PrairieProf
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Posts posted by PrairieProf
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Good luck to Rogan! You've been through so much already, it will be good to know you're on the way to a permanent fix. I also wondered about the 2.5 months for an outside toe ... I waited about that long after Beth had a weight-bearing toe removed with some healing complications after, and the last few weeks of that were mostly me being a nervous nellie.
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Hang in there ... I feel for you with the stress of healing a toe amputation, and the effects of licking, though Beth did not have lameness issues.
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Welcome! Love people who love to do research.
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Oh no, I am very very sorry for your sudden loss.
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Yes, my hound would be fine with that too. Our average full walk is 45-50 minutes -- we do that pretty much every day, plus shorter walks. And of course she can go longer than that. I have to bribe her off the dog bed pretty often, but her energy level is fine once we're outside! In the US there are plenty of greyhound walking/hiking groups too. The only time they really can't handle extended exercise is if it is hot out -- they are much less heat-tolerant than many other breeds.
The "couch potato" designation comes from the fact that they sleep pretty much as cats do when they're indoors -- it doesn't refer to their ability to do normal dog things when they're awake. But again as someone noted above, they don't NEED a lot of exercise every day like some other breeds -- they won't be impossible to live with if they only get a very short walk on a given day.
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Beth has done so wonderfully on Prescription I/D since a pancreatitis scare (9% fat and not super low protein like a lot of "light" foods -- 22% protein). It's low-residue so very little poop. Expensive though and of course has to be gotten from the vet. Sometimes I think of trying another food but I haven't wanted to mess with such great results -- she has a silky coat, no digestive issues, etc.
Many brands of commercial dog biscuits are low fat, just look in the store. Beth has done well on the Natural Balance limited ingredient treats, and is currently enjoying Nutro Natural Choice Grain Free biscuits (6% fat).
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A cup is a measuring cup -- it's a standard objective measure. Kibbles can be more or less dense in that cup (larger kibbles create more air spaces between) and probably have different weights intrinsically, so there is no point in going by weight.
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Good thoughts from me and my toe amputee!
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Muzzle with stool guard (inexpensive and easy to order online) or duct tape. Zero need for a greyhound ever to wear a cone IMHO.
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That looks like it needs more/BIGGER air holes to me. All the coverage needs to do is prevent her tongue from getting through.
This need only be a temporary measure if you order a real stool guard! Numerous greyhound groups sell them online; here are two:
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Hopefully someone else will have pics of the muzzle -- I have a stool guard. I'd say just leave small gaps in the duct tape for air.
Also, Pawz disposable dog boots work great for putting on over the wrapped foot to go out -- I'd use the large size (purple) for over a wrap. You can get them easily online.
Glad she's doing well. My only other bit of wisdom is to really restrict exercise -- the problems we had were related to Beth walking too much (of course the fact that she always needs to walk a ways at a good clip to poop made it something of a problem). The wrap caused really bad abrasions, though I think this was worse because of it being a middle-toe removal, which created a sort of peak with the remaining toe.
I think Tramadol can cause restlessness etc. in some dogs, though it didn't in Beth -- I know there has been discussion of this. So it's at least possible that some of that behavior is from that rather than her foot as such.
I'm glad my old stressed-out thread was helpful. Just as reassurance, Beth leads a life now that is, I'd say, 98% of what she had before -- she tweaks the foot occasionally and I'm warier of where/how much I let her run, but she takes long vigorous walks, runs, etc.
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What a gorgeous sable girl! And she looks in good shape overall -- not really old/frail looking in the pics. I bet she's going to be just great with a little TLC and the antibiotics. Look forward to updates and future pics!
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Muzzle with stool guard or simply duct tape over the end is much, much easier than an e-collar. Beth wore hers for weeks when she was recovering from her toe amp and complications with the healing. The vet tied a long double strip of gauze onto the neck strap and we tied it under her throat (like a ladies' bonnet) so that she couldn't pull off the muzzle. Despite being so fussy with the muzzle when I use it outside on rare occasions, she settled right down to wearing it inside the house.
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If you ask me they need to be on Flagyl stat.
BTW the point about Purina HA is not that it is from soybeans but that it is hydrolyzed protein -- proteins broken down so small the system doesn't recognize them as such; what they come from originally is immaterial I believe. Hill's Z/D is the same. It is a hypoallergenic food used for IBD. (Purina EN would be the more typical food for acute GI distress, comparable to I/D.)
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Oh Nancy, I am so very sorry for your loss.
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I am so very sorry.
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My greyhound doesn't drink water every day necessarily -- more in hot weather. I agree about the suggestions for different kinds of bowls/locations but I wouldn't stress about it. Adding some water to his food right before you serve it is a good idea -- ups the moisture level and also helps prevent chokiness.
It's going to take him time to adjust. Mine wouldn't even pee until she'd been home over 24 hours.
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Oh no, I am so very sorry.
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You clearly need this, Brooke -- OSU info on greyhound bloodwork ranges.
https://ckm.osu.edu/sitetool/sites/greyhoundpublic/documents/About/Newsletters/GHWPSpring2012.pdf
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First thing, stop feeding him anything until the diarrhea is over -- my vet wants me to wait for 24 hours after the last incidence of D.
Second, is he on Flagyl/metronidazole? If not, he should be. You need to get that from the vet.
If he is having continuing diarrhea he REALLY needs to be seen by a vet. He needs either to be drinking or he may need some sub-Q fluids. If he is having nausea a Cerenia injection or pills can help.
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Beth has never seemed all that into veggies (fruit occasionally, but even that she often lets drop out of her mouth), but she is nuts for steamed snow peas! She would suck down as many as I'd give her.
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TOTW is really not low-carb to the extent that it would cause the symptoms you are describing, not that low carb would in the first place. Remember grain-free does not mean carb-free in the least. There have been a lot of issues with TOTW quality lately, although Iowa's supply does not come from the SC plant that was the basis for the recalls. I'm frankly glad I'm not feeding it anymore. But I highly doubt it's about food anyway, or many more greyhounds would be having issues like that with food changes or whatever. It sounds neurological to me.
Really sorry DeeDee has been "off" -- I know how terribly worrisome that must be for you in particular. Hope you can get to the bottom of it with your vet -- or it's just one of those things that disappears.
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Welcome to you and your gorgeous hound family!
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Continued good thoughts for you and Bruiser.
Mandy Post Op Toe Amp 6-21-12
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted · Edited by PrairieProf
I dunno ... Beth and most of the toe amputees I've heard of have zero problem on wood floors (most of my house is wood) or hard surfaces. Losing a weight-bearing rear toe has had no visible effect on her gait/mobility at a walk or trot (I'd say her minor effect on her running form, but quite minor, not a limp). I would not consider that a standard/normal outcome for the procedure. But I had the vet looking at Beth's toe virtually every single day as we dealt with some healing complications, and could not have made it through without the reassurance of that close monitoring.