greysmom

Lene - I have absolutely no idea about the test results, but I'm sending you and Rudy and your whole family hugs and support! greysmom

Hmmm. Depending on the dosage he might be hyper for a while. He also might have trouble sleeping tonight, but should be back to normal tomorrow. greysmom

If it's a crack and not a cut it can heal up pretty quickly. Bag Balm and a baby sock at night for a couple nights, and keep her foot dry. Reapply BB if she gets her foot wet going outside. If it was the agility training that "caused" the crack you might want to try one of the pad toughening products that people have mentioned. The quick turns and acceleration on a harder surface isn't what her feet are used to. Also, the BB will probably help on all four feet to keep them in shape - supple and able to handle the stresses of training. greysmom

Poster "EmilyAnne" also has a link in her signature to her epilepsy blog. Her grey has bad seizures as well. It seems greys can quite often have late-onset ideopathic seizures. If you're not already, I would advse keeping a seizure log whwere you can document each seizure - time of day, length, strength, behavior before, during and after - any behavior issues from meds, changes in med dosages, anything that may be related. Sometimes you can find a trigger or a pattern, sometimes not, but at least the vets will have a record of history to look at. Good luck. I know how hard it is to see your grey seizing. Our Bridge girl Libby had them as well. greysmom

If it is autoimmune that can be treated. And lots of dogs have autoimmune-related diseases and live a long and happy life - lupus, IBD, some skin diseases. Just having a diagnosis has got to be better than not knowing. The pred will help if it is auto-immune though you don't want him on it forever. Luck! greysmom

Elasticon is a wonder tape!!! Toni wagged her bandages off about every 3 days - which actually worked out well since I wanted to change them that often! I finally got Toni's tail to heal up with a syringe tube, elasticon around the tube and up the tail 6-8", and then vet wrap the whole thing up even higher (with bandage changes every three days). Her tail is now almost totally healed and is beginning to fill out and look normal again. Good luck. greysmom

It's hard to say without x-rays - could be broken, could be dislocated, could be an infection. Did the vet really look at the bottom of his foot carefully? I ask because my guys have gotten sticks, sharp rocks, pine cone spines, and once even a finishing nail stuck way up in their feet that were really hard to see, and that could have caused an infection. I would tend toward broken or dislocated though given the abnormal position of his nail/first knuckle. Definitely take him back in, particularly if there's no improvement with the antibiotics. Hugs for your boy! greysmom

I have one dirt-not-poop eater, one poop-not-dirt eater, one poop-dirt-wood-shells-sticks-plants-whatever eater. Seems to start in the Spring mostly though, and taper off in the Winter. greysmom

Sometimes they can have a sudden behavioral change, usually they become quite shy and anxious. Other symptoms: sleeping a lot, depression, unusual weight gain, dry itchy flaky skin, hair loss on other parts of the body. Thyroid in greys is notoriously hard to diagnose due to there metabolism - a normal thyroid test just can't pin it down. If he's doing fine otherwise then I wouldn't bother with a test. You might try adding a good quality fish oil, or other source of omega-3's to encourage his hair growth, but many greys just have bald spots. Good luck greysmom

Have they ruled out a simple urinary tract infection? It could very well be kidney failure. There are incontinence products for dogs - female diapers basically that can be used for heat cycles or for urination. I know some people limit their dogs access to water but I'm not sure you want to do this if she's sick. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in here. Don't get discouraged though, as the Board gets quiet during the weekends. greysmom

I think some of what you're talking about has to do with the difference in health care in the two different countries in general - both for people and pets. We have no state run health care (for people or pets) in the US aside from a few government programs for the elderly and low income. Everything is competitive. You can seek care from many different doctors and health care plans. If you don't have health insurance purchased either through your employer or privately you must pay out-of-pocket for all services. Most managed health care providers (for people) run their own pharmacies under their own procedures, but you can also purchase prescriptions through many other venues such as stand-alone pharmacies, on-line, and even at your local grocery store. It is kind of the same for US pets. Pet insurance is not common here yet, though it is gaining in popularity, so most people have to pay for all services for their pets (and exotic animals, and farm animals) themselves. Veterinarians sell prescriptions through their offices for most common medications - antibiotics, pain meds, flea & tic treatments - and all routine shots. If a prescription is rare or for an uncommon problem you sometimes have to go to another source - another vet, on-line, or through regular people pharmacies. My grey Cash is on a generic version of a people prescription (alprazolam) commonly prescribed for anxiety - Xanax. My vet doesn't stock this drug, so I purchase it through the people pharmacy at my local grocery store, who gives me a discounted price because it's for a pet. As far as all the other treatments - acupuncture, surgery rehabs, massage, and the like - it all must be paid for individually. It is a hard decision here over what people can afford versus what their pets need, especially with the economy being so bad. And many people are choosing to use treatments and procedures that were only used for people - like cancer treatments, MRI's and other scanning procedures, surgery for internal diseases, extended treatment for broken bones, and people drugs. If someone does have pet insurance, it seems to work much like health insurance for people - some things are covered and some things are not depending on the level of care you have purchased. These plans seem to vary widely from company to company in coverage and the amount you pay monthly. I hope this helps clear up some of your confusion. Welcome to Greytalk, by the way! greysmom

He looks pretty good for just having major surgery! And he's probably a LOT happier at home! And so's his Mom! greysmom

Dude will GSOD when he scratches his own ear sometimes. I hope she's just irritated it herself and it's not serious. An infection or allergies come immediately to mind. Have you tried giving her a Benadryl dose for a day or two? greysmom

All of those suggestions are good ones! Plus, I would add to be patient with her. It's not really been that long that she's been with you and many greys can take months to become comfortable in their home situation. Literally everything is new for her. One other thing that might help is to get her some more exercise. Especially in the morning before you go to work. A tired dog will sleep through anything! And be much calmer overall. Good luck! greysmom

Dude will get freckles on his bare tummy after just a few minutes out in the sun - even with sunscreen. Some are darker, some are lighter. They go away a little in winter though he always has some. greysmom

Yeah Spencer! Good news!!!!! greysmom

Yeah Gus!!!!!!! Super news! greysmom

Oh NO!!! Not Soul again! Feel better baby! Hugs an kisses on his sweet face! greysmom

Spinal injuries can be hard to diagnose with an exact cause. She can't tell you when her back started hurting, which, given how stoic this breed can be about pain, might have been days or weeks before the stepping-on-the-curb incident. She might have had an injury at the track that was progressing until it really began impinging on the spinal cord and causes the pain and weakness. As far as Wobbler's goes, the symptoms are all the same as you describe, but the onset doesn't fit. A dog with Wobbler's would not have been able to race for several years showing no problems. Not that it translates directly but how many times have you heard of someone who says "I just bent over," or "I was just sitting in my chair," as the start of horrible back pain and spasms?? Good luck talking with your vet tomorrow. greysmom

No experience with Greyhounds, but we did have a Great Dane with Wobblers. Though just from your story I would probably not have called what your dog has Wobblers. My understanding (my info is from when my GD was a puppy in 1993!) is that Wobblers is a genetic disease causing narrowing of the vertebrae around the spine. It's with the dog all their life and doesn't usually crop up later on. Our puppy was diagnosed with it at about 5 months - fortunately a light case that didn't end up needing surgery. Due to the sudden onset of her symptoms I would suspect a onset injury that resulted in vertebral narrowing. The Pred should help one way or another if she has some swelling causing the back end weakness. Good luck! greysmom

I agree. Most people are extremely uncomfortable talking about sickness and death, and our society doesn't encourage an open exchange of information and experience - except among people with similar afflictions. And when someone does try and open a dialogue their called "morbid" or something like that. I think a lot of people don't want to think that "it could happen to them." And most people simply don't know what to say to express themselves. They don't want to hurt your feelings by bringing up something "bad" that happened, little understanding or knowing that you're hurt anyway by their NOT bringing it up. greysmom

Your dogsitter not only did the RIGHT thing but the RESPONSIBLE thing. Definitely worth keeping. And if she has a web site, or a listing on Angie's List (Craigslist for services) I would write a GREAT recommendation for her. Hopefully she has insurance so that she can recover her costs, but still - a really mature, responsible reaction. One I wish more people were willing to emulate. Hope your pretty girl feels better soon. Looks like she knows just how to milk the situation, too. greysmom

Need or want??????? Seriously. They sleep A LOT. Usually. My four sleep as much or more than my cats per day. You will run across the occasional active greyhound who loves to play and is on the go all the time. How old is she?? Some things to keep in mind: >Your girl has just undergone one of the biggest changes in her life. No matter how well it's going, it's stressful for her and she's using a lot of energy learning all the new things in your house, in the yard, when you're walking, how to eat, potty training, etc.,. Unless she's had extensive time in a foster home everything is new to her. Even if she was fostered, your house is new. >Greyhounds are used to being in their kennels most of the day. They're turned out several times for potties and exercise, and training, but they lead mainly sedentary lives. >As far as her getting tired, most greyhounds only race 550/660 yards at a time, 3 or 4 days apart. The races take 30 seconds or less. So 1/2 a mile is a really long ways for her to jump into right away. Plus her feet/pads are probably not tough enough to handle cement or asphalt for long periods. Congratulations on your new greyhound! Remember to post pictures of her!

There is no easy answer, and this is never an easy decision. You will grieve for her. Your other dogs will grieve for her. But she will be free of pain and indignity, and running free with all our other Angels over the Rainbow Bridge. Only you can know if the time is right. Just keep in mind what's best for her and not for you. They depend on us for everything, including this last and final choice. As someone posted above, better too soon than too late. I'm so sorry for you and your family. greysmom

A nice coating of Bag Blam with baby socks on at night should fix his pads up. They'll toughen up after a while. greysmom