greyhndz

Central New Hampshire, close to Concord, Manchester, Seacoast, Laconia. In Epsom, on Rt. 4, east of Rt 28 Fiona Reeve, DVM Suncook River Veterinary Clinic 1569 Dover Rd. Epsom NH 03234 Phone: 603-736-3388 Fax: 603-462-2098 Email: info@suncookrivervet.com Fiona has opened up her own clinic, and is smart, knows greyhounds and IG's in-and-out, is an excellent surgeon, and is SO dedicated to her patients. Has treated hundreds of greyhounds, both individual clients as well as from a local adoption group.

An oogy iggy! Iggy Buddy, my recent 11 y.o. adoptee, had developed a worsening cough, with persistent wheezing and yakking.For a dog with some of the worst lung sounds I've ever heard, he's amazingly happy, active and healthy-appearing, with bright eyes, great appetite, and a non-stop wet cough.After a couple of months of various antibiotics, and bronchial washings (which didn't reveal any organisms in the culture) my vet and I agreed it was time for a bronchoscopy. We went to see an excellent Internal Medicine vet (who I've gone to before, with Lexi), and she was kind enough to do the bronch the same day as our first consultation. I've got the films and photos up, and thought some folks might like to see what a dog's pulmonary tract looks like up close and personal. In Buddy's case, there was TONS of mucous, inflammation, redness, and very abnormal-appearing airways. You'll be able to see this (actually, you can't miss it ). Lots of this mucous and other yuk were sent out for culture, but again, no bacterial infection. He appears to have an inflammatory bronchitis -- still no cause known. He's doing really well on prednisone, theophylline and a course of doxy while we waited for culture results to come back. His washings also showed a large number of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that can be seen with allergies, or with worm infestation -- lungworm. A fecal study was none -- no worms or eggs -- but he was treated with Panacur x 2 weeks regardless. Repeat xray on Monday showed improvement, but still showing inflammation. But let's go to the video! no. 1 no.2 no. 3 and the album with photos Here's the play by play (Buddy, live and uncensored)

Poodle, speaking on behalf of your fan club, we hope you'll be feeling much better tomorrow, and ready to hit the trail with mom. Poodles bearing mohawks ROCK!!!!

Oh, Adrianne... I'm so sorry. Wilbur, and now Larry making their journeys so close in time. What gifts your boys have been, and how special that they've had you as their protector and guide. Godspeed, sweet boy...

Larry and Adrianne, you've got tons of healing thoughts and love surrounding you on all sides. We've given you a virtual vaccination to protect you from any more owies. I hope every day will bring more healing until you're feeling like yourself again. Adrianne, Godiva cures all ills.

Hi and welcome! (We're probably the only 2 people on GT who aren't at Dewey. ) The BUN/creatinine values you listed are nowhere near off-the-charts. Check out an article Suzanne Stack DVM has on GreytHealth, which lists normal bloodwork ranges for Greyhounds. The BUN is only minimally elevated, and the creatinine is high, but by no means critical. I'm not sure exactly what the vet means about "loss of architecture" as seen on U/S. There are chronic cortical changes and atrophy of dysfunctional kidneys, but I don't know if that's what your vet was referring to. A few thoughts: I'd get him off the Proin for a couple of reasons: first, it's masking symptoms -- you now know that Midas has PUPD (polyuria, polydypsia) because of renal disease of unknown severity. Proin isn't the answer, and may well be a contributing factor: it can elevate the blood pressure and also constrict the vessels providing blood supply to the kidneys, which is exactly what you DON'T want. People using Proin for incontinence usually use it for spay incontinence, which clearly isn't Midas' problem. One of the most important tests to be done right now is the urine protein creatinine ratio ("UPC"), which helps to quantitate the amount of protein in the urine, and this in turn reflects the degree of damage to the glomerular system of the kidney (integral to the filtering process). In addition, be sure the vet has already sent the urine for a microscopic exam and culture to truly rule out infection. If you haven't obtained a full tick panel, be sure it's done ASAP, as tickborne disease (such as Lyme or Ehrlichiosis) can cause renal disease. Also, go through all the medications, supplements, treats, etc. that Midas is getting, and be sure to discuss with the vet whether any of them could be a factor. NSAIDs like Rimadyl, Meloxicam, etc. have been implicated in causing renal disease. Treats or foods which are tainted can also factor in. As far as diets, the ingredients in KD make me throw up a little in my mouth. One of the best sources of info on caring for "renal" dogs isDog Aware. There are also a number of homemade diets, as well as specific diets and commercial kibble which is low in phosphorus (far more important in managing renal disease than protein moderation). This is something you can discuss with your vet. You may want to think about consulting an Internal Medicine vet, who has better knowledge of diagnosing and managing renal disease. Often, an ACE inhibitor such as enalapril, benazapril, etc. is started to preserve kidney function, especially in dogs with glomerular dysfunction. Adequate hydration is really essential, so don't let water restriction ever come up in conversation. If he's having accidents, give thought to either putting down potty pads for him to use, or install a dog door so he can go in and out as he pleases. I hope this helps a bit -- I really just wanted to reassure you that the BUN/creat. are not terrible or cause for panic. While you continue to have this worked up, just ensure that Midas is getting plenty of fluids. Keep us posted! Jordan PS - not concentrating urine certainly could be from renal disease, but Diabetes Insipidus also comes to mind. That can be ruled-in or -out with a simple water deprivation test; if he doesn't concentrate after a set interval of water restriction, DI would crawl its way up the list of possible diagnoses.

Wonderful news!! No bones for you, big boy!

OMG! Ekko, sweet baby girl, we eagerly await word of your recovery. You've got the fight and the spirit to overcome this. And you have the love and prayers of all of us providing the wind for your sails. You have so many antics left in you, and we can't wait to hear about all of them after you're feeling like Ekko again. Heal quickly and completely my sister in fuzz! with love, Teo (and mom)

That's great news! I, too, found that the honey seemed to produce healthy-looking, pink, granulation tissue that filled in quickly. Usually I expect to see some exudate in the wound that dries and crusts over and needs to be cleaned daily. That never happened this time, and I'm sure it was the honey. While Mafi's wound is not far from closing, another problem developed: 2 raised flaps at one end of the wound -- like a heart on its side. The flaps are thick, and about 1cm in diameter. One of these raised areas started looking red and puffy, so I got Mafi onto keflex and it looks a bit better now. My concern is that these flaps might not heal because the wound edges around and between them are not everted, as they need to be for proper healing. If this doesn't improve, I think she'll need more surgery to revise the wound. I really hope it doesn't come to that. But God bless Nina's jammies and doggie t-shirts which are the other things Mafi hasn't ripped apart!

Can you and Beth set up a dogbed and air mattress (or sofa) and sleep downstairs tonight? That might solve many of your concerns, and it will be easier getting her in and out to potty. I'd bet she's still recovering from the anesthetic (the "drunken sailor phase"), and also having pain from the incision. Do you have anything to give her for pain tonight? I would bet that as soon as you settle down next to her, she'll quiet down as well, and by the morning she should be much steadier on her feet. Get well soon, Beth!

Lots of positive, healing thoughts for Beth. Tomorrow at this time it will be over, and your sweetie will be home with you. Sweet dreams tomorrow, Beth!

A few thoughts from a human medicine perspective: 50mg is not a low dose of Lasix; the range is 1-4mg/kg. A 55-lb dog, roughly 20kg, may be given 20mg to start, possibly even 10 to be conservative. But veterinary medicine is now following the lead of human medicine, which has recognized that there are often better and safer treatments available for congestive heart failure than diuretics. ACE inhibitors, such as benazepril, enalapril, captopril,etc., are a common first-line drug for mild CHF. However, you mentioned that your vet did not hear fluid in your pup's lungs (or see evidence of fluid on x-ray), which would put CHF further down on my list as a cause for panting, or for her heart rate increasing when standing. Her HR increasing when standing could indicate a higher demand for oxygen -- i.e., her heart will pump faster to compensate for inadeqate oxygen being circulated to the tissues. But another possible cause of the HR increasing when standing could be dehydration, especially if she hadn't been drinking generously on a hot day. But these are just stabs in the dark -- I wasn't there, and she's not a human. And one of the articles also suggests that older dogs at increased risk of CHF, also tend to be at increased risk of developing tracheobronchial disease, which could also present as panting and abnormal breath sounds. A heart murmur doesn't necessarily = heart disease. An echocardiogram, xray, & blood pressure would be helpful in finding out of the murmur has any significance. If it's a benign murmur that reflects mild valvular disease in an older dog, this does not necessarily need any kind of treatment, especially if the dog has no symptoms of heart disease or CHF. If anyone wants to read some excellent veterinary literature on the subject, I'm happy to pass it along, but basically, it states that there are several diagnostic tests used to diagnose valvular disease, or cardiomyopathy, or other functional heart disease that could cause CHF. But there are also recent changes in guidelines for treatment, and for determining which dogs actually require treatment. For dogs who require treatment, the first two drugs of choice are ACE inhibitors, and beta-blockers, unless a dog is in pulmonary edema or advanced CHF, which often do require diuretics and dietary modifications. I always get too darn technical, so if you want more details or a translation, PM me.

Hi Kristin Here's a list of vet. compounding pharmacies. There's actually a compounding pharmacy very close tomy work, Wingate Pharmacy in Nashua NH. There are many online pet pharmacies who carry the suspension at discount prices, such as KV. Some of the Rx don't even need compounding. Good luck!

Bump with update on the Queen of Destruction.

Two thoughts: a bite-not collar, which for a flank or hip-area wound should work pretty well at keeping her mouth away from the sutures. Also, putting a pair of men's boxers on, with her tail going out through the fly. You can get boys' sizes, which might fit better. If the waist won't stay in place, you can tie it up with vetwrap. The bite-not (or one of the knock-offs), or even a homemade version using a towel and duct tape, may be the safest bet. Lots of good luck on Mercy's healing, and complete recovery!

Wow - your poor sweetie has faced some big challenges! But it was so fortunate that your vet could do his surgery today, so pain will be a thing of the past for Get Em. Lots of healing thoughts and skritches, and have a happy reunion with your pup tomorrow afternoon.

Sorry to take so long to thank you all for your help (modem is biting the dust)! Nancy sent me this excellent website explainingmore about manuka honey's properties. This is what I bought today. There's a compounding pharmacy near my office in Nashua (Wingate Pharmacy), and their wound specialist said that they were asked to carry it by a wound care/ostomy nurse; she's using it for particularly bad non-healing wounds. It's sterile, medicinal quality, and called "Medi-honey" or something to that effect. She got her first honey dressing with an occlusive bandage this evening. Of course that little needle nose tried to stick itself right into the wound to lick up the sweet stuff, so dressing the wound is going to be a speed process. I've gone through the yard and not found anything that should have caused that wound. I can only guess that it could have been a thorny vine, or a fall, or blunt trauma if she crashed into the deck or ramp while playing with Gigi. There was no blood to be found -- I think it's going to remain the great mystery. What seems to be working fairly well (and keeping her from getting to the wound) is keeping a dog t-shirt on her, which is long enough to reach her hips, and firm enough to help hold the dressing on. I spent an ungodly amount on non-adherent and regular 5 x 9 dressings, kling wrap, and believe it or not, an abdominal binder. I'll reserve the binder for when I'm home, and only if really needed, but it's 12" wide, so would likely hold a dressing in place, and keep her from getting anywhere near the wound. As of today, the wound is clean, granulating, and has contracted a bit from yesterday - all good. This is a bit graphic, but here are photos of the wound. I'll take daily photos so we can monitor the progress as well as the effects of the honey. 4my2greys, your thread was what made me think immediately of the honey. I remember your photos, and how pleased you were with Nadir's healing. Not for the faint of heart: And all dressed up with no place to go (but to bed) -- honey dressing and wraps underneath t-shirt

Beautiful, beautiful boy. I'm so terribly sorry. Godspeed, Sunscreen Man.

I've been doing daily honey dressings, but I have to tell you that it's been easier said than done! I've tried every type of dressing and covering possible. Short of using cohesive tape or tegaderm (which would be a bear to remove), I've found that any variation of vetwrap, kerlix, wrapping the vetwrap around her chest, ears, through her legs (kidding about the ears) is useless. Ducky, Irene... you don't want to see what Mafi has done with your jammies. But I'm going to show you anyway BTW - she removed the jammies herself. And shook until the vetwrap slid back, then yanked the dressing out. She's shredded every jammie, coat and t-shirt that I tried. And (don't laugh) I even tried an abdominal binder. Nope - lunch. I don't want to keep a Bite-not on her all day when I'm at work, so she's timed her destruction to my working hours. ------------------- ut the wound looked beautiful - clean, granulating in well, no drainage -- until this evening, when I noticed another section of the wound, which has not previously dehisced, I remember reading about several folks who have had great success using a particular type of honey to facilitate wound healing. Could someone share details of the type of honey, where it can be purchased, and how you actually use it on a wound? Mafi's large flank wound, which had been surgically repaired last week, has gradually dehisced over the past few days, and is now open, though it's started granulating in. My vet suggested just letting it granulate in by itself, and I agree. I'd like to try honey dressings and would like to hear how best to do this. Also, has anyone found a successful technique for dressing a wound on the trunk? Within minutes of applying a dressing with vetwrap, it's slid down to her tuck. Especially if I'm using the honey, I want to keep a dressing intact. I've been using a light coat over the wound, but she's already ripped two coats trying to get at the wound. Now, in addition to a dressing, vetwrap, and a light jammie, I've added another vetwrap just in back of the dressing. There's got to be a better way (especially with the current heatwave). Suggestions are gratefully welcome!

The 2 most beautiful letters/numbers in the world! Wonderful news!

Mafi told me (in her telepathic, galga way) that Niña"s jammies feel like big, loving hugs all over her body. She knows they came from her loving Auntie Ducky, and I believe we both feel sweet Niña's spirit right here with us. We'll have to pass on the homey (or was it horney) hat, as no hat has ever stayed on Mafi's head more than about 10 seconds. We love you, Angel Niña!

Mafi and Buddy thank you, and everyone, for their well wishes! I know she didn't injure herself on a tree -- there are no trees in the yard. I didn't see anything out there yesterday, but this weekend I'll do a careful walk-through. So far, so good as far as her wound. There's no drainage and it looks like the flap is still viable. She's being such a good girl, and seems to be a lot more comfortable. Little Buddy has a way to go. He really doesn't look at all sick, but his cough is pretty bad. He's always in my bed and under the covers. He like to come up close to my face and spew dog germs. I wonder if they make face masks in doggie size?!?

Mafi is doing much better tonight! After a comatose night and morning, Mafi was far more comfortable and lively when I got home tonight. My dogsitter was able to get Rimadyl into her, and I'm sure that made a big difference. Knock on wood -- her wound looks great. I was back at the vet tonight with iggy Buddy, and Fiona, my vet, told me that she was so pleased that she was able to give Mafi her very own initial "M" to adorn her side. Mafi this morning Close-up of her personalized suture job. Iggy Buddy was catching a couple of zzzz's. My poor little guy -- he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia tonight. You'd never know it by looking at him... until he started coughing. He's on a couple of antibiotics and hopefully will be improving by next week. Aw, you're a sweetheart! Mafi will be honored, and I know she'll feel the warmth and loving surrounding her. Thanks so much, Ducky!

I still don't know what happened. I walked the yard, stairs, ramp, etc. this evening and didn't see a thing. Of course, there are branches near the ground, but I didn't see anything else sharp or projecting. It definitely wasn't Dandi the Terrible, as he was up on the bed with me. It might have been Gigi -- Gigi never bites, but she can be a little rough when she plays, and caught a tooth on Mafi's side, but the wound is way bigger than I'd expect for a tooth wound. I've never seen any beasts in the yard (6' fence) except for field mice and gophers. No raccoons. This may just be a big mystery..

I'm so sorry you and Duke are having to go through this, Sigrun. Duke is so lucky to have you. He loves and trusts you, so he will guide you, and let you know what he needs you to do. Huge hugs to that sweetie -- and to you, too. Jordan