Riverhound
-
Posts
2,330 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Store
Articles
Posts posted by Riverhound
-
-
Can you force-feed her? Soft food she won't choke on and just stuff it it? (Like you would with a pill.)
-
Blowing hot air. Hair dryers, heaters, whatever! The heater at Sharky's in Dewey completely flipped him out until "Uncle Sharky" stood in front of it to let His Majesty pass.
The things I expected him to be afraid of -- lawn mowers, chainsaws, vacuum, are no problem at all. -
I think this ortho-guy is good -- but I also feel he's looking for money. Like, let's not do more X-rays on the first visit, let's wait till I can charge another exam fee. (But I'm a very suspicious person in general!)
Just an observation...if the vet was looking for money, he would have done more x-rays on that first visit, while he had you in the office. Many clients never return for a follow-up appointment...
Sorry the specialist wasn't able to give you a more definite answer than your regular vet. Some cases are just difficult and 'don't read the book.' Hoping it's nothing serious and that Joe improves with rest. Are there any vets in your area that specialize in rehab and sports medicine? Any that do acupuncture or chiropractic work? Those may be other options to consider. Our local rehab specialist does a more thorough exam than most of the orthopedic surgeons I know.
I'll second the gabapentin recommendation.
. Has worked for nerve pain in several of my hounds. I would also refer you to the LS test in Dr. Stack's literature. Someone here can post the link, I'm sure. It's the best way to get an LS answer.
I don't think the vet skipped the rads to make more money. I suspect he/she knew enough to know he/she wasn't finding a definitive answer and that you had already had rads that didn't.
I'm glad to know you both think the vet's intentions were good! I'm ridiculously suspicious of any doctor, and for no good reason! Also lawyers, bankers, mechanics -- pretty much the whole human race.
It's good to have the perspective of folks who aren't as loony as I. It seems like rest and pain meds are the answer for now. Joe's not happy about the rest part, but he loooves the rimadyl tablets. And the extra pig ears, Kong stuffers, etc. Spoiled brat!
-
That ad has me wanting to hop in the car and drive down a load of kibble right now! Stunning model with "feed me" eyes.
-
LS is easy to diagnose. A 100% confirmation is more tricky, but the treatment is exactly the same whether the vet suspects or is sure--I'm surprised he couldn't/wouldn't at least rule that out.
George has LS, right? What was it like early on?
I think this ortho-guy is good -- but I also feel he's looking for money. Like, let's not do more X-rays on the first visit, let's wait till I can charge another exam fee. (But I'm a very suspicious person in general!) I'm just really not pleased that the pricey vet gave no more insight into what's wrong with Joe than the local vet; and that he said the most likely problem is the one OSU ruled out (cruciate ligament injury). But again, WTH do I know!
-
:f_pink
-
Might want to try him on gabapentin-- great for spinal/nerve pain.
Edited to add-- did the Dr evaluate your hound for a possible iliopsoas strain??
Thank you! That's a wonderful idea. "Iliopsoas strain" -- what's that? Here I come, Google!
-
Don't ask me what's what, but someone said he has nice guts!
-
Is your hound limping?? Not sure why your vet didn't take survey rads to try to pin point his point of pain. At the very least he/she should take some spine films-- no seds required. What meds did they dispense??
Joe is very gimpy on his left hind leg, moderately gimpy right hind leg. My vet got a big pain reponse (scream) on the left knee, this guy got it on the right. We had films from our regular vet, which are on another thread & were sent to OSU -- they seemed confused, too.
I have Rimadyl from the local vet, and can get more. The ortho guy/surgeon says to only use it "as needed" not 2x daily as my vet prescribed. I kinda get that, cause Joe's a lunatic when he feels good, and he needs to be calm now -- but I don't want him hurting at all. He did mention possibly using tranquilizers if Joe gets really nuts with all the resting. My vet's closed tomorrow, but I'll be calling her to see what she has to say, and to get painkillers. Joe's a crazyman. This is going to be HARD.I'm thinking that if the pain is bilateral, it's more likely spinal/referred spinal pain than the knee/cruciate ligaments (and cruciate problems are rare with these guys). But, WTH do I know? I'm just the worried mom!
-
I mostly need to vent (rant). Maybe this should be in soapbox?
We took Joe to a fancy (expensive) ortho guy, who did a very comprehensive (painful) exam this afternoon. No x-rays, so I starved the poor dog for no reason! He said, well geez, could be his knee, could be his back, I really dunno. Rest him up for 8 weeks and come see me again (for another gazillion dollar exam -- not covered by the insurance, I don't think?) if he's not all better. Maybe he needs surgery, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he has LS, maybe he doesn't. We're just gonna wait and see if he gets better or worse. (But it's NOT cancer, so really I can't complain too much! Except I am complaining, cause I want answers. Damn it.
) And I know it's not the vet's fault that Joe's a weird-o who might have a bizarre injury for a greyhound. But Grrrrrrr.So, no stairs, no sofa, no upsie-downsie obedience training. No running, no stuffies, no playing. NO FUN. We bought a gazillion treats and things to stuff in Kongs right after the vet trip, and Joe got McDonald's. I think DH will be ordering doggie puzzles, and I'm going to reread the keeping an invalid entertained threads. He'll be overweight when this is over.
And, I finally got DH totally on board with chipping after Joe got all goofy with the girlie-hounds in Dewey. Now we have to put it off until Doofus is better, cause the girlie-hound will just make him want to tear around like a lunatic.
So, please wish us luck for an easy 8 weeks and a fully recovered houndie. I'm afraid we'll all be stir-crazy before too long.
-
They sedated Hailey to do her x-rays. I'm not sure what they gave her but she was really out of it when they were done. They said it was a light sedative but she was really out of it. I took her home right after. The vet techs carried her and placed her into the car. She was dead weight. She couldn't even lift her head up. I brought her home and had to carry her in. She tried to get up but she was weak in back legs and she couldn't stand. I felt so bad for her. She had to poop and had an accident in the house right in front of me.
You may want to get more specifics on what they are giving her. If I had known, I would have stayed at the vet a little longer for it to wear off. I had no one at home to help me and like I said, she was dead weight and very heavy. I'm used to lifting my girls in and out of the car but this was different.
Oh, that sounds awful! Poor Hailey, and poor your back!
I'm kind of looking for someone to tell me what they SHOULD be using to sedate him so we don't have the experience you had, or at least to minimize it as much as possible. DH will be with us if he needs carrying, so between us we could manage if we had to, but I'd rather not.
I haven't used this vet before (Dr. Puerto at CARES in Langhorne, PA), so I'm a bit nervous.
-
Joe's going to an ortho specialist for his knee problem tomorrow. They'll likely need to sedate him to get a different view of the knee than what I have from my regular vet. The receptionist said they get lots of greys, so they probably know what they're doing, BUT I'm a helicopter Mom and need to make sure!
So, what should they be using if they need to put him under? And how goofy will he be after?
Btw, this is what my vet said: "Left tibial crest, lateral radiograph, small bone cyst-like lesion, pain w/drawer test left stifle" and this is what OSU said: "Do you have more x-rays? (AP or anteroposterior view?), the “lesion” may be an artifact. Also, drawer sign means ruptured cruciate and hounds don’t rupture cruciates."
Thanks!
-
Ace turned Joe into a zombie -- it was scary how out of it he was. Xanax is better for him. (We're using it for thunderphobia)
-
Eww! Poor dog, and poor you. No experience with this, but you have my sympathy.
-
Joe acted like that last year; I wanted to kill him. It turned out that he had a UTI and was telling me he didn't feel good.
I thought he was just being a PITA, but my poor baby was sick! Of, course, now he knows that nosing at me at night gets him the whole "Are you ok, baby?" routine! He's a smart bugger.It could also be that it's getting dark really early now, or that he just wants attention, but I'd consider a vet trip.
-
Hi From Trenton!
-
Thanks everyone! I think those that said we need to work on the basic commands first are right. He has no idea what stay means, so how can I expect him to stay when I'm holding food?!
Mike, I walk him before both breakfast and dinner, doesn't seem to make any difference other than now he also looks for food after his other walks!
:lol -
:f_pink
-
You may get shuffled down for more urgent cases (hounds in the hospital facing surgery), but if you don't hear tomorrow you might send a follow-up email. Did you use the consult request form on the site to submit the rads?
Yes. He's in no way urgent, other than being MY baby, of course.
Vets say it's not cancer, just weird & ouchie. They gave me an ortho-guy to take him to, but I want to know what OSU says first. He's fine and even a PITA on Rimadyl; I'm the wreck! -
I sent Joe's x-rays in late Thursday night. I'm wondering how long it generally takes for a response. I know this is too soon -- but how many business days did it take for you to get a reply?
Joe's feeling his oats and being a pain in the neck. He needs more exercise -- but I'm afraid that if I walk him too much, or, especially, let him run, that he'll be GSOD-ing all over the place again. He's not a "normal" sleepy GH! My boy is spring loaded! (And we're looking to chip, but need to have him sorted out before we let him pick a playmate.)
-
-
my hounds do fine with the rolled rawhide bones. I toss them when they get smaller than 3" though, because I think there is a choking risk. I would stay away from the rawhide flip chips for the same reason.
This. Rolled rawhides can be ok, under close supervision. Don't give the knotted "bones" -- they come apart and the ends can be swallowed. Take them away BEFORE the treat gets small enough to fit completely inside the dog's mouth. Many people don't give rawhides at all because dogs do choke on them, and they can expand in the stomach/gut and cause blockages.
Bully sticks, tracheas, raw turkey necks and antlers can be safer choices. It's always good to watch when the dog has something that's a potential choking hazard, just like you would with a baby.
-
I really need to get some pics of her suture/staple lines... Dr. Glaze does something a bit unorthodox (at least as far as I have heard) when stapling up thin-skinned dogs like greyhounds. He does not shave the surgery site; leaves the hair full length and just clips right at the staple site, only clipping the end hairs that would overlap or get into the wound. We have not had ANY staples pull out, except for two that were where he had to stretch a bit to try and close up the area where her drain came thru and she had a hole that he could not close. It seems that the hair and scabs help to strengthen the hold that the staples have; and the scarring? It is a very fine line. She does not have all her staples out yet but the areas that we've been able to clean the scabs away from, there are beautiful, flat, maybe 1/16" wide scars that will not show at all. So my little peanut has this horrific skin tear across her back, and a hole ripped in the middle of the flap, with a bit of underlying muscle damage, and it looks like the only scarring she will have is in the small open wound area. I imagine it will be less than 3/4" in diameter when all is said and done. Of course we would love her, scarred up or not, it does not matter, but when a Dr. is able to get a better result, I am all for it! I will try to take and post some pics tomorrow; I haven't been able to bring myself to photograph her injuries. Not that I am squeamish, I just prefer taking pics of her cute sweet face! (And it makes me so sad to see her boo-boos.)
That sounds wonderful! I really like the "no shaving" idea. Critters look so pitiful with big bald spots.
-
:f_pink
The things I expected him to be afraid of -- lawn mowers, chainsaws, vacuum, are no problem at all.
. Has worked for nerve pain in several of my hounds. 
It's good to have the perspective of folks who aren't as loony as I. 
:f_pink 
I have Rimadyl from the local vet, and can get more. The ortho guy/surgeon says to only use it "as needed" not 2x daily as my vet prescribed. I kinda get that, cause Joe's a lunatic when he feels good, and he needs to be calm now -- but I don't want him hurting at all. He did mention possibly using tranquilizers if Joe gets really nuts with all the resting. My vet's closed tomorrow, but I'll be calling her to see what she has to say, and to get painkillers. Joe's a crazyman. This is going to be HARD.
) And I know it's not the vet's fault that Joe's a weird-o who might have a bizarre injury for a greyhound. But Grrrrrrr.
I thought he was just being a PITA, but my poor baby was sick! Of, course, now he knows that nosing at me at night gets him the whole "Are you ok, baby?" routine! 
Vets say it's not cancer, just weird & ouchie. They gave me an ortho-guy to take him to, but I want to know what OSU says first. He's fine and even a PITA on Rimadyl; I'm the wreck!
Ion Miss Muffet
in Remembrance
Posted