greyhead

We have issues, including LSS pain and an ongoing war with worms. But some days my 11-1/2 year old eats well and sometimes he mostly wants liquids and/or people food. We trust that he knows what he needs and isn't "just being picky." So he gets a bottle of Ensure per day, divided to give half at a time, and he gets 2-3 large Milk Bones if he wants, in addition to whatever kibble-with-chicken-broth and canned food (both kidney diet) we can get him to eat. High protein isn't great for older dogs, or people for that matter. Good carb calories need to be part of the mix. Ensure has some nice fat calories to go with everything else!

Hope you can see Duke more often now that they're letting you. He needs to know you're still in the picture so he has a reason to fight on. You are much loved, Duke, by your family and far and wide!

Thanks, Susan, but inflammation is a major cause of the nerve impingement involved in LSS, as Jey mentioned, so we are seeing a really good effect. Since our house has three main levels, it's full of stairs, and Shane is much happier when he can move between them. If this were more of a disk problem or some other spinal issue, it wouldn't be so helpful, as I understand it.

Thanks, Ellen! He'll get a smooch on the snout as soon as he comes back from the walk he's on with DH! The stumbling is all but gone -- very minimal -- and only happens now when he has been laying in one spot for too many hours. He does that when he's being re-treated for worms and it knocks him out!

I have some suggestions from a neurologist we saw the other day. I'll post them when I can figure out how to paste into GT replies (which I haven't been able to do for ages). But for now: B vitamins, with B1 being the most important for cognition, and Sam-e. Those are the OTC things you can do. It sounds like you should use a prescription med, though, which would be Anipryl, if she is getting lost and stuck in corners. We're not nearly there at our house. Can your vet handle this kind of thing? ETA: It's going to take too long to straighten out my computer problems! So... B1 is thiamine, or you can use a B-complex. Vet said "Usually one vitamin pill (anywhere from 100-250 mg/day) with food is a good starting dose. This supports brain function." Omega-3 fatty acids; DHA supports cognition more than EPA does. Also: "Keeping him/her active and engaged with toys and treats is also helpful to prolong normal brain function for as long as possible." Hope this helps. But really, I'd see the vet and get Anipryl as well as supplementing vitamins.. There are things like Xanax you can try for anxiety, as well. Anipryl is also called Selegiline, just fyi.

Forgive me, as I know this isn't the question, but a dog who statues and lies down on walks may be a dog with a medical problem. Our vet said when the dog repeatedly stops, we should stop (and turn for home). We subsequently found several medical problems, including two TBDs, the kinds of things that don't show up in routine blood work. In short, that kind of behavior by a dog on a walk is against type and should give rise to suspicions of physical difficulty.

Shane has been doing much better since the shot! The neurologist says we'll know when to give him another Depo Medrol by when Shane's condition declines again. I'm aware that it doesn't repair nerves per se, but targeted decrease of inflammation is a huge help. He gave us a bunch of options for things to add, stepwise, including Sam-e and omega-3's, prednisone (no thanks), NSAIDs (probably not), amantadine -- and much more! So far I'm adding the Sam-e, which is for his brain function and may help joints. The neuro isn't sure we don't have cognitive problems too. He thinks that when we had the terrible time on Trazodone, it was because it combined with the tramadol he'd already been taking, to produce serotonin syndrome!

Sorry it's not better news. But our thoughts and prayers are still with you, and we're still pulling for your sweet boy.

Also important, be sure you firmly body-block the door when you open it to leash her up to get out. Just make up your mind that she's not getting out of that car, no way no how, until the leash is attached to the collar and your hand.

Yes, and look at the blanket between his back legs! Duke, you got this.

Bless his heart and yours too. This must be so very hard on all of you. But it sounds like Duke is in a good facility and like they care a lot about all of you, so that's hopeful. And Duke is doing his best. Sending more good thoughts and prayers.

I'm very sorry about Pongo. Kept checking back to his thread and hoping it wasn't osteo. Godspeed Pongo.

That was a very long and special bond with your first and your heart dog who beat the odds to remain with you. I'm so very sorry he had to leave.

I'm sad for you, Erika, and for Supoda's family.

Thanks for the update. Sounds promising.

Hoping and praying with you! Hang in there, Duke. Lots of people are pulling for you.

Thanks, tbhounds, that's interesting and good to know. Of course, how much tramadol sensitive GH's can take is a whole 'nother question, huh? But we'll ask the neurologist about it later today!

Thanks so much, Ellen. This is very useful info for me and probably will be for others when they have to go looking for info on Depo Medrol and LSS!

My heart breaks with yours for the loss of your beautiful bad boy, Judy. He got to be loved and cursed for many good years! Godspeed Arrow. Hope there are some counters to surf at the Bridge, to keep it interesting for you!

Thanks, Kathy. I think I'd heard that about gabapentin, but I didn't have a clue about tramadol!

Good idea, Jey! Fortunately, Shane does okay on 50 mg. tramadol at once; don't know if he could tolerate more at once, though. He takes it 2-3 times a day, as he does the gabapentin. The vet that gave the DM shot said to go ahead and keep him on all that, for now anyway. I just wonder if the steroid shot works so well for some dogs that nothing else is needed or if it's common to continue other pain meds. I'll probably have to go ahead and comb through the archives to get a sense of that. The vets around here mostly haven't worked with a lot of greyhounds. Wow, Pam, that's great about Barkley! I had no idea DM was given for that too. And thanks for the info about how easy it was to tell when the DM was wearing off!

I probably didn't ask enough questions in my first post! A secondary question is: after getting the DM shot, did you keep your dog(s) on other meds, such as gabapentin and tramadol? Pam? Anybody else?

Thanks for sharing that. Hope it helps you too.

Thanks, Ducky, I'll look into it!

Tell ya what, I'm never giving him another downer except as a quarter of whatever the recommended starting dose is! For all I know, though, he can't take downers.