Ch.Comfort

Pictured here at 7.5 years old. Topsy is our hunter, always responsible for leading the charge after a rabbit or deer if we are walking in the forest - although fortunately the deer are quicker.
She is one of the litter from Liberty and Donahue and has enchanted us with her sweet nature, we have heard over the years from owners of the other puppies from this litter what thoroughly 'nice people' they are, and I have to agree. Not the biggest of bitches but exceedingly sound she is another one who showed so beautifully on a loose lead, such a true mover - still the same now she is a veteran and regularly doing 3 miles exercise.

In July 2011 days before her 8th birthday, we found the dreaded lump on her foreleg and the diagnosis of osteosarcoma. We decided to try a treatment with Pamindronate which is a drug given to people with osteoperosis. The idea is that it helps with pain relief and we hoped, helped keep the bone stronger so it did not fracture. So far she has had three pamindronate infusions and two of Zometa, meanwhile daily management with Metacam and Tramadol has kept the pain at bay and for 6 months she has lived a normal life, even though the tumour has grown, she is enjoying a good quality of life. We are sure this treatment has helped keep her with us for so long, and we hope a while longer - it isn't a cure just palliative care, but its the longest we have ever had a hound post diagnosis for osteo, and as I say - writing this at Christmas 2011 she is still lying beside me.

Sadly as an addendum to this, we lost Topsy on the 30th December due to the tumour ulcerating - something the treatment couldn't combat. We still had her for six months post diagnosis which we are so grateful for and which, had we not used the Biophosphate treatment, I very much doubt we would have had.