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WHanson12

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Everything posted by WHanson12

  1. Congrats to Macoduck & Georgie Girl both! She's a beauty & is VERY blessed to be loved & adopted by you!
  2. Macoduck: As we're all aware, I'm no "Techie," so if the PM you & I referenced above is not on FaceBook, then please excuse my ignorance of this forum & platform. I'll figure out in the coming days how to PM you on this platform. Thanks for your patience & understanding! Wendy
  3. NeylasMom, I agree with your first paragraph above, except that the manufacturer's literature isn't the ultimate source for long term effects from the use of their products. Sorry if I wasn't clear about that. You're basically correct in that we're all free to take the risks we want with our pets/Greys based on the information we're provided &/or researched on our own. And we cannot influence or dictate the behavior or actions of others in reference to how that affects our precious Greys, pets or us in general . When my Greys had adverse reactions to the Seresto collars, I contacted the manufacturer who was very interested in documenting this data & they advised me to take them off, do not put them back on, & explained to me that within several days, those negative effects should wear of, which fortunately they did. I have had Greys die of osteosarcoma, ITP (non-responsive to conventional protocols for Greys), polyarthritis & chronic pancreatitis, & lymphoma (also non-responsive to conventional chemo protocols for Greys). It's heartbreaking to lose any of our precious Greys, dogs or pets, no matter what the reason. Thanks again.
  4. To Macoduck: THANK YOU for your response & all the info. I will certainly review Dr. Shelton's information & products. I would not attempt to blend my own concoction of oils--I leave that up to those with the expertise. Thanks for the PM offer. I will do that in the next several days, but it will be using my husband's FB account (Frank Fork) & not under my name. Wendy
  5. Thanks to everyone for your responses--please excuse my delayed acknowledgement to y'alls. I haven't been home much since I posted a couple days ago. To those of you who use the oral & topical (including the collars) chemicals for flea & tick control, I would ask you if you've read the product inserts--all the fine print. I have read the ones I've tried, as well as reviewing information from other users of these products: Nexgard, Frontline, Seresto collar, to name a few. Our current 2 Greys had adverse reactions using those products, including severe lethargy (Seresto), local & overall skin irritation, & increased neurological "events" (not full blown seizures thankfully) in one of them. All of those products warn that they can cause neurological disturbances & effects, so if your Grey experiences seizures or other neurological disturbances, you shouldn't be using these products. I begrudgingly give our Girls monthly Heartgard poison until I find a safer alternative. How can you assume that administering these chemicals, even in small, "safe" amounts (according to the manufacturers & the vets who promote such products), doesn't accumulate in the dogs' systems, including their tissues & livers, over the many years of use? Don't get me wrong--I'm not one of those "everything's gotta be organic & natural" fanatics regarding chemicals & drugs. As a retired Certified Veterinary Technician with 13+ years experience with various types of veterinarians & as a Greyhound adopter for 26 years, I've encountered a few "things" along the way & have reviewed lots of information on various dog & Greyhound related subjects & have reached out to various Greyhound veterinary experts over the years (Dr. Couto, Dr. Stack). I will never claim to "know it all" or be as knowledgeable as a Veterinarian. But I do have common sense & an open mind to learn about healthier alternatives for my Greyhounds to hopefully lessen their chances of developing the nasty diseases that Greys are so predisposed to. Thank you again for all the feedback.
  6. KF in Georgia: thanks so much for your response & info. I was not aware of the issues with rosemary--I will review the articles you included. What products do you use on your Greys to repel fleas & ticks? Thanks again!
  7. Does anyone have knowledge about which essential oils applied (diluted, of course) externally to repel fleas & ticks are safe for use on Greyhounds? I perused the internet & only found that cedar oil should not be used on Greys, as it's way too potent & potentially poisonous to them. Also, is it risky if the essential oil sprayed on their coat & feet are licked after it has dried or soaked in? Last summer I started using a spray product made by Kin + Kind to repel ticks & fleas, which seemed to work well. The active ingredients include the following essential oils: peppermint, cinnamon, rosemary, & thyme. Honestly, it didn't occur to me before that there may be some essential oils that are contraindicated for use on Greys. Our Girls don't like being sprayed with anything, but I don't want to use poison & chemicals on or in them when there are safe, natural alternatives. Anyone have experience with external use of essential oils on Greys? Thank you!
  8. I've been a customer of 24PetWatch for years with our Greys (we have 2 at a time) & a couple years ago when their carrier changed (& the rest of the pet insurance market was "catching up" with higher premiums), the premiums sky rocketed. They offer various plan options for deductibles, annual maximums, wellness, etc. Our Girls each have a $250 deductible with a reimbursement rate of 80% of the actual vet charge/invoice. They've been pretty good, but like all these pet insurance plans, read the fine print under "exclusions" & what's not covered.
  9. PLEASE: before you use a topical flea/tick product, whether it is a liquid "spot-on" like Frontline or a collar like Seresto, do your research (online, not just your vet's opinion). I've learned this season that the fleas & ticks in certain areas of the USA have developed a resistance to Frontline & the active ingredients. Plus our various Greys over the years do not tolerate either very well, causing immediate & ongoing irritation at the site of a liquid pesticide (Frontline), as well as lethargy & behavior changes with the use of Seresto collars. If your Grey has ANY kind of neurological disturbances, explained or non-diagnosed, do NOT use the Seresto collars (speaking from experience). As an alternative, this year we tried spraying cedarwood oil in our backyard ( https://www.cedarcide.com)& applied an all-natural spray ( https://kin-kind.com/collections/flea-tick) on our 2 Grey Girls. Result: no ticks or fleas this season!! I'm not an "all natural" fanatic for our K9's, but this worked & no harmful chemicals!!
  10. Greysmom: Thanks so much for your suggestions. What kind of cooked beans? Pinto, navy, etc? Do beans cause gas in dogs though? I wouldn't want to add that to her list of problems (or mine! LOL). Emma loves sweet potatoes & squash & cooked oatmeal, so those are good options for her too. Thank you!!
  11. Very interesting & informative posts on this thread-- thank you! My 5 year old Grey girl, Emma, is currently licking her butt excessively for 1 week or so, had her anal glands expressed for the first time ever (were kinda full, per the vet) which helped for a day & a half & is now back to licking a lot back there. Emma is also exhibiting some other symptoms that may indicate diabetes-- repeat lab work in the next couple of weeks will determine that. Plus she has had pudding/cowpie poop for over a week too which didn't respond much to a week's course of metronidazole & her fecal parasite test was negative. I don't know that I should change her diet at this time with so many different symptoms, but I may have to if her butt licking doesn't subside soon. The vet suggested I add 1-2 teaspoons of Metamucil to each of Emma's meals, but the generic version has aspartame in it & the brand has a sweetener in it also (not aspartame), plus they're both orange flavored, which she may not like. I tried giving her canned pumpkin daily for almost a week, but that didn't seem to help her poops this time around. Thanks again for your posts-- you've given me some new ideas & things to watch for & discuss with the vet. I hope Bubba is doing much better by now!
  12. Our 2 grey girls have been wearing Seresto collars for the first time & so far for only about 2 weeks. They do scratch more at their necks & less so on the rest of their bodies. As I just posted on another forum about these collars, I'm thinking about cutting them off & throwing them away due to the sometimes serious, non-advertised side effects the chemicals in Seresto can cause. Due to greyhounds' predisposition to developing cancer, I just HATE using any chemical in or on our greys for fleas & ticks or any parasite control. It's more work using an all natural product for pest control, but I'm seriously considering going back to that. Please refer to my other post for more details. I won't re-write that novel here, for all y'alls sakes...
  13. I've been using the Seresto collars for the first time on our 2 grey girls for almost 2 weeks now. Our grey savvy vet (who schooled at OSU-VMC) recommended them when she thought our girls were experiencing possible flea bite allergy symptoms, even though there was/is no sign of fleas (all it takes is one flea bite, she said). The vet said that Seresto is the only product that actually repels fleas so your dog won't get bitten by them. Previous to this product I was using an all natural spray once a week from Swanson's vitamins called "Flea Flicker Tick Kicker" which the girls hated--very strong smell of cloves (didn't bother me). They would run when they see me shaking the bottle, however I didn't see any ticks or fleas on them during its use. I absolutely dread using any chemical poison for fleas & ticks in or on our greys. Last year I used Nexgard, but discontinued that after one of the girls had an increase in neurological symptoms of random episodes of disorientation (like after having a seizure, although she never did have a full blown or minor seizure). The Nexgard product info lists neurological symptoms as a possible side effect. I would think twice about using Nexgard on a dog that already experiences seizures. After doing more research on the Seresto collars, I'm thinking of cutting them off & throwing them away!! And going back to the "Flea Flicker T.K." from Swanson's. VERY scary, non-advertised side effects from the poisons in Seresto. And these poisons are dispersed through the dog's skin to protect their entire body. So far using Seresto, our girls are experiencing itchiness around their necks & less so on the rest of their bodies. However, after reading info like this, I may cut them off today!! Fleas & ticks are bad here in SC this summer too. Sorry for writing a novel! http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/community.read?post=859429-beware-of-seresto-flea-collars
  14. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the Greyt ideas! I wasn't aware of many of these mentioned. Now I have a tougher time with all the choices! Although that's a greyt position to be in! Thank you for posting your photos also--very helpful & I enjoy seeing your hounds! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all!! Your Greys are SO beautiful! I've not seen such coloration before. Are they from the same litter? Also, I see that you are located in upstate SC, as am I. Do you mind me asking more specifically what city you live closest to? Just curious. My husband & I & our 2 Grey Girls live in York.
  15. I'm looking to purchase a couple tagless collars for our 2 Grey Girls. I'm wanting to find a lightweight, durable collar where the i.d. info would be easily readable. I've searched the internet & there are SO many of them available! If it is the type that has a metal engraved tag attached to the collar, I would want stainless steel rivets, etc that wouldn't rust, etc. But I do want them to be lightweight, as our Girls are usually "naked" unless we are taking them out of the house for a walk or ride. We have martingale collars with their tags attached when we take them for walks or rides, but we don't like all the noisy tag rattling in the house. Anyone have some good recommendations & experiences with any particular ones? Thanks in advance for your responses!
  16. Thank you to all for your suggestions & personal experiences, as well as your prayers & good wishes. My husband and I had to say goodbye to Molly yesterday. Her quality of life was declining even more & she let us know that she was tired of fighting. Molly was set free in a calm, peaceful & loving environment, at home, with the assistance of a house call vet. Molly adopted us for 10 wonderful years & was the poster Girl for the Greyhound breed with her intelligence, sweet, sweet disposition (not a typo or stutter), & beauty--the entire package. She leaves a huge, painful void in our hearts, family & home, as many of you Grey lovers have experienced also. But we find comfort in knowing that she is running free & fast now, in a better place with her best Grey friend, Thumper, & in the care of my husband's Mom, "Grandma Muffin," (who loved to share bites of her muffins with our Grey girls!), & also knowing we will see her again... Wendy
  17. Due to the recent passing of our sweet, red Grey, Molly, we have 7 sealed, unopened bags of Lactated Ringer's Solution, 1 liter apiece, that we would like to donate to a Grey owner. If you are willing to pay the shipping, there is no cost for the fluids. I will try to get some shipping prices, but right now, I have no idea what that would be--maybe a priority, flat rate through USPS?? Wendy
  18. Yesterday my husband and I said a very difficult goodbye to our 14 year old red girl, Molly. She adopted us 10 years ago while we were walking through the kennels of Greyhound Friends of North Carolina, looking for a companion to our other grey girl, Thumper, who had just lost her Grey companion in our family. My husband was walking ahead of me through the kennels when a red paw came through the cage door trying to get my husband's attention. When he approached the door, Annie as she was called by the kennel, mashed her face against the door to get petted, which was accommodated by my husband. Annie had just arrived at the kennel earlier that morning after a long car ride from the track in Florida. We asked the kennel staff to let Annie out with us & we fell in love with her immediately, as she seemed very interested in Thumper too. We renamed Annie to Molly. Molly & Thumper were the best of friends throughout their entire lives together. Molly experienced 3 out-of-state moves with my husband & I, as well as outliving 2 other Grey girl companions in our family. Unfortunately Molly was suffering from several chronic, painful diseases (all of which were non-cancerous, thank God) for which there were no cures, even though our vet & home treatments kept her mostly comfortable & functioning well for a couple years, up until recent weeks. She let us know that she was tired of fighting & we set her free at home, calmly & peacefully with a house call vet's assistance. Run free & fast from your disabilities, Molly, & be happy, for we shall see you again at the Rainbow Bridge... Thank you for all the wonderful years you blessed our lives. Our hearts are breaking from your absence, but you will always be with us, Sweet Girl... Wendy & Frank
  19. Molly's 2 vets on her recent case have not suggested this at all. I have come to the conclusion today after Molly's primary" vet called to check on her after being out-of-state for a week, that she (both vets actually) has given up on us, as she gave me the standard "quality of life speech" that you give to a pet owner who has not been through this before (making such a difficult decision to let your pet go). Apparently she has "forgotten" that she put our lymphoma Grey girl to sleep about a year ago! I thought she knew us better than that--she should. I'm not sure this vet will help us any more with things that we want to try for Molly before making that final decision... We know Molly VERY WELL & will know when the time has come... Thanks for your suggestion Tbhounds. We will certainly consider it, although Molly is on Tramadol & Gabapentin & more. Does Buprenex wack out a Grey at all or have a sedation effect? Molly has had very bad reactions (being wacked out, not all there, hallucinating maybe?) to Mirtazapine while she's been on Tramadol. Don't want her to experience anything like that again.
  20. Sorry to all that I have not provided an update sooner, but most of my time is spent on Molly's care at home. Molly's blood work last week did not produce good results or a good prognosis for her. After 3 days of IV fluids at the vet, her kidney values were slightly higher, but her pancreatitis indicator (PSL--a fairly new test that is a more accurate diagnosis of pancreatitis) sky rocketed to 8x what it was the previous week. At this point, there is not much more we can do other than keep her comfortable. We are administering subQ fluids daily to keep her hydrated, but it is very difficult to find food that she is willing to eat. I'm trying everything (that isn't too fatty) from grilled fresh salmon, boiled hamb or ground turkey, turkey baby food, some of her favorite canned dog food, bone broth (which she will not eat), etc... Very frustrating to get her to eat. It has also gotten very difficult to get her to take all of her meds in the Cheez whiz; half the time I have to shove them down her throat. I'm also feeding her Ensure daily, which sometimes she will drink on her own, other times I syringe it into her mouth. I've added vit E 400 IU twice a day in an attempt to dissolve the possible stones she has in her very inflamed gallbladder & biliary duct (not a total blockage there), but that may take more time than Molly has. The vet believes that this gallbladder issue may be what's caused the pancreatitis episode, which is unrelated to her severe kidney failure now. My husband & I are preparing ourselves as much as is possible to make that final, difficult decision to let Molly go, as it may come at any time. But as I'm sure you all know, there is no way to be 100% prepared to accept & make that decision; however, we won't let her suffer for our own selfish needs. Molly is eating fairly well today (compared to other days), but we try not to get our long term hopes up. We are closely monitoring her quality of life every day. Thank you to everyone for your replies, suggestions & prayers--we appreciate all of them. Wendy
  21. Molly is fighting for her life especially this week when she's been at the vet daily for IV fluids in an attempt to bring down her pancreas & kidney values. After my husband & I administered 1 liter of subQ fluids per day for 5 consecutive days at home, her kidney values & pancreatitis indicator has gone up significantly! As with a lot of Greys, Molly gets VERY stressed going to the vet, much less staying there all day--breaks my heart to leave her there, but this is our final hope to help her through this. As far as I know at this time, her bloodwork will be re-checked this Sat. & if those values haven't gone down, my heart breaks already... Getting old sucks, whether we have 2 or 4 legs. It has almost been a year since we lost our previous Grey Girl, Mae, to an aggressive lymphoma that would not respond to any chemo protocol. Please keep Molly in your good thoughts & prayers--thank you to all. Kudzu: Thanks so much for your response. Due to Molly's propensity for developing pancreatitis, she has been on Pepcid & Reglan (metoclopramide) every day (once daily) for years. When Molly was at the vet today for repeat blood work, the vet administered some vit B12 through an acupressure point on her nose. I didn't see how this was done nor do I know how much B12 Molly actually received (I did not get to speak to the vet today). When you administered the B12 to your dog subQ, what was the dose you gave? I'll never use Mirtazapine again!! Thanks so much also for your response. I'll look into the kibble diet you feed your kidney dog, but the Costco rotisserie chicken is not an option for Molly, as it is way too greasy (same with dark meat fowl) & will cause a pancreatitis episode. Unfortunately with the complication of the pancreatitis factor, I have to be very careful what I feed Molly--nothing too rich or fatty (you know--the good tasting things!!). Do I understand you correctly that you administer a shot of B12 complex in the subQ fluids once a week for your kidney dog or is it a separate injection? What is the dosage & do you have to purchase the B vitamins from the vet or have an Rx for it to purchase it elsewhere? Thanks for your encouragement & suggestions. Getting Molly to eat is a real challenge (frustrating too) many days, but those days when she is spunky & tries to chase that squirrel, are the reward for my persistence with her TLC. Our Molly is a red Girl too like the one in your photo! Beautiful! I'm technologically challenged, otherwise I would post a pic of Molly... ;o}}
  22. Thanks so much for your reply & for the helpful info. What flavor of Ensure did your Grey like? Did you have to mix it in with her food or did she drink it plain? I'll have to check into whether that will aggravate her pancreatitis issues or not, but it's worth looking into, as she has lost 12+ pounds over the past year! Did you have to administer subQ fluids at home to your kidney Grey Girl too? Thank you also for your good wishes & empathy to us...
  23. Kudzu: Thanks so much for your response. Due to Molly's propensity for developing pancreatitis, she has been on Pepcid & Reglan (metoclopramide) every day (once daily) for years. When Molly was at the vet today for repeat blood work, the vet administered some vit B12 through an acupressure point on her nose. I didn't see how this was done nor do I know how much B12 Molly actually received (I did not get to speak to the vet today). When you administered the B12 to your dog subQ, what was the dose you gave? I'll never use Mirtazapine again!! Greyhead: Thanks so much also for your response. I'll look into the kibble diet you feed your kidney dog, but the Costco rotisserie chicken is not an option for Molly, as it is way too greasy (same with dark meat fowl) & will cause a pancreatitis episode. Unfortunately with the complication of the pancreatitis factor, I have to be very careful what I feed Molly--nothing too rich or fatty (you know--the good tasting things!!). Do I understand you correctly that you administer a shot of B12 complex in the subQ fluids once a week for your kidney dog or is it a separate injection? What is the dosage & do you have to purchase the B vitamins from the vet or have an Rx for it to purchase it elsewhere? Thanks for your encouragement & suggestions. Getting Molly to eat is a real challenge (frustrating too) many days, but those days when she is spunky & tries to chase that squirrel, are the reward for my persistence with her TLC. Our Molly is a red Girl too like the one in your photo! Beautiful! I'm technologically challenged, otherwise I would post a pic of Molly... ;o}} tbhounds: Thank you for responding also! I greytly appreciate your info!
  24. Our 14 year old Molly has recently been diagnosed with moderate kidney failure, plus she is very prone to pancreatitis, which she is currently recovering from another serious episode due to the accumulation of toxins in her blood stream related to her kidney failure. It has been a hellish couple weeks for all of us--especially her. Anyway, she has always been a very picky eater & now with her kidneys failing, her appetite is even more depressed. Molly also has osteoarthritis in multiple joints so she is also taking those usual meds: Gabapentin, Tramadol, Rimadyl, etc. The vet prescribed Mirtazapine (a human drug, I believe) which caused Molly to experience body tremors, severe neurological twitching & severe mental deficiency (she would stare off into space--completely unaware--horrible!). My husband's research revealed that Mirtazapine should NOT be given with Tramadol, as it can also cause seizures when used together!!!!! So, does anyone have any good experience with an effective appetite stimulant, either an Rx or a homeopathic one? The vet said she does not know of any other ones, other than an injection of vit B12. I will be checking GT on Facebook soon for the chronic kidney disease thread mentioned on a different topic thread here. Any suggestions would be Greytly appreciated. Still don't know for sure that Molly will recover from this, although she improved some today. But the vet said once we get her kidney values down some (with all the fluids I've been giving at home), I/we will have to give Molly subQ fluids 3 times a week (500-1000 cc per) for maintenance of her kidneys... Molly already hates to see me & my husband coming to her together--sucks so much!! Thank you!
  25. Is anyone familiar with this injection procedure (PRP) which reduces inflammation associated with arthritis (& for other conditions/injuries) which in turn reduces the associated pain with arthritis? Has anyone's arthritic Grey experienced good results from this procedure & if so, how long did it last? My senior Girl, Molly, is almost 14 & has painful osteoarthritis in multiple joints on multiple legs. She has difficulties getting around now & all the meds (Gabapentin, Tramadol, Rimadyl, GlycanAid HA Factor, & more) she has been taking for some time now (years) doesn't seem to be relieving her discomfort as well as they used to. Her hinds legs are weak & don't always support her weight at times. I realize her days are numbered, but she is still eating fairly well (although pickier than usual!), is still spunky & playful at times, albeit short-lived. Her spirit is very much alive, but her body's ailments are holding her back unfortunately. Watching our Greys get old really sucks, especially when I feel so helpless. Molly's vet recommended this procedure which would involve one injection in each hip joint (under sedation of course), using her own blood to make a platelet concentrated plasma. The vet said the anti-inflammatory effects last 6-12 months. As with most vet procedures, it is not a cheap treatment, ranging from $700-$1,000 depending on the number of injections needed (1 or 2). I've attached a link from the manufacturer of the product used to prepare the blood sample, etc. (see Protec PRP system) http://www.pulsevet.com/protec-prp-system/about-protec-prp-system Anyone who is familiar with this procedure & can provide some feedback or recommendations about it, I would greytly appreciate it! Thanks so much!!
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