Post by CampGreyhound on Nov 10, 2010 18:17:41 GMT -5
This thread was copied from the old AP forum. It may be a helpful one to have here.
Post subject: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 8:23 am
Site Admin
I hear from many clients, and read a lot online of families who have tried to live holistically but in the face of a medical crisis feel forced to travel an allopathic route. I understand how this can happen, we just don't think of new ways of doing things, and we may not have the confidence or even realize that alternative modalities of healing have a lot more to offer than just being used as an adjunct to allopathic treatments, or even as protection against them.
A few days ago our 12.5 year old greyhound, Romi, started having troubles walking. His rear end had become weak and while he didn't appear to be in a lot of pain, there did appear to be some partial paralysis. I was very concerned, as I knew these were serious symptoms, but I wasn't sure what my initial course of action would be.
I have decided to turn the journey we are embarking on into a bit of a blogging experience here in this thread to demonstrate how alternative modalities can be used as the central treatment for a serious condition.
Our Homeopath was out of town on a crisis of her own, but managed to prescribe a remedy over the phone that helped quite a bit, and suggested a chiropractic consult would be helpful. Our chiropractor was away, but her partner spoke at length with me on the phone and recommended we get hip/pelvis xrays so we can have a better idea of what's going on.
Going to the vet is always a challenging experience for me; those of you who know me will be aware that I'm not fond of allopathic methods, attitudes or education to put it mildly, but we needed the diagnostics so off we went for xrays.
We managed to get laterals only, and I requested a shot of his lungs as well; metastatic disease would radically change any treatment decisions I would be making, so I thought it was prudent to ask them to get a shot of his lungs. No sedation is necessary for most dogs if you can manage with just laterals, back to fronts can be great to have but for a 12.5 year old dog who is already ill, I'm not inclined to give any drugs that are not absolutely necessary, so we made do with laterals.
Romi's xrays showed some degenerative changes to the bone in the vertebrae at the border of lumbar and sacral, some bridging could be seen, so this is a clear indication of disc disease, which usually can't be diagnosed with certainty unless you get an MRI (very pricey indeed). It also showed a shadow on his lung, which the vet said could be nothing or could be something. The most significant finding was a large mass sitting under his spine which was pushing down his rectum.
After giving a physical and looking at the xrays the vet recommended we seek a neurology consult for the leg problems. For the mass in his rear, he suggested that surgery for this mass would be difficult and have to be handled by a board certified surgeon, it was too tricky for most regular vets.
I knew that we would not be engaging in any invasive allopathic procedures, and I let the vet know that we would be treating alternatively. He offered to have his associate, who does acupuncture, give us a call.
We are seeing more and more allopathic vets start adding credentials to their CVs. However, if a vet's central practice is allopathic, it's pretty clear that the expertise that I want for my pet's holistic treatment is not going to be there. It's like allowing a GP to specialize in something via weekend courses, just not a good idea. There is a lot behind this movement, in our province the college that educates and regulates veterinarians seems to feel that only vets have anything to offer as far as treating pets goes. I heartily disagree, as I prefer to work with someone who has made homeopathics, or chiropractic, or acupunture their main treatment modality. Their default position will not be drugs or surgery, they will have the depth and breadth of experience to do better.
It's important to note here that while I don't endorse the mindless use of allopathic medicine, I do sometimes take advantage of what it has to offer when my pet's well being is at stake. Romi is taking Meloxicam, a drug that helps him move without pain. He also has Tramadol in case his pain gets worse. After months of using more natural methods, I found that Romi needed something different to give him the quality of life we wanted for him. This is the progression that makes sense, try the products and modalities first that will do no harm and may help, and then when they are not enough, move on to allopathic methods, which can do harm but may give the quality of life your pet needs. This is particularly true when you know your pet will not be around to experience the long term damage that is associated with a lot of drugs. I am giving Romi a liver tincture to help his liver deal with these products, because for now, he needs them.
To be continued...
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
greytacres
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:52 pm
Karen....this breaks my heart as I know Romi is so special. However, I admire your determination to help him the most natural way possible. I also think that having this forum helps us all to learn how to deal with something like this, should it happen to one of our greys.
I truly appreciate all the knowledge and advice that I have received from you personally and through forums in the past.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, especially at this difficult time. You are amazing.....we love you! Hugs to Romi from us and our gang.
Take care,
Pete, Deb & the hounds from Greytacres.
OwnedBySummer
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:43 pm
User avatar
You are one strong lady! And I'm really going to appreciate your blog, thank you! My heart bleeds for you, especially since losing my own heart dog in late April. Hugs to you and Romi!
GreytGal
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:57 am
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:10 pm
Posts: 2
Delete post
Warn user
Information
Report this post
Edit post
Reply with quote
Auntie K,
Mom says you have a great deal of courage, conviction, and compassion to write this story.
And that we all will learn from, and share, in Romi's journey.
I'll be there (and Mom and Dad, too) every step of the way, 'cuz you know I have this thing for older boyz!
Psst...don't tell him - 'cuz you know how he is - but Romi is my first love:)
I'll see you all soon...
Love from Stormie-Pup
and, oh yeah, Dee and Tim, too
xoxo
Jo-Anne Sauve
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:30 pm
Karen,
Thank you for taking us on this journey with you. We will all learn from it. Romi has the best mom he could ever have and will get the best care ever. My heart aches for you. Hugs to all.
Jo-Anne, Bob & the 3 M's
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:15 pm
Site Admin
Thanks to all of you for your very kind words, they're very much appreciated. I'm going to take a lesson from Romi and just bask in all the good feelings being sent our way, and appreciate that there are so many in our lives that care about us.
Tuesday August 10
We left off at the vet's office, where the vet was giving us the options that allopathy had to offer - a referral to a neurologist for the problems Romi was having with his back legs, and surgery at the VEC or Guelph for the mass in his abdomen. He was not willing to say that these two problems were related, because Romi also has some indications of disc disease showing on his xrays. I thanked the vet, and paid for the appointment. The staff at the clinic helped me get Romi back out (they'd helped me carry him in on his bed) and Romi and I left the office and headed home with his xrays, so I could share them with his primary health care practitioners. I will be calling them this coming week with a request for some pain meds as soon as we're sure which one will be best for him.
One of the challenges I was facing is how to help Romi get around. He weighs 80 pounds, and I'm often on my own here; on Monday the day this all first started I had picked him up twice, but I knew I was pushing my luck, and the last think I needed was to mess my back up. Good friends came over Monday evening and then again Tuesday to help me with him, and they also loaned us their Ruffwear Harness, which I think every household who has an older greyhound should have on hand. They also brought over some drop sheets and diapers, and a few slings, one that I had made for them when their girlie was ill. I had totally forgotten about these mobility aids, this just illustrates for you how much shock I was still in over what was happening to Romi. Having friends around to support you and help you to think through the crisis is invaluable. I would have to put that down as number 1 on my list of things you need when your pet is ill! Also good to have on hand, just in case it's needed, belly bands and/or drop cloths to use in case your pet can't make it out to eliminate in time.
Tuesday overnight Romi awoke around 1:30am and seemed to me to be in pain; I had been in touch with Anna, our homeopath and had some remedies on hand for him, so I redosed him with Arsenicum and I also gave him his first Tramadol. I got him outside and we paced for quite sometime; I believe his discomfort stemmed from the trouble he was having eliminating, and it was pretty much impossible to tell whether the exam he'd had at the vets had moved the mass so that it was blocking the way, or if the problem was neurological from the nerves to the area being impinged. Either way, he was very uncomfortable, and I was beginning to think we would not have very much longer with our Romi. His stream was quite weak, just a dribble, and we hadn't seen a poop since the rectal exam earlier in the day. Eventually he settled down, and I got him back into bed. I'd found that if I turned the AC way down that seemed to help him a lot.
Wednesday August 11
Wednesday dawned too bright for me, while I commonly was up until all hours when I was younger, now that I'm approaching the big 50, not so much lol. I managed to catch a few naps during the day, we did have some campers coming in and my Mom had a doctor's appointment. I delegated what I could, and got on the phone to Anna to get some advice about what we should be doing next. We ended up changing his remedy to Conium, and I also put a call in to the chiropractor, in hopes we could shift things around a little to lessen the symptoms Romi was having.
The harness was allowing me to help Romi without the need for another person, so I was able to help him get around, but he sure did not want any help, and would often plant his feet as if to say "I'm not going anywhere until you let go of me"! I had also picked up some children's glycerin suppositories. I gave him one around 5:30pm but we saw no action at all. By 8pm he was ready for his first dose of Conium, so I gave it to him, and at 10pm we had our first poop - and a celebration to go along with it. It's amazing how the little things can really mean so much!
Thursday August 12
Wednesday night we all had a pretty good rest, and Thursday morning we were up in good time to go to the chiropractor in Newmarket. June is very dog-centred, and came out to the van to spare him the ramp up into her office. I put his bed on the driveway and let him settle in while she checked his xrays. She gave him some very gentle adjustments, and showed me where to massage him in hopes of keeping those nerves working. He ended up pooping twice more after his adjustments, and seemed to be feeling much better.
When we got back home I opened the back door of the van, thinking Romi would be safe, a case of chicken I'd picked up and his foam stairs (built years ago for Lou but very handy now)were blocking the way out. I went into the garage and opened the freezer door to put the case of chicken in, turned around and there was Romi crawling over the case of chicken and launching himself out the back door onto the driveway! Oi!!! Michelle heard me scream "No" all the way inside the house and came running out, he was already heading down the driveway to find a good spot to pee in. So I'd say the alternative therapy is working, because a few days ago he couldn't even get up by himself, let alone jump out of the van!
To be continued...
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
IMS
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:04 am
Hi Karen,
I've been following Romi's progress and it all sounds good! I know you are treating him as naturally as possible so I just want to offer my assistance. Of course this is only if you and Romi are interested. I am a Reiki Practitioner but have also studied and practiced different forms of energy work, including Therapeutic Touch, for the last couple of decades. I confess I primarily use it only on animals although I have from time to time treated people. Animals are more receptive, mainly because they aren't as complicated. I can send him Reiki but being present is preferable. I would be happy to come and see him if you're interested and there's no charge. You already know how much I love Romi so if I can help!??
Honda's foot is still sore but not as much as before. I've been soaking it regularly and that seems to help for now. In the meantime I have ordered the medication from the States for her. I know the treatment is a slow process but it has worked for Echo so here's hoping.
Email me if you think Reiki might help.
Isabelle
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 5:37 pm
Site Admin
I did plan on updating this thread every day, but it looks like for now it will be every 2-3 days.
We left off arriving home from the chiropractor, where we saw a good improvement from Romi's adjustment, as well as the homeopathic remedy Conium. I spent the next few days trying to work out the right pain drug for Romi, we had both Tramadol and Gabapentin on hand to use with Meloxicam if necessary, and it did seem necessary at times. I tried Tramadol for a few days, but Romi started to drool a lot, and I think he had nausea. I switched him over to Gabapentin, and after a few days on that I could see that there were no side effects noticable, so I called one of the vets at the clinic he had gotten his xrays at and requested a script. She did better than that, she faxed it down to our local Shoppers Drug Mart, just down the street, very convenient.
So now we have a mixture of treatments on the go; primarily homeopathic, with Chiro once a week right now (that may go up) and a few drugs thrown into the mix to make sure Romi stays pain free. I also try to massage him as much as possible.
Isabelle has kindly offered to come up and do a Reiki session on Romi tomorrow, I'm looking forward to that most eagerly. While she is working on Romi, I will see what I can do with Honda's corns, which have been bothering her, poor little sweetie.
Romi has regained his independence for the most part, he is able to get up and down with no assistance, and only needs a bit of help getting up the ramp in the backyard. This is a huge improvement over a week ago. Today we switched his remedy from Conium back to Arsenicum again, due to his symptoms. Anna tells me we may do this switching up several times, depending on what symptoms are prevalent. I'm so grateful to have her in our corner, Romi has benefited so very much from homeopathic treatment, he's almost himself again most of the time. I know our time is still limited, but it means everything to have his quality of life back, at least for a time.
He has become unbearably spoiled, and will now refuse to eat unless:
-He has tripe mix
-There is homemade "churkey broth" poured over it
-He is handfed this yummy mixture
If I try to leave his bowl of food in front of him, he flips in over with his nose!! Romi has always had an overabundance of personality, and we are really seeing it again.
To be continued....
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 9:32 am
Site Admin
All the good thoughts and the prayers are kicking in, and Romi is clearly holding onto every bit of healing that's sent his way.
Isabelle came up Wednesday and did some energy healing on Romi, he was extremely relaxed during and after the session, and slept most of that day, which is what you want to see after a reiki session, it's a sign of healing. Romi has seemed more clear since the session, and he's slept through the night the last two nights as well, a huge benefit for me.
Romi's 200c Arsenicum does not seem to be holding as long as it did before, so I'm changing to the 1M potency. My rational is that his symtoms have not shifted (shakiness, restless, panting etc) but the 200c is lasting for less and less time. I don't think this indicates a change in remedies, because we are not seeing the symptoms we were getting when we switched to Conium (troubles eliminating, also with restlessness). He is having no troubles at all either pooping or peeing, and the strength behind his urine stream has gotten much stronger.
His back legs are a bit creaky today, which tells me another chiro appointment is in our near future, but of course it's Friday, and I have campers to pick up, so I'll watch and wait and give extra support if it's needed.
All in all I'm very encouraged, Romi has excellent quality of life right now, and that's what we are after.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Online
Profile Send private message E-mail
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:48 am
Site Admin
Romi has had a good 3 days, for the most part sleeping through the night, eliminating normally and he's able to get up and down on his own. He needs an assist up the ramp, and I've noticed he's acting like he needs another adjustment, his back legs are not working as well as they were. We have been dosing with Arsenicum 1M pretty much daily, and also with gabapentin and meloxicam. His appetite has actually increased and he's eating really well, although I've cut all bone out in order to make sure he has no trouble pooping, and this seems to be working so far. It's easy to pretend that our Romi will stay with us for months, but I've had to double his gabapentin at night already, and we are giving very high potencies of homeopathics too. It's a roller coaster that I know most of you have been on. Today is a particularly sad day, as it marks one year since our beautiful Dove passed away; she was like part of our pack as she was here quite often. I know that soon Romi will be joining her, and I wish it wasn't so. It's the only thing I don't like about our hounds, they leave us way too soon.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 4:50 pm
Hang in there....lots of love and best wishes coming from Noah, Norma and Greg.
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:54 am
Site Admin
Thanks Nora, I appreciate the support. Today is a better day.
Today's entry will be entitled THE BARKING GREYHOUND.
Those of us who are greyhound enthusiasts are aware that greyhounds don't bark. A select few of us greyhound enthusiasts know that this is sometimes a big fat lie, and in our house lately, I'd have to agree.
Romi has discovered that barking, rooing, moaning and all other types of vocalizing sometimes works well to get attention. And even if it doesn't, apparently it feels really good, so he does it anyways. Anyone who has called me on the phone lately is already aware of this change in Romi's repertoire of behaviors. He does it when I'm on the computer or phone too long, he does it if I go out, he does it if I go into another room, and sometimes he even does it while I'm petting him. It's quite astounding how much noise this boy can make when he's in the mood. He knows we don't like it, and doesn't seem to be too concerned about that, he's a classic greyhound in that he really isn't concerned about pleasing us!
Apart from his new hobby, Romi is fairly stable. He had a bit of a restless night last night, I can only guess that he's having trouble pooping because I've been hiding his pill in cheese, which he adores. Since the rest of his diet is tripe and organ meat, I though I was safe in doing this, but maybe not. He's also getting stiffer on his feet, and not walking as well, and his urine stream does not appear to be as strong as it was a few days ago, although he still manages to nail his front legs liberally so that he needs a mini bath after every pee lol. He has an appointment tonight with Murry Stewart for an adjustment, and I expect an improvement afterwards.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 8:54 am
Site Admin
I'm very happy to report that Romi is continuing to do well; after his adjustment last week he was a bit sore for a day and then continued to improve. He can go outside all by himself now, and most times can handle going up the ramp by himself too, although I usually stand beside him just in case. His sense of humor is back, and he is keeping everyone on their toes by demanding attention, which we are quite happy to give. He still messes around with his food a bit sometimes.
We've cut back on the gabapentin, so he has it only at night most of the time. He usually sleeps through the night, although sometimes he wakes me up for ear rubs lol. He gets dosed with Arsenicum usually daily, but sometimes we can skip a day. I try to check in with Anna regularly to keep her updated on his condition.
I'm keeping Romi off raw bones and he's doing really well on the tripe and lung mix with an occasional chunk of heart. Once in a while I thrown in some ground pork, beef, or a boneless chicken breast and I always add one or two eggs in. Not the best variety but not the worst either.
In total he's had homeopathic treatment, chiropractic, accupressure, reiki and 2 allopathic drugs. This mix has done a great job for him, and I'll continue with it as long as it's needed.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
n.e.d.
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 1:42 pm
Fantastic news!!
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:24 pm
Site Admin
Romi is continuing to do well, with the occasional not-so-great day or night, he has kept his sense of humor and is particularly rowdy right after his chiropractic adjustments. Romi has had the benefit of excellent chiropractic treatment from two different chiropractors, both excellent practitioners,and I have access to a third if need be, I guess because we're in horse country, we're very lucky to have so many good health providers available at relatively low cost (at least compared to Toronto prices!)
He is continuing to eat with gusto, and is really enjoying his meals. He is losing muscle mass, but that's to be expected at his age with limited movement, he pretty much only gets up when he has to eliminate or wants to change beds.
He still expects any visitors to Camp Greyhound to come over and pet him, and keep on petting him as long as they are there. This involves much poking, groaning and barking, and generally looking adorable, just to keep the visitors in line. It's a lot of work training all these people to spoil him!
I can't say how much I'm enjoying this time with Romi, when I think back a month or so, I thought he was on his way out within a few days, and I'm so grateful that he's decided to stay awhile.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 3:45 pm
Site Admin
Romi had a bad night last night; he kept on waking up and had a hard time getting comfortable. Over the course of the night he had gabapentin, tramadol, and Arsenicum and eventually settled down. When he awoke, he went outside to void and everytime he tried to go up the ramp he cried. Luckily Michelle had not yet left for work, so I was able to get him to lie down, and we got a bed and rolled him onto it and let him rest after I gave him more gabapentin. Then Michelle took one end and I took the other, and we carried him up the ramp. After about 10 minutes he did get up and went out to go to the bathroom, but I blocked his way to the yard, and encouraged him to let loose on the deck, which he did, and then he turned around and went right back to his bed. He's been resting comfortably ever since. We are hoping it's a pinched nerve, and will resolve in a day or two.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:16 am
Site Admin
After an even worse night on Sunday, Monday morning dawned with the painful decision to let Romi go and so ease his pain, as nothing else was working anymore. The homeopathic treatment did what we all hoped for, gave him a high quality of life for as long as was possible, and then a mercifully fast crash.
Romi left our lives the same way he came in, without a fuss and with great comfort. A very peaceful passing, and he deserved nothing less.
Run free, sweet prince, 'til we meet again.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Post subject: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 8:23 am
Site Admin
I hear from many clients, and read a lot online of families who have tried to live holistically but in the face of a medical crisis feel forced to travel an allopathic route. I understand how this can happen, we just don't think of new ways of doing things, and we may not have the confidence or even realize that alternative modalities of healing have a lot more to offer than just being used as an adjunct to allopathic treatments, or even as protection against them.
A few days ago our 12.5 year old greyhound, Romi, started having troubles walking. His rear end had become weak and while he didn't appear to be in a lot of pain, there did appear to be some partial paralysis. I was very concerned, as I knew these were serious symptoms, but I wasn't sure what my initial course of action would be.
I have decided to turn the journey we are embarking on into a bit of a blogging experience here in this thread to demonstrate how alternative modalities can be used as the central treatment for a serious condition.
Our Homeopath was out of town on a crisis of her own, but managed to prescribe a remedy over the phone that helped quite a bit, and suggested a chiropractic consult would be helpful. Our chiropractor was away, but her partner spoke at length with me on the phone and recommended we get hip/pelvis xrays so we can have a better idea of what's going on.
Going to the vet is always a challenging experience for me; those of you who know me will be aware that I'm not fond of allopathic methods, attitudes or education to put it mildly, but we needed the diagnostics so off we went for xrays.
We managed to get laterals only, and I requested a shot of his lungs as well; metastatic disease would radically change any treatment decisions I would be making, so I thought it was prudent to ask them to get a shot of his lungs. No sedation is necessary for most dogs if you can manage with just laterals, back to fronts can be great to have but for a 12.5 year old dog who is already ill, I'm not inclined to give any drugs that are not absolutely necessary, so we made do with laterals.
Romi's xrays showed some degenerative changes to the bone in the vertebrae at the border of lumbar and sacral, some bridging could be seen, so this is a clear indication of disc disease, which usually can't be diagnosed with certainty unless you get an MRI (very pricey indeed). It also showed a shadow on his lung, which the vet said could be nothing or could be something. The most significant finding was a large mass sitting under his spine which was pushing down his rectum.
After giving a physical and looking at the xrays the vet recommended we seek a neurology consult for the leg problems. For the mass in his rear, he suggested that surgery for this mass would be difficult and have to be handled by a board certified surgeon, it was too tricky for most regular vets.
I knew that we would not be engaging in any invasive allopathic procedures, and I let the vet know that we would be treating alternatively. He offered to have his associate, who does acupuncture, give us a call.
We are seeing more and more allopathic vets start adding credentials to their CVs. However, if a vet's central practice is allopathic, it's pretty clear that the expertise that I want for my pet's holistic treatment is not going to be there. It's like allowing a GP to specialize in something via weekend courses, just not a good idea. There is a lot behind this movement, in our province the college that educates and regulates veterinarians seems to feel that only vets have anything to offer as far as treating pets goes. I heartily disagree, as I prefer to work with someone who has made homeopathics, or chiropractic, or acupunture their main treatment modality. Their default position will not be drugs or surgery, they will have the depth and breadth of experience to do better.
It's important to note here that while I don't endorse the mindless use of allopathic medicine, I do sometimes take advantage of what it has to offer when my pet's well being is at stake. Romi is taking Meloxicam, a drug that helps him move without pain. He also has Tramadol in case his pain gets worse. After months of using more natural methods, I found that Romi needed something different to give him the quality of life we wanted for him. This is the progression that makes sense, try the products and modalities first that will do no harm and may help, and then when they are not enough, move on to allopathic methods, which can do harm but may give the quality of life your pet needs. This is particularly true when you know your pet will not be around to experience the long term damage that is associated with a lot of drugs. I am giving Romi a liver tincture to help his liver deal with these products, because for now, he needs them.
To be continued...
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
greytacres
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:52 pm
Karen....this breaks my heart as I know Romi is so special. However, I admire your determination to help him the most natural way possible. I also think that having this forum helps us all to learn how to deal with something like this, should it happen to one of our greys.
I truly appreciate all the knowledge and advice that I have received from you personally and through forums in the past.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, especially at this difficult time. You are amazing.....we love you! Hugs to Romi from us and our gang.
Take care,
Pete, Deb & the hounds from Greytacres.
OwnedBySummer
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:43 pm
User avatar
You are one strong lady! And I'm really going to appreciate your blog, thank you! My heart bleeds for you, especially since losing my own heart dog in late April. Hugs to you and Romi!
GreytGal
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:57 am
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:10 pm
Posts: 2
Delete post
Warn user
Information
Report this post
Edit post
Reply with quote
Auntie K,
Mom says you have a great deal of courage, conviction, and compassion to write this story.
And that we all will learn from, and share, in Romi's journey.
I'll be there (and Mom and Dad, too) every step of the way, 'cuz you know I have this thing for older boyz!
Psst...don't tell him - 'cuz you know how he is - but Romi is my first love:)
I'll see you all soon...
Love from Stormie-Pup
and, oh yeah, Dee and Tim, too
xoxo
Jo-Anne Sauve
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:30 pm
Karen,
Thank you for taking us on this journey with you. We will all learn from it. Romi has the best mom he could ever have and will get the best care ever. My heart aches for you. Hugs to all.
Jo-Anne, Bob & the 3 M's
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:15 pm
Site Admin
Thanks to all of you for your very kind words, they're very much appreciated. I'm going to take a lesson from Romi and just bask in all the good feelings being sent our way, and appreciate that there are so many in our lives that care about us.
Tuesday August 10
We left off at the vet's office, where the vet was giving us the options that allopathy had to offer - a referral to a neurologist for the problems Romi was having with his back legs, and surgery at the VEC or Guelph for the mass in his abdomen. He was not willing to say that these two problems were related, because Romi also has some indications of disc disease showing on his xrays. I thanked the vet, and paid for the appointment. The staff at the clinic helped me get Romi back out (they'd helped me carry him in on his bed) and Romi and I left the office and headed home with his xrays, so I could share them with his primary health care practitioners. I will be calling them this coming week with a request for some pain meds as soon as we're sure which one will be best for him.
One of the challenges I was facing is how to help Romi get around. He weighs 80 pounds, and I'm often on my own here; on Monday the day this all first started I had picked him up twice, but I knew I was pushing my luck, and the last think I needed was to mess my back up. Good friends came over Monday evening and then again Tuesday to help me with him, and they also loaned us their Ruffwear Harness, which I think every household who has an older greyhound should have on hand. They also brought over some drop sheets and diapers, and a few slings, one that I had made for them when their girlie was ill. I had totally forgotten about these mobility aids, this just illustrates for you how much shock I was still in over what was happening to Romi. Having friends around to support you and help you to think through the crisis is invaluable. I would have to put that down as number 1 on my list of things you need when your pet is ill! Also good to have on hand, just in case it's needed, belly bands and/or drop cloths to use in case your pet can't make it out to eliminate in time.
Tuesday overnight Romi awoke around 1:30am and seemed to me to be in pain; I had been in touch with Anna, our homeopath and had some remedies on hand for him, so I redosed him with Arsenicum and I also gave him his first Tramadol. I got him outside and we paced for quite sometime; I believe his discomfort stemmed from the trouble he was having eliminating, and it was pretty much impossible to tell whether the exam he'd had at the vets had moved the mass so that it was blocking the way, or if the problem was neurological from the nerves to the area being impinged. Either way, he was very uncomfortable, and I was beginning to think we would not have very much longer with our Romi. His stream was quite weak, just a dribble, and we hadn't seen a poop since the rectal exam earlier in the day. Eventually he settled down, and I got him back into bed. I'd found that if I turned the AC way down that seemed to help him a lot.
Wednesday August 11
Wednesday dawned too bright for me, while I commonly was up until all hours when I was younger, now that I'm approaching the big 50, not so much lol. I managed to catch a few naps during the day, we did have some campers coming in and my Mom had a doctor's appointment. I delegated what I could, and got on the phone to Anna to get some advice about what we should be doing next. We ended up changing his remedy to Conium, and I also put a call in to the chiropractor, in hopes we could shift things around a little to lessen the symptoms Romi was having.
The harness was allowing me to help Romi without the need for another person, so I was able to help him get around, but he sure did not want any help, and would often plant his feet as if to say "I'm not going anywhere until you let go of me"! I had also picked up some children's glycerin suppositories. I gave him one around 5:30pm but we saw no action at all. By 8pm he was ready for his first dose of Conium, so I gave it to him, and at 10pm we had our first poop - and a celebration to go along with it. It's amazing how the little things can really mean so much!
Thursday August 12
Wednesday night we all had a pretty good rest, and Thursday morning we were up in good time to go to the chiropractor in Newmarket. June is very dog-centred, and came out to the van to spare him the ramp up into her office. I put his bed on the driveway and let him settle in while she checked his xrays. She gave him some very gentle adjustments, and showed me where to massage him in hopes of keeping those nerves working. He ended up pooping twice more after his adjustments, and seemed to be feeling much better.
When we got back home I opened the back door of the van, thinking Romi would be safe, a case of chicken I'd picked up and his foam stairs (built years ago for Lou but very handy now)were blocking the way out. I went into the garage and opened the freezer door to put the case of chicken in, turned around and there was Romi crawling over the case of chicken and launching himself out the back door onto the driveway! Oi!!! Michelle heard me scream "No" all the way inside the house and came running out, he was already heading down the driveway to find a good spot to pee in. So I'd say the alternative therapy is working, because a few days ago he couldn't even get up by himself, let alone jump out of the van!
To be continued...
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
IMS
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:04 am
Hi Karen,
I've been following Romi's progress and it all sounds good! I know you are treating him as naturally as possible so I just want to offer my assistance. Of course this is only if you and Romi are interested. I am a Reiki Practitioner but have also studied and practiced different forms of energy work, including Therapeutic Touch, for the last couple of decades. I confess I primarily use it only on animals although I have from time to time treated people. Animals are more receptive, mainly because they aren't as complicated. I can send him Reiki but being present is preferable. I would be happy to come and see him if you're interested and there's no charge. You already know how much I love Romi so if I can help!??
Honda's foot is still sore but not as much as before. I've been soaking it regularly and that seems to help for now. In the meantime I have ordered the medication from the States for her. I know the treatment is a slow process but it has worked for Echo so here's hoping.
Email me if you think Reiki might help.
Isabelle
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 5:37 pm
Site Admin
I did plan on updating this thread every day, but it looks like for now it will be every 2-3 days.
We left off arriving home from the chiropractor, where we saw a good improvement from Romi's adjustment, as well as the homeopathic remedy Conium. I spent the next few days trying to work out the right pain drug for Romi, we had both Tramadol and Gabapentin on hand to use with Meloxicam if necessary, and it did seem necessary at times. I tried Tramadol for a few days, but Romi started to drool a lot, and I think he had nausea. I switched him over to Gabapentin, and after a few days on that I could see that there were no side effects noticable, so I called one of the vets at the clinic he had gotten his xrays at and requested a script. She did better than that, she faxed it down to our local Shoppers Drug Mart, just down the street, very convenient.
So now we have a mixture of treatments on the go; primarily homeopathic, with Chiro once a week right now (that may go up) and a few drugs thrown into the mix to make sure Romi stays pain free. I also try to massage him as much as possible.
Isabelle has kindly offered to come up and do a Reiki session on Romi tomorrow, I'm looking forward to that most eagerly. While she is working on Romi, I will see what I can do with Honda's corns, which have been bothering her, poor little sweetie.
Romi has regained his independence for the most part, he is able to get up and down with no assistance, and only needs a bit of help getting up the ramp in the backyard. This is a huge improvement over a week ago. Today we switched his remedy from Conium back to Arsenicum again, due to his symptoms. Anna tells me we may do this switching up several times, depending on what symptoms are prevalent. I'm so grateful to have her in our corner, Romi has benefited so very much from homeopathic treatment, he's almost himself again most of the time. I know our time is still limited, but it means everything to have his quality of life back, at least for a time.
He has become unbearably spoiled, and will now refuse to eat unless:
-He has tripe mix
-There is homemade "churkey broth" poured over it
-He is handfed this yummy mixture
If I try to leave his bowl of food in front of him, he flips in over with his nose!! Romi has always had an overabundance of personality, and we are really seeing it again.
To be continued....
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 9:32 am
Site Admin
All the good thoughts and the prayers are kicking in, and Romi is clearly holding onto every bit of healing that's sent his way.
Isabelle came up Wednesday and did some energy healing on Romi, he was extremely relaxed during and after the session, and slept most of that day, which is what you want to see after a reiki session, it's a sign of healing. Romi has seemed more clear since the session, and he's slept through the night the last two nights as well, a huge benefit for me.
Romi's 200c Arsenicum does not seem to be holding as long as it did before, so I'm changing to the 1M potency. My rational is that his symtoms have not shifted (shakiness, restless, panting etc) but the 200c is lasting for less and less time. I don't think this indicates a change in remedies, because we are not seeing the symptoms we were getting when we switched to Conium (troubles eliminating, also with restlessness). He is having no troubles at all either pooping or peeing, and the strength behind his urine stream has gotten much stronger.
His back legs are a bit creaky today, which tells me another chiro appointment is in our near future, but of course it's Friday, and I have campers to pick up, so I'll watch and wait and give extra support if it's needed.
All in all I'm very encouraged, Romi has excellent quality of life right now, and that's what we are after.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Online
Profile Send private message E-mail
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:48 am
Site Admin
Romi has had a good 3 days, for the most part sleeping through the night, eliminating normally and he's able to get up and down on his own. He needs an assist up the ramp, and I've noticed he's acting like he needs another adjustment, his back legs are not working as well as they were. We have been dosing with Arsenicum 1M pretty much daily, and also with gabapentin and meloxicam. His appetite has actually increased and he's eating really well, although I've cut all bone out in order to make sure he has no trouble pooping, and this seems to be working so far. It's easy to pretend that our Romi will stay with us for months, but I've had to double his gabapentin at night already, and we are giving very high potencies of homeopathics too. It's a roller coaster that I know most of you have been on. Today is a particularly sad day, as it marks one year since our beautiful Dove passed away; she was like part of our pack as she was here quite often. I know that soon Romi will be joining her, and I wish it wasn't so. It's the only thing I don't like about our hounds, they leave us way too soon.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 4:50 pm
Hang in there....lots of love and best wishes coming from Noah, Norma and Greg.
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:54 am
Site Admin
Thanks Nora, I appreciate the support. Today is a better day.
Today's entry will be entitled THE BARKING GREYHOUND.
Those of us who are greyhound enthusiasts are aware that greyhounds don't bark. A select few of us greyhound enthusiasts know that this is sometimes a big fat lie, and in our house lately, I'd have to agree.
Romi has discovered that barking, rooing, moaning and all other types of vocalizing sometimes works well to get attention. And even if it doesn't, apparently it feels really good, so he does it anyways. Anyone who has called me on the phone lately is already aware of this change in Romi's repertoire of behaviors. He does it when I'm on the computer or phone too long, he does it if I go out, he does it if I go into another room, and sometimes he even does it while I'm petting him. It's quite astounding how much noise this boy can make when he's in the mood. He knows we don't like it, and doesn't seem to be too concerned about that, he's a classic greyhound in that he really isn't concerned about pleasing us!
Apart from his new hobby, Romi is fairly stable. He had a bit of a restless night last night, I can only guess that he's having trouble pooping because I've been hiding his pill in cheese, which he adores. Since the rest of his diet is tripe and organ meat, I though I was safe in doing this, but maybe not. He's also getting stiffer on his feet, and not walking as well, and his urine stream does not appear to be as strong as it was a few days ago, although he still manages to nail his front legs liberally so that he needs a mini bath after every pee lol. He has an appointment tonight with Murry Stewart for an adjustment, and I expect an improvement afterwards.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 8:54 am
Site Admin
I'm very happy to report that Romi is continuing to do well; after his adjustment last week he was a bit sore for a day and then continued to improve. He can go outside all by himself now, and most times can handle going up the ramp by himself too, although I usually stand beside him just in case. His sense of humor is back, and he is keeping everyone on their toes by demanding attention, which we are quite happy to give. He still messes around with his food a bit sometimes.
We've cut back on the gabapentin, so he has it only at night most of the time. He usually sleeps through the night, although sometimes he wakes me up for ear rubs lol. He gets dosed with Arsenicum usually daily, but sometimes we can skip a day. I try to check in with Anna regularly to keep her updated on his condition.
I'm keeping Romi off raw bones and he's doing really well on the tripe and lung mix with an occasional chunk of heart. Once in a while I thrown in some ground pork, beef, or a boneless chicken breast and I always add one or two eggs in. Not the best variety but not the worst either.
In total he's had homeopathic treatment, chiropractic, accupressure, reiki and 2 allopathic drugs. This mix has done a great job for him, and I'll continue with it as long as it's needed.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
n.e.d.
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 1:42 pm
Fantastic news!!
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:24 pm
Site Admin
Romi is continuing to do well, with the occasional not-so-great day or night, he has kept his sense of humor and is particularly rowdy right after his chiropractic adjustments. Romi has had the benefit of excellent chiropractic treatment from two different chiropractors, both excellent practitioners,and I have access to a third if need be, I guess because we're in horse country, we're very lucky to have so many good health providers available at relatively low cost (at least compared to Toronto prices!)
He is continuing to eat with gusto, and is really enjoying his meals. He is losing muscle mass, but that's to be expected at his age with limited movement, he pretty much only gets up when he has to eliminate or wants to change beds.
He still expects any visitors to Camp Greyhound to come over and pet him, and keep on petting him as long as they are there. This involves much poking, groaning and barking, and generally looking adorable, just to keep the visitors in line. It's a lot of work training all these people to spoil him!
I can't say how much I'm enjoying this time with Romi, when I think back a month or so, I thought he was on his way out within a few days, and I'm so grateful that he's decided to stay awhile.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 3:45 pm
Site Admin
Romi had a bad night last night; he kept on waking up and had a hard time getting comfortable. Over the course of the night he had gabapentin, tramadol, and Arsenicum and eventually settled down. When he awoke, he went outside to void and everytime he tried to go up the ramp he cried. Luckily Michelle had not yet left for work, so I was able to get him to lie down, and we got a bed and rolled him onto it and let him rest after I gave him more gabapentin. Then Michelle took one end and I took the other, and we carried him up the ramp. After about 10 minutes he did get up and went out to go to the bathroom, but I blocked his way to the yard, and encouraged him to let loose on the deck, which he did, and then he turned around and went right back to his bed. He's been resting comfortably ever since. We are hoping it's a pinched nerve, and will resolve in a day or two.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore
Alpha
Post subject: Re: Treating Holistically: Romi
PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:16 am
Site Admin
After an even worse night on Sunday, Monday morning dawned with the painful decision to let Romi go and so ease his pain, as nothing else was working anymore. The homeopathic treatment did what we all hoped for, gave him a high quality of life for as long as was possible, and then a mercifully fast crash.
Romi left our lives the same way he came in, without a fuss and with great comfort. A very peaceful passing, and he deserved nothing less.
Run free, sweet prince, 'til we meet again.
_________________
Alpha
Visit Camp Greyhound at Awesomepaws!
Visit our Webstore