RobinM

I agree and we use it as needed. He hasn't had it in several days as he is showing no signs of real pain. He is walking abeit gingerly on the foot that is casted and is walking with both back legs, slowly.

He is on tramadol as needed. I give him traumeel gel massages and use a warm compress most of the day.

I am so sorry.

Oh, no. I am so sorry.

I am so sorry.

No, he does not enjoy it. He, at best, tolerates it. This is Beau. He enjoys walkies, and cookies and being home. That's pretty much it. But he did get relief the last time around and he does sit down when it gets done. DH takes him. He is much calmer with Beau than I am at the vet. We've got to give it a couple moer weeks before we subject him to x-rays which will require major sedation, being left at the vet before, during and after until he is not wobbly on his feet. THAT would be extremely stressful for him and take literally 2 days for him to get over.

Dr. Dyce looked at the last set of x-rays and said this "a possible increased soft tissue opacity of the right thigh, and right muscle atrophy" That was from x-rays done in July because his right side was off. Acupuncture helped. Then he had the gastro issues, open abdominal surgery late january which put acupunture on hold for several weeks. Now, it's the left side. We have resumed acupuncture. he has had 2 weeks worth. I am hoping after another time or 2 it will resolve itself. I hate to have to re-xray on so many levels. This is a dog that stresses to have his nails cut. Vet calls him an enigma and will be the first to say, don't bring him in- it will stress him too much! he has full bloods done every 4 weeks due to the imiran and pred. His last labs were on Saturday. They were perfect. Vet commented that for a greyhound on pred, he was doing greyt. We have been making more of an issue for him to join his pack on walks. We keep it very short, 5 house or so and turn around. He seems to like that.

We can't and even if we could, he would HATE it. Beau likes to be home. He gets very stressed out even when we went to our PA house which we made so cozy, same beds as at home. Food bowls, the same, even set up the same way in the kichen. We would go and get there on a Friday afternoon and he would whine until we got into the car to go home Sunday. We are scheduled to do our FIRST big GH event, GIG. But if he can't walk, we are not going. I am concerned about him in a hotel room for 2 nights. He is a real complainer so bringing him to work would not be a good idea!!!

Atmosphere is prob a 9 for Beau at home. Pretty much back to "normal;" without the mommy. Our routine is back on target. We have a very structured routine. We find that helps our dogs. they basically know what happens next. We got right back into the routine in short order. Beau is afraid of the water, won't even stick his feet in the kiddie pool. We will give it another 2 weeks of acupunture. When the bandage is off, hopefully, he will start using that leg more and take the pressure of the hips. he is probably trying to over compensate for the use of the front leg but his hips can't take it. If there is no improvement, we will have to break down and re-x-ray. The thought of that makes me sick.

I replied earlier and now I am very confusded. This is an email I just got from the DVM,, MS, DACVN, Associate Professor of Nutrition at UPENN regarding glucosomine. I had asked if Beau could go back on it. Her short answer: NO. These are her thoughts about it. "Glucosamine has no know preventative effects and only minimal evidence for beneficial effects for treating arthritis in dogs. Also there are major issues about source and processing re whether the patient absorbs it from the gut at all (nevermind the effect it might have on Beau's gut)."

yes, he likes going to someones house who has other greys, but he never plays. He watches and right now he can't do too much walking. No chiropractic, just acupunture. Teddy and Chloe are wonderful.

I wonder about this, too. Even though you miss Polli terribly, you MUST not let Beau see that...he must "know" that everything will be OK, and he looks to you to let him know that. He is obviously very sensitive, and with all his health issues, he doesn't need to worry about you, too! If this isn't the case, forgive my presumption...I really have no other ideas. I agree, maybe once that bandage is off he'll do better.... Nope- we are very upbeat around Beau. We were in shambles last week, but we have been back to "normal" in and around the dogs. That is not it, I am 100% for sure. He is reassured, I lay with him, massage him, talk the talk to him. He is not interested in the leash and if I put it on, he will just lay there. I won't drag him. If we really need him to get up and go out to pee, we have to use a very firm voice so he knows we are not kidding around, but we don't like having to be like that with him, espeically now. I am at a loss. We have thought of everything unless there is something we missed.

Everyone knows that Beau has had some issues for some time. First it was his leg and the orthopedic surgery. (07) Then it was his right hip which no one could pin point what the problem was, including my vets, OSU and Cornell. (07-08) Then the IBD and addressing that. (08-09) Then we lost Polli- his momma and right after that, he somehow caused trauma to his toe. Although the vet said the swelling is 50% better to his toe although still VERY bruised, he is having hip issues on his LEFT side now. When we leave him in the morning, he is lying in a bed, body in the bed, head on the floor. When I come home to let him out 4-5 hours later, he has not moved. I walk in and in a very excited voice, Hey Beau Beau- mommy’s hoooooome! He doesn’t even raise his head to acknowledge me. At all. Today when I left work to go home to let him out and to feed him, I fed him first because he would not budge. Then when I finally coaxed him up, he walked over to another bed to sit down. I put a leash and collar on him to lead him out the door and he just stood there IN THE RAIN about to lay down in the rain. I reattached the leash and walked him down the 4 steps to the lawn and he did his business and came back to lay back down in the bed, head on the floor. What else can I be doing to make things better for him? His bandage should be coming off Sunday. I am massaging his hip with trameel lotion which is an antiimflammatory and I am giving him warm compresses. He can not take any NSAIDs because he is on pred. He does go to acupunture. He had stopped due to the abdominal surgery and has been back 2 weeks in a row now. I need to have my Beau back, the one that used to jump me when I came home. The one that used to stick his tongue down my throat when he could, the playful, silly boy, I love and miss so much. Losing Polli was bad enough, but losing Beau- is just not acceptable.

I think this boy misses his momma, not necessarily his momma, but "the momma". He is like a vegetable. It;s very scary. It will be 2 weeks on Sunday. I don't have many options of what to do but be there for him and love him. And I do.

As long as you are using the real stuff, 100% pure like greyhound gang sells, there should be some improvement after several weeks of using.

I know about the pred and the moods. This newist change in him happened right after we lost Polli which was similtaneously the same time he caused trauma to the toe so we don't know what exactly is causing the depression, we have to assume it's a combo. Never before and there have been several "befores" has he not wanted to walk, no matter what the siutation and weather. This is a dog that lives for walks and he doesn't want to now. His right hip is definitely misaligned, I can see when he walks, he fish tails. The reason he leaks, is that he (recently) does not want to go out when he HAS to pee so he leaks a bit. Over the past 2 weeks he pred has been lowered 20mg. He was up to 50mg and now he is at 30mg. he's got a lot going on, my poor boy. I love him so and sometimes that is not enough.

Too much, way too soon. My heart breaks for and with you. I am so so sorry. Run free and easy now, Sami

Hoping for a good biopsy report and fast healing. He won't even know he doesn't have the teeth. They are amazing with little and even no teeth!

Here is the letter I got from OSU the last set of x-rays they saw of Beau's right side in July. Now, it's the left side. If it goes from side to side, it's prob not "C"-- right? Please let me I am right. Hi Robin Sorry for the delay. I am not sure if Dr. Vilar contacted you regarding Beau radiographs. He is out of the country and I thought better to be sure and email you. We review Beau's radiographs, with an orthopedic surgeon and one of the Radiologist. Basically, there is no evidence of any lytic or proliferative lesion neither on Beau’s hip or stifle joints of the right leg. Dr Dyce (orthopedic surgeon) also observed a possible increased soft tissue opacity of the right thigh, and right muscle atrophy. He recommended an orthopedic consult. Otherwise no abnormalities were found. Hope this helps Please keep us posted and don’t hesitate in contacting us if you have any question.

HAd the vet rewrap the foot/ toe today - much less swelling -shorter bandage - but he is still holding it up and TRIPODING. She said if the hips don't improve in 2 weeks with the acupunture. we will have to re-xray. I don't want to know, I really dont

Thanks. Believe it or not, we are not as stressed as you would think and for the most part all is "normal" or as normal as it can be in this house. I don't have anyone and there are too many issues for any one person to handle!!! I'm afraid there is something in his hips that did not show in July. He is overcompensating for the lack of use in his front and his back has a seperate set of problems. He is isn't even 5 yet, yet he has so many "old man" issues. Not too long ago, he was my insane happy puppy. I will bring him back in this weekend. He is not right. I know something is up.

I do believe part of it is Polli- but I also think like Chicocat said, the toe hurts and it's packed tight pressed against the other toes so there is no movement. I am not a fan of animal communicators. I will PM you about that. I often check out their site (check out Polli's 2 memorials, I was so touched) and I can't seem to locate the article on grievling. WOuld you please post the link? Thanks

or, what isn't wrong with Beau? Let me count the ways. I don't even know where to begin. Prior to everything, Beau, a small male, weighed 63 pounds. His racing weight was 62. He always looked good. Svelte. He has severe IBD that was diagnosed via open abdominal exlporatory surgery and was put on pred an imuran. He immediately went down to 52.4 pounds on Jan. 30 and scareed the life out of me. Because of the pred and imuran, he resumed an appetite that has him eating every 3 hours including in the middle of the night. As of this past Saturday, he was 61 pounds we lowered the pred to 30 mg. (had been on 50, then 40 now 30mg) Last week, we lost Polli, his mother. He also, unbeknowst to be how, injured his toe and is now in a soft cast. Beau is just is not the same. We baically have to drag him out to pee. He HAS to pee every 3-4 hours because of the pred or he leaks all over. My son who used to come home at lunch to let him out and feed him, called me last week and said, "Beau won't move, won't eat and won't take a cookie". We knew something was really wrong. That was when we found out he had an injury to his toe. I know my dog. He is really off, depressed and just not Beau. I know he has a lot going on. When he had orthopeditic surgery 2 years ago with a full cast and screws, he still wanted to walk. We walked him in the backyard on leash for 6 weeks. Now, it's just a toe with a soft bandage and he is not willing to even get up and when the other 2 are going on their walkies, he could care less. He looks so pathetic. I feel like I not only lost Poll, but Beau is not here either. He was off due to the pred, but this toe thing is making him totallhy isolating and more depressed. He ALSO has some hip issues. Last night after laying on his side for a long time, this poor dog got up with this left front leg with cast lifted and tripoded with the rear. He was on 2 legs.> I wanted to cry for him. Tonight he had acupunture so I am sure it stressed him, but he is usually not this bad. He is 1.5 hours over his eating time. I cant offer him goodies (IBD). He gets a choice of z/d wet or dry, in a bowl or kong. He also gets his tilapia treats that we make. I know no one can offer me any suggestions as we are doing all that can be done. His labs were done on Saturday and they are fine as well. I am ready to jump. Enough already. I WANT MY BEAU BACK.

Yes, you need a script for those. We've had them and they were hard to get rid of, Teddy needed two rounds of the meds.

Poor baby. Hope she heals quickly.