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We decided to try the Zonisamide first because the seizures are still very mild. When he has them, it lasts maybe a minute, minute and a half. Afterwards, he bounces back well and it's as if nothing happened. He's never had a cluster (although we do have rectal Valium on hand just in case).

Do you think any of his weird behaviors could be due to memory loss or a vision problem? Like, maybe he's forgetting how to use the dog dog or he can't see it too well when it's dark?

The ingredients in Heartguard and Trifexis are pretty harsh. Afterall, it's intended use is to kill parasites. It's fairly common for greys to get diarrhea after receiving the monthly dose. If you know your hound is sensitive, give it with food and a Pepcid.

I agree that the 'hugging' and not having her usual 'quiet time' during the holidays were most likely the triggers. Suspend furniture privileges for awhile.

Thank you! My next post will probably be asking for help to give him his pills. I'm going to try ravioli and liverwurst first.

I'm currently going through the same thing with my Henry. The GT folks were very helpful. Is your guy having any other issues neurologically? Wobbliness, memory problems, obsessive behaviors, issues on one side of the body? If not, I wouldn't automatically assume brain tumors. The vet I use did bloodwork, including a full thyroid panel, to rule thyroid problems out first. Also, they reviewed for Tick Borne Diseases, as some of those can cause seizures to start unexpectedly. Because everything came back normal on Henry's blood tests, we did a consult with a vetrinary neurologist. I was very happy I did this- the fee was only $100, and we got a lot of helpful information. Because Henry is only five, his seizures are characteristic of epilepsy. But epilepsy can occur at any age, so I would probably consider that first. Epilepsy can be controlled with medication. Being that this is his first seizure, it's also possible that something triggered it- a new cleaning product, a new medication or supplement, food. Is it possible that he ingested something accidentally? If so, he may never have another seizure again. A tumor would be the worst case scenario... but if everything is inconclusive, I might still do an MRI. They're expensive, something like $1100 where we live. But not all tumors are malignant, so it is possible that he could survive and live many more years if he had surgery to remove the tumor. Nine-years-old is still relatively young for a greyhound. Depending on the size and nature of the tumor, he could live many more years with basic treatment, like prednisone. I think E-Vets may be worst-case scenarists due to the nature of their work, but I don't think the opinion you got is the 'end all be all.' Just a couple other pieces of advice, if you have other greyhounds (or dogs in general), take caution to keep Blaze safe if he should seize again. Dogs can get in a pack mentality, and will attack a seizing dog to protect the rest of the pack. A lot of people suggested muzzling, crating, or separating the seizure dog when you're not home. If you have any other questions, please PM me. I'd be glad to give you more information about out journey with seizures.

Oh, this is good advice. I almost forgot. Is Denamarin or milk thistle something I get from the vet? Just turned 5.

That's exactly what the vet said- get it from Costco because the prices vary substantially between pharmacies. She said it's usually $30 a month.

I took Henry in for his neurology consultation today. After giving him an exam and reviewing his file, the vet concluded that it is most likely epilepsy. She said that because he's been having the seizures for two years and that they've only gradually gotten worse, there's no real reason to go further into diagnostics with MRIs, etc. The possibility of a tumor of traumatic brain injury are very low, given his age and symptoms. We discussed options for meds and settled on zonisamide. Even though it's metabolized in the liver, only two dogs in the ten-year study went into kidney failure. It also has the lowest incidence of side effects and doesn't require ongoing blood and bile tests like KBr. Because his seizures are still mild (just more frequent) she felt like this would be the best first-line treatment. I was happy that I did the consult because the only meds our regular vet has experience with are Pb and Keppra. The neurologist also allowed me to have a good amount of input in his treatment which was very comforting. I'll post in a few months as our journey continues.

Good news! Hoping for the best for your boy.

Duck feet are even worse! They still have the webbing and everything. I sort of like ducks.

Definitely comes in waves! Get well soon, Karma girl!

The only treadmills I've seen for greys are the underwater ones used for physical therapy. I feel like a regular treadmill would be dangerous. But I am curious to see some of the reponses.

Really?

Hill's makes a prescription food for Urinary Tract Health. I had success with it for one of my late cats who always had urinary issues. I got recurrent bladder problems myself for about a year and ended up having to see a specialist. He explained that one bad UTI can do a lot of damage. Certain foods aggravate the lining of the bladder, causing inflammation that exhibits the same symptoms as a UTI. Then, because the ability to fight infection is depleted, you are more susceptible to infection. It's a vicious cycle! I imagine the same thing can happen in dogs.

Great advice from JJng. She'll most likely test you and throw a couple big tantrums. The best thing you can do is get a decent pair of earplugs and ignore.

Ooh, I like this idea too.

Agree. My boys' evening poops are usually less firm, but never liquid to the point where they can't be picked up.

I'm scratching my head a little bit over this post. Does your guy have a history of chewing on inappropriate things or is he actually ingesting them? Dogs won't usually swallow something that's not food. I would be concerned if he was routinely eating non-edible items. But if it's just an occasional tissue or a few scraps off someone's plate, he'll be fine. Sniffing and scavenging are totally normal for dogs. It's not something that I think would/should require training. "Leave it" is a great command, but it's more appropriate for dogs who persistently try to eat garbage off the street, or steal food from a person's plate. It won't train your dog not to explore. My best advice is to make sure he's (1) well exercised, (2) getting enough food, and (3) provided with plenty of appropriate things for him to chew on. If those needs are satisfied, he shouldn't have a reason to go looking for anything else. Between my two guys, they have ingested all kinds of crazy things over the years (Neosporin, chocolates, food wrappers, toothpaste, houseplants, a variety of stuff out of the kitchen sink). Truman even swallowed a Sudafed a few weeks ago. They lived.

Hmmm... this is an interesting thread. I posted about this awhile back, but I did manage to train my Siamese kitten and 16-month-old greyhound Truman to tolerate each other through positive reinforcement. The problem was that Truman enjoyed chasing the cat, and Meezer was brand new and scared to death. I started by putting the cat on my bed with a plate of Fancy Feast, and had the dog next to him in a down-stay position. I gave Truman treats for being calm and giving me eye contact. Did this once a day (about five minutes) for a week straight. Gradually, the Meezer started coming out of his hidey-hole more often, and I used those opportunities to give them both lots of lovins and treats. It was a process, but the trick is get them BOTH to associate good things with each other. Now they are best buddies, and I have the opposite problem (they constantly play with each other, and I worry because the cat is 5 pounds compared with Truman who is 80). Being that your cat was there first (and probably feels a little threatened by the sheer size and presence of your greyhound) you should make all attempts to create a positive experience for him. I find that cats respond better to positive training, so I probably wouldn't use a spray bottle. It could make the situation worse, causing the cat to really despise the dog. Whenever they are both near you, pet the cat and give him special food (canned food, tuna, greenies, whatever). If the dog walks out of the room, then take away the food and stop petting. Make the presence of the dog enjoyable. After doing this for a few weeks, you can being to phase the food out. I've found that although cat training is different, it's not impossible. It sounds like your dog is pretty timid (mine wasn't), but you should also do some training with the dog to make his experience better. Toss him some high value treats as long as he's being calm and listening to you. Right now, he's frightened of the cat, so you want to use counter-conditioning (associating a positive experience with the cat) and desensitization (doing it enough that the fear wanes and he sees interactions with the cat as no big deal). If it's too much, and he starts yelping or "screaming," allow him to retreat and try again when he calms down. If you're consistent and diligent with the training, you should see some progress. Hope this helps!

Chicken feet are definitely gross. We call them "witch hands." Once, I bought a package, and one was gripping the styrofoam, almost like a zombie hand trying to escape.

I'm so sorry! I would suspect ehrlichia if he has other symptoms in conjunction with the weight loss and diarrhea. Things to watch out for are fever, swelling, bruising, and neurological symptoms. Although not very common, it's definitely possible (I live in Southwest PA and ticks were rampant last summer). I'm confused why the vet put Loch on Doxy for only three weeks? If he originally diagnosed ehrlichia, I've always heard that Doxy is done for at least 6-8 weeks (and usually a steroid as well). I would follow the group's advice and have him evaluated by a different vet. Maybe your rescue group could help with the cost of the bills, seeing as you've only had him since October and it would be a shame to rehome him due to money reasons. Whatever you decide to do, make a decision ASAP. If it is ehrlichia, his condition will get worse the longer you wait. Preliminary treatment and bloodwork is going to be less expensive than blood transfusions and surgery. If Loch doesn't have any other symptoms besides the diarrhea and weight loss, then I would consider the liklihood of a GI problem. One of my friends recently went through a terrible time with her grey, and it took several rounds of medication and a diet change before the diarrhea finally cleared up. I believe the dog lost close to 10 pounds by the time everything was all said and done. A few more questions. Has the vet given you Flagyl or any other prescription (Sulfsalazine, Endurosyn) to help with the diarrhea? Also, are you doing bland diet and Pedialyte to replenish fluids? Have you considered prescription diet? What kind of kibble are you feeding? Do you give Heartguard?

I understand, but if this is where her greyhound is going to be living, the only long-term solution to mitigate sexual behavior is to neuter. The fact that this dog is constantly being the target of humping has less to do with scent and more to do with submissive signals/behavior.

Awww! She's adorable! That one darker stripe on the right side of her face reminds me of Piper and Indiana Bones (OurIndy's pups). ETA: I was right! Your girl shares a grandsire and great-grandsire with them (Gable Dodge and HB's Commander).

Hopefully it's something simple like a UTI, but there's always a chance that it could be something more serious. Better safe than sorry with a vet check. I mentioned seizures because my Henry will occasionally void his bladder after a grand mal seizure (he gets very confused afterwards). He's only five and has been having seizures since age 3.