greysmom

You might need to go to a health food store or section, or maybe someplace like Coastal Farm & Ranch (I think it's used for livestock???), to find colloidal silver.

I use the over 55 lbs Advantage with no problems on mine.

An update: The rabies vaccine Cash got was Schering Plough (killed virus) Lot # S950684B I'm off now to try and report this wear it needs reporting. Also FYI, through all this I found out that it's possible - at least here in Oregon - to get a medical dispensation from vaccines for licensing purposes. You may want to check this out with your own licensing authorities. Especially if your dogs are mostly at home and don't come into contact with other dogs or wildlife on a regular basis, they may not need regularly scheduled vaccines. You can also find a vet to run titers for various antibodies to see if they even need boosters.

Keeping it dry is going to be the biggest problem I think. If it's just superficial - only through the skin and not into the flesh beneath - it will heal on it's own eventually. But because it's on a part of her body that is not immobile, it will remain open for a long time. She'll likely have a scar as well. I would keep an eye on it and leave it unwrapped as much as possible. Epsom salt soaks, or even just warm compresses will help. However, if she starts licking or chewing it, or it starts to tear more, it needs to be covered and maybe seen by a vet. Such a pretty grl! Hope she feels better soon!

You don't say how long she's been with you, and that would factor in any response. If less than three months or so, depending on the dog, you may not know yet if she will be OK to sleep with you safely. Some questions to think about: >Does she have ANY space issues? >Does she tend to guard things she considers hers (toys, treats, food, her bed, other special resources)? >Does she challenge you, or pretend not to hear you when you ask her to do something? >Has she ever snapped at you for any reason? Answering "yes" may mean your dog needs a bit more time and training before bed priviledges should be given. >How do you feel about dog hair, dirt, licky wet spots, treat fragments, and other dog effluvia in your bed? >Do *YOU* have space issues? (I say this because I do, and sometimes I get very little sleep if our bed sleeper is feeling frisky in the middle of the night and has a dream zoomie session)? >Can you, and any companion, both sleep on the bed in comfort when the dog is on there too? If you're not comfortable with having her on the bed for sleeping, then don't allow it. It will take some time an persistence on your part because they can be very stubborn when they want a thing. Stop her before she gets on your bed and redirect her to her bed. If she does get up there, don't grab her collar to move her off - teach her a command (off, or down or whatever you want to use), or attach a leash and lead her off to her bed. You may have to do this many many times, especially if she's already been allowed up there. If you want her with you for snuggles, but then want her to sleep on her bed, give her a command and treat her when she obeys. Be positive and upbeat and firm. And don't give in to the sad eyes when you establish a rule and she wants something different. Good luck!

If you haven't, spend some quality time with her doing "Alone Training." If she did not spend signifcant time in a foster home then she is simply not used to being by herself. If you put the effort in now, you will have an easier time in the future. If she's a chewer, put her muzzle on when you leave. They can drink, eat and even lick out a Kong with one on and they will save you angst and chewed possessions. Make sure your leavng routine is the same every time - very low key, no excitement, get her ready and go with a minimum of fuss and bother. If the problem is the crate, then I would do as juliemac suggests. It doesn't matter that they spend their lives in kennels. A crate in a new home is different, and many greys do not like or need a crate at home. You might give her a try and see how she does.

If you have the package you might read the ingredients. I thought that white chocolate didn't have any "chocolate" in it, an so should be safe for dogs.

I've been thinking of you and Klaus and the other hounds. I'm sorry for your loss. Run far and fast and free, sweet Logan. We'll see you again someday........................

One of mine will actually refuse to go outside (if I let him!) when it's raining. Living in Oregon, this is a problem. Sounds like she is settling in and has decided she doesn't want/need to go out on walks. Does she need to be walked for pottying and/or exercise? Have there been any other behavioral changes recently? Has the weather become more cold/wet/windy and does she exhibit reluctance to go out in that weather? Did something happen on one of your walks - however minor you thought it - that she could have thought was scary? She is definitely protesting, it just remains to be discovered what the cause is. Use a happy voice when getting her collar and leash. Praise praise praise AND if she'll take treats, use them to help her associate the collar with a good yummy thing. Consider having her wear her collar more often so that it's not *just* for walks. Make sure the collar fits properly and that it's not rubbing or chaffing her anywhere. She should be wearing an adjustable martigale collar with two fingers of space. Corns could indeed make her reluctant to walk (along with several other ailments). They are very painful and very hard to find if you don't know what you're looking for. If her crying continues she may need a vet visit.

I'm so very sorry. He will definitely be missed by many many people. Run far and fast and free, sweet Gus!

This will be my last update for this thread, I think. Cash isn't 100%, but she's really come a long way. She hardly needs the support from the harness anymore and I can tell she's growing tired of it! Today, she looked so forlorn when the other dogs went upstairs that we hauled her up there. It's where our bedroom is and that's always been her "safe" spot when she's feeling anxious. She jumped up on our bed and flopped over, sighing quite dramatically. I don't think we're going to be able to keep her downstairs anymore. The E-vet called today to see how she was doing. The tech told me she was the one who carried Cash in from my car when she was seizing and not breathing. She also said she went home crying that night because she didn't think Cash was going to make it. I could hear her get a little choked up when I told her how good Cash was doing. Thank you all again for your wonderful support during this. She's my girl and I don't know what I would have done if things had turned out differently. Chris

I have a call in to my vet for ths info, but they aren't open on the weekends. Will post as soon as I get it. Cash did get three vaccines at the same time - rabies, DAPP, and another normal one. She has had all these shots before, at the same time, from this vet and clinic, though obviously not for several years (rabies is a three year shot). Her physical exam was completely fine, and the bloodwork they pulled (to check liver and kidney values for her alprazolam) were also normal.

Cash had a really good day today (Sunday). She's walking lots better and really only needs the support harness when she has to "assume the position" for pooping. If she continues to improve at this pace, she won't need the harness at all in a few days!

SHE'S HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She's walking better than yesterday and the vet said, given the level of improvement day to day, that there's no reason she won't come back to 100%. We won't know for sure though for several weeks probably. Cash still needs some help for stabilization, especially going potty, but she's walking mostly on her own. We got home and she's been asleep most of the afternoon. Got up to eat dinner and go O-U-T (a pee and a poop!!!) and drink a ton of water, so we'll have to go back outside pretty soon. She's glad to be home and we're OVERJOYED to have her back. Thank you everyone for all your words of support, all your prayers, all the Power Ranger Hi Beemz, all the white light and good thoughts. I can't tell you how much they were/are appreciated. Chris and Cash

Saturday morning: I'm going to see her and avaluate whether I feel she can com home. It's so chaotic here with the other four, and they are pretty rambunctious! So I just want Cash to be safe and not afraid to be here. I hope this works. I took some pics of her when I was with her yesterday. The harness is from Ruffwear and is sold at REI Outdoor store. It's made for dogs going hiking. Update later! Hopefully with Cash at my feet!

Friday Afternoon Update: I saw Cash this morning after she had a really good night. She's eating like a champ and improving by leaps and bounds. Her tech actually WALKED her out to the lobby to meet me! She's wearing a support harness, but just the fact she can get up and around at all is a miracle. She'll walk OK for two or three steps and then go all wonky - hence the support harness. And she gets tired very easily. But I layed down on the floor on a blanket with her and she snuggled right up against me and went to sleep! We're being cautiously optimistic that she will come home on Saturday. The vet said she could come today, but I really want her to be as good as possible befor returning here to the chaos that is our house. With four other greyhounds, three cats, stairs and other issues, she just needs some more time to "cook" I think. I'm waiting now for a call from her vet and will probably go and see her again tonight. On aside note, it's been interesting to experience how much of our daily routine revolves around dealing with Cash and her fear/anxiety issues. Taking care of four "normal" greyhounds is a relative piece of cake.

To answer your basic question, yes, Hermes is acting like many greyhounds act at this point in their adaptation to home life. It's really too soon to say if his personality is going to turn the happy/playful/interactive way or if he will stay more aloof and restrained. For some greys, it can take literally months and months for their "true" personalities emerge. Yes, some step into a home directly from the track and are completely relaxed and available for their people. You did not get one of those greyhounds. I'll say again what many others have said - it's too soon to know and you need to STOP fretting about it! Greyhounds are bred and trained to perform their basic genetic functions - hunting and running - completely independently. They hunt by themselves, not in a pack (usually), and when they race, it's everybody against everybody else and they have to have the desire to run on their own and win on their own. They don't care about pleasing the human that catches them at the end. They care about running really fast, eating and sleeping, and doing it all again the next time. Make sure you're not projecting your emotions onto him. When he's standing in the hall looking around, he may just be thinking about what he wants to do - Hmmmm. Should I lay on *that* bed or go get a drink of water? By calling him to you, you help him decide. But I doubt he's really sad or indecisive at that point. Mine will often stand around, and if I leave them alone, they will go do what they want - lay on the bed, or get a drink, or step on somebody else's head, or some bug me for pets. As much as we anthropomorphize greyhounds on GT, they really don't feel emotions like sadness - they deal in the here and now, and sometimes the near future or the near past. Short story: I have some friends - a couple with a 5 yr old boy - and they wanted a dog. Many of their freinds have greyhounds, so they looked into them and eventually adopted a wonderful young male. The greyhound was great with their son, very patient and careful for all his big size, and things seemed to be going smoothly. The greyhound had some SA issues, and because they had the room and the means they looked into adopting another dog. The husband would have been happy with another greyhound. He loved the one they had and felt their personalities were good for their house and situation. But the wife wanted a dog that was more interactive. She wanted a dog who would play with her whenever she wanted, not just when the dog felt like it. She wanted a dog that would come when she called. She wanted a dog that would snuggle and be into physical contact. She wanted a dog to wrestle and play with their son. So, to keep the peace in the house, the husband gave in and they adopted a year old lab mix. This couple just ended up re-homing their lab mix with the wonderful and extremely active home of the man who they had to ask to come in and walk the lab every day. The lab had to be crated when they were not home because he destroyed their house. He needed way more exercise than the two of them could provide with them both working full-time jobs. He played too roughly for their son. He wanted to be in the wife's lap whenever she sat down. The lab did help the greyhound's SA, but the cost was more than they could handle. Moral of the story - Be careful what you wish for! ETA - if you want a greyhound that will be more "labby" they do exist - I have one! You have to be very specific with the adoption group and define what you want and need and not settle for a dog that's NOT. I'm not saying your group did a bad job, but a larger group might have more variety to choose from for you.

Yes, Ruth, she's at NWVS. It's the closest Evet to us, though still 20-25 minutes away. We used to have to go to Tualatin which was more like 30-40. She never would have made it to Tualatin. They're taking very good care of her, and her tech this afternoon has a greyhound of her own, so she's in good hands. She was hungry tonight when I went to see her! She'd eaten a bit late in the afternoon - some chicken, some cottage cheese, some baby food - and she ate half an Arby's sandwich for me and wanted more! They will feed her several small snacks throughout the night to minimize the shock to her system. It was much quieter tonight and she was calmer and not so jumpy. Hopefully it'll be a slow night in the ER there and it will stay quiet for her so she can rest. Her next big hurdle is to be able to walk at least a little. The vet is pretty clear that it was the oxygen deprivation to her brain that is keeping her from being coordinated enough, and that just takes time to resolve. On of her back feet is still knuckling a little, but the other legs are OK. She's tired and hasn't eaten much yet so that doesn't help. We'll see how she does tonight and tomorrow. I'm thinking it's going to be Saturday before we even consider her coming home.

Thursday early evening: I went and saw Cash today around noon and sat with her for 40 minutes or so. The vet is really pleased that she is continuing to make progress, little by little. While I was there, Cash actually managed to stand up on her own, which she hadn't done til then. She couldn't stay standing for very long as she's really weak, but she managed to do it three times! The environment there is really hard for her with her spookiness - very noisy, lots of commotion and banging, lots of people moving around and talking. I did also get her to eat a few bites of chicken and cheese - another victory! I spoke to the vet a little while ago and Cash did eat something later this afternoon. Yeah! She's still not walking yet, but the vet said she thought Cash might try harder if I was there, so I'm going in to see her this evening. I'll update again when I get home.

Thursday morning update: Evet just called and Cash is doing really really well! She's bright and alert and seems to have all her functions working properly. She won't eat, but that's not unusual for her. The only other concern is that she can't walk yet. She has feeling and strength and can move all her legs, and she can stand if the put her on her feet, but just can't coordinate enough to walk. Cash is apparently very adept at "army crawling" around her kennel though, so the vet feels it's just a matter of time. If she doesn't improve by this afternoon she'll be seen by a neurologist. Cash will be at least one more night in the hospital. I will definitely be calling my regular vet to see what brand of rabies vaccine they used. Thanks for the link to Havoc's thread - it sounds exactly like what happened to Cash. I'll be reporting it to the USDA or whereever. I'll also mention it to the vet today when I go in to see my girl. Thanks everyone!

Wednesday night update: She is awake and alert. Not trying to get up yet, but that's a good thing - the vet doesn't want her taxing herself too soon. She's looking around and responding appropriately and seems to have all her neurologic functions. Plus, her bloodwork all came back fine, so her organs didn't apparently suffer any damage. Her blood count is low, but not overly, so they're just going to watch it. No news is going to be good news tonight while they monitor her and keep her hydrated and comfortable. We'll get another update tomorrow morning. She will likely stay there at least one more day/night for observation, but they said we can visit her whenever we want! Thank you all again!

Thank you all for your chanting and prayers! I think they helped! Cash is awake and the ventilator tube is out. She's breathing on her own and all organs seem to be working. Her heart and lungs sound very good, and her kidneys are flushing busily. She's raising her head and looking around, and her pupils are reactive and "perfect." She's on some pain meds, some gastro protectors, some sedation still (but not unconscious, just to keep her quiet), electrolytes, and other IV fluids. The vet is pretty sure she had a super bad reaction to the vaccines. These were normal shots, and she's had them all before, even given at the same time, so there's no real answer as to why she had a reaction this time. The vet says she's not completely out of the woods yet - overnight will be the critical time - but things are looking exactly like what they should at this time. Her prognosis is guarded but generally positive. I'll hear from the vet in a couple hours and we'll see how she's doing then. Thank you all again and again and again!!!!!! Chris Cash's Mom

She's sedated for an hour or so. Will know more when they try and wake her up. Hopefully it's just a bad vaccine reaction and she'll pull through. She was in complete arrest when I got here. I can't lose my girl..........

Had cash at the vet for shots. She started seizing on the way home. Help.. at the evet now.

No help, but I'm glad EZ wasn't *much* worse. Hope the new rx helps him.