GeorgeofNE

I had no idea Hilda. How sad. I would have done the same--just kept him comfy. My heart goes out to you--so many dogs you've lost since I got George. Susan and George

My understanding is that thyroid problems are WILDLY over diagnosed in Greyhounds by well meaning vets not that familiar with their idiosyncracies. We have a lot of hounds here in MA (two tracks), so most of them have at least some Greyhound patients, but in other parts of the country, I'm not so sure. I know my mixed breed had a thyroid problem--very obvious and very sudden--and once he got on the proper medication dose you never would have known he had a problem. His coat returned to its normal state--he never did have weight issues because the coat was so obvious I got him in right away. As I recall, there was very frequent testing at the beginning to get the right dose, then every six months thereafter.

I think Barbara (Riverbosun) hit the nail on the head--exactly what I'd do, except I'd give him some Kaopectate too. You do not need to feed a dog vitamins if you're feeding him quality food. He might need fish oil if he has a flaky coat; but if he doesn't, he doesn't need that either! If you can, invest in a dog walker until the diarrhea has passed. If you try to leave a dog with the runs alone all day while you're at work, you're BOTH going to be miserable at the end of the day. He can't help it! Also, you should have a "well dog" vet visit scheduled already. If you haven't done so, you should take him in, have his stool checked for parasites, and allow the vet to just meet him, etc. The vet can advise you on his current condition and anything he feels might be necessary! Good luck!

My last dog tore his ACL. He was not a grey, but he was in the same size/weight range. His surgery cost $2,500. He had a TPLO. (Tibeal plateau leveling ostemy? They cut the tibia bone, rotate the joint, and use metal plates to hold it at a new angle, eliminating the ACL completely.) I was told, by the board certified ortho vet, that "traditional" ACL surgery is seldom used on large dogs because it doesn't usually hold. He got a bone infection from the surgery, and that required a SECOND surgery to remove the metal plate and screws they put in, drain his joint of infection, etc. That surgery cost about $2,300. Then there was about $750 worth of antibiotics. And let's not forget he had to be confined to an x-pen for the better part of six month over the course of a 12 month period. It was a NIGHTMARE. In the end, he was OK, but I would get a second opinion using that technique (fishing line as you referred to it) on a large dog. Perhaps the thinking has changed in the time since Kramer's leg was operated on? I hope so. I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone, hound or human.

Wow. I pay more than that for a routine annual check up and vaccinations. George's dental, no extractions, was $430. I'm in the Boston area.

Good luck with Blaze. Hope you just go ahead and take him to the vet for a complete check up, and then you can get the right de-wormer, if one is needed.

Run free pretty Tasha. May we all hope to pass in the arms of a loved one.

What does migrating have to do with walking your dog?

What's the purported purpose of this sealant? The real issue with dog's teeth, as far as I know, is actually gum disease and preventing it. I'd question the value of sealing their teeth since that doesn't do anything about gingivitis.

Oh, Stepper. We'll miss you. What a beautiful remembrance. My heart goes out to you.

I assume the vet gave her a shot of steroids, which can take a bit to work, but once they do, are FABULOUS (I've had many steroid shots myself for various orthopedic issues). Sounds like she is well on her way to mending. One time my old dog sort of sprained his neck. It was very dramatic--I was sure he was a goner. It was amazing how quickly (and totally) he recovered once the vet gave us some anti-inflammatories. One word of caution: don't get cocky. Make her take it easy for a while. I'd try to keep her from jumping onto or off of anything (if she does that) to avoid the risk of reinjury. Best wishes!

I doubt it, but I assume Arty is on a leash (with his sporty tropical coat!) so I'd just pull him away, 'cause I don't want any pee kisses from my dog!! Silly Arty!!

VPI wouldn't cover George without extensive testing and retesting because although his blood values are normal FOR A GREYHOUND, they're outside of the "normal" range to VPI. ASPCA is what I went with. They're fine so far.

Could be a wart, a "pimple," a foreign body. What'd I'd personally do is warm compresses a few times a day and see if it comes to a head (like a pimple would) or starts to drain. I would get it checked, however, because there are also lots of WORSE things that could form on the face.

Hi! Believe me--the cost of cutting off a few inches of the tail will be insignificant if you do it during the spay. My last dog had a MAJOR case of it, and I dealt with a nightmare of blood spray for SIXTEEN WEEKS (he wasn't a Grey, he had a very vigorous, excessively long tail, and a very happy disposition!). Then he needed surgery for something else anyway, and amputating a couple of inches of tail when the dog is already out anyway only adds seriously like 10 minutes (vets do this a LOT I guess!) and the vet will most likely do what mine did which is to pull a little extra skin down and sort of give a double layer tip! I understand what you're asking, but as others have said--there's a big difference between a farmer with a newborn lamb OUTSIDE and you with a pet that's already going in for surgery! Seriously--the cost will be so minimal if it's combined--you'll be glad you did NOT try the self-help approach. PM me if you want some tips on keeping it wrapped. George also had happy tail, and I thought he was going to lose part of it, but by the time he went for his dental, my vet refused to amputate 'cause it was nearly healed! She was so impressed with my technique she asked me to show her (practice makes perfect!).

I don't believe there is any difference except possibly a slight increased sensitivity. When my vet put George on 'roids for his allergy, she gave him a smaller dose than she'd normally give a 65 pound dog, but did not warn me about anything in particular to watch for.

Sounds like your cats was attempting to huck up a hairball but had probably recently had a drink? Cats puke so often for so many reasons-- Unless it keeps up or she has any other symptoms like weight loss, diarrhea, I wouldn't worry about it. Susan, keeper of kittehs

First of all--my family has had English Setters for over 60 years! (Not the same ones!!!) That you have one that is 16 years old is AMAZING! Congratulations! Sounds like some kind of wart or something. My old dog, also not a hound, had a similar thing on him, and one day it was just gone. I considered myself lucky that I didn't have to pay to have it removed.

Can we look forward to some new mermen episodes????

George does that sometimes after meals. I'm sure you could talk your vet into charging you a lot of money on tests, but since she has no other apparently problem--do you really want to? I've always thought it was sort of like when you eat popcorn and you get a hull stuck on that thing that dangles in your throat...annoying little tickle, but I certainly wouldn't take myself to the doctor for that--and like your dog, George is clearly in the pink of health, so I don't worry about it! But hey, that's me!

Humidifier! Amber, I'm finding that the more George wears his jammies, the flakier his skin gets???? Maybe the friction? If I have them on him for a few days, he's like a polar bear underneath!!! Since it's not painful or harmful, I'm trying not to let it bother me...if you find a good topical remedy, please share, because even with Grizzly oil in his food, George is dry as a bone!

If he wasn't peeing in the house BEFORE he was neutered, I would try a different antibiotic. Clavamox did not kill whatever was making George pee--it slowed it down for a couple of weeks, but it took Baytril to do away with it. Dr. Amy Kuo at Dedham Veterinary is familar with George's case, as is Dr. Beverly Mason. Dr. Mason is the one who guessed the problem, having seen another grey with the obvious SIGNS of a UTI with no correlating bacteria in the urine.

Gorgeous, but I actually DO think he looks like a Hawk! Hey, if he walks really loud, how about Thunder? Or you could call him Odin, the Norse God of Thunder (that's what I named my boss's computer at work--he doesn't know what it means! )

My dog was at Raynham Park for three years, so I looked up your boy on the Greyhound facebook, and for some reason only 4 races are listed. I clicked on all of them to see if our boys ever shared the track. The answer was no, but one of the dog's names seemed oddly familiar to me, so I click on it, studied it, and then realized it was Donna of Montreal's beloved angel Ricochet! Her GT username is Chilidog, and the race is the first one listed for your guy. I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my darling Kramer not that long ago, and it really is hard to do the right thing and let them go, but I'm sure he knows how much you loved him! Susan

It contains lanolin, so it is a bit greasy, but as Amber said, if you rub it in well, it won't be an issue. Do it while she's sleeping anyway, and by the time she decides to get up, it will have soaked in. I use it on my own hands all the time, and if I avoid touching anything for a couple of minutes, it's gone!