Torteval Irish Wolfhounds

19 December 2007
It started, as it nearly always does, with lameness. In Branigan's case, there was perhaps a degree of luck (if that's the right word) - already lame in his left hind leg following a spinal injury as a puppy, going lame in his right foreleg created a 'double limp' which was impossible to miss or overlook. Initially though, in spite of his litter brother having died of bone cancer six months earlier, we assumed (hoped) it was just a sprain or a pulled muscle due to his habit of charging down hills at full speed. We gave him Metacam, and grounded him.

20 December 2007
After 24 hours there was no improvement, and he was having great difficulty in getting about the house. Stretched out with him on the sofa that evening, I could feel an irregularity in one of the bones on the back of his lower right leg. Like probing a sore tooth, I kept feeling for it, hoping that I had imagined it and would be unable to locate the area the next time I looked . . .

21 December 2007
10.00 am: vet appointment. Branigan examined, and kept in for x-rays. 2.00 pm: phone call from the vet, Branigan still anaesthetised in case we decide on the unthinkable. Diagnosis: osteosarcoma. Amputation not an option due to his pre-existing lameness. But . . . it was at a very early stage, his blood calcium was barely raised, and our vet felt there was no danger of imminent fracture.

And here we have to digress, because some three months earlier whilst staying at our second home in the UK, we attended the local vet with one of the dogs for a minor injury. There, we were delighted to meet another wolfhound, seven year old Milo, but saddened to hear from his owners, Chris and Debbie, that he had just been diagnosed with bone cancer. We chatted, sympathised, and later met up for a full-scale wolfhound fest. We kept in touch and knew that Milo was being treated with Fosamax (alendronate acid). Although on high doses of analgesia, he was still well in himself and mobile enough to enjoy short walks.

Back to the phone call from our vet: Had he ever heard of Fosamax? No, but he willing for us to try anything - we, and Bran, had nothing to lose. OK, then - wake him up, please!

As it happened, we were booked on the ferry to the UK that evening for our Christmas stay in the UK, and we were able to make an appointment with Milo's vet for immediately after the Christmas holiday.

27 December 2007
Milo's vet was happy to commence Branigan on Fosamax, together with Tramadol and Metacam for pain control. He confirmed our vet's opinion that the cancer is in its very early stages, and felt that we could reasonably expect to enjoy Bran's company for another six months or so.

We are taking life a day at a time, and plan to continue Bran's normal routine of walks, games and fun for as long as he is able to enjoy himself, our main aim being to maintain his quality of life rather than extend the length of it.

5 January 2008
Thanks to contacts from some kind friends, Branigan has now been seen by a veterinary oncologist (cancer specialist). During an hour's consultation we were given several options to consider, the most radical being limb-saving surgery, in which the malignant area of bone is replaced with a graft. Had the success rate been reliable we might have been tempted, but neither of us wanted to put Bran through the stress and trauma of such major surgery without more certainty of success.

However, once we return home to Guernsey next week, he will commence on treatment with Zometa (zoledronic acid) a drug which works in a similar way to Fosamax but has been thought to be more effective. Provided his chest x-ray is clear of secondary growths, he will also commence chemotherapy in the form of carboplatin.

We are hopeful that this new regime will maximise both the quality and quantity of Bran's life.

The plan is for a further five chemo treatments at three weekly intervals, the dose depending on the level of his white cell count, and Zometa injections every four weeks for the foreseeable future.

Information on the research being carried out by Tom Cave, our oncologist vet, can be found here in an article written for the Greyhound Rescue Trust. We have submitted Bran's blood samples to the Animal Health Trust research programme, and also a study being carried out in Sweden.

Right now, you wouldn't know there was anything wrong with him at all. His pain appears to be well controlled on a low dose of tramadol and daily Metacam, he has no lameness in the affected leg and is enjoying at least one good off-lead walk a day with the rest of the pack. He is as mulish and infuriatingly wicked as ever - long may it continue!

30 January 2008
Following his first dose of chemotherapy Branigan's white cell count remained within normal limits for a sight-hound - they tend to be lower than other dogs. Thankfully, he appeared to suffer no ill effects from the treatment whatosever.

He has continued to be pain-free and fully mobile - walking, romping and helping the girls chase a few rabbits.

The time for the second of his six doses of chemo- therapy had come. Due to space restrictions at our local vet's surgery he was lucky enough to have this administered at home, from the comfort of his own sofa.

23 April 2008
Over the last month we have started to see some changes in Bran. There is now visible thickening of the bone in the affected area, and although the particular chemotherapy that he is on is not supposed to cause hair loss, he's developed the rather moth-eaten, skinny-legged look that very old wolfhounds often have, on his front legs in particular.

He sometimes exhibits lameness and a reluctance to go on walks a few days before his monthly Zometa injection is due, but this responds to a small increase in the dose of his analgesia and the Zometa itself, which appears to be crucial in controlling his pain.

Today, he completed the full course of six doses of chemotherapy, but will continue on Zometa for the duration. We have been told by his cancer specialist that on the chemo/Zometa treatment regime the average lifespan after diagnosis is eight months; the maximum is ten. What is likely to happen is that Bran will continue more or less as he is now until the tumour invades the soft tissue of the leg, at which point the Zometa will cease to be effective and the sudden increase in pain and lameness will bring us to the inevitable end of his story.

1 July 2008
Last weekend, Bran had the time of his life on one of his favourite beaches, as you can see by clicking on the photo. Not surprisingly, he was in considerable pain the next day, and we increased his dose of tramadol and rested him, confident that, as has happened before, he would bounce back. He didn't.

By the end of last week we had doubled his tramadol (400mg, twice daily) but it was clear that he still had a great deal of pain in the affected leg. His mobility around the house was severely reduced, though on short walks he would skip along at a fair old rate, determined to enjoy himself.

On Friday evening, we made a considered decision to give him the weekend, and if there was no improvement we would ask our vet to visit to complete the last episode in this story on Monday. Branigan didn't make this decision any easier for us by remaining cheerful throughout the weekend, and making the most of the extra treats and attention that he received.

Over and again we questioned whether we were right, whether we should give him a few more weeks, a few more days . . . he was still so bright in himself at times. But we knew he was in pain, and it was only his bull-headed obstinacy and innate good humour that were keeping him going. If we waited, what were we waiting for? For him to become ill and depressed? That would be too late. We had said all along that this was not an exercise in seeing how long he could last - left to himself, his determination and fighting spirit would take him to the wire. Our job was to prevent his having to do that.

It was with a heavy heart on Monday morning that we contacted our vet, David Chamberlain, who has seen Bran through both his FCE and his bone cancer. He came within the hour and, with Branigan comfortable and relaxed on his favourite sofa, his mum and dad at his side and the other dogs nearby, David brought Bran's pain to an end. Swiftly, quietly and peacefully, his great, loving heart came to a standstill.

We don't have the words to express our sorrow, nor how much we will miss this laughing, obstinate, brave, wonderful buffoon of a dog. From his position as second-in-command he has totally dominated the pack for the last five years, and commanded our hearts with equal ease. He leaves behind a home with three wolfhounds . . . how can it feel so empty?

We wish to thank everyone who has taken the time and trouble to send messages of support and sympathy throughout Bran's illness - we value and appreciate every one.

Most especially though, our thanks go to Julia McKendry and Sue Bevis who, in the dark days after Bran's diagnosis, recommended that we contact Gill Griffin; to Gill herself, who put us in touch with Tom Cave and his team at Cave Referrals, and finally to our own, very special vet, David Chamberlain of Isabelle Vets, and vet nurse, Nicky Le Galloudec, both of whom have given us and Bran tremendous support and encouragement throughout his battle.

Finally, on a more prosaic note - insurance. Like many wolfhound owners, we wince and groan every year when the dogs' insurance premiums fall due and love to moan about insurance companies. So we would like to place on record our thanks to Petplan for their prompt response to every claim we have made for Branigan's treatment. From the day he was diagnosed, this has amounted to some �8,000 (approx. $16,000 or �10,000) which Petplan have paid promptly, in full and without quibble or question.