noticed many (if any) side effects. The oncologist said that if he was going to have nausea/diarrhea/anorexia, it starts happening within the first two days. He has been eating well and acting normal. I'm curious what the CBC will look like on Friday. For those of you who've been through rounds of Doxo, when did your dogs start showing symptoms? Is it likely that he tolerates the first one really well, then things start to go more downhill as treatments go on? It's hard to know what to expect.

 

Another thing that's been weighing heavily on my mind... we're one month post-amp today, and although Henry has bounced back for the most part, I'm wondering if some parts of our situation have been permanently changed. Truman and Henry used to rough-house and play constantly. They'd fly up and down the stairs and go out the dog door to run in the yard. Now, their dynamic is much different. When Truman starts getting wound up and initiating play, I see Henry back off (I think he's scared of getting knocked over). Henry is still not comfortable going up stairs, so he has to be carried. Because they're so much less engaged with each other, Truman is climbing up the walls, chasing cats, getting into trouble more often... I'm guessing because he no longer has Henry as an outlet for his energy. I wonder if Henry is officially "retired" as Truman's playmate. We've always capped our dog quota at two because they were both evenly-matched companions. Now I'm starting to wonder what the alternative is. Should I seek out other higher-energy dogs in our area and arrange playdates for Truman? Should we consider adopting another dog in the future to balance things out? Maybe I'm worrying for nothing and prematurely jumping to conclusions, but I'm worried. I want to do right by both of my boys.

[greysmom]

It's hard to say while Henry is still undergoing treatment and feeling under the weather - he's likely not *completely* healed up, even if he's acting better, and, of course, he's still getting used to being on three legs. I can say that Dude took about four months to really go back to being the bouncy boy he was before, and that was different too. He never did really want to wrestle and roughhouse around like he used to with the other dogs. He would join in the chase games, but stayed by himself to play otherwise. Our other dogs at the time seemed to respect his wishes. None of them were puppies though!

 

Only you can decide if you want to add another dog or not. If you have other options - friends, dog daycare, more personal training time - they might work better for you. With osteo dogs, you know from the beginning that they will leave you sooner, rather than later. Since Henry is in a different boat, there's no telling how long he will be with you, and it could be a "normal" greyhound lifespan of many years yet.

 

For me personally, I couldn't deal with having to burn off Lilly's energy all by myself! She *needs* another dog or two to play with to really get tired out. The couple times both her playmates here have been on the DL, she's been a holy terror inside and out, and, though I did my best, it really only blunted the worst effects. At least with young dogs, being tired really does mean being good!

[Charlies_Dad]

Alicia, our Charlie had Doxo and his white count went down a bit after the third treatment and I believe he 'felt' the 4th and 5th rounds as we found him to be more fatigued after those two. He bounced back though with a day or so. He did not seem to suffer from nausea but have some diarrhea after the 4th and 5th.

[a_daerr]

Chris, thanks for your input on this one. Since Truman was a little puppy, Henry has been his like babysitter. I'm feeling a little lost about how to handle Truman on my own. If we decide to get another dog, I'm sure it won't be for a long time. Maybe six months to a year, until Henry is 100% done with his treatments and we figure out exactly how his personality changes. DBF took Truman to the dog park on Saturday where he ran and played with a lab for a full 90 minutes. Even though I was ecstatic that he was happy and TIRED, I felt a little sad knowing that Truman's needs have recently taken a backseat. He's pretty codependent on Henry.

 

Kyle, thanks for sharing Charlie's experience with Doxo. I came into it pretty "gloom and doom," but I hope that Henry continues to tolerate it well.

 

ETA: Dogs have such a funny way of proving you wrong.

When I got home today, they were out in the yard running around, playing with toys and doing full-out bitey face play.

 

 

Now they're super tired.

Edited December 30, 2013 by a_daerr

[TwiggysMom]

I'm so glad to hear this latest Henry update!

 

I think it is normal to expect that Henry isn't 100% back to himself yet. At 1 month, I was still looking into carts and ramps because I wasn't sure what Twiggy's capabilities would end up being. She wasn't really interested in any of her toys yet, wasn't playing, wasn't going on long walks, etc.

 

But, at 2 months (and after her 2nd round of carboplatin), she made her famous 37 mph tripod run in a fun run, and blew everyone away. That was the beginning of her new life. From there, her play increased, walks increased, everything increased.

 

I have no experience with doxo, but with the carbo, I saw absolutely no side effects through the 1st 3 rounds. Round 4 she was a little tired, Round 5 started with what I came to call "chemo poop" (a weird texture and sort of rusty color), and Round 6 was bad (but I think there was an administration error that caused the bulk of the bad, because the reaction started while she was still at the oncologists - I need to point out again that this was not her current oncologist).

 

The doxo will probably slow down Henry's full recovery a bit, but not to where you'd really notice - just that once he's done, he'll probably make a rather exponential jump. Hang in there, Henry is still on the trail back, but he'll get there!

[Guest fastcasper]

Casper has had 2 round of Doxo and my oncologist said they can feel "a dip" around day 7-10, where as other chemos they can "dip" about 3-5 days after treatment. Casper didn't have any visable effects on the first round but this last time right around day 6-7 he was low energy and not really himself. Next day, though, was back to barking at the door when I came home and running around in the yard. It took a few months for Caper and Wynnie to start running and playing with each other. Wynnie treated him as if he still had four legs. She knocked him down a couple of time but he got right back up.

 

I'm nervous about tomorrow, but, it will be what it will be.

 

Kim