Guest Greytblackdog Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I've done a poor job keeping up with this thread. Things get bad, then they get better for Seka without any kind of pattern. We had an awesome weekend with very little limping. Now that we are getting another cold snap she seems more sensitive. I really think it is her arthritis. The pain patch made her crazy. We took it off and while it made her stress it seemed to take the edge off the pain enough to make things comfortable enough to get her over the hump. But today, I took my youngest to the vet - Roxy (9 1/2) and got bad news with her too. Two weeks ago she was limping, but appeared painful in her back. Went for x-rays and they are all clean. It hasn't improved so I took her in today and the osteo is pretty plain to see on the film. She's my silly girl. She hasn't been acting like herself lately. Tomorrow we go to Auburn for a consult. I am 100% up for amputation, but my husband is really not on board. I don't know what I'm going to do. I feel like it is her best chance right now as it appears that her tumor is more aggressive than Seka's. This really stinks. I am really not prepared to lose them both right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Heather, I am so, so sorry about Roxy. My heart goes out to you and your pups. Is Seka currently on an NSAID or other pain med? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytblackdog Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Thanks, Victor. I just wasn't ready for the diagnosis today. Heck, films were fine two weeks ago. I was thinking she tore her ACL. Things change in a hurry. Seka is on Piroxicam once a day. She did not do well on chemo so we had to take her off and we're just doing pain management and arteminisin at home. The Piroxicam from what I was told also has cancer fighting agents, so if we can keep her on that we want to do so. On warm days, she is great. On cold days, she struggles more. Tonight she will be in her jammies - even though she hates them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies_Dad Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Heather, I am so very sorry to read about Roxy's diagnosis. That is beyond heartbreaking to have two pups battling this disease. Personally I am all for amp & Chemo if it makes sense for the pup and for you as there are things to consider such as financials unless you have insurance then it makes it a lot easier. The good thing about amputation as you likely know is the pain is gone once the leg is removed. Like many, we have been down this road and are happy to provide any information you are seeking. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Heather, you must've been in complete shock. This is so unfair. Which chemo did Seka not do well on? Have you tried an oral chemo like cytoxan yet? Seka might tolerate that better, and hopefully it'd help keep the cancer cells at bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytblackdog Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Seka didn't do well on carboplatin. She only had one treatment, the lowest dose possible, and it made her neutropenic. In fact, she has never fully bounced back with her white cell count still sitting at 3000. She got down to 490 at one point in treatment. We are treating her with doxy at the moment. They think that she may have had tick borne illness just hiding there for years, never active, never testing positive, but once they fried her immune system with chemo it became active. All other numbers, besides neutrophils, are normal. So even now - five weeks after her first treatment of carbo, her numbers aren't good enough to do any kind of chemo. She just didn't bounce back like she should have and it was scary enough the one time she spiked a fever for me not to want to do that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I'm sorry to hear that, Heather! We had something similar happen to our boy Duke a while back, although he wasn't on any chemo at the time. Thankfully he made a full recovery after 3 weeks of doxycycline. I hope the doxycyline helps Seka, too. If you're not already, you might also consider giving Seka something like K9 Immunity Plus to help boost her immune system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinw Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I'm sorry, Heather Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 I'm so sorry Heather. I would be devastated to hear that diagnosis as well. Seka might need the addition of an actual pain reliever - such as tramadol - and a drug to help with the horrible nerve pain of cancer - gabapentin. These two combined with an nsaid seem to give the best pain relief with the least amount of side effects. Both drugs are very well tolerated by most greyhounds. Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KF_in_Georgia Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 According to Seka's blog, Heather's already giving her rimadyl (150mg 1x day) and--3x day: gabapentin (300mg) and tramadol (100mg). Heather, I'm so sorry to hear of Roxy's diagnosis. 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Heather, I'm really sorry. Just reading it feels like a gut-punch. Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytblackdog Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Hi everyone. First off, thank you so much for your kind words. It's been a tough couple of days. Here's an update.... Today we met with the oncology team at Auburn. It says a lot about a place when everyone you've interacted with the past six weeks with your other dog, come up and hug you without saying a word when you walk in the door this morning. I've never been treated with such kindness when it involved my girls. Roxy's exam and x-rays were reviewed by everyone on the oncology team. The suspicious place is actually in her knee. When the vet told me it was at the end of her femur yesterday, I assumed it was her hip. I obviously wasn't listening yesterday. The suspicious place also has clean bone margins. So based on the location of the "place" and how hard the bone still is all the way around is very dense they couldn't tell for certain that it was osteo. It kind of looked like it, but there were several elements about it that didn't present the way a textbook case would (unlike my oldest's x-ray had). So, we did a bone biopsy today and we'll have a clearer picture on Tuesday next week. I know its a long shot, and that statistically it probably is osteo, but I guess it could be something else. My little drama queen is finally home after a long 2 hour ride with lots of crying in the car. I know she is hurting from the biopsy, so add on top of that she doesn't ride well in the car and coming out of the sedation on top of that and she was a mess. So throw out some good thoughts for my tiny girl. Thanks again everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4My2Greys Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Sending out healing, calming thoughts for Roxy and hope that it is not osteo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Heather, I'm so sorry you have two pups with this horrid disease. I know you said you're 100% in favor of amp while your DH is not. I did a front leg amp on a 12 yr. old. Best decision I ever made. While OS did end up attacking another leg 6 mos later, my Diamond was a very happy active girl for those 6 months. Good luck in whatever comes from the biopsy and decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Carl has cancer. Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 I'm so, so sorry. Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4My2Greys Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I'm so sorry . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiggysMom Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Oh, no! I was hoping that it would turn out not to be cancer for Carl! I am so sorry. Also, I will continue to hope that Roxy's issue turns out to be something else. I can't imagine going through this with two at once. to all. Wendy with Twiggy, fosterless while Twiggy's fighting the good fight, and Donnie & Aiden the kitties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Carl will start Pamidronate tomorrow. Does anyone know if there are any clinical trials being run for dogs with osteo? Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Only at the University of Pennsylania, and it has to be a certain kind of cancer, and they have to do the amp/chemo route. You might look back in the last Osteo thread as I think someone posted a link to the study there. Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Only at the University of Pennsylania, and it has to be a certain kind of cancer, and they have to do the amp/chemo route. You might look back in the last Osteo thread as I think someone posted a link to the study there. Ok, thank you. Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o_rooly Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Oh, no, no, no. No words, Connie. None.... As you mentioned when this rollercoaster started -- focus that inner banshee. Carl is a very lucky boy to have you as his advocate, in any regard. Beaming tons of white light to Aston's waiting-room pal. Please, keep us posted. every day a tiny adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Oh, no, no, no. No words, Connie. None.... As you mentioned when this rollercoaster started -- focus that inner banshee. Carl is a very lucky boy to have you as his advocate, in any regard. Beaming tons of white light to Aston's waiting-room pal. Please, keep us posted. T Thank you, Syd. I'm not much of a banshee tonight, I'm a blob of blubbering. I knew this was coming, but it didn't prepare me for the reality of the impact. I need to have my moment and then pull my CRAP together. Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grey_dreams Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Connie, I'm so sorry to hear this horrible news I hope Carl has a lot of good days ahead Heather, I can't imagine having both your girls going through this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies_Dad Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Oh no, I am so very sorry to read Carl's diagnosis. Truly hoping it wasn't as I know you were having more tests performed. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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