greyhead

Eeesh! yikes is right!

Holy cow, Elizabeth. Guess I'll have to look into that further! And yes, hearing people's experiences with the shots and everything else is really valuable! I just feel bad because I'm clearly bringing up what is for some a sore subject or a painful reminder. But I do firmly believe that suffering shared is suffering at least partially redeemed if it helps others.

Oh, I know a bit about your background and have a lot of respect for it! So could I impose a little further and ask you to elaborate on these shots, what's bad about them, and why you hated giving them? Right now it's a little abstract to me. I've heard they can be "bad," but I don't know why.

Hm, I don't think so. But I know my vet loves looking at slides under the microscope, so I'll ask her about doing that. Sounds like both the PCR testing and the shots are affordable, so money won't be an issue. Thank doG!

Thanks, everybody. I just picked up some articles the vet left for me, along with the hard copy of his blood work. For those who are interested, he is not anemic (Hbg 18.9 - range 12-18.0; Hct 54.5 - range 37-55); and platelets 232 - range 200-500. His creatinine is at 2.1 (range .6-1.6), which is where it usually hangs out. However, the vet included a VIN post from an internist at NCSU which says that it's "quite common for chronically infected dogs" to be not anemic or have thrombocytopenia or hyperglobulinemia. So basically the body adapts in those cases. That same internist said that because of the possibilities of false negatives in PCR, the only meaningful result is a positive one. Which is what I've observed about fecal testing. In my gut I feel that this is the reason for Shane's symptoms. But I'm considering doing the PCR first. Just have to weigh the cost and logistics of that against how hard imicarb might be on him. It seems that the answer to every question one could have in this area is "maybe, maybe not." But I'm still interested in all experiences/opinions that anyone wants to toss at me. Even though I have a feeling about it, I'm still going to use my brain (and yours)to sort out what can be sorted.

Okay, now to research cost of PCR. Thanks very much for all this info.

Glad they're testing the poo, and I hope they're looking for "bugs" and not just worms. Our Spencer had orange poo and diarrhea at night, and it turned out to be a SIBO infection (with Clostridium perfringens, which vets normally expect mainly in german shepherds) and subsequently Inflammatory Bowel Disease. We wasted several months doing food changes, sweet potato, etc. We did get improvement from raw food, very low fat, and no carbs. He appears to be unable to tolerate chicken and beef, so he eats venison -- of which he now gets both commercial kibble and canned, and also raw venison. Best of luck. I know what it's like to have to get up four times a night to let them out! And by the way, welcome to GT.

Yeah, we've always assumed it's his paws. But he gets Vetprofen, MSM, hyaluronic acid, milk thistle, Omega 3 fish oil, and thyrosin (not relevant I know), as well as acupuncture and chiropractic treatments monthly. We already tried glucosamine/chondroitin and it didn't help. His symptoms vary, no matter what we do, but he is rarely lively on walks. Though he runs around the yard just fine -- briefly. Thanks for the info. Very helpful. Thanks, Batmom and Energy 11. I don't yet know how to do a multiple-quote post. Here's one place I get confused. What does it mean to say this disease is "active"? If the PCR shows it's not active, in other words, does that mean it's not there? That it will never again raise its ugly head? That he used to have it maybe but he doesn't anymore? I guess this is the question that gets to the heart of what will be the basis for my decision. Thanks for focusing me! Haven't been to the vet's for a hard copy of his blood work this time around (last week). I did ask today specifically whether his platelets were at all low, and they said no. I'm confident enough in my vet that if she said his values were "beautiful" in every respect, they probably are. But when i get the values, I'll let you know.

I don't know whether to have this treated, retest using PCR, or what! Shane has a low-positive 1:80 babesia canis titre. Vet says "best" treatment is imicarb. I do know from other posters that that is hard on the dog, and vet says so too. She mentioned drooling and...unsteadiness? Forgive me, I'm a little rattled. (This news arrived in the middle of another mini-crisis already!) His blood work is "beautiful." But she says this isn't unheard of where the infection has been long-term. I think it has been because Shane has had these other symptoms for the whole 3-1/2 years we've had him: heat intolerant, intermittent limping, slowness on walks, inability to walk some days for more than a couple blocks. These symptoms vary, sometimes better, sometimes worse. But I've always felt that he was living a sub-optimal life for what otherwise looks like a healthy greyhound. (He does have some bone deformities in his paws, but it didn't stop him from racing 60 times.) So I'm about to jump into research myself. But please share your wisdom about what to do. I guess I'm inclined to treat it, mainly to raise the level of his "suboptimal life," and also in case he ever requires prednisone or something in the future. So how bad is this imicarb stuff? Has anybody had a dog like this with a chronic TBD; how did they act? Oh, and have you heard of pretreating with...I think she said atropine, but that doesn't sound right. Whatever it is, is starts with an "a" and is supposed to mitigate the side effects of the imicarb. And yesterday my worst problem was that the picture in my siggy disappeared. Thanks in advance.

Has Beau's B-12 level been checked recently? Usually cobalamine and folate are checked in conjunction with testing for EPI, but they are not the same phenomenon. Spencer did not have EPI, but he did have low cobalamine and requires B-12 injections for life. This "intestinal malabsorption" was the first finding made about Spencer's intestinal troubles, way before the SIBO or the IBD were tested for. It means that B-vitamins can no longer be processed by the intestines, so they can't be derived from the diet or oral supplement. Thus, the injection. I just wonder if this is a factor with Beau and has taken a while to drag him down. Just a thought. (It would be so great if it were that simple and cheap!) Hugs and scritches for you and Beau.

Our vet called this old dog eyes "retinal degeneration" in Spencer, who's in the same age range as Phene. He doesn't do as well in low-light situations, including late walks. Things also look blurrier, not as sharp as before. I gather there might be an operation but the vet said it would cost thousands. We, too, keep lights on in critical places. He pretty much does fine this way, taking the stairs slower and being more tentative on darker walks. Fortunately, younger Shane is more than happy to step up, pretend to be the alpha, and go first when needed!

Our Shane had what this sounds like, a dropped gracilis muscle. Our vet, who was very experienced and highly regarded, had never seen it either. But this is WA, after all -- no racing anywhere near. So he called a colleague in Florida, who told him what it was and that no treatment was required. It seems to have happened before he came, but it takes a long time for the muscle to drop all the way. That's why it looks bigger now than before. Do what you have to do, but I hate to see you going to all this trouble and expense because your vet is unfamiliar with this. Any chance you could urge him to get a consult with a vet who knows about dropped gracilis muscles in greyhounds?

I hope Dr. Couto responds really quick and that it's good news! I'd be scared too.

Spencer started 2mg budesonide in May of '09 (along with metronidazole and tylosin). Last month we reduced the budesonide to 1.5 mg/day and cut his metronidazole in half (now 500 mg/day). He's doing fine. The only side effect we have had is some fur loss, mostly on his legs. I initiated the med reductions myself; vet examined him 10 days later and concurred. Her suggested is to next eliminate the tylosin. I'd really like to stop the metronidazole at some point, but the vet's experience is that IBD dogs who needed it in the first place need to stay on it just about forever. (I'd like to hear what others have to say about that. His acupuncture vet hates the stuff!) Hope this is of some help, Robin. Sorry Beau is feeling so flat. For what it's worth, when my vet (who has an IBD dog herself, different breed) researched meds for Spencer, she found that "almost everybody ends up on budesonide anyway, so let's just start there." Of course, he had already had a bad reaction to pred and lost a bunch of weight on it; but that's probably mostly because he had undiagnosed SIBO at the time, so any immunosuppressant was a bad idea until that was cleared up.) Let us know what you decide, okay? Meanwhile...

Hugs and good thoughts for you and Curfew!

She sounds like an amazing girl. I'm so sorry for your loss.

It generally indicates neurological difficulty, which can result from lots of things, even renal failure. One wonders how well that ear infection has been contained... In any case, it shouldn't be ignored. I vote for a vet consult.

I had this thought too.

So glad Curfew is doing better! Hugs to you both.

Oh no! So sorry!

We're very, very sorry.

Thinking of you...

Very sorry indeed for the loss of your gorgeous girl.

Yes, hoping to hear something! Lots of good wishes from here for all involved!