Houndmommy03

My beloved boy, Silver, went to the Bridge on Tuesday. Dear Silver, I fear we sent you to the Bridge a day too late - I'm sorry. We needed to be sure that "this" was really it. We miss you sweet boy. You were with us longer than any of our other hounds. I'm sure Lucky and Holly were waiting for you at the Bridge - what a reunion that must have been! I'm really struggling with the sense of loss I feel and I think it is because you were the connection I had left with Lucky and Holly - the 3 of you are connected in my heart. You stole our heart at the kennel - why you were there for so long, I will never understand. You brought us great joy and we will forever miss your helicopter tail, that internal clock you had that let us know exactly when it was time to get up (no need for an alarm clock!) and time to eat, your excitement with every walk, watching you curl your huge body into a tiny, tiny green turtle pool at GIG, you and Holly racing through the house with the spit flying and the the two of you rooing every time you heard a siren, our walks to the bus stop in Fort Mill (I'm told Shady still looks out the window for you), watching your ears perk up when you spotted a kitty, even in your old age when we thought your eyesight was bad, when you escaped out the door and ran away (I was hysterical and so grateful for the people who brought you home), your insistence that your daddy get in the floor with you so you could get in his lap - you loved those nights we watched tv by the fire, and I never thought I'd say it, but i miss your whining that used to drive me nuts. So many memories. You were loved by many and will be missed. Run free sweet boy and enjoy chasing those squirrels and kitties. I'm so glad your body is now whole and strong again. I love you.

So sorry.

Very sorry for your loss.

So very sorry. He was loved by many.

Emu Oil - used it during my radiation and my skin didn't get weird. It says it is for scars as well.

Funny!

No advice. Just sending a big hug to you and Luna.

Joyce, why don't you want to give her Rimadyl? Just curious as I am considering keeping Silver on the Rimadyl.

3greytjoys - thanks for the info on LP. My vet told us some of what you posted but had no idea thenhind end weakness we are seeing could be related.

Silver started doing this in March. Vet suspected some vocal cord paralysis and so when he had his dental in May, he checked and confirmed the partial paralysis. BUT, I wonder if it was allergies causing the hacking and such because all of it started when we moved into apartment in March and when we moved out in June we noticed all that stopped and hasn't happened since. Now, the vet said sometimes a dental will help, if the dog has bad teeth like silver, because it cleans up a lot of the bacteria. So it is possible that the dental is the reason he stopped but I really think it was allergies - something in the apartment.

What supplements? Vet recommended glucosamine. Vet gave me Rimadyl to try and wow, we walked at our normal pace tonight. It was nice to see him more "perky".

Vet is recommending this. Seems expensive and I'd have to learn to give the shots (yikes!). I felt like he was trying to "sell me" on it. Edited to add: This is for arthritis.

I'm so sorry. Hugs.

So sorry for your loss. Hugs.

We've been using them and Silver really likes them. Before I found those, we were wrapping his pills in a tortilla with peanut butter.

Thanks for the input! it was a big help.

We have had a trip planned to look at colleges for several months. My son has appointments and interviews set up with these schools. Meanwhile my greyhound, who was in pretty good shape when all of this was planned, has developed some serious issues. I wouldn't choose to travel with him like this. Anyway, once we get to North Carolina I will feel better as the kennel where we got him is there, I know other greyhound owners and a greyhound savvy vet. BUT, it is getting from Texas to NC that has me concerned. Any advice? I have his records and plenty of his meds. He likes to travel and wants nothing more than to be with his family - we'll all be together so that should be comforting to him. Has anyone had to find a vet while on the road?

Update: Silver's pain seems better but his "lump" is the same and he doesn't seem steady on his feet all the time. Took him to another vet this morning and she aspirated the lump and sees no infection. She has sent slides to pathologist as she suspects it could be a soft tissue cancer, possibly a hemangiosarcoma based on the amount of blood she saw. So, the saga continues.

Diane - I pm'd you. JJNg - The vet didn't feel the "lump" was a mass but more of a swelling. I thought they had xray'd the swelling but looking at the report, I'm not sure she did. Although she did xray the spine and pelvis so I would have thought they would have gotten the swollen area. Will have to ask more about that. It is no better this morning. Tbhounds - I see that the radiologist recommended an abdominal US. Vet didn't mention this. When his pain meds wore off last night he started panting and pacing again so he's no better. At least the pain meds work. I'm thankful for that. I'll have to ask about the abdominal US and what it costs.

Yesterday morning Silver was in obvious pain - panting, pacing, wouldn't get into van ( he wanted to but couldn't seem to do it.). We alos discovered a fist size swollen area just forward of his hip and touching that side of his body would make him cry. Just moved to Houston and didn't have ver yet but found one on GP Houston site that was close by. They did xrays and bloodwork and $1000 later we still don't know what is wrong. Pelvis and spine look fine. Attending vet felt it looked like something is displacing small bowel and "decreased serosal detail in cranial abdomen". He is home on pain meds and seems comfortable and is eating. The swelling looks much larger this afternoon. Am hoping the pain issue is something similar that he went through last fall and got better with rest. Don't know what to think of swelling. Also vet nioticed rash on inside leg. I haven't looked at it yet as i'm scared i'd hurt him when i move his leg. Any ideas? Money is a real concern at this point (spent 1,000 yesterday and several more thousand over the past 6 months) so i can't just keep running tests hoping to find something. This is so frustrating! Wish I were rich.

Our two greys got along great but they did not ever share a bed - one of them had space issues when it came to sleeping. Also, we had to muzzle them in the car - my one grey would get very "growly" and snarky with the other. Not sure why. They got a long great other than car rides.

So my vet never gave the nail issue a name - this is the first I've heard of SLO. What does it stand for? ETA: We do not go to the vet each time (although I feel a bit guilty that we don't do to the fact that he doesn't get pain meds and an antibiotic if we don't see the vet). He is on thyroid meds and wed thought that would help and actually thought it did until the problem came back. Again, our vet just said "old age". We keep his nails short which helps a lot.

For the last couple of years we have had trouble with Silver losing his nails. For us, it seems to come and go. He will go through of period of regularly losing his nails and then it seems to get better for awhile only to start again. I have spent a small fortune on vet bills for this issue. We just went through our latest round this spring. My vet said that it just happens in some old dogs (Silver is 11 and this probably started when he was 9). He hasn't lost his all his nails as your dog has - he seems to lose several and then it seems to stop.

Thanks for advice on wrapping his dewclaws.

Great! Thank you. He weighs 76lbs so I will give him two.