llm51807

Again, I agree with MaryJane regarding the fasting. I'm always tempted to fast to give the GI tract a break, but my guy is a morning bile vomiter. If he doesn't get a little snack before bed he'll vomit in the morning before breakfast. Some dogs don't do well with an empty stomach.

We had the same issue with one of our boys when we first got him - Hooks, loose stool to diarrhea and back; it took months and months to get his GI issues calmed down and rid of the worms and settled into a decent soft-yet formed poop. We did almost exactly what has been recommended here. I had to feed rice and beef for a few months because every time I'd try to transition to kibble (at that time TOTW Pacific Salmon) we'd go back to pudding poop or worse. I bought a powdered supplement specifically for home-cooked food for dogs that provided all the nutrients found in kibble (I don't think they make it anymore, but I'm sure there's something similar out there) and I added in some veggies that had been put through the food processor and he did very well on this, but I eventually transitioned him to the kibble. Beware, once you do stabilize on kibble, things can go sideways fast. For my guy, one small treat stolen off the "Treat Bar" at the Petco can change everything and back to the rice and beef we go. We had no flair ups for almost 2 1/2 yrs but we are in the midst of one now after I picked him up from a 3 day stay at the kennel. Someone probably slipped him a few Milkbones...that's all it takes for some of these sensitive pups. I think those Hookworms really do a number on them and they're never 100% again. I've got one that can eat anything, but not this poor guy. He has one brand of food, one brand of treat, and he's ok with bananas, that's it. Just a few other things that have helped us...when he has a bad flair I'll use either Tylan Powder or Flagyl - this time we're using Flagyl. I'll use for a week or so and also check for parasites to be sure that's not the issue. Even when he is stable I keep him on VetriScience BD (Bowel Defense) Probiotics all the time. I normally give fish oil, but stop if he's flaring up. We've been feeding TOTW Sierra Mountain (it's the lamb) for over 2 years and his poops were the best they'd ever been...until last week. I'm tempted to go get the Iams green bag to see if that beat pulp is the magic ingredient. If I don't see any progress in the next few days, I'm going to try it. Hope this helps your boy Puddy - keep us posted!

Lady was our Jet's (Ww's Jets) mom. I'm so sorry to hear she passed. You adopted her shortly after we adopted Jet and I was so happy to see she was getting a forever home and even happier to see her thriving and passing her CGC. I'm sure she felt the same way. I'm so sorry she had to leave you so soon. Her boy Jet is one of the kindest, sweetest souls I've ever met and he looks so much like his mom. Our hearts are hurting for you, but we're so thankful she got to have the wonderful time you described in your haiku.

Our homeowner's park in our neighborhood in Florida is completely fenced around the beach (seriously, that's why we bought the house). Only way they could escape would be to swim out and around and up to the neighbor's property and even they're both fenced from the water back to the street. We're all rocky and craggily down in the Keys, so no long white sandy beaches. It would be like an escape from Alcatraz and first they'd have to learn to swim Neither of mine have good recall and one is very high prey drive, so I would never let them off leash without a fence. That said, right dog, right training, right place, I wouldn't fault an owner for it.

The swelling in Jet's leg is finally going down. We had a follow up with the vet yesterday and we're going to keep him on the antibiotics for another 5 days. If it's not 100% better, she wants him on them for longer…until the swelling is all gone. I don't think the black salve did much since we didn't see anything actually come out of the area, but who knows. I think it just took time for the antibiotics to kick in. Thanks for all the advice and good-wishes

Yep, good ole black salve. My grandmother and even my mom used it when I was growing up. I've seen it work, but not sure it's doing much for Jet at this point; can't hurt, I guess.

Thanks for asking He's doing a little better but not much. We're continuing the 2 ABX for the infection and have been using warm then cool compresses and some drawing salve. Doesn't seem to be getting worse and maybe slightly better. I'll take him back on Monday which will be one week since the clindamycin and 4 days since the additional cefpodoxime. He still doesn't have much pain or is really good at not showing it. Poor boy. We'll check back in after we go back next week.

Oh, poor Brees - that cat got her good I think I remember seeing this because she looks like my Cecil in the picture who is fawn and has a Roman nose (a natural one, not cat-induced!). I think if Jet's swelling was not directly over the joint, they'd be more apt to drain it now, but they're concerned they'll puncture the joint sac and introduce infection that is currently not there. (I think I got that right - I read a lot but I'm not in the medical field!).

I wish we were home; we live almost on the PA state line in OH and I would have taken him where you took Henry. I saw your posts about Henry's spider bite and it sounds similar to Jet's wrist, but Jet doesn't have much pain (or is a master at not showing it). He's still walking on it and let's the vet really poke at it without even trying to pull away. With everything Henry has been through, it must have been truly awful for you to rate it the worst pain. Took him to our local vet for a follow up and we got a different doc. She was great and worked with greyhounds all through vet school and was obviously quite familiar. She also brought in the old time vet to take a look at Jet's leg and he agreed with her. They are assuming at this point it has not gotten into the joint and they don't want to introduce a needle to the area if it hasn't. They dressed it with some salve and want to try some compresses along with an additional type of antibiotic until early next week. If it's not better by then, they'll consider the joint tap and/or something more aggressive. His temperature is normal and has only very mild swelling in the lymph nodes in the armpit of that leg. The vet knows I came in looking for more aggressive treatment and still she advised to wait and said she'd wait if he were hers. So, we'll work the compresses and salve and hopefully that new antibiotic will kick in. Hate we're going into a weekend.

We're in the FL Keys for the winter and we've got a lot of feral cats down here. My two boys are known cat haters, so we've been careful about walking around the neighborhood, but apparently not careful enough. The cat must have been crouching in the thick brush when one of the boys got close…it happened so fast. Cat escaped but not before tearing a hole in the back of Jet's leg (between wrist and elbow of the front leg) plus a few more scratches and bites. The major wound is not the worst I've seen on a greyhound, you know how that skin tears so easily, but his wrist joint is very swollen. The incident happened on Saturday night. My DH cleaned the wounds with betadine as advised by the vet tech at the vet's office who was closed at the time. Nothing looked too bad, so I waited until Monday morning to get them to the vet. By late Sunday night, I could see a little swelling in that wrist. By Mon morning there was more. Vet cleaned it and prescribed tramadol, rimadyl, and 450mg clindamycin twice a day. I didn't like the look of it and the vet isn't grey savvy so I got some advice on grey savvy vets in South FL and took him up to the mainland on Tues. Doc concurred with the 1st vet that it could be edema and/or infection. Said to stay the course on clindamycin and that the dose was right. Offered hyperbaric treatments to aid in healing. It's Thursday and it doesn't look any better…maybe a little worse and moving down into the front of his foot. It's close to the size of a small tangerine around his wrist and it's warm to the touch. I've read about needing to open the skin and debride, I've read about joint taps after spider bites and other antibiotic treatments (baytril and clavamox). All I know is that he's been on the antibiotic since Monday and it's only getting worse. No one has done any ultrasound, X-ray, or needle aspiration and I'm concerned we don't really know what's going on and so not treating correctly. I feel like crap I didn't take him in for antibiotics on Saturday night or Sunday and I feel like crap we let this happen to him…again. Last time was worse for the cat, but we treated immediately at the vet with rabies boosters (which by the way was just in Oct, so no need for another according to both vets) and antibiotics and both boys were just fine. Any advice/shared experience on this infection (diagnosis, treatment) would be much appreciated. BTW, we've got a 2PM follow up at the local vet's office today.

We've had a few cat incidents and the last one ended with the cat dead and both dogs with bites and scratches on their faces. We did take them to the vet who gave them both rabies boosters and one got antibiotics because the bites on his nose were pretty bad. Neither of ours are cat safe, so I guess I've never expected anything else from them, but the horror of the incident stayed with us for a while. The dogs were on leash during the incident and the cat was the aggressor, believe it or not. Sad for all involved, but just be grateful your boy didn't lose an eye. I would probably take him to the vet just in case, especially if the cat was a stray…you just don't know. Sorry you're having to experience this, but they're dogs and these things happen. As far as small animal safe, they say a cat outside is totally different than a cat in the house.

More exercise might help, but most likely your girl has some separation anxiety and needs continued alone training. We tried exercise to exertion but our boy managed to freak out even though he was exhausted. We ditched the crate which was a big part of the issue, but still had to do alone training with our #1 boy. It took a few months, but he settled in with no other issues. The first few months were very tough and he's SO LOUD! Most likely she'll get comfortable with time, routine, and lots of positive reinforcement. Once she gets the program and you continue to deliver that same program every day, she'll do just fine. We had lots of setbacks too, and I was constantly thinking WE were doing something wrong with the training, but I think time and repetition - and keeping to that routine - is what finally brings the comfort and confidence they need to get through a day on their own. It's been over 3 years and I say the same thing when I walk out the door, every single time - I promise I'll be back, you be a good boy Hang in there!

Oh no. It's what every one of us dreads…I'm so sorry. Sending all good thoughts for a good outcome for Henry.

Good point about the cat's reaction - I think it was probably a surprise to everyone. And very good point about the rabies and treating this as a public health concern. I just read about a woman who was bitten by a rabid cat this summer rather close to this park. We did let the vet know all the particulars. The dogs were both up to date on all vaccinations and he gave them a rabies booster as well. Both dogs were leashed. One has high prey drive the other does not (the one the cat got first was Cecil - non high prey drive, but not cat safe either). Neither of my dogs pull or lunge to get to small animals or cats when we're walking. In general I'd say my husband is not as aware as me, but I too am a worst case scenario person and cautious to a fault, so I'm trying not to be too hard on him. He's traumatized and feels awful enough. Hopefully he stays more vigilant in the future. I suppose there's a chance of kittens but he didn't see any. The cats were not wearing collars either.

My husband was walking our dogs at the park on a hike bike trail yesterday. He spotted a cat about 20 feet up the trail and had his eye on it; Cecil was sniffing around a shrub and came out with a 2nd cat attached to his face. Chaos ensued and Jet grabbed the cat off of Cecil's face and all 4 of them struggled. The dogs got out of it with scratches and bites on their face and no serious damage. The cat really gnawed on Jet's face and he's pretty chewed up. Unfortunately the cat was almost dead when my husband left the scene to rush them to the vet as they were bleeding and he was in a total panic. He called the park and they said they were going to get the cat. There were lots of people around to witness this (and not help at all) and he heard people talking about "those dogs that killed a cat" as he walked them back to the car. I'm horrified at the thought of our greyhounds (and ALL our local greyhounds) getting a bad rap for this. I'm very sad they killed a cat (but why would a cat attack - apparently it had chances to run, but it was on the offensive not defensive). And lastly, I'm torn on what to do next regarding the cat. Should I call the park and offer to pay for euthanasia if it was necessary? Should I stay quiet? I don't know if these were strays or if they belong to someone? Are we at fault if it was a family pet? Our dogs were leashed the entire time. I'd appreciate any advice on this. And to boot, Cecil is an IBD dog and is now on antibiotics (and they both got a rabies booster), so this will likely turn into a one to two month ordeal with GI issues. Overall though, I know we're very lucky because the injuries could have been so much worse. Thanks, Lori

Hey RMarie, I know it's been a few months since this post was active, but I'm wondering how James is doing with his skin crusties and what the final diagnosis was? We're having similar issues with our Cecil. At first I thought bug bites because he's almost hairless on his underside, then noticed the pus, so ordered some Malaseb shampoo because I'm thinking staph. I just found a big crusty on his back and all his hair pulled off with it. Doubt that was caused by a bug bite. He's got a vet appointment on Monday, but it sounds very similar to James's skin issues. He's always had a sensitive tummy and I've been a little adventurous with his treats lately because his GI issues have been so good for so long and still are. I wonder if that's what caused the skin issue? The last thing we want to do is give him an antibiotic since his tummy has been so stable, but... Anyway, lots of similarities and just wondered how you and James ended up.

I agree with Batmom regarding dose and timing the cycle. We alternated Panacur and Drontal+, but again, I think its more about getting them at the right time more than the med itself. Had similar issues here with Hooks in one of our boys. Lucky for us our vet is very open to suggestions and acknowledges his limited experience with greyhounds. Doesn't sound like your vet is as open; that's a deal-breaker for me. I don't need a local greyhound expert, but I do require a vet who recognizes his limitations. I'm pretty forgiving and patient, but in this case, I'd find someone else. Also agree to just save your $$ on the fecals. We had a negative and then a positive just a week later. It's all about where the worms are in their lifecycle.

Bleach is extreme, but if it's not freezing, I wouldn't chance it. We never rinsed after bleaching - just a few squirts and it never seemed to discourage either of ours from going outside. It's been a week or so...how's Hutch doing?

Hookworms are tough. Our first boy came home with hooks and it took us months to get rid of them. He still has a sensitive tummy, possibly because he had them for so long. I've even read that hooks can become chronic if the infestation is bad enough because larvae burrow into the muscle tissue and escape the effects of the medicine; just in case, I treat with Heartguard Plus year round because it also kills adult hooks (so does Interceptor but that was off the market for a while). A few things to consider: - We alternated between Panacur and Drontal Plus when we treated Cecil. Someone told us that alternating between two meds was key as the worms develop immunity. Seemed to work - they recommended alternating between Panacur (5 day dose not 3) and Strongid (which I think is for horses), but we used Drontal Plus because our Vet likes it and 5 days of Panacur. I hate medicine and don't like giving it unless absolutely necessary, but I found we had to blast these hooks with a higher dose and more often than typically recommended to get rid of them. - Stool samples may come back negative even though hooks are still present. Apparently hooks can only be detected in the stool at a certain lifecycle stage. If you get a negative result after treatment, I'd recommend going back for another test in a week or two to check again. We had a few negative results and then a positive a month later and I KNOW if wasn't from re-infection. - We're also in Ohio, but we didn't have the benefit of below freezing temps at this time (how often do we think of freezing as a benefit, eh?) We scooped poop religiously and then sprayed the area with bleach after we cleaned it up. Yard looked just fantastic - It took about 31/2 months before we had consecutive negative results and also got rid of the Big D. Part of this was finding a food Cecil could tolerate as well (that's a whole different topic!) Hope this helps - good luck! Oh, and yes, you should be worried your other dog may pick up hooks in the yard. If it doesn't freeze after every poop, I'd take the spray bottle of bleach out there.

Sounds like you've done all your homework and you'll make a great hound parent! We adopted from GAO and we were very happy with them. We needed more help selecting a dog than I anticipated - I thought there would be a magic moment with one of the hounds at the kennel but there really wasn't. Susan and Linda pointed us in the right direction after talking with them about our lifestyle, household, and expectations. They matched us perfectly! We couldn't be happier with our boy after almost 2 yrs. It was a little bit of a rocky start with some separation anxiety - which Susan from GAO helped us through with lots of info and also a stubborn case of hookworms - which she also helped us with. Lots of ongoing support from GAO. What I like best is they don't usually foster dogs - they come straight out of the kennel into your home as blank slates. That may be a negative to some people, but our boy adjusted quickly and we didn't have to un-do any house habits. Some people may think it's great to cuddle with your pup on the sofa, but others may not want the dogs on the furniture. Every home is different and ours is the only one our Cecil has ever known and I'm pretty sure he loves it Good Luck Katelyn!

Hi! Great to know there are at least a few greys around town! I've been taking him to The Learning Dog in Hubbard, so far he's doing very well and seems to like it. I remember reading about a Place for Paws but had forgotten about it when it came time to sign him up. They're in Columbiana which is much closer for us, but Cecil loves the car ride - so maybe too close . We'd love to do a play date or walk sometime. We're not afraid to walk in the cold, but unless it gets into the 30's or is at least very sunny, it's not much fun. Feel free to email me sometime - I'd love to hear about your hound and coordinate a date for a Ytown greyhound meet up. I'm new here and not familiar with all the personal messaging stuff yet so: lorim1@zoominternet.net

momofevie, we're also in Canfield, so if you're ever looking for a playmate when you're visiting your parents let us know. We don't have a dog park in the area yet - I think it will be completed next year, but we have a fenced yard for playing. It's not large enough to allow him to really stride out, but enough room for some fast circles! Not sure if you're from here originally, but we've got some great parks for walking/running and hiking.

We're from the Youngstown area so GAO is a little far for us; I wish we were closer so we could be more involved with events. I've heard people mention that there are greyhounds in our area, but I've not seen any yet. Most people around here have no idea what kind of dog he is - I'm not sure some even know he IS a dog. He's not seen a greyhound since we brought him home in August and I wonder if he misses them. Hopefully we'll find a playgroup or friend in the spring - even if we have to drive to Akron or Cleveland - he LOVES the car.

Yes, I saw that Violet was up for adoption a few months after we got Cecil. I hope Violet found a great home - she looked beautiful, also a Blue Fawn, I think? ! I was tempted to call and find out if we could adopt from Ohio but Cecil was just too new to us and I wanted to be sure everyone was settled before we added any more new personalities! His sister N's Miss N Cash is up for adoption in MI right now, but I've asked a lot of Ivan our old boy and don't think he'd care for another big, tall sibling right now! He's not as nimble as he used to be and sometimes gets caught up in Cecil's long legs!