Muriel

Thank you so much for all of your posts. All of this information is very helpful, and I have been passing it on to my vet. Meloxicam cannot be used due to kidney/liver issues. We started her on Galliprant. She's on tramadol, Gabapentin, and Galliprant. She's not doing great and can stand for small periods of time to eat and go out to do her needs, but after a while she starts to buckle. Next step is doing a Depo-Medrol injection if the Galliprant is not effective. She seems to be panting more after I started her on the Galliprant. I don't know if that's due to the combination of meds or the pain. A holistic vet and acupuncture is also not off the table. My vet said that if I wanted to do the injection that Dr. Suzanne Stack recommended that I should probably go see a neurology specialist.

Hi Greyhound lovers, I can't tell you how much great advice I have received from you all over the years regarding medical concerns that I have had for my grey. I am hoping that I can trouble you all again for some additional guidance/suggestions. Ginger is now approaching 15 years of age and has been doing pretty good up until now. In the past, she had been diagnosed with some arthritis in her hip/lumbosacral region as evidenced by general weakness/pain in that area. She's been on supplements, fish oil, and tramadol. That combination has managed to control her pain. Last week she had a terrible episode and stopped eating for 3 days, could barely lift her hind legs, and bad diarrhea. Needless to say, I thought it was the end. I managed to take her to the vet and get her on a probiotic and a combination of Gabapentin and Tramadol. The vet also did a full check for parasites in her stool or any other unusual circumstances. We discussed end of life and the potential of dementia, etc. After a restful weekend of a different drug combo and food choices, she is doing much better and almost back to herself. My next step is to consider more aggressive pain management techniques. From reading Dr. Suzanne Stack's article on lumbosacral stenosis, it appears that Ginger's condition may include not only arthritis but also lumbosacracal stenosis. My vet does laser therapy, and I was wondering if anyone has had any success with that for pain management. I'm also looking into injections such as the ones that Dr. Stack recommended, as well as acupuncture. Can anyone provide me some feedback as to their experience with an aging greyhound and managing this type of pain? Many thanks in advance, Muriel

Thank you NeylasMom and JohnF. A second opinion might be warranted depending on my vet's re-assessment of Ginger now that she is finished with the anti-inflammatories. She wants to prescribe Gabapentin depending on her pain levels. One day at a time as they say. I'll re-post if there is any follow-up which merits me seeking out more advice from you all. Thanks again, it's all very helpful.

Thank you all for your postings. She is back to walking but will not walk on the rear leg with the swollen toe. I have a bootie on it and that seems to help her feel comfortable when walking. The toe is still swollen and it looks like some kind of blister on one side. Maybe she got bit by something. It seemed to drain a little one day after soaking it but hasn't since. The xray showed nothing and my vet felt that it was a soft tissue issue. I'm not so sure. She's feeling better but I think it the anti-inflammatories that are helping. She stops anti-inflammatories today because of her elevated creatinine levels. I asked my vet if she thought it needed to be drained but she insisted that it was a soft-tissue issue and there was nothing to drain and her body temperature indicated no infection. I'm not convinced, but then again, I'm not a vet..... I agree that acupuncture and/or chiropractor might be the way to go as she gets older. Her hips/back are not so comfortable but I'm wondering if the problem with her toe has not been something that's been going on for awhile and has just become bad enough for it to become apparent, and therefore she has been walking and sitting awkwardly. Anyway, any information related to a similar greyhound toe tissue is very much welcome. I'm almost thinking of getting a small safety pin, sterilizing it, and just entering it just a little on the blister-looking part, but don't want to aggravate anything....I've drained my cat's wound one day like this when he got bit by something (snake, racoon, etc.) and have had success. This may be a completely different issue, but I do live in south Florida where there are plenty of biting critters around. Cheers, Ginger's mom

Hi all. My grey, Ginger, is 14 years old and has been having hind leg issues (arthritic) for a good year or so. It started off slow where it was hard for her to sit down and she had to find just the right position to sit down. She also became a little wobbly when walking. She's been on glucosamine and tramadol, and that seemed to help somewhat. As with some other postings I've read, all of a sudden yesterday, her rear legs became really wobbly and she could not walk. She just sad down not knowing what else to do. Based on information I read, I checkedher rear paws for corns but instead found one of her rear toes really swollen and tender to the touch. I ended up taken her to the vet first thing this morning as the only way I could get her outside was to put a towel under her abdomen to lift up her rear legs. The vet did an x-ray of her toe to check for any lytic lesions, but nothing showed up. Her bones looked good. She decided to put her on anti-inflammatories, up the tramadol, and soak the toe in Epsom salt a couple of times a day. There might have been a puncture of some kind but nothing definitive showed up. We are giving this treatment a few days (she can't be on anti-inflammatories too long due to elevated creatinine levels). I had to buy a harness that allows me to lift her rear legs. She really won't walk on them. My fear is that this is leading to a diagnosis of LS or potentially spondylosis. How are either of these diseases diagnosed and what type of vet is best at diagnosing them? I apologize for the posting but other postings on this issue are a few years old and therefore out-of-date. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Scared grey mommy

Hi everyone, I'm providing a follow-up for Ginger's canine and associated teeth removal. Her canines and some associated teeth were removed by Dr. Peak in Sarasota, Florida in early January. She is now officially toothless or teethless (not sure which is right!). She is doing great and feeling like her old self. The few months leading up to the operation, she had become somewhat lethargic and not too eager to eat her food. Now she is back to being the pup she always was, full of energy and enthusiasm. Dr. Peak did a great job, and I felt really good in choosing him to do the procedure. His staff were always professional and attentive, both before and after the procedure. He has over 15 years experience in pet dentistry, and I recommend him for anyone who lives in or near the area (Sarasota/Tampa, Florida area). I had to drive about an 1 1/2 hours from Fort Myers, and it was definitely worth it. The price he estimated for the procedure is the price I ended up paying. I see other vets giving you a wide range on an estimate and then you end paying at the high end and sometimes more. I really appreciate all of the advice that I received on this posting, and it really help me choose the right vet to do Ginger's procedure. Kind regards, Muriel and Ginger

Thank you. I will check him out. I imagine you have utmost confidence in him otherwise you wouldn't be recommending him?

Thanks for sharing that story. The picture is awesome. Ginger used to look like that until she learned how to keep her tongue in her mouth! It sounds like using tranexamic acid is the way to go. Her regular vet thought that a specialist with an anesthesiologist would be best for these extractions. It sounds like each dog will have their own experience and there are many variables that will affect that. All you can do is educate yourself the best you can and get a doctor who you feel comfortable with! She definitely can't continue to live with infected gums and pain.

Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry to hear of what happened to your sweetie. This is the kind story I can easily see happening, unfortunately. This vet is a certified board specialist dentist. I feel pretty confident in his abilities but need to ask more questions. She is in pain and it does probably have to get done. This would be her 4th time (and final) getting teeth extracted! The last vet who extracted teeth had predicted I would have to face this sooner or later.....She shakes all over, even for the consultation, because for her going to the vet means getting teeth pulled

Good question. I'll add it to the list. Thanks for all that information. I will add it to my list. Mommy sense is the same as spidey sense!

Thank you for that information. I will check on the methodology for removing them. How old was Ambi when he had them removed? Thank you for that information. I'll ask about the filling of the holes since he did seem to express some concerns about the lack of tissue around her lower canines. I'm sorry that you lost Diamond to OS. It's hard to see them suffer.................. Thanks for sharing. May I ask how old your borzoi is? Glad to hear that DaVid recovered so well. I just cringe at the thought of this surgery and the recovery involved!

Thanks for the information about Percy. Ginger swallows her food but will miss grabbing her squeaky toys I think the canines may be loose, but I will add that to my list of questions. What is Amicar and tranexamic acid?

LOL thanks,, I'm so focused on the procedure that I didn't realize how the title might read! I'll try to modify. Yes, I agree her age is a concern but the vet said that it would be a real concern if she had any pre-existing health issues......

Hello fellow greyhound people, It's been awhile since I've been on this site but I think I could really use some advice. My grey, Ginger, is 12 1/2 years and has been relatively healthy with the exception of a sensitive stomach. She only has about 8-10 teeth left in her mouth and they need to be removed, this includes her canines. I went to see a \veterinarian who specializes in dental work and does this regularly. She has a lot of pain in the bottom teeth and they bleed easily as there is not much tissue left. It will cost between $2,000-$2,800 to do the work. I feel pretty confident in his abilities but am of course concerned of her recovery. He expressed concerns about the lack of tissue for the suturing after the extraction for the bottom canines, and I need to follow up on that issue. He did indicate a very minor risk of a potential oro-nasal fistula from the removal of the upper canines. He was very upfront about the procedure but also indicated that she really needed to have it done. Has anyone else been through this and can they share their experience please? Also, is anyone familiar with any qualified vets at the University of Florida Vet School who do this type of work or any other vets in the southwest Florida area? Thank you in advance Muriel

Thanks for the posting Leslie. It's good to hear from you. Her mouth is looking pretty good now except that it looks like some of the teeth on one side of her mouth on the bottom were not actually removed but "filed" or "cut" down to the gums. Has anyone heard of this? Otherwise, all the other teeth were completely removed. I'll put in a call to the vet tomorrow to find out but I figured this greyhound forum seems to have seen it all.... Many thanks again.

Update on Ginger. Her mouth has stopped bleeding. She seems to be perking up. She drank some chicken broth and "ate" some shredded cheese. Thanks for all of your comments. I will post again if anything else comes up that is worrisome.

Thanks for the kind words folks. She is tired, and I am sure that she will be fine. I have antibiotics and Tramadol and will monitor her closely. I will definitely follow the food ideas. I took some wet food and mushed it up with some shredded cheddar cheese (her favorite) and put the Tramadol in it. She licked a little bit of it from my hand, but her mouth hurts too much for now. You all know how it is to see them hurting and they can't say anything. If anyone else has ideas, please post, many thanks.

No not much in the way of post-operative information. I was too busy asking for pain killers and antibiotics once I heard that 20 teeth had come out. The vet tech said her mouth will bleed just like a human and will heal just fine. I was kind of freaked out with worry that I just took her to my car and sopped up the bleeding before I drove off. She's resting comfortably now, but may stay home tomorrow to monitor her. The broth idea is good. She's hungry and thirsty but her mouth hurts.

Yes, the vet had warned me that many of her molars were going to come out but I didn't think she would lose that many. I felt so bad for her when I picked her up at the vet's office, you could see how miserable she was feeling. I guess I'll just comfort her as best as I can. Thanks for your concern.

She just had them removed this afternoon. She's pretty tired and in pain. She is laying down down now with a wet towel underneath her mouth, and some blood is coming out.

Hi, My sweetie, Ginger, just had 20 teeth pulled today, she has her canines and a few teeth left behind. How long will her mouth keep bleeding and what would be most comforting for her? I already some postings about what to feed them, but don't know what to do about the bleeding. Many thanks. Signed, worried mom

Hi, Just found out that one of my colleagues has been taking their dogs to Coral Veterinary Clinic in Ft. Myers for many years. Says they are great, even made a house call when one of the dogs had to be euthanized. I called and made an appointment with one of the vets there who regularly treats a few greyhounds, Dr. Oyer. They have a coupon on Dex Knows. Com for a first free exam. May be worth a try. The vet that Donna recommends is in Cape Coral. Good luck and if you do get the name for the vet from Donna, please post it here if you don't mind. Thanks!

Thank you for the tip. I will do that. I live over on the beach, but a play date would be great fun. The weekends are usually best for me. When I get the vet info from Donna, I will pass it along to you.

Hi, Can anyone recommend a vet in the Ft. Myers, Florida area? I just moved into this area and my sweetie needs a real good cleaning of her teeth. Many thanks, Muriel

Hi, I am very sorry to hear about what is happening to your sweetie. I just moved to Tampa with my greyhound, Ginger. I see that you live here as well, and was wondering if you would mind sharing the name of your vet. I desperately need to get her teeth cleaned. Thanks, Muriel T