rascalsmom

My angel, Buddy, had a bout of vestibular syndrome, too. It is very scary. I hope your guy continues his improvement!

A cautiously optimistic update...what a great thing. Take care of yourself, Hope, while OSU takes care of your Princess. Jane, you really are an earthly angel. Thanks for being there for Hope.

I agree. Especially with Therapaws, since they are so heavy and relatively large.

In Rascal's case, it presented as a large, fluid filled sac on her upper front leg, near the armpit area. The vet aspirated three large vials of fluid, then palpated the area and felt nodules. She then did a FNA on the nodules, and sent it for biopsy. The results said spindle cell, and we did the surgery; that biopsy narrowed it down to hemangiopericytoma. The vet explained that it was a localized tumor (although no real "mass", just the tendrils), and that it would not metastasize. It may, however, come back in the same area, and we were hoping that Rascal will die of old age in the meantime since she's already 11. However, after Christmas I noticed the area was very red, and a small 'blister' was forming. Since then the redness has largely subsided, but the blister is still there. I am keeping an eye on it, and will get the vet to look at it when she goes for her checkup this month. The vet also said that a second surgery usually isn't indicated, since it will generally grow back more deeply seated and difficult to remove the second time. So, if it truly is back, who knows what we'll do.

Rascal has hemangiopericytoma. She had surgery in May '09 to try and remove it, and the vet couldn't remove it all due to it having many 'tendrils'. She told me it would likely recur, but hopefully not in Rascal's lifetime (she's 11). However, I think it's back.

Certainly. I was told to add 1/8 t. of metamucil (for Jack) with each meal. That, along with a food change, firmed up his poop. I have since eliminated the metamucil and all is well!

DId the tape cause your dog's corns to NOT come back? Or is it more of a mangement tool? It is helping me get Jack's out, but they always come back.

I've tried everything for Jack's corns...or it seems like it. He has one on each front foot and one on a back foot. I've had them hulled by the vet four times (since this past June); I used the Murray Ave. cream--didn't work. I am currently using duct tape. I cut a circle just a hair bigger than the corn, and keep it on all the time. You have to keep checking it, at least daily, because sometimes they do come off. I've found Jack loses the one on the back foot a lot more frequently than those on the front. I change them every other day or so, and can occasionally "peel" off a layer when I change the tape. It required some digging-I use my fingernail-and sometimes a little pair of scissors. The scissors aid in cutting the corn off, once you get the edges loosened. I also recently got some bee propolis, and am starting to use that. Corns are SOOOOO frustrating. My poor guy is only 5 and it's painful to watch him walk across the tile floor--even though I've got rugs throughout for him.

I'm pretty sure it's Jack. In the past, he has "misted" a flower arrangement I have in there [it's on the floor, obviously ]...something the girls wouldn't be able to do. And truthfully, all the girls want to do in the living room is get on the couches--as long as they can do that they are happy and aren't going to mark. Not to mention, until Jack got here, there was never any marking in there.

We got Jack a year ago, as a foster dog. At the time, our dogs (Rascal and Ruby) had access to the entire house. Jack had a few accidents in the living room/dining room, so I put a gate up. We don't use those rooms that much, and I also wanted to keep the girls off of the furniture in there. The gate was a pain, but I wanted my furniture to stay nice, and not have to fight the girls over being on it all the time. Over Thanksgiving I took the gate down, since we were having company. The dogs LOVE it in those rooms, so I decided to try allowing them to be in there--but not at night, and not when we aren't home. I just put a couple of dining room chairs in the doorway to keep them out. As expected, the girls were on the furniture again--so I put throws over it. THEN, I bought slip covers. I have the slip cover on the couch, and the weird thing is, since I put it on the girls haven't been on it ONCE. But I digress.... The point of the post is this: Last night we found a little bit of pee in there again. I know it had to be Jack, just because of where it was--right near the love seat. What is up with him?? ALSO--last night my DH found Jack on the love seat. Jack has never been on the furniture since he's been here, and I rather like it that way--well, I made him get off and my DH says that I am mean--the girls are allowed on, but not Jack? I contend that Jack has been fine without being on the furniture for a year, and I don't want to start that with him!! I bought the slip covers because, in March, we will be moving, and our living room furniture will be used daily--I wanted slip covers to protect the upholstery UNTIL THE GIRLS ARE GONE [they are 11], thinking to take them off and have my beautiful upholstery again, WITHOUT dogs getting on it. I really think I am right to NOT allow Jack on the furniture! He was on the love seat AFTER we found the pee. ANYWAY....any ideas on why he pees in that room? He doesn't do it anywhere else in the house. Would he STOP peeing in there if they were allowed access to that room all the time; sort of like making it part of their 'sleeping area' with the thought that they won't soil their sleeping area?

No suggestions, just

Our vet told me that of all the things people have tried, people tend to report better luck with the duct tape than with anything else. And she sees A LOT of greyhounds.

I'm so sorry. I, too, have often wondered how you and your family is doing. Sorry we had to learn under these circumstances.

No, not really, and whatever is left is easy to get off. I always try and rub it off before reapplying the new piece.

It took a couple of weeks, I think, before I saw a difference with the duct tape. Just change it daily--it does tend to come off at times anyway, so you'll want to keep an eye out to make sure it's actually still ON. It softens the corns, so you're able to peel off some.

Jack always limps for a while after a hulling--either at the vet or at home. I think it just gets sore from being messed with. Unfortunately, Jack's corns are many (three corns on three different feet), so he limps ALL of the time if on the ceramic tile. I have rugs throughout the kitchen for him. He's a lot better on carpet. I think I would pay a pretty hefty price for a corn treatment that WORKS. We tried the Murray Ave. cream for three months, and it didn't work for Jack. Now I'm using duct tape, and am able to peel off part of the corns every few days.

Congratulations! It's wonderful how the right hound will help your heart to heal, isn't it? My Jack is my heart-healer...he's got a heart on his face to prove it!

We have a similar problem with Jack from time to time. I am home with them most of the day (SAHM), but on occasion when we/I leave we'll return to a puddle. We have gated the living/dining room so the dogs can't go in there, since he would frequently use that room , and we keep our daughter's bedroom door shut, too, for the same reason. So he has access to kitchen, family room, our bedroom, sewing room, and the finished basement. I have found that leaving the TV or a radio on seems to help. Also, making SURE he goes outside to pee right before I leave also helps.

This morning I was able to remove the corns from Jack's front feet. I am a duct tape convert!!

I would NOT use crazy glue!! Yesterday, I was able to peel off the smallest corn from Jack's back foot. The ones on his front feet are huge, and they are taking longer, but I am hopeful!! I make the circles just a bit larger than the corn, since the edges always seem to roll up a little. Unfortunately, a hole punch would be WAY too small for Jack's corns on the front feet, that's how big they are. Another thought: If I keep putting the duct tape over the spot where the corn came out, will it help to PREVENT it from coming back?? Does anyone know?

Here's the update. Jack is on strictly Iams now, with 1/8 t. of Metamucil. He is producing the firmest poop I ever have seen from him! I ran out of Fromm completely, and have given the girls the Iams, and they are eating it, too. So let's just hope all continues to go well, and I have my problem solved! Sure, not one of the "premium" foods, but it's working....plus, I got a 44 pound bag for $29.99 yesterday, as opposed to 33 pounds of Fromm for $41.45. So a win-win situation here. Thanks everyone for the input, and especially thanks to PAM, for suggesting to "throw the green bag into the cart" in desperation.

My Jack has four corns, spread over three of his feet. Since June, we've had them hulled three times, and they keep coming back. I used the special corn cream for three months and it didn't do anything. I am now using duct tape, and while it's too early to really say for sure, I can tell you that it seems to be changing the texture of the corns. I am hopeful. The vet told me that she's done surgery on them before, and it is a long recovery period, and "about 50% of them come back." Not good enough odds for me to want to put my dog through that. And since they can only do one corn at a time, Jack would have to go through it numerous times. No thanks. We will keep trying other options if the duct tape doesn't do the trick, and keep getting them hulled.

Heather, I cannot imagine trying to find a food to suit all those dogs, both taste-wise and poop-wise! The vet thinks Jack's problem is in his large bowel. ***graphic poo talk coming up, be warned....*** Since, when he poops, it starts out pretty firm, but then as he gets to the end it's more of a pudding texture, she says it's probably large bowel. The large bowel's job is to remove excess water, and his obviously isn't quite doing it. She says that it's the "filler" stuff in dog food (such as beet pulp) that will help to absorb some of that excess water, and that's why the higher end food doesn't work great for him. I don't know if a grain-free food would help him or make things worse.

Pam, I was thinking of your 'famous line' when I threw that green bag into MY cart! Thank you for that, since it appears to be working. If you've ever read the ingredients on the bag of prescription food Jack was on, the Iams looks GOURMET in comparison! So I think of it as a step up!

Believe me, I have switched the girls' food many, many times. Rascal does tend to lose interest after awhile. Foods they've eaten in the past nine years: ProPlan Canidae Chicken Soup Diamond Naturals Fromm Purina One Iams Pet Edge Kirkland There are probably more, I just can't think of them right now. Fortunately the girls don't have any trouble switching. My main problem has been getting firm stool from Jack since we got him. I'd like yard cleanup to be easy with him, like it is with the girls!