Osteo Thread Part 8

[Batmom]

Twiggy

[tbhounds]

I haven't given a Twiggy update in ages, but she is doing great! We've had some more milestones

 

On 10/21 she turned 10! amazing for a dog who was diagnosed before her 7th birthday! She is now 3.25+ years post-amp and her back issues have actually been better recently. I've been able to cut back her pain meds by about 1/3, and she is even more active than she was last spring/summer while getting the higher dosages.

 

December 1 will be her 7th Gotcha Day. I am so fortunate to be spending my life with this nutty little girl who wakes up every day with joyful anticipation of the adventures it will bring!

Sooo happy to see this (I always get nervous when I see Twiggy's name mentioned)!!! Happy Birthday and Happy GD!! Please update Dr Couto with her wonderful news--it would really brighten his day as it did mine :-)

[45MPHK9]

Twiggy

[robinw]

I'm so sorry about Matawan. I've been through this three times and have never opted for surgery.

 

On the bright side, go Twiggy!

[Rickiesmom]

Yesterday was Jaynie's 8 month "ampuversary". She had lung rads done the day before and they are clear!

[greysmom]

Awesome!

 

[4My2Greys]

Wonderful news about Jaynie and Twiggy.

[Charlies_Dad]

Way to go Jaynie!!! That is great news!

[Guest Dancer]

Yeah Jaynie and Twiggy!!

[TwiggysMom]

It is so wonderful to hear about Jaynie!! Keep it up!

[JenniferS]

So, after 5+ greyt months, Wylie has taken a turn for the worse. He has started limping a lot on his bad leg, to the point where I even thought he fractured it and I was going to lose him last week. That was not the case thankfully, and we have upped his meds (Rimadyl, Tramadol, & Gabepentin). He is still uncomfortable, but happy & eating and loving on us. I'm having a hard time figuring out when is the time? I know everyone says you will know, but I'm not sure I will. My girlfriend is ready, she thinks more with her head. I think more with my heart, but don't want to hold on too long. I keep thinking of when people say "better a day too early than a day too late". How do you know?

[KF_in_Georgia]

Everyone has different criteria for judging "when." I can tell you about my Sam.

When Sam was having problems (not cancer--just various old-age maladies), he still loved treats, walks, and cuddles.

 

 

But he spent an entire night panting instead of sleeping, despite being maxed out on pain meds. For me, even if I could have gotten him feeling a little better the next day, it wasn't worth putting him through another bad night I wouldn't be able to prevent--especially when "better" wouldn't be "great" and wouldn't last more than a day or two.

 

So I called his vet in the morning, then loaded Sam in the car and took him to McDonald's for sausage and egg biscuits. (I didn't normally give him sausage because I worried about the spices.) He ate every crumb in the parking lot at the vet's, and then we went inside. As usual, he poked his head into all the trash cans in the exam room (looking for treats), and we gave him a couple of treats from the canister on the counter. The vet checked Sam and agreed that it was time. (Sam smelled a little funky, and we think it was kidney trouble on top of his other woes.) Sam settled in a sphinx pose, rested his head on his front paws, and didn't pay any attention to what the vet did. Two shots, but Sam never moved after the first one eased him to sleep.

 

In the 16 months since, there hasn't been a day I haven't wished he was still here. But there also hasn't been a day when I felt I acted too soon.

With another dog who was "sick" but not dying (we hoped), we fought to keep her alive; I later thought it would have been kinder to have let her go about 12 hours earlier than we did, but we thought she still had a chance. With Sam, I didn't regret those last 12 hours, because that was what convinced me that fighting for more time wouldn't have been good for him.

For Wylie, I think you want to decide if you can make him comfortable (do you have room to go up on his meds?). And does any discomfort come and go? Or does it just come and linger. You said Wylie is "happy and eating and loving" on you. You want to say goodbye while that's still true; I think you don't want to wait until he loses his joy in any of those things.

[Guest Prematurelygrey]

JenniferS -
I feel your pain. Just thinking about how to write this post has me re-living the emotional roller coaster of making the decision for ourselves. As KF said, it's different for everyone. When we were going through this with Mohican, everyone told me that I would just see in his eyes that he was ready to go. Truthfully, I never did see that. Mohican was a fighter to the end. He had L-S and had reached a point where he could not stand longer than five seconds without his hindend sinking under him; then he developed a limp on the front leg (we never had cause diagnosed, as he hated the vet so and it was clear that there was little we could do at that point). Even though he was in pain, he wouldn't keep his walks short, he refused to eat in bed (he had to eat standing as best as he could at his little table) & was always there to meet us at the door when we got home, even on his worst days. It was incredibly hard to make the decision for him. But I knew that it was hurting me horribly to see him try so hard to keep going, when there was never going to be any "getting better" and that the greatest kindness (our vet's words) I could do for him was to let him go comfortably with dignity, before his whole existence was just pain, pain, pain. We rescued him to make give him the best life we possibly could and we finally decided for ourselves that that also meant giving him the best end of life that we could. But even with all of that, I still do catch myself now wondering, "Were we too early? Did we wait too long?"

When we got Matawan osteo diagnosis only a few months later, I started worrying again about the "when" question. But I haven't thought about it in a while - Matawan's pain is well managed and he's comfortable and happy. I think once I come to start asking myself "when" for him, I'll know the answer will be "now."

Like KF, I miss my Mohican terribly and I dread the day I'll have to say good-bye to Matawan as well. While I guess this doesn't exactly answer your question, I will pass on one piece of advice our vet gave us: Make sure you tell Wylie that it's okay for him to go if he wants to. She said that, like people, sometimes they need our permission & reassurance that it's okay to cross the bridge without us.

[EffieGrey]

Jennifer, we are right there with you. We're at 4.5 months past diagnosis, and they were good months of virtually no symptoms. Then a week ago, she got up from a nap and could hardly put weight on her leg. Microfractures. She's now limping constantly and sometimes severely. We did another pamidronate treatment, upped her pain meds and added amantadine but the amantadine and the gabapentin take a week to truly take effect so we're still not sure if they're helping at current levels. She's still eating well and in good spirits, so I don't feel it's time yet, but I know she's hurting. We'll try another radiation therapy treatment before we decide she's had enough, but it really upsets me that she's in pain. This disease is truly heartbreaking.

 

We had her in to emergency (we were also concerned she'd fractured her leg) and that vet gave her a fentanyl patch which helped the pain but made her groggy and unwilling to eat.

 

I hope that Willie still has some time left with you.

[greysmom]

If he is limping and you can't make him comfortable, then he is in pain. Probably more pain than you think since they are so stoic - osteo pain is hideous. Do not be conservative with pain meds now. And if you can't control his pain, even maxed out on a tramadol/gabapentin/nsaid combo, then it's time to consider the next step.

[Batmom]

We let Gidget go because we couldn't get rid of the pain. If she'd had something she might have recovered from, I'd've tried a fentanyl patch. But she didn't.

[greysmom]

bump

[JenniferS]

Thank you for the support everyone. I let Wylie go today, and it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life. I am so sad and miss my boy so much already. Here is the post I shared about him on Facebook:

 

Jennifer Conti Saker

7 mins ·

It is with a heavy heart that I share this news. Wylie has crossed the bridge and is running pain free now. His long, brave battle with osteo is now over. I will miss my boy so much and my heart has a direct connection with his. He was one of the true loves of my life and I can only hope that he feels that love too. Many thanks to Michael & Lisa for helping to bring him to me. What a special, sweet, loving boy, I don't know how I got so lucky. Wylie...your Momma Jen, Momma Tess & Sister Raspberry miss you and love you very, very, very much

 

[Batmom]

I'm sorry for your loss. It is a miserably hard thing to do, and yet ... a dog depends on his or her person to know when it is time. Hugs to you in your loss.

 

Godspeed, Wylie.

[greysmom]

Run In Peace sweet Wylie.

 

You are missed...............................

[FiveRoooooers]

{{Jen}} I am so sorry.

 

Godspeed Wylie. Such a good boy.

[4My2Greys]

My heart aches thinking of your loss.

[Charlies_Dad]

I am so very sorry Jen. Wylie knows he was loved and he was very lucky to have you.

[Rickiesmom]

My heart breaks for you. I am sorry you did not have more time with your special boy.

[MP_the4pack]