vjgrey

Diamond had similar symptoms, minus the gradual onset, with her herninated disc. Her eye on that side wasn't staying open, but it wasn't reacting to light or the neurologist's hand. The neurologist STRONGLY suspected a stroke or brain tumor, but when he did the MRI to confirm (actually two MRIs), he saw the damaged disc (and no stroke/tumor evidence). He determined that the bulging disc was pressing on a nerve that affected that entire side of her body.

Really hope not to need his services, but I'm THRILLED to know he's still available. And helping Scooby. What a wonderful man.

I'm so, so sorry. I really wish I didn't know how you feel, but I do.

I'm so sorry, Judy. I'm sure she's found Trish and that they're both grateful for the love your family gave her.

What a sweet face. No wonder you couldn't resist.

We use the same vet as Enza in Alexandria, so maybe too far. But if you ever need specialist care, I wouldn't hesitate to get a referral to the Hope Center in Vienna. We've (unfortunately) had to use their oncology, cardiology, internal medicine and emergency departments, and we've been impressed with all of them.

HUGE congrats! She's gorgeous!

What a clever girl to find her way to her PERFECT second forever home. I'm so sorry you didn't have more time together.

He sounds like such a good boy. I'm so sorry for your loss.

No advice, but I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, because the Hope Center has tentatively diagnosed Lucy with IBD. They've had us give her B-12 shots for the last six weeks - one more shot after a month and then we'll check her bloodwork again a month after that. If she's still not absorbing it at all, we'll be facing more tests, including a biopsy. If she's absorbed some but not enough, they've recommended a dietary consult with Virginia Tech for specially formulated home cooked food. Edited to add -Lucy is not on Pred, but they did suggest Prilosec at night. She was completely refusing breakfast, and the Prilosec seems to help. Lots of good thoughts for you - I know how stressful it is.

Heart murmurs are notoriously misdiagnosed in greyhounds, so the cardiogram to confirm it (or not) is a great idea. I'm not sure where you are or what's available in your area, but if available, a referral to a veterinary cardiologist might not be a bad idea. My Lucy (six years old) also has a Grade 3 murmer, confirmed via EKG by a cardiologist with greyhound experience. It's her opinion that at this point, Lucy doesn't need any meds or treatment. She does get geriatric blood work (which is a more complete workup than regular blood work) every six months, and a cardiology exam/EKG every eighteen months. It's been about two years since she was diagnosed, and fortunately, her murmer has remained about the same with no signs of heart enlargement.

This made me cry, too. I'm going to go give my own very goofy boy a kiss. I'm so, so sorry you had to say goodbye to yours.

I'm so sorry, Pam. You haven't had nearly enough time with him.

I'm so sorry. I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of love, cuddles and spoiling.

I use the WWW harness for my Diamond, who has a herniated disc in her neck. Works great.

In addition to the "dominance is bunk," advice above... Growling is the way they communicate unhappiness or discomfort with a situation - If you discourage growling, you risk creating a dog who won't communicate/warn, he'll just react.

How scary. Hope you have reassuring answers soon.

Thanks for the prayers and positive thoughts. Watching him like a hawk and will call for x-rays immediately if I see it again (because I know from my experience with Gabe that "the bad limp" isn't always constant), but so far this morning, he's not limping and isn't screaming when I handle that leg. Hope, hope, hope it was just a muscle cramp or something. Edited to add - Lucy and I were fine after the wreck - just really shaken up. Fortunately, I was in an SUV, and the guy who hit me was in a car, so his vehicle took the brunt of the force and damage.

Cash is limping out of nowhere and screams when I touch his leg. No obvious injuries and no accidents that I've seen. We adopted him as a heart healer after losing Gabe to Osteo, and he's quickly become my heart dog. Nothing can be seriously wrong with him. So, it's nothing. It's nothing. It's nothing. Calling the vet for x-rays tomorrow if things don't improve. Lucy was diagnosed yesterday with IBD, and I was rear-ended on the way home from the vet, so it's been a rough week.

Maybe not necessary, but keep the above advice in mind and the telephone numbers handy just in case. Sometimes going to the ER with a dog bite sets things in motion with animal control that are beyond your control. I know that when I saw a doctor for my dog bite, I had to beg and plead for the doctor NOT to file mandatory paperwork with animal control. He had to fill it out but gave it to me to file and....well, oops...

What a beautiful boy. I'm so sorry.

I haven't tried it, but will have to look for it - sounds like something my pups would LOVE. We cook whole chickens in the crockpot every two weeks - after twenty-four hours on low heat, the bones just crumble.

Lucy has been showing similar symptoms. While she's always gone through phases of picky eating, she'd stopped eating completely - treats included. She's ALWAYS loved her treats, so that was the last straw for me. After ordering a blood test (normal) and urinalysis (waiting for results), her vet referred her to a speciality center to get an updated EKG (a cardiologist diagnosed her a year ago with a mild heart murmur) and abdominal ultrasound. That appointment is tomorrow. In the meantime, she gave her sub-dermal fluids and an appetite stimulant. Edited to add - Lucy will be six next month.

I totally understand freaking out in general, but if you're freaking out about the costs, Ohio State offers free chemotherapy drugs for retired racers. They mail the doses to your vet's office, and you're only charged the cost of administering them (IV, disposal, etc...). You can send an email to the same person you sent her scans to, and they'll tell you what info they need. Edited to add - They may've implemented a new policy requiring you to be an Ohio State supporter/member in order to get the free chemo. I believe they were going to that, but I don't know when it was set to take effect. Even so, I think membership is something like $100 a year, which is far less expensive than chemo drugs.

We also use Skype. If we really want to watch them (just for the "aww" factor - fortunately, my hounds have no issues while we're out) we set up my laptop in my office, pointed toward our bedroom and DH's laptop in our bedroom, pointed toward my office. That way, we can dial into two accounts to see them from different angles, or in different rooms.