greyhead

Thank you for letting us know and for sharing those wonderful pictures. I'm very sorry for your loss. And you've been through this twice in one year's time. Run free Black Stop!

We're using methocarbamol (along with Tramadol) for a back problem and are finding it much more effective than Tramadol alone or than Rimadyl ever was. We've used it on two occasions, it keeps the muscles relaxed, and helps the dog tolerate inactivity, but he won't fall down or anything. Good luck!

I'm very sorry to hear this, Heather. Lots of good thoughts and which are prayers for you and Haley and the rest of your family, as always, but especially now. Savor what remains. Kisses and scritches for Haley. A big hug for you.

Adding my best wishes for you and Conner. (I've never heard of progut oral paste; what is it?) And IBD Spencer says, "Roo!"

What a lovely, soft face! I'm so sorry for your loss.

I don't know much about LP really. But between the panting and silent barks, I'd be concerned. I confess I've not had good experience with trying to be unconcerned.

I couldn't be happier to hear this! Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yay! Too bad about that home-cooked food, Kelly!

"Squiffy"?! What a greyt word! DH went to school across the pond, and his word for this is "mumphy."

Yes, I can see the difference. Bon appetit, Hermes!

Went and found Hermes' picture from your intro thread, and he's a handsome, well-built dog there. I'd never call him fat! Good luck with the fattening, and I'm sure Hermes will enjoy being a pig for a while!

Lots of hounds have their UTI's reappear after everyone thought they were cured. How often do you have fosters and how long do they usually stay with you? It doesn't sound like your guy feels real secure. Maybe he needs some meds of some kind to help him relax. And perhaps if your other dog all your fosters are spooks too, he doesn't have any greyhound to model for him how to be a relaxed greyhound? But it also seems likely that he's afraid of being shipped out like the fosters. And now he has to worry about being bitten too. I'm so sorry for all you've both been through. It sounds exhausting. Hope you find something to help.

Hugs from here too!

We use human incontinence pads in our belly bands, "ultra" type for overnight or other long periods. A belly band by itself doesn't absorb much.

I don't know what you *should* do. All I can offer is that if it were me, I'd feed him tonight if and when he wants to eat. But I'd start him with half as much food as usual and give more later if he asked. I'd be tempted to fast him in the morning. (Our Shane had blowout-D in his run at the vet's last week and rubbed off a bunch of the skin on his nose while trying to use the blankets to cover it up. Messing up in these ways really upsets these guys.)

Happy Belated Birthday to the beautiful girls, and hugs to their devoted mom! (Btw, I love your name, Mary Pat!)

Well, I could be wrong, but I think 2-1/2 months is more than long enough to be house-trained. Our "slow" dog took two weeks, for instance, IIRC. Our "fast" dog was our first, and he never had an accident. Neither of them were fostered. And we hadn't had a dog in 30 years when we got our first, so it's not like we were top-drawer dog trainers. Have you consulted with anyone in your adoption group about it? I'd be interested to know if they'd consider 10 weeks to be within normal limits. I wonder if having accidents is related to whatever is causing the weight loss. Btw, I totally feel like Debbie Downer for pointing this out, but... A lot of us don't realize that a negative fecal exam does not mean that the dog doesn't have worms. (We found this out the hard way, involving hookworms.) A fecal looks for eggs in the poop, and all a negative fecal means is that there aren't any eggs, which may just mean that the worms aren't in the egg-shedding part of their cycle just then. This is just something I feel that all of us dog parents should know. For some reason, the vets don't seem to make a point of it. What we can do is request that fecals be repeated at shorter intervals if we're suspicious. On a brighter note, it's all going to work out fine, cuz Hermes has you asking questions and looking out for him! And I'm sure GT is going to be as solid a resource for you as it has been for our family.

Forgot to add that it's best to start slow with the Ensure because at least some of us have found that it tends to make the poop a bit too loose. I have an IBD dog and started with 1/3 of a bottle at a time, because IBD dogs are especially sensitive that way. A half bottle might be a good start for Hermes, for the first couple days.

Okay, those walks aren't excessive. But until this is resolved, I'd stay closer to one mile than to two. You know, it occurs to me that tapeworm causes weight loss, and tape worm isn't usually diagnosed through fecal exams. (Long story, which I'll skip.) It's most reliably found in/on the poop, as white wiggly segments when fresh or as "grains of rice" thingys when 1/2 hour old. It would be worth it to observe his pooping first-hand for a while. I'm not sure how often they shed segments; but I know it's a lot more frequently than they shed eggs (twice a year). As to complete blood chemistry, it's not usually done unless a problem is suspected. I think your vet is mistaken to say he's losing muscles he doesn't need anymore; but his thinking so explains why he isn't suspecting a problem. I can't suggest exactly which values need to be looked at. Rather, I think they all need to be examined to see what value(s) is out of whack and see if there's a pattern suggestive of a disorder. It could be diabetes, which isn't limited to the aged and overweight but can also be genetically based. It could be hyperthyroidism or another metabolic disorder. It could be other things I'm not even aware of, especially since I don't know that much!! It's interesting that he doesn't seem to have any other symptoms. Okay, wait, what are the housebreaking concerns? That could suggest kidney trouble, a UTI, diabetes, or something else. If you are allowed to edit your original post, I kind of wish you'd rename this thread. Something like "unexplained weight loss" or something that will seem less casual, for lack of a better word, than your current title. Then perhaps people that know a lot more than I do will read this thread and chime in with their information and advice. (I think you just need to have more than 25 posts or something, to have the privilege of revising your title by editing. I hope it's not that you have to be a GT supporter.) Really, most people who title a thread that way are just looking for high-calorie recipes and don't need the kind of input that you're actually seeking. In the time I've taken to write this, maybe someone who knows something will have already replied to you! In any event, please keep us posted on how things develop, okay?

I think you're right to be concerned about that much weight loss, given the circumstances. It is unusual. Has Hermes had a blood chemistry panel done? It might be worth a look. I'm guessing that his bloodwork was a limited pre-op variety to assess suitability for anesthesia, that it showed elevated creatinine (and BUN?), and that this was attributed to muscle loss. Fair enough, except there's no obvious reason why he should be losing muscle. How many miles a day is he covering with his walks?

Yes!!

I'm so sorry Danny couldn't stay longer. Is sounds like your time together, though, was splendid.

Everything about Chancy Dancer seems charming, from his name to his manners. Thank you for sharing his memory. I know that you were both well-loved.

B-12 anemia can result from any number of things, not just SIBO. Intestinal malabsorption can also result, for example, from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and *lots* of other things. And there may be no GI manifestation at all.

I've been saddened into silence too, until now. (Thanks to RobinM for making that easier for me to say. ) Wishing you frequent duck visits and more sweet dreams of Larry.