kudzu

Ditto... until... Called my vet here in the Atlanta area for a quote for my little Deehound mix, 60 lbs. The quote was $500 which did include blood work & pain meds. Next I contacted the vet clinic that does the Greyhound spay/neuters for our adoption group. Their quote was in the $200's & I know they have loads of sighthound experience. In the end, that is where I took my girl. For $230 she had pre-op blood work, was spayed, got pain meds to take home plus she was microchipped. She breezed through it all. I love my vets & will continue to use them but sometimes when it comes to price ya gotta vote with your feet so I hoofed it over to the affordable place who I trusted just as much.

Been there, done that, switched vets. It is soooo hard to find that perfect combo. Ours is amazingly good. Most staff is long term, some of the staff for as long as 10 years. Took so long to find them.

Some dogs have strange reactions to Tramadol so it is the likely suspect. I would worry though that it is pain. Has your vet mentioned trying gabapentin (Neurontin). It is often used for nerve pain & used in conjunction with other meds for chronic pain. Can be combined with meds he is already taking. I take it & it helps tremendously. Prayers for keeping you baby feeling as good as possible.

Have dealt with Cushing's in a non-Grey. Sounds like your vet will do an LDDS test, low dose dexamethasone suppression. That is probably the most common one though some start with ACTH but then follow up with LDDS. Also used ultrasound to check adrenals & kidneys. Size & enlargement, whether equally enlarged or not, help determine if Cushing's is pituitary or adrenal dependent. LDDS also helps in that determination. (If it turns out to be Cushing's you will want to check around for cost of ACTH stim tests. OSU may be much cheaper than your vet... or not.) Your description is the textbook dog with Cushing's. My little Angel was that plus an example of the worst skin problems. In addition she had a lot of laxity in her joints from extreme delay in diagnosis & treatment. Her hips even dislocated. It was horrible. Once she started treatment she was a new woman. Her hair never fully grew back because of the extensive scarring but her personality & spirit was amazing. She ran the household for 3 years. Yes, Cushing's can be deadly because of the damage it wreaks on internal organs. Yet it is treatable & needs to be treated. You can read some really scary stuff about the treatments but the stress is in the beginning when you are trying to the the dosing correct. More scary than treating is what happens to untreated dogs. I've seen what happens. You don't want that to be your dog. The symptoms also can be indicators of other diseases so don't overlook that by concentrating on Cushing's. Also remember that diabetes & hypothyroid can happen along with Cushing's. Hypothyroid in particular is quite common with Cushing's so test for that even if Cushing's is suspected & confirmed. Someone has already mentioned SARDs. It happens with & without Cushing's. I don't know if they have ever determined the link or the cause. Good luck. I hope you get a diagnosis for you baby. Glad you are pursuing this.

Poor thing! Have you scheduled an ACTH stim test? What is his Na/K (sodium/potassium) ratio? The is often the biggest clue to Addison's though Atypical Addision's can have normal electrolytes. Cannot remember the connection between Addison's & low calcium. Perhaps a low level of a hormone related to the parathyroid? My little sister's dog has been recently diagnosed with hypoparathyroid. (Not that that helps you at all.) Sorry your boy is feeling poorly. Is he better? Did they give him any fluids? Hope he is feeling better.

If you think Cesar Milan's dominance theory method of training is great, you should probably do a lot more studying of dog behavior. You will find that he is actually not whispering but indeed screaming at the dogs with body language & dominance. Watch the dogs on his show. Really look at their face, their posture, their behavior. Most are not calm & submissive, they are scared. This does not mean that everything he does is wrong. But his methods are based on a theory that has been proven wrong over & over again. For me, I will choose Victoria Stillwell over Cesar Milan every time. Vets, behaviorists & trainers are all having to deal with the fallout from Cesar's celebrity status causing a resurgence of dominance based training. Try reading the links below. Think the whole thing through. Watch his show again. Then come to your own conclusions. More on dog behavior & dominance theory from scientists & behavior experts: Using 'Dominance' To Explain Dog Behavior Is Old Hat American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has had to issue the following position statements: Dominance Position Statement "Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of Animals" Punishment Position Statement - "The Use of Punishment for Behavior Modification in Animals"

Test for TBD's &/or ultrasound to look for tumors. Are these vets Greyhound savvy? Someone correct me too if I am wrong but don't Greys have much larger spleens than most breeds? Seem to remember hearing Dr. Couto mentioning this.

Ditto!

My then 4.5 yo came up lame on right rear soon after adoption. Scared the bejeepers out of me. It had gotten progressively worse for two days, went to vet on 3rd day, they worked some voodoo, on 4th day she was almost completely recovered. Diagnosis, old racing injury. Soon to be adopted 10 yo came up lame on right rear while still in foster care, xrays & blood work done. Improved slowly. diagnosis, osteoarthritis & muscle stain. Recently while at a day care/boarding facility during my vacation, my 1 yo came up lame on left rear. By the time I got home a few days later the leg was swollen & I immediately took her to vet. Diagnosis, puncture wound & resulting infection. (And they damn well should have called me or my emergency contacts but they delayed. Grrrrr!) Strains, bumps, bruises all happen in play & usually do not require vet attention but if it isn't better in a couple days we are off to the vet. I hate to waste money but do not like to play around with lameness. It isn't likely to be cancer but if it is time is of the essence. Plus my baby's puncture wound & resulting infection would not have nearly cost her her life & limb if she had been treated even a day or two earlier.

My vet studied there as did one of the neurologists at the UFL vet school. Chinese herbs can be potent stuff just as Western meds can. As I did some research on some of the TCM meds prescribed, I could find scientific evidence to back up some of it. As with all medicine, you need a competent practitioner. Cannot say that I understand some of what they say but we've had as much success with the TCM remedies as the traditional Western ones. Which is to say, some worked & some didn't. BF just asks if the doc worked some of her voodoo.

I have both but use the Extend-a-Seat in one car & the hammock in the other. If we go on long trips in the larger car I move the Extend-a-Seat over to it. That combo works quite well except for one problem. The hammock blocks most of the ventilation going to the back seat. So until I find a hammock with a mesh section for the area between the two front seats I am not going to bother with a hammock for my main car, the smaller of the two. The Extend-a-Seat was my first choice because I was concerned the senior I was adopting would not do well if he stepped onto a part of the hammock that was not supported by the back seat. Am glad I did. For one dog in a back seat I think the hammock alone is great. For two dogs in a back seat, unless they are really accustomed to the hammock they can easily lose their balance. This makes me wonder if it may also be a problem for a dog who is uncomfortable in the car & paces. May depend on what about car travel disturbs him. As to the question of size, we have a really cheap hammock from PetEdge It fits both the large (think land yacht) & the small car (1st Gen Prius) so I think there is a lot of leeway in the sizes. ETA: Forgot to mention that I did look for the hammock in my price range with the largest dimensions. Also, look for one that is both waterproof & machine washable. Some are either one or the other but not both.

I know my own arthritis can make me feel like that. It could be any number of things but back &/or knee probs would be my top guess. Since he was better it certainly wasn't e-vet time but some xrays may be in order so you can see what's up. If it is arthritis, he will feel much better if you treat him. The NSAIDS can work wonders.

I'm not much help. First thought reading it is UTI but some of the results don't make sense to me. Sorry, out of practice reading lab work. That was 3 dogs ago. Wish I had an easy explanation for that scary word neoplastic. One thing I do know is that it doesn't take much blood in urine to make it look bright red. Also, UTIs can result in the "peeing blood" look. Been there. Done that. Anti-b's were the cure. Definitely do ask them to culture the urine. Try not to worry too much until you have more results. Sending good thoughts for Thane.

The registration info is not out yet. They have just sent out a "Save the Date" notice so everyone can plan ahead. Here is a blip about it on the calendar of events: Event Details It includes an email address for our contact person. She may be able to put you on the mailing list.

Also want to add. Please do not use violence, fear or intimidation to try and solve this problem. That does not mean to "let him get away with it". Training & behavior solutions are needed. However, what you want is to get to the root of the problem and help change whatever is causing the behavior. Simply punishing him for showing the behavior teaches him that giving warning like growling, snarling, lunging will get him punished. So instead he will mask those feelings causing this & could quit giving warning signs. Instead it could just suddenly escalate to biting. Please do not go all Cesar Millan on him. That will not solve the problem. However, the suggestion to take control of things your dog does is a good one. You control the food, you control the bed, you control going for walks, etc. NILIF does work when done appropriately. It can work wonders. Clicker training is a great way to teach behaviors. It is hands off so much safer.

Get him to a vet for a check including bloodwork with a complete thyroid check. There are some medical conditions which can contribute to some unpleasant behavior including aggression. I had a dog with Cushing's whose personality changed dramatically though that is not the norm for Cushing's. Have heard anecdotal evidence that thyroid can. Pain, seizures, all can contribute. Though those are not likely it is always best for a vet visit first. Then your next stop should be a behaviorist. However, you must be careful who you choose for there is no legal standard, licensing or certification for behaviorists & trainers. In your case I would strongly recommend a veterinary behaviorist. You can find one here: American College of Veterinary Behaviorists - http://www.veterinarybehaviorists.org/ And as others have mentioned, if he is sleeping on your bed get him off, like yesterday. Provide him with a comfy, cozy bed on the floor. Personally, I would not even have him on the couch with me until I had more info on what was going on. Also, I have a timid Grey who sounds quite vicious with growling, barking, hackles raised to anyone coming up to the fence or our door. She would also kill any small critters she could catch outside. She is the sweetest, best behaved dog I have ever had and shows no aggression whatsoever. If I open the door & invite someone in, she does not try to exit. She is fine with people entering when we have invited them. She is a watch dog, not a guard dog. She has never snapped or lunged at anyone ever not even at the vets, when surprised or awakened. What you are describing sounds quite extreme. Please do pursue answers to the cause of this & get help finding a solution. This does not sound terribly happy for human or dog in the long run. Wishing you the best & a resolution to this.

How much are you asking for it? How many miles on that Soul? How will you get there without a car? Oh, wait. You're not talking about a Kia. Seriously though, Dr. Couto is quite good. Just his comparatively short presentation at Mountain Hounds was fantastic. Then he took so much time answering everyone's questions. I've no idea where the man gets all his patience & compassion. So you can bet I will be attending the upcoming seminar. Hope many others can make it. It will be well worth it, I am sure.

When my guy bloated the first time he had nothing out of the ordinary to eat, just his usual breakfast which was 1/2 of his daily ration. Was not turned out until 1 hour after breakfast. Was then put in a 10' x 30' pen. Was later brought in & spent the afternoon inside. Did not show obvious signs of bloating until late afternoon. Based on symptoms he likely torsioned at approximately 6:00 PM BEFORE his dinner & as I was driving home from work. BF was at home & called to report initial odd behavior which kept me from working late. Then called again while I was on my way home to report the alarming symptoms. Sometimes it just doesn't matter what you do. Other times folks do everything wrong and the dogs does not bloat & torsion. You just never know. Yes you should take precautions to limit the possibility of bloat but it is not fair to say GDV comes from poor management. Yes, supposedly they are more prone to bloating again. The stomach is usually tacked during GDV surgery to prevent torsion in case they do bloat again.

Oh, sweet Bumper, he who has bumpers on his bed, I have been following your thread & am so glad you are home. Now listen to your dad. Help him out by eating & exercising without trying any crazy stuff. Get better!

> What can I look for if this happens again? Unusual tightness in the belly area even if it isn't obviously swollen could be a sign of gas. You would need to know what your dog normally feels like to tell this. It may not be apparent on a lean, well muscled dog. I would look for a sudden increase in size anywhere from ribcage back to hips. One of my dogs was so prone to bloating that we kept a "bloat tape" which was a tape measure with marks where his size normally was. We measured before meals, immediately after meals & then 1/2-1 hour later. Plus any ol' time I felt paranoid. Any deviation over an inch was cause for a recheck in 15-30 min. If his size had increased at all then we started treatment & rechecked every 15 mins. If he continued to get larger then it was off to e-vet. > Or could it have actually been extreme weight gain and loss? Don't know but I normally cannot see my dogs' weight gain in just a few days or a weeks time. Have you compared the number of calories in the old food versus Kirklands? What were you feeding? Variations in carbohydrate levels can make a difference. > Do people give there dogs something for gas? Simethicone is a standard. I usually tried to find Ultra Strength Phazyme or equivalent. Go with just simethicone without other additives. If you can find liquid simethicone that may work faster though I've had good success with the tablets. It could take 4-6 of them or more for severe problems. > Of course I am always worried about things like bloat, but I am still unsure as to what causes it... You and everyone else. Body shape, nervous personalities, stress, one big meal a day, hard exercise immediately after eating are all possibilities along with many others. Was it Purdue where the big bloat study was done? Can't remember off hand. > Does gas play a factor in it? Yes, it can but not always. Definition of bloat: So many people use "bloat" in place of bloat & torsion or GDV, gastric dilatation and volvulus. Bloat is really just what it sounds like. The stomach fills up & gets bloated. Though the intestines can also fill with gas which seems quite a bit more painful. Extreme bloat on its on can be deadly but is easier to treat. Once it gets to the torsion or volvulus stage the clock is really ticking & you have no time to waste. Since there is no way that I know of to look at a dog & tell if they have torsioned, all bloat is considered an emergency. Usually I would fill Daniel full of simethicone & head off to the e-vet without even waiting to see if he would deflate on his own. Many was the time we got to the parking lot to find he had deflated on the way. In spite of their body shape, Greyhounds really do not seem more prone to bloat than most other breeds. Any dog can bloat in the wrong circumstances. However, it is always good to take a few precautions like splitting up food into two meals a day & not allowing running for an hour or so after a meal. A nice leisurely walk is fine though & even was recommended by one e-vet. She described as a "stop & smell the pretty flowers" kind of walk. That as opposed to a power walk for exercise only.

Oh, I am so very sorry. I do wonder if it could have been septicemia. How horrible. It is just heartbreaking. Please give your friend our condolences. Laura

No, I wasn't trying to imply the throat lump was the site of the wound. Sorry if that was confusing. I probably did not word my response correctly. From the description I would think the lump was drainage.

First guess is puncture wound has abscessed. That comes to mind because we just went through that with one of my dogs. Got a wound while we were out of town. It was not treated properly. By the time we got home it was infected. Took her immediately to vet where we were prescribed cephalexin & metacam. She improved but then quit eating. I skipped the one dose of metacam & anti-b fearing tummy trouble. Came home to a VERY sick dog who was then limping profoundly on a different foot. The infection had gone to through her system & set up shop in a different foot. Best guess is the cephalexin had not been strong enough & the metacam was masking symptoms. She ended up getting a day of IV meds followed up by two weeks of Clavamox. We're 10 days out from the end of antibiotics & all is well, not even limping. BTW, her presentation that night was very reminiscent of a TBD & she was tested for that but was negative. Given the history the vet chose not to treat with doxy as it does not work well when combined with anti-b's & he felt Luna was more likely in need of antibiotics. Wishing your friend's dog all the best.

Until you can find someone to give the shots, ask for a prescription for gabapentin. It can cause some problems with equilibrium for the first couple days as your body gets used to it but it can be a true godsend for treating nerve pain. It is used for dogs frequently & I take it myself for a form of stenosis. It will not treat the cauda equina but it can help significantly with the pain it causes. Good wishes & hopes you can find some help.

LOL! Oh, good heaven's. You clearly said that in the first sentence. Can picture you taking your "cat" to the vet. "Man, that's one funny lookin' cat, M'am." So sorry. Perhaps I need to go to the doctor more than poor Archie! So guessing this ain't a hairball. Sheesh. Still, if he is due for an annual soon you may want to push the visit up to some time soon & get a senior wellness done with bloodwork. Hope this is just a minor glitch. PS If you want a cat, BF has one I'd love to send you. She'll answer to anything, even Archie.