PrairieProf

It may well be nothing, but I would talk with the vet, get an exam and do some bloodwork. Because we know half-sister Beth [for others: they have the same mom] has a pancreatic issue, I would suggest maybe checking pancreatic function. The one period in which she went off her food was a few months before we got her problem diagnosed (that she had pancreatic inflammation just under the level of acute pancreatitis), and I can't prove it was related but I suspect it was. (She was still always willing to eat treats, so I wouldn't take that as evidence of much.) Salmon oil seemed to trigger the onset of her major problem, so you might consider cutting that or any other high-fat stuff out for now. I'm probably just neurotic about this issue since we had it, but with the genetic connection I thought I'd mention it up front. She was eating TOTW fish with add-ins at the time she was diagnosed last spring, right about the same age Bernie is now.

Petzlife did reverse some tartar/discoloration on Beth's teeth! They have definitely gotten better since I started using it regularly about a year ago. I used it a couple of times a day at first. Now every other day seems fine, alternating with the brushing.

I brush every night. Actually, one night I brush and the next night I use PetzLife spray, which has given us great results, better than brushing alone. The easiest thing is to do it at a routine time, and then you don't forget. We do it immediately after Beth comes in from her "last call" pee outing -- I walk her from the door right into the bathroom where I keep the dental stuff, do her teeth, and then she goes off to bed. It's as much part of our night routine as brushing my own teeth. (And Beth's teeth are nearly perfect 3.5 years after her pre-adoption dental, though she clearly has good teeth genes too.)

No, no, it's fine, quite a few galgos here and we all love them! Also, just do a search for "galgo" in the GT search window and you'll find lots of related posts and pics in the archive.

If you and/or your friend are on Facebook a friend of mine also started a group for Spanish Greyhound Owners and Friends too, which is quite active!

Yes, I have had Beth for 3.5 years and use a crate when I go out. Keeps my cats 100% safe, keeps her calm when I go out, keeps her from chewing objects she shouldn't as she'll do from time to time, makes it easier to leave her when we are in new places. She is quite happy, trots right into her crate whenever she realizes I'm about to leave (she's so smart, sometimes all I need to be doing is changing shoes or putting on makeup, and the time varies every day!). When I get home and open the crate she generally lifts her head to say "Oh hi," then flops down to sleep a while longer.

Oh wow, how scary! Yes please give us more info on the heimlich!

I noticed Beth sits spontaneously when facing downward on a hill, and I taught her to sit by taking her out on a slope (just like the natural slope of a lawn, nothing dramatic) and giving her the command (treat held over her nose and moved backward over her head) while she was facing downward there. Worked instantly, and she was quickly able to generalize to sitting on the flat. This technique has worked for at least one other GT member I recommended it to. She still likes to sit on hills and survey the territory. And now she regularly sits even when I don't ask to mug me for treats on walks.

I'm sure she'll get better eventually! I know it's hard to be on restricted activity -- we are on leash restriction because of a puncture wound Beth got in her toe Monday. I hope the xrays if you get them will provide insight.

Greyhound toes are very prone to ligament strains and other damage. Beth had to have amputation of a weight-bearing toe after severing the ligament when her foot slipped running. What your girl has sounds like what they call a "dropped toe." I think a vet check is in order. And I would keep her on restricted activity at the very least.

Thanks so much! A tiny bit bummed about the leash restriction but we're supposed to have a stretch of mild weather so we'll get back out there, and can take some nice trail walks in the meantime! Happy holidays to your crew too.

For anyone wondering about an update, Beth's toe is doing well. The vet checked it again today and the swelling is gone; basically we're waiting for the little wound where the puncture was to fully heal. The scab got knocked off yesterday when her foot bumped the edge of mine during a walk -- that made her tripod a few steps, so it's still evidently pretty sensitive. I'm still going to keep her on leash probably until after Christmas. (My vet definitely now is very up on "that thin greyhound skin" -- fortunately the wound is on the upper, outer part of the toe where it doesn't get rubbed by regular walking.) Meanwhile, the no-charge visit involved a pre-Christmas love fest: Beth's favorite tech, whom she absolutely adores, brushed her with the Furminator and gave her some presents, and then the vet gave her a wonderful back and shoulder massage (he does acupuncture and chiropractic too so he really knows what he's doing). Beth was about to topple over she was so relaxed.

Beth gets a biscuit or two or some other treat around midday as a snack. Sometimes I give her a dried sweet potato chew at another time (like late afternoon or after dinner) if she seems restless. She gets higher-values training treats when we're training. She mugs me for the bits of kibble I keep in my pocket while we're out on walks. I also sometimes use treats to bribe her to get up when it's time for a walk! She's that lazy, though she has plenty of energy once outside. As part of this routine she gets a spoonful of cottage cheese in her bowl first thing when she gets up every morning, and a couple of spoonfuls of plain yogurt in her bowl before our "last call" outing at night.

Welcome! What cute and handsome boys. Look forward to many more pics and posts on them. Great story!

Also I think anesthesia protocols for all dogs have advanced a lot, so that all dogs now (at least in up to date animal hospitals) are being anesthetized via protocols that are safe for greys. I know that's the case with my vet.

Yup, my Beth does that every time. Even sometimes for pee. Gotta be careful not to bend over to pick up the poop too soon or you can get a face-full! She's also a big pee-marker, FWIW.

Blue Wilderness is really rich, and my impression is a lot of dogs here haven't done well on it. Keep an eye on protein and fat levels -- some dogs do better on lower fat foods and not the high-level, fancy foods.

I'm so sorry. You can see in the pictures what a sweet, sweet boy Ed was.

See my update in the post right above yours -- guess we were posting simultaneously! Vet-gift-wise, I wanted to get Godiva chocolates, as I still recall what an amazing, exotic treat they were when my parents (physicians) got them from patients a few times while I was growing up, but a reasonable amount for the whole staff would have been beyond my budget at present. The emergency visit and antibiotics were around $235 as it was (another reason I'm happy to not have to do the x-rays!).

Well, good news: Beth's toe looks much better this morning, the swelling is down as much as 75%. She still acts fine, no limping (and wanted to jump around as usual when we were crossing some frosty grass!). My vet checked the toe again and thinks it was almost certainly a puncture wound the way it responded so fast with a day of antibiotics and icing -- you can see she's still a little ouchy right in the spot where it went in (where there was blood yesterday and now a little scab). So we agreed to skip the x-rays unless a problem develops. Beth will be on Simplicef for 14 days and Deramaxx the rest of this week, kept on leash this week, and he'll recheck her Thursday.

The vet didn't mention it and I didn't think to ask while I was there, but I did give her a Deramaxx when I got home -- figured it couldn't hurt and might help. I'll ask tomorrow about continuing. I also just ordered a box of fancy Belgian truffles for the vet staff (not too big a box, as I'm sapped from all my vet bills between Beth and the cats) -- I realized today that with my immense gratitude and, really, love not only for my vet but for everybody at the hospital, I need to acknowledge them for the holiday.

The toe is still all swollen up, but I took her out for a pee/poop walk (not as short as ideal, because she needs a while to get ready to poop) and still no limp whatsoever, after maybe a little stiffness the first few steps when she came out of her crate. Gotta be a good sign ... we're not going to chop off a toe she doesn't limp on!

I am so very very sorry for the loss of your wonderful kitty. Also envious that you got to have her such a wonderfully long time -- I have not had that with any of my cats yet.

That's good to know about the swelling, which looks pretty gross -- yes, I am icing it per vet's instructions. I keep reminding myself about the visible blood on the toe in a spot where no rubbing is possible -- something hit her foot from the outside. Can you PM me about the dogs with no middle toes? My vet asked me about that -- not that we are at that point yet! But I'm always thinking "what if..." P.S. Love your new siggie!

Oh absolutely -- I'll post again as soon as I know more tomorrow. Has anyone ever seen a dog's toe swell up dramatically within half an hour or so from a puncture? My vet said yes, it could -- might have hit a small bleeder or something. Edited to add later: the swelling might be a little less now but there is some very dramatic dark bruising on that toe and adjoining areas. That would tend to support the idea of a puncture wound with some internal bleeding, wouldn't it? I don't recall significant color changes when she tore her ligament, even though it swelled on the day after.