KF_in_Georgia

I took a printout to Walgreen's for one script. For CVS, I pulled the coupon up on my phone and they scanned the barcode from there. Both Walgreen's and CVS have their own corporate plans, and I had no problem putting my dogs on both plans. The only time I had any problem was when we had to convince the Walgreen's computer that a script for clomipramine was the correct dosage for a 6-year-old dog. It kept trying to warn us you couldn't give that dose to a 6-year-old child.

Yes, I've used them and gotten exactly the price on the coupon for amicar at Walgreen's and clomipramine at CVS (before even the coupon price for that got so high that we switched to fluoxetine). The coupon has a FAQ page that says this: It also has a note to the pharmacist that says this: If a listed pharmacy is refusing to honor the coupon price, they're violating their contract with GoodRx.com and I wouldn't hesitate to blow the whistle on them. After all, the price advertised by GoodRx may be what got me into that particular store in the first place. Having said that--if the pharmacy has it's own price program, you may get a better price with that than with the coupon. (Tigger's prozac is cheaper on the CVS plan than with the coupon.) I've also shown the prices quoted to my vet, and he's tailored his prescription to match the GoodRx requirement for a script for something long-term. Meanwhile, I'm delighted Violet is going home.

Jen, be sure to check GoodRx.com for Amicar prices in your area. Here in my neighborhood, GoodRx has a coupon that cuts Walgreen's price nearly in half: six 500mg tablets (assuming you've got six from your vet and she already has some on-board): $44 at Walgreen's, $23.75 at Walgreen's with the GoodRx coupon. If you've already got six from the vet, you're good for 48 hours after she comes home.

Everyone has different criteria for judging "when." I can tell you about my Sam. When Sam was having problems (not cancer--just various old-age maladies), he still loved treats, walks, and cuddles. But he spent an entire night panting instead of sleeping, despite being maxed out on pain meds. For me, even if I could have gotten him feeling a little better the next day, it wasn't worth putting him through another bad night I wouldn't be able to prevent--especially when "better" wouldn't be "great" and wouldn't last more than a day or two. So I called his vet in the morning, then loaded Sam in the car and took him to McDonald's for sausage and egg biscuits. (I didn't normally give him sausage because I worried about the spices.) He ate every crumb in the parking lot at the vet's, and then we went inside. As usual, he poked his head into all the trash cans in the exam room (looking for treats), and we gave him a couple of treats from the canister on the counter. The vet checked Sam and agreed that it was time. (Sam smelled a little funky, and we think it was kidney trouble on top of his other woes.) Sam settled in a sphinx pose, rested his head on his front paws, and didn't pay any attention to what the vet did. Two shots, but Sam never moved after the first one eased him to sleep. In the 16 months since, there hasn't been a day I haven't wished he was still here. But there also hasn't been a day when I felt I acted too soon. With another dog who was "sick" but not dying (we hoped), we fought to keep her alive; I later thought it would have been kinder to have let her go about 12 hours earlier than we did, but we thought she still had a chance. With Sam, I didn't regret those last 12 hours, because that was what convinced me that fighting for more time wouldn't have been good for him. For Wylie, I think you want to decide if you can make him comfortable (do you have room to go up on his meds?). And does any discomfort come and go? Or does it just come and linger. You said Wylie is "happy and eating and loving" on you. You want to say goodbye while that's still true; I think you don't want to wait until he loses his joy in any of those things.

Ohio State newsletter about heart issues in greyhounds: http://vet.osu.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/bloodBank/wellness/newsletters/2008/ghwpNewsletterSummer2008

Good: Bad: She walks on it normally and runs well on it, too. But she doesn't often put her weight on it when she stands. She's also got a corn on her front right foot, and that corn gives her more trouble than the tendon. Poor baby is all hobbled on her right side.

Those are some significantly twisty toes there. It might have been an injury that couldn't be treated. Sweep did have a long gap between races (1 June 2011 to 18 July 2011) after a race where she was last from start to finish (even though they'd switched her from 603m to 503m races). Nothing about an injury is mentioned in the race notes, but she could have hurt the foot off-track. Whatever caused that gap of 7 weeks between races doesn't seem to have slowed her down much in the long-term. I've got a girl who raced well, including Grade A for months, but graded off and retired at three years, nine months. She has an Achilles tendon that goes down the outside of her foot rather than down the back of her hock. That isn't mentioned in the race records, and none of the judges' comments on her races indicate when the problem started. She just ran well for months, then ran a lot less well. (She started at grade C in February 2007, was running grade A by September and stayed there until the end of May 2008. Then they ran her 7 times in June 2008, during which time she plummeted to grade D. She wobbled around B-C-D for another 7 months until she retired in January 2009.) And it's possible that the misplaced Achilles tendon happened after she retired, in the two and a half years before she was picked up as a stray.

You can get a collar with a light on it to help at night. This is better than you trying to light her way with extra outside lighting or a flashlight since both those methods may cast her own shadow in the way. The lighted collar will throw the light toward the ground in front of her. Amazon has an assortment of the collars.

Watch for signs that he might be having some vision issues, too, especially in low-light situations. He might need strategically placed nightlights around stairs, plenty of lights outside when he needs to get out of the car--stuff like that.

My dogs seldom lick while I'm watching. I had one girl who slipped down the hall while I was sleeping so she could lick without being heard. She turned a tiny four-stitch injury into a big, hairless scar. (Front left leg.) I use a muzzle with a guard or duct tape over the strategically located holes. I'd especially do that going into a holiday weekend, because if he removes stitches you could be looking at having to go to the ER to get things fixed. But I wouldn't trust him to leave it alone. My rule is that I never trust my guys unless I'm willing to risk what they can get up to. (As in, I'll trust them not to make a mess, but I'll clean it if I'm wrong. I won't trust them not to hurt themselves.)

I think the usual advice in this case is to feed bread to help protect against the sharp edges. Meanwhile, keep hunting for more pieces and see how much you can find. Try to get an estimate of how much was eaten. But feed bread... You've said "puppy." How big?

You might want to delay shopping for additional collars for a while. Watch for auctions here on Greytalk, where your collar purchase will help a rescue group.

Some people disagree with elevated food bowls (just so you know). If you get one, avoid metal ones with open places where dog tags can snag as the dog is drinking/eating. Check your jerky treats. If any of them were made in China (read the fine print all over the package), return them to the store. Note that companies may be U.S. based but still use sources from China. Waterless shampoo is good for cleaning up messy spots on your dog when you don't want a full bath. You'll also want a Zoom Groom--like a rubber curry comb--for loosening and removing dead skin and hair; use the Zoom Groom, then wipe the dog with a wet paper towel to remove loosened skin and hair. (I put the hair in bushes outside my condo. Birds love it.) Toothbrush and toothpaste. It has to be a canine toothpaste that's designed to be swallowed (no fluoride). You want a super-soft brush: believe it or not, a dog's teeth are softer than yours. Engraved dog tag needs to have your cellphone number. If you ever have to hunt for a missing dog, you don't want to have to arrange for someone to monitor your home phone because you put that number on the tag. If you're not sure yet about the name, get a tag that says "I'm lost" and put your number. That will work until you're ready to get a real tag. (And save it in case you decide to foster dogs. I've got one that all my fosters have worn.) You'll want a Kong. You can stuff it with kibble and other goodies and freeze it, then leave it with your dog when you can't be home. You want the second-largest size shown in this photo. Hint: Stand the Kong in an empty coffee mug to fill it--smaller end down--and plug the top opening with something like yogurt or cottage cheese or something. Then freeze the Kong, still in the mug to keep the kibble from falling out. (Be sure to subtract some kibble from dinner to compensate for the calories consumed from the Kong.) Somewhere on Greytalk, there's a list of first aid essentials. I can't find it now, so I hope someone will post a link. Definitely get a tag collar. A martingale is the safest collar for your dog to wear on walks but it should never be left on when you can't supervise your dog. (Other collars, if they get caught on something, get pulled wider around the dog's neck. If a martingale's loop gets caught, the collar gets pulled tighter--tight enough to choke a dog.) For a tag collar, I just bought regular buckle collars at PetSmart, and I got one with a reflective strip. I deliberately have it set loosely. When my boy stops abruptly, it shoots right over his head. In the house, it falls on the floor and I put it back on him; outside, it shoots over his head and hangs from his leash because the martingale is always higher on his neck than the tag collar. I put the tags on a clip so that I can move the clip from one collar to another easily. The tags are on the tag collar at home or on walks, get moved to a fancier martingale for meet and greets. You can get a Rubit clip; I just buy inexpensive clips in a three-pack from Michaels. If the noise from jingling tags becomes annoying, you can wrap the cluster of tags with a rubber band.

Keep a spray bottle of Bactine around the house. It doesn't sting, and it helps numb scrapes or cuts, as well as cleaning them.

More info on SLO: http://www.bloodaxe.com/SLO.html Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/193719004101010/

Matawan's mom: Try to find a veterinary oncologist to talk with. One important consideration is whether the cancer has reached your boy's lungs. And you might want to send the x-rays to Dr Couto for a second opinion. (I think his contact info is in the first post in this thread.) Another thing to consider is how mobile Matawan is now, his general health, how well he tolerates vet visits and procedures, and how well he's likely to manage whatever stairs and floors and entrances you have at your home. Greyhounds typically do well on three legs, but complications such as corns or old injuries can make things more difficult. Don't worry just now about making the decision. Round up your info, because it may make the decision clear. I'm so sorry you're facing this. Come back and talk to us whenever you need to.

I'm probably too late with this advice, but you shouldn't cancel the vet visit. For one thing, methocarbamol (Robaxin) is perhaps the most effective med for tweaked muscles, but it's only available by prescription. Your vet may want to see Sunshine before he'll write you a script, but that's a drug you want to have on-hand. (And it can be filled at your corner people-pharmacy, as can tramadol. Rimadyl requires a vet pharmacy. These days, I use CVS--with a 24-hour drive-thru window.) You don't really want to wait until she's in pain and discomfort, then have to wait for a vet appointment before you can even get the script. Also, letting your vet see her now, even if she seems to be fine, and letting the vet see your videos, means your vet might be able to act quickly to issue a prescription in the future, without you having to wait for days for an appointment. After my vet had prescribed meds for my ouchy girl, when she had a relapse he authorized a refill without making us come in, especially since I didn't want to make her get in and out of the car right then. If this should crop up on a weekend, and Sunshine winds up in a lot of pain, you do not want to have to go to the ER just to get her comfortable. (ER vets sometimes are reluctant to prescribe pain meds without expensive x-rays.) What I learned with Sam was that "fine" during normal vet hours didn't mean "fine" at bedtime, and he had an absolute talent for getting ouchy on Friday or Saturday night. After he and I had a nightmare weekend (no one slept), I made sure I had all the requisite drugs in stock at all times.

This photo was taken when my bad-back boy was 12: He thought that was comfortable. (I think it might have comfortably stretched kinks in his back.) Also, if you can make a sunshine patch in the house (I moved a piece of furniture so it didn't block the window), your Sunshine might appreciate a chance to bask in the heat.

Deep breaths. Of course this could be something nasty, but from what you've said it sounds more like a tweaked muscle in her back or neck. That can certainly cause the yelping when trying to stand up or lie down. It can also cause limping as the dog starts walking funny in an effort to avoid pain when moving the wrong way. If you have a harness for her, try using that rather than attaching a leash to her collar. Raise her food and water bowls to a comfortable height. (I have a couple of big Rubbermaid storage containers. I put the bowls on top of those.) Also, try to get a video of her getting up or lying down or moving funny. I've had this happen with two different dogs, and both times the yelpy dogs walked into the vet's office and let the vet virtually tie them into pretzel shapes without making a sound. They'd stand up, lie down, all that stuff, and not let out a peep. In your case, since you've started her on Rimadyl, she actually might be feeling better by Friday--rather than faking it like mine did--so your vet might need to see the videos to get a better idea where the problem was. For one of my dogs who had this problem, it was the start of on-again/off-again back pain that we managed with gabapentin and methocarbamol (a muscle relaxer) for the rest of his life. He was about ten or so when it started, and I lost him at age 13 from a combination of old-age issues. The other dog with this problem has some arthritis in her shoulder, and this still crops up once in a while.

Don't give pain meds. If it continues and your vet wants to give meds, you may have to wait through a wash-out period (of days) before you can change meds. Even aspirin requires a longer wash-out period than you'd expect. But you might want to call your vet's office. Tell them you suspect a strain, but will be in in a few days if it doesn't clear up, and ask if they would prescribe something. Often, the vet will insist on seeing your dog, but if Logan was at the vet's recently, they might agree. If a corn, limping will be worse on hard surfaces like concrete and asphalt, but much less severe on grass and carpet.

My vet's not fond of Pet Meds--had trouble with them in the past, I think--but has no problem with F&S. I get a written prescription from my vet, order on line, then mail the written prescription to F&S. I get Advantage Multi for my guys (oral meds make my girl sick), and my vet doesn't carry that one. Just be careful about ordering from overseas. Some of those sites may have bogus or expired meds.

If she's not putting weight on it in the morning, I'd go to the vet. These guys are stoic about actual injuries; they just turn all hypochondriac over nail trims. Among other considerations, if you wait a day or two and she's not doing better, then you're looking at trying to get vet care on the weekend or waiting until Monday. I'd rather see my regular vet when it isn't an actual emergency than deal with a strange vet later. P.S. Make sure the wrap isn't too tight. Feel her toes. If they are cold, the wrap probably is too tight.

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

If the ground itself is cold (not just the air), my guys would come inside with cold feet after a short walk and warm those feet against me in bed.

Oh, golly, yes! Sam used to get leg cramps that would wake him screaming at 2am. That's a real heart-stopper. Sam would go rigid and scream, generally half-standing, with much of his weight on the cramping leg. If I just tipped him over onto his side or if I lifted him to get his weight off his leg, he immediately got relief, relaxed, and went back to sleep within seconds. (Not so fast for me, though.) Just thought I'd mention how I "fixed it"--in case Luna sometime has a cramp that's more painful.