Hi Em, just to add to what Denise said, Rimadyl is pretty much the standard prescription from the vets for arthritis, it's basically doggie asprin, it'll take the pain away from Tig. I haven't looked but there's a couple of other good treads on here about Arthritis and various supplements and complementary medicines and treatments that can be used to further help things. Also as we're getting into summer he might start feeling a bit better if we get some warmer weather.

GAL homed a lovely big Brindle dog called Dawson over 3 years ago, he was really bad with the arthritis on arrival with GAL, he'd got it through the majority of his body. His owner has been giving him Rimadyl for the last 3 year and the big lad is coping well on it, the dose is increased during the winter when it's colder but he's still going strong even after such a long time..

After Casper had his knee op we tried a lot of different types of anti-inflammatory drugs/pain relief for him. I think it is worth trying a few and seeing which works best - we tried metacam, rimadyl & zubrin and although some of these gave him some pain relief we found that zolan was best for him. I think it's a case of try it and see, as every dog is different.
Hope you find something to help Tiger.
Jane

Denise,Dave,Jenny,Jane and Shirley,

                                                Thank you all for all your kind words of support and the possible new ideas to try. It really lifted me to get all the support, thanks again guys, I'll keep you posted - will be going to the surgery at 2.30pm so paws crossed.

Em,Tig and Chad xxx

 

All the best to Tiger, hope you get something to ease his discomfort. Please let us Know how he gets on. Nora 

Hi All,

        Just to let you all know the latest, thanks for being so caring!

The vet says that he does not think the pain and associated lameness is old age related arthritis but it is a raceing injury from the past raising its ugly head. He says that the stifle (knee) joint is still swollen and hot but that the toe is not affected (this seems odd since he is unwilling to put his foot on the ground) although I do respect the vet as he has always looked after all our dogs and likes greys.

The vet prescribed some anti-inflamatories (spelling a bit dodgy sorry!) and we are to see how they go. The vet seems to think they will clear it up (I am less confident) but we will see.

So paws crossed......will keep you informed - Thanks once again, you all really do mean alot to me and my two lovely greys, 

Em, Tig and Chad XXX

Well at least you are another step in the right direction, and hopefully this will work. Big Hugs to Tiger.  

Suzanne,

            Ok point taken about weight bearing (I am a bit thick at times!) I have continued with omega oil and the glucosamine. I will see how he goes now, shame I can't get my other half to perform a knee replacement (that's mostly what he is involved with at work all day!).

Heres hoping he gets well soon because he hasn't been for a walk for two weeks now! I think Chad misses him too when we go out and everyone who baby sits Tiger for me while i take Chad says how upset he gets. He even did a number two on my front room carpet while my other half was sitting with him. I am sure this pooing indoors is a way of showing annoyance because when we first got him Adam made such a fuss of him that he pooed on his bed when Adam went to school a few times!

Em, Tig and Chad XX

Hi Emma

you have been missed and what an awful time you have been having.

Poor Tiger I really don't know what to say having not been in the same situation. Is chemo out of the option?

Maybe a good idea to get a second opinion. I guess you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Is it best to let tiger enjoy life whilst he can and not put him through the stress of an op or give him a chance at a longer life if the cancer hasn't spread.

Good luck. I wish you well you must be due a change of fortune

Hi Emma

So sorry to hear your news about Tiger.

As the others have said, it's a very personal decision and we all have different ways of reacting to and handling these things. I don't want to upset you and don't know if it will help but here's my tuppence worth.

Usually at the point when bone cancer has actually been diagnosed and symptoms seen, it's too late to stop it progressing. It can become very painful and can also weaken the bones so the very gentle walks, no running, etc would have to always continue for his own sake. Running or jumping could result in a very painful break for which there is no fix. Chemo might be a possibility to speak to your vet about but would probably end up being very expensive and upsetting and I doubt it would do any good at this stage. Amputation is unlikely to stop the spread and at his age Tiger may not adjust well. It might only mean more pain and discomfort for him.

If I was in your position I'd keep a very close eye on his leg, watch out for any more symptoms, keep him as pain free as possible, let him have gentle walks when he feels able, keep enjoying his company, and let him go once his body and spirit start to tell you he's had enough.

I know you'd love to hear something more positive. But the most positive thing you can do right now is know the happiness you've given him and know you'll be there to help him have some comfort and dignity at the end.

I hope he's with you for a long time to come.

Best Wishes

Hi Emma,

i'm quite new to the forum but my heart goes out to you and i thought i'd share my experience in the hope it might help. Years ago i had a similar situation with my boxer Cassie and like you i didn't really want to accept it so i did get a second opinion but second vet said all the same things. I decided to keep Cassie with me as long as i could but within a short time it was obvious that she was not enjoying her quality of life without her long walks with my other dog and i had to let her go.

 i think it's a really personal decision and you know and love tiger better than anyone and i believe you will do what's best for him just because you know him best. I'm sure everyone will be thinking of you and tiger and sending all our love...gail. x  

Hi em

5 months after I got Jasper and his sister Jasmine (my siamese cats) I was told she had Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which is a mutation of a virus that many cats carry and are exposed to (I think).
There is no cure for it so I treated Jasmine with homeopathy to make her more comfortable and spent the last few months with her.
Gradually she began to be badly affected neurologically and was very clingy and I couldn't bear to watch her struggling so I knew it was time to let her go. I have tears in my eyes writing this because it was honestly the worst thing I have ever had to do and I can't imagine losing my boys.

My advice as everyones is to enjoy the time you have together and just make sure Tig is comfortable. You will know when life isn't enjoyable anymore for Tig.

Dear Emma our thoughts are with you and Tiger at this time , just remember we are all here to help in any way we can Big hugs to Tiger from the Noble family and Bovril  .

Wishing you all the best xxx

Em, you've had such a lot to cope with over the last few weeks, my heart goes out to you.  I can't really add to anything that's already been said, I'm agreeing with them all and I think you will know, deep down, when the decision needs to be taken. I've always been glad that it's the one thing we can do for our pets - painful tho it is, it shows that you love them by giving them the ultimate peace in such a selfless act.

For now, enjoy your time with Tiger and, for his sake, I know you'll do right by him.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you

Much love from Neil, Teresa, Dave and Daisy xx

So sorry to hear your sad news.  We lost our lurcher to cancer just over a year ago, we took him to the vets with an upset stomach and literally a few hours later we leart that he had cancer and probably only had a few months to live.  We made the decision to give him chemotherapy and steroids to make him comfortable and to prolong his life a little.  A lot of people won't agree with this but we felt we had to do everything we could to help him.  Sadly he died seven weeks after his diagnosis.  People say you know when the times come and that is so true.  It really is a horrible thing that you're going through but you will get through it with the love and support of your family and friends.  We decided when he was diagnosed that we were going to make the most of his last few weeks and took him to all his old walkies down near London where we used to live and just enjoyed having him.

We recently learnt that a lurcher that we fostered when we worked at Battersea has been diagnosed with bone cancer.  She had one of her legs amputated and she is surprising everyone how well she is doing on three legs, but suppose it's down to the individual dog how well they do.  Her vet has said that she is clear of cancer right now but more than likely it will return within the year.  It's a difficult decision to make whether or not to put a dog through such a big op if it may not make much difference.

Hope what i've said makes sense. 

Debbie

-- Edited by MojoTilly at 17:57, 2006-06-29