a_daerr

Henry has a low-grade murmur that went undetected for years. It's steadily been 1 or 2 / 6, so we've never pursued any additional testing. Greyhounds naturally have "athletic" hearts, so I've always been told slight murmurs aren't a big deal. With that being said, greyhounds can have cardiac problems just like any other dog, so it's important to do more testing if the murmur gets worse or you notice other symptoms. Do what the vet says, but in the meantime, try not to worry too much.

Yeah, same with Henry. The onco called and gave me a more "in-depth" explanation. They run a CBC the morning of his scheduled Doxo treatment, then I wait until for them to review it and decide whether or not the counts are high enough to receive chemo. He gets another CBC 7-10 days post chemo to make sure the white cell count hasn't dipped dangerously low. They expect the WBCs to "bottom out" during that period, but if they're *really* low, the dog needs to do a course of antibiotics. We're still on track for Doxo #2 on January 18th unless there's another significant drop in the WBC. He had a bout of diarrhea Monday, but I'm wondering if that's due to the chemo or the McDonalds cheeseburger he ate on the way home. For those of your who had to postpone treatments, did your dog have a noticeable change of behavior during that time? I know they are more susceptible to illness and infection, but were your dogs acting sick or lethargic? Henry has been acting 100% normal, so it's hard to tell if/when he's not feeling well.

This is a multi-faceted answer, but here's my two cents. The dog should ideally be in your bedroom with you at night, whether in a crate or on a dog bed. Every dog I've owned, sitted for, or fostered would go nuts if they knew you were in the house, but couldn't get near you. Doesn't really have anything to do with separation anxiety. It's just not a natural or comforting feeling for most dogs. However... if you're planning on crating the dog during the day when no one's home, it's probably not a good idea to shut him/her away in a silent, empty bedroom all day. Unless you have two crates, I'd probably confine or baby-gate the dog to a room on your main floor with a dog bed (I usually suggest an area with tile or hardwood floors, like a kitchen, because it's easy to clean up if the dog has an accident). Then, crate the dog in your bedroom at night. The alternative would be to crate the dog on your main floor during the day, and let him/her sleep on a dog bed in your room at night. As for the cats, I wouldn't worry about them coming around to investigate if the dog is crated or baby-gated away from them. Definitely muzzle (at least in the beginning), if and when the dog has free reign of the house and direct access to the cats.

I would definitely give this some more thought. I wonder if he has a neck/disc/spinal/LS issue that is connected to his limping? If you're sure it's not medical, there are some counter conditioning exercises you can try, as Jen mentioned above. Though, some dogs just have sensitive spots that they don't like touched (ears are a big one). Others are just a bit neurotic about stuff like that. My Truman is okay if you pet his belly or sides (if your hand is actually moving). But he immediately growls if the petting stops and you try to rest your hand there. Why? Absolutely no idea! It makes no sense to me! I've tried lots of positive CC with him, but for whatever reason, certain movements still make him uncomfortable. I've kind of given up and learned to live with it. I trust that his growling won't escalate (with me or anybody else), but I don't make a habit of pushing the issue. You know Rudy best, so you're be the best person to decide how far to push his comfort level. Don't feel like you're a failure, though, if he never learns to like being pet in certain spots.

Okay, that answers my question exactly.

Ah, okay. Thanks for explaining. For some reason, I thought the onco told me it was expected that the white cell count would drop 7-10 days afterwards. So when the tech mentioned that his was low, I was like, "Yeah... isn't that supposed to happen?" They mentioned that while he's actively doing chemo treatments, he's not supposed to go to dog parks, pet stores, groomers, etc. He also can't have vaccines for the next year.

Henry's CBC was on Monday, and from what I could tell the results were pretty fair. He's on track to get his next Doxo treatment on January 18th. They did say his white cell count was a little low, but not low enough to warrant antibiotics. That confused me a little bit. Am I understanding this wrong, or isn't the purpose of chemo to lower the white cell count? I thought they expect that white cells will bottom out between 7-10 days of administration. So I wonder if by "low," she meant, "low" in general, or "lower" than they should be? Any thoughts or experiences with this?

One of my guys is super social and appropriate off-leash, but he is totally the opposite on-leash. He's a good example of a dog who exhibits 'leash aggression.' I could introduce him to the exact same dog, but I know his behavior will be different when a leash is involved. He's had a few bad experiences where he was charged by another dog and couldn't get away, so I totally get his fear and anxiety about being leashed. It took a lot of work and positive reinforcement training, and he is a lot better now... but he's still not 100% trustworthy with certain dogs on-leash. I've learned to live with it. I can usually pick up on his body language, and I've gotten a lot better at knowing his triggers. It does suck having to tell people, 'No, he's not friendly with other dogs.' But it's better than risking another bad experience for him, or even worse, a fight. As for the 'right way' to introduce dogs, trainers and behaviorists usually recommend 'parallel walking.' The dogs meet on neutral territory, and you take them for a walk together. Simple as that. It's way less confrontational than a face-to-face greeting (which people do all the time, but is a big no-no in dog language). And it's more controlled than an off leash free for all.

Woooooo!!!! Pet insurance covered it!!!!!!!!!

Yes, 100%. When I read originally read this post, that was my very first thought. Holding the dog in her arms made it super interesting. When J.J. got close enough, it either triggered a prey response, or he simply snapped out of surprise. I wouldn't consider this a vicious or unprovoked bite. Just to give you an example, one of my dogs is safe with our cats. He loves them, cuddles with them, etc. But the second I pick one up, he's jumping and nipping at their feet. That woman's dog will be safer if she puts it on the ground and treats it like a dog, not a baby.

I'd go to the vet and insist on x-rays ASAP. Someone else recently posted with a similar issue, and my advice is this... Try not to allow the severity of the limp be your gauge. My Henry's limp started off hardly noticeable. I rationalized by telling myself, "There's no way it could be cancer. He'd be in more pain. He'd be limping more." But when we looked at the x-rays, the bone was full of lesions. It looked like swiss cheese. Obviously, that didn't happen overnight, so the only explanation is that he had gotten very good at disguising his symptoms for a very long time. By the time he was showing visible signs of pain, it must've been excruciating. I hope you're right, and that it's just a soft tissue injury. But you'll get more sleep at night knowing you did the x-rays. Good luck.

Chris, thanks for your input on this one. Since Truman was a little puppy, Henry has been his like babysitter. I'm feeling a little lost about how to handle Truman on my own. If we decide to get another dog, I'm sure it won't be for a long time. Maybe six months to a year, until Henry is 100% done with his treatments and we figure out exactly how his personality changes. DBF took Truman to the dog park on Saturday where he ran and played with a lab for a full 90 minutes. Even though I was ecstatic that he was happy and TIRED, I felt a little sad knowing that Truman's needs have recently taken a backseat. He's pretty codependent on Henry. Kyle, thanks for sharing Charlie's experience with Doxo. I came into it pretty "gloom and doom," but I hope that Henry continues to tolerate it well. ETA: Dogs have such a funny way of proving you wrong. When I got home today, they were out in the yard running around, playing with toys and doing full-out bitey face play. Now they're super tired.

Keeping my fingers crossed that Casper starts to improve. We're now two days past Henry's first Doxo treatment, and surprisingly, I haven't noticed many (if any) side effects. The oncologist said that if he was going to have nausea/diarrhea/anorexia, it starts happening within the first two days. He has been eating well and acting normal. I'm curious what the CBC will look like on Friday. For those of you who've been through rounds of Doxo, when did your dogs start showing symptoms? Is it likely that he tolerates the first one really well, then things start to go more downhill as treatments go on? It's hard to know what to expect. Another thing that's been weighing heavily on my mind... we're one month post-amp today, and although Henry has bounced back for the most part, I'm wondering if some parts of our situation have been permanently changed. Truman and Henry used to rough-house and play constantly. They'd fly up and down the stairs and go out the dog door to run in the yard. Now, their dynamic is much different. When Truman starts getting wound up and initiating play, I see Henry back off (I think he's scared of getting knocked over). Henry is still not comfortable going up stairs, so he has to be carried. Because they're so much less engaged with each other, Truman is climbing up the walls, chasing cats, getting into trouble more often... I'm guessing because he no longer has Henry as an outlet for his energy. I wonder if Henry is officially "retired" as Truman's playmate. We've always capped our dog quota at two because they were both evenly-matched companions. Now I'm starting to wonder what the alternative is. Should I seek out other higher-energy dogs in our area and arrange playdates for Truman? Should we consider adopting another dog in the future to balance things out? Maybe I'm worrying for nothing and prematurely jumping to conclusions, but I'm worried. I want to do right by both of my boys.

'Normal Brees Nonsense." That makes me feel a bit better.

So very sorry for your loss. I loved seeing Tessa's tongue-out cat bed pictures.

Henry's chemo went pretty good today. The next few days will determine how well he tolerates the Doxo. He's seemed normal since we got home, albeit somewhat tired. He also had some diarrhea, but nothing to write home about (yet). He ate all his dinner without any coaxing. We'll see how he does tomorrow. The CBC showed his white cell count was a little low, so he has to be on antibiotics for awhile longer. He's also on Flagyl, Reglan, and Cerenia to help with the nausea and diarrhea. We have a CBC re-check in a week, then our next round on January 18. Everybody loved his collar. Still no word on the pet insurance... I called and they said my claim is being processed and they were waiting for 'confirmation of coverage,' whatever that means. We filed on Dec. 9, and all the records and documentation was received. It was only supposed to take 10 business days, so I can't help but be worried about it. If they aren't waiting on more paperwork from the vet, what could be taking so long?

That is the biggest thing that concerns me. If the OP said 'I've had this dog for two months,' then fine. I get it. There have been hundreds of similar threads on this board. But the fact that this dog is still displaying this kind of behavior TWO YEARS later, I'd be concerned that there is some underlying factor at play (bite inhibition, pain issues, or some type of fear that is continually being exacerbated and reinforced). I agree with Giselle that a consult with a behaviorist is in order. It's not as simple as, 'let sleeping dogs lie' unless the owner wants to forever walk on eggshells, live in fear, and feel the need to banish the dog from the rest of the household.

First Doxo appointment today! Check out the collar.

Yay! Good news about Aston!

Thanks! Do you have the regular one? I think it's called the Webmaster?

Those of you who have Ruffwear harnesses, what size did you get?

Me neither. I can't really comment because Henry's tumor was on the tibia, and it had lots of lesions. They were very apparent even to my untrained eye. I do know that many people get two and three rads when the first ones are inconclusive. I'd probably email Couto or consult with a specialty vet in your area for a second opinion. If it turns out being cancer (worst case scenario), it's essential to catch it sooner than later. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Aston that it's anything but osteo. P.S. Just a word of advice (and I think you're already on the right track), don't let the limp be your gauge. I was rationalizing and doing the same thing with Henry, since his limp was slight and hardly noticeable. I thought, "There's no way it could be cancer, he'd visibly be in more pain." But by the time I got him to the vet and reviewed the rads, the bone was full of lesions. It looked like swiss cheese. I knew it couldn't have happened overnight, so he must've been in pain for way longer than what was apparent to me. Dogs are incredibly adept at disguising their pain.

Wishing happy holidays to you and your hounds. Henry is celebrating early, and giving Stewie a run for his money. He got so excited, his ears fell off.

Just now seeing this. Hang in there, Judy! We're sending good thoughts for you and Nadir.

Thanks, Dr. Kellogg!! I will.