shel0306

My vet wrapped my Greys foot injury and told me to rewrap daily. The wrap they used appears to be sticky and stuck right to her fur in spots. She is not letting me mess with it a lot, I'm trying to cut a little bit at a time but I'm not getting so far. Is there something I can put on this sticky wrap to make it less sticky and easier to get off without pulling her hair out?

Well, the SDMA test came back today. 0-14 is Normal and Kasey was a 16. Vet said for a Greyhound up to 15 can be considered normal so she is in the very early stages of kidney disease. She said she probably has about 20 percent of lost function already but that isn't enough to affect her day to day life. We are going to do the dental Tuesday, hopefully she does wonderful. With 2 infected teeth I feel it is worth the risk and the Vet agreed that with a little extra vigilance on her blood pressure and fluids she should do fine. She's had several dentals with this Vet through the years and done fine, I'll just be a little extra nervous. One thing I didn't ask is if indeed it's Kidney Disease(I still want to hope that her creatine and SDMA scores are just her "Normal") will this get worse quickly or could it be a year or two before she starts having failure, anyone know? I'm in Moline, IL so Chicago is a 2 1/2 hrs away. I can think of a million shopping reasons to make the trip extra justified though

Thanks for the info, I feel better. I was afraid to do anything once I heard Kidney disease but now I feel better informed. Well, the dental would have been $600 and today alone for tests and antibiotics was $300 so when all is said and done I'll be in a grand:( Good thing my Kasey is so special Oh and you are correct they took the urine sample at the office and I know for a fact she peed here twice before her appt.

creatine reference was listed as 0.5-1.8 and hers was 2.3 and was 2.0 at her last dental. BUN was 17 and reference is listed as 7-27. Urine was 1.036 These numbers are a bit confusing to me, I have a whole page of numbers on her blood and urine, the Vet only went over a few of them, the ones that were concerning to her.

My 11 yr old Grey went in for her dental today and they called after the bloodwork to say they didn't think a dental was a good idea as her creatine was at 2.3. Her last creatine check was in 2011 and it was 2. She said the increase was enough that she felt another test was necessary before doing the dental. I was fine with that, I didn't want to risk kidney failure. My Vet said she could have kidney disease, we are awaiting test results(SDMA is what it is listed as on my bill but I can't remember the name of the test) which take 48 hrs to get back. She did test her urine and it was fine. This is all new to me but if I understood her correctly, this test we sent away will tell us if perhaps 2.3 is her "Normal" and then a dental would be ok to proceed with or if she is indeed now facing kidney disease. Her teeth have always been bad so a dental is needed yearly but I have been going every 2 yrs. Until the test results she is on Clavamox as the Vet did see a molar she thinks needs attention and may be hurting her a bit. So my question is: If indeed it is kidney disease what kind of food have you tried that your Grey will eat? My Kasey isn't a great eater so switching food will be hard for her and if it doesn't taste good I'm afraid she won't eat. My Vet already mentioned once we know using a special Science Diet. Never been a fan of Science Diet so looking for other alternatives. If the test comes back that 2.3 is nothing to worry about do I dare do the dental? I'm nervous now Anyone with experience and advice I would appreciate it, I have a whole list of her panel results but the creatine seemed to be the only red flag. I want to do what's best for my girl, she MUST live forever

There are some calming treats that are called Composure that are great for anxiety/nervousness. I buy them from Amazon but originally my vet introduced them to me. My dog does not have SA but occasionally has bouts of anxiety(if her routine changes, is kenneled for vacations, smoke alarm goes off etc) and these solved the problem. I put 2 in her bowl every morning and she hasn't had any bouts since. Might be worth a try!

Well.........of course I did that!

Kasey was a crate chewer and hates being crated. Made potty training fun Luckily she loves beds and has one in about every room. I ended up putting her in my mud room with her bed and a tile floor which is much easier to clean slobber from. She eventually was fine, just takes a long time and I hate that I can't help her get over it quicker. I will ask about this in March when she goes in for Heartworm test and annual exam. Good idea!

Kasey is not an anxious dog at all BUT we discovered a smoke alarm really upsets her one yr when ours did the occasional beep to let us know the batteries needed to be changed. Luckily we were home and my hubby was able to change it within 10 minutes. Because of her reaction we change all the smoke alarm batteries every 9 months whether they need it or not. She was panting, drooling and pacing for a good hour before she was able to settle down. It was a horrible experience and we knew we didn't want it to happen again. Well, tonight on the tv show Modern Family a smoke alarm went off and we were back in hell. She immediately started pacing and drooling. I took her outside and walked the neighborhood to redirect her attention, tried giving her a treat, tried interesting her in her toys, nothing worked. It took her a good hour to calm herself and feel normal again. Any tricks to get them to calm down when they get in this state? It breaks my heart that she has this reaction and I can't figure out how to help her. She is 9 and we have had her since age 2 and the smoke alarm thing(the real time it went off)only happened the one time but she has not forgotten Nothing else upsets her like this but I feel like I should have a strategy if it should ever happen again.

Kasey, my 9 yr old Grey, has never been a rooing Grey. She might join in if another Grey is rooing at a park but only for a few seconds. About a month ago we lost my Swissy to Cancer, it was Kasey's best bud and Kasey had never been an "Only dog". I was worried how the transition would go but surprisingly Kasey has done great. She seems happy, eats well, sleeps a lot(the norm with her), plays with her toys and loves her nightly walk and rides to the school. The only difference is she has begun to roo, I have only noticed her doing it when I get home. I pull in the garage and can hear her rooing inside. Once I am in all is well again. She doesn't seem stressed or anxious just roos. When I leave she just watches through the window or sleeps, again doesn't seem anxious. Today I was mowing our front lawn and she was in the backyard sunning herself on the deck. As I shut off the mower I could hear her rooing out back. I snuck in and checked out the window and she was just standing on the deck rooing away. It's not a problem, it's not bothering anyone I just want to make sure this doesn't mean she is lonely, sad etc? I really see no other signs so I am curious why she has started the rooing. Just want my girl happy! Anyone have any insight or experienced this?

What a smartie!

My Grey, Kasey, has a Swissy sister, Sierra. Sierra is 10 and has been diagnosed with Cancer of the spleen. She is home in a "Hospice"type care until she lets me know she is ready to go. Kasey loves her sister and will be absolutely lost without her. She, of course, was around tons of dogs racing and then came here 7 yrs ago and her sister was already here so she has never been alone. If I walk her alone she stops and doesn't want to move, she turns around looking for her sister who can no longer do walks. They have such love for each other and as much as I am grieving about Sierra's diagnosis I am equally worried about how this transition is going to go as being an only dog isn't going to be easy on Kasey. When it is time to let Sierra go do I sneak her out of the house or let her see us leave? Long ago I said to my hubby, when one of them has to go I hope it's Kasey cuz Sierra would be fine but Kasey needs her sister, uggh.......and here we are Anyone been through this? Any advice on helping Kasey through it? We won't be getting another dog but we do have a cat but there is no bonding there, Kasey is scared to death of the cat

I do the purple bag, for ages 7-10. I find Iams works a lot better than all the expensive brands I have tried as far as keeping Kasey regular. All the expensive stuff seemed to equal runny stools.

Do you get these at a meat market or grocery store? I don't know that I have seen them anywhere, do you ask for them at a meat market? I have seen beef bones at the grocery store and only occasionally do they have those.

Kasey had a back toe amputation at age 2, a track injury that was discovered right after I adopted her. She did great but it may be her young age that helped. She has never had any problems since and she is 9 now.

The Rachael Ray brand Soup Bones are great, sometimes I have a hard time finding them though, some stores just carry her dog food brand. You can send an email from the Rachael Ray site and ask for coupons and they will send you some and that brings the price down. I like Greenies too but only when they are on sale. Also CET brand dental chews are good too, most Vets carry them or you can buy online.

So sorry to hear this. Hot Rod was so lucky to have such a great family doting on him. I'm hugging my hound right now in memory of Hot Rod

It took a good 4 months before I could fully trust my Grey. I will tell you what worked for me and it was discovered purely accidental. My neighbor was watching Kasey and her dog rings a bell. What do you know when I returned 3 days later she told me how Kasey took to the bell after one day of watching her dog use it. I always had trouble figuring out when Kasey needed out but the bell was great! She now rings the bell whenever she needs out, it is her way of letting me know since a lot of Greys won't bark at the door or do any of the other things other breeds do. I bought some different sized bells at Ben Franklin crafts and bought some pretty ribbon and made my own bell system and hung it from my sliding glass door. Just an idea, it worked for me! P.S just hang the bell and give it a ring every time you let(or take) your Grey out and she will eventually get it. Mine just uses her nose to swing into the bells as you make sure they hang at a level they can easily get to.

I would do a trial run with the college student if your dog has never been to her place. Have her take the dog during the day for a few hrs at least twice before you leave so it isn't a complete surprise when she is with her a whole week. That way you know how your Grey will adjust and you can make sure it is a good match. Some Greys aren't into change so if it is someone she recognizes and has been to her place then things should go a lot smoother.

What about the stuff you add to the dog's water for breath? Have not tried it but I know my Vet sells some that is C.E.T brand and you just add it to the dogs drinking water.

I swipe Kasey's gums once a day with Biotene on a guaze pad, really helps. You can buy Biotene at Wal Mart in the people mouthwash section. Someone here on Greytalk recommended it to me after her Vet said it was fine for dogs. Might not work for everyone but I have been doing it for months on mine and it really helps.

Sounds like it could be a yeast infection, the shaking of the head and dark waxy stuff in the ear. That is exactly what my Grey had and she needed a prescription from the Vet to take care of it.

Kasey went to the emergency vet today, her skin was tearing away from the stitches and creating a good sized open wound, darn thin skin! Vet said some Greys heal easily and some become a real nightmare to heal. Of course we have nightmare on our hands! They had to debride the area and now we are hoping the skin will reattach and she will have good blood flow to the area otherwise they talked of worse case scenario having to do a skin graft. Here's hoping we don't have to go that route. She is now on 2 antibiotics, a pain med, an ointment for the open wound area and her favorite, the dreaded e collar! It actually is much better than the old plastic ones and seems to be tolerable, it matches her wrap so that is stylish They want to check the area every 4 days until the stitches come out in early March and see if the skin is attaching. Let's keep our fingers crossed for attachment. In the meantime can you say Cha- Ching???