EnzaFerrari

I have watched Zoe and Salem pick up those little pieces within their food bowl and drop them on the floor. I imagine the diva did something pretty similar. Yep. The diva would take a bite, sense the evil pill, spit the mouthful out on the floor, eat the kibble, glare at me about the pill and walk away. Note that she is actually a very good pill taker so that is why it stands out....

Where do you get the actiflex?

I've been using the GNC PetSmart hip and joint health for Enza for the past year. For the past two weeks, she has refused to eat the pills (peanut butter flavor) and as I am winding down the bottle, I figured I'd try something new. But of course there are far too many options and the prices all make me gulp. Fish oil is out of the question as within a day or two, her stool becomes very soft and filled with mucus. Not fun. I was reading that some dogs aren't eating Fresh Factor and I really don't want to argue with her every day over it. Options?

Why I do believe I am in your neighborhood....

I leave NPR on for my girl. She never had separation anxiety but I have myself convinced that the voices help. Plus I like that I can drown out the outside noise.

I am not sure if this will help but when Enza's blood test came back as having low platelets, I was told that greyhounds tend to "clump" and they can be harder to count. Once she was retested, they were back up in the "normal for a greyhound range". However, she did not have the other symptoms.

I find when I need gloves, Enza needs a coat. Often she will start panting like crazy so the coat comes off so it really does depend on the dog and weather. (I cannot wait for coat weather)

What's this "cold" thing?

I do potatoes, oatmeal, or egg noodles. When I fed rice, I noticed it kept coming out as rice no matter how long I cooked it.

**stupid allergies**

I've been using the GNC max joint supplement from PetSmart and I love the results.

I use panacur for Enza and she's never had a problem with it. Not sure what the ingredients are, however.

I was fretting about Enza not drinking and finally my boyfriend said to me, "stop hovering and freaking her out". So I did - and she drank. I also give ice cubes if I'm worried about dehydration.

I used Rimadyl for Enza as she had no side effects and the impact was immediate. I only gave her a half dose and yet that still was quite effective. She would go from being rather cautious to prancing like a princess within 24 hours. While I understand most dogs do fine on Tramadyl, she did not. She was either manic and panting or stoned out and falling off the sofa. Of course the manic stage was at 4 am and then stoned and passed out stage was in the evening. Perhaps if they had been reversed....

A few things: 1. Your dog is not bored and it does not hate you. Greyhounds sleep all the time and they all tend to be quite and aloof when they first come home. Take deep breaths and relax. 2. You will become obsessed with the output of your dog. Just accept it now. Not all fecals show up positive - drove me batty until I realized this, 3. Feed what you can afford. 4. Dog training is an excellent way to bond with your dog and realize how often people ignore the signs their dogs send off in terms of being uncomfortable in a situation. 5. It's best not to lean over, poke, etc a sleeping greyhound until you figure out how it will handle such things. I read it in a book and it was stressed to me on many occasions. 6. Ignore most of what people say and figure out your dog on your own. Their signs tend to be more subtle than most other dogs but they are still emphatic. 7. Your dog does not hate you and it's not bored. Relax. 8. Your dog will need at least three beds - accept this as well. 9. Keep a first aid kit well stocked - bandages, emt gel (for cuts and bruises), pepcid for upset tummies, and a variety of other things. It is amazing how clutzy such graceful creatures can be. 10. Your dog does not hate you and it's not bored. Relax.

This sounds like what Enza had off and on for months. We finally saw two specialists and the result was pinched nerves/shrinking vertebra in her neck. The treatment has been occasional NSAIDs to help with the swelling, resting her for awhile (short walks for almost 6 months) and no running, and at some point I will do acupuncture when the budget allows it. Do understand that an MRI is very pricey ($2000 in the DC area) and that your dog would have to be fully under for at least an hour. That is a risk I am unwilling to take with Enza unless absolutely necessary. While I can understand wanting to avoid drugs, your dog is in serious pain and if three to four days of rimadyl will fix her up (as it did Enza), it is absolutely worth it.

I love VOSM.

Enza is pretty bomb proof. Weather doesn't bother her in the slightest, we can walk past locomotives, fireworks, etc and so on. She is also very good with kids for at Thanksgiving last year, a toddler fell on her and she simply stood up and walked away. A friend's baby learned how to stand by holding onto Enza. My girl just stood there and shifted her weight while I fed her a meatball as a reward and rescued her. However, this week I learned she is freaked out by crutches and a sleeper sofa.

Were there storms last night?

When Enza had giardia, she was treated with Panacur. I actually keep some on hand these days for when she seems off - because after giardia and hookworms over the course of 6 months, I pretty much have it figured out when it's a tummy or worms.

I'd be curious as well. And for me, it's an over quality of life for Enza as funds are increasingly tight. If I have to spend a lot more on food, I'll have to scale back on dog walking and that is not an option with my schedule.

Everything came back normal so we will wait and see how she does. But good to know nothing is seriously wrong.

I'm assuming you don't mean artifact like Indiana Jones..... (although it wouldn't surprise me). The previous CBC was done at an outside lab but she didn't rule out lab error because the reading was so "weird". (I hate that word right now).

Background: The last three weeks or so, Enza started guzzling water. I went from one or two bowls to three or four a day and her output increased as well. She never had any accidents in the house, but if I came home late from work (8 hours tops), she'd knock me over trying to get to the door. There were a few mornings that she would wake me up at 3 AM or so to go out as well. Last weekend, she twice got up from a nap to empty a bowl of water so I figured it was a mild UTI. Her only other "symptom" was being extra demanding and whiney (more of a "get out of my spot on the sofa, lady" vs "I'm miserable and it's your fault"). I took her to the vet on Wednesday and they found no white blood cells or bacteria in her urine, but noted some bits of protein, it was highly concentrated (even though it was her third pee of the day), and it was highly alkaline. She had no fever and everything else looked fine. The vet suggested a full CBC blood panel sent to the outside lab. Everything came back normal and similar to her previous samples. She said the one "weird" thing was that Enza had very low blood platelets - low even for a greyhound. She suggested I come in tomorrow for another CBC to be run and she also mentioned doing another urine culture more high tech than what they do in the onsite lab. She had also asked me to track just how much water Enza was consuming and it's about 4-6 cups a day depending on if I drag her out for a hike or if it's hot. I guess that amount is within the normal range, just high for her. (And oddly enough, her obsession with water has calmed down the last few days.) Last year I did do a Snap Four and that was negative. As she looked through all of Enza's records (including the elusive limp), she did laugh and say, "The one thing that is consistent with Enza is that she is never normal". It's been suggested that it could be Babesia but any other thoughts would be appreciated.

I am so glad I have witnesses to this story. I once put green beans in Enza's dish and then sat down to talk with my sister and her friend. Enza carefully picked each green bean out of the bowl, carried them to wear I was sitting, dropped them on the floor, and then walked back to eat her kibble. I had only had her a few months at the time, but that's when I knew I was in trouble......