LBass

You are not alone!

I installed the dog door because Piper had seizures and I finally figured out that for whatever reason--seizures, meds, whatever--when he had to go, he had to go right then. I used to picture him singing the Detrol commercial jingle: "Gotta go. Gotta go. Gotta go. Gotta go right now.". He was good as gold about asking to be let out when I was home but when he was on his own, he just couldn't hold it and, well, what else is a guy supposed to do in such a situation but go in the house. Once the dog door was available, he was good as gold even on his own. Piper was such a good good boy How funny and appalling that there are so many indoor cats who use the dog door to escape into the world! I eventually had to set up a way to confine the cat to a large area that did not have access to the dog door.. Now the dog door is opened only when I'm away and the cat is confined to the 2 smaller bedrooms and the cat's guest bathroom. When I'm home, the dog door is closed and the cat has free access to the whole house.

Introducing my first grey to the dog door was actually pretty easy. Piper, bless him, made everything easy. The first one to go out the dog door was, of course, my indoor cat. Anyway, I think Piper was going through on his own on day 2. As subsequent hounds arrived they learned very quickly from the resident experts. Hope your hound gets the hang of it easily. Lucy

What a beautiful girl! That face is irresistible. Welcome!

I'm so sorry. Two heartbreaking losses on top of one another is just brutal.

Wonderful to read that your boy is home. Sending warm healing thoughts and prayers for Chevy and your family.

MoMo's spleen was removed after being damaged during a laparoscopic spay surgery. The loss of spleen wasn't planned, obviously, but I don't think having to remove it complicated her recover from the regular spay & spleen removal. She has had no ill-effects from the spleen removal.

Judy, I'm so sorry that Jilly Bean couldn't sty with you and Mike for ever. She had a huge presence in your lives and you shared that with those of us who never met your Jilly. Now we share at least a fraction of your grief at her loss. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers. --Lucy

What a happy beauty!

Welcome to GT from another South Carolinian! My crew and I live near Greenville/Spartanburg. --Lucy

There is some evidence that Rosemary can be a seizure trigger for some dogs. I suspect it is more likely to be an issue from eating it than the bit of exposure from a shampoo. Still, if you are anxious, look for a dog shampoo without rosemary and without tea tree oil, which is another thing I know that some dogs with seizures seem to have problems with. I bathed Piper at home and usually used one of the oatmeal based shampoos with no problems. He generally did not have flea problems, so I didn't regularly use Frontline Plus but I did use it on him annually when we went to Sandy Paws and I knoew he was going to be out and about in flea and tick areas. He never had any problems with Frontline Plus.

Cindy, I so sorry. Our hounds are so wise...of course Zoe knew and will always know how much you love her. --Lucy

Poor sweetie! That initial x-ray looks remarkably like the one from MoMo's break about a year and a half ago. The surgeon here did a wonderful job of pinning Mo's bones and she has healed beautifully. I can see the outlines of the metal plate in her right front leg but, other than that slight visual reminder, she is doing beautifully. There is no indication that the leg bothers her at all. It sounds like there is every reason to hope that Singh's leg will heal just as well.

Jenn, I'm so very sorry to read your heartbreaking news about Ruler.

http://www.hemopet.org/files/TEST_REQ_FORMandINSTRUCTIONS.pdf Here is a link to Hemopet. There is a form to fill out and a fee for consultation. As an FYI, I have found that I could save money on the blood work and lab tests for my animals by having my vet's office draw and prep the blood but then give it to me to mail to Hemopet for processing. There are forms and prices to do this on the web site. The results are faxed to the vet and to me with the assessment of the vets at Hemopet. Then my vet can make his own evaluation of the results. Piper's initial seizures were so rough that he was started on Phenobarbital immediately. After he'd been on it a few weeks we got around to testing his thyroid levels adn found them to be low. Apparently taking Pb can cause low thyroid levels and I think that is what happened with Piper.

I'm so sorry your crew has had such a time recently and hope this is the last of vet visits for a while. I so feel your pain. 2011 was rough...Piper's final illness and the meds, specialists, and MRI...repeated efforts to help MoMo with her corn...MoMo's broken leg and the orthopedic surgeon required for that. I had so hoped that 2012 would be better. Unfortunately, my cat has been diagnosed with a difficult-to-manage form of IBD. Expensive meds, frequent vet visits, costly prescription food. Perhaps 2013 will indeed be easier on us all.

Piper had grand mal seizures most of the time. He did occasionally have what I think are called focal seizures. His focal seizures involved copious drooling, lips pulled back as if snarling viciously, wild eyed look, stiffening of neck and shoulders. He also had single grand mal seizures most of the time but about once a year he'd have a round of cluster seizures...10-13 seizures over a 2-3 day period. Horrible--frightening and exhausting for both of us. Nothing that the vets said or that I read indicated that this mix of seizure types was anything out of the ordinary, such as it is, for idiopathic epilepsy. Hugs to you and Henry.

Yes. The impacted anal gland issue is valid, but with Mo it is quite embarrassingly clear exactly what she is doing.

Piper was a leaper too...off the deck steps. It wasn't so much a slipping and sliding issue with him as it was my worry that he'd fall and hurt himself because of the clumsiness and rear end weakness caused by his anti-epilepsy meds. I had very good luck teaching him to slow down and walk down the stairs. I started by going with him to the top of the stairs with my hand on his collar, saying "Slow and careful" in a calm, crooning voice. He quickly caught on and I could then just remind him to be careful by saying "slow and careful" as head headed out the door.

I have a pair of Cushy Paws slippers for MoMo and I do like them. They are washable and very durable. They seem to help her limp less indoors.

Lori, I'm so sorry. The hounds who need the most from us seem to end up burrowing most deeply into our hearts. Clearly, Bill was a master at that.

I'm so sorry. What a heartbreaking situation for you. I do muzzle my pair when I'm not home and I also confine Miles, the cat, to one area of the house when I'm away--Miles can't get out and dogs can't get into the cat area. He's got food, water, litter box, and plenty of windows for sunning and a bed and chairs for snoozing. I feel safer separating dogs from cats when I can't supervise. I stack 2 baby gates to confine the cat. He could climb out but won't. My beloved Yoda would have climbed right over that set up but a third gate would have solved that problem. Perhaps a plan like that would help give you piece of mind in the future?