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Brooker914

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Posts posted by Brooker914

  1. It's a scrotal hematoma-not unusual in a large/giant breed dog. Sometimes it happens if the dog is being too active after surgery, sometimes they just have small bleeders in the subcutaneous/skin layers. Many times this will improve with time, rest, and ice packs, though occasionally it will require further surgery (scrotal ablation) to repair it. I would call the vet he stayed with for a few days to get further instructions and see if he wants to recheck everything to see what the next step needs to be. Good luck!

  2. There is a condition in dogs called psychogenic polydipsia where the need to drink is "in the dogs head", so it is possible. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, so the long list of medical problems that can cause excessive drinking/urinating would need to be ruled out first. Has the dog always done this, or is it a new thing? You do want to be careful about limiting water in a dog that potentially has a medical problem that needs the excessive water--I wouldn't recommend restricting it until at least some initial tests were run.

  3. If the culture comes back negative, then your next step will likely be testing for Cushings with one or more of the tests that Jillysfullhouse listed. Diabetes insipid us can be hard, sometimes it's diagnosed by response to treatment, and that's usually why other diseases are tested for an ruled out first. Good luck with everything, let us know what the results are.

  4. Some clinics have a protocol that all "inpatient" animals be vaccinated with certain vaccines such as Rabies, Distemper Combo, and Bordetella unless contraindicated due to disease/sickness. However, if it is their protocol, you should have been informed prior to the procedure or at least at drop-off today. When was your dog last vaccinated with the Distemper Combo-no sooner than 3 years is now the recommended time frame.

  5. I would not recommend this. Cotton is something common that CAUSES obstruction. While some dogs may pass cotton balls, feeding several of these would be very dangerous in my opinion. In the event your dog swallows something sharp, I would contact your vet for advice. Bread is something recommended by the ASPCA poison control, while cotton balls are not. Just my two cents, for what it's worth.

  6. If there was no bacteria cultured last time, then it was not a UTI. I would repeat a urinalysis (cystocentesis) with a culture and sensitivity since he's having accidents again. If no bacteria is grown again, then antibiotics are NOT warranted and I would recommend seeing an internist. Bloodwork you posted looks pretty normal for a greyhound. Was anything else on the urinalysis last time found? (pH normal, no protein, no or little bilirubin, etc?

     

    Edited to add-was the ultrasound done by a boarded radiologist, or a general practitioner? Not that a GP can't do a great job with them, but maybe the images should be reviewed by a specialist?

  7. Ivermectin won't kill the adult worms, only Immiticide will. Ivermectin can be given to heartworm positive dogs to kill the microfilaria (immature stages) in the meantime, but then you'd have to wait for the adults to die, which can take between 2-7 years. In that time frame the dog can die from the heartworms. During the shortage right now, the Heartworm Association recommends treating with Heartgard and Doxycycline, then as soon as we can get Immiticide to kill the adults and cure the dog.

  8. In response to a previous post- Unfortunately there is actually a shortage of Immiticide, the drug used to treat heartworms. It is completely unavailable right now, but the news it that it should be available in short supply at the end of October. There's currently a waiting list through Merial to order the product for currently infected dogs.

  9. In the last year I have had a client that did everything right, and purchased the product from the clinic I work at. Her dog came up positive on this year's test. The company paid for everything. (We have the accounting records to prove it!)T here are situations that come up where the company can "get out" of paying for treatment, and I am not an endorser of any company in particular (I agree that some of these situations the company still should have paid.) I think everyone can buy their preventative wherever they want, I'd much rather all dogs be on preventative purchased anywhere vs. not being on any because it was too expensive for the client to buy. I just think all dog owners should be as informed as possible and make their decision from there.

  10. I took the main point of this to be the fact that the expense for the treatment is coming from the owner's pocket, whereas if she had bought the preventative from a veterinarian, the company would be paying for it. Heartworm treatment usually costs over $1000. If you buy Heartgard (for example) from your veterinarian, and can show you purchased year round monthly preventative, Merial pays for the entire treatment. If you bought Heartgard from an online store such as Petmeds, even if you can show you purchased year round monthly preventative, Merial will not pay for treatment. It doesn't matter if the product was the exact same thing, it has to be bought from a veterinary clinic.

     

    Edited to add: You do also have to have heartworm tests done at your vet yearly in order for the company to pay.

  11. Human cuff is much too large, and false readings will occur if the cuff is either too large or too small. Best places to take a dog's blood pressure is the base of the tail, the front leg above the metacarpal pad, or hind leg below the hock (ankle). Their blood pressure should be close to ours 120/80. Here's a great article on how important it is to take blood pressure at home vs. in a vet clinic in Greyhounds:

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906144606.htm

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