MaryJane

Did you ask the vet about these latest symptoms when you were there today? If not, I would call and ask him/her. It could be many things ... a reaction to the meds, an infection starting, an inner ear problem, maybe he has a neck injury when the other dog got him. Regardless, I'd get him back to the vet. See if you can take a video when he looks off-balance or his head is tilting. edited to add -- he may need x-rays of his neck and back but, the vet should be able to examine him and determine what should be done. Are you going to a vet that was recommended by the adoption agency? If not, is he knowledgeable about greys?

A dog looks to you to keep them safe. Other novice owners may see this and attempt what you are doing, please take this responsibility seriously. When you have a minute, read the Amber Alert pages ... karma .....

This is horrible ... I'm so sorry. You may want to call Angel in Boston and get an emergency appointment with one of their orthopedic vets there. Hopefully everything will be OK except the healing will take longer. If you paid by credit card or check, see if you can stop payment.

Never assume that protein in the urine is normal. Sometimes you can have a condition that causes the protein overflow (like infection) and the protein leaking will only be for a short duration. In this case, vets may not worry because they are assuming that once the infection clears the protein will also clear. If it doesn't clear it is a problem .... the kidneys act like a filter and they are supposed to keep the protein and eliminate the bad stuff. if protein is getting out, the filter mechanism is not working properly and the filtering mechanism could even be more damaged as time goes on if this is not addressed. If there is still protein in the urine after clearing up an infection (for example), the amount of protein in the diet needs to be decreased so you don't have the "leakage". In effect, you are giving only the amount of protein that the kidneys can handle. Sometimes, you can't get to the point where there is no overflow of protein and "other means" to help the kidneys might be necessary. Of course, all this also depends on the blood levels of the BUN and creat and the value of the specific gravity of the urine.

There is a very slight possibility that a dog can go into "clusters" which is more than 1 seizure over a period of 24 hours and sometimes you can have then right after another and that can be life threatening. That is not the usual case, most dogs with seizures can live a relatively trouble-free life unless the seizures are caused by a brain tumor or something similar that is likely to grow worse over time. My Lucy is a pretty happy dog but she does have some space issues which might be related to "knowing she is a little different" and wanting to make sure the other dogs give her room. It seems that most neurologists do not start to treat until you are having seizures once a month. And, you do want to go to a neurologist rather than having your regular vet do the treatments. Some dogs will have one seizure and never have another. If there is another seizure, make an appointment to the neurologist (can take up to 2 months to get in to see one). The neurologist should also give you information on how to treat this at home so that you hardly ever end up in the ER - for example, they can give you rectal valium that you would use if a seizure last more than 5 or so minutes (they'll give you specifics). The only problem will seeing a neurologist is some will insist on having an MRI and spinal tap to rule out other issues but, there are others that don't find that necessary to start treatment - find one that fits your budget and needs. My Lucy was started on medicine when she was having a seizure about every 5 weeks but, the times were really decreasing between the seizures so it was a question of when we would start the medicine and not "if". With Lucy's seizures which are GMs, they typically last less than 1 minute and I can hold her (I wrap her in a blanket) and that seems to lessen how severe and how long the seizure is BUT, I would not recommend that you do it - they can get pretty violent during the seizure and getting bitten or severely scratched is not uncommon. I give Lucy about 2 tablespoons of vanilla ice cream afterwards and that also seems to lesson the "after phase". During the seizure the glucose is used up quickly in the brain and the body will produce more but, there could be an imbalance for a short time so ... the ice cream helps - you don't want to give too much or too little. Dogs also get very hot during a seizure and sometimes you might need to cool them down. Some people say that during the seizure the dogs don't know what is going on - that may be true but, the dogs know that something has happened and is not quite right with them. Once Lucy came flying out of a room that she was in to get to me because she was starting to have her seizure. Lucy is on Zonisamide and she handles it well. There are various medicines that are available today and the neurologist will be more familiar with them which is why I recommend seeing the specialist. If you have other dogs, it's very important that they all be muzzled when you leave the house - the other dogs could attack (and kill) the seizing dog. We had almost 5 months between Lucy's first seizure in March 2011 and the second seizure in August 2011 but, then her next one was in September. We are now almost 8 weeks seizure free. Also, many people and dogs have one seizure and never have another one. As someone stated, it's very important to start a journal of the date and time of the seizure, how long it lasted, whether there was incontinence, and how the after-phase was. Good luck.

My Lucy is on zoni also - she gets 400mg a day. She tends to go about 6 weeks maybe more (it's 8 now) before another seizure. The neurologist is fine with having the seizures at this level although if she starts seizing more, we will likely increase the zoni to 600mg a day. Lucy also has her "biting problems" and I have to watch that the other dogs don't crowd her when she is on the bed or when she is eating. So far she doesn't bite to hurt, she bites and hangs on but doesn't apply pressure. Stress can cause her to seize and I'm very careful with detergents and other cleaning materials that I keep in the house because it can supposedly cause seizures. he does not get flea treatments because of the issue with it possibly causing seizures. I try and keep her routines pretty much the same and it seems to keep her calmer. One thing I do is after a seizure I give her vanilla ice cream - it cools her down and it helps to stabilize her blood sugar (not too much, just a tablespoon or two). Preservatives in dog food can also cause issues with seizure dogs - so the less stuff in the food the better. I feed home-made anyway because one of my dogs has kidney issues and he needs a special diet.

Have you thought about doing a consult with a neurologist? They might be able to give you some more insight although, they might want to do more extensive testing like an MRI.

The beet pulp is a "fiber" that helps to move things along. Science Diet lite also has a good amount of fiber in the form of cellulose -- about 12% or so and that will help firm up the poop too. I usually just give my dogs oatmeal mixed into their food and it keeps them all regular.

I hope he's feeling better today. Please update when you can.

Are there any pockets near the laceration that could be filling with blood? The neck area is never a good place for a greyhound to get bitten and because of that, if there is any question as to whether it is still bleeding then it would be better to head to the e-vet tonight. On top of that, there is the risk of infection and stitches are better done sooner rather than later. Hope everything turns out OK

I forgot to add to my previous post - put a muzzle on the dog and keep it on all the time unless he is eating. Until you get this sorted out there is no reason to have any more incidents ....

It could be some type of seizure activity that is caused by what he perceives to be a "stressful" situation. I might suggest that you contact a neurologist and see what they say. It could that he needs to be on seizure medicine. I would also contact the adoption group and let them know that you are in the process of examining any possible medical causes but, that there is a likely chance that you might need to return him. If your adoption group does not want to deal with him, try some others that are close by and see what they say. There are adopters out there that do deal with aggressive dogs - my new boy (failed at fostering) is one that was returned from a home for growling & biting - so the homes are out there.

What are the pain attacks like? Sometimes seizures can manifest in different fashions which is why I'm asking about the "pain attacks". Also, protein in the urine is usually something to worry about - is this being rechecked? Also, have his front paws been checked for corns? Unlikely that it would cause "pain attacks" but, it should be ruled out. I also suggest doing the consult with OSU.

I'm so sorry. You and your boys are in my thoughts.

A happy tail wag is with the tail low and easily moving back and forth - sort of swishing. The anal area is usually covered. The body is usually relaxed. With a NOT NICE tail wag, it's keep pretty straight out and the wag is tight and stiff. The wag is usually slow and a bit stilted. The tail is high enough (almost level to the back) that the anal area is usually uncovered. The head is pretty high and the ridge along the back might be slightly elevated. If the wag is a "NOT NICE" wag, it doesn't mean that the dog will attack, it just means that you have to be on your guard because the dog is in a new situation and he/she is preparing to be dominant which could result in a fight.

A bit of a hijack --- I'm reading "Soldier Dogs" by Maria Goodavage and she states that dogs chosen for military work will have the stomach tied back as part of a normal process to prevent torsion. Since these dogs will be out in the field without "emergency vets" available, they decided that this procedure done routinely is a wise course of action. Most of the dogs are the German Shepard type with the big chests -- exactly the type of dog that typically gets the bloat and torsion.

I might also add, and it might be particularly for greyhounds, constant stretching can be a symptom.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

What a handsome boy - love the face markings! Congrats and welcome to GT.

Greyhounds are great city dogs but .... your schedule really doesn't sound like it would work well with any dog even with a dog walker. Reason is that if you are interning as an investment banker chances are you are going to have to work later at night than 9pm and because of that you might need to have a dog walker come twice a day and at that point - what's the sense. Better to wait until your internship is through and you have had a job for a bit to see if your schedule will allow for a dog. Some jobs don't require the long hours, being a lawyer, investment banker, doctor all do -- all of these take a toll on your available time.

give him some toasted challah with a bit of butter (or peant butter) on it - it's what I used to get weight on my fosters.

White rice and hamburger. I don't rinse my hamburger but, then I'm getting the 88% so it's pretty lean. The first few days the rice may not be digested well but, after a few days they seem to adjust. You might also want to add a couple tablespoons of cooked oatmeal - the fiber is great for firming up the poop without making it rock hard ...

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Try the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient foods - they have a venison and sweet potato.

Hope the recovery goes well.