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Just wanted to pop in to say that Henry had his fifth and final chemo treatment today. Chest x-rays looked good. We have a follow up in three weeks with Dr. Urie, which I'm expecting will be the last one for awhile.

So very sorry for your loss. Pinky was such a special girl.

I agree 100%. I lost a cat in a similar situation to what you're describing. One of my fosters could care less about two of my cats, but ended up killing another. I wasn't as diligent as I should've been about muzzling, and it resulted in a very tragic ending.

I feed IAMS green bag with Missing Link added in. The Missing Link makes a HUGE difference. Everyone comments on how soft my boys are!

I take my boys to dog parks, but I usually have my Halt! spray handy. Haven't had to use it yet (knock on wood) but Halt! is more humane than pepper spray and less dangerous than having to physically break up a fight. I agree with the others, though, that many greyhounds are not 'dog park dogs.' It's not worth it if your girl isn't having a good time.

Judy... Please don't blame yourself. You are the best mom Nadir could have had.

So sorry for Joey's loss. Too much sad news on here lately. Sadie's Mom, I would ask your vet to adjust her pain meds and/or add an anti-anxiety drug. There definitely is an adjustment period when it comes to amputation, but what you're describing doesn't sound normal to me. Also, keep in mind that's she's going to need at least 4-5 rounds of chemo, all of which will be very hard if every experience is traumatizing her. My Henry is pretty much bombproof, but he still takes Trazadone before chemo treatments. Otherwise, I don't think I'd be able to get him through the door. A very sensitive dog may need something stronger, like Valium or even a mild sedative. I can't imagine being in the lobby and hearing my dog screaming. That must be so hard for you. As for the twitching you described, that's most likely phantom pains. Prior to this, I didn't know phantom pains were actually "real," but they totally are. The nerve endings for that limb become mixed up, which can be very painful for about 80% of amputees. Gabapentin (in the proper amount) should control those phantom pains. I would venture to guess that her peeing accidents will subside once her pain/stress/anxiety is better managed. Best of luck. Keep us updated on her progress!

Tiffany, I'm so sorry that Casper passed away. I somehow missed it on here. I don't really have any advice to offer, but I know what it's like to have a bonded pair. When Henry started going through his cancer treatment, it really took a toll on Truman. His stress would manifest in different ways. He'd compulsively lick. He was much more jittery and jumpy all the time. If I took Henry to a vet appointment by himself, Truman would cry and whine and sit out in the yard for hours watching for my car. It was pitiful. I made the decision to put him on an anti-anxiety medication, and it's actually has helped a lot. He's still not happy when there's a change in his environment (I spent $200 on new dog beds, and he immediately peed on his). And he's still very attached to Henry. But at least it's an improvement from before. I don't know what Truman would do if we lost Henry, though. I worry about it all the time.

Just wanted to pop in and say that even though I haven't been writing much, I've been reading all of your posts, and my heart absolutely breaks for you. So much bad news in such a short amount of time. I am thinking of Mimosa, Joey, and Chloe and their families at this difficult time. Hoping the time you have left with your pups is peaceful. I can't imagine what you are going through. Henry had his fourth round of Doxo on Saturday. I'm sorry to say this one was much harder on him than the first three. He hasn't been eating, and over the weekend, he's been on and off panting and whining. I've been giving him all the recommended meds to help with nausea (Reglan, Pepcid, and Cerenia). But I can't be sure how much they're helping, as he's had an especially rough couple of days. The only time he relaxes is when I put him in bed with me, hold him, and stroke his belly. I was ready to put a call in to his oncologist, but he did improve a good bit last night. He ate a decent amount of canned food and slept through the night. He even let the Meezer sleep next to him with little to no protest. We'll see how things go today. The only good news is that we're almost at the finish line. Only one more round to go, then it's off to Sandy Paws to celebrate!

Kim, I have no words. Run free, Casper.

Great update! Just wondering, was your girl tested for Mediterranean diseases? I knew a family whose galgo had leptospirosis, but it was dormant for a very long time (years, if I'm remembering correctly). I know lepto can have an effect on the liver, specifically bilirubin. It may be worth researching or at least having a conversation with the vet.

I'm with you on this one. Truman is excellent at sit-stays, but there's no way he could hold it for five minutes. He starts sliding about 30 seconds in, even less if it's a particularly slippery type of floor. And it's not for lack of practice. We do sit-stays everyday, and have done them in all seven of the obedience classes he's taken. Even though many greyhounds *are* natural sitters, I've finally accepted the fact that mine isn't. I can't justify making him do something that's physically uncomfortable. Unless you're doing very advanced levels of obedience, I don't really see anything wrong with using a down-stay. They even allow sighthounds that option on the CGC/TDI tests. If your trainer isn't willing to bend, I'd get rid of him. Before anything else, training should be a fun and enjoyable experience for both of you.

Really? I got Henry's at Giant Eagle for $65. Not sure of the exact milligram, but that lasted about a week. We got it in liquid form. I could've gotten it from Walmart for a little cheaper, but they were going to have to order it, and Hen needed it ASAP before his amp.

Yep, larger dogs take a very long time to mature (physically and mentally). Fasten your seatbelt! Truman's frame stopped growing somewhere around 11-12 months, but he didn't fill out completely until about 2 years old. Even now, he's still on the gangly side.

If she were my dog and it was clear she was stressed and unhappy, I'd probably rehome her as hard as it is for everyone involved. If you do go that route, I'd probably hold off getting another dog until your kids are older. One of my coworkers ended up rehoming a dog after she had her first baby. Then she got sad, missed having a dog around, and started thinking that maybe he just wasn't the "right one." You see where this is going. She got another dog, then ending up having the same exact problem.

HAHAHAHA! I'm laughing because I did the exact same thing! I posted about it here and was severely embarrassed to find out that boys have nips too.

One of my boys is leash aggressive with other dogs. For whatever reason, the leash is 100% the problem. Even if seemed like your girl was fine afterwards, her behavior is definitely telling you that she's uncomfortable. In many cases, leashes can make some dogs feel restricted and unable to escape, causing the dog to panic and lash out. Truman and I worked through it in obedience classes and lots and lots of positive reinforcement training. Even so, I'm very careful because certain dogs still make him nervous. My advice is to carry high-value treats in your pocket whenever you're out. If you see another dog, reward her for calm behavior at a safe distance. For now, it's very important for you to observe her body language and thresholds. When she looks at the dog, then back at you, treat and praise. Do not let other dogs get too close until she's had a few positive leash interactions- preferably with dogs she knows or is familiar with. It sucks, because you don't want people to think you have a "dangerous" dog, but you have to be your dog's advocate. I've gotten used to telling people, "NO! Nothing personal, but please do not come any closer! My dog is uncomfortable with strange dogs!" The other thing is to understand is that a face-to-face on-leash introduction is very threatening to a dog, especially one with some underlying fear issues. As humans, we are so used to doing that, but it's very rude in dog language. You can make the situation better by giving more slack on the leash, or even better, parallel walking (walking both dogs next to one another side by side). A basic obedience class would be a great place to start. Feisty Fido by Patricia McConnell is also an excellent resource if you have the time to read a short book. Also, be careful jerking the leash back. I know firsthand, it's very easy to do because your instinct is to pull her back and avoid an above-threshold response. But if everytime she interacts with another dog and gets a painful leash correction, it creates a negative association and makes the problem much harder to reverse.

Oh goodness!! That's horrible! I second IV antibiotics before it gets any worse. ETA, the Flagyl is definitely a good idea for a dog who has to be on ABX for that long. I did Flagyl and Forti-Flora for Henry to combat the diarrhea caused by the ABX.

My boy Truman was an AKC greyhound who came home at 15-weeks-old. He's 2 now, but still as bad as ever. Then... Now...

Oh wow, that did turn into a pretty nasty infection! Did you get the results of the culture back? As for post-op infections actually being helpful to long term recovery, the jury's out on that one. But the osteo vaccine at Penn, which is a strain of listeria designed to trigger a specific immune response, works much in the same way. And the dogs in the trial are all doing really well- the original ones are 200+ days post-amp with no cancer in sight.

That's another thing. Did Beatrix eat before the CBC? That can affect the enzyme levels.