Houndess

then i'm not crazy then.... thank you for your honesty...i just feel so helpless right now...

CC is 8 and has been limping for a month. Took her to the vet two weeks ago who determined the issue was in her left shoulder. She told us to put her on metacam for two weeks and limit walks and stairs. We've done all that and CC is still limping (she does not want to put her foot down). Last night my husband noticed that there is a bone-y lump protruding from her left shoulder. We are going to the vets this afternoon for an x-ray. Anyone have any idea what this could possibly be (besides osteo?) Does this sound as bad as it feels to me????

My problem is that I can't get to someone who has a metacam syringe. I'm just hoping to make my girlie more comfortable this evening. I gather from what you've written that you don't think 45 drops isn't an overdose?!?

I have some metacam that was diagnosed for one of my pups when she dislocated her ankle. I haven't used it in over a year - box says its good until Halloween 2009. I need to give one of my other puppers a dose of it (she wrenched her ankle this afternoon on some ice). My problem? I'm not sure how much to give her to take the edge off her pain. The syringe is long gone but it is my understanding, metacam can be administered by drops. My girl is very tiny - about 45 pounds. Read the last sentance below.... surely this doesn't mean that her correct dosage would be 45 drops?!?!?!?! Dogs Over 10 Pounds (4.5 kg): Shake well before use, then remove cap. Metacam Oral Suspension may be either mixed with food or placed directly in the mouth. Particular care should be given with regard to the accuracy of dosing. Metacam Oral Suspension can be given using the measuring syringe provided in the package. The syringe fits onto the bottle and has a scale beginning at 5 lbs, designed to deliver the daily maintenance dose (0.05 mg/lb or 0.1 mg/kg). When using the syringe, the dog�s weight should be rounded down to the nearest 5 pound increment. Alternatively, Metacam Oral Suspension can be given using the dropper bottle: one drop for each pound of body weight for the mg/ml concentration (2 drops for each kilogram of body weight). can anyone help???????

Just throwing out an idea here.... Our Doberman had something similiar happend to him (twice and several years apart). I found the injury almost exactly the way you did - by accident (I was horrified and of course the first thing I think is that he's dying). But the vet said it was probably blunt force trauma. The first time it happened we concluded he probably hit a stump in our back yard (he sure loved running at top speed) and the second time it happened it had to have been he injured himself on our tile stairs. Is it possible the same thing occured with your dog?

Our newly adopted former foster itches - a lot. Especially if I run my hand along her back flanks. Her feet aren't red - does anyting think this might be allergies and if it is, how the heck do you find out what she's allergic too?

hello from beautiful BC!

What a pretty baby! Really gorgeous! Lucky you!

big hug to you...so very sorry

FYI - there are many types of seizures including those that make an animal appear as though they are "zoning out". Length of seizure can be seconds... Your dog could absolutely have had a seizure.

What a brave lady you are to do what is best for your baby. I am so sorry. Kiss you baby from us...

I am so sorry to hear about your baby's broken leg....what a stressful situation. I'm curious - does your house have any stairs puppy may have slipped on? I ask b/c our dobie once injured himself so badly that our vet said it looked like the inside of his thighs, including his testaticles, looked like he had been beaten with a baseball bat. The dog hadn't been out of our sight for ten days except in the house (at times). We concluded, the dobie had injured himself on our tiled stairs...

Seizures are scary aren't they? If your pup has epilepsy don't panic....it's usually very controllable with meds. It helps me to think of them as "little electrical storms in their brains". Storms pass and so do most seizures. Hugs to you and your pup

Just a heads up: my husband is on it b/c he has trouble sleeping (fell off a ladder). Be aware that this medication cannot just be stopped once started (at least that's the way it is with humans). You need to wean yourself off it...

I think you've asked a good question and in my rather long winded way, I'm going to tell you why. Obviously most of us here love this breed and will joke that everyone should have a dozen or more , but no one breed is for everyone. Every pure bred dog has been selectively bred for a purpose and has characteristics, physical and behavioral, that reflect that purpose. Factor in what may be unique handling for the breed and what you get is a general breed stardard. Everthing about the racing greyhound is bred for speed and the desire to catch the "prey". I've read in more than one source that their thin skin with the blood vessels close to the surface makes them more aerodynamic and more efficient runners. It isn't that greyhounds are more prone to attack each other than other breeds -- it's that their skin is so thin and tears so easily. What would bearly leave a scratch between, let's say, two weimaraners, can turn into a horrible gaping tear in a greyhound. Yard play between two adult weims can get really rough and tumble and mine used to sometimes end up with scrapes or scratches. The same incident would have likely resulted in a wound needing sutures between my greyhounds. Also if this rough and tumble play was between two GSDs or two huskies, their hair would have further protected each other's skin from a stray tooth or nail. Weims are very short haired dogs, so I would often see little nicks on scratches or them, but their original purpose was to be an all terrain hunter they were bred to have tear-resistant skin. Regarding the sleep space aggression issue, other breeds of dogs or mixed breeds can and do exhibit it, but data indicates it may be seen disproportionately in retired racers because of their early training -- being kenneled where they always have their own space and sleep alone. Even so, you see it in some retired racer and not in others. Many breeds of dogs have "space issues" and will defend their territory -- the herding breeds are a good general example and in my experience many weims exhibit it. A friend's shepherd mix lays in front of the pantry where the dog food is and dares any of the other dogs to come within 3 feet of her, for example. Large groups or packs of dogs of any breed are in the end just dogs and when unsupervised and unencumbered by the human rules of behavior we impose on them many will revert to dog pack behavior. Dog parks are a good example. There are dog park fights between every day and sadly some end in tragedy. Sometimes (not always) the breeds involved here are the dogs who have been bred to fight -- these dogs are often genetically endowed with physical and behavioral attributes that make them superior fighters! My point, in all of this, ( and I do have one ) is the importance of researching what makes each pure bred dog unique and then making an informed decision about whether or not it's the breed for you. Most of us are here on this forum because we adore the retired racers and can't imagine our lives without them. As responsible dog owners, we learn everything we can about them as a breed, and do everything we can to keep them safe and healthy. I think it's great that you are reading this forum to gather information before making your decision. If more people did that sort of homework, fewer dogs of all breeds would be abandoned in shelters after the novelty of an impulse buy/adoption wears off. I've been at meet & greets and had people ask me what are the negatives about retired racers. For those of us dedicated to this breed our first tendency may be to deny there are any negatives to greyhound ownership, but that's not true nor fair to the breed. One man's joy can be another man's "negative". It's a negative to some folks that they can never be trusted off leash in an unfenced area, that they can't live outside, that they may love your cat indoors, but chase the same cat down like prey in the backyard, or that a normal dog skirmish over a favorite toy can result in a trip to the E vet and require drains and stitches. I think potential adopters should know these things and then weigh them against the many uniquely wonderful things about these dogs and make an informed decision. Wow... very well said! It isn't that greyhounds are more prone to attack each other than other breeds -- it's that their skin is so thin and tears so easily. What would bearly leave a scratch between, let's say, two weimaraners, can turn into a horrible gaping tear in a greyhound. In a nutshell that's is the issue.

The best advice I got was for the first 48 hours your job is to make the dogs feel safe. By that I mean, ignore or prevent behaviour you don't want. This is not the time to punish or correct. Once your babies feel they can trust you, learning can begin. They will tell you by their actions when they are ready to learn. The first 48 hours in your home is NOT the time to come down hard on them AT ALL. And its a lot of work to ignore or prevent behaviour you don't want. Trust me, I was hopping! Dashing from one end of the kitchen to the next in order to prevent him from counter surfing. And by just standing between him and the counter, he got tired of trying to access it. BTW - I've had my grey for three months and he won't touch anything on my counter. Best of luck. I've had many dogs and this is my first grey and I'll never have anything but a grey again. In my opinion, they're the perfect dog. : )