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juliemac

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Posts posted by juliemac

    New Dog Painfully (Dangerously?) Thin, What To Do?

    in Food and dietary discussion

    Posted

    An inexpensive option for an elevated feeder is one of those 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot. Put the lid on, and cut a hole in the lid that is the size of your water bowl. Set the water bowl in and there you go! it has a nice little rim on it (for messy dogs), its bigger and can be 'grounded' to reduce tipping (fill the bin with sand or rocks or heavier glass pie pans).

     

    One of my angel pups was an 11yo hound that was taken out of her adopted home at 31# (her racing weight was 64#). She could barely stand, and had lost so much muscle mass that I wasn't able to get her weight over 50# (she would collapse when she went potty). She lived another 18 glorious months with me -- please be aware that she had some serious food aggression for the first 4 months (several trips to the vet until she realized that food would ALWAYS be available and until my Riley realized that this grumbly little girl didn't have enough strength to act on her growls). If you have something similar, even the smallest amount of treats can really be a problem.

     

    If you don't have an underlying issue, you could add some peanut butter to whatever treats you give her ... its high in calorie and fat, spreads easily onto almost any treat, and I only know 1 hound that didn't like the stuff. {the fat content may be too high for a dog with loose stools, but mine occasionally get those "PB to go" cups as a special treat}.

     

    Good luck, and we look forward to hearing how this sweetheart heals under your family's care and love.

    Lymphoma?

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I hope that you and your pup have time to create many memories together. She'll be gone way too soon, but I absolutely know that she'll know love for every moment of her retirement thanks to your care. What more can anyone ask for, right?

     

    I give my 'sick' hounds as much food as they are interested in eating; if they're dealing with any type of cancer, I work to keep the sugar content as low as possible while still keeping the protein & fat levels appropriate for their illness. I'll add milk thistle and other supplements to support the liver and kidneys. Peanut butter (here we can get little 1.5 oz travel cups) or ice cream cups are easy ways to get some calories in the hounds and try to keep the weight on them.

     

    Gentle hugs and good luck. Please keep us updated, and we'd love some more pictures of her if you take them!

    Loss Of Rang Of Motion

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Also, work with a therapist to teach you some basic muscle massage techniques ... I'm finding that my hounds are getting a bit stiff ever since I moved from a tri-level to a ranch house (great for me & my knees, but consequences). Mine love the massage with a bit of essential oils on my hands (I use Marjoram to minimize muscle spasms, adding a bit of lavender and peppermint to boost its strength & improve the smell).

    Making Home Cooked Food More Appetizing

    in Food and dietary discussion

    Posted

    throw it all in a crock pot with a can of cream of chicken soup (one can should be sufficient for a week's worth of food). I also used Stella & Chewy freeze dried food as 'crumbles' on top.

     

    Mine also won't eat their foods with most supplements included, and one will walk away with any type of uncooked organ meat in the food bowl. I also cook my chicken in larger quantities (and then cut into smaller pieces before freezing) ... I use skinless meat pieces and brush mayo or coconut milk on top to keep the meat moist (adding some needed fat to the diet).

     

    You may find some temporary help by raiding your spice cabinet -- a bit of mnced garlic, italian seasoning, barbecue sauce, or chinese stirfry sauce will all provide some interest without changing the diet too much.

     

    Good luck!

    Help Combatting Soft Stool

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Congrats on your new pup, and welcome to Greytalk! Most of us are familiar with your situations ... each hound is different in what's needed to deal with the problem (sorry).

     

    Olewo carrots are great! Pumpkin can help, but doesn't work that much on my current hounds.

     

    Neither veggie will add a lot of calories, so I might ensure you keep the calories up a bit until you're sure your hound is absorbing the nutrients.

    Pee Pads

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I tried the disposable ones, and my girl thought they were FABULOUS -- to shred, that is. Yup, she scratched and shook, and made sure she got little pieces of 'paper' on top of and behind every piece of furniture in the room.

     

    I'd try them once, and if you're concerned about the shredding, I'd put an old bath towel on top of it (simple to wash, but protects the pup).

     

    I have a nice selection of washable pads that work beautifully ... I've not got any strong preferences on brand.

     

    If your dad's pup sleeps in bed with him, you might want to get a good, terrycloth waterproof mattress pad. I got mine on QVC, and I can't tell that its waterproof until its doing its job (no crackling, seems quite breathable, etc).

    Aggression In Aging Greyhounds

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    FWIW, my 12yo hounds are now on 37.5mg of deramax every day (1/2 tab of 75mg) for pain ... my vet and I discussed the liver risks, but realized that at their age, long term kidney & liver risks are not major factors, and the quality of life benefits were worth the risks. But my hounds are healthy with the exception of Baby's tumor, so I'm not sure how that compares to Darcy. I DO continue with milk thistle to support the kidney & liver, though.

     

    Good luck with your special one.

    Diatomaceous Earth

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by juliemac

    yep ... sprinkle in shaded areas of the yard to keep crunchy bugs under control too. Food grade only.

     

    There are online articles that describe how you can use it yourself (internally) for some health benefits ... i'm not quite ready for that myself.

    Personality Change

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Please get the senior wellness check (my vet requests that it be done every 6 months on big dogs over the age of 8, and it can be timed to coordinate with other activities like heartworm checks, etc).

     

    Please also know that this could be just normal aging ... my 12yo girlie started sleeping LOTS more sometime after her 9th birthday, although she never was interested in staying outside all day long (she does enjoy her sunbathing though). So it could be normal aging, but you really should get a senior baseline (and compare to earlier testing for tests that are comparable, obviously).

     

    If she's not on various supplements, you may find glucosamine, MSM, and Omega 3s quite helpful ...

     

    good luck, and please keep us informed of her results (there are wonderful people on this forum who can help interpret data points if you need that)

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