Brindles

Yes, actually. I asked the doc about that and gabapentin. He said those were last resort type treatments and he'd rather try the anti inflammatory route first. Sorry to hear about Saint! I had no idea of his diagnosis.

Exactly, Judy. Julio's arthritis pain was an easy fix too (up until the last week). That's why I've suspected this whole time that it has to be more than that. She's had a lot of these symptoms since I got her at 4 years old, albeit on a smaller scale. Trouble getting up and down, holds her head low, and she has a goofy, twisty run. Even the way she wags her tail is different. Ever since she was 4. Now, five years later, all of those same symptoms are more exaggerated and they've started to bother her within the last few months. Vet is going to look at her radiographs and call me back today.

I've tried glucosamine and chondroitin for a long time with no response. I've tried rimadyl. I've tried rimadyl and tramadol. I've tried baby aspirin. There have been several others that I can't think of off the top of my head. I've stayed away from MSM because my vet said it can cause liver damage over time. Now that shes on an NSAID, I'm even more wary of starting it. She responds only slightly to anti inflammatories but not enough to outweigh the risk and cost associated. I'll be calling the vet shortly.

Dosage* not diagnosis.

So basically she's getting a diagnosis typical of osteo, not of arthritis. And it's still not helping. Yeesh. And today she has an obvious limp. Not really sure what to do or think.

So far there have been no visible side effects. She's always slept a lot, and has always been a little... loopy, as evidenced by this caricature my friend did! I'm going to retract my previous statement, though. The first 2-3 weeks were pretty promising, but I think now she is right back to where she was before we started. At this point I don't think she's better at all. No other anti-inflammatories have helped her so far. Guess I'll call the vet tomorrow. Personally I've suspected LS this whole time.

Ugh. Two days ago she started limping on our walk so I gave her a day off yesterday. Today she's still limping. It's ever so subtle, but she's been in this baseline chronic pain off and on for a couple years and I've never seen her limp. Echo is the most stoic dog I know, so for her to show signs of pain is telling. I'm not sure what to make of this but it's getting awfully reminiscent of Julio's last few months. I hope this goes away.

Vet thinks it's arthritis, but not 100% sure. Not CHD, probably not LS, but it's in that general area.

For those of you with hounds on Tramadol, what's the prescribed dosage? How do they respond to it? Echo (67lbs) is on 100mg 3x/day. I feel like I'm pumping her full of the stuff but the vet says we can even go up from there. Sure it's helping (she's also on 50mg Deramaxx), but not as much as I'd expect it to. She's better than she was but nowhere near 100%. Thoughts?

She's eight years old, right? Age definitely plays a part in energy level! Mine have slowed down considerably. Dazzle used to have "off days" about once a month when I first got him. They have days like that just like people do. Give her time, she'll settle in just fine.

Yes, it's safe. I've been doing mine like that for several years and it helps regulate their potty schedules. They do get a milkbone or two during the day as well. They feed once a day on the track, too. Dogs in the wild often go days without eating, and then eat as much as they can when they do get to eat. Bloat is not as common in greyhounds as everyone makes it out to be.

Wow. That looks like blunt trauma to me. Is it tender to the touch?

Dazzle does that when he's super excited, more often in cold weather. He's really loud! It confuses people who hear it for the first time. "Is that coming from the dog?!" Echo chatters too but she's more ladylike about it.

Wow, I almost switched to that food a few weeks ago. Glad I went with Canidae instead.

Ticks are not an issue here, but they're always pretty easy to find on short-haired breeds regardless of color. For me, at least.

I agree with the above! It sounds like pain. I've seen that behavior change in Echo before on one of her painful days.

Vet called this afternoon. There has been a confirmed outbreak of canine influenza virus at the local humane society. I haven't been there recently but there's a good chance that a dog at the doggy daycare had. CIV takes 10-30 days to run its course and is highly contagious with a very low mortality. Diego has all the symptoms of a mild case (except he's not coughing). The virus basically just has to run its course, and secondary infections need to be treated, which is what we're currently doing. Still not sure why Dazzle and Echo don't have it, though. but THANKFUL! Interesting piece of info for greyhound owners: CIV mutated from a strain of equine influenza and was first seen in racing greyhounds in 2004 in Florida. Vet said when it hits greyhounds it hits them hard. ETA: Both of my dogs were on the track in 2004, albeit not in FL. Maybe they were exposed and gained immunity?

Is she urinating more than usual too? Is she getting daily walks? Lots of times you'll see dogs fixate on random things because they're not getting enough mental stimulation and/or physical exercise and they need an outlet. I guess bloodwork rules out diabetes insipidus? Did you ask the vet about psychogenic polydipsia?

It's not likely something up his nose because the discharge is on both sides. We have not done a chest x-ray because his lung sounds are clear. That sounds like a good idea. Is there a specific name for that test? That's what I've heard, too... but it threw me off when the doc said there are things that take four weeks to get over. I'm just worried it's fungal and pumping him full of antibiotics is making it worse. Then again, the Clavamox did work the first time around... Thank you so much for your replies. If you feel like I'm needlessly worrying, PLEASE feel free to say so!

That's not a floating rib. Is it the same on both sides? Is it right above the muscle, a little towards the front?

Well, we have completed four days of Clavamox with minimal improvement if any at all. Called the vet to ask him some more questions and he said he is bothered that Diego isn't getting better. I also told him that when I got Diego he was covered with ticks. He said a tick borne disease is certainly possible but usually they present with different symptoms. Vet wants to run another CBC (complete blood count) just a week later to see if the levels have changed. There was nothing alarming about the first one; just a slight indication of a chronic infection, which is why he's at the vet in the first place. I asked the head vet where I work (very smart, very experienced, but large animal) what he thought about it, and he said as long as Diego is eating and gaining weight and still acting normal, it's probably not anything to be concerned about, and another CBC so soon is probably not necessary. He said some dogs catch things that take four weeks to go away. One vet is concerned, one vet is not. Pulling my hair out over this.

Highly, highly doubtful that it's CHD. Possible, but not probable. My Echo has pain in the same area. X-rays from a few years back revealed clean hips and her very recent radiographs ruled out CHD and Lumbosacral Stenosis. The vet thinks it's just a form of arthritis. Maybe your girl's case is the same? Echo is on 50mg Deramaxx once a day and 100mg Tramadol 3x/day and it is REALLY helping her when other drugs and drug combinations did not. Both her physical state and attitude have improved.

I'm sorry, but this cracked me up! We horse people call 'em fecal balls Wish I had some helpful advice for you.

Pupdate: The vet called to check on Diego yesterday (how sweet is that? ) and since there's no improvement still, we're putting him back on the Clavamox. I have a ten day supply, and if he isn't better by the end of it, he said he'll prescribe more. Hopefully another round of antibiotics will do the trick. Crossing my fingers! Thank you for all your help.