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MerlinsMum

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Posts posted by MerlinsMum

  1. Thank you all! :colgate

     

    Great tip about checking both paws, KF_in_Georgia, thanks! :)

     

    My vet followed up this afternoon and I will be taking the bandage off in a couple of hours, once I am done with chores and am able to supervise him. I already know that he will try to lick it incessantly <_< if he does, I'll be wrapping it up again tomorrow morning while I'm at work, and unwrap it again for good in the evening.

  2. I don't think the nail would have come off on its own and I couldn't stop the bleeding, and he seemed to be in considerable distress, so in the end I took him in.

     

    Thanks for the advice, though. I'll keep it in mind for next time, if there is a next time. They have him some antibiotics for 5 days and told me to keep it wrapped for 24 hours, as the quick is completely exposed. It's definitely sore - I had to get up several times during the night to get him to lie down again and relax, as he was very restless. :( But he seemed to be comforted by my presence beside him. :heart I just hope the bandage isn't too right. I always worry about circulation.

  3. Hello everyone,

     

    It's been a while, but I'll leave the pleasantries for another day -- right now I have a bit of an urgent question.

     

    Merlin just broke his dew claw running. It's in pretty bad shape and won't stop bleeding. We have not yet tried to apply any stiptick powder because the nail is kind of dangling and I think it's really going to have to come off.

     

    Here is a bad photo - the nail is severed at the level where the droplet of blood appears.

     

    http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii121/kerrywyler/9E880B42-251A-4664-B96F-D4640BE66D42.jpg

     

    E-vet? Or can I wrap it for tonight and take him tomorrow? I'm thinking e-vet right now, but incredibly I haven't dealt with a dew claw situation before.

     

    Sorry, not sure how the image will appear, posting from my phone.

     

    Kerry

  4. I don't bother with supplements. And the evidence on the effectiveness of glucosamine is inconclusive at best.

     

    I understand the worry about Deramaxx, but I would encourage you to put her on it on a daily basis if it turns out that it's definitely arthritis. Deramaxx is proven to be beneficial in providing relief for the symptoms of arthritis. Merlin has arthritis and used to take it only during flare-ups, but it's gotten worse and several months ago he was put on it daily. It's made a BIG difference. And of course he gets tested regularly to make sure that taking Deramaxx isn't causing any deleterious effects to his liver/kidneys.

  5. Sweet Gracie Rose. She will be missed terribly. Thank you for sharing her with us these past years, Charla. Even though I am no longer on Greytalk much at all, over the years Gracie filled many of my days with smiles, laughter, giggles, and joy. I will always remember her roaching on the bathroom floor. :lol::wub:

     

    Sending love and a ton of virtual hugs to you., Charla :grouphugsadhugsmiley.gif:f_white :f_white

  6. It seems a little surreal, still. I have a hard time imagining a world without Joe T. The WFUBCC will miss him more than ever. We will never forget him, Donna. I know that seems trite, but I just can't find the right words. I just can't.

     

    :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

     

    Always in our hearts, Joe. Always. :heart:brokenheart

  7. MaryJane,

     

    Thank you for that! Sagan isn't on any fish oil supplements, but I didn't know about that, so good to know. :colgate:thumbs-up

     

    I spoke with the vet tech who's been helping me with this another couple of times this afternoon. She's been so patient with me :blush I will pick up enough tablets to have him on 750mg 3xday if needed, and I will talk to the vet after his dental to see of we can start him at the lower dose or medium dose. If I need more, Walgreens can get it within 1 business day, thank goodness.

     

    Thank you, everyone!!!

  8.  

     

    There should not be a need to start the pills before the dental - just start the day of the dental. Start with the regular dose of 1 pill and if there is any excessive bleeding, increase to the 1 1/2 pill.

     

    Ok thanks, but just to be clear, you recommend starting on just 1 500mg pill even though he is 84lbs and the 500mg pill dosage is for greys between 55 and 79lbs? I'm confused... I am all for giving the lowest dose possible, of course, as long as it's safe... sorry if I'm being dim! Just a bit out of my depth on this one! :blush

  9. You want to start it a day or even 2 before the dental. I will have to check when I get home.

     

    Really? I was told that Dr. Couto stated that there is no need to start before the dental, just the evening of the procedure. Usually when given before the procedure (if I remember correctly), it is given in liquid form. I don't have it in liquid form and will not have it before the procedure. It was actually taken off the shelves and was supposed to be back on the shelves in July, but I'm not sure whether that's the case or not. In any event, it doesn't really matter for me, since I can't get hold of any.

     

    Sagan has no known bleeding issues. His platelets have not gone up but they're within normal range for greyhounds - just lower than usual for him. The vet feels that this is his new normal range and that there is no need to be concerned. But I'm ordering Amicar anyway, because Dr. Couto recommends it for any surgery on greys.

     

    Check the posts from Freightsmom. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/300031-unexpected-bleeding/page-3?do=findComment&comment=5559047

     

    She mentions "Heard back on my consult request to OSU....because Freight weights 85 lbs, Dr Cuoto says the dosage of Amicar should be 1000 mg 3 times a day instead of the 500 mg. " Now that is for a dog who was already having a bleeding issue. Don't know if that makes a difference on the dose. It's strictly my personal opinion but I think a 1000 mg dose would be safer for a dog Sagan's size. However, if you really wanted to start with 750 mg, then you could up it to 1000 mg if he had trouble. If it was me though, I'd start with 1000 mg. (Note: I have no medical training though.)

     

    Thanks. I wonder if that's because Freight had bleeding issues. Sagan doesn't. I think that's why the vet tech suggested 23 tablets. I don't want to over-dose.... :unsure

     

    I end up giving him 1000mg 3x a day, that's 30 tablets total. Maybe I should just get 30 in case, and then just give him less if the vet gets back to me and feels he can do with just 750mg 3x day....?

     

    Of course Walgreens told me a month and a half ago that it would cost me $75 for 40 tablets (instead of the $185 that the vet mentioned!), but yesterday they called me to say it would be $55 for just 15 tablets... :headwall If I'd known, I would have gone online and looked elsewhere again. Unfortunately I have no time now as his dental was supposed to be on the 27th but was pushed back earlier to next Tuesday the 20th...

  10. Some of you may recall that Sagan's dental was rescheduled due to his platelets being low. Well, it's 1.5 months later and we're going ahead with the dental finally, so I ordered Amicar from Walgreens.

     

    But now I'm worried about dosage. I know that it's supposed to be given 3x a day for 5 days following surgery. However, the recommended dosage in Dr. Couto's literature is 500mg on the low end to 1000mg at the high end, or between 15mg and 40mg per kg.

     

    I originally got a script for 15 tablets, but then I realized that Sagan is 84lbs and this article mentions the following:

     

    55lbs to 79lbs: 500mg (1 tablet)

    80lbs to 104lbs: 750 (1.5 tablets)

    >104lbs: 1000mg (2 tablets)

     

    (The article is about deerhounds, but I don't think that matters, since this information comes from the study conducted on greyhounds.)

     

    Does this look right? So am I ok to order 23 tablets? (i.e 1.5 x 3 = 4.5 tablets a day, for 5 days)? The vet tech I've been speaking to hasn't heard back from my vet (who is recovering from surgery herself), and I really want to pick up the Amicar today or tomorrow. Chances are I probably won't be hearing back from the vet today, so I needed to make a decision. The vet tech mentioned getting more if I wanted to (enough for a 1000mg dose 3x a day), but I don't think I want to give him such a big dose.

     

    Anyone here with an 80lb+ grey who has used Amicar? How much did you give? I need to know asap if I want the pharmacy to have the correct prescription for me and I need to let the vet tech know by 5pm. :riphair

     

    Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me! This is my first time using Amicar, and I'm nervous enough about his impending dental...

  11. What Batmom said! Also agree with the assessment on the trainer. SERIOUSLY?? What a joke.

     

    I want to stress that this is 100% normal behavior for a dog who is still in new surroundings, still unsure as to what is expected of her, still finding her feet and getting to know you and trust you. 100% normal. It DOES get better, with patience, time and positive reinforcement training. Those three are essential. I have been where you are. With Merlin, I started training right away and did the trade-up games all the time, and he stopped exhibiting resource guarding over his food and high-value treats very quickly. With Sagan, it was another story. Sagan is very loving, cuddly and submissive, but high-strung and insecure. It took us a few months to train the resource guarding out of him at meal times (and the snatching), and a while longer with very high-value treats. He is SOOOO good now. Seriously, it sounds as though your girl really lucked out with you, since you don't have the worry of kids around while you're training her (although I should stress that even that is manageable - just requires a little more diligence). We don't have kids either so it was just a question of keeping the training consistent. ALWAYS SET HER UP FOR SUCCESS. I can't emphasize this enough. The point of positive reinforcement training is to improve communication between the two of you - and strengthening/reinforcing your bond in the process - while teaching a dog what you expect from her. As much as possible, therefore, this type of training seeks to prevent the "bad' behavior from occurring altogether by creating situations and an environment in which the dog is far more likely to offer the desired behavior instead. Essentially you set the dog up to do the "right" thing, and then use praise or treats as a reinforcer (rather than old-fashioned methods which focus on punishment and "correction", which imo mostly just confuse the heck out of a dog.) This way everybody wins, and because you've made it easier for the dog to understand what you want from her, your chances of her "getting it" and offering "good" behaviors are far higher. And the really wonderful thing about it is that it will really strengthen your bond. Patience and time are key as well. It simply took time for Sagan to start trusting me, which is totally understandable.

     

    Good luck, and please keep us posted on her and your progress! I know it can seem intimidating and scary at first (hey, those teeth are huge!) I was a bit scared of Sagan too initially (who is a big 85lb male with the sharpest frigging fangs on the planet, I can tell you! :lol:) but it's important to remain calm while training, keep it consistent and predictable, and praise her enthusiastically when she offers the behavior you are demanding of her. You can do it! And please come back here for help anytime.

  12. I usually use doxycycline at 5-10 mg/kg twice daily, but it can also be dosed at 10 mg/kg once daily. I'm not sure if there's much difference between the different protocols. I'd ask your vet if it's ok to just give 2 capsules twice daily.

     

    The esophageal concerns with doxycycline is mainly just irritation if the pill/contents don't go down and remain in contact with the esophageal lining for an extended period. It's really more of an issue with cats, and as long as he ate/drank after the pill, he should be fine. I always just instruct owners to make sure the doxy is followed with food or water.

    Thank you so much. This really helps to assuage my concerns.

     

    Thanks to everyone who has offered tips to better administer pills to an unwilling patient :) A lot of great suggestions here - I appreciate it! I feel as though I have lots of ideas and options now. :colgate

  13. Thank you! I was alarmed and had a mini freakier tonight when I have him the Doxy, as the vet's instructions on the label said to give 4 (100mg) pills wrapped in food every 24 hours. Presumably, since a typical range for dosing (as I understand it) is between 5mg and 10mg per kg, and Sagan is 85lbs (=40kg), he was given the higher-end dosage. Giving him 4 pills at once in Pill Pockets was super stressful for me since, unlike Merlin, Sagan is unused to being given pills and tends to "clamp down" whenever I ask him to open his mouth. I freaked out because the first time I gave him 2 capsules in one Pill Pocket and although I meant to put it at the back of his throat, somehow he clamped down on it and we heard a crunch! I hope he's going to be alright :ohno:riphair My vet was very insistent that the capsule be wrapped and swallowed properly so that it reaches the stomach before dissolving... which is why I bought the Pill Pockets (which I'd never used before). As I recall, it has something to do with an increased risk of esophageal cancer in dogs that chewed it or something...? :unsure I didn't see any powder "spillage" in his mouth when I opened it after I heard the crunch. Let's hope I didn't do any damage :cry1

     

    The thought of repeating the process for the next 24 capsules fills me with anxiety. I also find it weird that I have to give him 4 capsules at once. Why not 2 capsules twice a day? Does it target the problem faster if it's given all at once, who knows.

     

    This is when I wish I'd gone to vet school. If I call my vet to check they might fire me :lol I feel like I pester them as it is...

  14. So I decided to postpone the dental and get his platelets back to normal first.

     

    He is on doxy starting tonight. We will re-test in 7 days, although of course it's likely he'll have to be on doxy longer than that.

     

    All of your answers helped me so much. I was able to really read up on aminocaproic acid, for starters, and I feel so much more educated now. I have been reading Dr. Couto's team' studies on the subject, and I also found that I was able to order Amicar from Walgreens (tablet form) for $74 - which is way better than $186!! And they can get it for me in 1 business day. After reading your comments and experiences and reading more information online, I have decided that I will be putting the hounds on Amicar for any future surgery they require.

     

    Thanks again so much!

  15. Dr. Couto recommends all greyhounds be given Amicar pre surgically. I thought it was am amino acid?

     

    Wow, really? Even when no bleeding episode has been experienced in previous surgeries? Merlin and Sagan have had several dentals between the two of them, and they have never been given it. In fact, I'd never even heard of it. There again they've never had bleeding issues.

     

    I found this paper by Dr. Couto's team: http://issuu.com/oncologiavet/docs/aminocaproic_acid_greyhounds_amputation_osa_jvecc_ and I haven't had the time to read it all yet. Unfortunately it looks as though you have to have a subscription to the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in order to download it as a PDF.

     

    If bleeding is a particularly greyhound-related issue, and vet offices don't have it on the shelf as a matter of course, I doubt that many greys are being given it pre-surgery... most vet clinics aren't tailored specifically to greys, after all..

  16. Thank you for all your continuing input, it's all really helpful.

    Just wanted to clarify that they retested his platelets three times after the first lab results. This did include a manual count, which showed just 4-7 platelets per field, and 'giant' platelets (young platelets that have just been released) running low.

     

    Amicar is far, far more expensive in tablet form than it is in liquid form. But, as I mentioned in a previous comment, sadly the liquid form is not currently available due to manufacturing problems (although it's supposed to be available any day now).

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