4My2Greys
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Posts posted by 4My2Greys
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I was checking to see how Sam was doing. Sounds like he's doing pretty well. Continued wishes for a speedy and trouble-free healing.
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Something you might consider causing the problem is a food allergy. I had severe incontinence issues with Nadir several years ago, which included him wetting himself while laying in his bed, that turned out to be an allergy to rice. He had been eating a lamb and rice diet for the 2 years I had him and had had sporadic episodes. Since that time I've found he can't tolerate garbanzo bean flour or fish oil capsules either.
I've had him back to the vet's again recently for problems again. From his medical history and the recent ultrasound results I believe he suffers from Interstitial Cystitis, which involves food allergies, a weakened immune system and an increased risk for IBD. He has been treated for all these issues.
Here's a good website about food allergies and kidney/bladder issues that I've found helpful.
http://www.nutramed.com/kidney/kidneydisease.htm
Edited to add that I would definitely begin with bloodwork, urinalysis and also a culture. The results from Nadir's tests and subsequent change in diet helped support my belief that a food allergy was at issue.
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Oh Deb
that picture makes me shudder to look at it. Poor guy Sam. I really don't have any new ideas. I'm thinking the towel collar together with 4-legged pajamas would be best. Like Jennifer said I'd worry about people pajama bottoms ending up resting along the incision and irritating it. I will try to keep thinking though of something else that may be of help.In the meantime, I'm sending lots of healing thoughts for Sam
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I think we've beat this thread enough.
I say let's give the owner a chance to work with her dog.
Turns out I actually met her and her husband once and they are nice folks who I think will work through this with Coen. I hope we will hear from her again about their progress.
As we all know, many who have found their way to GT get picked to pieces for how they have posted their dilemmas and never returned. Many others gleaned the information they were seeking and returned to help others by sharing their experience.
Ducky, I'm with you on this. I would much rather like to think, as you and Courser attest to, that Coen IS in a good and loving home that is working with him than to doggedly stick to my assessment of the situation because the OP just didn't express herself in the best way.
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And one more thing; because I just can't seem to get poor Coen off my mind...
They don't have that much time with us. Really. They don't. You say he's nearly 7. For us, around 7 or 8 is when you start letting little thoughts creep in; "gee, he's getting a lot more grey." Or, "it's just a muscle strain, right?" when your hound has a limp; secretly praying that it isn't the unmentionable monster. You ponder how much you've grown in the past few years; start thinking you should take more pictures; go on more trips together. And once in a very sad little while, you think of how you will ever manage if (and you know you really mean when) it is time for him to leave you. And just the thought brings a tear to your eye; no matter if he has just peed on the rug or stolen your last slice of pizza from the counter. Ask pretty much anyone here who has loved and lost a hound; even the ones who have pages of threads about trash stealing, mail shredding, SA, etc... Sometimes especially those "problem" hounds... The common thread? No matter how long he was here, it could never have been enough. And how they'd give anything to have that mess to clean up again; anything to take one last walk or car trip or have one last chance to thank them for the love and trust they've given you. The UNCONDITIONAL love they gave you.
If you really don't enjoy the time you spend with Coen, you are squandering away precious time he has to be with someone who would. You seem to adore your little girl hound; Coen deserves this, too.
Just last night when reading this thread, it's sad to say, but I couldn't help to think how much luckier the greys in the osteo thread are than Coen. Even though they have a looming death sentence over their head each and everyone of them are deeply loved for the treasured companions they are. Each moment with them is considered a precious gift.
Coen deserves to be loved no less than this.
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I would take him in, it's possible you could be dealing with bloat. My bulldog does the swallowing bit when he needs to vomit. If Zero is doing this and nothing is coming up and he's acting distressed you may have a real problem on your hands. This is information I pasted from a website describing the signs of bloating.
Dogs with sudden bloat will get a hard, swollen abdomen, which, if you tap it with your finger, will thump like a drum. They wil also be uncomfortable and will arch their backs, lick their lips, drool heavily, and try to swallow. They will try to vomit, although nothing will come out. These symptoms mean that your dog is seriously ill, and you will need to get him to your vet or an emergency clinic
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I'm so sorry for all of this. Like you said, it's never a good time, but talk about hitting you when your down
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I just have a really tough time believing that Adequan IM injections are in any way "illegal". If that were the case, a whole lot of vets in my area would be breaking the law. Heck, you can buy syringes and needles at any feed store around here. As others have said, only rabies is legally required to be done by a vet.
I have to agree with this. My vet showed me how to draw it up and give the injection on Nadir. He said it could be done either SQ or IM then sent me home with 3 vials and the necessary syringes. Because I'm such a weenie though about giving shots I had my mother who has had plenty experience giving shots IM to my sister who is diabetic. She did make me do a few though so I know I can do it.
I think with this vet it's more about charging for the individual injections, like the vets who insist you buy medications from them and won't give you a prescription to get it elsewhere. I can see if that is their reasoning and I understand their need to make money too, but don't come up with some malarkey that it's illegal. Unless of course it really is illegal in that state for some odd reason.
I do hope it helps him though.
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Just my opinion...someone mentioned not using the crates at all for their fosters. NOT a good idea. It's important as a foster home to teach and train him, part of that is crate training. The home they go to may want to use a crate and they have to start from scratch with training. NOT FUN. I was an adopter who had a foster who didn't crate train and she didn't do the dog any favors by not crating her.
But if crates are supposedly so wonderful to these dogs, you know the old "it's like a den to them" bit, you would think they would readily go in one. I for one have never seen a den where the animal was not free to come and go. To me once you shut that door it's no longer a den but a cage. I do, however, think crates should be used or not used as the circumstances call for them. Crating for medical reasons as jillysfullhouse gave an example or crating to ensure the protection of another pet as an example given by PrairieProfessor or not crating because the stress it actually causes the dog as shared by 45MPHK9. I think both individuals and adoption groups should look at it this way. If a dog is clearly stressed in a crate then it should not be forced to be crated and a home that does not require it to be crated should be found.
Oh and as for the OP's question, I have 3 greys and a bulldog and do not crate.
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Fingers crossed that it's just a minor glitch in her get along that resolves itself with a little time and a few anti-inflammatories and pain pills.
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Rachel I'm so sorry for the loss of your beautiful girl
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I don't have any advice I just wanted to say how much I admire you for being willing to work through his issues. The very best to all of you.
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You wrote such a lovely and fitting tribute for Sheba. She added so much to your lives. I'm so sorry for your loss.
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I just reread your post and see he hasn't been eating for a week now. Batmom is right, it's time for a visit to the vet., now. You don't want to get caught in the middle of another holiday.
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If his stomach is gurgling and he's eating grass no this is not normal. Something is upsetting his stomach. You could try giving him some Manuka honey or a Pepcid before meals and see if that doesn't stop the tummy rumbles. Also depending on how far apart meals are spaced he may need a small snack to tide him over until the next meal. If these things don't help a vet visit to check for parasites I think would be in order.
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Philosopher77 I did feel this dog was trying to take Chase down I was just wondering what drew him to focus so much on attacking only him. I also want to clarify that I'm not referring to them sniffing the anal gland area, but more specifically the area between the back of the knee and hock. Is there something in this area that signals fearful dogs as being more vulnerable?
Christenepi less pointy bits makes sense as far as the area of attack.
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This question is prompted by the recent attack on Chase. When Chase was attacked by the neighbor's dog the dog focused his attack on the back of Chase's rear legs. A friend whose greyhound was attacked while out for a walk also said the attacking dog also kept going for the same area. I've noticed that my own dogs pay particular attention to this area on Chase, although they of course do not try to attack him. I know of the anal glands, would dogs that are fearful tend to secrete more from this gland, sending the signal to other dogs they are fearful or is there another gland in the area responsible for this?
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Chris your absolutely right it does feel good to put a name to what it is. I feel that most people on here think I'm some kind of nut trying diagnose issues on my own. I have nothing against listening to vets, but sometimes I think they can be close minded or don't want to pursue something other than the usual. I am happy to say though the vet I use now is very open to taking the time to listen to me. What I like also like about putting a name to it is the ability to learn what other things can trigger an inflammation and things that can be given to support and heal the bladder. One of the things I'm going to look into again is accupuncture as I believe it would be of benefit.
Wow Kudzu it looks like I'm not the only crazy one. You went through quite a lot with that dog. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with it. I'm going to order the book The Healing Path and see what I can learn about managing this disease. One of the things I also do is give my dogs filtered water.
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I wanting to say welcome to GT and that your response to the incident was one of the most level headed from new adopters. I think you have been given some great advice from others on this board and I hope to be reading more from you in the future.
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Kerry I haven't discussed with him my suspicions yet because I only came across this last night after having him at the vet late yesterday afternoon. He is very receptive to listening though so I am going to bring this up. I didn't post everything from that website, but the good thing is that there are ways to control it and remain symptom free. I need to update my OP with the link.
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I know this is long, but perhaps others may be helped by this information.
I probably wouldn't have looked into this except Nadir has had another relapse with uncontrolled urination. To be quite honest I was hoping for a simple UTI that could be knocked out with a round of antibiotics. I took him into see the vet yesterday and before they could even get him back to do a sterile draw he voided all over the waiting area floor. When Dr. Carter examined him he did not have the symptoms associated with what he felt was caused by bacterial infection. An ultrasound revealed no stones or masses but showed a thickened bladder wall which he said would indicate inflammation. I explained his past bouts with incontinence, he wasn't his vet at that time, from having an allergy to rice. He feels I should once again try to find the culprit that has triggered this bout of hard to control urination.
I did an internet search for non-bacterial inflammation of the bladder lining and came across several websites giving it the name of Interstitial Cystitis. When I read the information below from one of the websites it all made so much sense. So many of the symptoms listed fell right in line with the major incontinence problem he had several years ago. He was immuno-compromised from the toxoplasmosis, he had an incredibly low t4 thyroid level (I know this in itself is not indicative of thyroid problems), he had blood in his urine, digestive issues, a need to urinate frequently and what I later learned was an allergy to rice. What I thought also was interesting is that patients with IC are 100 times more likely to suffer from IBD, which Nadir does. This and not the NSAIDS, although I still feel they added to the problem, may have been the reason for his IBD. Also interesting is that another website which divides foods into categories of Safe to eat, Eat with caution, and Avoid listed rice under the category of foods to avoid.
Anyway here is information from one website that I found on this problem.
Interstitial Cystitis (IC) or "non-bacterial cystitis" is known as an immune system breakdown disorder because it typically appears when immunity has been compromised. In IC, the space between the bladder lining and the bladder muscle is chronically inflamed, leading to pain, sometimes severe. Cracks in the bladder wall allow urine to irritate bladder tissue, leading to a breakdown in the lining of the bladder.
Interstitial Cystitis is one of those mysterious chronic illnesses that many doctors don't really believe in. The reason being is that when patients get tested for urinary tract infections, more often than not, nothing turns up. Hence the name "non- bacterial cystitis".
There is no known cause and no known medical cure for Interstitial Cystitis. There are medical treatments and procedures, such as bladder instillations, hydrodistensions, and the pharmaceutical drug Elmiron, but they only work for a small percentage of people some of the time, and often have strong side effects.
IC is considered to be an "immune system breakdown disorder" because it typically appears when immunity has been compromised. It often occurs in tandem with other immune system breakdown disorders, namely chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and vulvodynia.
In fact, IC patients are 100 times more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome than the general population, and a large percentage suffer from the afore-mentioned disorders as well. This is not surprising, since a compromised immune system can and does affect many areas of the body.
Interstitial Cystitis Symptoms
IC symptoms typically appear when your immunity has been compromised. The space between the bladder lining and the bladder muscle becomes chronically inflamed, leading to pain, sometimes severe. Cracks in the bladder wall allow urine to irritate bladder tissue, leading to a breakdown in the lining of the bladder.
Do you suffer from:
pain in the bladder that intensifies as it fills and then goes away upon voiding, only to immediately return again;
breakdown of the bladder tissue, even when infection is not present;
extreme frequency of urination, often every few minutes;
blood in the urine;
digestive problems;
low grade fever;
recurrent vaginal yeast infections;
joint pain and swollen glands;
thyroid problems;
severe food allergies which trigger bladder pain
Edited to add website links:
http://www.evenbetterhealth.com/interstitial-cystitis.php#step4
http://www.ic-diet.com/IC%20Diet%20and%20Food%20List.html
I know these websites are written for humans suffering from IC, but they go into more detail than any websites dealing with canines affected by this problem.
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Tom, I'm thinking of you and Hero today and hoping that what you fear is not the reason for his limp. Having lost 2 to this terrible disease I can certainly understand why your mind would immediately go to it, but there are also other non-fatal reasons for limping and with that in mind I send out positive thoughts that it is one of those things.
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Wet the bottom of the pads and check again for corns. Limping on pavement but, not on grass or carpets sure sounds like a corn.
This was my immediate thought. This coming from someone who spent over 2 years and several thousand $$$ trying to find out why Nadir was limping. That is exactly what he would do, fine in grassy areas, but limp badly on hard surfaces.
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I'm so sorry for your loss
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that picture makes me shudder to look at it. Poor guy Sam. I really don't have any new ideas. I'm thinking the towel collar together with 4-legged pajamas would be best. Like Jennifer said I'd worry about people pajama bottoms ending up resting along the incision and irritating it. I will try to keep thinking though of something else that may be of help.
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Collars All The Time Or Only On Walks?
in Training and Behavior discussion
Posted
There are NO exceptions to dead. I was the one who posted about reading Merlinsmum's post about Roo. It still makes me sick to this day every time I think about it. Up to that time I had kept martingales on all my hounds 24/7 because I was ignorant of the dangers. To have learned the dangers and continued to leave them on as I had would have been inexcusable and asking for trouble. All mine have breakaway tag collars they wear all the time, martingales only go on when we are going out for walks. Yes, it took only that ONE instance for me to learn my lesson. I wasn't about to wait until I came home to find one of mine strangled with their collars. Oh and by the way I have read of many more instances since, so it's not just the one anymore.
Oh, and the ONE time it took for me to learn my lesson about putting a seatbelt on my own daughter was doing CPR on a little boy until paramedics arrived and he be declared dead on the scene. The family was traveling back from vacation and the little boy hadn't been wearing a seatbelt. You know I'm sure they would find comfort in the fact that others like you were not so unlucky :rolleyes .