Unclear Diagnosis, Opinions Welcome.

[spottydog]

Best wishes for your family.

[JJNg]

Sending lots of good thoughts for a successful surgery in the morning and an uneventful recovery.

[Guest grey_dreams]

You've really been on a journey today. Sending best wishes and prayers for an easy surgery and quick recovery for Nell, and that she will be able to discover the next joyful chapter. Will be thinking of all of you tomorrow.

[Guest OPointyDog]

Boy, you have been through the wringer in the last day or so. Here's hoping for an uneventful surgery and quick recovery. You'll find lots of good information in the Osteo thread about pain meds and adjusting to life with a tripod. When you have a chance, you should at least look through the first post for resource info.

 

We'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

[Remolacha]

[o_rooly]

Will be thinking of you. What a rollercoaster
Go forth in confidence knowing that any decision you make is out of love for Nell.

Please keep us posted if you can, but of course, your family's wellbeing comes first.

[4My2Greys]

I've been checking back for updates every hour until I went to bed after reading your post early yesterday morning. It was through tears I read of Dr. Couto's confirmation of osteo and the thought of Nell's pain and you and your wife's impending loss and then a smile as I read of your decision to amputate. I will be keeping your family close in my thoughts and Nell even closer as she goes through her surgery and recovery.

Hopefully Charlie'sDad will share photos of his Charlie and the joy in life he had living as a tri-pawd. To me Charlie, although now gone will always remain a true inspiration for those that thought amputation is the end of a dog's life.

 

Judy

[Neighsayer]

Glad you got confirmation, and a plan. Hope all goes well. The osteo thread has many discussions, photos, and videos to help you through those first few weeks post amp. I hope your dog is one of those who recover quickly and easily. Thanks for keeping us updated. We are with you. More people will see this if you post in the osteo thread, which is very active. Good luck!

[tbhounds]

I'm sorry for the diagnosis but, I must admit secretively I'm happy you are going to pursue amputation. I would, however, urge you to reconsider follow up chemo. Hopefully, some members of the "Osteo club" will chime in to be able to provide you with some insight.

Prayers the surgery will go well. Remember to use Amicar to prevent post operative bleeding. I know it's an incredibly hard, emotional al time for you both--I just lost my girl on Monday to a brain tumor--I know how horrible a cancer diagnosis can be. Fight the monster.

Hugs

[Charlies_Dad]

Wow, that is a roller coaster ride. We have been down a similar path with Osteo albeit we 'knew' it was as soon as Charlie started to limp and chose the amputation and chemo route. Our reasons were to get rid of the pain, that was #1 and #2 was to hopefully do what you stated, give him some more time to enjoy life and for us to enjoy him (we had only had him for 2yrs at that point). I agree with others, please join us in the Osteo thread in H&M as there are many who have gone the same path and alternative paths however we all share the same thing, love for our pups and the heartache of the diagnosis.

 

I'll leave you with my angel Charlie as a tripod who rocked it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our thoughts are with you and Nell today and the first week is a bit rough depending on how long she stays in hospital but once you're past the two week mark, they tend to start coming back.

[a_daerr]

So sorry to hear about Nell's diagnosis.

 

If it's any consolation, my boy had a back leg amp two months ago, and he is doing absolutely wonderful. People are constantly telling us, 'Wow! He gets around so well on three legs!' Seeing how much joy and life he still has eliminated any doubts I had about doing the amputation.

 

Hoping Twiggy's mom and Charlie's dad chime in to share their experiences and photos. Also, please join us in the osteo thread. The people here are a real wealth of knowledge and support.

[MaryJane]

I'm sorry that you are faced with this diagnosis. As someone has suggested, please make sure that you get the amicar, it helps to control the bleeding. The days after an amputation can be tough with much soul-searching whether the right path was chosen. It takes about 2 to 3 weeks after the amputation (please, other people offer their opinions) to get the bounceback.

 

I hope Nell does well with the surgery and recovery.

Edited February 6, 2014 by MaryJane

[Riverhound]

I'll be thinking about your family today.

[MP_the4pack]

I absolutely had to chime in. I chose amp for my gir

l Diamond. It was a front end amp.

 

She was 12! I brought her to OSU for Dr Couto to meet personally so that he could determine if she was a candidate since she was so old. He said age is just a number.

 

The first two weeks are incredibly rough. Not so much them getting around, but getting over the surgery. Pain meds do make them anxious. And they do seem to be in pain, but once the meds were stopped Diamond improved in leaps and bounds. She lived 6 HAPPY months before OS showed up in another leg.

 

Remember give at least two week before thinking you made a mistake.

 

 

GOOD LUCK!

[Houndmommy03]

Good luck! Will be thinking of you all today.

 

Beautiful picture, by the way.

[msnikkerdoodle]

Best wishes and sending positive thoughts for your Nell.

[Meandmy]

Your lates update made me teary. What a difficult day you had! I'm sending all the good wishes I can for your girl and your family. I don't have personal experience with amps, but I've ready many stories with happy endings here on GT and I hope that you are able to add to that list.

 

Best, best wishes for you all!

[Tallgreydogmom]

I am not sure if chemo has been covered. Our Quip finished his last chemo treatment yesterday. Your vet can contact the blood bank ladies at Ohio State and they will mail out the free chemo. Remember chemo in the greyhounds is not like the chemo in people. They usually do not have any side effects. They are given medicine to prevent any nausea. I also have pills for 4 days after the treatment if his stomach seems to be upset. Amputation followed by chemo gives your greyhound the best chance. Off course their is no guarantee. It's a roll of the dice but you know you are doing the best you can for them.

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/302692-free-chemo-from-ohio-state-university-update/?hl=%2Bfree+%2Bchemo

 

I apologize if this is a repeat of information.

 

Contact information: email these ladies or better yet call them. Your vet will have to make a call to them also.

 

simons.85@osu.edu

 

iazbik.1@osu.edu

 

You can give them a call also.

 

Cristina Iazbik, DVM

Managing Director

Animal Blood Bank

Phone: (614) 688-8460

Edited February 6, 2014 by Tallgreydogmom

[krissn333]

My Pinky had amputation and chemo (the Carboplatin from OSU). Other than having to take her to the vet's office to have her chemo done, you'd never have known she was getting chemo. ZERO side effects other than she'd sleep the rest of the day after her appointment, but, honestly that was more likely due to the excitement of having been at the vet's office than having ANYTHING to do with the chemo itself.

[Guest RMarie]

[Tallgreydogmom]

Prayers for your girl. I have an 11 year old Nell also.

 

Please remember Nell's amputation will be harder on you than her. Never second guess yourself. I think most of us will say our greyhounds took on a different personality after their amputation. They were happy, go-lucky and enjoying life. The difference shows the pain they have been in for so long is gone. Keep ahead of her pain from the surgery if she has any. Quip is our 7th amputation. Sadly we have too much experience with this. Each greyhound will rehab differently. We have had some that were waiting at the door to leave the vets office like we were holding them up. We had one that was transferred to our regular vet for a few days so he could get himself together and walk.

 

Prayer and hugs for your family

Edited February 6, 2014 by Tallgreydogmom

[carronstar]

Holding your family in my thoughts and prayers.

[DesiRayMom]

What a brave, beautiful, family. My prayer for you tonight is that the surgery goes well, and Nell never looks back, and has plenty

of time to live and love.

[a_daerr]

It takes about 2 to 3 weeks after the amputation (please, other people offer their opinions) to get the bounceback.

 

We went through this fairly recently, so the experience is still really fresh in my mind. My boy was originally diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the tibia after a sudden bout of limping that didn't resolve with rest and NSAIDs. X-rays showed several lesions in the bone that had a "moth-eaten" appearance. Everything happened really fast from there. He was diagnosed on a Friday, and had the amp done the following Monday. Later, the pathology report revealed that his tumor wasn't *actually* osteo. It was spindle cell sarcoma (a type of fibrosarcoma that occurs in the soft tissue and has a much better prognosis). Either way, the amputation was still fully necessary, so in that respect, we had many of the same experiences as owners with osteo dogs.

 

Here's the original thread if you want to read through it. Henry was in the ICU for three days. Around page 11, you can see the photos where he comes home and we make all the preparations to keep him comfortable. For me, that part was a welcome relief. Once I was in 'prep mode' and had tasks to do, it was easier to stop sitting around, crying, and feeling sorry for myself. When Henry got home, he was VERY swollen with pockets of fluid all over. Even though he had been on Amicar prior to surgery, he was also really red and bruised (for me, that may have been the most shocking part). He came home on Tuesday, and I took the rest of the week off (plus the weekend) so I could monitor him really closely. I was really diligent about icing and massaging every 2-3 hours for the first few days, and I think that really helped with his fluid retention. Plus, he LOVED that part! About a week in, he developed an abscess near his incision. Even that wasn't too bad. It cleared up with daily flushing and antibiotics.

 

As everyone else said, the first two weeks were the hardest. But, as you can see from Henry's birthday thread, he was back up on his feet, walking/running a 3 mile hike... only 18 days post-amp! We've just celebrated two months post-amp last week, and I'd say he is 90% back to normal. He still balks a bit at going up stairs or jumping into the car, but he can and will do those things on his own with encouragement. His personality is still a little more subdued than before, but much like Charlie, he still loves to run and play with toys and boss his brother around. It's incredible how they just accept their new life and move on.

 

Some of the most important helpful pieces of information I learned from more experienced owners were these...

 

1. There are an overwhelming amount of medications post-op. Antibiotics, opiate-based pain meds, NSAID-based pain meds, nerve-based pain meds, anti-nausea, anti-diarrhea, Pepcid, joint supplements, and on and on and on. There were upwards of 20 pills a day, and it got very hard to keep everything straight. I ended up getting one of those "medi-minder" things from the pharmacy that had slots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also, Amicar was essential for the bleeding, and Gabapentin helped a lot with phantom pains.

 

2. Stay ahead of the pain, and don't be afraid to ask your doctor to increase/reduce/change meds if you think something is off. Henry didn't do well on Rimadyl. It upset his stomach, and he stopped eating after being on it for a few days. I called, and the vet was able to reduce the Rimadyl and add Gabapentin. Also, after 10 or so days of being on opiate-based pain meds, he had a noticeable behavior change when we started weaning him off. Very low-energy and mopey, but did start coming back around soon after. Some greys really don't do well on opiates- it seems to have the opposite effect where they're jittery and restless. I know a few grey owners who have had horrendous experiences with Tramadol, Morphine, etc. If you notice any symptoms of that, call your vet immediately!

 

3. Like I mentioned before, the icing and massage was very beneficial. We rotated between two of the gel-filled ice packs. Every two hours, I would faithfully ice and massage around his good leg, belly, and incision site. I did that for about five days, gradually tapering down. He really enjoyed those massage sessions, and even though the fluid would come back after a few hours, it really did help. The bruising was almost completely gone when he went for his 7 day incision check.

 

4. If you have hardwood floors or linoleum, make a path with non-slip rugs or yoga mats for when your girl comes home. This will help prevent her from sliding around, falling, or accidentally being bumped/knocked over by your other dog. And this sounds really simple (but I think we were so bombarded by all the "big stuff" that we put it on the back burner), make sure her nails are well trimmed. It took me a long time to realize why Henry wasn't walking on hardwood. It was because his nails were getting long and everytime he'd slide, he'd knuckle up on his toenails. That made the problem even worse because he'd get "stuck." We saw an immediate difference after clipping and dremmeling the nails down.

 

5. Know that YOU, as a human, will most likely have a harder time coping with Nell's amputation than she will. They really don't "miss" their old leg. Osteosarcoma is one of the most painful types of cancer to deal with, so losing that leg will almost certainly be a welcome relief for your girl. Try to look at some photos online of three-legged dogs to prepare yourself about what to expect. This REALLY helped me. I had a much easier time accepting Henry's three-leg appearance than my boyfriend did, which I accredit to my many hours spent Googling, Greytalking, and researching. Aside from Greytalk, I belong to an online community called Tripawds, which is also geared for owners of doggie amputees. I lean more toward Greytalk for health and medical info because it's more greyhound-specific. But Tripawds also has a ton of pictures and stories of dogs who have come through amputations with varied experiences.

 

Please do come back and write about Nell's recovery and progress. I'd be happy to share more of my experience and give you my two cents on any helpful information we might have. Also, I make a line of cancer-awareness martingale collars that are pictured in my Etsy shop. Please feel free to pick one out, and I will send it to you free of charge. Sometimes little things like that help in the sense that you can embrace the situation and show the world that you're rolling with it! Just PM me the information on where to send it (if you can't use the Greytalk PM function yet, send me a message on Etsy).

 

Best of luck with your girl, and please keep us updated on her progress.

Edited February 7, 2014 by a_daerr

[Guest bredlo]

I hardly know what to say. All your love, prayers and advice are simply overwhelming - all of you. Thank you so, so much, each of you.

 

In particular,

- 4My2 Greys, thank you so much for checking in on us.. you're a guardian angel for caring that much.

- TBhounds, thanks to you and the others for mentioning Amicar: it is being used and we are heartbroken to hear of your loss this week. I pray you find peace quickly.

- Charlie's Dad, we let out a little gasp of joy seeing your boy playing in the snow, bless his heart.

- MP the 4pack, we loved hearing that Diamond had such a brilliant final six months at 12. She is a shining example for Nell to follow... and I hope we do her proud.

- A_daerr, thank you SO much for taking the time and sharing all that advice. We'll absolutely take a look at your Etsy site, and your offer of a free collar is deeply touching. We insist on paying, and you can either use it to make more collars... or donate it but you need to be compensated for your beautiful idea.

 

Here's the latest:

Nell went in for the operation this morning; slow, unable to squat to urinate even with me holding, bracing, balancing. There was seemingly no sensation left in her leg, and even with antibiotics it finally began to split open and bleed for the first time right in the waiting room. We were watching her window of opportunity literally close as we began this new chapter, after just 4 or 5 days of watching things become irreversibly broken.

 

I fear it leaves us looking like we were being somewhat neglectful, but I promise we haven't left her side or stopped seeking help as the seriousness became unmistakable.

 

You could write a movie script depicting the way all these pieces finally fell into place, but nobody would believe it. To top things off, we met the surgeon for the first time and discovered he was a family friend who's daughter played soccer for our mom's park district team. He also operated on our younger sister's Pomeranian ten years ago. Dr. Robbins had absolute confidence in the procedure and her chances, even though he'd never laid eyes on her until today. In turn, we had full confidence in him and the entire staff, who were the picture of professionalism. We had no reservations leaving her there at 9:30 this morning.

 

By 1 PM she was done, and beginning to wake up.

We were notified by phone that she did perfectly.... and tonight, eight hours later, we checked in again with the night nurse. Nell is calm, comfortable and, she added, "an absolute sweetheart - everyone's giving her lots of extra attention".

 

I'll be printing out this thread so we can refer back to your advice and warmth towards our girl, and bookmarking the other sections of the site that are focused on this part of our journey.

 

We're slowly beginning to grasp just how lucky we are that this situation unfolded in the way - and timeframe - that it has. And we're grateful we had the presence of mind to differentiate between the sound advice... and our desire to end her suffering.

 

I'll continue to post an occasional update here, and participate in the other sections when we have questions, and ideally lend something to the staggering amount of knowledge here. God bless all of you, sleep well, hug your greys, and we'll post in a few days when she's back home. For now, we'll try and forget the pain behind this poignant last picture I took of her this morning.