Hi,
I realized that pehaps that I should have posted my 'introductory' post below to the the health forum. I apologize and hope that maybe someone can comment on this-- thanks!
Read more: http://www.mastiff-forum.com/showthread.php/24860-Introduction-from-Skyler-s-Mom#ixzz3Rkku3CKh
I realized that pehaps that I should have posted my 'introductory' post below to the the health forum. I apologize and hope that maybe someone can comment on this-- thanks!
Hi, I was very glad to find your forum and community today. I'm hopeful that this group of other dog lovers might be able to help us. I want to introduce our 7 yr.old, English Mastiff brindle, Skyler. She is our 4th English Mastifff in 20 years. At one time, we had 3 so we know how much love, fun and joy these gentle giants bring into our lives. Healthwise, she had TPLO surgery in both of her rear legs (one when she was 3 and the other leg when she was 4). We attributed some of this to the fact that our vet had her on predisone (steroids) for almost 2 years when she was 2 and having some chronic dermatitis, acne on her muzzle and ear infections. After reading some of your posts here already, I wish we had gone down a different path as the long-term use of predisone really thinned out her long bones and caused the tendons to tear in her back legs. Because Skyler loves to swim, she did her own rehab practically by herself with hydrotherapy and the $#@!istance of a physical therapist. She bounced back quickly from both surgeries. She has had the occasional soreness and arthritis over the last couple of years which we've treated with Rimadyl and then Milk Thistle daily to keep her liver soft and healthy (from the Rimadyl use). In fact, she just had an extenisve annual checkup with full blood panels, and had great resuts a few months ago. Last week, we took her to our vet because she had what we thought was a bowed tendon or tendon damage in her front right leg above her wrist and was limping. It had become large practicallly overnight. The vet took an xray of her leg, and said that he was 99% certain it was osteosarcoma (bone cancer), and that we probably had less than a month with her as it was aggressive based on what he had seen it other dogs. He prescribed more Rimadyl and Tramadol (for pain) and said to keep her as comfortable as possible until it was 'time' for euthanasia. Natuarally, we were devastated with this news. We iced the leg (10-15 min with a bag of frozen peas 3 times a day). We noted, too,that the Rimadyl took down the swelling from her wrist to her shoulder. Her appetite and energy level have not waivered. She's been the cheery, happy dog she's always been. She began literally sticking our her leg to us so that rub it for her. Now with the massaging, Rimadyl and icing,the tendon looks almost back to normal on her leg; although we can see and feel it, the long tumor is seems more inside her leg between the bone and not on the outside of the tendon like it was. (During the massaging, the 'tumor' seemed to have slipped between her tissue and bone so her leg is straight again. She is no longer hitching and limping as badly at all. We are wondering if this could be an infilitrative lipoma and not necessarily osteosarcoma? It just seems odd that this thing moved around so much and that now I'm having to tell her to stop jumping and running again after her toys and bones. My vet said we could go for a second opinion but that it would be costly; however, she's our only fur-kid so we want to be sure. Has anyone else heard or had an experience with lipomic tumors being mistaken for osteosarcomic turmors? Thanks in advance to all of you and thank you for providing us this forum as a way to exchange ideas and brainstorm about our pups. We really appreciate your time and comments. Happy Valentine's, too, to all of you and your fuzzy-haired children... Susan
Read more: http://www.mastiff-forum.com/showthread.php/24860-Introduction-from-Skyler-s-Mom#ixzz3Rkku3CKh