BluegrassGrey
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Posts posted by BluegrassGrey
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Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. I am just torn to pieces right this minute.
greytdeals- vet is giving Sid- IV then subcutaneous Dexamathasone (I looked it up and defined as "a potent synthetic member of the glucocorticoid class of steroid drugs"). I will have to ask the vet his thinking behind using that and not prednisone.
greysandmollie- I hope he has the outcome your boy did. I have and would again clean up poop and pee any day for this boy!
racindog- I dearly remember Miss Cash and her beautiful dress up collars. She had a beautiful lively spirit like Sidney- we need prayers from near & far for certain!
Burpdog- thank you for posting the vet list. Even as a RN- I believe all different treatments are worth trying.
KFinGeorgia- I have started reading the blog. It is very encouraging- exactly what I need right now.
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Definitely accupuncture in Louisville. I will have to check for one in Lexington.....
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Last night my poor 10.5yr old Sidney had some sort of accident in the yard. It was dark & raining when he went out to potty. Heard him screaming- ran out to get him & he was covered in mud on his face & neck. Gave him pain meds and he was able to eat dinner. But still lots of panting & pacing still.
This morning Sidney goes out with the rest of our greys and eats his breakfast. But his head is still hanging down a little and more pacing & panting. Then his rear legs start buckling & he is losing control of his hind legs. Get him to the vets office before they even open.
I suspected FCE before we got there. Our vet did an exam and neurological testing. Sidney has decreased pain sensation in his rear legs. The x-rays were negative for disc damage. They gave him morphine injection and a Robxain injection. We were sent home with Robaxin 500mg (3x/day) and Tramadol 100mg (3x/day)and Dexamethasone injections 2x/day for 3 days). We also have a prescription for Gabapentin PRN.
Diagnosis was FCE or ruptured disk.
I know some of you all have been through this. Could you please share your stories of how it happened, what the diagnosis & treatment were, and the prognosis?
I am absolutely heartbroken over this.
Sidney was a very active, bouncing Greyhound up to the point this happened. He would jump into the SUV on his own, run & play all the time, and he really had too much spring in his step (jumping for joy any time he could). -
I can totally sympathize- I've had one do this for years.... He has started waking up earlier and earlier. A blanket or pajamas have helped him sleep in a bit later- he has just been waking up because he was cold (with the recent weather changes).
What type of stairs is he having trouble with? Maybe buy some stair treads or carpeting?
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It has taken me two months to be able to admit this.....
Pistol has passed away.
What can I say about this guy, who I searched for for nearly 6 years? Then I adopted him at the age of 9.5, after he was bounced from his first home. He was stronger, happier and healthier 6 months after I adopted him, than the day I brought him home. We built up endurance to walking for miles.... As a senior, he spent countless hours at meet & greets.... He loved it! I remember the first time I saw his tail wag- it was as he bounced into a Fantastic Sams salon for a meet & greet. (Note- this was a special moment because he was not able to wag it much because he had LS/some lack of control back there).
People always commented on his unusual color- one could try to describe it as "black, gray, silver bluish." They also commented on how he looked much older than his litter mate Perry. In the end it was quite ironic, because Pistol would out-live Perry by over a year. Perry passed from OS, and it was a fear Pistol would have the same fight. But he didn't. His LS took over in the end.
You all voted Pistol & Perry as your favorite duo in 2009. They have certainly been my favorite pair as well. But each was his own entity. And despite my search for a litter mate of my Perry, my first Greyhound, my heartdog, for almost six years........... in the end, Pistol and I had a special bond that had nothing to do with his lineage. It was all about his heart.
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Our 12.5 yo Pistol has a similar issue- he does have LS. Like Batmom said, we also
"- taking him out as soon as he was up
- taking him out immediately after eating
- feeding a lower-residue food."
Pistol eats a low volume food- Evo (grain free). He only eats about 2 cups (versus 4 cups of another food). His poop is usually very small and hard (much easier to pick up and less messy).
We also bought him a specially made harness for greys (from God's Greyts). He wears this 24/7. It helps us to steady him and get him in and out the door (only 1 step).
Pistol is also on pain pills...
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Can you all explain what changes/improvements your greys have had with these supplements? How long did it
take to see results? My 12.5 boy, Pistol, is on 1500mg daily of human grade glucosamine HCL and MSM already. And he eats EVO food. Do you all recommend the joint health & fresh factors? Thanks for your input.
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Used it for many, many fosters per the adoption group's request. Never had any experience adverse effects.
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Do you mind sharing what type you are feeding & how much? Does anyone think this is too much protein for a 12.5 year old? Anyone have trouble with the food?
Pistol has been eating the EVO small bites poultry blend. He seems to be doing really well on it.
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I made the switch with my late boy- and he actually did better on the ND. I feed one of my new girls the ND now because of food allergies- she does very well on it. Recently, when I ran out and could not get to COSTCO (it is 1.5hrs away) I had to find the closest food in the local store. The Natural Balance (salmon & sweet potato) ingredients were the most similar to ND- and Ellie (thankfully) did well on it.
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Glad to hear your boy is doing better. I don't think this was mentioned yet, but one thing to try might be some cheap weed prevention black fabric (Lowes or Home Depot). Cut pieces and then staple them to back of stairs to create a closed in stair look. I've known of several people to try this and it was like magic.
Also, Carol from God's Greyts makes a special harness/support sling and it had been
wonderful for those with weak hind ends. I feel for you all, as my Pistol (12) is getting very weak in his hind end too.
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I would second the belly band- even Petsmart sells them nowadays (hopefully you have one near you, so you can resolve the issue quickly)! The only problem would be with the dog door- wouldn't want him to go outside wearing the belly band.
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Could it be his neck? Poor guy! The local group had foster dog that was stiff,and couldn't lift her head. Opiate pain meds didn't even really help her- acupuncture nearly completely took care of that girl's problems.
I hope you find some answers soon. Please keep us updated.
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Thank you all for your support and kind words....... you all truly understand what I am going through. Yesterday was one month.......
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Perry was my first Greyhound, adopted July 13, 2002. I had just moved to Kentucky a month previously, but I had been preparing for and dreaming of that adoption day for years. He was one of the first to graduate from the Team Greyhound of Ohio prison training program.
We got to learn the new town together. Perry was an instapet- one of those Greyhounds that makes you want a hundred more just like him. And I searched for litter mates of his for years to no avail.
We traveled all over together. Dewey Beach in October 2003 (he was one of only two dogs in the very first "PMS" house), and Sandy Paws at Jekyll Island in March 2009 amongst others. He swam in the Atlantic ocean, waded in Michigan lakes and rivers. Perry loved the beach, and was passionate about running- anywhere and everywhere he could. He even rode a pontoon boat, ears flapping in the breeze, nose in the air- enjoying life. At home, he never missed a chance at a dip in his doggy pool- even in his last week- he enjoyed it.
On the track during his career, he was a fairly good racer- 1st place wins and comments like ““early control”, “speed to spare”, “easily on,” “lead from the start,” “early command,” and “much the best” described his races at Bluffs Run racetrack in Iowa. He retired after he broke his hock in a race in 2001. His heart was always in running, and run he did in retirement as well- every single day, and when I recently saw the grass slowly growing back along our fence line, I knew it wasn’t going to be much longer. Perry made it back to the track twice- standing on the hill overlooking Tri State in WV in 2003 . Then going track side Wheeling, WV in 2004. His enthusiasm for running was beyond apparent as he barked and tugged at the leash to get back on the track.
Perry's retirement was also filled with helping others- human and hound alike. He obtained his LOAL national pet therapy certification in 2004 and spent over five years in a local library program where children practiced their reading skills by reading to him- he was non-judgmental, always had a listening ear, and forever patient.
Perry also helped hundreds of Greyhounds find homes over nearly eight years. He was a great teacher for dozens of fosters that came continuously through his home, he spent countless weekends leading meet and greets, and did too many home visits to count. One of the most memorable was when a family commented on how great he looked, and asked about his age. They guessed he was five years old, only shocked to discover he was over ten at the time. Perry gave senior hounds a new face, and consequently this family adopted their own senior Greyhound the next week.
He also won the 2009 Greytalk Suzy award for "Best Duo"- the other half of the duo being his litter mate, Pistol, whom I finally found and adopted in 2008.
Perry impressed even his own veterinarian with his peak physical condition as he aged. His vet commented that he was the healthiest and fittest senior Greyhound he had ever seen- and that was on his 11th birthday. Sadly, that was the same day he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his shoulder. The vet warned, as I already knew, that even though this was caught very early (he had nearly no symptoms at that point), that he may have 1-2 months at best, because we all know how quickly osteo can ravage them.
Perry fought and lived life to the fullest. He was happy, he ran every single day to the very end, he ate everything in sight. He kicked cancer's ass for over 7 months- I've never seen or heard anything like it. His pain medications combined with his existing superb health allowed him to stay on top of it all.
I could go on, of course any of you could when it comes to your heart dog, but I'll stop here.
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I do have a really morbid question for those of you who have had the vet come to your home. When it's over, obviously teh vet needs to remove the body. What did you do while that happened? Did you stay in teh room, did you go with them outisde, did you leave the room until they were gone?
My vet brought a stretcher to lift Jackie into the back of my SUV (so I could drive her to be cremated). She could have easily been carried as she was about 50# at the time. But it seemed like a nicer way to carry her. She was covered in a blanket, that she had also laid on when she was euthanized. My vet was excellent in his explanations, and had warned us that some urine or feces may leak out after she had passed.
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Do you have a fenced yard? Did the foster home have a fenced area?
I've fostered quite a few that would not potty properly while on lead.
Could she have a UTI?
Best $20 I ever spend was renting a "Rug Doctor" professional carpet cleaner. Does better than any spot cleaning etc.
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We buy it when we travel to MI. Sterling Heights and a few other SE MI stores carry it. Protein level is good- Perry loves it and has had no digestive problems. When we ran out of the Costco brand, we tried TOTW Pacific Stream, and his gas pains and bloating were so bad, I had to get the Costco brand ASAP!
I'm glad to hear it is in Cinci! We may have to drive up there, if we run out again.
I cannot say enough good things about this food
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Your girl sounds just like one of my boys- Sidney.
He is an anxious dog, and has peed or marked in our home for the last 7 years. He has been medically checked out for UTI's amongst other things, and even treated (as Batmom suggested) for a UTI, even though his test was negative. It is a behavioral issue.
The only solution we've found is crating him at night, and lots of exercise. He is 9 years old this year too, but has a ton of energy- he can power walk 2 miles and still not be tired (some may be anxious energy!). But if he gets a fast, long walk right before bed, he will sleep through the night and not wake me up at his usual times of waking-2, 3, 4, 5am. No amount of running in the yard or playing with our other greys will do it- it has to be a brisk walk to tire him out!
Have you tried walking your girl in the evening?
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I just wanted to thank you for "speaking up" about palliative care. I've read it in many of your posts, and that is the road Perry and I have been going down the last 3 months.
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Perry was also diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right front shoulder on 11-19. He is about 80# has been taking 75mg of Rimadyl 2x per day, and Tramadol 50mg 2x per day as well, and then a pepcid at night. Both of his vets agreed with this, and said the tramadol could be increased if needed. They also said to of course keep vigil of his appetite and activity. He has maintained a tremendous appetite and still runs daily in the yard. BUT now you all have me worrying that I should be giving him more tramadol? His osteo was diagnosed about as early as one could diagnose it, so maybe he will need the upped doses as this progresses?
Hugs to everyone else going through this right now.
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I've been using the method (I think was) suggested by TheDogFather- put the pill in the back of their throat, the hold the snout closed and blow on the nostrils, and like magic they swallow the pill right down. I've never had one of mine able to spit it out yet! I alternate this method with putting it in their food, or in a treat- because like your Greys, mine figure out there are pills in there. Most recently put pills in a cooked tortilini- my boy slurped that right down!
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Sarah Regan Snavely makes beautiful memory boxes. There is only 1 large box in her Etsy store right now, but maybe you could contact her if you like her things.
Her main gallery page is here: Greyhound Sculptor
Her Etsy store is here: Greyhound Art
I second this suggestion.
While the cost may seem steep there is nothing sweeter then looking at that beautiful piece of artwork and knowing it's almost as beautiful as the baby who once walked this earth.
Yes, this is very true. I've already talked with Sarah, she said she hopes to fire more boxes after XMas, so make sure to check back on her site......... This is s tough time of year to be dealing with loss, I hope you find exactly what you are looking for....
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Denise- just thinking of you and Warlock..........
Sidney was a very active, bouncing Greyhound up to the point this happened. He would jump into the SUV on his own, run & play all the time, and he really had too much spring in his step (jumping for joy any time he could).
Fce? Please Help!
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
My poor baby is back in the hospital..... after we brought him home, he lost function in his front legs as well. He could bear no weight. He still has function in his trunk, head, neck (i.e. able to kind of sit up). He is still on dexamethasone injections, but the vet has weaned him off Robaxin & Tramadol to see if his function would improved. He does not appear to be in pain, but was no worse or better this morning.....
Does anyone have any other ideas? Why would he go from walking fine to complete paralysis like this, with no improvement? What are we missing? What does the vet need to be doing? We are hoping for some improvement by tomorrow.
His steroid injections began within about 13 hours of the original incident.....
Please help us!
About how many days did it take to see improvement with your all's babies? Did they get worse before getting better?