oldrunners

Please add Sasha, Kiowa K Happy, to the list. My pretty girl.

Welcome from Sirius and Pippin in Delaware! He's a handsome guy!

When I adopted Penny, the grain -free thing was all the rage, and, since many of the adoption groups were recommending it, I happily jumped on that bandwagon, until I brought her in for a UTI, and the vet heard the heart irregularity. She took Penny to the back and consulted with another vet, who confirmed. They called the nearest specialty hospital and got Penny in as an emergency the following day. Not quite a year and a half later, she suffered a traumatic fall in the yard and dislocated her hip. The trip to the evet at 11 at night, in the pouring rain, knowing she wouldn't be coming home with me, was awful. But, up until then her heart at first showed some improvement, then stabilized. The vets were all content with that at that time. She was a month past 12 when she went to the bridge. I believe the FDA attempted to look into the grain free issue, but couldn't reach a conclusion one way or the other because so many of us didn't know the complete food history of our dogs, or even the exact age, or medical history. This wasn't just greyhounds---think of how many dogs are adopted from shelters! I'm back to feeding Pro Plan, which is what I fed 24 years ago when I adopted my first greyhound. The World Small Animal Vet Assoc. recommends 5 food brands, Pro Plan being one of them. Lastly, the supplement Penny took with her vetmedin was L-Carnatine, as recommended by her cardiologist. I have no idea if this is still recommended. There was a FB group dealing with this issue, but I haven't visited there in over a year, so I don't know whether it is still active or not.

My Penny had DCM (probably from being fed grain free). Vetmedin is compoundable, if the pharmacy can get the main ingredient. She did not need to be sedated for the echo. There is a supplement that is often prescribed to go along with the vetmedin, and maybe I'll remember its name after I've had my tea. I bought it at The Vitamin Shoppe.

Sadly, my Sasha is losing her hind end. She is now wearing a Help 'Em Up harness. It allows me to assist her going up and down the 4 steps in and out of my house, and I'm confident I'll be able to lift her in and out of the car when her time comes, using it. The one I have is a loaner from the vet, and is a medium/medium. Sasha weighs 65#. If I had to buy one, I'd get a medium/small, but this one does work with the rear harness at its tightest.

Welcome from Pippin, Sirius, and Sasha, in Delaware!

My Sasha celebrated her 12th birthday last Friday. She now wears a Help 'em Up harness during the day, mostly because she can no longer go down the 4 steps to get out of my house, and it really helps when she starts to go down in the house. I have 2 black commercial runners from Lowe's (I hear they're trending now!), two huge cheapo carpet pieces, and a myriad of colorful rubber backed bathmats, just to brighten up the place a bit.

Welcome from Sirius, Sasha, and Pippin, from lower, slower Delaware!

Do you have a Tractor Supply near you? They have several waterproof beds. I have 2 Snoozer rectangle beds, size small. These are to replace 2 I bought about 3 years ago. The outside shell is coated with plastic on the inside, so they are quite waterproof. There are two downsides that I have found: if your dogs nest, that coating eventually flakes off, and they are airtight, so they have air holes on the sides to allow air to escape when the dog steps on them. They are about 6 inches high and compress to about 4 inches when the dog gets on and air escapes. It takes awhile for my dogs to get used to that poofy-ness. Mine have been peed, pooped, and puked upon, then tossed in the washer to be cleaned, but I've never used them outside. Sadly, they were just on sale, but the regular price is about $65 for the small rectangle, free shipping and delivery to your house. Anyway, you might check out their beds.

Oh, Irene and Len! Is there anything worse than that late night car ride, when you know what the end will be? And the ride home may be just as bad. My heart truly weeps with yours. I am sending you a cyber hug. I hope you find peace and solace soon!

I am so sorry to read this! My heart weeps with you.

OMG! They're back! I remember sitting at my computer years ago, all by myownself, absolutely crying with laughter. And today, when I need a chuckle, they return!

I have seen two who were white in their youth, but over the years they both developed some red or black ticking.

Welcome from Sirius and Sasha in Delaware!

I don't see why a greyhound couldn't do this. At least one of mine is in the bathroom with me anyway....

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words. The "missing her" is not quite as acute as it was, until I do something unthinkingly routine. For example, the other day I came into the foyer, hung up my jacket, greeted the other two, then made a left down the hall to let Penny out of her crate. Halfway there I realized. Several times at breakfast or dinner, even though I only have two bowls in hand, I feed Sasha, then Sirius, then go to Penny's spot...but there's no bowl and no feeder. Penny has joined the Fun Police Squad in the field at the Bridge, of that I'm positive. Thank you all again.

Thank you for that, Racindog. I'm sorry she had to leave in pain, but so glad she left being Penny. I'm offering the vetmedin because it goes for about $2-3 a tab, and I know that every little bit helps.

Sadly, my Penny has gone to the bridge. She had been diagnosed with DCM, and was being treated with Vetmedin and L-carnatine, as prescribed by her cardiologist. I have about 30 tabs of 10mg vetmedin and about 50 of L-carnatine leftover. I can return them to my vet , who will donate them, but I'm hoping a grey or non-grey sib could use them. I'll happily mail them off. Altho her disease was progressing, she did not succumb to it. She suffered a severe spinal injury after a fall in the yard, as well as dislocating one hip. By the time I got to the EVet, she was unable to control her hind end at all. Because of the DCM, she wasn't a candidate for surgery. So I gave her a kiss, told her she was a good girl, and said goodbye.

The irony in my case, is that I didn't feed grain free because it was grain free---it was the first food that didn't give my dogs crystals in their pee. This was the 4th one I tried, and it worked, so I stuck with it. Sigh.

You might want to browse the units on the Facebook group Taurine-deficient (Nutritional) Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Its up to over 100K members.

Sadly, one of my girls has DCM. I fed grain free for years. The World Small Animal Veterinary Assoc. recommends Merrick, Fromm, Royal Canin, Hills/Science Diet, and Purina. Among other reasons, they test before, during and after production, have single sources, and have vet. nutritionists on staff. I feed Purina, because that's what my budget can handle for 3 greys. She will celebrate her birthday next week, and we will celebrate for 2 reasons: That she is still with me after a year and a half, and she will be my second grey (out of 10) who has made it to 11!

Penny weighs 61lbs, and takes one 20mg tablet daily. At least for the generic brand, the capsule has a tablet and filler inside it. You can break open the capsule and remove the tablet. I don't know if this holds true for the larger dose, or for the name brand.

My girl is taking daily omeprazole. She gets it at breakfast. If at all possible, get the tablet instead of the capsule. In a recent xray, taken mid afternoon, we could clearly see the as yet undigested capsule in her intestines. After that I broke the capsule open and just gave the tablet hidden within. Penny takes 4 meds at breakfast, so I scrape of a blob of peanut butter onto the side of her dish, stick her pills into it, and she licks it off as she eats.

Welcome from Penny, Sasha, and Sirius in Delaware!

Penny, Sasha, and Sirius say welcome from Delaware!