Sorcha

I just ran home on lunch to check on her, as I have done every day this week since her dental. She is better, but still not 100%. She did prance a little in the yard, she was so happy that it was a nice day outside. She's still a bit unsteady on those back legs, but has improved. I'll know she is back 100% when she can tackle the stairs or hop up on my bed (but I am not going to encourage either, and have kept the stairs to the finished basement blocked off because I don't want her to go tumbling down them). Thanks for keeping her in your good thoughts. (darn typos!)

Thursday morning update... Same as last night. Those back legs still don't want to hold her up for long, but she is getting around on her own (outside to the yard, back inside, then sleep, sleep, sleep).

The strength in her hind legs is still not all there. She's definitely better, but she can only stand up so long before her back legs get all shakey and down she goes. She attemped to eat dinner standing up, but then her hind legs gave way so I sat her bowl down with her and she finished. I hope there's not something else going on what is causing the weakness in her hind legs.

I went home at lunch and found that she had nested her bedding so she had to stand up to do that - I take it as a good sign. She got herself outside and back inside on her own 4 legs, but she is quite shakey on those back legs, as though they are going to give out from under her if she stands just a moment longer. She came back inside and flopped right down on the bedding, I still have her set up in the kitchen since it's the first room you enter when you get into the house. She does not have the strength to go any further and I certainly don't want her to attempt the stairs to go downstairs (finished basement, where my dogs usually hang out during the day when I am not home).

Finally, I do believe she has "turned the corner". Slept through the night last night (hooray!), was able to get up and outside unassisted and back inside with minimal help. That wore her out and now she is sound asleep so I will give her a little time to rest before I offer her some breakfast.

I have not given her any more tramadol today (was told to give it to her every 4 - 6 hours as needed), and the rimadyl is given only in the morning. The clavamox is morning and evening. We'll see how she makes it through the night, if she gets me up and seems to be in pain what else am I to do other than giver her tramadol? She is drinking water, she can't get up and go over to a water bowl so ever hour I have been offering her a bowl of water. I would rather her not drink laying down, she coughs a lot of it back up, but right now don't have much choice. She also ate dinner (2 small meals, 2 hours apart, laying down) so that's a good thing. I had her out in the yard after dinner, she did finally poop and it was not well formed but I expected that. At least she went. I had to help her walking by keeping up her hind end with the towel wrapped under her, it was too much for her and she needed a break and flopped down in the grass. Neighbor was watching from the window, came out and asked me what was wrong with her, I tried to explain and her feeling was I should have not put her through this at her age. Believe me, I did not want to, but my regular vet felt it was the best thing to do for her health. Now I wish more then ever I had not put her through this. Going to bed now, a little early tonight, hope to catch up on some sleep missed last night. I hope she sleeps through the night, or maybe only gets up once or twice. I appreciate everyone's concern and support.

Regular vet advised me to just keep a close eye on her, continue to get her to drink water and eat more chicken and canned food, to get her back outside and support her with a towel under her chest so she can get into a poop position and take care of that and to generally have her keep resting and keep an eye on her. I am to report back to him tomorrow. I've checked her over, last night and today, and nothing seems injured.

Yes, same regular vet and after a long discussion with him he agreed to continue caring for my greyhound and that I would go to this other place (the animal hospital) for anythig he is not equipped to handle. He does not do the dentals for greyhounds because he uses barbituates.

So I called asking for clarification on what was used, and the reponse was they would put a note in her record to refer back to the anethesia protocol used this time and it would "pop up" on the computer screen to review it. I said, nicely, that is not what I was asking. Was put on hold, she came back on the line and told me what I already knew, that she was on isoflurane with propofol. I asked about acepromazine and was told no, she was not given that. She got a bit snippy saying they know greyhounds require a different anethesia protocol than other non-sighthounds (which I knew else I would not have taken her there) so it was sort of like how dare I question them. I pressed on and asked what the reversal was and she said noloxin (not sure if I am spelling that right) and that it reverses the hyrdo. I have no idea what that means and she did not seem receptive to me asking any more questions so I left it at that.

Forgot to mention that this morning before I left for work I did get her to eat a little bit. I boiled skinless chicken breast and she had some of that along with some Pro Plan senior canned food that I had put away if ever needed. I also got her to take a rimadyl this morning.

IV leg for her was front right, not one of the rear legs. I just don't understand why her front end if okay but back end is not. I have the windows open in the house to let a cold breeze in (brrr, I am freezing!), she is not panting at the moment but as soon as I get her up and try to get her moving, the panting starts again. By the way, thank you to everyone who has chimed in. I don't feel so alone and in the dark about this now. I guess it is just taking her some extra time.

Just took her temp, 99.8. That seems low to me - ?? I don't think they gave her acepromazine, at least it's not showing on the statement and I am really not much wanting to call them back. Statement shows she had the isoflurane, with an additional 15 minutes, and an injection of ampicillin and then the meds she was sent home with. Oh, and whatever reversal medication they gave her.

I did come home at lunch, but it was not a good day to come home as the head owner of the company had flown in from Canada to visit our office. So, work's not happy with me but it's the first "strike" against me ever. I got home, as soon as I got out of the car I could hear her crying and screaming through the walls of the house. I assisted her with going outside (hind end still not working right), as soon as she got to the grass she flopped down like a ragdoll. I got her back up, with much effort she was able to pee, then her rear legs gave out again and she flopped back down into the grass. I let her rest there for 10 minutes (standing right next to her) before I got her back up and into the house. I got out of my work clothes, called work and said I won't be back in this afternoon, I have to take care of my dog. This morning before I left for work, I called the animal hospital and left a message asking them to call me about her. No one called. So, I called back a little while ago, was put through to a different vet who swaid it sounds like it's just taking her a little longer (the procedure was finished by 11 am yesterday) and that if I wanted to I could bring her in and they would take a look at her and put her on sub-q fluids. I told them let me think about that. I called my regular vet, he had me check her rear paws to make sure they were warm and to pinch each foot and watch for her to pull away. She passed with flying colors. So, he said it is likely her just taking longer to get over the anethesia, to try and get her back outside to go to the bathroom (she needs to poop, has been passing gas and smells like a skunk, but she's not able to stay upright long enough to go). I will try with a towel under her, to keep her up, just not sure she will care for that. Letting her rest right now, will try getting her outside again soon.

It's been a very bad night, now going on 5 am and I have not had much sleep. She's been up every hour and several times I have carried her outside to pee. She still can't stand on her own 4 legs, I am half afraid she's going to break a leg. She's like a drunk Bambi on ice. She was crying out in pain around 3 am and I gave her tramadol and she fell back asleep, but I have not given her any rimadyl. I just had her outside again and this time I carried her into my bedroom (lucky for me I live in a ranch house) and she's laying there occassionaly whining softly. I just brought her over a small bowl of water (since she cannot walk over to the water bowl) and this time she finally drank some. Now I am going to attempt to get another half hour sleep before I have to be up to get ready for work. I am worried about leaving her home all day, but I have no other choice. This is not my regular vet. My regular vet is not set up to provide the anethesia that greyhounds need. This vet is at the animal hospital that my regular vet refers greyhound people to go for things more major than he is equipped to handle. I told her I thought the meds were more than she needed (the rimadyl and tramadol) but she insisted, saying they tooth that was taken out was very "involved". Aaaargh.

Vet says she's fine but I am very concerned... My greyhound is 12 & 1/2, had a dental this morning, over 12 hours ago, had one tooth extracted. I went to pick her up tonight, before I go (it's 20 miles away) I call to make sure she's ready and they say yes, she's "fully awake" and ready to go. I get there, pay the bill (totals over $750 and there was extra anethesia given), am taken into one of the exam rooms, given her meds to take home and then the vet tech brings her in and my greyhound can't hardly stand and is panting heavy and there's foam coming from her mouth and she does not even glance at me. She does not seem right to me. Vet tech, all the while supporting her as she slumps down into a sit position (she never sits) says she is fine and do I need help taking her out to my car? I tell the vet tech no, she is not fine, please have the vet look at her. Instead of leaving her with me, she gets her up and helps her walk back out to where they do all the procedures. 5 minutes pass by, 10, 15 minutes and the then the vet comes in the room, without my greyhound. She says she's sorry, that she did not realize she had not come out of the anethesia as fully as she thought, and she has just given her some sort of reversal. Says to go home and call in 2 more hours to see how she is doing. So I do, and when I call I am told she's up and about and ready to go home. So now it's getting late, it's after-hours, I go to pick her up for the 2nd time, this time they just bring her out and hand her over to me and she seems no better to me, wobbly, has no ability to hold up her hind end, and just generally out of it. They just want to close up for the night and don't even offer to help me get her out to my car. So, I have to help her hold her front end up by holding her up by her harness and I have my other arm I under her chest helping her to keep her hind-end up. I have to lift her up to get her into the car (she's 55 pounds, I am 125 pounds). I drive home and she's panting and whining the whole way. I get her home, I have to lift her out of the car and gently put her down on the grass and help her to get upright enough to pee, then carry her up the stairs and into the house. I only make it as far as the kitchen so I put her down and run and get bedding and set her up with a bed in the kitchen. There she has remained for the past 2 hours. She won't drink any water and as for food - forget it. Her mouth and tongue are all dried and crusty. I am very worried, not so much that she is sleepy which I expect, but that she has no ability to be mobile and can't get herself up into a standing position, and when she is helped into a standing position she turns rag-doll and first the back legs go out and then the rest of her. Not sure what to do, vet is not concerned so what do I do? Meds she is now on are clavamox, rimadyl and tramadol.

My greyhound had a dental today, I will be picking her up later today. She had to have one tooth extracted and they mentioned they would send her home with pain meds for it. What meds should this be and what would an avaergae cost be? They already gave me antibiotics to start her on before the dental and continue for 10 days after, it's Clavamox and they charge a ridiculous amount of money.

BUN/Creatinine Ratio 15 (4 - 27 is the range) What should these levels be? Range for ALT on her shows 12 - 118 U/L

My 12 year old greyhound will be having a dental done at the end of the month. This is not being done by my regular vet because of the anethesia protocal. The vet is concerned about the creatinine level being high at 1.9 and wants me to collect a urine sample to be tested to confirm that her kidneys can make concentrated urine. Any input? Should I be concerned? She also says her ALT is elevated, 125. Should I be worried about that? Another "high" readings that did not seem to concern her were Ulrea Nitrogen 28. Also, her T4 result was low 0.5, should that be of concern?

I cried after I left her at the vet this morning, after a million goodbyes and kisses she was put in a cage and just stared at me the whole way as I walked out the door as if to say "why are you leaving me here?". She is such a homebody and gets scared and anxious very easily, my heart broke for her. The good news is I just spoke with the vet and surgery is done, she made it through and came out of the anethesia without a problem. He glued the wound shut instead of stitches . I will be picking her up in a couple hours to bring her home. I want to give her something extra special for dinner tonight, she has got to be famished, any ideas? I was thinking a fast-food hamburger but I don't eat fast food and don't want to give it to her if it might upset her tummy. Maybe I will just cook her some chicken. I just can't help but to think this is "the beginning of the end", though. Please wish her many more months of quality life until (if/when) the cancer metastasizes. I love her dearly and she has overcome so much in her life, she certainly has lived each of her 14 years to the fullest.

Surgery is scheduled for August 1, that was the first surgery appointment time available. 3 weeks away, feels like forever. Thanks again for the good thoughts and support.

Thank you.

Thank you all for your input and especially about the book, I will look into that. I really do not want to block off the stairs, I live in a ranch house and the stairs go from the main floor down to the finished basement. The basement is a "safe haven" when thunderstorms roll in, there are no windows and being below ground blocks out the scarey sound of the thunderbooms. Plus, all their toys are down there and the air conditioning (or heater in the winter) really cranks up down there and they like that. On the main floor they have the comfort of my bedroom and the other rooms in the house. If I have to start using a gate on the stairs, that would put an end to going downstairs for all my dogs and I don't want to have to do that. I want them to continue to have free roam of the house. I just am not sure. What if I hire an electrician to run lighting down the stairwell? I know she can't "see" but the brightness should help, no? My vet has assured me she will be able to manage with her other senses, particularly smell and sound. If she does wander far in the yard (especially at night) she sometimes is not sure about getting back to the gate so I clap my hands and she follows the sound. I last moved furniture around when she had vision, so I won't be changing it around again since she knows what is where by memory. It has been a gradual thing that now has reached the point where total blindness is the next stage. I won't put her through the surgery, the vet does not recommend it since he feels she can get along just fine without her sight. Thanks again

My 14 year old non-greyhound has a cancerous growth in her ear that is scheduled to be surgically removed. It is not known if the cancer has metastasized. She is otherwise healthy, eating normally, etc. I am worried about her going under anethesia at her age, plus she's never been away from home except for trips to the vet. She gets nervous and upset very easily. Please think good thoughts for her. Thank you.

My 11 and a half year old greyhound has advanced cataracts and is nearly completely blind. Has anyone else managed a blind greyhound? My big worry is her going up and down the stairs when I am not home, since the stairwell is very dark and she can't hardly see the steps. I know the easy solution is not to let her on the stairs, but I have other dogs and I don't want to limit their free roam of the house. I also do not want to contain my greyhound to one room, I know she would be miserable. I do not want her to take a tumble down the stairs and injure herself, or worse. Suggestions? Also, she needs a dental done. My vet is greyhound savvy and I trust him, but the last time she had a dental done she could see. I am worried it's going to be a very scarey experience for her going under the anethesia and coming out of it when she is practically blind. The vet says she has to have the dental done, so is there anything I can do for her to help calm her should she freak out?

Curious to know what they did for the anethesia? Wondering because my nearly 12 year old greyhound needs a dental and the anethesia is my big fear. Glad to hear Patrick did so well with his dental