RileysLegacy
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Thank you Jenn & Jen! So far the muzzle seems to be working well, so hopefully I won't need to try the pants, but definitely great to know! I almost want to try them just b/c it would look so cute
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a gratuitous pic.... here he is right at this moment, doesn't seem too unhappy
He's in my line of sight so he is getting a break from the muzzle. You can also see his leg is looking MUCH better 
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Thanks guys! No real update... the muzzle seems to be working well although I was woken up 50 times by a certain brindle boy banging my bed frame with his face
He has little freakouts where he jumps up & rubs his face on everything, but then he settles down pretty fast & doesn't seem too uncomfortable wearing it. The sores are definitely healing now that he is muzzled pretty much all the time.He had his first dose of gabapentin last night. I didn't really notice any side effects... he seemed tired but he's a greyhound
I will report back in a few more days. If we can get all the sores to completely heal, that will be a huge relief, and then we can go from there are far as thyroid or back issues. There is a new high tech clinic w/ some specialists that my vet recommended I take him to, so that will be the next step. I don't think the chiro or laser helped much, but maybe he needs more treatments for it to be effective. I sure wish Legs could talk... 
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Lucy, if it's just one leg, you could always put a half a pair of pants on him. I know it's hot where you are, but lightweight toddler pant work great and keep them away from the areas that are too difficult to bandage.
Here is a picture of Tori in her toddler pants
Hopefully the treatment that you are trying for Legs works, but if you want more information on making pants for Legs just let me know
Yes, I'd love to know how you did this. Tori looks too cute!
I don't know that Legs would handle that too well (he won't even walk when his leg is wrapped), but at this point I'm willing to try anything!I got his muzzle today & boy does he hate it
:( But hopefully it will work better than the e collar.My vet just called in an rx for gabapentin. I really hope it helps my poor boy. The treatments he got didn't seem to do much
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Thanks I will ask about gabapentin. I'm going to finish the month of thyroid meds, but if no changes I won't be continuing after that.
He's been sleeping soundly since his vet visit & leaving his leg alone pretty much
Not sure if it is due the treatments or he's just exhausted from all the excitement yesterday. Hoping it's the former 
Thanks so much everyone
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Big day for Legs today!
My vet is now thinking this is neurological and unrelated to thyroid or skin infection. He's had issues w/ his back end since I adopted him 2 years ago & she thinks his legs may be hurting or numb which is why he won't stop licking. So she took another set of spinal xrays today & is sending them to a specialist to see if there's any changes from last time. In the meantime he got laser treatments on his back, chiro along his whole spine & acupuncture around his biggest wound. If it seems to help, I'll take him back for more laser & chiro next week.
I just hope this helps him stop licking and maybe even improves his tolerance for exercise. As it is right now he doesn't have the best quality of life, although he is a very happy boy. He deserves to be able to run and play, and not have to wear a stupid e collar or muzzle for the rest of this life
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Thanks so much. His leg looks better this morning. I don't think it's really infected, just gross looking. I just ordered a muzzle for him & made him a vet appt for tomorrow.
Just wanted to chime in about the muzzle. I would definitely use it with a stool guard. Just a muzzle typically won't prevent licking. A stool guard is preferred over using duct tape due to its sturdiness. You attach the stool guard with a couple of zip ties (tie wraps). Be sure to cut off the ends of the zip tie leaving about 1/8 inch. This is important -- use a file to round the ends of the zip tie so there are no sharp corners. The sharp corners from the zip tie is what typically does the damage.
Jane
Thank you Jane!! I am hoping the muzzle & stool guard get here by the end of this week. I will def use the zip ties & file them down.
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I'm taking Legs to see my regular vet this morning. The other vet told me to try Benedryl so he's been taking it every 8 hrs since Friday & I think it has helped a little. On Friday I came home for lunch & he had bashed his biggest wound w/ the edge of the e collar, blood everywhere! Of course it is right below his back "knee" which is pretty much impossible to bandage as it just slips down no matter what I do.
I'm hoping my vet has some ideas. I want to try anti-anxiety meds for sure. He can't live like this! This weekend I had him in the e collar, a bite not neck brace, and a bandage in 90 degree weather. He was so miserable & could still lick in certain positions
That darn needlenose!! 
Thanks for checking in on him!!!
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Thanks so much. His leg looks better this morning. I don't think it's really infected, just gross looking. I just ordered a muzzle for him & made him a vet appt for tomorrow.
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**!! He figured out how to lick his leg w/ the e collar. It looks horrific, I think it's infected. I'm going to have to take him to some vet tomorrow, of course his regular vet is off on Fridays.
I hadn't even considered that the licking & back leg weakness might be related. Thanks so much, I will definitely do some research. Something is really not right w/ him for sure.
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I don't have a muzzle or else I would have tried it. But I've heard from quite a few people that their dog would cause more damage to themselves w/ the muzzle on, so I haven't ordered one.
Yeah I kinda agree about the anxiety meds. I don't think she realizes how bad it's gotten. I'll see how it goes now that he's wearing the e collar. If it doesn't break the cycle, I will bring him back in and discuss it further.
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Thanks, suesmom. I have been giving him medicated baths w/o much improvement. It's just no matter what I do, nothing can heal w/ the constant licking.
I finally gave in and put him in an Elizabethan collar
I probably should have done it sooner. On Wed night he got one spot so bad it is all bloody, oozing and quite deep. Unfortunately I think he can still reach his paws but at least the leg will have some time to heal. sigh. -
The only possible connection with the skin issues that I can think of is that hypothyroidism can lower the immune system, predisposing to infection and delaying healing. But it wouldn't explain why he develops the skin problems to begin with. If his skin issues are related to hypothyroidism, you should be able to tell after a couple months on medication. If no improvement, then you'll have to regroup and consider other possibilities. I'd second the recommendation to see a vet dermatologist if you have that option.
This is basically what my vet said. What happens is he gets a lot of cuts/scrapes/bug bites/irritation because is sooo bald & has such thin skin. Then he licks & causes sores. If he is hypothyroid his immune system may not be able to heal properly which causes this vicious cycle. I don't know if we have any veterinary derms here, but I will look into it.
Thanks again everyone!
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Yup, everything is being considered. Thanks all. I talked w/ my vet & we are going to continue the thyroid meds for a month & re-evaluate. Not sure what to do about his sores. She didn't think anti-anxiety meds were necessary at this point & suggested rescue remedy, but I haven't had much success w/ it in the past. I'm feeling pretty bummed right now but I will get to the bottom of his health issues somehow...
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Sure. He's always had various small skin issues since I adopted him 2 years ago... it seems like b/c he is so bald, any little thing will cause a small cut or scrape, then he licks, and it turns into something more. Or he will bite at a spot on his back that will turn into a sore. This most recent skin issue started b/c he cut the webbing between his toes. I wrapped it and b/c he couldn't get to the toe to lick, he started licking above the wrap. This was a good month ago, and it just keep getting worse. It will look like it's healing for a day or two, but then he'll lick again and it's even worse than before. As I mentioned earlier, he was on Clavamox and got cold laser treatments on it a few weeks back. I ended up wrapping his whole damn leg yesterday before I left for work b/c I didn't know what else to do.
I know that is not a good solution though b/c he will end up just licking elsewhere. Thankfully it's almost a 3 day weekend where I can keep a close eye on him and hopefully make some progress towards healing.I am starting to think we are on the wrong track
What are the types of skin issues that you'd typically see in a hypothyroid dog?I'm going to take him to the park this weekend to see if his stamina/ability to withstand exercise has improved at all after a week on thyroid meds. We went for our usual 2.5 mile walk last night & he was ok but it was after dark.
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Those sores look very familiar - could be my girl. Muzzle with a stool cup is mandatory when you aren't in a position to be within ear shot of Legs to hear him licking, or if he's a stealth licker, you will have to be where you can see him all the time. If not, muzzle. I have had some success with Zymox spray- it has anti-bacterial properties and 1% hydrocortisone to encourage healing. I only use it every couple of days, but find that my girl's sores do better if they are "dry" - not treated with lotions or salves. On days that I don't use Zymox, I soak the sores with wet, white washcloths. There's something about the dried Zymox that must create a pulling or itching sensation while encouraging the healing process that triggers the urge to lick. No need to go overboard with treatment. In fact, since his sores are so raw, less is more at this point. Just keep them clean - irrigating with plain water is good.
I sure hope Legs feel better soon.
Thank you, I actually just got the Zymox in the mail. I thought it was helping but then came home to that yesterday
I think you may be right about it being better dry, I will use it less frequently & see if that makes a difference.Lucy, I thought I'd throw out a thought about the licking, if it's been going on for a while. When Shadow had major surgery on his leg he kept the incision open for months because of the licking. He wore sweatpants but would lick them and irritate the sores, we tried a muzzle with stool guard but he would keep pushing the muzzle into the sore and licking the inside of the muzzle - enough to irritate both his tongue and the sores. Every time we made progress in healing he would find a way to open it up. Finally we tried a brief stint of an antianxiety med and *poof* the licking stopped. We only kept him on it for about 3 weeks - just long enough to break the cycle of licking.
If the sores are only staying open because of the licking, it might be something to look into.
ugh that's awful. I certainly don't want to go down that route. I was just about to order a muzzle, now I'm not sure if I even want to try it. I'm going to email my vet & ask about anti-anxiety meds. Legs does not appear anxious at all, but I guess the licking is a symptom?
I would try some anxiety meds also. Maybe just long enough to break the cycle.
ok, thanks for the suggestion. I'll see what my vet thinks. I really appreciate all of your help!!
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So this is Legs' leg tonight despite every intervention I can think of. He just keeps licking it no matter what I do. If I cover the area, he licks another spot. Any advice re: cone or muzzle I can put on him while I'm not home & at night? What is the least invasive to him? He's such a sweet sweet boy I hate the thought of him sitting home all day miserable but this can't continue.
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Thank you Jennifer! TSH is within normal range. His symptoms include extreme reaction/intolerance to heat & exercise (by far the most concerning as recently he will almost completely collapse after what seems to be minimal exertion), back end weakness, major baldness including a "rat tail", and constant skin infections. The latest skin issue has not been resolved despite a round of antibiotics & receiving cold laser treatments. I'm sooo hoping to see improvement.
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Legs weighed 67 lbs last week, so it seems like a large dose?
I have the results, the only things low are TT4, TT3 and FT4. Everything else normal. I don't see cTSH?
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I asked my vet office to email me the full results, but did not get it yet. For now, he's on 1200 mcg levothyroxine a day. Does this sound right?
So your giving 600mcg (0.6mgs) twice daily?
Yes. I will call my vet at 9am when they open & hopefully get them to email the results this morning. They must have been busy yesterday.
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I asked my vet office to email me the full results, but did not get it yet. For now, he's on 1200 mcg levothyroxine a day. Does this sound right?
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update first post... any experiences to share?
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thanks Linda. I've thought of ordering him a muzzle, but I just hate to do that to my sweet boy unless absolutely necessary
If we get the results back & there is no thyroid issue it may come to that. He's continued to lick and re-opened all his sores But thankfully the antibiotics seem to be agreeing with him (he has a sensitive tummy), so hopefully they will kick in soon. -
Poor Legs. I too hope it's his thyroid. You'll be happy sending it to MSU. Did she request the Endocrinologist interpretation?
I believe so. She also told me we have a new specialist on the island she is going to consult with, so that is good. That way the specialist can examine him in person if needed.
The cold laser seems to really have helped his sores! Now I just need to keep him from licking and re-opening them which will be a huge challenge
He's in my line of sight so he is getting a break from the muzzle. You can also see his leg is looking MUCH better 
I don't know that Legs would handle that too well (he won't even walk when his leg is wrapped), but at this point I'm willing to try anything!
:( But hopefully it will work better than the e collar.
Not sure if it is due the treatments or he's just exhausted from all the excitement yesterday. Hoping it's the former 
Pinched Nerve At End Of Spine
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
My greyhound has something similar, but I haven't gotten an MRI on him yet because I also feel that surgery is too risky & invasive. Right now we are trying chiropractic & acupuncture. As soon as they started last time, he fell asleep. I'm willing to try if there's a chance it could help & it's obv not hurting him in any way so I don't see a negative other than $. There must be tons of options for great practitioners in LA.
Unfortunately my vet is not really on board with pain meds. We tried a low dose of gabapentin with no noticeable results. I think I'm going to have to push her on that. Have you noticed a big difference since starting the meds?