juliemac

what a wonderful update -- congratulations!!

Prayers and hugs ...

glad to hear that its not cancer ... hope Daws heals quickly from his injury.

Prayers and gentle hugs for all of you.

Poor little boy! I'm just seeing this thread and was so glad to see the progress. I hope the healing is quick and uneventful!

I'm so glad ...

I notice a difference as soon as hte food eaten has clearly worked its way through Riley's system ... so within 24 hours. My hounds that had runny poop had either allergies (to a food that they were eating) or a gut issue (requiring an antibiotic) ...

and cut back 1/8-1/4c in the morning and at dinner to give the calories for the evening snack. Its worth the gak-free morning!

oh, Ducky. I'm so very sorry ... more screaming monkeys please! Many, many more!

thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! We went back for additional tests today (3 weeks of poor appetite) ... the ultrasound today was CLEAR (yippeeee!!). The additional blood test that was specific for pancreatitis came back ... positive! Yep, although his pancreas levels were only slightly elevated in his initial blood tests last week, this more specific test showed a mild case of pancreatitis. Now the fun begins! While i'm so very relieved that this wasn't what I was preparing myself for, I must admit that this boy normally eats a balanced home-cooked diet and is almost as picky as the beloved "Bill". This next week of canned, low-fat food is going to introduce new trials in our house. Stay tuned for the entertainment! thank you all for your caring & support!!!

Baby used to notice when I forgot to put the peanut butter jar away, and she'd grab it off the counter, unscrew the lid, and eat all the peanut butter she could reach. Before she passed away last October, she taught Riley the trick (who demonstrated it a few weeks ago). I use whatever's cheap, although I do try to avoid PBs that have a lot of sugar (or other fats) in them. When I run out of other prepared options (like frozen Kongs), I'll give the pups a 'to go' cup as their treat when I leave for work. That's as much peanut butter that I'm willing to give a hound, since I don't want a case of pancreatitis on my hands. (1 ToGo cup is probably the amount of peanut butter that I use in 3 Kongs). This past 3 weeks, Riley would only eat peanut butter, Ensure, and ice cream ... his pancreas levels were slightly elevated from the disproportionately high fat content in his diet, but not enough to cause the vet any concern. Hope that gives you enough info to make decisions!

Well, Riley's still not interested in food. Last night (Tuesday), 36 hours after we started his Pepcid dosing, he DID have 4 ounces of baked chicken. This evening (wednesday night), though, he wouldn't even drink his Ensure. I must admit that I'm scared for my boy. I would have thought that 3 full days of Pepcid treatments would have seen some improvement if its going to work. He's not showing signs of distress but his poop is not solid anymore (he was never particularly solid, and Tuesday night he went outside nearly every 2 hours to poop ... much more than his normal 1-2 trips in the evening). Calling the vet in the morning. Until then, I guess we just watch & worry.

hugs and prayers.

Thank you for your support, everyone! We're back from the vet ... Riley's bloodwork is fabulous with a small blip on his pancreas results (slightly elevated, but this past week's diet of mostly ice cream and peanut butter would explain that). My concerns over his Deramaxx usage were relieved, with lovely kidney & liver result (he started in the fall getting 37.5 mg/day, although I do try to give him a day off at least once per week at the advice of his napropath). I did get a good laugh, though -- Riley gained 3.5# in the last 30 days ... the piggy! He's still in a good weight range, but he's going to be sad to know that his peanut butter habit is being tapered back. The vet's first thought for the eating issue is that there's a bit of acid reflux going on. Before we go down other options, we're going to try a week of Pepcid (20mg, 2x/day) and see if Riley responds. Gosh this would be so much easier if I could understand this boy when he talks!

Hey folks -- I usually wait until after the 'fire' is over before posting, but my stomach is rolling right now. My 12yo Riley has always had a sensitive tummy, but over the past 10 days, he's really turned his nose up at anything except peanut butter, ice cream and Ensure. I just realized last night that he's turning down all of the solid items: deli ham, rotiss chicken, sirloin steak, etc. Neither Pepcid nor GasX seems to be making any difference (those are 'go-to' items for Riley's tummy). In early December, he had a dental (his third in 15 months), and my vet continued him on an antibiotic for another 2 weeks after the dental (no extractions) to fight his sewer mouth. Then in early January, he lost a scuffle with another hound over his peanut butter, and Riley had to deal with yet another antibiotic to combat the facial swelling (I didn't see the puncture wounds for more than 24 hours after the incident, by which time the infection had set in). Riley really hasn't eaten well since he came off the antibiotics, although he wasn't REALLy picky until the last 10 days or so (he would take his crunchy treat, but I didn't realize he was really just shredding them on his bed). I'm working to get his bloodwork checked at my normal vet tomorrow morning (he's a hour away, so it requires some logistics, especially since I'm going to need to push myself into his appointment book). So I'd love the thoughts & prayers of Riley's Greytalk friends ...

I'm so sorry ... God must really love the pups he sends to you, to want them all back so quickly.

Pictures definitely ... and if permitted, one with Hester's new friend.

I'm so very sorry. Gentle hugs.

I'm so very sorry ... you've lost a gentle soul.

Welcome! Enjoy the lurking, and we welcome your questions as they come to you (be prepared for very "active" discussions, because we don't always agree among ourselves). Watch for some of the 'events' in the area, since meeting the dogs could help you make your decision (keep this in mind when you plan your family vacations too ... greyhound groups tend to be active all around the world). I don't know any greyhound guardians who wouldn't LOVE to talk with you at length about the joy they find in these dogs (in my old neighborhood, the city snowplow driver had a greyhound, and he'd frequently stop plowing if he saw me out with my dogs) . And when you finally adopt your new fur-family member, please share pictures (its in the RULEZ).

If Miram isn't TOO flexible, you can also make a soft collar out of a hand-towel ... that would give her visibility and comfort when she lays down, but potentially block her from licking her vulva (btw, my friends' hound had this surgery, and locally-applied manuka honey helped it heal QUICKLY). Take a hand-towel and fold it lengthwise (into thirds or quarters, depending upon length of neck). Wrap it around Miram's neck, and duct tape it closed. This worked for Riley when he had an upper-leg tumor removed, so hopefully it will help Miram as well. Good luck!!

Oh, I'm so very sorry! I wish I could say I didn't know what you were experiencing, or that I didn't know what you'll be dealing with, but so many of us have seen that look in our vet's eyes. Give Tilly scritches for us, and know that we're here for you to share your concerns AND your celebrations. Please also know that whatever you decide, it IS the RIGHT decision -- you know Tilly best, and know what you can both deal with together. The good news is that Tilly trusts you with all her heart, so you cannot go wrong. Gentle hugs.

I've been remiss in checking up on Twiggy these past few days ... thank you for a greyt update! What a strong, exceptional girl!

I always put a muzzle on my (now angel) girl Baby ... she was unreliable with other dogs (she'd never attack, but growled and reacted if other dogs came up to US), and I really really really hate other dogs at the vet coming to greet us (I have no idea what they're being treated for) and the muzzle always gave other people an indication that they should pay more attention to their hounds. I always take it off when I went to a treatment room ... So i basically had Baby carry her own muzzle with her.

Riley's lost a lot of muscle mass in his back legs in the last year, and his eyes are starting to show signs of old-dog sight issues (vet confirmed). Sand is my best friend -- it doesn't take much to break through the slipperyness of ice (or of icy snow when the weather is so cold). Mushers Secret on the feet helps a bit with the cold, but I wouldn't bother with boots (Riley detests them, and why make this a problem). When the cold gets bad enough to turn the snow into crunchy ice, I walk Riley's favorite path in the backyard (to break down the ice) ... and I'm fully prepared to turn the garage into a potty room if necessary (right now, though, the 2 steps into the garage are really quite steep, so I'm starting to think of collecting materials to build a ramp). One of the inexpensive catalogs (Harriet Carter?) has some roll-out snow mats that my mother ADORES ... she uses them to ensure traction on her deck, and at 82 years old, I'm thrilled that she uses them (for her own safety). the material is a loosely woven fabric that looks a bit like coconut 'hair' ... its advertised as providing an option over slippery ice. If I needed it, I wouldn't hesitate to line my back patio with the stuff. I also increased the lighting in my side 'dog run' (my neighborhood has resident skunks, so I had a 2nd fence added to my side yard for nighttime potty breaks) ... the lighting is motion sensored & directional, so its ideal for Riley's failing eyes without annoying neighbors with big spotlights. I also had to add vinyl clings to the bottom of my storm doors and sliding glass door (after Riley went full-throttle into the sliding door a few weeks ago). Big hugs to you and your senior sweetie!!