Robin1017

Thank you for adding Shilo to April. Way too many this year...

Shilo was one of two littermates that we kept after our golden retriever Santana had puppies in June, 1999. I helped deliver them. The entire litter came out black with white markings, despite the fact that the parents were a golden retriever and a collie that looked like Lassie. Shilo and Domino were inseparable, and they were the best dogs. Shilo was just quiet and sweet....very calm and gentle, even though he was a big boy (around 90 pounds). We lost Santana to cancer at age 7, but fortunately, the boys were able to have long, happy lives. They met Robin in 2007 when I moved back home with him from Virginia, and he was instantly one of the pack, albeit the odd-looking, tall, skinny cousin. The three boys had all sorts of adventures together over the next few years. Two years ago we lost Domino to cancer at just shy of 12. At the time, I posted a nice remembrance with pictures. Shilo kept going, however, even though he was fading. He had degenerative myelopathy, and some of the laryngeal paralysis that goes along with that sometimes. But Shilo just kept doing well, much longer than we could hope for. In April, at nearly 14, it was starting to become clear that he was having more bad days than good ones, and it was time to say goodbye. Shilo was a wonderful dog, quiet and unassuming. While other dogs were begging for attention, Shilo would quietly wait his turn, then shove his nose forward, as if to say, "Don't forget me!" I was not able to be home with Shilo when the time came, but my mom had a vet come to the house for him. I still feel bad that, right after he left us, Robin got extremely sick and was in the hospital, and I never really had time to post the remembrance for Shilo that was in my heart waiting for him. So Shilo left this world as he lived it, quietly, without a fuss. However, he was worth so much more than that. Shilo, you were a good dog, and we were lucky enough to have you around for us to love for nearly 14 years. Until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge. We love you.

Poor Helmet Head.... I hope you get some good advice to help you make a solid decision. It is so hard to assimilate all the information we get. Robin is sending his love.

Thanks! I'm Thinking It's Probably Fairly Common, But A Problem I Never Thought About. I Only Thought About The nail Wear... I'm Assuming These Booboos Are Painful... I Did His Nails Tonight, And Am Putting Bag Balm On Him For Bed. I Don't Have Boots, But I Have Some Pawz. I Wonder If Those Would Help. (Though The Pawz Are A Little Small...I Got The Wrong Size). Thanks For The Feedback!

This week, Robin's back end has been a bit worse than usual. He may have overdone it on Sunday during a walk where he tried to drag me around a pond but I can't help but worry, especially when it looks like he's favoring one side more than the other. I was checking out his back end, and I noticed his right back paw pad (the side he's favoring a tiny bit) has what looks a little like an abrasion or something. When I push on it with my finger, there's almost a depression there (hard to describe), and there is a tiny crack, maybe...(hard to see). That spot isn't as hard as the areas around it. Here is the spot. So I checked his other paw, and it doesn't have the abrasion looking part, but there are some pink spots. Also softer than the areas around it. I started thinking.....with his hind end getting weaker, he has been shuffling his back feet more. Could these be abrasions or "burns" from dragging his paws on pavement maybe?? Could these be painful, and at least part of the source of his weirdness back there this week? Am I a bad parent because I haven't noticed sooner? I don't really know, of course, but I'm feeling like maybe I should rub something into it in case it is sore. I have both Bag Balm and Musher's Secret here, but I haven't really used either on his pads more than once in a while, so I don't know if one of these would be a good idea or not. And if so, which one? Any thoughts? (eta: I am doing his nails tonight.) The patient:

hope You Get Coal Feeling Better. So Scary!

Hi Tony, I wish I could say something to take it all away, or to bring him back. But I can do neither of those things. As I pet Robin right now, knowing that he will be 12 in October, I am reminded that my time with him is short, and I will (relatively) soon be in the position you are in. It's just me and him, and it has been for a few years now, and there is going to be an incredibly huge void in my life, and in my heart, when he leaves me. But, like others have said, I wouldn't have given up the time I've had with him for anything, even knowing the pain that is in my future. All I can do is let you know that those of us who knew and loved Zero are missing him too. He was one of our brindle buddies, and such a sweet boy. I do hope, when you are ready, that you will honor Zero by giving another hound the love that he so cherished. Until then, we hope to continue seeing you on our Sunday walks, and that our hounds help to ease your pain. Cathy (dammit, now I'm tearing up!!!)

Tony, I have always loved seeing Zero on GA walks. I hadn't seen you guys for a while, as he began having his back end issues and went on fewer of the walks, and I missed some for various reasons over this past winter, but I always watched for him. I was so glad, in these past few months, that I got so see you and Zero on more of the walks, even if he couldn't do the whole thing. I made sure to give him love and pets whenever I saw him. Zero will always be missed on our walks, as all of our hounds are. Know that we are thinking of you and are very sad for your loss. Cathy & Robin

I'm dealing with similar stuff right now, and I don't have a lot of "certain" advice....but I do know that you have room on the gabapentin. Robin is on 300mg 2-3 times a day.... ETA: Sorry to be repetitive...we posted at the same time!!

On the other hand, Robin came home at 2 years old and ate 4 cups of food a day for many years with very steady weight. He raced at 74 pounds and stayed steady at 78 until he was at least 7 or 8. (At that point his metabolism and other health stuff started to change, so it was a different story.) Whenever Robin was sick or something and did not eat his four cups a day, he lost weight. So some dogs can and do metabolize 4 cups well. Granted, I'm sure the type of food matters, as some may have different nutritional content and such...

Me too! I don't have hills near me, only at the park, which we can't go to in this heat....

Thank goodness! We were so worried! Glad he is on the mend....

Thanks. They look like horsepills. I always get nervous starting new medications, especially on Robin. I don't want him to be all groggy and doped up. That would defeat the purpose of the meds....

Okay, so I asked my vet about Robaxin, and he said it is worth a try. So I picked it up today at Walgreens. When I did, the pharmacist asked if he is a big dog, because he dosage size is that of an adult human. :-) While I think that is probably right, I figured I'd go on here and check. The vet prescribed 1 750 mg tablet every 8-12 hours. Does that seem right? And the tablets are huge! Geez... The pharmacist also said that Robaxin has a sedating effect in humans. Is that the case with the hounds? (I remember they said the same thing about gabapentin, but Robin hasn't had any issues with it...) Robin has been off the meloxicam for a few days, as he was having some stomach issues and I didn't want to make it worse. The meloxicam is for the arthritis....I'm going to try him off of it for a few more days to see if I notice a difference stomach-wise and pain-wise. Sigh...there are so many factors to all of this....I guess I'm just learning as I go along....

Thanks for the advice. I will contact my vet and ask him about Robaxin. If possible, I would like to get him off the meloxicam and see if it makes a difference. I do worry... Whenever I've tried tramadol on Robin for booboos in the past, it doesn't seem to do much but make him pant more...but it is good to know there are more options to consider!

He is on gabapentin since his hospital stay, and meloxicam. I had heard recent mention of Robaxin, so I was starting to wonder about it. I think he's doing okay, but I keep wondering if there is more I can do to make him more comfortable... Those twitches you describe? Robin gets that all along his spine, not just in one or two spots. (though the gabapentin seems to make him twitch less)

It smells worse somehow once it is processed by digestive fluids for 12 hours.... He had some dinner. (It's not a bug, just mostly empty stomach all day that made him throw up, so I'm not concerned about fasting him...) Now he's begging for my peas. He wants them. He is panting for them. He is hanging over my keyboard for them. Breathing hot steamy air in my face for them. With poopy puke breath. Sigh...

This morning, I suspected, but could not confirm, that Robin had had a small poop accident, but had eaten it to hide the evidence(he's been doing this occasionally lately--with his hind end weakness, it surprises him in the night sometimes). I just knew it, but couldn't prove it. Until this evening. I came home at 6:00 and Robin jumped off the bed, came in the kitchen, and puked on the floor. It was liquid, brown, and smelled like poop. There's my proof. I KNEW it. I nearly puked in the kitchen myself after that. Good lord. And now he has the nerve to be hungry. The joys of an old dog....

Hooray!

I've been meaning to ask this question, but I keep forgetting. Two months ago Robin got very sick and was at the emergency specialty center. As part of our diagnostics at the time, we did xrays of the entire lateral spine. Robin has had hind end weakness that has gotten worse in recent months. In a lot of ways, from what I have read on GT, he has exhibited as a classic LS greyhound, but my vet wasn't quite sure since his reactions didn't seem solely in the LS region. I had been meaning to get x-rays done, and now I have them. But I never got a clear explanation of what they found, though I get the basic idea. And I keep forgetting to ask my vet to translate that part of the report for me. Here is what the report says: "There was narrowing of the intervertebral spaces around T12-L2 and stair-stepping at the lumbosacral junction with bridging spondylosis. These findings.....may indicate compression of the spinal cord in this area and may be the cause for chronic hindlimb weakness." Can someone translate this for me? Is it medical-speak for lumbosacral stenosis? Or something else? Or more general? It is hard to research and get ideas on how to help him feel his best when I don't know what he has. Can anyone help?

Checking in.... Hope your boy is okay....

Robin would be miserable, but he really can't handle heat at all, especially now that he's older. It is safe, I think, but he just doesn't settle when the temp is above 70 these days. I bet if the girls are used to 75, they will be fine. A bit hot, like you will be, but fine.

Awww....poor baby.... Feel better Freddy!

This. Exactly. RobiN Is An 11 Year Old Man Now, And I Haven't Had Quite The Words To Describe My Surprise And Experience Until Now. Thanks!

So it works for you? That's an easy purchase, right here at Walgreens. I will buy some tomorrow and test it out.