greyhead

:grouphug

Spencer has always loved tomato sauce but it has never loved him. But maybe it's just him?

Well, if things had gotten boring at the Bridge, they won't be anymore! You're all just amazing and I thank you for sharing Lizzie's story. I'm very sorry for your loss.

Very sorry to hear this. Hugs to you and scritches to Lucy.

Beautiful remembrance.

Wow, a beautiful tribute to a well-loved girl! Now that my waterworks have stopped, I'll join you in celebrating the fact that she had a grand life with you and you with her.

Most of the "behavioral issues" I've had with animals have turned out to be physiologically based. I like the ideas already put forth about padding and pain control. And I'd be firmly requesting (i.e., politely but firmly insisting) to be present when the bandage is changed, to observe for myself what those sores look like. That would give you a much better idea of how much they might be bothering him. Hugs to you and scritches to Buck.

Congratulations! And welcome home, Ranger.

I'm very sorry for your loss, Alisha. May warm memories gather up and repair your broken heart.

My sincere sympathy to you. You did the right thing.

You're on our minds and in our hearts. Hope you're okay.

:grouphug :grouphug

It is very sad to see this news and to know that you are suffering. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Just seeing this after coming home from a trip. Lots of good thoughts for Comet's speedy recovery!

I do remember you and am very sorry to hear of Penny's loss.

Thank you for sharing Maddux's wonderful nature in a great tribute. I'm sorry his time came now.

What a hard thing. I'm so very sorry.

Just getting back to GT, as I'm traveling. (Almost home.) And I'm really glad to see this good update on Conner! Thanks!

I'm so sorry Whizzer couldn't have stayed longer. Yours was a great tribute and had what must be the perfect picture to illustrate. Each of you was blessed by the other.

Diane, I'm so sorry for your pain. The thing is, you're the best! Everybody on this board knows it, and I'm sure Eliza knows it too. We are just humans, humans are flawed despite their best attempts to the contrary, so we will inevitably do some things that we'll regret. Thank you, hugely, for this very important warning about NSAIDs. But please forgive yourself for being human. (Unfortunately, we can't all be dogs!) You are entirely deserving of Eliza's (and our) love anyway. :grouphug

It is true that an inference of SIBO is made if cobalamin and/or folate are low. Further testing (a C&S on the poop) is needed to determine which germ(s) are involved in the infection. If the infection persists long enough, there is indeed damage to the intestines from the bacterial toxins, there is an inability to process cobalamin in the gut, and the end result may well be an IBD dog. And that's why I recommend prompt C&S testing at any good local lab, which is relatively inexpensive compared to ending up with a raging intestinal infection and an IBD dog. Not everyone can afford a biopsy, not every dog (due to age, amount of weight lost already, general health) is a good candidate for surgical biopsy (especially if the owner(s) can't be around to hover over them 24/7 after the surgery), and endoscopy can't necessarily reach the affected parts of the intestine for a greyhound. However, it's hard to get an internist to work with you on IBD without a biopsy. In our case an ultrasound persuaded our vet and the radiologist that the dog proabably had moderate-to-severe IBD, and after a bit of searching we did find an internist to work with us without a biopsy. All I can advise is that one wants to do everything possible to avoid getting to the point of needing one. The problem with throwing Flagyl at presumed SIBO is that even if the bacterium is susceptible to it, it may not be given long enough and at a high enough dose to cure it. That's what happened to us. When our dog's problem didn't clear up on first Tylosin and then Flagyl, the vet inferred that he didn't have an infection. I had to keep asking, three times, to get the C&S done. And if I hadn't, I don't think our dog would have survived, since he had two vastly overgrown strains of Clostridium perfringens, one of which produces gangrene, for crying out loud! I hate SIBO the way most of us on this board hate cancer. Fortunately, I guess most SIBO cases are more easily cleared than ours was. But I still think that timely response is the key. I'm going to shut up now and pack for my week-long trip starting tomorrow. Every good wish to you and your dog for a speedy recovery, luvdogs!

Oh jeez, I'm sorry! Hope the vet can get Conner straightened out rightaway quick!

I agree with Stripeyfan that a cobalamine/folate test will go a long way toward showing whether your dog has intestinal damage, and you'll need to know that, regardless of whether it has been caused by parasites or by germs. Also, make sure that your vet knows how bad the poop smells. Gee, now that I think about it, you've probably already been to the vet! (I've been gone all day until now.) Please let us know what happened at the vet's. All of us that are replying to you have experience with and care about greyhounds with GI issues.

It could be an intestinal infection. To find out, they'd have to run a culture-and-sensitivity test on the poop rather than just check it for parasites. Btw, is the poop an orange-ish or yellow color? Does it smell worse than poop usually smells? (Doing a C&S on our Spencer's poop saved his life. Turned out he had a Clostridium infection. We wasted a lot of time changing foods and trying things like beet pulp to firm the poop.) Giving Flagyl may help. But if it has gone on too long already, other antibiotics may be necessary. Only a C&S will tell you for sure. ETA: It's telling that this happened after a kennel stay. They can pick up Clostridium from dirt and from other dogs' or animals' poop, for instance.)