Update on my sick puppy

[Maddiegirl]

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I had previously posted in the Rant thread about my dog being ill and possibly having bone cancer.

I figured I would just post a quick easy to find thread for the folks that have offered support to update you on what I know so far.

The radiology report came back as conclusive for primary osteosarcoma. I spoke with my regular vet (not his associate who intially saw Colby) and we discussed the x-ray and the radiology report.

He told me that it doesn't appear that the tumor has spread across the joint yet, and he seemed positive about that. We have an appointment tomorrow for a full body x-ray to check the lungs for mets. We're also doing lymph biopsy for sure and possibly a bone biopsy.

If the cancer is isolated to the leg, we will likely amputate and begin a course of chemo to kill any micro-mets that may have not been visible by x-ray.

This is the plan for now. I'm trying to take it one day at a time. I have done and will continue to do some more research on treatment protocols and trials etc. I have a ton of questions to ask the vet tomorrow.

I don't want to be one of those annoying clients who consults Dr. Google, but at the same time, I want to make sure that I am asking the right questions to get all the information I can possibly cram into my head in order to make the most informed decision for my boy.

It's important for me to ensure that he doesn't suffer, but has the best quality of life for as long as possible.

I want to send a shout out to LMMS for sending me a link yesterday that gave our family renewed hope and the courage to fight a little harder for Colby. 😍

Here it is for anyone else interested
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFLWC_W9KM8

Thank you all for the support and advice. It is much appreciated!! 🙂

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I had previously posted in the Rant thread about my dog being ill and possibly having bone cancer.

I figured I would just post a quick easy to find thread for the folks that have offered support to update you on what I know so far.

The radiology report came back as conclusive for primary osteosarcoma. I spoke with my regular vet (not his associate who intially saw Colby) and we discussed the x-ray and the radiology report.

He told me that it doesn't appear that the tumor has spread across the joint yet, and he seemed positive about that. We have an appointment tomorrow for a full body x-ray to check the lungs for mets. We're also doing lymph biopsy for sure and possibly a bone biopsy.

If the cancer is isolated to the leg, we will likely amputate and begin a course of chemo to kill any micro-mets that may have not been visible by x-ray.

This is the plan for now. I'm trying to take it one day at a time. I have done and will continue to do some more research on treatment protocols and trials etc. I have a ton of questions to ask the vet tomorrow.

I don't want to be one of those annoying clients who consults Dr. Google, but at the same time, I want to make sure that I am asking the right questions to get all the information I can possibly cram into my head in order to make the most informed decision for my boy.

It's important for me to ensure that he doesn't suffer, but has the best quality of life for as long as possible.

I want to send a shout out to LMMS for sending me a link yesterday that gave our family renewed hope and the courage to fight a little harder for Colby. 😍

Here it is for anyone else interested
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFLWC_W9KM8

Thank you all for the support and advice. It is much appreciated!! 🙂

Get a biopsy done. Period. There is no way to 100% say something is osteosarcoma with radiology alone. Even if I was a radiologist extraordinaire, I would never make that 100% "conclusive" assertion without recommending biopsy and giving differentials. Fungal and bacterial lesions can look mighty similar, as well as certain lytic variants of cartilagenous or joint capsule tumors, even to a highly trained radiologist. I personally would never, ever start a dog on chemo based on only rad or U/S without histologically confirming tumor type and aggressive potential via biopsy. And I'm not just saying that to push my profession 😉 , I'm just saying that I've seen stuff taken off a dog, taken out of a dog, or treated for incorrectly because of no FNA or biopsy, only indirect imaging.

Good luck with everything. I'm glad you have at least some answers now, and you seem to be grounded about it. Stay strong 👍

 

[Trematode]

I had no idea this was going on. I am sending positive vibes to your puppy. 😍.

 

[Maddiegirl]

WTF - thanks for the info. I may have misunderstood my vet about the not definitely doing the bone biopsy. I was pretty upset yesterday when I spoke to him. I will make sure we've got samples of everything before we go cutting my doggy to pieces. 😉

We did a CBC at the same time of his x-rays to rule out fungal infections and that came back clean, but I'm not sure if that's 100% definitive for a fungus not being present.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post, we initially saw one of the associate vets and while he was a good guy who gave us a lot of information, I'm going to our regular vet for more tests and questions tomorrow. Then we will also be seeing an oncologist for a second opinion. They may actually perform the bone biopsy at the oncologists' office.

Will keep you all posted on further news. all goes well.

 

[ky261682]

I went through a similar situation with my dog a few years ago. Max was given a really poor prognosis (3-6 months to live). We decided to make him as comfortable as possible and enjoy our time with him until his health and quality of life started to decline. Max was a really strong dog and to the amazement of everyone (especially the vets) he lived another 3 years.

I'm typing this while almost crying because I can imagine what you are feeling right now. You seem to be handling it very well. Good luck to you and your puppy 😍

 

[Bisbee]

It's so easy to make hypothetical decisions about our dogs (or someone else's dog) but when it comes to our own, it's hard because we love them so much. You are so good about being pragmatic even though you are under the stress. Whatever you decide will be the best decision for you and your dog. I wish you both well.

 

[Maddiegirl]

I went through a similar situation with my dog a few years ago. Max was given a really poor prognosis (3-6 months to live). We decided to make him as comfortable as possible and enjoy our time with him until his health and quality of life started to decline. Max was a really strong dog and to the amazement of everyone (especially the vets) he lived another 3 years.

I'm typing this while almost crying because I can imagine what you are feeling right now. You seem to be handling it very well. Good luck to you and your puppy 😍

Sorry to hear about your puppy, but inspired to know you were able to have another 3 years!!

How old was your dog when this started? Colby is already 11-12 and I worry that we may not get much more time.

It's so easy to make hypothetical decisions about our dogs (or someone else's dog) but when it comes to our own, it's hard because we love them so much. You are so good about being pragmatic even though you are under the stress. Whatever you decide will be the best decision for you and your dog. I wish you both well.

Thank you. I must confess, I am trying to stay strong but sometimes I just fall apart. It's kind of how I roll. I fall apart, get mad, get focused, and kick a**. I've always kind of been that way. Once I focus on a problem I'm kind of unstoppable until I exhaust all options or find a solution. 🙂

I hope this will serve me well in vet school.

 

[spoondiggity]

Make sure to get second opinions before starting any kind of serious treatment!

I'm sending you guys lots of positive vibes - hope everything works out and your puppy lives a long happy life! 😍

 

[StartingoverVet]

I have nothing to add, just want to provide my support. Hoping for a good outcome.

 

[Maddiegirl]

Thanks SOV that means a lot!

This situation with Colby has definitely taught me that I'm leaving my current profession for all the right reasons. If one more person in this office makes a face at me or scoffs at the notion of my even attempting to treat my dog I'm going to straight up kick some hiney.


One of the attorneys here said, and I quote..."for what you'll spend on this old dog's treatment, couldn't you just like get a new healthy one..."

 

[spoondiggity]

Thanks SOV that means a lot!

This situation with Colby has definitely taught me that I'm leaving my current profession for all the right reasons. If one more person in this office makes a face at me or scoffs at the notion of my even attempting to treat my dog I'm going to straight up kick some hiney.


One of the attorneys here said, and I quote..."for what you'll spend on this old dog's treatment, couldn't you just like get a new healthy one..."

Well one thing to sure be grateful for is that Colby is in the care of a wonderful pet owner like you instead of someone else (like that horrid attorney😡)

 

[Maddiegirl]

Well one thing to sure be grateful for is that Colby is in the care of a wonderful pet owner like you instead of someone else (like that horrid attorney😡)

Aww thanks! I know, right! I didn't skip a beat with him. I immediately said, "gee, if one of your kids get sick are you just going to let it die and replace it with a new healthy one??" 😎

 

[Maddiegirl]

So, I know this is a personal decision, but I'm wondering what some of you would do in this situation. I'm registered for organic chemistry and microbiology plus employed at the aforementioned law firm full time. My classes will be 4 nights a week until roughly 10 pm, plus studying a TON to get those necessary A's.

Now that Colby is sick, I'm wondering if I should take the spring semester off. I don't want to delay getting into vet school, but I also don't want to miss what precious little time I may have with Colby or fail classes, waste money and derail my chances of getting into vet school.

Pragmatically speaking, I should wait until we finish talking to the vet and specialist to see exactly what we're dealing with before I blow off the semester.

Classes don't start back up until mid-January and I've worked so hard that I don't want to lose momentum. Perhaps having something to focus on will be good for me, if I can manage to focus that is...

Just wondering what y'all thought.

 

[StormWater]

Aww thanks! I know, right! I didn't skip a beat with him. I immediately said, "gee, if one of your kids get sick are you just going to let it die and replace it with a new healthy one??" 😎

Great reply, the kind you usually think of 10 minutes too late! Lots of positive thoughts being directed at you and Colby

 

[Maddiegirl]

Great reply, the kind you usually think of 10 minutes too late! Lots of positive thoughts being directed at you and Colby

Thanks!

 

[GermanShepMom]

So, I know this is a personal decision, but I'm wondering what some of you would do in this situation. I'm registered for organic chemistry and microbiology plus employed at the aforementioned law firm full time. My classes will be 4 nights a week until roughly 10 pm, plus studying a TON to get those necessary A's.

Now that Colby is sick, I'm wondering if I should take the spring semester off. I don't want to delay getting into vet school, but I also don't want to miss what precious little time I may have with Colby or fail classes, waste money and derail my chances of getting into vet school.

Pragmatically speaking, I should wait until we finish talking to the vet and specialist to see exactly what we're dealing with before I blow off the semester.

Classes don't start back up until mid-January and I've worked so hard that I don't want to lose momentum. Perhaps having something to focus on will be good for me, if I can manage to focus that is...

Just wondering what y'all thought.

Just jumping in on the conversation, I was reding through all that is going on and I am so sorry to hear about Colby! My German Shepherd fell very ill the Summer I decided to take Genetics and I will say that focusing on school was nearly impossible with the Veterinarians throwing around "cancer" and rushing out of lab to take her from one specialist to the next.

Just wondering... can you take just one of the courses and then shoot to take the other over Summer Session? I am not sure where you are in your application cycle, but having taken both I would say take O-Chem in the Spring and Micro in the Summer. That way both grades will show up if you're applying for 2013 and you will have two free nights at home with Colby. I used to lay on the floor and study notecards with Tally when she was sick, she was horrible at quizing me, but just laying with her gave me the calm head I needed to study! That is just my two cents for you... my thoughts are with you and Colby, I look forward to seeing updates, and hope there is only good news ahead!

 

[Maddiegirl]

Thanks GSM for the kind words and suggestions. I was planning to apply for fall 2012 and still have quite a few pre-reqs to finish to be ready in time. I have a spouse that can/will help with shuttling between appointments. Because of my financial aid I have to at least be enrolled half time.

You sound like me, laying on the floor with the dogs. I have a white board and give my dogs "lectures" on my notes when I'm studying for tests. Only one of them acts like she's paying attention. She listens intently with her little head cocking from one side to the other kinda like she's tuning me in (or out).

The night we brought Colby home from the vet and he was drunk from all the meds, I made a bed on the livingroom floor and we had ourselves a slumber party. He wasn't feeling up to sleeping in his room with our other dogs, and I didn't want him to sleep alone. That's just me though. I'm the girl that sleeps in the barn if the horse is sick.

I'm going to think on this some more before I make any rash decisions one way or the other about classes for the semester. Maybe I'll win the lotto between now and Jan. 17 and the decision will be made for me...quit my job and travel with Colby.

 

[GermanShepMom]

Thanks GSM for the kind words and suggestions. I was planning to apply for fall 2012 and still have quite a few pre-reqs to finish to be ready in time. I have a spouse that can/will help with shuttling between appointments. Because of my financial aid I have to at least be enrolled half time.

You sound like me, laying on the floor with the dogs. I have a white board and give my dogs "lectures" on my notes when I'm studying for tests. Only one of them acts like she's paying attention. She listens intently with her little head cocking from one side to the other kinda like she's tuning me in (or out).

The night we brought Colby home from the vet and he was drunk from all the meds, I made a bed on the livingroom floor and we had ourselves a slumber party. He wasn't feeling up to sleeping in his room with our other dogs, and I didn't want him to sleep alone. That's just me though. I'm the girl that sleeps in the barn if the horse is sick.

I'm going to think on this some more before I make any rash decisions one way or the other about classes for the semester. Maybe I'll win the lotto between now and Jan. 17 and the decision will be made for me...quit my job and travel with Colby.

Haha... I love it! When my female was sick my boyfriend actually slept on the couch for two weeks so that she could comfortably sleep in bed with her "mama." I am so lucky to have an amazing dog, and an amazing boyfriend that understands and accomodates my obsession!

Best of luck with deciding how to move forward... class planning is the worst! I thought my troubles were behind me once pre-req's were done and my apps were submitted. Turns out, the worst part is waiting for the news! Good luck with classes and Colby, I'll watch for updates!

 

[Maddiegirl]

Thanks and good luck on your app this cycle! Sending good vibes your way!

 

[K9DANE]

Hoping for the best for you.

I'm battling cancer in my cat as well. We just did a mandibulectomy for squamous cell that we felt we had caught early enough. However, biopsy from a mass we found in his ear came back yesterday squamous as well.

cancer sucks

 

[ky261682]

Sorry to hear about your puppy, but inspired to know you were able to have another 3 years!!
How old was your dog when this started? Colby is already 11-12 and I worry that we may not get much more time.

Max was almost 9 when we got the diagnosis. His age was probably the biggest factor in our decision not to go through surgery, chemo, or radiation.

I stayed in school the semester Max was diagnosed. I actually found out right before my econ midterm. It was difficult but I didn't even think about taking the semester off. I only worked 5 hours a week at the time so things were manageable. I was able to go home on the weekends and spend time with him. If this happened now, I would either take the semester off or cut back somewhere else. I work almost 30 hours per week in addition to school full time plus volunteering and a research project. Personally I would rather spend time with my ailing pet than possibly get into vet school a year early. That's just what I would do, others would stay the semester. Whatever is best for you and causes the least amount of stress is the thing for you to do.

 

[Maddiegirl]

The biopsy confirmed what radiology had suggested, that Colby has osteosarcoma. To be thorough, we pulled a complete blood panel and did a met check of his lungs in addition to biopsy and all looked very good. I'm hopeful that we caught this early enough to get out in front of it.

We decided to go ahead with the amputation to give him the best quality of life and increase his survival time. My vet is amazing and allowed me to not only stay with Colby before and after surgery, but to shadow him through the surgery.

It was intense and friends/family questioned how I could watch my dog go through that, but it kept me from worrying. I was right there with him the entire way. I never left him for a second. I was the last face he saw going under and the first one he saw waking up. He was calm and peaceful throughout.

That said, the surgery was an incredible learning experience for me in more ways than one. It was great to see the skill of the veterinarian and learn about the technique/anatomy, but it was amazing to watch my dog pull through the surgery so well. His vitals were strong during the procedure. He rested comfortably for almost two hours after the procedure before he woke up. Not once did he cry or whine.

Since he's come home, he's done remarkably well adjusting to getting around. He's is doing everything he should be doing (eating, drinking, potty, etc.) and his attitude his great. The surgical site looks really good with minimal bruising, almost no swelling, and very little drainage.

He gets stronger every day. The first day home, he actually refused to let us help him towel walk. He balked every time, so we let him take a few steps at a time then he would stop and look up at me as if to say, "I'm tired" and I carried him the rest of the way. He kept to his potty routine and didn't have a single accident in the house (unless you count peeing on my impatient husband who didn't wait long enough and was carrying him back into the house). 🤣

Now, just 4 days after surgery, he's marching up and down the hall like nobody's business. When he gets tired, he stops for a rest then keeps on hopping. Watching him take all of this in stride and wag his tail in the face of cancer just makes me so proud of him.

Since I'm away from home 9-10 hours each day, he's been staying with our vet for observation. They've been doing cold laser therapy on him, which seems to be accelerating his recovery.

We are meeting with his internist on the 27th for our consulation and to get everything set up for his first round of chemo.

Thanks to everyone who offered kind words and support.

 

[sooprnova]

Wonderful update! Colby sounds like a real trooper, and so do you. I hope everything continues to go as smoothly as the surgery did.

 

[Maddiegirl]

Wonderful update! Colby sounds like a real trooper, and so do you. I hope everything continues to go as smoothly as the surgery did.

Thanks.

We're hanging in there and trying to stay as positive as possible. Looks like his stubbornness his finally paying off. 🙂

Actually caught him hopping toward the garbage this morning...guess he's feeling better.

 

[heylodeb]

Is that him in your avatar? SO glad to hear he is recovering from his surgery well. Will be hoping for everything else to go smoothly!

 

[ky261682]

I'm glad to hear that Colby is doing so well considering all he has been through. He sounds like an amazing dog (with amazing owners).

 

[Maddiegirl]

Is that him in your avatar? SO glad to hear he is recovering from his surgery well. Will be hoping for everything else to go smoothly!

Yep, that's my handsome boy striking a pose. Thank you! We definitely have our for a smooth recovery.

I'm glad to hear that Colby is doing so well considering all he has been through. He sounds like an amazing dog (with amazing owners).

Aww, thanks!

 

[flyhi]

So glad to hear he is doing well! Sounds like his prognosis is good and he has a loving family to ease him into old age. What we don't do for our best friends 😍

 

[Bisbee]

Great news! That is wonderful. Now time to sit and relax and focus on the holidays.

 

[sunnex3]

dogs are quite resilient aren't they? i'm glad to hear your boy is doing well. i've seen many dogs recover successful post-amputation at the hospital where i work at. they really are amazing animals, they have such big hearts.

sending good thoughts your way! 😍

 

[StartingoverVet]

Wow, that's wonderful! 👍

 

[kakurubird]

Oh, yay! So glad to hear Colby's doing well! And he sounds very lucky to have you to help him through everything!

 

[Maddiegirl]

Thanks for the support everyone! I really appreciate it.

It's amazing how quickly they bounce back from something that would take a human months if not a lifetime to recover.

 

[LMMS]

'Nuff said.

Now, when you get the RV lemme know... 😉

 

[Minnerbelle]

Now, just 4 days after surgery, he's marching up and down the hall like nobody's business. When he gets tired, he stops for a rest then keeps on hopping. Watching him take all of this in stride and wag his tail in the face of cancer just makes me so proud of him.

Aw, that's so freaking awesome! I'm so happy for you and your puppy!

 

[StartingoverVet]

Don't know whether they are sending this to other clinics, but thought you may be interested in this trial at Penn Vet.

New cancer vaccine for dogs with osteosarcoma

Researchers at PennVet are conducting a clinical trial to determine whether a novel Listeria based vaccine can stimulate anti-tumor immunity and prolong survival in dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma. For more information on the vaccine and the study itself please contact VCIC at 215-573-0302 or [email protected] or contact Dr. Nicola Mason directly at [email protected]

 

[Maddiegirl]

'Nuff said.

Now, when you get the RV lemme know... 😉

Definitely will! That would be awesome! Road trip with Colby!

Aw, that's so freaking awesome! I'm so happy for you and your puppy!

Thanks! He's getting better everyday. We came off pain meds Sunday and he's got more spunk than before the surgery.

Don't know whether they are sending this to other clinics, but thought you may be interested in this trial at Penn Vet.

New cancer vaccine for dogs with osteosarcoma

Researchers at PennVet are conducting a clinical trial to determine whether a novel Listeria based vaccine can stimulate anti-tumor immunity and prolong survival in dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma. For more information on the vaccine and the study itself please contact VCIC at 215-573-0302 or [email protected] or contact Dr. Nicola Mason directly at [email protected]

Thank you for posting this!!!

I'm going to check into this. A road trip might be in order for us. If they're not coming to us we may just have to go to them.

 

[Maddiegirl]

We're almost a month from surgery and Colby is off and running, literally! He completely stunned me NYE when he chased me from the house to the barn one afternoon. I was running to feed my horse and heard something behind me, looked down and there was Colby about to pass me.

I think he runs faster on three legs than he ever did on four. I guess he's more aerodynamic now.

 

[nordicat]

Wow, I just read this whole thread now, and I must say, you and your Colby are AWESOME! 🙂

 

[Maddiegirl]

Wow, I just read this whole thread now, and I must say, you and your Colby are AWESOME! 🙂

Thanks! 🙂

 

[ARC99]

I'm not usually very emotional, but reading this entire thread (praying that the posts at the end had good news) got me all choked up.

I had an English Mastiff (profile pic) named Dozer that I got as a 6 week old puppy. He was the runt of the litter but grew to a whopping 185 lbs. He was born in 2001 so I had him throughout most of my college life, through 3 boyfriends, and all the way up until April of 2011. He was my #1 man and my fiancee now knew his place as #2 in my life! 🙂

He started acting "off" one morning and seemed to go way downhill after a few hours. I noticed his gum color was very pale so we took him into our vet. Everything after that happened so quickly. He was diagnosed the very next day (after U/S and extensive bloodwork) with hemangiosarcoma on his right atrium. We drained the blood and he would bounce right back to his old self for a few days and then crash again....rinse and repeat about 2 more times until I (along with an amazing resident at CSU) decided that this was no way for him to live. After the 3rd time, his pericardium filled right back up with twice the amount of blood (~250 ml) within a few hours. But, for the 2 weeks that we bought him, we had a pow-wow set up on our living room floor. I brought our mattress downstairs so he could sleep with me and my fiancee slept on the couch next to us. My mom even flew in from TX to be with her "granddog"! Anyways, we ended up putting him down on 4/7/11 and although it was the right decision, it was so hard. What I hated most of all was that this came out of nowhere and it all happened so fast. I'm so glad you were able to get in front of this with Colby and it makes me so thankful that there are people out there that will do what's best for their furry children at all costs!

Sorry for the sob story, just thought I'd share. Thanks for all the updates on your boy! He sounds like a wonderful dog and I hope you guys have many more years with him!

 

[Maddiegirl]

I haven't been around in a while as I've had my head in the books trying to make this dream of mine come true, but I wanted to do a quick post since I know there were some of you out there that were following my dog Colby's story.

The last month has been so hard for me. We put our 15 year old lab mix, Maddie down after learning she had a brain tumor. She lost control of her bowels and her bladder in her final weeks, so we made the gut wrenching decision to let her go.

Colby was coming up on 14 months post-op on his bone cancer and was doing so well. He was active and happy. We paired him up with out other dog after Madison passed away and all seemed to be going so well. Unfortunately, Colby passed away 36 days after Madison. He made it just over 14 months post-op! I don't know why he passed away, I can only assume the cancer returned and we missed it. He'd recently been to the vet and checked out fine. He was eating, drinking, and doing everything else he should have been doing. I woke to find him on his bed already gone. I do know he was a happy boy and a fighter right up until the end. I wish I could have said goodbye though.

It's been incredibly hard this last month to lose two of my companions that I shared over a decade with.

Thank you to everyone out there that was pulling for Colby. All the love and support he got really helped keep our heads in the game and give him the best care we could. I'm so glad I spent the money on the surgery, even though I still have a bill to pay off. Those extra 14 months I got with Colby were priceless.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Didn't look at the dates. Reading update post.

Edit: I'm so sorry to read that Colby passed away, and so close to Maddie's passing. It is, understandably, incredibly difficult to cope with, and I understand what it's like not to feel that you got to say goodbye. But I do want you to know that you went above and beyond the call of the average pet owner, and I can only imagine that you enriched and enhanced Colby's life with you as much as he added to your life with him. The amount of love, dedication and commitment that you were able to give Colby is absolutely priceless and something I'm sure a lot of us hold in high esteem. There are a lot of people who would not have dedicated that much money and time to him. I am so sorry to hear this. I will keep you in my thoughts.

 

[ky261682]

I'm sorry for your losses 🙁 You were lucky to have wonderful dogs and they were lucky to have wonderful humans.

 

[kernel]

My vet is amazing and allowed me to not only stay with Colby before and after surgery but to shadow him through the surgery.

Wow, that is really something. I imagine it was really special to be to stay by his side the whole time! Sending hugs your way.

 

[StartingoverVet]

So sorry maddie. I hate how bad news like this happens in clumps.

 

[that redhead]

So crazy that this thread popped up again. I was literally thinking of him the other day and wondering how things were. I'm sorry to hear this is how it ended but so glad that you got even those 14 months.