MaryJane

Not enough valium. Lucy weighs about 70 pounds and she gets 16 ml of valium after a seizure. Also, it needs to be stored in a brown glass bottle (vial) and drawn up when needed - if stored in syringe, the plastic will degrade the valium rendering it even more useless than the dose. Go to a neurologist and get the correct dose of valium and all the equipment that you need to administer. edited to add - many vets will not prescribe liquid valium as it is a narcotic.

I also have to chime in here - your explanation on how unstable dog parks are is the best I have ever read. Comparing it to the "Hunger Games" is awesome! edited to add -- I think that this should be "pinned someplace" for people new to greyhounds.

Yes, she could get a UTI. The antibiotic may be one that the bacteria is not sensitive to and as a result, have no effect.

Change the chicken to hamburger (not fatty, at least 87%) and see if that helps any. Some dogs are allergic to chicken. You might also want to give another smaller treat during the day - I give mine slice of toast with butter or you could do peanut butter.

You might need to stop the Deramaxx as one of the side effects is liver damage -- google Deramaxx side effects. You might also want to try Dr Dodd's liver cleansing diet (Google search Dr Dodds liver diet). Many people with seizure dogs use the diet to help counterbalance the effects of the seizure meds on the liver.

The urine should be a "first-morning" specimen as this provides the best basis for the urine specific gravity test.

There could be a very slight (very slight) chance that there is a acute kidney infection and it is compromising the functioning of the kidneys and as a result - the lab values are elevated. But, again .. not likely.

When you go to the vet bring in a first morning urine specimen so they can run some further tests.

You mentioned that she snaps when you are on the couch with her ... can you list ALL the other times that it happened and what you were doing with her. As you already did, do not let her up on the couch. She may just not want anyone in her space but, you need to identify all the other times that it happened. You may also want to hold off on tapping her nose until you understand why she s growling and snapping. The growling is a warning and the snap is sometimes a result of not listening to the warning and continuing what you were doing. But, maybe not ...

I'm so sorry for this sudden loss of your boy. My thoughts are with both of you.

I'm sorry for what happened - it is quite a bit to take in and handle. As someone already suggested, if you are in the US contact the Lexus people and they should be able to direct what you need to do so they do not take the dog. If you have not already, take pictures of as many of the cuts/scrapes as possible just in case this goes in a direction that is not where you would like. Also, sit down and write out all the details now while they are fresh in your mind. If the owners did not provide rabies information, then you need to get a booster as the cat could have been sick. Make sure that the vet documents all the injuries. Again, sorry that this happened. I hope it turns out OK. edited to add -- this happened to 2 of my dogs are few years ago. There was a cat hiding under a porch at my parent's house and my Lucy went after the cat and the cat jumped on Larry's face and was clawing away. The cat got away but poor Larry was in pain from all the cuts.

Did you give the recommended amount of water for the 1/2 teaspoon?

Ask if they can use vinegar - that's what I use in my house because my Lucy is a seizure dog. Only problem - your house will smell like salad dressing.

Just a thought -- do you live near the ocean? If yes, can you take him for walks through the salt water. Salt water might help to ease any inflammation and heal any sores.

So happy that it's getting better. Both Bernie and you went through so much to get to this point.

The Nutramax brand of Denamarin? I'm not sure if that is what you are looking for ...

Just wanted to update how the Adaptil collar worked -- did not see any appreciable difference while we were using the collar. Although, a few months later it does seem that maybe he is emptying his bladder better but, hard to say whether this is from the collar -- maybe it has a delayed effect.

Some of this may be nerves but, having said that ... take her to the vet. My dogs get cooked oatmeal (5 minute type) every day to help firm up their poops but for explosive diarrhea, you are probably going to need meds to calm her system down. Sorry you are going through this .. hang in there.

Thank you for sharing - I think the information will be invaluable for other people facing the same problem.

You might also want to try chiropractic treatment. Larry who is almost 14 (and he is a big greyhound) has been getting it for about 3 years now. I was very hesitant at first and I always tell the chiropractor to be very gentle with Larry. You can tell that Larry is doing better the day after a treatment and it lasts between 3 to 4 weeks. Larry also had the cold laser treatment and he was one of the few that it made his condition worse - we used it for about 3 to 4 months last year. Our chiropractor comes to the house which makes a bid difference - so Larry does not get anxious. If you do decide to try a treatment - make sure that person is a certified ANIMAL chiropractor. and not just a chiropractor.

Never. Greyhounds are taught to run and ignore everything else going on (like people calling their names).

Does he have a bed in your room? If not, put a bed there. At 2am when he whines tell him to go back to sleep. At 4am when he whines, get up and let him out but only for the next 2 or 3 days. After that when he whines at 4 am tell him to go back to sleep. You also need to exercise him more during the day so he is more tired at night - try a longer walk.

My dogs are on maintenance meds and both vets asked whether I wanted a prescription. If your vet has not offered, then ask for the prescription. Most of us want to support out local vets but, the prices can be daunting ... Larry is on a pill that costs $10 for one from the vet but, I can get it from Foster & Smith for about $2 a pill. One of Lucy's seizure meds would have been about $300 a month from the vet, I got it from Costco for a bit over $100 - and that neurologist told me honestly which pills I should get from their place and which ones on line -- surprisingly, their hospital has one of the best prices for Zonisamide because they order so much and get a deal from the vendor. Edited to add --- forgot to mention that you should check online (places like Foster & Smith) and see whether you can get it cheaper and by how much.

Thanks for providing this information - much appreciated. I've been finding that drug shortages followed by price increases is also happening with other drugs too. Just happened with my dog's thyroid meds.

I've used a drug called Metacam - don't know if it is safer or less powerful since it was used before an amputation. Not many vets seem to be aware of it. I've also used Traumeel with limited success. Another one is Arnica which Larry's chiropractor suggested. I have not used it yet as I'm trying to figure out the dosage. I got it at Whole Foods.