Osteo Thread Part 8

[MP_the4pack]

{{{{{Connie }}}}}}}}}} {{{{{{{{{{{Carl}}}}}}}}}}

[EllenEveBaz]

[Guest fastcasper]

I'm so sorry to hear about Carl's cancer. You need to have your moment before you pull your "crap" together, then you will be a warrior against this disease. I hope for many, many great days ahead for you both.

 

I REALLY hope Roxy does not have osteo (praying hard here), as no one should have two beautiful pups go through this at the same time. Be strong!!

 

Kim

[Charla]

Connie, I'm so sorry, I was so hoping it was something easier to deal with. I hope you and Carl have many more good days and times, it's hard but take it one day at a time.

[Guest cas0673]

We received Sadie's biopsy results and it has confirmed osteosarcoma. She just had her second round of chemo. She is pretty wiped out after that. She hasn't really eaten at all since Wednesdays treatment. She seemed a little better this morning, so maybe she will eat this morning. She was very happy and becoming less sensitive and eating like a pig the week before this past treatment. She is on an anti nausea pill and I started up the appetite stimulant to help her get back to eating. Dr. Vickery in Malvern, PA has called into Dr. Mason so she is aware of the results and to do further testing to see if Sadie qualifies for the vaccine in Philly, University of Penn. I saw an article shared by another greys Mom, who has been in the study, saying they have received more money to continue the study, and expand it also.

[Guest cas0673]

http://www.advaxis.com/news/detail/434/aratana-and-advaxis-enter-exclusive-global-licensing. Let's see if this link works. I saw it on Facebook, maybe under Penn Vet?

[seeh2o]

Carl had his first Pamidronate treatment yesterday. When i picked him up he was limping much worse than before I dropped him off. He doesn't settle in different environments, so I'm guessing he stood or up and down for the entire time he was there - about 8 hours. He ate well last night. When I got up this morning the site where the catheter has been was not spoken, but his wrist is much more swollen. I put a frozen bag of peas on it, called the vet and left a message before they opened.

 

Has anyone had a similar experience? I just feel sick.

Edited March 29, 2014 by seeh2o

[a_daerr]

Has anyone had a similar experience? I just feel sick.

Henry started getting anxious at the vet's office, so our oncologist prescribed Trazadone for chemo visits. That really helped him relax without being sedated. So sorry you're going through this.

[seeh2o]

He got up to eat, went outside to pee, but is having a hard time bearing weight on it, particularly when he first gets up. This is not what I expected after the Pamidronate treatment, especially after reading how others responded. He has a full appetite.

 

Alicia, thanks for that information, I wonder if he would have been better off if they'd used a sedative like that for him.

 

I sure hope Sadie will qualify for the study.

[Guest grey_dreams]

I hope its just temporary after the treatment and Carl will be fine with a bit of rest

 

Sending good thoughts to all the hounds and their humans going through this

[seeh2o]

It was confirmed that Carl stood for nearly the entire time he was at the vet, probably howling and whining for me, too. I also learned that he pulled the IV line out at least once and there was concern that some of the pamidronate may have gotten under skin rather than in the vein at the time. I am guessing that is why there was so much soft tissue swelling.

 

He was much better last night, the light was back in his eyes and he had no problem eating his dinner. I've been slathering the wrist with arnica gel, giving him arnica pellets (yes, a scam according to some), extra Tramadol, keeping the wrist elevated as is comfortable for him and icing it hourly with two bags of peas - one on the top and one on the bottom. This morning he was good, to, swelling is reduced, but not gone. He did not want the peas on it, so I didn't push the issue at the time. The Tramadol has knocked him out, which is what the vet wants right now as we want to keep him very quiet to help things heal.

 

This is not my regular vet I am using for the xrays and pamidronate IV, it is a vet that is greyhound savvy and one of several used by my group. I wish my vet did procedures. I've asked my regular vet to call in a script for gabapentin just in case.

[Charlies_Dad]

I'm glad Carl is feeling a bit better today.

[4My2Greys]

Connie, watch for Carl trying to lick where he got the pamindronate infusion. Some of the vincristine Beanie was given got under her skin and she got obsessive about licking the area, which caused a lot of damage.

 

 

She too was a nervous wreck when going to the vet and in hindsight wish I had never put her through it. I'm not trying to convince you not to continue with your path of treatment just to keep in mind that sometimes with some dogs it does worse than it does good. Something that might help Carl with his anxiousness is something I saw someone post about in the Food section called Zylkene, which has just been approved for use in the United States. You can get it through Amazon with no prescription.

 

http://www.vetoquinol.ca/en/index.asp?page=302

 

My prayers and thoughts continue with you and sweet Carl and others fighting this nasty disease.

[seeh2o]

Thank you so much, Judy, poor Beanie, that looks so painful. He has licked, but luckily not to excess. I will keep a close eye on him after seeing your cautionary post.

 

If there is another Pamidronate treatment, I am going to ask 2 things - 1) that they lightly sedate him enough that he will lay down and 2) if they will accommodate me staying with him during the treatment. I think, between those two things, it might be better for him. I don't know what their set up is in the back, but if it's anything like where Sheila stayed at the emergency vet, they may have a kennel/run big enough for me to stay in with him for the time it takes to run the IV. I'll just take a book or my tablet with me to pass the time while I pet him.

[Charla]

Trazadone relaxed Gracie but did not knock her out, worked wonders for vet visits and fireworks. It may be worth a try.

[Guest grey_dreams]

Hope they will let you stay with him. Was going to suggest asking about that. Glad he's feeling a bit better today.

[krissn333]

Someone always sat with Sutra. The techs fought over who got to sit with him They also fought over who got to sit with Pinky for her chemo

[Guest Greytblackdog]

I'm so sorry Carl isn't feeling well. When Seka had her pamidronate infusion three weeks ago I expected to see improvement immediately. Actually it was a week later. I guess every dog is different. I hope it works for Carl quickly.

 

I love Arnica gel. I bruise very easily and it works really well for me. I learned about it after a bad fall I had and I credit it for keeping my bruising to a minimum. I actually just slathered Roxy's leg in it to help with the bruising and horrible swelling in her foot the bone biopsy has caused this week. Fingers crossed she will resume using that leg once the swelling goes down.

[greysmom]

I second the trazadone suggestion, as long as Carl isn't on another SSRI at the same time. It seems to be a fairly safe drug as far as anti-anxiety meds go - fast-acting and relatively side-effect free. It also doesn't seem to actually "sedate" them, so they are able to be mobile and active without acting drunk or drugged up.

[seeh2o]

You guys are so amazing, I can't thank you enough for the suggestions and encouragement. Heather, thank you for sharing that it took a week to see improvement in Seka, I was so discouraged after he came home in worse shape than he went in, I was hoping for a happy, less pained boy, but that's not what happened. Honestly, the way he was yesterday morning, I was afraid his time was coming sooner than later, his eyes were dull and distant, the only encouraging thing was that he was eating well. Thank you again, Heather, that makes me feel so much better. How is Seka doing now, 3 weeks out from the first Pamidronate treatment? What sort of change did you see after a week?

 

What pain medication are people using? Carl is on Rimadyl 2x a day, Tramadol at least 2x a day (more right now to get him through this soft tissue swelling) and, after reading about Gabapentin here, I've asked my vet to call in a script at one of our local Costco stores (the generic is really cheap there).

 

I apologize if this is redundant, but I haven't seen a list like this anywhere, so I thought it might be helpful. Where is everyone getting their pain meds? Here is what I'm getting and where I am getting it:

Generic Rimadyl (carprofen) 75mg from Pet360, 60 tablets for $28.76, free shipping and I left off the tax as it is different everywhere

Generic Tramadol 50mg from Drs Foster Smith, 60 tablets for $15.00, $5.99 shipping = $20.99 total

Generic Gabapentin 100mg from Costco, 100 tablets for $11.45. As I haven't had this filled yet, I'm not sure how much shipping will be.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I have a Walgreen's Prescription Savings Plan card. It's $35/year for your entire household (me and both dogs), and I think you can get a refund of your $35 if it doesn't save you at least that much during the year. Mine usually saved that much in one visit. The Walgreen's is less than a mile a way, has a drive-thru window (so I could stop even with a dog in the car--or in my pajamas), and has much better hours than my vet. (The nearest Costco is 6 or 7 miles and 20 minutes and an eternally packed parking lot. Trips to Costco are a nightmare.) And although the Walgreen's nearest me isn't a 24-hour place, there is a 24-hour branch nearby; I could order refills online and specify which store I wanted to pick up from. I kept this in mind in case I had a sick dog and accidentally dropped a bunch of pills down the sink.

 

I haven't had to fill these prescriptions since I lost Sam last August. But here's what he was taking from Walgreen's:

 

• Gabapentin: 100mg capsules, as many as 9/day: $15 for 180 capsules
• Methocarbamol (a muscle relaxer): 500mg tablets, 3/day, $20 for 90 tablets
• Tramadol: 50mg tablets, I usually gave 3-4/day: $12 for 60 tablets
• Metronidazole: 500mg tablets, half every other day: $22.50 for 30 tablets

 

I only mention that last one if someone's dog is having poop problems on top of everything else; Sam was on a maintenance dose. Sam had an ulcer, so no NSAIDS. (His problem was arthritis, a herniated disc, failing kidneys, and old age--not osteo.) Rimadyl typically won't be available from a people-pharmacy because it has no use in humans.

Edited March 31, 2014 by KF_in_Georgia

[seeh2o]

Those prices are great, I have a Walgreens right down the street from me. It's not a 24 hour store, but there is one of those not that far away. It sure would be nice to be able to pick up almost everything in one place. Thanks for the tip!

[Guest Greytblackdog]

Connie, Seka is doing really well right now. It may have taken as long as a week and a half (and add in warm weather to improve her arthritis) to really see the full effect. The oncologist said that it would be immediate, but she is moving better now than she was three weeks ago. We are actually at the beach trying to soak up the sun and we are really having to make sure she doesn't over do it. She wants to walk as far as we will let her on the beach, get in the water, roll in the sand - the whole nine yards.

 

Her infusion took four hours due to the additional fluids they gave her to protect her kidneys, so add four hours in the car, a long day at the clinic, stress, pain and being hungry - it just adds up to be a lot. And I was warned that there are varying degrees of effectiveness with pamidronate, but I do think that it has really help to improve her pain - it just took longer than what I had anticipated. I also do my best to try and figure out what triggers a bad day vs a good one - and I've come to realize sometimes there's no pattern. It is a disease that has a mind of its own. When the bad days outnumber the good is when I start to worry. We had three bad ones in a row and then all up hill from there.

 

Seka is on the following pain meds right now (we also do herbs):

Piroxicam 9mg 1x day

Tramadol 150mg 2 or 3 x day

Gabapentin 300mg 2 or 3x day

 

We are dealing with a gnarly back left hip (break that the growth plate closed over as a puppy - and yes they raced her), so the drugs seem high, but she's a 68 lb female and all of her blood work - besides her neutrophils, - are within normal range.

 

Also, check out GoodRX for prescription drug prices. I think I got all of her Gabapentin and Tramadol for a month for less than $30.

[KF_in_Georgia]

They have an individual prescription card and the family card. Be sure to get the family card. When I got the new boy, they let me add him at no extra charge since I already had the family card. (My card is up for renewal now.) I've been without insurance for about 19 months, and I used the card to get a discount on my flu shot. The internet and I have been fighting today about letting me sign up for insurance, but I'll finally have coverage. The card still might be cheaper than insurance prescriptions for me, and I know it'll save me on the dogs.

[4My2Greys]

Heather, if you would ever like some company while your at Auburn for Seka's pamindronate infusions please let me know ahead of time and I'll arrange to take the day off and meet you up there.