Feisty49

Was Tylan a 'script? I just Googled to read about it and found it on Amazon as well as other on-line pet supply stores. Wondering if it's the same thing vets prescribe.

If you Google Wobbler Syndrome a lot of sites will come up. I've read that the treatment for it can be medical or surgical and the prognosis pretty much depends on how soon the disease is diagnosed with better results if caught early on. Good luck!

There's nothing worse than not knowing. Hope you get a diagnosis today followed by a solution.

Good news about Bobby jumping. I'm so dense sometimes -- but then nobody told me -- that for the first few days of having Annie Bella (got her in mid-July this year) I'd open a back passenger door and have to do a paw/paw, push, back paw/back paw, push to get her into the car. She *hated* it. Now get this: I have an SUV!!! Honestly it never crossed my mind to open the cargo door and have her jump in until one day when walking by the back end, Annie stopped and looked at it expectantly. The light bulb *finally* went off in my head. (You can teach old folks new tricks. ) She was so eager to jump that a few times she hit her head on the cargo door as it went up. She's now learned to stay until I say, "Up." Sometimes using kennel words work, such as saying "Kennel up" or other words they learned at the track does the trick.

This is an interesting topic. I love reading what others do regarding feeding. Annie Bella lost 4 pounds, going down to 64 pounds, with her bout of diarrhea starting the end of August. She's a pretty big girl overall (tall and long) and all her ribs were sticking out like the bones they are. On the 'script Purina EN food, she's put on the 4 pounds and another one. I've cut back from 2 cups twice a day to 1-3/4 cups twice a day. That should bring her down the extra pound if not more because of the doggie dates I've set up for her. I do give treats a 3 or 4 times a day, but I use either half a dozen kibbles from her prescription food or a mini size biscuit (she handles small biscuits better than large ones). I don't give any other supplements and am wondering if I should, but definitely want to wait before tossing anything else into her diet until I'm sure her intestinal problems are over. Having dogs is a lot of work and can be a lot of money. I knew I would not be happy having more than one dog because of the potential extra work & confusion involved. (I had only one child too because I knew that's what would work for me.) That's why I carefully chose Annie -- actually she chose me at the meet & greet but it was instant attraction on both sides. I needed a dog who could live in a one-dog household and occasionally be left alone for a few hours. I'm retired so it's not often Annie is alone. Between our attraction and the info about Annie Bella from the foster moms and the adoption organization, I knew Annie would be fine with just my cat and me and interacting with other dogs on dog play dates.

I'm fairly new to this board but I don't think we have to apologize for rambling. We love our dogs and want to ensure we get all the info down here. Annie's been on the Purina EN Gastro for 6 days as well as Vetri Probiotics and her stools are what they were 24 hours after starting the prescription food, which is pretty good. They are formed, albeit soft. She has regained the 4 pounds she lost and is, as she was when in the midst of soft serve, happy, liking her walks and dog parks, and eating well. She really likes the EN food, which is good 'cause she be a bit picky. I'm hoping to eventually wean her off it because it's expensive. If not a total weaning, it would be nice to do 75 percent the Purina EN and 25 percent something else that doesn't cost $56 for 18 pounds. Good luck with your boy.

There really is nothing like a Greyhound to make us brag, at least IMO. It's a wonderful feeling to watch our Greys emerge from the effects of the track and bloom into wonderful companions. I've had my Annie Bella for only 2 months and I don't want to imagine my life without her.

My sympathy on the loss of your sweet kitty.

I so agree with OwnedbySummer that an overweight Grey is very unattractive and obviously unhealthy. Dogs get fat because the humans in their lives overfeed. If I couldn't see the faint outline of Annie's ribs, let alone her losing her tuck, I'd blame myself.

I read that we should be able to see the faint outline of the last three ribs and just the points of the hips. So if we don't see some bone, we're over feeding. But as somebody said, Prednisone makes a person gain weight and I assume it's the same with a dog. My girl weighed 61 pounds at the track. When I adopted her, after being in 3 foster homes, she weighed 68 pounds and the vet said that was a perfect weight for her.

Hmmm... he may tell you he's hungry, and it may make you uncomfortable thinking he is (have you considered he's playing on your emotions?), but that doesn't mean you have to give him supplements. If his weight is good and can be maintained without supplements, then why give them regularly if you don't want to? My Annie is not food oriented when it comes to training, but about 3 PM every afternoon, she gives me that "look" and follows me around the house until I feed her. I feed her supper about 4:45 every afternoon. It's really really difficult not to feed her earlier than usual, but like with kids, I'm the mommy and what I say goes!

I estimated my vet bills at $500 to $1,000 based on my owning Annie for just two months. Vet bills in the Albany, NY, area are on the high side of average, IMO, and in the 2 months I've had Annie, I've spent slightly over $400, which amount includes the initial introductory visit, nail cutting (to show me how to do it), the cost of two rounds of Metronidazole, two fecal testings, worm meds, probiotics and special food for the diarrhea. I doubt this is something I look at every year, but it is the way it is. As someone said, anybody reading this board would think our wonderful Greyhounds are always sick or hurt and in need of medical attention. We all know this isn't true, but as with people, sometimes things just happen. I wonder how many people of any type of dog forgo vet visits because they don't have the financial means?

Pretty girl getting lots of positive thoughts from here! Keep us informed.

Annie has had gas once, right after I adopted her, and it didn't smell. I heard it. Since then, absolutely nothing, though she's had GI issues in the form of diarrhea. Again, I thank my lucky stars for this lovely girl.

My adoption organization recommended K9 Advantix II (not Advantage). Thankfully it was required only once and Annie had no negative side effects.

Joejoesmom posed very good questions, all the ones everybody should consider. The mention of having, or not having, a fenced yard is crucial, IMO, with relation to one's overall, long-term commitment. I say this because I do not have a fenced yard but willingly walk my girl at least twice a day for half an hour each time plus take her out for P&P as needed, which is about every 3 to 4 hours, as well as we both like to walk the woods (I have 11 acres, 10 of which are woods). Also, I didn't adopt my Greyhound until I was able to be home most of the time or take her with me. Many people disagree with me, but I think it unfair, and it makes me uncomfortable, to have a dog and leave it alone for 10 to 12 hours a day. It works out for most people who have to do it, but I know that Annie's disposition, which is very gentle, kind and sweet without shyness, destructive tendencies or much anxiety, would change if I weren't here more often than not. I know I've offended people who work and have dogs; I'm just expressing my opinion. The stairs can be another big issue. My Annie will do the 9 flagstone steps leading to the back door but will not do the stairs leading up to the bedroom. They have carpet treads on them and I've walked her through doing them many many times, but it causes her great anxiety and since going up to the bedrooms is optional, I'm giving her a break.

test..

Add me to the list with a Greyhound that often sleeps with eyes at least half open if not all the way. She also whimpers, yips and races in her sleep, and her ears do a dance. LOL I too am very surprised that your adoption organization did not tell you about being careful approaching a Greyhound who may seem awake but is deep in sleep, even with eyes open. There are lots of books and sites on line that can give you good info about the ins and outs of our greyt Greys.

Update: Annie's poop is more 'normal' than it's ever been. I actually wished I had somebody to show, "Look at that. My girl's pooping normal," when on our walk this evening. I don't think the Purina EN Gastroenteric has as much to do with it (because she's had only 3 meals of it, including supper an hour ago) as the probiotics and the Metronidazole. There are only 2 more days of Metronidazole, but I will continue with the special diet and of course the probiotics. I doubt I'll ever not give them to her if she continues to poop good. If anybody had told me 2 months ago that today I'd be watching my dog's rear end wondering what will come out, I would have though they were nuts.

A visit to the vet sounds in order to me. I agree about the new forever home mom and dad taking their new Grey to the vet ASAP to get established. I adopted Annie on a Saturday in mid-July and she was at the vet on Wednesday, 4 days later.

Yah, I'd be very anxious just like you. Good luck and positive thoughts.

It's so good to get input from others' experiences. Annie will be 4 in November. She was on Eagle Pack but didn't much like it so I weaned her to Blue Diamond, which she refused to eat. I then weaned her to Purina Pro Plan. She *loves* that and was doing OK... until she wasn't. I was careful to do the weaning slowly by substituting no more than 1/4 cup of new for old. She had been on full Pro Plan a couple of weeks before the soft serve started. I'm starting a list of the suggestions: oatmeal and sensitive stomach foodies. I'm also starting the Vetri Probiotics. Fecal was most recently done right after the soft serve started.

Yes to fecal. No to blood work. Because I like to know *yesterday* what's wrong (whether it be me or Annie) so the problem can be addressed, I'm willing to work with my vet by taking it slowly. If Annie were actually sick -- that is acting sick, lethargic, running a temp, uninterested in food, stuffies and walks, etc. - then I would have everything done ASAP, but she's not. She's happy, running around, playing hide 'n seek with her stuffies (and my socks), eating just fine and always looking forward to the walks or the dog park. I'm glad to read that in your experience the 'script food we got goes over better than Hill's. I soooo hope we can get her back to "normal" and then she can return to her normal, quality, dog food. It's expensive but not $56 for 18#!!

No diagnosis yet. If she doesn't respond to this bland diet, we'll do a GI workup. What does IME stand for?

Annie Bella's formed soft stools (but usually firm enough to pick up with a scooper) degraded into soft serve ice cream and she started losing a bit of weight. I immediately started her on a bland chicken/rice diet and also the vet put her on Metronidazole. She is now at the end of her second 10-day dose of Metronidazole as well as probiotics prescribed by the vet. There has been minimal improvement, but not enough, so the vet prescribed Purina EN Gastroenteric dry food. Does anybody have experience with this food? I'm hoping that the 18# of EN, plus the continuation of probiotics, will at least bring her to having stools formed enough to use a pooper scooper, even if soft.