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vjgrey

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Posts posted by vjgrey

    One Walk A Day?

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    It could be that the pain meds are making him sleepy, but I'd be concerned about a medical issue if my hound slowed down that drastically and that suddenly. I don't consider a nine year-old (or not yet nine) an "older" hound. Might be worth a "wellness visit," with your vet.

    Osteo Thread Part Vi

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Just for a little encouragement. We had to face some important decisions in 2010 with Santa and his Osteo diagnosis. We chose the amputation and chemo route. In a couple weeks it will be 27 months since his amputation. We have him checked by our oncologist every 3 months. So far, he is cancer-free. Santa got to meet Dr. Couto at our Greyhound Adoption of Ohio brunch in December of 2011. We still take a 'day at a time'.

     

    I love, love, love posts like this.

    Osteo Thread Part Vi

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by vjgrey

    I haven't really seen a good reason to drag the poor dog into yet another clinic and freak him out again.

     

    I said this somewhere recently - possibly on the previous Osteo thread - but my Gabe was also totally vet-phobic, but I found that the Oncology clinic was a completely different thing. He LOVED the vet techs there and was always happy to go see "his girls," something I never, ever saw at any other vet's office. It was a totally different atmosphere - much less clinical and much more focused on Gabe's comfort and happiness. They really fussed over him, and he LOVED it. It may just be that I really lucked out. The oncologist we saw was worth his weight in gold (and more). But my suspicion is that vets and vet techs who work with terminal dogs approach their jobs differently. If you have any questions about the care he's getting at the general practice vet, it might be worth at least a consultation with an oncologist to see whether you have a similar experience. If not, I'm thrilled that you've found a great general practice vet. It's so, so important to trust whoever you're seeing.

    Dog Injured At Groomers

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by vjgrey

    The whole thing sounds a mess, but realistically, you can't hold the groomer responsible for all of this. They may have set things in motion by allowing him to injure himself, but it isn't fair to expect them to pay up for a vet's mistake in treating the injury they caused, IMHO.

     

    I'm not sure the same would be true for dogs who are, unfortunately, considered property, but if this situation arose with humans, you usually could hold the original person responsible. The courts have said that negligent medical care is "reasonably foreseeable." Nice, huh? ;)

     

    So glad Watson is on the mend!

    A Little Greta Help Please.

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

     

     

    And finally Maci. Whoa boy is her nose out of joint. She is getting no less attention and love. But she has kenneled herself both yesterday and today. Do I worry?

     

     

     

    I can't help with the rest of it, except to say that muzzling at night if you need to is fine. Gabe slept in one for a long time at the recommendation of our vet (Gabe had episodes of severe aggression caused by what was probably idiopathic seizures). It never seemed to bother him in the slightest.

     

    But I wanted to comment on the quoted portion, because that's how Diamond reacted when I brought Lucy home. She pouted, refused to eat, and hid out in her crate for a week. It was sad, and I was SO worried that we'd made a huge mistake. We hadn't, though. Now they're best buddies. It just took her a week or so to accept that Luce was staying:

     

    DandL.jpg

    Osteo Thread V

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

     

    Having said that, we are the only ones I know of on this board to have experienced that side effect.

     

    Gabe did, too - he was at the beginning stages of kidney failure when we had to let him go.

     

    However, his visible tumor was very slow growing. It looked virtually the same in his first X-rays and his last, and his oncologist credited a combination of pamindronate and radiation for that. If it weren't for his second primary tumor, we may've had more time with him, but we wouldn't have been able to continue the pamindronate.

     

    Please Help Me Welcome...

    in Introductions & Biography

    Posted

     

    And my mother now knows and has pretty much disowned me. She just doesn't get the "chip" factor. Oh well. These are the only grandchildren she'll ever have so she best get used to it!

     

    Our families gave us a little of the "Seriously?!?" treatment, too when we adopted number three - and again when we went back to three after we lost Gabe to osteo. But that didn't last long, especially after they'd met the pups. Now the "grandkids," are adored by all. Hope your mother comes around soon.

    Cheapest Bully Sticks?

    in Food and dietary discussion

    Posted · Edited by vjgrey

    Harry just discovered Bully Sticks and he is in love. How often do you give your hound one?

     

    About once a week. I also give them lamb lung, moo tubes (beef trachea) and "stuffed gullets," which are pieces of bull esophagus stuffed with ground bully sticks.

    Re-Housetraining

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

    In my opinion, whenever you're dealing with a housetrained dog who suddenly starts going inside, the first step should be to have him tested for a UTI. If it's positive, that's an easy fix with meds. If it's negative, at least you've tentatively ruled that out (I say tentatively, because false negatives are possible).

     

    If it's a behavioral/housetraining issue - If possible, keep him within you or crated at all times. NO access to the house alone = fewer opportunities for mistakes. If you catch him in the act, tell him "no," and take him out immediately. You can even keep him attached to you with a leash if necessary.

     

    If he's having accidents at night - is it possible to have him sleep in your bedroom, maybe blocked in with a baby gate? That way, you should be able to hear him get up.

    Summer May Have Lymphoma

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I'm so sorry you're facing this. I'm sending tons of "something else, more easily treatable," thoughts your way.

     

    But on the topic of being scared of the vet - I had the same worries with Gabe, who would actually try to climb all 80 pounds of himself onto my lap out of fear. It turned out to be a total non-issue with the oncology office. The office didn't smell clinical, they always had nice comfy beds for him, and the vet techs made such a big fuss over him. I'm tearing up just thinking about how happy he always was to go see "his girls." i never saw hin scared or nervous there. It may be that we just got REALLY lucky, but I like to think most oncology clinics are a little more comfort-centered. If it comes to that (and hopefully it won't), chemo might not be as scary for her as a regular vet visit.

    Sleep Aggression?

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

    First, don't allow her on furniture, period, until this is under control. Definitely don't allow her to sleep with you. Between the sleep aggression and the resource guarding, that's just asking for a bite.

     

    While it sounds like she does have sleep aggression, it also sounds like she thinks she owns your bed. Make her get off and stay off for now. Couches and chairs, too. If she won't respond to the command "off," hook a leash to her collar and gently pull her off.

     

    I'm sure others can chime in who have experience in desensitizing a hound with sleep aggression. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

    Opie Has Some Sort Of Tumor

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Try not to panic until you have a definite diagnosis - although I know that's much easier said than done.

     

    Absolutely send the x-rays and lab reports to OSU for a second opinion and/or recommendation. I'm also really glad to hear you have a good oncologist nearby. We wound up paying a fortune for Gabe's oncologist, although we live in an area where pretty much everything costs a fortune. It was worth every single penny, though. He and his staff were phenomenal - with Gabe and with us - and it made such a huge difference in our anxiety levels.

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