[How Many Stones Can Be Stuffed Into One Dog]

Did you ever find out what kind of stones Colby had?

[Need Some Advice, Please]

PLEASE check for corns (press each pad, ever so gently). Our vet AND the consulting neuro - at world-renowned Angell Hospital in Boston - missed this. We took him there because of our (and our vet's) fear he had brain cancer (he had seizures!!), and/or long bone cancer!! The ortho "caught' it walking by in the hallway - on his way to the bathroom! Symptoms vary and cover everything: herky-jerky movement, stumbling/falling while walking, falling up and down the stairs, loss of appetite, refusing the walk and the ride.. it was endless!!! It's arthritis - wait - no, it's not!! It's IBS or unspecified infection - A/B's followed and the resultant (more) irritable stomach followed... then came more puking, more weight loss (18 lbs!!), diarrhea, probiotics, special diet... water! WATER!!! It was endless - and it was a CORN!!!!!!! Sometimes, the stupidly simple is right there and everyone misses it!!! I hope you and your doggie are okay!

OMG your experience was exactly like mine with Nadir's corn. It took nearly three years, 5 different vets, a full neurological exam with MRI and spinal tap, not to mention having his system permanently damaged by NSAIDs before a new vet to our area whose specialty is orthopedics diagnosed it in about 5 minutes.

[Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Toe]

Well it looks like Nadir is making the rounds on his feet for toe problems. First it started with the left rear foot and the corn on a toe that caused him to limp for over 2 years while vets scratched their heads trying to find out why. Then we move to the left front, where he breaks a toe on it. After we get that toe healed I have the corn on rear toe surgically removed. I was going to post how

wonderfully he has been doing since that corn was removed. Not only was the limp gone, but instead of moving slowly he was trotting now on our

morning "walks". Then recently he starts limping again, this time it's the right rear. I took him in yesterday to see the vet for x-rays. He is suspecting a torn ligament from his examination and the x-ray. He's going to give me a referral to Dr. Martin, who is an orthopedic vet and is the one who identified the corn as causing Nadir's limp on his left foot and did the surgical removal, for his input. Looks like though my poor boy will be losing a toe most likely. I was relieved though that he didn't see anything else.

[Clark Needs Prayers Again - Tumor Removal]

Chanting with Xan ...

 

** Clark, to pass this test, all you have to do is not have cancer! Easy-peasy! NOT doing something is so much easier than DOing something, right?

Clark, to pass this test, all you have to do is not have cancer! Easy-peasy! NOT doing something is so much easier than DOing something, right?

Clark, to pass this test, all you have to do is not have cancer! Easy-peasy! NOT doing something is so much easier than DOing something, right?

Clark, to pass this test, all you have to do is not have cancer! Easy-peasy! NOT doing something is so much easier than DOing something, right? **

[Sara Is In Surgery Right Now]

This is such wonderful news. I know the path report must have given you the relief that you did the right thing in choosing amputation. I too am looking forward to seeing pictures of her, especially action shots of her running. I think though unless your a community supporter on GT you can only post pictures in C & F, but would love to see them there.

[Got To His Suture Line]

Thought I'd mention that several people here have made home-made Bite-Not collars by folding a towel to the width of the neck and wrapping it in place. Hopefully though the antibiotics are working, but if he persist in trying to get at it it may be a sign something is wrong. That is how I found out Nadir had a bad infection under his splint. He kept licking the top of it.

[Sprain Or Something Worse?]

As others have said, for peace of mind, get a x-ray. Hopefully it's only a sprain.

[Gracey's In Surgery Now]

Poor Gracie, she's probably going to be pretty sore today. I hope she heals quickly and the surgery resolves her problem.

[Fenway's Mystery Pee Problems - Ultrasound Results: Kidney Damage]

Ultrasound revealed kidney damage. Blood pressure, BUN, creatinin (sp?), etc all are considered normal and within range. So now I research kidney diets. And check urine/blood every 6 months to monitor any changes. Oh, and learn to live with pee accidents.

 

I’m going to make this my last post concerning this and I am doing so only with the intent of trying to help and because I feel it is very important. If you read my original post with the information about Nadir’s lab work you will notice that he had a microalbuminuria of 4.6, the preferred is less than 2.5. This here is evidence in itself of kidney damage. I’m not saying you shouldn’t research kidney diets, but at least consider the possibility that a food allergy and the strain it is pointing on his bladder could be causing the damage and if a change is not made will only get worse. Once I found the offending food that was causing Nadir’s problem the incontinence or pee accidents went away. So it is very possible that you do NOT have to live with pee accidents.

 

 

[Fenway's Mystery Pee Problems - Ultrasound Results: Kidney Damage]

Please don’t disregard the very real possibility that it could be food allergy related as I posted and several others (mcsheltie, krissn333 & batmom) have supported with their own experiences. It’s something that is easily ruled out with an elimination diet. Personally I would be hoping for something like this vs. diabetes or bladder stones.

 

While I agree that allergies could be the culprit and investigated however possible, based on my own personal experiences with both (and I'm not being fresh here or discounting your experience and good advice) I would rather deal with the stones (more straightforward... look! there they are - wham, bam, they're out!) than the vagaries of allergies (often difficult and time-consuming to discover, keep track of and manage). They come. They go. This medication works, this one doesn't... it's a struggle (as it was for you - me too!). I'm kinda rooting for the stones, too... LOL!

 

Let me see if I understand correctly. You think it preferable for something to require surgical intervention along with all its dangers and risks, to include, but not limited to, anesthesia, post-operative pain and peritonitis to a simple diet change. Which, oh by the way, you will need to make unless you want your dog to keep getting stones. But then again diet only helps reduce the formation of struvite stones. If they are oxalate stones surgery will be required for removal.

I think I'll stick with using a little investigative skills and figure out an allergy over putting my dog through the risks of surgery.

Please, no need to be snarky when we don't even have a faint hint of a diagnosis yet!

 

As an expert NON-expert, I only THINK I know this: food/diet can cause stones - all types. I have never heard, read, presumed or assumed food ALLERGY causes stones. But I don't know. I assume you know more than I, my own experience was very difficult but limited (mine as well as a very elderly dog that suddenly developed an allergy to the entire universe. We could not make him comfortable and then he died before we could find out to WHAT he was allergic).

 

As I mentioned previously (but was it this thread or another?), [i agree] calcium stones are tougher to manipulate via diet and do need surgical intervention more often than not. Once formed, struvite can be treated with diet (dissolved). Prevention can be achieved via diet, but can be erratic. Do they develop because of allergy? Or because of the way the body processes urine? And is that a function of biology or allergy? I don't know. (I give myself a headache sometimes!! You too??!! LOL!!) I still agree with all that allergy is something that shouldn’t be overlooked.

 

I'm sorry I seemed cavalier or wasn't clearer. I would prefer to prevent and I surely would rather he not have developed the stones, but there they were. Whichever we’re dealing with, we will begin to manage and I believe/hope prevent now. gracegirl, I'm certainly hoping for the best outcome for your doggie, and I don't want you to feel I'm minimizing her illness or possible treatment. I do not advocate surgery but may I please iterate - without offense - that based only on Colby’s experience and great outcome - he eats well, alerts me to and goes potty easily and regularly, wiggles when he walks and giggles when he talks - I would rather deal with the one-time, now they’re gone stones, than a (sometimes) lifetime struggle with shifting or (sometimes) impossible to discover allergies.

 

**GeorgeofNE, I know what you mean! :>)

 

Just want to clarify a few things that seem to have gotten muddled. First, I never said food allergies cause stones. I said food allergies can be a cause of incontinence and that diet can affect some stones and not others. That is two very different things. Aside from surgery not being necessary, which is a major plus, with a food allergy you just stop feeding the offending item. You can keep feeding everything else for an optimally healthy diet. With stones though you are forced to feed a diet that's sole function is to minimize the production of stones. It is so nutritionally incomplete that you can only feed it for a certain amount of time.

Another thing that needs to be clarified is that I am talking food and not environmental allergies. Steroid are not needed for food allergies. You just identify the offending food and stop feeding it and the problem goes away. It is also very easy to diagnose incontinence being caused by food allergies by doing a real elimination diet. In fact, if it was the cause and an elimination diet had been started when I first mentioned it the problem would be gone by now.

[Ava Visit Went Badly And She Has 103.8 Fever]

I hope you can find something that will help her.

 

[Bad Gas, Bad Smelling Poop]

I want to apologize if it appeared that I was doubting the problem you think you might be having with the TOTW Pacific Stream when I posted my dogs were doing well with it. I actually meant it as a recommendation. I hadn't read your post closely enough and missed that this was what you were feeding. I hope your able to find something that works.

[Fenway's Mystery Pee Problems - Ultrasound Results: Kidney Damage]

Please don’t disregard the very real possibility that it could be food allergy related as I posted and several others (mcsheltie, krissn333 & batmom) have supported with their own experiences. It’s something that is easily ruled out with an elimination diet. Personally I would be hoping for something like this vs. diabetes or bladder stones.

 

While I agree that allergies could be the culprit and investigated however possible, based on my own personal experiences with both (and I'm not being fresh here or discounting your experience and good advice) I would rather deal with the stones (more straightforward... look! there they are - wham, bam, they're out!) than the vagaries of allergies (often difficult and time-consuming to discover, keep track of and manage). They come. They go. This medication works, this one doesn't... it's a struggle (as it was for you - me too!). I'm kinda rooting for the stones, too... LOL!

 

Let me see if I understand correctly. You think it preferable for something to require surgical intervention along with all its dangers and risks, to include, but not limited to, anesthesia, post-operative pain and peritonitis to a simple diet change. Which, oh by the way, you will need to make unless you want your dog to keep getting stones. But then again diet only helps reduce the formation of struvite stones. If they are oxalate stones surgery will be required for removal.

I think I'll stick with using a little investigative skills and figure out an allergy over putting my dog through the risks of surgery.

[Fenway's Mystery Pee Problems - Ultrasound Results: Kidney Damage]

Please don’t disregard the very real possibility that it could be food allergy related as I posted and several others (mcsheltie, krissn333 & batmom) have supported with their own experiences. It’s something that is easily ruled out with an elimination diet. Personally I would be hoping for something like this vs. diabetes or bladder stones.

 

 

[Bad Gas, Bad Smelling Poop]

I think most people think a farty smelling house is just part of having greyhounds. I know I did until I switched foods for a totally different reason and the noxious gassy emissions went away. I've got mine on TOTW Pacific Stream right now and now when there is the rare paint peeling gas I know something is wrong and I give a tsp of Manuka honey before meals until things settle down. Find a food that agrees with her better and I bet the gas goes away.

[E-Collars]

I've been thinking of Cobb lately and wondering how things are going with him. Is he still considered a foster or have you adopted him?

After 6 months of fostering and no one interested in him, we adopted him last summer. He's been here just over a year now.

 

After that first night, DH worked from home the next day. We put the e-collar on him after breakfast and he was calmer. We had him wear it the first day just to make sure he got use to it. We had plans Saturday so he had to wear it while were were gone. It's off when we're home and he doesn't seem to be messing with it too much. I think we're going to leave him without the e-collar this week.

I'm so glad to hear you adopted him and that he is finally home for good. If I remember correctly it was his prey drive that was causing him to be passed over, have you been able to work with him on that?

[E-Collars]

I wonder if a collar like this would be less stressful for him.

http://www.jefferspet.com/procollar-/p/0030286/cn/10015021

 

I've been thinking of Cobb lately and wondering how things are going with him. Is he still considered a foster or have you adopted him?

[Preparing For James Arrival]

Good boy James! This is our crazy boy Charlie who's a tripod. It sounds like James and him share personalities.

 

 

Kyle, when I see pictures like this I can't help but feel that Charlie will be following Darcy's example and beating the evil C. He is so full of life and is truly an inspiration too to those facing amputation and/or cancer.

[Clark Needs Prayers Again - Tumor Removal]

 

I was thinking and I've decided that one of the things I love about greyhound people (animal people) is that I know no one here would find it strange that my life now consists of sleeping on the floor next to him to make sure he's alright. That I am up with him at night as often as if he were an infant. That I can't just ignore him to go to sleep.

 

My thoughts have been with Clark and you. I'm hoping that he improves enough through tomorrow morning that you feel confident that an earlier appointment is not necessary.

 

I totally understand you sleeping on the floor with him. I spent several nights on a blanket on the floor when my little pot-bellied pig Sassy was sick. Been there many a night with Nadir too. It's like if you stay close enough you can protect them from the evil that is trying to take them from you.

[Skinny Boy]

I hope they find what is causing this soon. I'll be keeping Jeffy in my thoughts.

[Preparing For James Arrival]

I have never been through what you and your husband are going through and I can only imagine how difficult it is to see him this way. Try to focus on what his life will be like once he has healed from the amputation. I don't know if anyone mentioned Darcy the Deerhound when they were giving you examples of successfull amputees. If you haven't you ought to Google Darcy Deerhound and check out her Facebook page. It is full of pictures and videos that will make you know in your heart the decision you made was the right one and that James is going to be just fine. Hugs to you and your entire family. James is very lucky to have someone who cares the way you and your husband do.

[Clark Needs Prayers Again - Tumor Removal]

Continued healing thoughts and white light for Clark.

[Preparing For James Arrival]

Thinking of James this morning and hoping there were not too many problems last night and all of you were able to get some much needed rest

[Sara Is In Surgery Right Now]

Thinking of Sarah this morning and hoping she had a good evening, everything considered. I'll be looking forward to hearing how she is doing after you visit her.

[Miley And The Mystery Diarrhea]

Give her a tsp of 15+ Manuka honey before meals. I have been using the Y.S. Organic Bee Farms brand with good results for situations such as this. You can buy it from Vitacost.com. Of course you can always look at your local health food store for Manuka honey. Just make sure it has a rating of 15 or 16. I would try that before any more diet changes.