PatricksMom

Ah, she was just hoping you would spend money at the vet's! I'm glad she's okay.

Can you get some gel caps from someone that uses cosequine in gel caps or get some in a compounding pharmacy? That way, they won't taste it and you can better hide it?

This. I don't know why I've hit such resistance about getting cultures (I keep getting told they're expensive, but I'm paying for it). Even if they come back negative, at least you've ruled something out. In a non-medical way, I feel for you. We are having real trouble with Leo urinating in the house--at this point we're 99% sure it's behavioral, but I know how frustrating the situation can be.

If you can identify where the pain is, a hot, wet towel might help ease any muscle pain and doesn't have any risks (at least that I can imagine).

If a blood transfusion is his best bet (not saying it is, I don't know) ask if having a donor dog would decrease the price--I'm not in your area, but I'd bring one of my boys in to donate in a heartbeat if I were and I bet your adoption group can help you.

All I can add is to listen to Diane, she really knows what she's talking about. Good thoughts for your boy.

Best wishes, I would take him to a third vet if at all possible.

Our situation wasn't so bad, but Henry got a new kind of treat and we quickly figured out that the output was not pleasant.

Thanks for the heads up. Leo finished that drug several weeks ago with no problems, thank goodness.

See my current thread on anti-anxiety medications for a good discussion of the options. We've determined Leo's urinating in the house is a stress reaction--in the short term we're going with some medication for anxiety (still haven't decided which one), will continue ongoing training, and in our case, moving him to a less stressful environment which I hope will help a lot. Has your vet checked for bladder stones? Apparently they are actually more common than kidney stones in dogs.

I'm so sorry, it sounds like you three were perfect for each other.

I had the same question--she's in pain, she has serious issues going on with her teeth--is there another medical issue that makes a dental unwise at this point?

Thank you for the advice. Our vet did not mention Trazadone and I didn't think to bring it up because it has such a heavy sedative effect on people--I've taken it myself for sleep issues. Do you know if dogs don't suffer from that effect?

I've ordered her book and read through her online stuff, we'll probably do the webinar next.

Thanks, our vet is not alarmed but I am still a bit nervous. When checking for bladder stones, his liver appeared healthy but a bit enlarged to the vet? We'll certainly keep an eye on things.

Serotonin Syndrome can come on fast and be very scary, even deadly. Some people (and presumably dogs) can safely take multiple Serotonine influencing drugs indefinitly without trouble, others have a problem right away, and it can happen to some people (and presumably dogs) even with unusual pairings not commonly thought to be problematic. The good news is, once he's turned the corner and started improving he should stay on that track and continue to improve. Eta: Serotonin Syndrome is not necessarily dose specific. It can happen very rapidly, even with small doses of the drug to some people, and not at all to others even on other doses. Last I read up on it and discussed it with an MD, there is still very little information about why some people are affected and not others and whether or not a single incident on one combination makes a reoccurence with other combinations more likely.

Has your vet checked for bladder stones?

I'm so sorry for your loss. Godspeed Guinness, your parents loved you very much to ease your passing even though it was so hard for them. You are very loved.

My Patrick basically free fed nearer the end of his life (measured amounts, but he took all day to eat). When he was at the dog sitters or at my parents with their dog, we bribed him with whatever necessary to get him to eat on a schedule since free feeding with a pack that wasn't used to it was not a safe option. Parmesian cheese, or "shakey cheese" works well to get them to eat without adding a lot of calories.

Everyone's enjoyed a little doggie crack (aka canned food) for dinner and are very happy to be home. Thanks for all the good wishes.

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I've taken human clomipramine, it went very badly, and I'm reluctant to risk it in a dog who can't clearly communicate his feelings, just given what I've experienced. I've taken both SSRIs and Benzos, so I'm pretty familiar with the risks/benefits/general properties of the drugs. Our vet warned about the possibility of agitation, although she's only seen that in small dogs, not in the larger breeds. We are working with him constantly and NeylasMoms suggestions have helped us make a lot of progress with his fear aggression (thank you again if you're reading), but we've been unable to find a good trainer and the two vets I've asked have said flat out there is no one they would recommend in this general area. What we aren't making any definitive progress on is his urination when left alone (usually ~1hr/day). And a yappy, agressive dog has moved in across the hall, which I think is making the situation much worse in the short term--he becomes obviously stressed just listening with us home. I live with panic attacks on a regular basis and I'm pretty sure Leo is having them, and that's not a situation I want a dog in. I had initially thought about doubling up in the short run, but our vet is concerned we won't know what drugs is actually working, which I think is a good point, although Riverhound, you're right, I've had doctors do that with me. I'm still mulling over what's right for Leo and I very much appreciate everyone's thoughts. Good thoughts for all of you who are living with stressed or unhappy dogs.

I wrote and deleted a really long post explaining things, but the long and the short of it is I think using some medication from now until we've moved into a house and settled him in (2 months from now) is our best option. I'm pretty sure he's having panic attacks when the dog across the hall starts barking and we're out and he's pretty stressed over it and all the other dogs in our apartment complex right now. So, the vet's first choice would be Prozac, long-term. But she's fine with prescribing pretty much any of the benzodiazepines if that's what we want to try first too. I'm leaning towards valium for probably 3 months while we continue working with him and get him settled into the new house, then try taking him off it and see if the new environment being so much less stressful is enough that he's okay. If that fails, then try the Prozac. Thoughts?

Everyone came through just fine. Henry's liver values are still slightly elevated (for a greyhound) but have held stable since September so we're going to wait 6 months and recheck him.

Best wishes for Zhivaya and you--things almost always are fine and your vet sounds great, but it is hard not to be nervous, isn't it.

Thanks all. Leo came through fine, no extractions, they've just taken Henry in.