Lytic Bone Lesion, We Don't Know What's Wrong Please Help

[Guest onebigunicorn]

Oh I'm sorry to hear that that's really frustrating! =( hmm and even Dr. Couto didn't know? I'll upload the x-rays when I get home. I really hope you'll find out what's wrong soon!

We had this feeling that it was Valley fever the whole time but our vet insisted it's improbable. So we wasted time and money on other things...

Did they rule out bacterial myelitis?

 

 

I am so happy for you that you finally received a diagnosis and it was not osteo! Congratulations to your puppy and may he have along and happy life with you.

 

I understand your frustration and fear only too well as my Grey is experiencing the same symptoms. Did multiple x-rays, did a biopsy, results were inconclusive because of the extreme hardness of the bone -- which, as your vet said, was very unusual and unexpected. Redid x-rays, no change. Consulted with Dr. Couto and he doesn't know what it is!

 

I tried to view the x-rays of your pup but the images are no longer there. Would you be so kind as to reload them? I would love to compare the rads and see if there are similarities.

 

I have suggested Valley Fever to my vet, but because my pup raced in Kansas he thinks it very unlikely. I will push for it next appointment.

[Zachary]

Oh I'm sorry to hear that that's really frustrating! =( hmm and even Dr. Couto didn't know? I'll upload the x-rays when I get home. I really hope you'll find out what's wrong soon!

We had this feeling that it was Valley fever the whole time but our vet insisted it's improbable. So we wasted time and money on other things...

Did they rule out bacterial myelitis?

 

Zach has been to his regular vet, a specialty hospital, and back to his regular vet. Dr. Couto was sent all the information and is actually going to review the bone biopsy slides when he returns from Europe mid June.

 

As I mentioned, I suggested Valley Fever and was told because he raced in Kansas it was highly unlikely. I don’t believe bacterial myelitis was discussed. Could be wrong, however, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with all the information given to you!.

 

The good news is the lesion has stayed the same. We are going for an appointment probably next week and I will request he be tested for Valley Fever and whatever else they can think of. His vet is very Greyhound savvy and has been very supportive and encouraging through all of this.

 

I hear you on the vet bills! I am so glad I didn't cancel Zach's health insurance.

 

You mentioned picking up the meds from Washington. Are you in BC, too?

 

 

[greyhead]

It matters not only where they raced, but where they were farmed. One of our Kansas racers was raised in OK and turned up with Lyme and Babesia.

 

I have a friend with a Valley Fever GH here in WA. I'll ask her to chime in about meds.

[3DogNite]

Here in AZ, Valley Fever is a real issue.

There is a product called Desert Defense that is a powder additive that will help keep immune system strong to fight off the onset of VF. It wouldn't hurt to try that for a while to see if the titre comes down.

Also --- I kept my boy, Lazer's, VF titer down to 1:2 for years using herbal supplements and specifically Anti Fungal supplements.

*** Lazer's titer was never high and keeping it low was easy -

 

as for Fluconizole, If you compound a generic form it's usually cheaper, either thru RoadRunner or Diamond Back. They mail the prescription to you, makes it easy!

 

Good luck - VF is not something to mess around with - i hope you can get it under control soon.

[Guest onebigunicorn]

the presentation in Zach really seems very similar to ours. no change to the lesion, hard bone, negative biopsy results...I wonder what Dr. Couto says when he comes back cause he immediately said that yes we were probably right about valley fever...

 

and as others mentioned, it also depends where he was living not just where he raced.

 

and if you feel it might be valley fever just get him tested cause it's not like there is lot of options for testing left anyway I would think.

 

yes we are in BC! =)

 

 

Zach has been to his regular vet, a specialty hospital, and back to his regular vet. Dr. Couto was sent all the information and is actually going to review the bone biopsy slides when he returns from Europe mid June.

As I mentioned, I suggested Valley Fever and was told because he raced in Kansas it was highly unlikely. I don’t believe bacterial myelitis was discussed. Could be wrong, however, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with all the information given to you!.

The good news is the lesion has stayed the same. We are going for an appointment probably next week and I will request he be tested for Valley Fever and whatever else they can think of. His vet is very Greyhound savvy and has been very supportive and encouraging through all of this.

 

I hear you on the vet bills! I am so glad I didn't cancel Zach's health insurance.

You mentioned picking up the meds from Washington. Are you in BC, too?

 

 

thank you, it seems we will be able to order form road runner pharmacy. and they have pretty good price

 

I have a friend with a Valley Fever GH here in WA. I'll ask her to chime in about meds.

so what anti fungal supplements did you use? just desert defense? and what is the dosage?

 

Here in AZ, Valley Fever is a real issue.

There is a product called Desert Defense that is a powder additive that will help keep immune system strong to fight off the onset of VF. It wouldn't hurt to try that for a while to see if the titre comes down.

Also --- I kept my boy, Lazer's, VF titer down to 1:2 for years using herbal supplements and specifically Anti Fungal supplements.

*** Lazer's titer was never high and keeping it low was easy -

 

as for Fluconizole, If you compound a generic form it's usually cheaper, either thru RoadRunner or Diamond Back. They mail the prescription to you, makes it easy!

 

Good luck - VF is not something to mess around with - i hope you can get it under control soon.

Edited June 3, 2014 by onebigunicorn

[3DogNite]

Desert Defense has the dosage on the package, i really don't remember what i did --- it has a strong smell that I personally thought smelled good - herbs and spices,, but my dogs didn't like it so had a tough time getting them to take it on a regular basis.

 

The anti-fungal was from Systemic Formulas called FungDx - It is not an overthecounter type supplement. you'd have to find someone to purchase it from. But there are other anti-funal supplements out there. i'd just research some and Talk to your vet- find a holistic one if possible and go from there. As far as dosing - I started with 3 pills a day for my 80lb boy Lazer. We went to 2 pills a day and his titer stayed down.

 

I also did a lot of other supplements, basically put my boy thru a full Detox regime that made a huge difference in how his internal organs functioned. getting rid of toxins was a big thing for him: healing his kidneys (PLN) and controlling his CHF

 

lorinda

[Guest onebigunicorn]

okay, thanks lorinda

 

[Guest Shermanator]

Miss Echo has battled Valley Fever for 5 years. She's on 300 mg fluconozole 2x per day. She's been on it for 5 years. We get it from Roadrunner Pharmacy here in AZ. No issues! Good luck!

[Guest onebigunicorn]

Thank you! yes, we ordered it from roadrunner as well! very good price.

5 years? =/ Is it a disseminated valley fever?

 

Miss Echo has battled Valley Fever for 5 years. She's on 300 mg fluconozole 2x per day. She's been on it for 5 years. We get it from Roadrunner Pharmacy here in AZ. No issues! Good luck!

[GeorgeofNE]

The truth is, that since this is a Greyhound we're dealing with, if it acts like Osteo and it looks like Osteo, chances are, it is Osteo.

 

Dr. Couto says that he just assumes all Greyhounds brought to him with unexplained limping have Osteo until he can prove otherwise.

[Batmom]

Valley Fever and some of the other fungal diseases (histo, blasto) cause bone lesions that look like osteo.

[Guest Shermanator]

Thank you! yes, we ordered it from roadrunner as well! very good price.

5 years? =/ Is it a disseminated valley fever?

 

We don't know where it is. We are lucky she is symptom free on her meds. She was diagnosed a year before we adopted her, and we have no previous vet records from her prior home.

[Guest onebigunicorn]

Please utilize Dr Couto's consulting service. Your vet can send all reports to him.

 

http://www.coutovetconsultants.com/

 

We did and it payd off! He was really big help! Thank you!

[Guest onebigunicorn]

Time for update everybody.

 

My wife works in lab - genetics, immunology. Before we went to vet she researched the issue and make a diagnosis per symptoms - Valley Fever. (She wrote the initial post.)

 

Then we went to our vet, advised him what we think it is, how the decease was progressing and if he can take a look at it as a professional.

He looked at it, it was swollen, did x-rays. Then he advised us that it is most likely cancer that we need to do biopsy. (Which is of course expensive). We advised him again that we think is a Valley Fever and we should do the blood test in US. He said that it may other fungal deceases and that during biopsy results they will test for it and advise us if it is something else.

 

Our ex-vet, cut his leg open and when he was trying do the biopsy punches he said the bone was not spongy rather hard. Instead of stooping the procedure he proceed so he can charge us.

The results come back. It was negative for cancer. When my wife requested detail report by directly calling lab in the report was written that the sample wasn't sufficient and that's why they can't determine if it is really cancer.

 

After that the wet get the balls so advise us with three solutions: repeat biopsy (we said no way), pain management (we said no way- as a long term solution, of course he was on a pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs), or amputate leg (no way).

 

Since any of those options were acceptable he said that we can wait and do x-ray in couple of weeks. 4 weeks went by (if it would be cancer he would be already in heaven) and we came for x-ray again. (Until now we spent over $1800 with no results and definite diagnosis). X-rays looked the same so he advised us to pay another $200 for radiology consult so we know little bit more. We said no way. At that point we contacted you folks - advised us to contact Dr Couto what we did.

 

After him confirming that this is not cancer, we went to vet again, this time we purposely went to same clinic, different vet and advise him what Dr Couto told us. We were pushing for Valley Fever again. Vet finally agreed, didn't have a clue about the desease but at least he was listening and when the results come back he was VALLEY FEVER POSITIVE with VERY HIGH TITER. (This is a 6 months after we visit vet. Our poor dog would be already healthy if this ignorant vet would listen to us in the first place.)

 

Dr. Couto was consulted again fluconazole was prescribed, and after a month and a half we were able to see improvement.

Now he is doing second round of the prescription. He is running even more and faster than originally when we first got him, so full of energy.

 

Lesson learned (vet can stick his opinion, insist no-matter what on the valley fever titer first, before they do biopsy (titer is blood, biopsy very invasive - bone samples, for people which don't know)), vet fired, healthy dog!

 

Just wanted to tank to this community!

 

 

X-rays - http://imgur.com/a/KnTNN (to normal vet it looks like a cancer, Dr. Couto was able to tell just looking at it that's not.)

 

 

 

PS: Anybody will have any similar issues or problems please send us a PM, email etc. Admin please send me email if member needs help!

[Batmom]

Thank goodness you followed your instincts!

 

Similar case: There was a young dog in the northeast US a few years back who "appeared" to have bone cancer. She didn't. She had a different fungal disease (histoplasmosis, IIRC). Fortunately her caregivers also didn't quite believe the cancer diagnosis and sought other tests, else she'd've had her leg amputated and died anyways. She recovered.

 

I hope your dog continues to improve!

[galgrey]

Thank you for updating us! That is wonderful news!

[EllenEveBaz]

Good news!

[Charlies_Dad]

That is great news! I am glad your boy is improving!

[GeorgeofNE]

Never mind!!

Edited October 14, 2014 by GeorgeofNE

[Guest Shermanator]

So it is indeed valley fever =( he has titer 1:32! anyway, how do you get fluconazole for cheap? We found RoadRunner Pharmacy but we are not sure how it works, also, we are in Canada, so we would need to get fluconazole somehow from them but not sure how? Can someone help?

 

thank you!

Miss Echo is a Valley Fever dog. We use Roadrunner pharmacy as well. We live in AZ. Give them a call, see what they can do. Its super easy with them, my vet calls in the prescription, and they send it to us.