arandomchic

When Molly was ill this spring (meningioencephalitis - a neurologial issue brought on due to an autoimmunie reaction to her vaccinations most likely), she was on a very high dose of prednisone (I can't remember if if was 40mg or 60 mg daily) for 4-6 weeks initially. She lost about 15 pounds and have fairly acute muscle wasting. She was skin and bones. The inflammation around her spinal cord never reduced enough on prednisone to lower the dose, so we opted to do chemo to help it along. Once the prednisone dose was reduced to an anti-flammatory level (versus a autoimmune level), she started to rebuild the muscle very very slowly. For timeline reference, she got sick in early May, had chemo in june, and started to rebuild muscle in July. You may want to check with your vet on rehabilitation. It really helped Molly build muscle a little more quickly (as well as improve her neurological function).

Personally, if your vet says "she's not sure" and then treats something without actually knowing that's what's wrong, I'd get a second opinion right away. Hoping the best for your hound!

@Houndtime - thanks for the well wishes. It's been scary and stressful. @KF_in_Georgia - thanks! I read through the blog, and while it's a different diagnosis, it did help. I'll reach out to her.

Does anyone have experience with using Cyotsar (aka Cytarabine or cytosine arabinoside) in treating meningoencephalitis in their hound? It’s going to be administered by IV over 48 hours, which apparently is the most effective method currently (versus the injections previously used). I’d love to get some real life input on what to expect during and after her treatment. Background: In early May, Molly (7 years old) was diagnosed with Immune-mediated meningoencephalitis after she began having severe stumbling (rear legs) and other neurological symptoms. An MRI and a spinal tap confirmed diagnosis. She was started on doxycycline while we waited for the test results came back to rule out a tick-born illness, and started on a high dose of prednisone (30mg 2x daily) when the test results showed it was likely autoimmune. We saw great results within days of starting the steroids, she was able to walk better, regain overall motor coordination, squat to pee/poo, and in general was more mobile. Mentally she began to normalize as well. She continued to improve for about two weeks, then the last few days before our next vet check-up we notice the progress had stalled and she was starting to show negative symptoms of the steroids. In addition to the normal hunger and frequent urination, she was starting to lose muscle mass and become more lethargic. She had dropped nearly 10 pounds since we had weighed her a month previously during a regular vet visit. At the check up, our neurologist was happy with much of her progress. Her neck pain had subsided and her mental capacity was back to normal (minus the prednisone zombie look). The rear limb ataxia was much improved though not completely gone. She still stumbled a little and her gait was very unsteady. However, she was very concerned with the muscle atrophy. We started to discuss other immunosuppressant drugs to add that would allow us to more quickly reduce the prednisone based on the side effects it was causing. Unfortunately, blood tests showed elevated liver enzymes which would prevent us from adding a second immunosuppressant right away. So after continuing with prednisone another couple of weeks and adding in a liver supplement (denamarin) to address the liver issues, we’ve seen some small but good progress overall. Her ataxia has continued to improve bit by bit and she seems more alert. She’s got a little bounce in her step when she’s heading to her dinner. The muscle atrophy has only mildly gotten worse, so she’s weaker from that…but more stable from the prednisone. Based on Molly’s current status the vet wants to add in the second immunosuppressant, Cytosar (aka Cytarabine or cytosine arabinoside). It’s a chemo drug that should suppress the immune system and allow us to more quickly reduce the prednisone to a level that Molly can better tolerate much more quickly than most of the other options. The vet is hopeful based on Molly's progress so far that only one treatment may be needed, which would be great for all of us. Based on everything I’ve read, it’s also safer than many of the other chemo drugs used to help treat her disease (especially for liver toxicity). We know she cannot stay on steroids at this level much longer, so we’re willing to try the next option to get her autoimmune disease under control so we can begin long term treatment options.

Usually when people are "thinking of giving up a pet" they've pretty much already decided to do so and are just seeking permission that it is okay. As someone already said some dogs fit some households better than others. There's no shame in returning a dog that isn't going to be a good fit. My bigger concern is that you have seem to a vision of what you want your greyhound to be and in less than a few months when he didn't slip seamlessly into your expectations of what your dog would be like, you're already disappointed. If you don't adjust your expectations, you may just be disappointed again as well. I'd suggest instead accept your greyhound's (either this one or the next if you choose to adopt again) personality as it is, learn to work within his comfort zone for what is best for him (not you), and look forward to getting to know him/her as they develop and get comfortable with retired life. I promise you'll be amazed at the personality changes you're greyhound will go through in the first year.

My only other advice is to add a verbal cue anytime you "bribe" her to do something. So a "get up" or "Let's go!" or even the jingling of the leash for a walk...whatever you want her to do. That way eventually she'll move with the cue, and not the treat.

You could try using a baby gate on the bedroom door if that's easier than closing the door (that's what we did) Sometimes they just want to be where everyone is, even if everyone is sleeping and not even doing anything fun. I also agree with everyone who says not to give a Kong at bedtime. Save the Kongs for a special treat when she's left alone and needs to keep occupied.

Ditto with Molly. She was too busy roaching.

Just an FYI --- you can't SEE hookworms or other worms like you can tapeworms. Molly's also on a monthly medicine that's supposed to prevent hookworms, and she still got them. So it's not 100% full proof. The vet told me that the medicine is less effective as you get towards the end of the month. So even though she had a vet appointment in February and had a clean stool sample then by June she had gotten hookworms. The plus side is, that they covered the treatment since she should've been protected. I think that's why people are suggesting you at least rule it out first to make sure it truly is a scheduling/behavioral issue.

A couple thoughts.... My girl usually poops TWICE in the morning on her walks. Once almost right away, and then again 15-20 minutes into the walk. So if Odin is going once, maybe keep walking a bit more to see if he has to go again to really make sure he's empty. As a couple other people mentioned, you might want to make sure he doesn't have worms first to rule out anything medical. When Molly had hookworms earlier this summer, she had to poop more often (mid-day which was unusual for her). Secondly, is it possible he has separation anxiety? I know of someone who's grey almost ALWAYS had accidents in the house, crate, where ever he was when they were gone regardless of length of time. It was separation anxiety. And even if he's not prone to it, you may want to do some away training if you're suddenly going to be gone for longer periods than he's used to.

I've heard Molly bark maybe 6 times in the 18 mos I've had her that I can remember. Once was when she needed to go out. And I didn't wake up with her whining. Twice was because Miles Cat wouldn't let her leave a room (he stood in the doorway, blocking her). Twice was at small critters she was watching from a window...a fox and then a possum. The most recent time was this weekend when she got to say hi to a neighborhood dog, Billy. Billy rolled onto his back, she sniffed his belly...and all of the sudden he bounced up and at her. She growled and barked (that's not the rules! she said). He barked back, and then they went about their butt sniffing. She's pretty quiet overall. And I like that about her!

The down side is, she will literally ONLY do it in the spot I initially trained her in. It took her a long time to "get it"...I don't think she saw the value actually doing what I asked it until we discovered the wonder that is liver sausage. But once she got it, she got it quick and will lay down anytime she wants something I am eating or cooking. ("Look at me, mom! I'm laying down! Can I have some?") But she'll only do it in that one spot. No matter where we are in the house working on training (we only have a couple areas with enough room), she will try to run back to that spot in the dining room and lay down. If I leash her and make her stay put, she looks as blankly at me as she did when we started working on it. Any tips on getting her to make the connection more easily? Otherwise, I know eventually she'll get it as long as I'm patient and I make it worth it!

We had Molly several months before I really noticed she had a chunk missing from her left ear...it was after we took this picture.

Also you can use a black light to show urine stains...you can buy black light light bulbs just about anywhere. Just put it in a small lamp and put the light close to the surfaces you want to check.

Molly was always a happy go lucky girl for the most part. A little unsure the first night, by day two she was playing with toys and roaching on her bed. But every week, month, etc there after we always see some change that lets us know she's found her home and settling in. Like when she started to play bow and bark at Lewis Cat. Or more recently, right after her 6 month anniversary, she started coming up on the couch on her own. Then a couple of weeks later she was roaching on the couch. Last night she put her feet up on the couch and gave me the most baleful, pathetic look to let me know I was in her spot. I love these little new personality quirks each and every time I see a new one.

My only input is that when you adopt a dog, any breed,....you have to be willing to allow your life to change to accommodate that dog. There is just no way your life can remain exactly the same when you add another member to your family. If you don't want anything to change and want everything to remain exactly as it is today but just slot a dog into the mix, then I'd say don't get a dog. You'll just be setting yourself and the dog up for failure. If you still think a dog is for you, then you just have to know that as much as you plan, as much as you try to control a situation (for example, chewing or potty training)...sometimes it's wildly unpredictable. ~laughs~ You just have to know whether or not you're a roll with it kinda person.

Well, it seems she just likes her food to be softened. We think that after the first time she didn't eat right away, she realized it was BETTER an hour later. One day I decided to test it, and she ate it all no problems. So now I get her food ready, add the water and let it sit for a bit. Put it down at her normal feeding time, and she gobbles it all up. But she's not spoiled. Not at all.

Over the last couple of weeks, Molly has suddenly stopped finishing her meals. She's never been a picky girl and has always eaten quite well. She gets about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 c. Taste of the Wild (chicken) twice a day. Usually with water mixed in and a dollop of yogurt on top. She used to finish every bite. So we figured maybe she was tired of that food, and started a slow switch to the salmon version. No change in eating habits so we don't think it's the food. Right now she's at a 50/50 mix of both. She'll eagerly run to her crate to eat. Gobble up the yogurt (of course), and then eat for a bit and then just get up and go do something else. She's only eating about 3/4 of her meal. Sometimes a little more. Sometimes a little less. She'll usually go back and finish it later if I leave it there for her --- some days it's an hour later and some days it's much later. I was thinking of starting to just pick up her bowl after she walks away, and make her wait until her next meal. I guess then I'd know if she doesn't like the food, or if she's just not as hungry. But I'm not really concerned about letting her free feed right now since the DH works from home anyway. Her potty stuff is all the same. Energy level is good. So we don't think it's anything medical. Nothing else has really changed (other than she discovered the joys of furniture). The only real difference is the cooler weather. Just wondering if it's a natural cycle? Do some greys sometimes just eat less for awhile, then self-correct eventually?

I think they have a disclaimer about using it with a pet that might have thyroid conditions...so I'd be careful about that. We tried it with our cat who had killer breath. He didn't like it AT ALL. But we didn't have Molly at the time...so I can't say about dogs

Petz Life Oral Gel comes in a spray. You may have better luck spraying it in his mouth than brushing. I know people SWEAR by the stuff. Our girl didn't like the minty-ness of it though. So I have nearly a whole bottle of gel (not the spray) that she hates.

Does he wear a rain coat in the rain? With our girl (we'll she doesn't mind the rain in the first place), but she MUCH prefers wearing a rain coat when it rains. Otherwise she's totally distracted. Also, when it rains we have to take her for a short walk to ensure she really pees / empties her bladders. Otherwise sometimes she just pees a little, and tries to get back inside as quickly as possible. It's a pain, but we just suck it up and put on our rain jacket as well.

We just celebrated Molly's 6-month gotcha day, and her day pretty much goes like this: I get up. Get ready for AM walk. Molly snoozes until it's really time to go. Get back from walk. Molly snoozes while I get ready and make her breakfast. Wakes up for b-fast, then right back to snoozing when I leave for work. Get home from work. Molly happy dances around me. Goes for walk, plus zoomies around yard. Snoozes until dinner. Eats dinner. Sometimes plays briefly with stuffie. If not, snoozes until her last potty break. Force her up from evening snooze to go out one last time at 10pm. Goes to sleep until 6am. She definitely out sleeps our cats. So I'm thinking your Josie is a-okay.

Just a tip, a black light will show urine stains or spots. You can usually find the light bulbs at any hardware store and most walmart/targets (especially around this time of year). You just put it in a small lamp, you just put it close to the surface and you'll see anything you might've missed when cleaning up. We had to do this when one of our kitties was in kidney failure and would pee outside the litterbox.

I agree with the others that say maybe the wife could help out with the dog walking (you didn't mention if you have young kids or something that makes it difficult)? Or if shortening your workouts isn't an option, do it as a family thing before or after dinner. Our girl LOVES what we call "family walk" and we take one nearly every night about 45 min - 1 hour after she eats her dinner. This walk is pretty leisurely usually and we only walk two square blocks --- but she knows this is her meet people and sniff everything possible time. She is always so happy on these walks, she literally prances sometimes! And usually when we get back from the walk, she still wants to tear around the yard chasing a toy or squeaky ball for a couple of minutes. But then she is totally tuckered out. Personally, I adjusted my schedule when we adopted Molly to accommodate a morning walk. I think when you adopt a pet, it's your responsibilty to make sure their needs are met. That sometimes means you have to sacrifice certain things or figure out creative ways to get everything done. So every morning I'm up by 5:30/5:45 for a 45 minute walk. And she is all business on this walk. I sometimes have to jog to keep up with her! Sure, I'd love to sleep in on weekends, but she loves her scheduled walks, and makes sure we never miss it --- rain or shine.

Maybe Oliver is picking up on YOUR anxiety? It may not be the whole issue, but if you're worried about leaving him and feeling bad since you think he's going to be anxious, he might be picking up on that and mirroring it (you're worried, there must be something to worry about). One of the first things I'd work on is to control your own emotions/anxieties regarding the situation.This is something we always work on in our house (my DH can be a little over the top sometimes, and Molly is really sensitive to his outbursts). I think most of the time training the dog is way easier than training ourselves! If you don't feel that you've really given the SA/away training a 100% effort, then I'd keep at it with more vigilance and follow the instructions to a tee. If you've done the full-blown SA / away training to the tee and it's been several weeks --- I'd say trying the same thing, but expecting different results is kinda pointless at this point. You could look at anti-anxiety meds, DAP diffusers, or other supplements. But personally, I'd try dog-proofing a room (even if it meant adding the plexi panels to the windows as someone suggested) and trying that out with some alone training first. If you start out small just like away training, you'll pretty quickly if it's an option or not. Oh, and the webcam thing or a video camera is a really great idea. We did that when we did alone training when we got Molly. It totally helped to know when we could give her more time, helped us understand her behaviors when we left, when we were coming in, etc. Good luck!