AstasMinion

Good luck at the dentist appointment next week. Let us know how it goes.

I'm so very sorry you've had to make this decision. Sending love, hugs, and peace to your sweet baby Dexter.

Thinking of you and your brave Sherman. So sorry you're going through it.

Prayers, hugs, and all kinds of good thoughts for Jaxie and you.

Oh no, I'm so sorry.

Sending more good thoughts!

Susan, FWIW, all 4 vets who've evaluated Asta's X-rays say things look fine from that view but that an X-ray can't see the indicators for LS or the suspected disk problem. Also, Asta is clearly feeling better from her acupuncture treatments. She just had her fourth weekly one yesterday. With each treatment her "improved period" lasts a little bit longer. Our acu vet recommends weekly treatments until we see a sustained improvement (and of course we're hoping the Depo-Medrol will add to that), then we'll decrease acu visits so that we only go more like once a month, maybe even less often. You may have already talked about this somewhere else, but do you have access to another vet who might be willing to give a second opinion?

It's encouraging to hear about success with the shots!

Sorry you're having trouble with Wizard! I don't have answers for you -- we're in diagnosis limbo with our Asta, too -- but I can share a bit of what's going on so you can compare situations. Asta has recently had X-rays and three neurological exams. Her first two neuro exams were normal, but the third (just a week after the second) showed a problem with the foot/leg that she'd been protecting while limping during this, her fourth major episode since Thanksgiving of ongoing pain with intermittent lameness. This third exam happened on a visit to a vet who does a lot of work with greyhounds and has treated many w/LS. Even w/the new results and the severe pain Asta has at the base of her spine, the "LS vet" isn't willing to diagnose LS and agrees MRI is the only way to really do it. But she is very willing to try the Depo-Medrol shot once with Asta as soon as we've weaned her off Prednisone. If it helps, then we'll treat it as probable LS and continue the shots. Note that Asta has not done well on Prednisone . . . we were weaning her off of it anyway. But -- as I understand it -- the oral Pred and the D-M (an intramuscular injection) aren't metabolized the same way, and this "LS vet" has no problem trying it on Asta knowing/agreeing that we wouldn't give her oral Prednisone again. I don't know if that will help or hinder your decision making, but I wanted to chime in with our info.

Right. Slept funny. Or twisted something.

I can't stop laughing at the comment about a possible teeth sighting . . . later. Watch out!! And, of course, I hope your baby Kelly is JUST FINE after eating those mice.

Hi Jan! Thanks for asking -- I meant to come back and update: A local friend put me in touch with a vet practice that works with a Pacific NW greyhound rescue org (they see about 100 greyhounds per month). They fit me in this week, and the doctor I saw has lots of LS diagnosis & treatment experience. Asta had had two normal neurological exams in the past few weeks, but yesterday there was a noticeable change: her back left leg (particularly the foot), the one she was protecting when this latest episode started, did NOT "pass" the reflex test. Her pain level has also gone up a bit. This vet thinks that Asta exhibits many of the characteristic symptoms of LS, but she also thinks it could very well be a disk problem. Before doing an MRI, though, we're trying the Depo-Medrol shot a week from now. She would have done it yesterday if I'd really wanted, but I felt more comfortable waiting until Asta has been weaned from the prednisone she's taking. If the shot does help, then we can feel confident treating for LS. If it doesn't help, we'll do an MRI. And, depending on what all else is going on, we still may do an MRI even if the shot helps. I'm so glad to have connected with this vet since she deals with such a volume of greys and greys w/LS. She doesn't actually disagree w/opinions from our regular vet or the specialist, but her particular take on things really makes me feel better about the context of everyone's opinions and how to proceed.

Welcome to Greytalk!

Welcome! Hope you get your houndie soon! Love the kitty pics, and Gracie looks like a doll.

Sending prayers for Annie.

Great news!

Thanks for the link, Jan! We'll have to consider that if we're not getting better answers soon. MorganKA, yes, I do think that the pacing and panting is from the Prednisone. Vet agreed to take her off that today, so we will wean back off and reevaluate the other meds (Tramadol and Gabapentin) before adding anything else, or not. She's done well on Tramadol in the past, but we'll keep an eye on that now too. We're back from acupuncture and having quiet time.

Greyhead, she has started acupuncture. It's still fairly new (3 treatments), so I'm hoping she'll start feeling the benefits. We go again later today. Our vet recommended Mercer Island and the Cougar Mountain clinic in Issaquah. The latter is very close to us, so that's where we've been going. How was your Spencer diagnosed? Would love to hear details. The neurologist we saw last week put LS at the top of his list but wouldn't give an actual diagnosis. Hoping your baby has benefited from the acu!! I keep hearing great things, so I'm hopeful that it will help with the pain. Batmom, I'm thinking the same thing -- this is too long to go without improvement. I've got a message into the clinic that would do the MRI to talk me through the process a bit more before making that call. BTW, we moved here from Chicagoland, and veterinary care was definitely cheaper there. But we are here now.

Hope Sutra got some good rest. Sending hugs and eating vibes!

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a sweet, funny, and gorgeous Peanut.

Three weeks into treating Asta's most recent bad back episode, we're still not getting anywhere. This is her fourth major bout in several months, but it's different than the previous three in that she hasn't been responding to medication/rest and has not rebounded -- or really even progressed much at all. In brief, her symptoms are distinct back pain at two sites, difficulty lying down and getting up, limping when she first gets up (but that goes away as she "warms up"), and occasional hind-end buckling. Some days are better, others worse, none are good. She has started acupuncture and has her third treatment this afternoon. She's also been to the specialists' clinic, where she passed her neurological exam and where the radiologist called her spinal X-rays "unremarkable." Before doing an MRI, we've chosen to continue with conservative therapy to see if she'll improve: She's on supervised rest with confinement when left alone. Meds include Tramadol, Gabapentin, and Prednisone (+ her regular fish oil and glucosamine). In past occurrences of pain, she responded very well to Rimadyl, Methocarbamol, and Tramadol, but this time the first two meds seemed ineffective. So we added Gabapentin at a very low dose Thursday (I saw a slight improvement with that added to Tramadol) and started Prednisone Saturday night after getting bloodwork and urine test results. I realize that the time between starting Gabapentin and Prednisone was short (2 days), but I really feel like she is not responding well to the Prednisone. In between doses, she cycles through phases of lethargy at the beginning (eyes open, but she does not move) and restlessness through the latter part of the 12 hours (pacing, panting, drinking, up and down). Last night she was up every 45 minutes to an hour -- it's 5:30 am, and she's finally in the last 2 hours of her Prednisone dose, and she is sleeping. I'm waiting for the vet's office to open at 8 to see if I should keep going with this current combination or . . . what. Supposing perhaps that the combo hasn't had a real chance to be tested, but I really don't like what I'm seeing so far. Am I making a mistake by not getting an MRI right away? So frustrated that we're not making much of a dent!!

Good thoughts for Larry!!

Feel better soon, Sage!

I am so very sorry.

Yes, Bag Balm is fantastic!