a_daerr
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Posts posted by a_daerr
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Sending good thoughts for Kasey.
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I posted a very similar question a few months ago regarding my cat. He was forever having dirty ears with brown discharge. It looked dark brown, so I thought it HAD to be ear mites. I took him in for a ear cytology, and everything was negative. I was adamant that they run the test again, because the cat was in real distress. He was shaking his head constantly. Over the next few months, we went back and forth with a hypoallergenic diet, regular cleanings with ph balance cleanser, antibiotics, repeat cytology tests, and on and on and on. The one thing that finally worked for him was the BNT paraffin ear treatments. Your vet just puts the medication in their ears- one and done. My cat will sometimes get flare-ups every six months or so, but we go back for another BNT, and he's good for awhile.
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Huh, I don't hear of too many vets prescribing KBr anymore. I know it's less taxing on the liver than Pb, but can have a lot of weird side effects. I'm just wondering (and I understand he's very new, so you might not know), did they settle on this protocol because other meds didn't work? I've had great luck with Zonisamide for my seizure boy. He's on 200 mg twice a day, no side effects, no liver damage, and the seizures are very well controlled. The price isn't too bad either. Best of all, it comes in pill form!
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So sorry for your loss. Godspeed, Pistol.
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I'd probably give her another few months to get to know her more and find out if any potential issues crop up. A month isn't a very long time, and you want your dog to be 100% adjusted in her new environment before making the decision to work her. Also, you also want to become 100% familiar of her reactions/triggers in a wide array of situations related to space, certain people, certain dogs, resources, etc. If, at that time, you decide she's still a good candidate for therapy work, your next step would be to prepare her for the CGC/TDI (Canine Good Citizen, Therapy Dog International) test. There are a few other certificate agencies, but I believe TDI is the most commonly recognized. The test focuses on basic obedience commands (sit, down, stay, recall), noise distractions, medical equipment, and interactions with other people and dogs (small dogs included). Once she's passed the test, she would receive certification and insurance.
Just a note on this, some hospitals and nursing homes will tell you that your dog doesn't need to be certified. Just my humble opinion, I would never work a dog without it, mainly due to the insurance issue. Once your dog receives certification from TDI, they are assigned an insurance policy that protects you in the event of an unexpected situation. For example, if your dog is having a bad day (in pain, stressed out, whatever) and bites someone, the insurance would cover you if you're sued. There are a lot of litigious people in the world- it helps to have this safety net in the rare event something goes horribly wrong on a visit. Although we think we *know* our dogs, we can't predict what they will do in every situation, with every type of person, and it happens more often than you'd think.
If you decide that you are really serious about doing therapy work, my advice would be to look for a TDI-prep class in your area. Make sure the trainer is reputable and certified in positive reinforcement training (they should have a certificate from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, or CCPDT). Take a few classes and see how your dog does. Both of my dogs are certified CGC/TDI, and although neither of them does visits anymore (one is reactive to dogs, the other is sketched out by kids), I don't regret taking the classes. The skills they learned are invaluable and make for socialized, well-rounded pets. Good luck!
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So sorry for your loss, Nancy. Thanks for sharing her beautiful tribute.
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I'm so sorry, Chris.
I'll be giving my problem-dog a hug today. -
Sterling and I were thinking about you today. Hoping you're okay.
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You're not a bad parent. It happens sometimes, even with the most "cat-oblivious" greyhounds. The switch flips, and the dog gets carried away. FWIW, there are two positive things about the situation. One being, (it sounds like) Aidan immediately let go and backed off. A lot of high prey dogs will go "into the zone" and absolutely will not let go until the prey is fatally injured or dead. The second good thing, your cat fought back. It's much easier to continue cat training when the cat is feisty (i.e. not spooky, not running away, and not generally acting like prey). I would muzzle and separate to maintain safety, but continue working with him. If they've already lived together harmoniously for a decent amount of time, there's no reason why you can't get back to that.
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Nancy!
You've already had a rough year with Polly. I hate to see you go through this again with Tess.
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"It is possible that he has a urinary tract infection, but that is unusual in a male animal."
Weird. What's so unusual about it? -
I am so very sorry for your loss... What a terrible day.
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It is kind of hard to tell, but I think in these pictures, his tuck is not as obvious as it is in some greyhounds.
I agree. He doesn't have a very defined tuck or hip points, but you can tell he's skinny in these pics. He's got the dino-spine and ribs.
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He could stand to lose a few- maybe get back down to 75-ish. I wouldn't be too worried about it, though. Some greys, particularly Kiowa lines, never look ribby no matter what weight they are.
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Looking for updates on Gabe and Kelsey...
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What a tremendous loss. Sending hugs and good thoughts your way.
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Fingers crossed for Gabe The Babe.
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Wooo! We live about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Squirrel Hill is probably the nicest neighborhood in the city proper.
I don't have a recommendation for a vet, I'll ask around.
I just thought of something. Steel City Greyhounds uses Point Breeze Veterinary for all their spays, neuters, dentals, etc. Although, I can't vouch personally for them, I do know Dr. Gerson is quite familiar with greys. And it's just a hop, skip, and a jump from Squirrel Hill.
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Would you guys recommend taking it away after half an hour and not giving it back until dinner?
Yep. Some people might think I'm mean, but my boys get 15 minutes. If they don't eat, the bowl goes up, and they don't eat until the next feeding time. They've learned that they either eat during that window of time, or they go hungry. It usually doesn't take more than a few missed meals for the dog to get the point. Some determined dogs may go a day or two, but dogs can go much longer than people without eating. They generally won't starve themselves to death out of sheer stubborness.
When you have a routine like this, it's easy to notice changes in eating habits, and to ensure that the dogs aren't stealing food from each other (something to consider if you ever want to add another).
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Just checking in to see how all the osteo dogs are doing...?
Kinda cool thing happened with Henry. We took the dogs to Dairy Queen the other day, and of course, you can't go anywhere with a three-legged dog without everyone saying, "Oh... that's so sad! What happened to him?" I started explaining to this lady that Henry had a type of cancer that compromised the bones in his leg. A young man who is a foreign exchange student from the Congo came up to us and said, "I lost my leg to bone cancer too." He pulled up his pant leg, and sure enough, he had a prosthetic leg. After speaking with him for a little while, we learned that he had his leg amputated and completed six rounds of chemo- the exact same as Henry! He has been in remission for ten years now, and is studying at one of our local colleges. As we were saying goodbye, he gave Henry a hug and said how much this touched his heart. Of course, I started crying. It was just an awesome coincidence that really made my day.
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Aww, he looks great! Did his pathology report come back yet? I'm curious about the final verdict, and if they included the mitotic index.
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Loved this! Thanks for sharing.
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Definitely a legitimate concern. I was worried when Henry had his amputation because my other greyhound, Truman, was only 2-years-old at the time. He is very big and strong and had the tendency to act like a bull in a China shop. Luckily, he picked up fairly quickly that he needed to be more careful around Henry. It didn't require much training or coaxing for me- seemed more like an instinctual thing.
I have no personal experience with amputations in a pack environments, but I think the toughest part would be the recovery period. Keeping him stable and comfortable for those first two weeks would be a challenge with a pack of other greys who will no doubt be interested and confused. After that, though, I'm sure it would become more manageable.
Best of luck... Crossing my fingers for the best possible diagnosis.
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My question is this, what is safe for him in terms of flea and tick prevention since he is slated for more chemo? Would a Preventic be safe? Advantage for flea protection?
Interesting question! Our oncologist never told us *not* to do flea and tick, so Henry still got Heartgard and Frontline through his six chemo treatments. I wanted to make sure my boy wouldn't get a TBD on top of everything else he was dealing with. He was not able to get any vaccines for a year following the chemo, so we had to opt out of the Lyme vaccine.
Weird. What's so unusual about it?
I'm New Here With A New Pup!
in Introductions & Biography
Posted · Edited by a_daerr
Oh, she's adorable!
You don't have to say who the breeder is exactly, but is she an AKC greyhound, or from an NGA breeder? She's got those light eyes like my AKC boy Truman.