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Brondon530

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Everything posted by Brondon530

  1. Good point - we asked about any recalls, but should see if the formula has changed too. Thanks! Thanks! That's what we thought initially too, but he had a reaction to a 2nd bag of food as well. For now, the w/d is working great so we will stick with that. Thanks again! Great idea, thanks!
  2. Thanks John! All great points. And sorry to hear about your pup! We reached out to Acana and they didn't mention any changes. The rapid onset and fluctuation (bad diarrhea on Acana, back to normal on Hills, then bad diarrhea again on new bag of Acana) is what confuses me. His bloodwork has always showed higher levels of creatinine, so we've been advised to stay away from high protein options. I think we may keep him on the Hill's for a while until it calms down again, possibly even permanently if that's what the vet recommends... it worked extremely well last time. And then, if advised, we will slowly ease him onto another option.
  3. Posting to see if anyone has had a similar experience and can offer any advice... About 2 weeks ago, our 11 year old Greyhound, Rudy started experiencing the Big "D" all of a sudden. His energy level was normal, but his stomach was clearly off. Rudy has been eating Acana brand (Lamb and Apple variety) for well over a year with great results. We called our vet and he put Rudy on Hill's Prescription Diet W/D for a few days, which cleared up the issue almost immediately. Thinking we may have gotten a bad batch of food, we bought a new bag of Acana and tried again... but the problem has now returned. Has anyone experienced their Greyhound developing a similar acute intolerance to food? He's an older dog, but he doesn't have a history of sensitive stomach w/ food, so it seems odd. I'm not sure what would explain the sudden onset either. Could it be an allergy? He does have occasional acid reflux/gag reaction (where he looks like he's dry heaving), and we give him Prilosec to keep it at bay. I figured I'd reach out to see if anyone has had a similar experience, and what was done to help rectify the problem. We're going to call the vet again tomorrow but the immediate plan is to keep him on the Hill's food for the foreseeable future (possibly forever, if he says it's safe). Is it worth trying another Acana variety/are some protein options better for Greyhounds? Thanks in advance!
  4. Thanks tbhounds and greysmom!! It looks like I misunderstood the vet - he meant have x-rays done (which we did tonight, no sedation) and, if they locate a foreign object, he would be anesthetized during the procedure to remove it. We should know within 24 hours if he's found a foreign object in there. The thought of putting a 10 year old under still makes me nervous and I think I'd prefer to have him sedated instead for the procedure, but the vet feels confident about anesthesia based on his good health. We will discuss it with him more... Fingers crossed we solve the problem soon. Thanks again!
  5. Thank you for the wealth of information, greysmom! What you said about a deep toe tendon flaw got me thinking - he did stub his toe a couple months ago on the steps outside and ever since then has been walking with that toe slightly raised in the air/seems to have trouble balancing on that foot when he urinates. He didn't seem to ever be in pain from it, but he's a very stoic Grey. Could something like that create an issue with his paw pad? If so, would it be a corn or something entirely different (perhaps just irritation of the pad)? We dropped back in to the vet this morning and he said next steps would likely be anesthesia + xray, to see if any foreign objects are in there. He said he's feeling less confident that it's a wart/corn, based on how it looks and the progression it has taken over the past couple months. Of course, anesthesia with an older dog makes me nervous (even though he's very healthy) so we're going to further discuss our options/wondering if an ultrasound is an option. Thanks again for your help!
  6. Thanks for the reply, BatterseaBrindl! As for soaking, what do you suggest? We've been wrapping his foot in a warm washcloth, but I've seen epsom salt as a frequent suggestion on here. Also, any "boot" companies that work well for Greyhounds? Thank you thank you!
  7. Hello Greyhound experts! My 10 year old Grey, Rudy has been dealing with a paw pad issue for quite some time now - it first started out as what looked like a small puncture wound on his left rear paw, but now he has this circular mark/wound surrounded by a larger black circular mark. We believe it's possible he either injured it when tripping up our outside building steps and scraping it, or possibly stepping in glass (we live in a city, which unfortunately means occasional glass on sidewalks). Oddly enough, it seems to periodically get better and then worse again. We've done pain meds (Rimadyl) and a course of antibiotics, and he does not show a noticeable limp on the pain meds but he resorts to limping when we try to reduce them. Of course, I'd much rather solve the issue than treat with pain meds, but it's been a frustrating "trial and error" process. He does not have a history of corns. Our vet initially speculated that it's possibly a wart, or a foreign object inside. He checked for other sources of pain (back, shoulder) and came up clean. The vet has scraped away at the wound, but hasn't found any foreign objects. We've tried soaking it in warm water and using bag balm, but the problem seems to carry on once he's off the pain meds. The wound is tender to the touch and he pulls away if pressure is put on it. Looking for any suggestions on what this might be (I'll post a picture) or what next steps we should take in trying to solve the mystery. It's entirely possible this is a corn, we just have no experience with them. Thanks in advance!
  8. Haha!! Funny you should mention that... He's been getting spoiled with ground beef since the surgery and I ran out this morning. He looked at me like "UMMM where's the beef, mom?" Needless to say we bought more
  9. I wanted to provide an update on Rudy... FANTASTIC news: his tumor is benign! The vet ran the biopsy twice because he couldn't believe it. We are obviously thrilled. A sincere THANK YOU to all the Greytalk members that reached out for support and advice, we truly appreciate it. Greyhound owners are the best!
  10. What a crazy story. So glad it turned out relatively well for you all! Hi GeorgeofNE - Yes, we ended up at Angell after our vet noticed the tumor and sent him there for additional imaging and testing. They have been absolutely phenomenal - from getting Rudy into surgery within a couple hours, his post-op care, keeping us informed and updated. I'm extremely impressed.
  11. Hi carronstar - it's so wonderful to hear a success story! And you're right, it's terrifying - Rudy is our first Greyhound and has been extremely healthy up until this point. I'm finding it helpful to gather information about the disease and how to proceed from here. I'm praying that it's benign, we should hear back from the biopsy results next week. The doctor seemed pretty confident that it was Hemangiosarcoma (said about 80-90% sure). Did they mention similar odds to you, or was Aquitaine on better terms? Rudy's tumor was about 6cm, which I'm told doesn't really indicate good or bad (if anything, they said bigger might be better). And you proposed to the surgeon HAHA I love that! On the bright side, Rudy's tumor was almost completely intact/no rupture, so there's some reason for hope. And OHHHH yes, it's been expensive. I'm right there with ya though - Once we found out that it hadn't spread to other organs and could proceed with the surgery, I joked with my husband that I've never been so excited to spend thousands of dollars before hahaha. It's all worth it though - we just got back from visiting him in the ICU and he's doing extremely well. Whatever it takes, right?
  12. Thanks for the well-wishes, Charlies_Dad! We're hoping too Hi Blaidd49, thanks for the post. 2 years is wonderful! May I ask why you opted out of chemo? We haven't really discussed chemo vs. no chemo with the vet yet since we're waiting for a confirmed diagnosis, but I'd love to hear your thinking on the matter. I'm very new to this - Rudy is our first Greyhound and he's been extremely healthy until this point. The best I can do is gather as much information as possible on the disease in order to make an educated decision on how to proceed and do what's best for him. And I will definitely look into the I'm-Yunity study - do you know much about it, specifically how Grey's react to the treatment? Thanks again for the info! Hi MP_the4pack - I'm so sorry to hear about your Greys. This disease absolutely sucks! One of the hardest parts of this is how quickly it set in - Tuesday night, Rudy was the usual energetic, happy pup, and then Wednesday morning he was very lethargic, definitely in pain and not himself. We just visited him in the ICU and he's doing great post-op, but I know we have a long road ahead of us. Thanks for all the info, rycezmom! I will definitely look into this, seems like a great idea.
  13. Hi XTRAWLD, thanks for the note! I definitely appreciate the honesty. Rudy just turned 10 years old, so right in the target age range for this diagnosis :-\ We took him into the vet this morning because he was acting very lethargic. The vet manually checked him for pain and found some in the abdomen - an ultrasound confirmed that there was a tumor on his spleen. Yes, they did an additional ultrasound to check for other tumors in different locations (chest, liver, etc.) which came back clean (we definitely would've opted out of the surgery if it had spread, as it's too far progressed at that point). They seemed pleased that the spleen tumor was generally intact with no sign of rupture, but perhaps had a slow bleed (as there was some blood in his stomach area). Regardless, after some research, I've come to realize how grim of a diagnosis Hemangiosarcoma is and why the short timetable exists for life expectancy. I'm still holding out hope that it's benign, but the vet seemed rather confident (80-90% sure) that it's cancerous. I suppose we will find out from the biopsy next week. I think once we know more, we will then explore our options re: chemo, radiation, etc., but his comfort will definitely be of the utmost importance to us. Thanks again for sharing your story.
  14. Hi Houndtime - thanks for the note! I'm so sorry to hear about your Greys. I'm definitely struggling with the rapid onset of all of this - he was perfectly fine last night, running around like the happy pup he is... and then took a turn for the worse this morning. I actually had no idea they can remove an entire spleen from a dog with no complications, but apparently that's the case. Based on what the vet told us, the spleen tumor hadn't ruptured yet, so that helps with prognosis. Still, he's rather confident that it's cancerous. I guess we will find out next week after the biopsy. Thanks again for the kind words.
  15. Hi tbhounds, thanks for the note. They did an ultrasound prior to surgery and thankfully found no additional masses in his chest, liver, etc., and also said that they saw none in his abdomen during the splenectomy. The surgeon also said that the tumor itself was mostly intact - maybe some slow bleeding near it, but no rupture. Still, he thinks there's an 80-90% chance that it's hemangiosarcoma. Biopsy results should be back by early next week. Needless to say, we're hoping for the best. I think the only thing I'm holding onto for hope is that he had a hemangioma on his skin last year that was benign... not to say that has any effect on his current situation, but I think it's a sliver of hope! Thanks for the tip on Dr. Couto - I will certainly look into it if the biopsy comes back cancerous. Hi Annette - thanks for the note and kind words. I'm so sorry you lost your Grey to Hemangiosarcoma. 11 months, though - sounds like he was a real fighter! Thanks for the suggestions re: chemo and Dr. Couto, I will certainly look into it.
  16. Hello Fellow Greyhound Moms and Dads, My husband and I just returned from the animal hospital where our son, Rudy, is currently undergoing surgery to remove a tumor in his spleen. There is a likely diagnosis of Hemangiosarcoma, but we wont know for sure until early next week after they biopsy it. The doctor said there is a 80-90% chance of the tumor being malignant based on the blood pooling in the area, as well as other surrounding factors. Needless to say, we are devastated by the possible diagnosis - this is our first Greyhound and he felt perfectly fine up until this morning. Further, with a confirmed Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis, the vet has given him a timetable of 2-4 months to live past surgery, possibly more if chemo becomes an option. In the likely event that it is Hemangiosarcoma, does anyone have any knowledge of or previous experience with this type of cancer in Greyhounds? Or perhaps any recommended oncologists in the Boston area? If chemo becomes an option for him, does anyone have any suggested types/methods of chemo or meds they've found success with for Greyhounds? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
  17. Hi All! So my dog sitting plans for Rudy fell through last minute. I'm traveling next week (24th-26th) and need suggestions. Does anyone have any recommendations for dog walkers in the Boston area? I'm only going to be gone for 3 days and Rudy is pretty independent/sleeps ALL day. I'm wondering if having a dog walker walk him a couple times a day might be an OK option. I've called a couple of places to have him boarded, but they are all booked up. Either way, I'm wondering if keeping him here might be a better option. Even though I don't love the idea of him being alone for majority of the day, he just does much better in his own environment/gets a bit nervous in new places. Has anyone ever tried this when traveling? I'm open to any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations. The fact that it's over the Holidays certainly doesn't help! Thanks!
  18. We've had our 6 year old greyhound, Rudy for about 2 years now and he's come a LONG way with his anxiety issues. However, there's still one thing that gets to him: he is terrified if anyone is throwing a football, frisbee, etc. around. We've obviously noticed it more lately because of the nice weather but once he sees or hears someone throwing a ball around, he freaks out and starts dragging us back home (nearly strangling himself to get away). Two weeks ago we took him to a dog park that was adjacent to a baseball field and he was trying to crawl through the fence to get away from it. It just seems so bizarre! Does anyone have any insight as to why this upsets him so much, or perhaps any ideas on what we can do to help him get over the fear? Otherwise, he's become a confident and laid back dog but for whatever reason, this really sets him off.
  19. Hi all! For the last month or so, Rudy has begun limping randomly during his walks outside. It's always his front left foot... and he'll start to walk on his toes (like right up on his nails). It only lasts for 30 seconds or so, and happens maybe 3 times or so during his walk. We live in Boston and have about 2-3 feet of snow, so I'm not sure if that's contributing to the problem. I can't remember him limping during warmer months, so maybe? Any opinions/suggestions would be appreciated (we're new at this!). Also, I want to try and put him on a joint supplement - Greyhound-data.com says he raced 101 times which, correct me if I'm wrong, seems like a lot. This might be cause for concern down the road, so I'd like to get him started on some sort of supplement soon (he's 4 years old right now). If you could recommend any types of supplements and/or brands, I'd really appreciate it!
  20. Hi all! Just wanted to give an update on Rudy. About a week after his encounter at the groomers, he came around. He started greeting us at the door again, eating his food, etc... yay! He occasionally gets nervous going out, but it's gotten much better. Any tips on what I should do in the future for his nail trimmings? Should I try doing it myself? Try another groomer? I think we're going to bathe him at home next time in the tub. For those who do it at home, are there certain types of trimmers that work better than others? I'm sligtly terrified to do it myself but will if that'll be better for him.
  21. The pain theory makes sense, but other than the behavior change he doesn't act like he's in physical pain. Once outside, he walks/jogs as if everything's fine (no limping or whining). I also checked his nails (pressed on them to see if I could ellicit a response), and he had no reaction. He's still very withdrawn and spends his time in his bed in our bedroom (which is as far away from the front door as possible). When he is in the living room and sees signs of taking a walk (us grabbing the leash), he runs to back to our bedroom. Frustrated, *sigh*
  22. Thanks for the responses! He did have his nails clipped on a table, but we lifted him on and off (so he didn't jump). He was sliding all over when she was clipping his nails, so maybe that's when he injured himself? She also nicked the vein and there was a little bit of blood (she put some sort of powder on it to stop the bleeding), but it looked so minor that I'm not sure something so small would cause him to be this upset. Maybe I'm wrong, though! We also went jogging last night and he seemed fine - it's initially getting him out the door thats tough, but once he's outside he seems OK. I'm wondering if he's fearful that we're going to put him in the car and bring him back. The only other explanation I can come up with is that we live in Boston and the weather is getting a bit colder. Maybe he doesn't like the cold? To answer your question Macoduck, he's 4 years old. We adopted him this past June. The only behavioral issue we've seen so far is he had some SA issues when we moved into our new condo but adjusted in about a week's time and has been great ever since. Usually when he's nervous (when we take a trip, or other big changes, etc.), his stool becomes very loose. Everything is fine in the poo department, which is the most baffling part! I realized that I mistakenly said it happened a week ago, but it was on this past Saturday (so 4 days). I'm going to give it another day or so and see if he improves and if not, we'll take him to the vet. Thanks for all of the help and please send any other suggestions you may have. It gets overwhelming sometimes for us new greyhound owners, so I really appreciate the input!
  23. Hi everyone! About a week ago, we took Rudy to the groomers to have his nails trimmed. He was whining while the groomer was trimming his nails, but I didn't think much of it. However since then, he has been a COMPLETELY different dog. Instead of being in the living room with us, he insists on staying in his bed in our bedroom. He refuses to go outside and tries to drag us back inside when we get him out (he used to love going for walks). He also used to greet us at the door very excited, and now doesn't even lift his head and stays in bed all day. He's barely eating his food and actually growled at me when I tried to sit next to him! All around he just seems very depressed, and I'm not sure what to do. I can't tell if it's the whole groomer experience that set him off, but he's had his nails trimmed before with no problems. It's almost as if he's mad at us. I'm not sure how to approach this problem and I'm very concerned about him. It's making me really sad... I miss my old dog We've tried showering him with praise and affection, ignoring him, etc. and none of it seems to have an effect. Any advice would be appreciated!
  24. We've had very similar experiences with our Greyhound, so I figured I'd share! When we brought Rudy home from the kennel a few months ago, we were given some of his kennel food and were told that we should start slowly incorporating Iams (as requested by the kennel owner). It made him SO sick. I then tried to incorporate TOTW-Pacific Stream, because I read on here that most greyhound owners had good luck with it. Poops were better, but still very loose. We brought a sample of the food from the kennel (the only food that would work for him) to Petco, and discovered that it was a mix of Purina Dog Chow and Purina Beneful. It has been the ONLY thing that will work for him. About 2 weeks ago I tried to incorporate Costco Kirkland - Chicken into his food, and it was back to loose stools and his gas was horrendous (it woke me up multiple times during the night haha). I've spoken with a few greyhound owners in my neighborhood and shared my desire to get him on a healthier food, and they recommended that I try Purina Pro Plan. They said that the formulas will be similar since it's the same brand, but Pro Plan is much healthier. Haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know how it goes!
  25. Thanks for the help! Our new neighborhood and building has lots of other dogs, so that could contribute to his anxiety (he does NOT like small dogs). When we first got him in June, we used the crate for potty training but it lasted about5 3 days, and he never had an accident. Even when we first got him he didn't display the signs of anxiety like he is now... he never had a problem with us leaving before, so it's been a bit of a shock and concern that he is acting this way. I guess I'm not even sure how to use the crate to train him! I tried using it again yesterday, thinking he wouldn't have an accident in his crate but he peed and pooped again, so that didn't work. Maybe I'll try leaving the TV on. Thanks again for the input! Hi! Thanks for the reply. I have heard that you can put goodies in there, but my concern was that he isn't one to usually play with toys. I think even with the food in there, he still wouldn't. For example, when he's displaying signs of anxiety, he wont eat... even treats!! I figure it's worth a try, though. Thanks for the help! Now why didn't I think of that!!! So simple.. DUH MOMENT! hehehehehehe!! Did you crate him before? TRUE crateing gives them a since of security. I am a single mom who also has to work... so Zowie is left to her crate during the work day... BUT I trained her to love the crate as a place of comfort, not just stick her in and go when I left... That would associate the crate to mommy leaving.. (IE bad). Sounds like he's just a bit insecure and needs to know what he had before is still there What worked before? We crated him for 2 or 3 days when we first got him, but noticed that he got the hang of potty training quickly and didn't have any accidents, so gave him free reign of our last apartment. What is "true crateing?" Yesterday and today, I put him in the crate and he looked so depressed and miserable, so I think he associates it with being bad (although we've never used it to punish him). How can I break that perception of it?
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