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RileysLegacy

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    Riley Has A Swollen Wrist/foot

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Hi everyone, well Shaun ended up picking him up, so I didn't get to talk to the vet myself. But the news is good news, I think. They weren't really sure of what they saw, but they think it is arthritis in the cartilage of his wrist. I ordered glucosamine/MSM today which I have been meaning to do. I am just hoping this will be the end of it... I sure wish I had a greyhound savvy vet here though. I am SO sick of hearing that the vet isn't sure what's wrong. :(

     

    Would it make sense that a swollen wrist with no apparent pain is arthritis?

    Riley Has A Swollen Wrist/foot

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by RileysMomma

    omg, you guys are so sweet! I am so sorry I didn't post an update sooner.

     

    Riley's leg is looking much better :yay

     

    His leg was swollen Friday night, but when we woke up on Saturday it looked pretty close to normal. So I called the vet and we agreed to see how it does over the next couple of days. Sat was also his last day on the Previcox, so she said to see what happens when he is off the meds and get back to her. I am hoping and praying it continues to get better.

     

    Thanks so much for all your concern, I think it helped! I will post again if we do end up needing the x-ray.

     

    ETA: Believe it or not, Riley is 9 years old now. :heart

    Riley Has A Swollen Wrist/foot

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Thank you so much everyone! GT is so wonderful :wub:

     

    That is good to know that Previcox will mask pain. The vet did not mention that to us. Though it did not appear to be causing him any pain before we started the Previcox.

     

     

    He has an appt for an x-ray on Sat am, so I will let you all know what we find out.

     

    Thanks again!

    Riley Has A Swollen Wrist/foot

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by RileysMomma

    I am hoping you guys can make me feel better. I am starting to get really worried about Riley. Last week, Shaun noticed that his ankle was swollen. His toes did not appear swollen at that time. He did not (and still does not) appear to be in any pain whatsoever, so we kept an eye on it for a couple days. When it did not get better, we took him to the vet. Riley had already been on an antihistamine for some skin issues he has, so we concluded that it was most likely not an insect bite, as the swelling should have gone down by then. The vet felt all around his ankle and foot and did not feel anything weird or broken, so she prescribed him an anti-inflamatory, Previcox. She said this should take the swelling down pretty quickly.

     

    Well, Riley's leg does not look better - it might actually be a little worse. I think his toes are a bit swollen now. He is still not showing any signs of pain and is his usually bouncy self. He has an appt for Sat morning to get an x-ray on it if needed, but now I am getting worried. What could cause it to be swollen for this long and why hasn't the medicine helped?? :( Anyone have any ideas what it could be? Good thoughts are appreciated also.... thanks so much.

    Thank You Rileysmomma From Ping

    in Announcements and News

    Posted

    Hi Melissa and Ping!

    I am so glad you like everything. Thanks so much for posting pictures!! Ping is such a gorgeous hound - I just love his coloring.

     

    That is really amazing about the sand dollar... I do think it was a sign. My friend Lori who owns Shaka Dog Hawaii has so many different collar charms, but somehow that one just seemed to fit.

     

    HAPPY HOLIDAYS from me and the boys!!

    :heart Lucy

    Sassy Tribute - Because She Deserves That

    in Remembrance

    Posted

    Oh Diane, I am so sorry to hear about Sassy. Thanks for sharing her with us, she was a very special girl. I remember when you first got her I was SO jealous that you had an iggy. Shortly after I got Jabari, and there has been no turning back for me either. They are so, so wonderful. Your family is in my thoughts. :grouphug

    Ace (or Something Like That)

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    My iggy Puzzle was on Amitriptyline (Elavil) for about 4 months. It is another anti-depressant for humans, but for dogs it works as an anti-anxiety drug. It worked wonderfully for him, but it was in conjunction with behavior therapy. None of these drugs are a quick fix that you give your dog and they are better. You must work on the behaviors the same time. Also, in most cases it is not something you give long term. The goal for Puzzle from the beginning was to wean him off after a couple of months.

     

    You didn't go into detail about your dogs' condition, but I personally think that meds should be a last resort. Puzzle was having such bad anxiety that he was literally making himself sick. He would get explosive diarrhea and feel awful for days after any sort of interaction with the world. We tried everything we could think of, but nothing helped b/c he got to such a level of panic that there was no reaching him at that point.

     

    The medicine did not change his fearfulness, but over time it helped in that he would not reach that extermely high level of panic that he had before. He was still scared, but I was able to slowly work on positive reinforcement and behavior modification. It took a good three weeks for the meds to kick in also. I am just telling you this because while I am SO glad we chose to try this medicine, it was not a quick-fix in any way. Today he is still a fearful dog, but no longer has the extreme panic attacks and hasn't had diarrhea since we started the meds. I noticed absolutely no side effects with the meds.

     

    Definitely discuss this all with your vet. He/she will be able to help you make a decision on what is right for your dog. Some dogs are just shy, and may never be outgoing and social in new situations. There is nothing wrong with that.

     

    Also, from my understanding, Acrepromazine is a tranquilizer. I don't think you would want to use it regularly at all, and I don't even think it is the best drug for sighthounds. We use it for cats getting groomed in our grooming shop, and I know people use it for thunderphobic dogs. But those are isolated incidences, not regular use.

    Still Have A Flea Problem!

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Capstar is great because it will kill all live fleas on your dog in 1 hour. So if you give him the Capstar and then give him a bath w/ flea shampoo, he should be completely free of fleas.

     

    BUT, you will have to treat the environment at the same time, or else it will be pointless to treat Duke. I would hire a professional to come in and exterminate. Take Duke somewhere for the day and when you come home you will be sure that your place is flea-free.

     

    We switched from Frontline Plus this year also. It just didn't work last year. We are using Advantix now (I am more concerned about ticks here), and so far I haven't seen a flea or tick. You have gotten good suggestions on alternatives that might work better for you.

    Back From Another Derm Vet Visit

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by RileysMomma

    Try bathing Monty with Chlorhexiderm shampoo. Riley has antibiotic resistant, recurring staph also. He has been drug free for almost 2 years now because I bathe him with this shampoo. Onrushpam gave me this advice, and it has been a lifesaver for us. It cannot hurt and can possibly help, so it is definitely worth trying. My vet has been very pleased with the results and now recommends this to his patients before prescribing steroids/antibiotics.

     

    You give Monty a bath every other day for a week, leaving the shampoo on for 15 mins before rinsing. You should see noticable improvements after just a couple baths. If it is working, keep bathing him every few days for a few weeks, and slowly reduce the baths to once a week.

     

    Good luck!

     

    eta - try to find the 4%. It is harder to find, but your vet should be able to order it for you if all they have is the 2%.

    Daily Teeth Brushing

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I too have finally gotten into the routine of daily brushing. It has made such a difference! My dogs' teeth sparkle now. (I also get the dogs' teeth cleaned by an anesthesia-free dentist, so we started w/ clean teeth. But I have no need to take them back to him since I've started brushing every day about 3 months ago.)

     

    What did it for me was just making it one more thing that I have to do before I go to bed, no excuses. They are all used to it now and let me do it w/o problems. I use the CET Vanilla-Mint toothpaste. I absolutely LOVE this toothpaste as it leaves the dogs with minty fresh breath ALL the way until the next brushing. The dogs don't mind the taste either. Riley has a kids toothbrush (Scooby Doo) and the iggies use baby toothbrushes (Elmo and Big Bird). These seems to be good sizes for their mouths.

     

    We also follow every brushing with chlorhexidine spray.

    Bordatella Vaccine

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    This is the one vaxx that we do regularly. I work at a doggie daycare and we go to the dog park every once in awhile. Our daycare requires bordatella every 6 months. It will not protect against all strains, but it is a precaution that I feel is worth taking when your dogs are around strange dogs. None of my dogs have ever had any sort of problem from it.

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