Robin1017

He is happily oblivious of the hellish day to come, contentedly snuggling on my bed. I am mostly not freaking out. And I have supplies to last several days, as I am assuming he won't want or be able to have anything for the first day or so. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

How do you give him pain meds though? If they are too nauseous? I'm envisioning extra pain because of no pills staying down...

I have two bottles of ensure left. Maybe i should get more... And i never would have thought of the towels! Thanks. My ex boyfriend dealt with this the last time. I didn't live with Robin then. So I'm new to this! No idea what to expect for recovery.

So here's my shopping list for tonight of things to have on hand for after, assuming he had extractions and is pretty sore. I want to get as much into him as ii can so he doesn't lose weight. Ice cream Yogurt Pill pockets for meds The wet food in the tube that he likes and tolerates Chicken broth Am i missing anything?

Thanks. I've actually been giving him ensure this week, and soaking his kibble, and mixing in wet food, and giving him vitamin paste..... Despite that, and anything I could throw in there or offer him, including eggs, he was eating about half his daily calories for about 5 days, and that with me coaxing and nagging all the way, until yesterday when his appetite finally kicked back in. He's been a little picky for a while, but this was a step up. So I'm glad I can move up the dental (originally scheduled for May). Once that is over, we can get him on some meloxicam for his arthritis, which has been under control wit supplements up until now. I can't wait until it's over though......

I would appreciate any good thoughts I can get for Robin. He has had a rough week. He has had some increased arthritis pain, and he hasn't been eating (which for this food hound says something!). We went to the vet, and we are certain he has at least one or two bad teeth, and one is broken. So after all of his misery this week, now he has to endure a dental on Tuesday. Thankfully, he seems to have been feeling better today and yesterday, and he's even eating his meals. But I'm still terribly nervous about the dental, even though I know he needs it, and I know he will feel better. He's going to Angell in Boston, and they will do everything possible for him. But he could use some seriously good thoughts and white light from all of you. Thanks! Cathy The patient:

I don't know any massage techniques or anything, but Robin is 11 and has the twitchy back thing. In his case though, it is a sign of pain. We went to the vet yesterday and he said that Robin has pain all up his spine. His arthritis has moved up in there. He described it as Robin shying away from the pressure of your hand in that area. I'm not saying that's what is up with karma, but it is something to keep in mind. I don't know any massage techniques or anything, but Robin is 11 and has the twitchy back thing. In his case though, it is a sign of pain. We went to the vet yesterday and he said that Robin has pain all up his spine. His arthritis has moved up in there. He described it as Robin shying away from the pressure of your hand in that area. I'm not saying that's what is up with karma, but it is something to keep in mind.

So has anyone ever had their dog react badly to acupuncture? Robin had his first treatment Saturday, and yesterday he was refusing to walk and eat, and was clearly in a lot of pain. Today he is moving better, and seems better, but he still won't eat. (I think he's not eating because he's in pain. We're going to the vet in the morning.) So I'm wondering if I did bad by trying acupuncture, and he reacted badly. Or maybe it is because he wouldn't lay down for the treatment, so he was standing up for a while. I'm just wondering if it is related or a coincidence.... I need to decide whether to keep our next appointment on Saturday.

Robin has an appointment on Saturday for his first acupuncture visit. It is at a nice place with rehab pools and all kinds of neat stuff. We'll see how that goes!

OH NO!!! Not Coyote! He was such a sweet boy, Barbara. (And possibly my Robin's last lookalike in GA too!) We all loved him. I always made sure to find him and give him love on our walks. I'm sure he's running free and happy at the bridge, with no hind end issues to slow him down anymore. But I know we still wish he were here with us. He will be missed.

The fact that it was scattered to me seems like stress pooping, or at the very least involuntary. Robin has had a few incidents where he has not been able to control the fact that it is coming out, even though he knows it shouldn't. This has happened usually when his routine is off and he doesn't go before bed, and he gets up in the night to go. It has also happened when he is excited or stressed or anxious, like at the pet store, or once at a therapy dog visit, when I haven't made sure he was empty first. (I've learned the signs better since then, of course.) The thing is, I've watched these happen, and because it catches him by surprise, and he knows he is in a place he isn't supposed to go, he kind of walks around in a squat as it is happening, which scatters the poop around, kind of like dropping a trail. It looks like he is trying to stop it mid poop but he can't. Robin is 11 and also has some hind end weakness happening. The worst part is that he always seems upset afterwards--almost like he's ashamed. Just give your boy a hug. He'll be fine.

So I talked to the vet today about possibly getting adequan injections, and I got the numbers. Yikes. They said it would be 2 times per week for 4 weeks, so 8 injections. With the amount he needs, it comes to about $55 per injection. So $440 total in one month. He also said that it may not work on Robin as well because he is not "just at the beginning" of arthritis. (He's had it for two years.) I didn't get that impression from reading here on GT, but at any rate, it is kind of a "let's try it" kind of thing. I also got numbers from some vets in the area for acupuncture. There is one that is a Veterinary Rehabilitation Center, and it even has water therapy, and for the area, the cost was reasonable. $90 for the first visit, and $64 for the follow-ups. Unfortunately, I really can't do both right now, even though that would be best. So I think I have to choose, at least at the beginning. So I'm thinking I should do the acupuncture for a little bit and see how that goes, and then I can plan on trying the adequan injections in another month or two. This is assuming that you really have to do the whole cycle of 8 injections for it to be worth it. Is that right? If not, let me know what your experiences have been. If it would be helpful to do a few injections, I could maybe make that happen now rather than waiting. Thanks!

I'm considering trying acupuncture for Robin's arthritis and hind end weakness. He's almost 11 1/2, and the supplements and fish oil are not cutting it. He's definitely worse than he was a few months ago, and I'm considering other options. It may be time to start him on an NSAID, but I also wanted to look into acupuncture, as the recommendations for it are overwhelming. Can anyone in Massachusetts recommend an acupuncture vet that you use and like? I have no idea where to start looking. Also, I'm curious about how often you tend to do it. Is acupuncture something you do weekly, or every few weeks, or what? Finally, what is the ballpark cost per session? Any info is appreciated. Thanks! Cathy

Do you use the Yucca regularly, or only when it is bad? Doesn't it lose effectiveness if you use it long-term (the body gets used to it)? Robin is on glucosamine, msm, chondroitin, and vitamin c from Greyhound Gang, as well as Grizzly Salmon Oil. But after 2 years on these, I think it is time to add something. He's definitely worse than he was even a few months ago.

I know you from our walks!! Robin has some rear end weakness like you describe. When he gets tired on a walk, he starts dragging his feet more, and if he stands still for too long his back end starts to droop. My vet did an exam and he felt that it was not neurological, but more "structural". Meaning, when he did the "flip over the back foot" test, he sensed it instantly (neurologically sound), but couldn't get it over very quickly (something structural). He felt that Robin's arthritis may have spread into his back. Robin's arthritis showed up three years ago, when he was 9. It started in his right wrist. By now, it appears to be in his back, hips, and wrists. Back then, I started Robin on Get Up and Go glucosamine supplements from the greyhound gang. It took two months, but all of a sudden, Robin was doing zoomies again and bounding around in a way I realized he hadn't in quite a while. I hadn't even noticed the lack of energy/mobility until it was back. It was wonderful. Over the past three years, we have occasionally tried cheaper human-versions of the glucosamine, and I noticed it wasn't working nearly as well. Now we are back on the Get Up and Go, and we've added Grizzly Salmon Oil, and Robin is much better. The rear end weakness is still there right now, but the overall is better. I guess what I'm saying is, it could be arthritis in his back. And consider the Get Up and Go supplements. They are completely pure, and reasonably priced too! I'm not going back to anything else--this definitely works. Next time we're on a GA walk together, we will have to get the boys together and compare butts! I mean rear ends...... Cathy

I do know my vet accepts it, thank goodness. Though I guess I don't know about Tufts or Angell. I already used it for $300 two months ago and have paid extra on it so that it is nearly paid off. I was hoping that using it and paying it really fast would help my case. I've been planning ahead, at least a little bit. And I know, Boston prices are high. I am hoping to hear from some local people as well--I think these prices may be competitive, sadly.

Hi everyone, I asked my vet for an estimate for a dental for Robin, and this is the information I got. Procedure or Dispensed Item Qty Charge Dog Prophy - Dental 310.00 Anesthesia Iso, Extra 15 Min. 6 366.00 Canine Full View Dental Xrays 116.00 Dental X-Ray Additional 18.00 Extraction Simple-per tooth 5 145.00 Extraction-Complicated per Tooth 5 330.00 Fluids During Surgery (IV Cath & Fluids) 73.00 Rimadyl 75mg 4-pack 26.30 Ampicillin inj. 500mg 8.50 31.41 Medical Waste Disposal Fee 4.00 Tax... 1.64 ---------- Total estimate charges... $1421.35 Actual total may vary between: $562.35 and $1421.35 I have a couple of questions for those of you who have done this more often. One, is the Ampicillin injection an antibiotic? I'm assuming so...to prevent infection? Also, I'm glad to see the dental x-rays are recommended. Is there anything else I should ask for? What about that anti-bleeding med, amicar? I'm sure this isn't the cheapest it could be, but I don't know if I should shop around too much or just go with my vet who is used to Robin. He's 11, and so I'm quite nervous even though he had a dental once years ago and was fine (his teeth have actually been pretty good his whole life until recently, so he has only had the one). My vet said if I'm really worried, I should go to Angel or Tufts because they have an anesthesiologist to watch him during the procedure. I haven't gotten an estimate yet, but I bet it's a lot more than my regular vet above. Has anyone had a dental at any of those places? Feedback or recommendations? Is it much more expensive? Finally, I got a carecredit card for this, but they only gave me a $500 limit. The paperwork says that if I need a credit increase, to have the vet call and request it. Have any of you ever done this? What are my chances of actually getting them to increase it to enough that I can pay for Robin's dental? My credit isn't great right now--I think it's in the "fair" category. And even if they do, I bet I wouldn't be able to get enough for Angell or Tufts. Aargh. I know I need to do this for him. I do think his teeth hurt him sometimes when he's eating. And his breath is horrible. I want to keep him around with me for a long time, and he's healthy otherwise. But I'm so worried about him being 11 and having anesthesia from the stories I've read on GT, plus my worries that carecredit will not give me the credit to make it happen. And then I want to make sure that they do everything right for him and I request what I should to give him the best chance (like the amicar). Help!! Per the

Aww...I hope he feels better soon!

Robin had randomness like that back in the day, and we checked him for lyme because we knew another dog who had it, and he came out positive. Very mild, but positive. Lyme disease can cause random muscle cramps and spasms. Good luck!

I have tendinitis frequently, and what works is 2-2-2. 2 alleves (naproxen), 2x per day, for 2 weeks. That is what my orthopedic doctor recommends. You need a fairly high, consistent dose of nsaids to make the inflammation really go away, rather than just to relieve the pain. I don't know what the equivalent would be for a dog, though.

That is the benign kind, right? My family's non-grey had the malignant kind (perianal adenocarcinoma), and unfortunately, because almost all of it was internal (and him being really hairy didn't help), by the time it was visible, it was already the size of a baseball inside him. So even surgery wasn't really a viable option at that point. So we kept him happy for the time he had left. I just reread your post and it is the size of a pea? I guess in the end these two situations aren't really very similar. It sounds like your guy is in a much better place than Domino was, so I hope I didn't scare you. I hope you get some good advice and options and that this is just a minor annoyance.

Not sure. I have to look it up. But i feel like it was longer than a week. Maybe two? It was expensive, i know that.

I had to check my vet records to remember, but yes, I did. It did clear it up, and he hasn't had any symptoms since, so I guess it finally worked.

Robin had that a year ago, but he was definitely symptomatic at the time. They said the same thing about it being rare, and my Vet even consulted with someone else to discuss recommendations. We did a round of panacur, but we didn't retest after. I ended up wishing we did, because four months later he came up positive for them again and we did another round of panacur. If w had retested, i would've known if the meds worked and he got then again, or if they just weren't gotten the first time. Fingers crossed, he's been fine since. Robin had that a year ago, but he was definitely symptomatic at the time. They said the same thing about it being rare, and my Vet even consulted with someone else to discuss recommendations. We did a round of panacur, but we didn't retest after. I ended up wishing we did, because four months later he came up positive for them again and we did another round of panacur. If w had retested, i would've known if the meds worked and he got then again, or if they just weren't gotten the first time. Fingers crossed, he's been fine since.

I have no idea what could be wrong, but that is what happens when Robin is in pain (like when he's sore from running), or when his stomach is upset (usually followed by "issues"). He stands there looking at me wanting me to fix it. :-( But I don't always know what's wrong at first, except that he won't settle and lay down. I think he can't find a comfortable position, and when he goes to lay down, it causes pain, so he gets right back up. What he doesn't know is that if he would just lay down he would feel better--all he knows is that twinge of pain as he goes down. (This is for muscle pain and stomach pain as well--the behavior is the same.) Just my thoughts. Good luck!