Greyhound Update

Since 1995, there has always been at least 1 greyhound in the manor. Since 1997, it’s been 2 until Missy left us as a result of complications of old age. While Missy was in decline, Rocky presented with a cough that was traced to mid-stage lung cancer. Rocky’s disease was discovered before he was in decline. And I’ve been able to manage the discomfort from the disease in the mid-stage.

After the break, I’ll review the home care Rocky is receiving following his oncology consult. Rocky’s disease course is not typical. We were lucky to receive an early diagnosis. Although Rocky’s disease was discovered “early” it was already in a untreatable configuration.

Too often, concerning symptoms are experienced much later in the disease course.

Missy

Dismal Manor Gang reports the passing of Missy, our Jailhouse Greyhound. Missy began her companion career in the care of an incarcerated woman in a Florida jail. Her foster mum taught Missy basic companion arts, house manners, sit, down, stay, walk on lead, and ball play. Missy settled in with Lord Nick like the champ she was.

Missy was bigger than life when she first came home. Full of play and mischief as a young-un. On her first night home, she decided she’d sleep under the stars. At evening turnout, she gave me the run-around. Remembering her foster host had reported she liked balls, I found one and began to play fetch with her. A greyhound that plays fetch! Really! At 1 AM, I finally managed to get a lead on her. And I had to work next day!

In her last months, Missy had been eating below maintenance for some time. She was leaving part of her ration and steadily loosing weight.

In February, she began a serious fast ignoring even fresh waffle corners and her arthritis medicines but continuing to drink normally. She steadily lost weight but managed to be in good spirits but with reduced activity until a day or so before her passing in early March. For most of the fast, she continued to go out, take the mid-day sun, and occasionally charge blighters at the fence. She’d even accompany Rocky on yard searches for hares.

Missy was quiet and unassuming in her later years but as a senior, managed the house routine and introduced Rocky to home life.

Rocky

Rocky copped a peanut butter tub lid off the worktops in early December. He tried to eat it after licking all the fresh ground PB off. He began coughing, a lot. The cough continued that night and slowly abated Sunday. Fearing he’d aspirated some plastic, I booked him in for a check-up. His vet took one listen to the cough and recommended imagery. The X-rays showed his airway clear but found a good-sized primary tumor in his lungs.

Rocky booked an oncology consult. To determine the way ahead, the oncologist recommended we have CAT scans made. The imagery found a 13 CM primary tumor and numerous secondary tumors in the lungs. The tumors were only in the lungs. The imagery also showed that the primary tumor was unreachable. Surgery was not indicated.

The normal treatment practice is to remove the primary tumor and surrounding lung tissue then follow up with chemotherapy. Rocky’s primary tumor was located where surgical removal was not possible so chemotherapy was also off the game board.

The prognosis for greyhound lung cancer is about 6 months median life expectancy after diagnosis. As I write this, it is mid-April and Rocky remains alert, active, lungs sensitive to irritants, and occasionally needs to clear his airway of mucus or fluid. Otherwise, he’s a normal senior male greyhound as his 9th birthday approaches.

We were lucky

“If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all” (Albert King, Born Under a Bad Sign). Rocky’s peanut butter tub lid mishap led to early discovery of his tumors, probably by several months. That and the greyhound’s outrageous lungs and circulatory system have allowed him to continue on with us.

Apparently, although Rocky’s primary tumor is large and he has secondary lung tumors, they have not spread outside the lungs and they are not aggressive. Five months after diagnosis, Rocky remains comfortable and engaged in life. He’s eating well and maintaining weight. And still hunting. Rocky is very highly prey oriented and an aggressive chaser. Still.

CDB/CDBA Oil Therapy

In the beginning, Rocky was coughing a bit more than normal but not alarmingly so once the irritation from the peanut butter tub chew-up passed.

The hemp oil treatment seemed to lessen Missy’s discomfort and allowed her to age gracefully. When Missy passed, she stopped taking her oil. I had an unopened bottle in the pantry that she would have started to use had she continued to eat. Eventually, it’s shelf life would expire and it would be of unknown efficacy.

What to do with it? Well, let’s start Rocky on CDB/CDBA oil. All I’ve got to loose is a bottle of oil that will eventually exceed its time to live. So I began Rocky on CDB/CDBA oil therapy per the label instructions, 0.8 ml twice per day for the first week, then 0.4 ml twice per day for maintenance. A 30 ML bottle lasts 5 weeks at 0.8 ml per day.

Much to my surprise, Rocky’s coughing dropped to about normal as sensitivity to irritation reduced during the first week. After 4 weeks on therapy, he coughs a couple of times a day, usually after eating or chasing a hare or other wildlife. Were he healthy, he would not cough as a result of hunting or play. But, fortunately, it is usually one cough and done. No prologned coughing like that he presented following the peanut butter tub incident.

I continue to monitor Rocky’s cough, appetite, weight, and activity level. At the moment he’s a senior greyhound presenting with an occasional cough once or twice a day. More than normal but not so much as to indicate continuing discomfort.