XTRAWLD

Yup. I had to sign to say I wouldn't board....

Walks are no problem. We go for potty 3-4 times a day, 2 of those are walks around the block (the other two quick outs to do their business) They are calm around the house (the older, the calmer) and can handle hikes without issue. We've been out an entire day, in the car for a drive, stop to grab a bite 10 mins down the road and they are up and at em wanting to do more! Now everyone is of course different, but hiking isn't an issue. They co-exist with cats fine, make sure the adoption group knows you have one and they should be able to test if the dog is cat safe. They also tend to get along with other dogs as they are mellow, but be aware they might not be rip roaring to play. They really do prefer their own breed. Be aware, we really aren't kidding when we say they aren't like other dogs. More likely than not, your new pup will be shy (we're talking a month to a year to come out of their shells), not cuddle, not really do dog things you are used to from your GSD like fetch. Oh and you mentioned swimming, most sink like a stone. My Kasey hated the water, Ryder loves it. You don't know what you are going to get. And the boarding thing, that will be a no no. You'll prolly sign something for adoption that says this. That's not to say that you can never go away, but you'll likely find someone in a home like setting to watch your dog for you and not a boarding kennel.

It really does get better. I'm glad you have been slightly reassured.

Again, you might be surprised and she might not need it. I've been very lucky with Ryder that it isn't worse and that surgery isn't necessary. Will it be in the future? Maybe, but not right now. Like you said, one day at a time, but I'm like you....prepare for the worst, hope for the best and hey might turn out better than you expected.

My vet told me also absolutely no chiro. My chiro said absolutely do chiro. Go figure. Here is a snippet of the email from my chiro... It's disappointing to hear the vet was so opposed to chiropractic. I think vets opposition to chiropractic comes largely from a lack of understanding about the benefits of chiropractic in general and for disc issues. As I mentioned in my previous email, I've treated many animals and people with disc issues who have experienced much relief and many benefits from care (i.e. less pain, better mobility and function). However that being said, I understand if you want to hold off until Ryder's recheck in April. At least us humans are able to communicate to the chiro that we are experiencing pain and where, and dogs can't. I mean certainly, they show it with muscle twitches, crying out, growling, curling lips, but you know what I mean, it's harder to pinpoint and resolve. I completely believe in my chiro's ability, and Ryder has benefited greatly from chiro before we got a diagnosis. So if I was trying to be blind, I guess I could go ahead and treat him with chiro against the vet's wishes. That consideration is coming up soon as he'll be going for a recheck with the vet soon. I personally have a doctor that perfers medical treatments with pills and is opposed to supplements and natural treatment, and I think you will find the same with most vets. There are vets out there that are just not open to the idea of alternative therapy. That said, to be fair, adjusting the neck even slightly the wrong way when there is a known issue could cause irreparable harm. Have to weigh the risks. I really believe that until you know the severity of the issue you can't say yay or nay and honestly that means getting that MRI. I don't think you will have anything definitive without it. I know it's a tough decision. Edited to add: We also discussed soft tissue injury prior his diagnosis because I was desperately trying to resolve his limp, and my chiro had this to say: In terms of soft tissues injuries, it's always important to make sure the joint moves well as proper joint movement has a healing effect on the surrounding soft tissues and within the joint itself (i.e.improves cartilage health). Also soft tissue injuries will ultimately effect joint movement and function, so chiropractic can certainly be beneficial for these types of injuries. As I deal with a lot of sports injuries in people, I commonly treat these types of issues in my human practice.

I fortunately haven't had to do a NSAID but was very close. I've been doing gaba and metho, (but Ry's gaba dose is higher than Violets) no tramadol and knock on wood it's been working well for us. If she's really showing pain, I agree with tbhounds and get the inflammation down, give her some relief and then go back to what you were doing before (or try upping the gaba a bit - she might surprise you).

That is definitely not normal. Do some more checks as per above. Can you tell us about his appetite? It might be worth getting him onto a high caloric food, but without knowing what is causing this in the first place, changing up his diet might not be ideal. To keep as much weight on Kasey as I could during his chemo treatments was a canned food by Royal Canin that was Gastrointestinal and High Caloric food and this was still relatively easy on his stomach. Check with your vet. Also Satin Balls are quite popular to put weight on pups after they have left the track, and you make at home yourself - consists of raw ground beef, molasses, Total cereal, etc. Again though, putting a lot of "different" food through his system without know what's going on with his liver and insides, might not be the best route. I'm sure more will chime in with their experiences. Gentle scritches to Cooper. Please keep us updated. Often folks obtain a good result and don't follow up to help us learn!

I think the sleeping outside behaviour is because it's cooler and he's more comfortable and the mat and/or fan is a good idea. How nice to just sleep out under the stars! This is neat. I admit this would be nice for Ryder and I've never considered it before. He is quite the sun bather but when we've had enough and we go inside, he takes a while to cool down.

Agreed. boy she looks so stiff... gentle scritches.

This is great news for sure. Add another cure to the list of things to try!

I think you need the MRI. Sounds like maybe a neck issue/nerves.... if she's rough going down the stairs, sounds like it's pressure from her movements. Does she jump down the last 2 steps at all? Crying out isn't a good indicator either. Gaba should be working, perhaps though it's not enough and you should give her another 100mg? Ryder is on 300mg every 12 hours for a 75lb pup.

She's a beaut and looks like she's got an endless smirk in her smiling picture of getting into trouble

Sounds like you got a smiler. He certainly seems to like you if he's showing you more expressions than anyone else. Try to enjoy him and give him a chance, clearly he's doing his best to speak your language.

Wow. What a black coated pup! I'm confident if you had a black rug, he's camouflage game would be a 10+!

Krissy and Summit had quite the experience with IVDD. If you are curious, search for the threads.

I've always felt that a greyhound isn't really a dog. Not a dog in the typical sense of the term anyway and I agree that bonding can be difficult with this breed. They don't play and fetch and snuggle and rough and tumble or just be a dog if you've been used to other breeds. Of course personality has a lot to do with it too but I like to say they are more of a companion style dog if that makes sense. You will bond, but maybe not in the sense that you are accustomed to. You are his hoomin and 1 month really isn't a long time. Kasey took about a year to come out of his shell, and Ryder about 3 months. They are all different with how they come around.

Have you tried Gabapentin? I see in an earlier post he was on a combo. Is the combo no longer enough?

My goodness. Good to hear it's getting better. Do we know the root cause?

Oh my. I'm shocked and saddened. Rest well and provide everyone up there with the Mayhem that you are famous for here for your short time with us.

Owie. Gentle scritches. You seem to get all the oddities don't you! On the flip side - what great experience!

Awh. I have no experience with this, but I'm sure others will chime in. It's so sad to see them age. The only thing I would ask is if they tested for a UTI? It's a long shot but you mentioned he had lots of tests so just curious.

Well said. Right from the vet's mouth. My vet also tested around the anus with the end of a pen to see what the reaction would be. Apparently the reflex would be compromised if LS was present. Does that make sense? (In Kasey's case he had no reaction on one side, and a small reaction on the other).

Kasey had LS, I went to two vets, one of which was a grey specialist. He would have been happy to do the injection because he understood the breed, etc. but wanted it backed up with an MRI. (The nerve can be compressed in two directions and an MRI is the only definitive way to know for sure). A lot of vets won't do the injection period. From what I understand, the dog also needs to be sedated so they don't move because it is a risky injection site. The injection only works for a period of time, and then you have to do it again, and again. It's not a one time cure. Get him on gabapentin. It's a safe drug that has a wide range and you'll see the benefits immediately.

I would just walk at her pace and not force too much. It's important to still get them out for a walk as it helps with mobility though. At 10, Kasey could still walk a while if he wanted to, he just loved being a social butterfly and to be outside. As he began to walk slower, I cut our walks down and usually didn't get much further than 10 mins in total. 1 good 10 min walk and a couple pottie breaks kept him limber. Have you checked her for corns?

Hugs. You did the right thing. I know it's tough.