JJNg

I agree with making sure her pain control is adequate. What dose of gabapentin is she on? If she is truly still anxious at night, something like Xanax or Valium would be much more appropriate than acepromazine.

I didn't go back to read all of the previous comments in this thread, so this may have been mentioned already. But before people with dogs who have the listed sires in their pedigree get too worried, keep in mind that we don't have any percentages. In addition to just looking to see if dogs diagnosed with OSA have these sires in their pedigree, you also need to compare it to the number of dogs with those sires who *don't* develop OSA for the numbers to mean anything. Gable Dodge has over 11,000 offspring, and Wigwam Wag and HB's Commander have over 3000 each. Commander's son Molotov has over 7000 offspring. A huge number of dogs go back to these sires, so they are going to show up in the pedigrees of a lot of greyhounds with OSA simply because of that. My 2 older greyhounds both have HB's Commander 2-3 generations back. They are doing well at 11 and almost 11 years old.

Gabapentin is also used to treat seizures, and this usually only applies to dogs that are already prone to seizures. If you're using gabapentin to treat pain, there is no need to wean down if it needs to be stopped for some reason.

What about his blood is so "thick" that it interferes with the lab equipment? If it's a high hematocrit/PCV (ie. high percentage of RBCs, made worse by dehydration), aspirin won't help. Aspirin "thins" the blood through it's effects on how platelets clump. Does he have protein in his urine related to his kidney disease? Dogs that lose protein in their urine also lose antithrombin which reduces clotting, so they may be more prone to strokes from throwing clots. Low dose aspirin can be helpful for this reason. Regarding dose, low-dose aspirin to reduce clotting in a greyhound would be the 1/4-1/2 tablet of the 81 mg tablet once daily. For the average greyhound, this works out to about 0.5-1 mg/kg. The 5-10 mg/kg dose is if you were using aspirin to treat pain and inflammation.

Chronic or recurrent hookworms is usually due to either reinfection from the yard, or a phenomenon called larval leak syndrome. Basically, hookworms larva can exist in a latent form in the tissues, and when they are dewormed and the GI tract is cleared of worms, those larva in the tissues come out and reinfect the intestines. If there are a large number of latent larva present in the tissues, this will happen over and over again, so repeated deworming is needed to clear the infestation. I usually use a pyrantel product (Strongid-T) every 2 weeks, but any product that is effective against hookworms will work. If using a heartworm product that also covers hooks, I deworm in the middle of the month, between HW doses, with a pyrantel product. So between the HW preventative and the pyrantel, they are getting dewormed roughly every 2 weeks. I continue this for at least 3 months.

I'm really curious where the OP is located. I've never heard of a pet store in the U.S. selling greyhound puppies. And finding a whippet puppy in a pet store is about as rare. Italian greyhounds, on the other hand, have become quite common in puppy mills and pet stores.

Where are you located, and where are you planning to get a puppy from that the parentage would be questionable? As RedHead stated, greyhound puppies are not very common, and you should know what you're getting because they would have a known background, and the parents may even be on site. Whippets are probably even less common than greyhounds, and most puppies come from reputable breeders. At least that's the situation here in the U.S. If you're in another country, I can't speak to the situation elsewhere. As to the physical difference between greyhound and whippet puppies, at 3-4 months, the most distinguishable difference would be size.

Depends on the dog. I muzzle when off-leash in a larger group, especially if some of the members of the group aren't familiar. When riding loose in the car with other dogs they don't know well (like when I'm transporting fosters). When I'm introducing a new foster to my house. One of my greyhounds isn't comfortable around unknown men or kids, so I muzzle her when I have company over who might make her nervous. My greyhounds are all good with small dogs and cats, so I don't muzzle them in public when they are on leash and under my direct control. I'm curious why you feel cloth muzzles are better at preventing bites than basket muzzles? I've had the opposite experience and prefer basket muzzles when possible and the dog is acclimated to one. Dogs can still pinch you with their front teeth with the open-front cloth muzzles that most vets and groomers use. Basket muzzles prevent that, and the dog is more comfortable - can still pant and take treats.

Hopefully it works well for him. Keep us posted.

The time to start doxepin is as soon as a diagnosis is made, before it gets to the acute stage. It's a long term medication with mild effects that won't help in an acute crisis, and it likely only helps if the laryngeal paralysis is partial and not complete. I've used it in a few cases and haven't had any problems, and I don't see many side effects reported by other vets either. Typically recommended starting dose for a large dog is 50 mg twice daily, and it can be increased to 100 mg twice daily.

I'd ask your vet about doxepin. It's an anti-anxiety medication that is used on a daily basis. Some good anecdotal evidence on the vet forums (VIN in particular) that it can help decrease the signs of LP. I usually also send home acepromazine for sedation as needed. Usually to be used before events that may cause the dog to get excited (ie. car rides, company, vet visits, etc). Can also be used during flare ups of respiratory distress, but oral meds may not work quick enough in a crisis. The trazodone would probably work as well as the ace in situations like that. I like ace because of its muscle relaxing properties, and it's a sedative that doesn't have much effect on respiratory function.

This is not true. In the early stages of LP, you often only see signs when they are excited. Hence the recommendations to keep LP dogs calm and cool. Ducky, is it possible that Percy's breathing issues after his dental were secondary to LP? If so, he wouldn't have the same problems after a tieback surgery. The bleeding would obviously be a concern. Was he treated with Amicar or tranexamic acid, and did he respond to that? Regardless, if his signs are mild, you may not need to consider a tieback, but I'm not sure I'd necessarily rule it out if he gets worse. Did your vet mention starting him on doxepin?

IMO, if you can see all the ribs in a pet greyhound, they are almost always too thin. Sometimes you can see most of the ribs in a very well muscled racer, but the back muscles in those dogs should be well developed without much spine or hip showing. Few pets stay that athletic condition. I don't mind not seeing any ribs, as long as the ribs are right under the skin and not covered by a layer of 'padding' (fat). I also don't think that there's a 'exact' weight that's perfect for any dog. There's a little bit of a range that is healthy, and actual weight will depend on conditioning as muscle weighs more than fat. From the photos, your boy is at the upper end of what I'd consider healthy. I keep my dogs a few pounds less than that, but I think it's fine if your dog stays where he is as long as he doesn't gain more. Many people have differing opinions about greyhound weight. Some may just be a matter of opinion, based on personal preference within a healthy weight range. But I've also seen people (including vets) who aren't experienced with greyhounds as athletes think that an obese greyhound is a good weight. And others who go overboard in keeping their hounds too thin. Keep in mind that it's not just about weight, but muscle tone and conditioning.

Dogs prone to pancreatitis need a low fat diet, but fat is an essential part of the diet that can't be avoided completely. So it's more a matter of being aware of the total dose of fat that the dog is getting in their diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are actually beneficial in decreasing cholesterol and lipids in the blood (they are used to treat high cholesterol in people). I'd suggest asking your vet to look into this and help you determine a safe dose of omega-3s to give.

As seeh2o mentioned, it depends on whether it's anxiety or true motion sickness. If it's anxiety, some training and desensitization can help. Or in severe cases, anxiety medication like Xanax or Valium. If it's true motion sickness, I recommend Cerenia for longer trips. For short trips, if he can't take Dramamine, you could consider meclizine (Bonine, Antivert) as Moneypenny mentioned (yes, it can be used in dogs).

Thanks for the background information. Chronic pancreatitis could potentially explain his symptoms of a painful abdomen and intermittent foul-smelling, loose stools. Since his signs are pretty mild, I think it would be fine to try an OTC low fat food, rather than going with a prescription diet. If it's a good quality brand, a diet should be balanced and nutritious even if it's low fat. You can also include omega-3 fatty acids in his diet by supplementing with fish oil. You do have to be careful with the fat content, and it's better to use the double strength capsules which have proportionally more omega-3s. In addition with helping skin and coat health, omega-3s and other antioxidants have actually been shown to help manage pancreatitis. As to whether you're using the 'right' vet, do you feel comfortable with and trust your current vet? Do you feel that she listens to and respects you? IMO, those are a couple of the most important points in deciding whether a vet/clinic is a good fit.

What symptoms is/was Felix showing? Was the bloodwork run because he was sick? Just curious as there was no mention of any clinical signs, just bloodwork results, but maybe I missed it in another post.

Those creatinine levels could be completely normal for a greyhound. I would check a specific gravity on a first morning urine sample, and if her urine is well concentrated, the creatinine is probably nothing to worry about. SDMA is a new test that is only offered through IDEXX. Right now, it is an extra test that is included at no extra charge on all of IDEXX chemistry panels. If your vet using another lab, they won't have access to this test.

Yes, you can start the Comfortis now, and still use the Frontline when it is due. They work by different mechanisms, so they can even be given at the same time.

I think he looks good, similar to the last photos, which is where you wanted to keep him. I'd continue with the current feeding and just keep an eye on his weight. Adjust his food as necessary, based on how he looks.

Capstar is very safe and can be used every other day, but that's really not a cost effective way of dealing with fleas long term. I've used Comfortis on all my greyhounds and whippets, as well as prescribed it for a number of greyhound patients with no problems. If your dog is close to the low end of the weight range, there may be an increased chance of GI upset, so you may want to go to the lower dose. For example, if your greyhound weighs 62 lbs, you may want to use the 40-60 lb dose, rather than the 60-120 lb dose of Comfortis. Note that I only round down like this for flea/tick control products, not heartworm preventatives or combo products that include heartworm (such as Trifexis). Don't want to risk lack of efficacy when dealing with heartworms, which can be life-threatening.

Water deprivation tests have mostly fallen out of favor by the specialists and can potentially be dangerous. I definitely agree with getting a second opinion, or preferably, consulting with an internal medicine specialist. Hope your mom is ok. As long as RJ is fine other than the excessive drinking, it's usually not urgent and is something that can wait a little until things settle down.

I hope Pebbles is still doing well. I believe it was her 10th birthday yesterday? Lymphoma can be unpredictable and response to treatment, whether pred only or chemo, can vary. I believe in 'preparing for the worse, but hoping for the best'. One of my clinic staff member's dogs was diagnosed with lymphoma last month, started on pred, and we euthanized him only weeks later because he started to decline. I also had a patient who did well for 8 months on pred only, and for the last few months, her lymph nodes were big, but they didn't bother her at all. So I wouldn't necessarily use the size of the lymph nodes as an indicator of when it's time. Just saw a patient today who was diagnosed over 2 years ago, had chemo, and is still in remission. The data is pretty solid that the "median survival time" for lymphoma if treated with chemo is about 12-18 months. "Median survival time" means that 1/2 of patients will not make it that long, but 1/2 will survive longer, similar but not quite the same as an average. So while there are no guarantees, lymphoma is one of the cancers that is most likely to respond to chemo. I give my clients the statistics and let them decide if chemo is an option they want to pursue. For some, the chance to get that extra 12-18 months is worth the time and cost involved. There's nothing wrong with deciding to go with pred only, either, but as a vet, I feel it is not my decision to make for my patients, but my job to educate the owners so *they* can make an informed decision.

Interesting...I've been using Convenia on my patients for years, and it's been my antibiotic of choice for any cat that needs a broad spectrum antibiotic ever since it came out. Haven't had any patients "drop dead" and almost all of them are still alive. "Most dogs/cats drop dead within a month"? Really?

He looks great, and I agree with keeping him where he is. Dropping from 6 cups to 4 may be too much. If he loses weight on that amount, I'd bump it back up some. How long have you had him? If he's only about 2 years old, he's still young and active, so he may need more food that what most older retired greyhound require. They also usually need more food when they first retire from the track and are recently spayed/neutered. My fosters usually start off needing about 5-6 cups for the first couple months, and then slow drop back to only needing 3-4 cups daily.