Osteo Thread Part V I I

[Guest cas0673]

Sadie had a reaction to the patch after she had her teeth pulled last year. They took it off, I can't remember what happened. I kind of think her skin got irritated from it. I have a call into my hometown vet to get the antibiotics I ran out of. And I asked them for something for her appetite. She was losing her appetite before her surgery. At that time she was on 3 meds she is now on. She is on 4 meds right now. Tramadol, Rymadyl, Enrofloxacin(which is the antibiotic, but my hometown vet doesn't have this so they were going to give me something else after talking to the out of town vet). Those were the 3 she was on before surgery. And then they added Amantadine for nerve pain. I am waiting to hear from my hometown vet yet.

[Charlies_Dad]

Sadie's mom. The patch can cause some issues as well as it's powerful but it works. I don't recall now whether Charlie was on it for any time during his amp but you may find out about Gabapentin. It is used for nerve pain as well and may Greys have done fine on it. As for her appetite, try anything and everything to get her to eat. I am assuming they have given her something for her stomach due to all the pain meds she is taking?

 

I am sorry to read Carl's joined this club. I was truly hoping for VF. As with everyone else, we are here for you no matter the path you choose.

[greysmom]

Sadie had a reaction to the patch after she had her teeth pulled last year. They took it off, I can't remember what happened. I kind of think her skin got irritated from it. I have a call into my hometown vet to get the antibiotics I ran out of. And I asked them for something for her appetite. She was losing her appetite before her surgery. At that time she was on 3 meds she is now on. She is on 4 meds right now. Tramadol, Rymadyl, Enrofloxacin(which is the antibiotic, but my hometown vet doesn't have this so they were going to give me something else after talking to the out of town vet). Those were the 3 she was on before surgery. And then they added Amantadine for nerve pain. I am waiting to hear from my hometown vet yet.

 

With all that she should be having a pepcid or other acid-reducer about 30 minutes before mealtimes. I second ading in the gabapentin. It controls the nerve pain a LOT better than just about any other drug.

[TwiggysMom]

I haven't been logged in for a while, and there is so much sad news in here.

 

I am sorry to hear that Jesse, Joey and Carl are all battling osteo now, too.

 

Also hoping that Sadie's recovery goes smoothly - it really is tough the first couple weeks, but after that things can move forward really quickly.

 

Keeping everyone in my thoughts...

[seeh2o]

My vet wants to rule out osteomyelitis. I also want to look into pamidronate. I am not interested in amputation, I just don't think that would be a good choice for a number of reasons. What a happy birthday, huh? Carl and Doodles will be 11 tomorrow. That's a nice kick in the groin.

[o_rooly]

Oh, Connie, no, no, no Fingers, legs, paws, claws, wings, arms crossed that it's some oddball diagnosis instead.

In any case, Carl is VERY fortunate to have you on his side.


To everyone here -- my thoughts are with you and your hounds.

[seeh2o]

Thank you Syd. Knowing Carl, if there is an freaky odd-ball diagnosis to be found, he will find it. I'm also going to ask my vet about Artesmisnin. She practices holistic and Western, so I'm hoping to throw the best of both worlds at this. No suffering, not at my hands, but if I can prolong his life comfortably watch out...my inner banshee is all over it.

[o_rooly]

Thank you Syd. Knowing Carl, if there is an freaky odd-ball diagnosis to be found, he will find it. I'm also going to ask my vet about Artesmisnin. She practices holistic and Western, so I'm hoping to throw the best of both worlds at this. No suffering, not at my hands, but if I can prolong his life comfortably watch out...my inner banshee is all over it.

Damn straight! Woe to the pathogen or neoplasm that dares tread on Carl.

Sounds like Carl and Aston are both exceptionally talented in finding ways to make their people look like they have Munchausen by proxy.

 

Like my friend told me after I received that diagnostic-bomb two-cancer phone call from Aston's vet this Fall -- "You've given yourself a few minutes to freak out. Now, there are steps you can take, develop a game plan. Go do it." We are here for you. Please let me know if I can be of any help!!

[seeh2o]

Damn straight! Woe to the pathogen or neoplasm that dares tread on Carl.

Sounds like Carl and Aston are both exceptionally talented in finding ways to make their people look like they have Munchausen by proxy.

 

Like my friend told me after I received that diagnostic-bomb two-cancer phone call from Aston's vet this Fall -- "You've given yourself a few minutes to freak out. Now, there are steps you can take, develop a game plan. Go do it." We are here for you. Please let me know if I can be of any help!!

Thank you,Syd, I may be contacting you. Carl and Aston, vet lobby buddies!

[Guest Greytblackdog]

Joey, Jesse & Carl - I'm so sorry to see new members to the club. It breaks my heart. I'm using a mix of western and holistic with my girl as well along with no amputation due to bad orthopedic issues. I feed a raw diet and have included a lot of cancer fighting vegetables in my SLOP mix. We were using Artemisinin before we started radiation for pain control (those two don't mix, so if you think you might do radiation therapy for pain control you might want to wait). As soon as the waiting period is up, we'll go back to it. We were actually using Artemix as it is more potent than Artemisinin and is recommended by the researchers for "active cancers." I also use Immunity4Pets (Avemar) which has been shown to help get rid of the dead cancer cells in the body. As soon as we got our DX in December I was paralyzed for two weeks, but then my inner momma bear kicked in and decided we weren't going down without a fight.

 

Hugs to Sadie (and mom). You made the right choice for her - just hold on to that over the next few difficult weeks as she heals.

 

Kim - I hope Casper's paw is feeling better. Would doing a support wrap with vet wrap be of any benefit or would it just stress him more? And you were so right about letting her eat whatever she wants. I feel like a short order cook some days. Right now she won't eat anything other than her raw mix and peanut butter. If it is cooked, she has no interest. Last week, all she would eat is kibble of all things.

 

For those who did chemo - do you know how low your dog's WBC count was on day 7 or 14? Seka spiked a fever and bottomed out this weekend at (drumroll please) .49 (yes 490 total WBC). The oncologist freaked out when she saw that - yes, she told me she freaked out. We did another CBC today and it was back up in the 2000s, so that's good. I guess on the first round of chemo you don't really know what to expect.

[Guest OurGreytLife]

It breaks my heart to see all the dogs afflicted with this terrible disease!

 

When I posted here about Joey I was so distraught I had a hard time thinking straight so I didn't explain things very well.

 

Even though Joey does have a collapsing trachea and a heart murmur, the biggest reason I'm electing not to amputate is that Joey doesn't have the personality for it. The vet hospital where I take Joey have all known him since he was 12 weeks old. They, too, are hesitant to put a dog like Joey thru such a tough surgery.

 

Joey developed a shoulder problem about two years ago that causes him to limp if he runs too much. Back then we were hesitant to put him through surgery for that. So I managed that issue with shorter runs with rest in between and he has been doing very good since then. We are concerned also that amp would cause Joey to put more weight on that shoulder and aggravate it making the amp surgery to relieve pain be for nothing. And Joey is depressed right now over the recent loss of his buddy, Walter.

 

I am blessed to have the best vets looking out for Joey's interests. They are very greyhound savvy and I also worked there for over 11 years as a veterinary receptionist. I know them all personally. I would trust them with my life so I am grateful that all my dogs were in such caring and compassionate hands.

 

This cancer is such a demon. Trying to make the right decisions about amputation, pain relief and quality of life.

 

I am keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers. You have been so helpful. Stay strong and know that whatever decisions we make for our companions, we don't make these decisions lightly and we do out of love.

[seeh2o]

Joey, Jesse & Carl - I'm so sorry to see new members to the club. It breaks my heart. I'm using a mix of western and holistic with my girl as well along with no amputation due to bad orthopedic issues. I feed a raw diet and have included a lot of cancer fighting vegetables in my SLOP mix. We were using Artemisinin before we started radiation for pain control (those two don't mix, so if you think you might do radiation therapy for pain control you might want to wait). As soon as the waiting period is up, we'll go back to it. We were actually using Artemix as it is more potent than Artemisinin and is recommended by the researchers for "active cancers." I also use Immunity4Pets (Avemar) which has been shown to help get rid of the dead cancer cells in the body. As soon as we got our DX in December I was paralyzed for two weeks, but then my inner momma bear kicked in and decided we weren't going down without a fight.

 

Hugs to Sadie (and mom). You made the right choice for her - just hold on to that over the next few difficult weeks as she heals.

 

Kim - I hope Casper's paw is feeling better. Would doing a support wrap with vet wrap be of any benefit or would it just stress him more? And you were so right about letting her eat whatever she wants. I feel like a short order cook some days. Right now she won't eat anything other than her raw mix and peanut butter. If it is cooked, she has no interest. Last week, all she would eat is kibble of all things.

 

For those who did chemo - do you know how low your dog's WBC count was on day 7 or 14? Seka spiked a fever and bottomed out this weekend at (drumroll please) .49 (yes 490 total WBC). The oncologist freaked out when she saw that - yes, she told me she freaked out. We did another CBC today and it was back up in the 2000s, so that's good. I guess on the first round of chemo you don't really know what to expect.

What is in your veggie mix?

[Guest Greytblackdog]

Here's my SLOP recipe:

 

Brocooli, Kale, Mushrooms, Parsley, Red Pepper - I blanch all of these before putting them in the food processor and pulverizing. I also open a can of jack mackerel and pour the liquid into the food processor since I have one who kinda turns their nose up to veggies. But the fishy flavor makes it ok. Once I transfer it to my storage container I add turmeric. I make enough for a week at a time for 2 dogs. Usually 2 lbs of broccoli, 1 bunch of kale, 1 red pepper, 1 container of mushrooms, 1 bunch of parsley will feed both for the week as they get 1.5 to 2 oz per meal. I know some people who make more and freeze it, but I don't have the space.

[seeh2o]

I'm going to ask my vet about this, I have to be careful about cruciferous veggies as both of my two are hypothyroid and I've been told to stay away from them. At this point, though, I think fighting cancer is more important for Carl. I'll ask her about this though. My veggie mix has about 1-2 lbs of spinach, 1lb of carrots, 1lb of yellow squash, 1 banana, a handful of blueberries and a little Apple cider vinegar.

Edited February 25, 2014 by seeh2o

[Guest Greytblackdog]

My girls don't like fruit, or else I'd include blueberries in mine too. From what I've read, cancer like carbs. Particularly carbs with sugar. So you might want to reduce the carrots and banana. I'm not sure about squash. But I'm certainly not familiar with how cruciferous veggies interact with the thyroid. The American Institute for Cancer Research as well as Sloan-Kettering's website have great resources for both supplements and foods that help to fight cancer.

[45MPHK9]

I'm sorry, Connie.

[Guest fastcasper]

Update on Casper: he is (once again) on the mend. I seem to be getting his UTI under control and the antibiotics seem to be working now. After he did his blood work on Sunday to absolutely confirm it wasn't a kidney issue, I had to start restricting his water intake. This seems to be working. A dog his weight should get about 3 liters per day (or about 12 cups) of water. So I am giving him one cup at a time, and it's working. Though he still seems water obsessed, my vet assured me it wasn't any reason medically. The sensation to drink might still be there for a couple of days. Tonight he was better at this. And last night he slept 6.5 hours before getting up, and only because I woke him up to give him his slurry.

The paw still puffy but it took a real beating for a few days, so I'm not surprised. Still icing it!

 

He goes to the oncologist on Thursday for his chest rads to see what the tumors are doing and if the Palladia did a bit of good. I can't stay that his hacking has really increased, I hardly heard it for a couple of days, then, today a heard it a few times. Crazy.

 

Thoughts to everyone who is starting this journey, I wish you didn't have to. It sucks!!!

 

Kim and Casper

[EllenEveBaz]

to everyone

[greysmom]

Kyle, does your wife still have the info for what you were feeding Charlie? Also I believe there are several books/websites on holistic diets for cancer dogs, but I can't seem to remember one of them! I looked through them for Dude an did end up adding certain fruits and veggies into his diet. He loved everything so it was easy - except those days following his chemo, then he only wanted McD's cheeseburgers!

[TwiggysMom]

Kim, I'm glad it sounds like the abx seem to be kicking in. I hope the puffy paw calms down soon!

 

Kyle, I second Chris' request for Charlie's diet info. I seem to be the osteo contact for a number of local groups, and many want to do as much holistic care as possible. I haven't done an awful lot in that regard, and I know you have so much excellent information that I'd love to be able to pass on to others who are really looking for guidance.

[Guest cas0673]

Sadie is having a much better day. Last night I took her to get her belly checked because she has a blob of I guess blood hanging from her belly. And I had to get this medicine mishap fixed. So the vet gave me a new antibiotic, the other antibiotic she was in was in case it was a bone infection. She gave me an appetite stimulant. Sadie started eating this afternoon! Oh what a joy to give her her pills again!!! Her 2 legs are swollen, I remember reading about this, but it don't know what the deal was with it. She is urinating some blood, I can see the color is off. But I thought that was ok too. Anyone help on the swollen legs and urinating some blood?

[seeh2o]

And the roller coaster ride continues...just came back from my vet. She had not been able to open the xrays I emailed to her, so she asked me to bring them in on a cd. Initially, she said if the expert on this thinks it's osteo, it probably is. She doesn't pull any punches. Then she examined his wrist. Then we talked...a lot, we were there for over an hour. Carl was bored and wanted to leave. Then she looked at the xrays. She asked if he had injured that foot, I told her that when he was nailed on the head last summer his entire toenail was torn off, but that the vets didn't attend to it at all, they were too worried about the injury to his head and all the swelling of his head, face and neck. She asked how long ago that was, I told her at the beginning of Sept. Then she said...I'm not convinced it's osteosarcoma after looking at the xrays, examining his wrist and hearing what happened in Sept. She thinks it could be osteomyelitis, a bone infection that developed from the toenail being pulled off. She said the xrays just don't look like osteo. She said she thought we should try treating him with a strong antibiotic that would go into the bone for two weeks and then take it from there. She thought it might be a good thing to hold off on a fine needle aspiration, too, to give the antibiotic a chance to work. I've been going to her for years and know many others who go to her, she is an amazing diagnostician. I pray she is right. We will start the augmentin on Thurs night as I will be home all weekend after that to see how he does on it. She also gave me a prescription for Baytril if the augmentin makes him sick. She wanted to give me clindamycin, but because Doodles had a bad reaction to it and she is is littermate, she thought we should avoid it.

 

She also said, if any of her patients is going to have a weird diagnosis...it's going to be Carl. He's had some really weird ones in the past. I'm hoping he stays true to form on this.

 

Today is their birthday, I'll take any ray of hope there may be. This is, guardedly, a very very happy birthday.

[o_rooly]

Hope and prayers for a weird diagnosis. Osteomyelitis would make sense!!

Hugs and scritches to Carl and Claire on their birthday.

and a stiff drink for YOU!!! and a hug. and more drinks.

[seeh2o]

Syd, I did pour myself one tonight, I may have two!

[Guest grey_dreams]

Sending all kinds of good wishes to the hounds and their people who have to go through this