KF_in_Georgia

The article quoted blames the increased risk on citric acid more than on the water. The citric acid increases bloat risk 3x; owner-moistened food that contains citric acid increases bloat risk 4x. Out of curiosity, I checked what I feed. My guys get Iams in the green bag (everything else gives soft poop). I usually buy the mini-chunks rather than the large breed version. It turns out that the large breed formula contains citric acid (as the last ingredient); the mini-chunks doesn't have citric acid.

One thing I've heard of is to ask your vet to do a nerve block on the suspicious toe, then watch Smitty walk. If his walk is fine with the block, then you're looking at a toe issue that probably is a corn. If he still limps with the block, then you need to look for another problem. (There could still be a corn, but it's not the main problem.) But yes, corns often don't show at the surface, which is one of the things that makes treating them so difficult.

Both my guys got a tablespoon of coconut oil on their bedtime kibble.* They licked their dishes clean, then swapped dishes and licked some more. *The boy's coat is a little dry. The girl's coat is terrific--despite three baths in four weeks for therapy visits--but the coconut oil will be a preventative.

Melody & Drew: How fast is "too fast"? Unless water breaks down the kibble in the first 30 seconds, kibble at my house has gone on to face a more serious breakdown than water will inflict. Regarding the coughing: When we near the bottom of a bag, there's lots of crumbs. If that winds up in the dogs' dishes, the dogs are liable to cough and choke some. They're used to inhaling kibble, and they aren't prepared to be inhaling crumbs instead. And a warning to dme (the original poster): If they cough enough, dogs are apt to cough up dinner that's gone down the wrong way. Then they'll eat it again. Gross, but at least you don't have to clean up a pile of soggy kibble. And for those of us who really don't like touching soggy kibble with our bare hands--I use a poop bag over my hand to scoop up unwanted kibble, bag the kibble just like poop, and knot the bag so I don't have to smell the stuff loose in the trash can. (I can cope with pee, poop, and blood. Something about vomited food, though...)

I don't know what Chance's original problem could be--have you seen a veterinary dermatologist? The tail is probably stud tail: absolutely normal, and there's not really much that can be done. You can search "stud tail" on this forum to find more posts about it.

I'm so sorry you've lost your lovely girl.

There's a PDF located here. Download and print and take it with you. Put another copy in the trunk of your car in case you wind up with an emergency while you and the dog are away from home. It's the numbers, but it's also info on the research behind the numbers for various greyhound issues. And if you're a belt-and-suspender type (ahem), put it on an external storage site (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) or email it to yourself and keep the email accessible from your phone so you can attach it to a new email and send it to an ER or vet...

Tracy, Jackie might be having a bad reaction to drugs the vet gave her yesterday. Often, panting, whining, restlessness, and crying after meds is all to do with the drugs and unrelated to any actual pain. Skip the Tramadol, I think. That sometimes can trigger the same sort of reaction you're seeing. If Jackie's reaction is to the drugs, the problem should start to fade soon. I'm so sorry you and Jackie are going through this.

Your vet might want to you consult with an oncologist. Oncologists often are less conservative about pain meds than ordinary vets because they realize that long-term side effects aren't an issue for their patients. Talk to your vet about Pepcid (generic: famotidine, available OTC in 10mg and 20mg dosages) and other stomach protection. Pain pills and NSAIDs always need to land on food rather than an empty stomach, so if she gets picky about her food and sometimes walks away from her dish, make sure she eats before you give pain pills. Almost everything except NSAIDs is available from people pharmacies more cheaply than from vets. Use coupons from Goodrx.com to keep prices down; my vet and I look at coupons on Goodrx.com before he writes a script so he can choose the quantity/dosage that makes the most sense. (Sometimes smaller pills more often will cost less.) Gabapentin, methocarbamol, and tramadol are available at pharmacies. Use caution with metacam/meloxicam. There's some indication that the pill form (meloxicam) causes stomach distress that doesn't happen with the liquid Metacam (more expensive). Also, it's easier to be precise with the liquid. Other NSAIDs often can't come from local pharmacies because they're not formulated for people. Goodrx sometimes can provide coupons for animal meds you'd have to order online. Stay ahead of the pain. It's hell trying to catch up. I'm emphasizing the prices only because every penny you save on meds is another penny to spend on treats and special foods. And I can't overemphasize the value of GoodRx.com: their coupon reduces clomipramine for my boy's separation anxiety from $604 to $53.

My girl once had a yellow jacket sting on one leg. It was swollen by the time we got home (and got to the Benadryl)--about 20 minutes. I gave her two Benadryl and the swelling went right down. And my boy once jumped up from a sound sleep and spat out a red wasp. Then he pawed at his mouth. He didn't cry--and he's my crybaby. He'd had Benadryl already that morning for his allergies. I didn't waste time looking for a stinger in his mouth since I could easily overlook it. I just popped him into the car and drove to my vet's. We sat in the waiting room for 30 minutes, then went home. He loves outings with mom and enjoyed the car ride--and the attention and cookies from the vet staff while we waited, and I appreciated the peace of mind.

Benadryl will help with the swelling. 1mg per 1 pound of dog, so a 50 pound dog can take two 25mg pills. You also can do an epsom-salt soak, if she'll cooperate, but the Benadryl should help quickly. The scary one is when they get stung around the mouth. Swelling then can obstruct the airway. If you ever suspect a mouth/muzzle/snout sting, give Benadryl and head for the vet/ER immediately. You can sit in the waiting room until you see whether she needs medical care, but better to get there and have a wasted drive and a waiting-room sit than to delay and then have a panicked dash for help.

Yes. Sometimes the first sign that osteo is present is a catastrophically broken bone. Xrays then may confirm that osteo is present in a dog that was "fine" 10 seconds before it broke its leg. Sometimes, even then, xrays aren't conclusive, but a biopsy confirms the osteo.

My old boy (he was 12, almost 13) took 1/2 of a meloxicam pill every morning after breakfast for a couple of months to help with old-age aches, arthritis, etc. Before breakfast, he got a Pepcid, we waited half an hour or so, then breakfast and the pill. After just a few months (November to February), he stopped eating, started vomiting food and pooping blood, and was on the verge of an ulcer. We stopped the meloxicam, medicated for the ulcer, and slowly coaxed him back to eating. But his vet felt it wasn't safe to give him any form of NSAIDs after that. Several people on here said that the liquid form of the medicine would have been safer: easier to get the right dosage (pill splitters aren't precise, and there's a reason those pills don't come with "divide here" crevices in them), and easier on his stomach. The problem is that the liquid is much more expensive than the pill form, so most vets prescribe the pills. I'm just saying this so you know to watch for stomach issues--whichever form you use. Don't neglect the Pepcid, and make sure he's got plenty of food in his stomach when the pill gets there. You don't want to find that stomach trouble is limiting the pain relievers you can safely use. Hint: If your prescription calls for a dosage of half a pill, when you bring home a new bottle of pills, split them in half right then. Eliminate any possibility that you'll get the pills confused with something (like tramadol) that he takes an entire pill of. These days, I've got a girl on Rimadyl, and I split all those pills before I put the bottle on the shelf with her other meds.

A fecal isn't a bad idea. And ask the vet about medicine that might stimulate Ladybeans' appetite. But this isn't uncommon in an older dog. And in hot weather, dogs often want to eat less (especially in the morning) and will get more picky about their food. It might help if Ladybeans' sitter offers her small meals more often during the day, and gives her something at bedtime. When my old boy was losing weight, I ground up kibble and mixed it with yogurt or rice or oatmeal or vanilla Ensure. I wanted him to get the kibble so he'd be getting balanced nutrition, but I needed other goodies to tempt him. (And if I just mixed the goodies with whole kibble, he'd lick the kibble clean. Once the kibble was ground up, he'd eat it.) After a few months of the ground kibble, he was willing to go back to eating the whole kibble. Also, if Ladybeans is having any dental problems, the ground kibble might be less uncomfortable for her.

I use Advantage Multi, a topical that does fleas and heartworm. We use it year-round. Two reasons: 1. I can't find an oral heartworm med that doesn't give my girl diarrhea. Since topical heartworm meds have a topical flea preventative built in, she gets both at the same time. The boy gets the same thing because it's easier to have both dogs on the same meds. 2. I'm in the South. Here, you treat for fleas all year-round because it doesn't get cold enough long enough to be safe from fleas in the winter. The girl is 9 and has been taking Advantage Multi for a year with no problems. The boy is 7 and has been taking it since January (when I adopted him); no problems for him, either.

If you've already put Frontline on your girl, don't put another product with pesticide on her. And I'd avoid flea products available in most grooming salons: they're often equivalent to the dubious, inexpensive treatments on the store shelves. I noted in your other thread: try Capstar. It'll be available from a vet or from pet stores (PetSmart used to carry it.) It's a pill that kills or repels fleas on your dog in the first 30-45 minutes and continues to work for several hours. That will take care of fleas that are on her. (Take her for a long walk, so the fleas aren't hopping off in your house.) Afterwards, you'll be able to comb dead fleas out of her coat. But you'll probably need to treat your home as well.

Get Capstar. You'll want to ask your vet first, but many veterinary hospitals use it on their patients, and rescue groups often use it before dogs are sent home with new owners. It's a pill that will kill fleas (or make them jump off) within the first hour. Your vet may carry it. Also, check PetSmart for it. (Know your girl's weight to get the right product.) Don't use a flea shampoo now that your girl has been Frontlined. You don't want to put anything else with pesticides on her for a couple of weeks. I wouldn't take her to a groomer at this point. After the Capstar, you'll be able to comb dead fleas out of her coat. Suggestion, give her the Capstar and take her for a walk so fleas aren't getting off her in your home. (Our rescue group gives it and walks the dogs for 30 to 45 minutes before loading them in the car for transport to the kennel.) And you probably need to treat your home since she probably brought fleas home with her.

No more NSAIDs. That kind of reaction to metacam is a predictor of reactions to other NSAIDs. Gabapentin is very effective: Most of us have given as much as 900mg/day for dogs in the mid-50 to mid-60 pound weight range (25-30kg?). It needs to be given more often than just once or twice a day because it wears off fairly fast. If you get 100mg capsules (you can get it at a people pharmacy with a prescription), you can get more control over dosing than if you get the 300mg tablet form. (On a dog taking lots of meds, I fed and pilled him 4 times a day. I'd give 2 of the 100mg gabapentin at a time.) Also, talk to your vet: Is there a reason the tramadol is only overnight? (My old boy was taking 50mg tramadol 4 times a day also.) Note that gabapentin might take a couple of days to get up to full effectiveness.

Good. Hugs to you both.

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

I had one with a fondness for Mountain Dew (loaded with caffeine). I had to start using covered cups (like sports bottles). He's gone now (old age), but I still use the covered cups.

I think his reaction to the opiate is typical for greyhounds. See if his limp is better on grass, worse on concrete/asphalt. That's helpful in determining whether it's a corn or not. And since it doesn't appear to have been painful when your vet manipulated the leg, that's another reason to suspect a corn. Your vet might try applying a nerve block to the questionable toe. If your boy stops limping, it's the corn (or, at least, the toe). If he keeps limping, it's more likely to be his foot or his leg. Also, dogs sometimes limp when the pain is elsewhere--say, a neck injury (for a front-leg limp) or back trouble for a hind-leg limp. The dog will walk strangely to try to minimize painful twinges along the spine, and that strange walk results in a limp.

Your "friend" is a fool. You and your vet--and Dylan--agreed what was best for Dylan. For your friend to second guess what you and your vet decided is both rude and unprofessional. You were there when Dylan needed you, and you did what Dylan needed for you to do.

Pam, when you have to be away from home, can you put Poodle in an ex-pen or gate him in a room with flooring that's good for him? (Or at least gate him out of problem areas?) Put bed and water bowl in with him so he has no need to move around too much. And if the flooring is a problem where you want to leave him, try rubber-backed bathmats--they provide good traction, and they're easy to wash. I went through the same worries with Sam last year. I think he wisely limited his own moving around when I wasn't home. (Sam would do "Bambi on the ice" moves and scream until I got his feet back under him because he couldn't figure out how to shift his weight to get up on his own.) But Sam was having some arthritis pain on occasion, and when he spent an entire night panting--even though maxed out on his pain meds--I knew I shouldn't wait any longer. My deciding point was: as long as I can make him feel better, we're good. When I can't make him feel better, we're done. I was not going to rely on luck to give us good days.

I'm so sorry you've lost your good boy.