SanTanSnuggles

I got my San Tan Snuggles, after she broke her leg racing. She had a pin in her leg and her cast came off just days before I adopted her. I put ramps on my deck for her and rails on the side of the ramps, so she could not jump when she went outside to play. I noticed that it would sometimes get bumped regardless what I did to the floors. What really worked good for her is- I would cut the bottom foot part off of the sock and keep the area where it was broken covered with the top part of the sock. Cotton only of course, so her skin could breathe. I gently put on the top of the sock tube, a stretchy tape to hold it on and a small piece of tape on the other end to keep it safe. Eventually, the thin skin in that area developed a sturdy scab, and than a hearty scar and some hair began to grow back. It took many months for the process, but it was worth every bit of the time it took. Eventually, I was able to remove the sock. She always had a little bit of a gimp on that leg, but who cared. I let her run and play as she wanted and her walks were a little shorter than her partners, but she always let me know when she was done. She had broken her leg in May 2014 and I adopted her on 9/7/14. By the spring 2015, it was looking pretty good. She did have some antibiotics during some of that time to keep infections at bay.

Has anyone heard of this device and has anyone had any success with it? What have you used it for?

Sorry that your loved one is having this trouble. Perhaps to make you both have some quality time together, you could do some of the things with him that you always wanted to do- a little sooner. My San Tan Snuggles only spent 14 months with us and I miss her dearly, but I am glad to have known her. She got to experience one of each holiday with us and learned how to open Christmas presents. She got a chance to play in the snow. We have had five fur baby greyhounds, and I must say, even though she was ill for her last four months, she knew and lived it with all the love and vigor she could muster up. I pray that you get a chance to have additional quality time together. God Bless. Our prayers go up for you and your loved one.

My Surprise loves to eat pumpkin when he has an upset stomach and does not want to eat other stuff. Seems to work for him. (not the pie mix/just the natural stuff with no additives.)

Sorry for your loss. It is so hard to have to say goodbye to our fur babies. I miss my San Tan Snuggles and would do anything if I could have her back. Surprise is not the same without her. I can tell that he misses her everyday. God Bless you and I will keep you in my prayers.

My first grey would catch a bird mid-air and run and have it for a treat to eat. She also caught a rabbit and when I saw what she did, the head was already gone. She loved to catch ground hogs. She would just lay them at the front door to show her prize. Never any blood, she would break their necks, so they did not suffer. The one boy did not know what to do with a ground hog and once he got bit in the lip, so he left them alone. My other one would bring the live babies into my house and drop them on their bed, as if they belonged to his family. I would catch them in a bucket and release the little things into the forest. Just their sight hound antics coming out in them. None were cat friendly, except San Tan Snuggles. She loved kittens When ever we had an indoor pet such as a bird, gerbil or guinea pig, none of the five greys ever touched them. They would watch them in their cage some, but that was all. I too think they know by instinct which are family pets and which are not. My first grey would play with the pygmy goat and they would eat berries from the mulberry bush together. The little goat whose name was Baby would teach my Billie, the greyhound lots of little tricks. They did like to play together.

Prayers for you and your Misty. Waiting is so hard.

To all of the Friends on Greytalk of San Tan Snuggles, the Greyhound: Thank you so much for your support. We are awaiting the final blood tests. On the same day that San Tan Snuggles got her wings, she had been to the Neurologist and got an exam and blood test. She passed the exam. She waited until she was home to fly away, so she could properly be with her whole family. She has joined her cousin--Heart Suit (HeartSweet), Billie-Jo (Ec Flirt), and "I'm Just Stormy" (AKA Stormy). We are looking for answers, but may not get them in this life. San Tan Snuggles and I would often talk about Heaven and how wonderfully she was made. She was not afraid and was prepared. We will share her final information from the Neurology in hope that it will one day help another Greyhound, if they make this journey.

Today San Tan Snuggles went for her final race and flew away on wings. I asked God to hold her tight till I can see her and hold her again. I am so proud of her. She will always be in my heart, my thoughts and mind. Her partner Surprise will surly miss her.

Have you tried a computer monitor where he can see you or the person he is most attached to in the house? Perhaps if he could see you on screen and hear your voice during the time you are not at home, he may improve. Hope all of his test come out good that you had done at the vets today. I love the idea that exengab made. I had one greyhound- Heart Suit-that would not walk from the outside to inside the house, no matter how bad the weather. Had to put a leash on her to bring her in. As long as I was with her when she came in, she was fine. She had been hurt at the track and ran into the railing and had a very large gash on her neck and therefore did not like tight spaces. For some reason, she associated coming into the house with that accident. Who knows what goes on in their heads. But we love them with all of our heart regardless.

Praying for you and Pogo.

My San Tan Snuggles kept licking a sore on her hock on her right back leg and it would not heal. I took one of my sock tops and kept it covered with tape wrapped around the sock top and bottom, not touching her skin so it would not get in her hair. I stopped putting medication on it. The medication just kept it wet. I just changed the sock top when it got dirty. She stopped bothering it and it soon healed. Once it healed 100 percent, I took the sock top off and she never licked the area again. It took about three weeks for it to go away. (It was in the area where she had a broken leg repaired when she was racing. The one vet looked at it in the beginning to make sure it was not a result of her previous surgery.) She also had a sore of an unknown origin on the outside of the same thigh. In that case, I stopped putting on the medication and covered it with a gauze pad. I did have to tape it and make it large so she could not get to it. It again healed nicely in about two to three weeks. I had to cut her hair on the underside of the tape when I removed the bandage. But the hair grew back. I really like the tee shirt idea for that area. If she gets one in her hip area, side or tummy, I will surly try that. She has not had any problems since. Snuggles has a long way to go as she is recovering from GME. Doing better all the time.

My Surprise is not a breakfast eater, unless I cook him up some chicken to go along with what ever else he is offered. Just very picky. My San Tan Snuggles on the other hand, can not usually eat enough. She also loves her veggies. The rest of the day Surprise is just fine. He may eat a busy bone if he decides that a regular breakfast is not what he wants. I feed them three easy meals a day. That way one does not have to worry about the bloat thing as much. I would not worry. My Surprise will be seven in February. Just not a breakfast kinda guy.

I have had three different greyhounds that had seizures for three different reasons. Surprise had one super size grandmal seizure that lasted for over an hour. He was not even two years old at the time. So Scary. Started on a Sunday night, so we took him to ER. They cooled him off and explained to me that it is good to get them cooled down by placing cool packs along their backs if possible, till it is over. They gave him medications to stop the seizure after we got him to the vet ER that was 20 miles away. He stayed the night, and never had another Seizure again. My little girl called Heart Suit (we called her HeartSweet, as she was so sweet) had seizures for five months, before we discovered that she had bone cancer that had spread throughout her little body. they were very violent. As soon as we learned how much pain she was in, we decided to allow her to cross over the rainbow bridge that day. She has began limping and when they took xrays, they discovered just how serious it was. We were heart broken, as she and Surprise arrived together and he was now without a partner. He searched high and low for her for days, every where they spent time together. they even slept on top of each other. Always hugging. So we found the next little girl on PetFinders. Not being one to allow myself and Surprise weep forever, I found San Tan Snuggles. She is truly a charm. But ten months after she came to live with us, she got GME and also had one seizure while at the vets, before we sent her to BVNS in Rockville, MD. Dr. Cuff discovered her condition and put her on several drugs as well as phenobarbital. She has not had another seizure since and is gradually improving. Snuggles has some very strange personality changes prior to her being ill. Since she was so playful, we did not realize that she was developing a neurological condition: Diagnosis: Meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown etiology (MUE), severe and causing diffuse I multifocal brain (forebrain, cerebellum) disease. Immune-mediated granulomatous disease (e.g. granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis I GME) considered most likely. So Surprise's seizures went away and seems like Snuggles has too with the right professional treatment. It sometimes takes a lot out of us time wise, emotionally and financially I wish the very best to you and your puppy. Snuggles still has a ways to go, but so far so good. Seeing a neurologist is costly, but after all we have been through with our grey babies, I would skip the vet and go straight to the specialist. It will save you some dollars there. As you can see just by my small experiences, there are many reasons seizures can happen.

Call Us: Leesburg, VA 703.669.2829 Richmond, VA 804.716.4716 Rockville, MD 301.637.4248 Springfield, VA 703.451.3709 http://bvns.net/ We used the one in Rockville, MD, Dr. Cuff. He helped our San Tan Snuggles a lot. He got right to the problem.

San Tan Snuggles-she is again improving nicely. She is now off of the methocarbamol and is back to taking one prednosone pill a day(instead of one and a half or two) , along with her cyclosporne twice a day and her phenobarbital as the doctor prescribed and her antacid pill. . She is also off of her clindamycin. I kept her on the clindamycine and methocarbamol until three days ago. She has basically stopped peeing in the house and is again telling us when she has to go. She even managed a full body shake from the rain. No crying or yelping. She has picked up and had small moments with her stuffed toys. Before GME she played a lot. During the worst part of GME, she had no interest in her toys. So this is a good thing. She is also sleeping on her back with all four paws up again. Please keep praying that she continues to recover. The Dr. wants her to be on her meds for as least a year for the GME. Thank you for reading my posts and please feel free to leave any comments behind.

I have two wonderful greyhounds and each have a suppressed immune system for different reasons. I am hoping to find out what others are doing for their greyhound friends concerning vaccinations. We have been told by the neurologist and the oncologist to hold off on their vacations for now. But I am not exactly clear on this matter. Should that be all or just certain ones ? I have a form found on line that the Doctor can sign to verify the need not to vaccinate. Surprise is on life time metronomic chemotherapy for the hemangiopericytoma (and pain med) that was removed from his leg. San Tan Snuggles is on cyclosporine and prednisone (and other meds) for at least a year for GME. Also what would be a good tick and flea and mosquito preventative to use on these sensitive greyhounds, they seem to be very sensitive even to a half dose ? They are still up to date as of this time. But eventually that will change. We do not allow them around other pets or humans at this time, other than the vet because they are immune suppressed. .

Thank you so much for your reply. It is very helpful. The doctor never called me back on Thursday, 10/29/2015 but I did not mind so much as she seemed to be responding nicely now to what I was doing. She was not complaining on Thursday. However on Friday she had a little complaining. I have walked my greyhounds on a sure-fit harness since 10/2010. I got snuggles in 9/2014. I never liked the collars on the greyhounds, since their heads are so small. But she did still have a collar on for ID. It did cause her to shake her head a little. So I have removed it. I think I will get her another one with an ID on the collar, not hanging down. Since the regular vet gave me the methocarbamol I am using it. Thank God, San Tan Snuggles seems to be improving. The methocarbamol seems to make her want to rest more also. She is a very feisty greyhound, I think that is because she is part galgo. She has not regained nearly half of her playfulness since she first showed up with the symptoms of GME, but is steadily improving. It sure does sound like she may have tweaked her neck. I will contact my vet if it stops improving. At night I have them on a heating pad. But I will also try the warm compresses to help move this along. You have helped relieve a lot of my concerns. Thank you

San Tan Snuggles is having some issues and I am hoping that anyone else who has a dog with GME could tell me if they experienced the same. Up until about a week ago, she was doing good. Getting back some to herself. But last Monday, Oct, 19. 2015. I noticed something a little different going on. She had been outside about 3:00 AM to wee. When she came back in about ten minutes later, she laid down on her doggie bed, next to my bed. I reached over to pet her on her side and she let out a very loud high pitched yelp. So that was it.Tuesday, when she got up she again made that same sound as if she was in pain and did not want me to touch her head. But, I could touch her anywhere else. On our last visit to the neurologist,the Dr. had taken her off of Gabapentin as she was doing so good. He also reduced her prednisone to 1 and one half tablets once a day. Because of her pain, I put her back the gabapentin, first once a day, than twice a and now she is taking it every eight hours (300 mg-every 8 hrs). She is walking just fine. She went on a walk on Sunday, 10/25/15 with my other grey Surprise for about an hour at a very slow pace. Resting, walking, resting walking. No complaints of pain from the walk. When she came in, she and Surprise took a two hour nap. She had all four up in the air on her back and seemed contented. Little later (like the other days) when ever she would get up or down or bend her head to eat or drink, she would let out a yelp. i also put her back on clindamycin (300 mg) for 7 days, twice a day. She is also continuing to take 20 mg of Prednisone twice a day, down from three times a day. She takes Phenobarbital 64.8 mg (1 and one half tablets twice a day).She takes Cyclosporin-195 mg twice a day, one hour before meals She takes an acid reducer twice a day with meals. When she first got GME, her regular vet gave her a muscle relaxer called methocarbamol-500 mg to take 1 and one half tablets twice a day. But she never took it, as she went to the neurologist. i called the neurologist yesterday and just by my description of how she is behaving, he does not think it is her GME. He is calling me back tomorrow to get an update. She does not have any of the psychological issues that she had before with the GME, or the not being able to walk. She walks great. But the Gabapentin has not really relieved the pain she has when she moves her head. She can not shake when she comes in out of the rain,The Gabapentin helps,but not enough. So I decided to give her 1/2 tablet (250 mg) of the muscle relaxer as of yesterday, three times a day. It seems to have helped more, but still she will yelp once in a while with the pain. Having covered all of that, I am wondering if any grey mommy or daddy would share with me if they have a greyhound with GME, what was it like if they had a re-occurrence? She had an MRI when they first found the GME, and a spinal tap. Prior to that, the regular vet took a full body x-ray and it showed no spinal issues. Her urine is very clear and her poo looks just as normal as ever. Her teeth look good. Her ears appear to be clean and clear. As long as i keep her food small, she is able to eat okay. I am hand feeding her as to not stress her out. The Dr. did tell me to take her off of the antibiotic as it may irritate her stomach. Hoping that it is just a pulled muscle or such.

Surprise has been on chemo compounded capsels and compounded pain capsels for a couple of weeks now and we have taken him to his oncologist for testing to see how he is doing. I have attached the reports should anyone like to read them. Hope Advanced Veterinary Center - Rockville 1 Taft Court Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 637-3228 DeLuca, Linda Surprise Acct Number: Address........: Phone...........: Cell Phone....: Sex.......: MN DOB......: 02/22/2009 Species..: Canine Weight.: 0kg. Age......: 6 years and 8 months old Breed...: Greyhound Primary Hospital: New Market Animal Hospital Primary Doctor: Next Appointment: 10/06/2015 Note Oncology Recheck- metronomic emailed to rdvm - ABT Oct 06, 2015 Presenting for: Chemotherapy recheck exam Diagnosis: Soft Tissue Sarcoma - left front leg Provider: Dr. Rachel Rasmussen 7/28/15 - Hemangiopericytoma, low grade (grade I), 3 mitotic figures/10 HPF. Margins of the neoplasm were poorly defined. Neoplastic cells abutted tissue margins. 9/8/15 - Staged clean with thoracic radiographs and regional lymph node cytology. 9/16/15 - Started treatment with metronomic chemotherapy Technician notes: History and side effects since last visit:Surprise has been doing well at home. The first few days on the cyclophosphamide Surprise seemed lethargic and did not eat as well. But his appetite picked up quickly and he is feeling great. Mom noted that his urine seems dark, but his stool is normal (maybe a little soft at the end). Current diet: Same Current medications: Cyclophosphamide, Piroxicam RR PHYSICAL EXAM: T: 102.2 F P: 150 bpm R: pant Weight: 88 lbs. (40.0 kg) (1.18 m2) Previously: 38.7 kg Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat: Pink & moist mucous membranes, CRT 1 sec. Thorax: No abnormalities noted upon auscultation of the heart and lungs. No murmurs or arrhythmias appreciated. Pulses strong and synchronous. Abdomen: Non painful upon palpation, no masses or organomegaly noted. Musculoskeletal: Ambulatory x4, no pain or lameness. Integument: Left antebrachium - no swelling or edema noted, no evidence of gross disease. Small, 0.5 cm, round cutaneous mass noted on the left neck region (in house cytology consistent with a mation for Surprise DeLuca Page 1 of 3 Hope Advanced Veterinary Center - Rockville 1 Taft Court Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 637-3228 cyst). Peripheral lymph nodes: Soft, small, and symmetrical. Neurological: No neurological deficits, full neurologic exam not performed. Rectal exam: Normal stool, no melena, no rectal masses noted. Results of today's tests: • Blood work: o CBC - HCT 57.2%, neutrophils 2,720/uL (ref range 12,670/uL), platelets 162,000/uL) o Chemistry panel - Glucose 122 mg/dL (ref range 63-114 mg/dL), creatinine 2.2 mg/dL (ref range 0.5-1.5 mg/dL), SDMA 15 ug/dL (ref range 0-14 ug/dL) • Urinalysis (free catch) - SpG 1.040, pH 7.0, protein negative, blood/hemoglobin negative, no bacteria seen ASSESSMENT: Surprise looks great today and we are so glad he is tolerating metronomic chemotherapy well. There is no evidence of gross disease at the left forelimb (antebrachium) and his lymph nodes palpate within normal limits. We performed fine needle aspirates (FNA) of the new mass identified on the left neck region, which was consistent with a cyst (samples were not submitted for review by a clinical pathologist). Blood work (CBC/chemistry panel) and urinalysis was ultimately very similar to previous results. He continues to have a very mildly decreased neutrophil count and mildly increased kidney values (creatinine and SDMA); we will continue to monitor these values on future blood work. No evidence of red blood cells was noted in the urine sample. We recommend continuing with the metronomic chemotherapy and scheduling a recheck exam, blood work (CBC/chemistry panel), and urinalysis in one month. TREATMENT PLAN: • Continue with metronomic protocol. • Next recheck and blood work (CBC/chemistry panel/UA) 1 month Treatments given: None Medications to continue at home: Cyclophosphamide(15 mg/m2) (17 mg) - Continue to give 1 capsule by mouth every 24 hours. - called into stokes - LW Piroxicam(11 mg) - Continue to give 1 capsule by mouth every 24 hours. - called into stokes - LW Please schedule your next exam oni:n 1 month for recheck, blood work (CBC/chemistry panel), and urinalysis. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns after today's visit. Thank you for coming to the Hope Center and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Rachel Rasmussen, DVM, Practice Limited to Oncology Here is the lab reports: H============================================================================= Sex.......: MN DOB......: 02/22/2009 Species..: Canine Weight.: 0kg. Age......: 6 years and 8 months old Breed...: Greyhound Primary Hospital: New Market Animal Hospital Primary Doctor: Next Appointment: TOTAL HEALTH W/ UA, CHEM 27 w/ SDMA, CBC COMPREHENSIVE, URINALYSIS,TOTAL 10/06/2015 02:06 PM Requisition # 19997056 Accession # 2500045546 Panel Name Panel Name TOTAL HEALTH W/ UA CHEM 27 w/ SDMA ALP 20 5-160 U/L ALT 27 18-121 U/L AST 36 16-55 U/L CREATINE KINASE 99 10-200 U/L GGT 3 0-13 U/L AMYLASE 886 337-1469 U/L LIPASE 302 138-755 U/L ALBUMIN 3.4 2.7-3.9 g/dL TOTAL PROTEIN 6.2 5.5-7.5 g/dL GLOBULIN 2.8 2.4-4.0 g/dL TOTAL BILIRUBIN 0.1 0.0-0.3 mg/dL BILIRUBIN CONJUGATED <0.1 0.0-0.1 mg/dL BUN 28 9-31 mg/dL CREATININE 2.2HIGH 0.5-1.5 mg/dL CHOLESTEROL 180 131-345 mg/dL GLUCOSE 122HIGH 63-114 mg/dL CALCIUM 10 8.4-11.8 mg/dL PHOSPHORUS 3.4 2.5-6.1 mg/dL TCO2 (BICARBONATE) 18 13-27 mmol/L CHLORIDE 112 108-119 mmol/L POTASSIUM 4.3 4.0-5.4 mmol/L Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 1 of 11 SODIUM 147 142-152 mmol/L ALB/GLOB RATIO 1.2 0.7-1.5 BUN/CREATININE RATIO 12.7 BILIRUBIN UNCONJUGATED 0 0.0-0.2 mg/dL NA/K RATIO 34 28-37 HEMOLYSIS INDEX N Index of N, 1+, 2+ exhibits no significant effect on chemistry values. LIPEMIA INDEX N Index of N, 1+, 2+ exhibits no significant effect on chemistry values. ANION GAP 21 11-26 mmol/L SDMA 15HIGH 0-14 ug/dL SDMA is a new kidney function test. It increases earlier than creatinine in some animals with chronic kidney disease. Unlike creatinine, SDMA is not impacted by lean body mass. SDMA and creatinine should be interpreted together, along with a urinalysis.For more information go to www.idexx.com/SDMA.BOTH SDMA AND CREATININE ARE INCREASED which indicates kidney function is likely impaired. A complete urinalysis should be performed to evaluate for inappropriate specific gravity, proteinuria and other evidence of kidney disease. Panel Name CBC COMPREHENSIVE WBC 3.7LOW 4.5-7.5 K/uL RBC 8.12 5.39-8.70 M/uL HGB 20.4 13.4-20.7 g/dL HCT 57.2 50.0-65.0 % MCV 70 59-76 fL MCH 25.1 21.9-26.1 pg MCHC 35.7 32.6-39.2 g/dL % RETICULOCYTE 0.7 % RETICULOCYTE 57 10-110 K/uL % NEUTROPHIL 73.5 % % LYMPHOCYTE 21.7 % % MONOCYTE 2.7 % % EOSINOPHIL 2.1 % % BASOPHIL 0 % PLATELET 162HIGH 80-150 K/uL REMARKS SLIDE REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.NO PARASITES SEEN NEUTROPHIL 2720LOW 2940-12670 /uL LYMPHOCYTE 803LOW 1060-4950 /uL MONOCYTE 100LOW 130-1150 /uL Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 2 of 11 OSINOPHIL 78 70-1490 /uL BASOPHIL 0 0-100 /uL Panel Name URINALYSIS COLLECTION METHOD FREE-CATCH COLOR YELLOW CLARITY HAZY SPECIFIC GRAVITY 1.04 GLUCOSE NEGATIVE BILIRUBIN NEGATIVE KETONES NEGATIVE BLOOD NEGATIVE PH 7 PROTEIN NEGATIVE Protein test is performed and confirmed by the sulfosalicylic acid test. WBC 0-2 0-5 HPF RBC NONE SEEN HPF BACTERIA NONE SEEN HPF EPI CELL RARE (0-1) HPF MUCUS NONE SEEN CASTS NONE SEEN HPF CRYSTALS NONE SEEN HPF OTHER LIPID DROPLETS PRESENT UROBILINOGEN NORMAL Requisition # 19997056 Accession # 2500045546 Panel Name TOTAL HEALTH W/ UA CHEM 27 w/ SDMA ALP 20 5-160 U/L ALT 27 18-121 U/L AST 36 16-55 U/L CREATINE KINASE 99 10-200 U/L GGT 3 0-13 U/L AMYLASE 886 337-1469 U/L LIPASE 302 138-755 U/L Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 3 of 11 ALBUMIN 3.4 2.7-3.9 g/dL TOTAL PROTEIN 6.2 5.5-7.5 g/dL GLOBULIN 2.8 2.4-4.0 g/dL TOTAL BILIRUBIN 0.1 0.0-0.3 mg/dL BILIRUBIN CONJUGATED <0.1 0.0-0.1 mg/dL BUN 28 9-31 mg/dL CREATININE 2.2HIGH 0.5-1.5 mg/dL CHOLESTEROL 180 131-345 mg/dL GLUCOSE 122HIGH 63-114 mg/dL CALCIUM 10 8.4-11.8 mg/dL PHOSPHORUS 3.4 2.5-6.1 mg/dL TCO2 (BICARBONATE) 18 13-27 mmol/L CHLORIDE 112 108-119 mmol/L POTASSIUM 4.3 4.0-5.4 mmol/L SODIUM 147 142-152 mmol/L ALB/GLOB RATIO 1.2 0.7-1.5 BUN/CREATININE RATIO 12.7 BILIRUBIN UNCONJUGATED 0 0.0-0.2 mg/dL NA/K RATIO 34 28-37 HEMOLYSIS INDEX N Index of N, 1+, 2+ exhibits no significant effect on chemistry values. LIPEMIA INDEX N Index of N, 1+, 2+ exhibits no significant effect on chemistry values. ANION GAP 21 11-26 mmol/L SDMA 15HIGH 0-14 ug/dL SDMA is a new kidney function test. It increases earlier than creatinine in some animals with chronic kidney disease. Unlike creatinine, SDMA is not impacted by lean body mass. SDMA and creatinine should be interpreted together, along with a urinalysis.For more information go to www.idexx.com/SDMA.BOTH SDMA AND CREATININE ARE INCREASED which indicates kidney function is likely impaired. A complete urinalysis should be performed to evaluate for inappropriate specific gravity, proteinuria and other evidence of kidney disease. Panel Name CC COMPREHENSIVE WBC 3.7LOW 4.5-7.5 K/uL RBC 8.12 5.39-8.70 M/uL HGB 20.4 13.4-20.7 g/dL HCT 57.2 50.0-65.0 % MCV 70 59-76 fL MCH 25.1 21.9-26.1 pg Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 4 of 11 MCHC 35.7 32.6-39.2 g/dL % RETICULOCYTE 0.7 % RETICULOCYTE 57 10-110 K/uL % NEUTROPHIL 73.5 % % LYMPHOCYTE 21.7 % % MONOCYTE 2.7 % % EOSINOPHIL 2.1 % % BASOPHIL 0 % PLATELET 162HIGH 80-150 K/uL REMARKS sLIDE REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.NO PARASITES SEEN NEUTROPHIL 2720LOW 2940-12670 /uL LYMPHOCYTE 803LOW 1060-4950 /uL MONOCYTE 100LOW 130-1150 /uL EOSINOPHIL 78 70-1490 /uL BASOPHIL 0 0-100 /uL Panel Name URINALYSIS COLLECTION METHOD FREE-CATCH COLOR YELLOW CLARITY HAZY SPECIFIC GRAVITY 1.04 GLUCOSE NEGATIVE BILIRUBIN NEGATIVE KETONES NEGATIVE BLOOD NEGATIVE PH 7 PROTEIN NEGATIVE Protein test is performed and confirmed by the sulfosalicylic acid test. WBC 0-2 0-5 HPF RBC NONE SEEN HPF BACTERIA NONE SEEN HPF EPI CELL RARE (0-1) HPF MUCUS NONE SEEN CASTS NONE SEEN HPF CRYSTALS NONE SEEN HPF OTHER Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 5 of 11 UROBILINOGEN NORMAL CBC COMPREHENSIVE 09/16/2015 12:31 PM Requisition # 19725541 Accession # 2500044873 Panel Name CBC COMPREHENSIVE WBC 4LOW 4.5-7.5 K/uL RBC 8.02 5.39-8.70 M/uL HGB 20.4 13.4-20.7 g/dL HCT 56.3 50.0-65.0 % MCV 70 59-76 fL MCH 25.4 21.9-26.1 pg MCHC 36.2 32.6-39.2 g/dL % RETICULOCYTE 1.3 % RETICULOCYTE 104 10-110 K/uL % NEUTROPHIL 66.1 % % LYMPHOCYTE 28.5 % % MONOCYTE 3.2 % % EOSINOPHIL 2.2 % % BASOPHIL 0 % PLATELET 144 80-150 K/uL PLATELET COMMENTS SCANNING OF THE BLOOD SMEAR REVEALED ADEQUATE PLATELET NUMBERS. DUE TOCLUMPING, THE AUTOMATED PLATELET NUMBER CANNOT BE ACCURATELYDETERMINED. REMARKS SLIDE REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.NO PARASITES SEEN NEUTROPHIL 2644LOW 2940-12670 /uL LYMPHOCYTE 1140 1060-4950 /uL MONOCYTE 128LOW 130-1150 /uL EOSINOPHIL 88 70-1490 /uL BASOPHIL 0 0-100 /uL comPREHENSIVE 09/16/2015 12:30 PM Requisition # 19725541 Accession # 2500044873 Panel Name Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 6 of 11 CBC COMPREHENSIVE WBC 4LOW 4.5-7.5 K/uL RBC 8.02 5.39-8.70 M/uL HGB 20.4 13.4-20.7 g/dL HCT 56.3 50.0-65.0 % MCV 70 59-76 fL MCH 25.4 21.9-26.1 pg MCHC 36.2 32.6-39.2 g/dL % RETICULOCYTE 1.3 % RETICULOCYTE 104 10-110 K/uL % NEUTROPHIL 66.1 % % LYMPHOCYTE 28.5 % % MONOCYTE 3.2 % % EOSINOPHIL 2.2 % % BASOPHIL 0 % PLATELET 144 80-150 K/uL PLATELET COMMENTS SCANNING OF THE BLOOD SMEAR REVEALED ADEQUATE PLATELET NUMBERS. DUE TOCLUMPING, THE AUTOMATED PLATELET NUMBER CANNOT BE ACCURATELYDETERMINED. REMARKS SLIDE REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.NO PARASITES SEEN NEUTROPHIL 2644LOW 2940-12670 /uL LYMPHOCYTE 1140 1060-4950 /uL MONOCYTE 128LOW 130-1150 /uL EOSINOPHIL 88 70-1490 /uL BASOPHIL 0 0-100 /uL Requisition # 19725541 Accession # 2500044873 Panel Name CBC COMPREHENSIVE WBC 4LOW 4.5-7.5 K/uL RBC 8.02 5.39-8.70 M/uL HGB 20.4 13.4-20.7 g/dL HCT 56.3 50.0-65.0 % MCV 70 59-76 fL MCH 25.4 21.9-26.1 pg MCHC 36.2 32.6-39.2 g/dL % RETICULOCYTE 1.3 % Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 7 of 11 RETICULOCYTE 104 10-110 K/uL % NEUTROPHIL 66.1 % % LYMPHOCYTE 28.5 % % MONOCYTE 3.2 % % EOSINOPHIL 2.2 % % BASOPHIL 0 % PLATELET 144 80-150 K/uL PLATELET COMMENTS SCANNING OF THE BLOOD SMEAR REVEALED ADEQUATE PLATELET NUMBERS. DUE TOCLUMPING, THE AUTOMATED PLATELET NUMBER CANNOT BE ACCURATELYDETERMINED. REMARKS SLIDE REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.NO PARASITES SEEN NEUTROPHIL 2644LOW 2940-12670 /uL LYMPHOCYTE 1140 1060-4950 /uL MONOCYTE 128LOW 130-1150 /uL EOSINOPHIL 88 70-1490 /uL BASOPHIL 0 0-100 /uL Requisition # 19725541 Accession # 2500044873 Panel Name CBC COMPREHENSIVE WBC 4LOW 4.5-7.5 K/uL RBC 8.02 5.39-8.70 M/uL HGB 20.4 13.4-20.7 g/dL HCT 56.3 50.0-65.0 % MCV 70 59-76 fL MCH 25.4 21.9-26.1 pg MCHC 36.2 32.6-39.2 g/dL % RETICULOCYTE 1.3 % RETICULOCYTE 104 10-110 K/uL % NEUTROPHIL 66.1 % % LYMPHOCYTE 28.5 % % MONOCYTE 3.2 % % EOSINOPHIL 2.2 % % BASOPHIL 0 % PLATELET 144 80-150 K/uL PLATELET COMMENTS SCANNING OF THE BLOOD SMEAR REVEALED ADEQUATE PLATELET NUMBERS. DUE TOCLUMPING, THE AUTOMATED PLATELET NUMBER CANNOT BE ACCURATELYDETERMINED. Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 8 of 11 Hope Advanced Veterinary Center - Rockville 1 Taft Court Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 637-3228 REMARKS SLIDE REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.NO PARASITES SEEN NEUTROPHIL 2644LOW 2940-12670 /uL LYMPHOCYTE 1140 1060-4950 /uL MONOCYTE 128LOW 130-1150 /uL EOSINOPHIL 88 70-1490 /uL BASOPHIL 0 0-100 /uL TOTAL HEALTH W/ UA, CHEM 27 w/ SDMA, CBC COMPREHENSIVE, URINALYSIS 09/08/2015 11:21 AM Requisition # 19606040 Accession # 2500044503 Panel Name Panel Name TOTAL HEALTH W/ UA CHEM 27 w/ SDMA ALP 21 5-160 U/L ALT 24 18-121 U/L AST 31 16-55 U/L CREATINE KINASE 76 10-200 U/L GGT 3 0-13 U/L AMYLASE 631 337-1469 U/L LIPASE 270 138-755 U/L ALBUMIN 3.7 2.7-3.9 g/dL TOTAL PROTEIN 6.6 5.5-7.5 g/dL GLOBULIN 2.9 2.4-4.0 g/dL TOTAL BILIRUBIN <0.1 0.0-0.3 mg/dL BILIRUBIN CONJUGATED 0.1 0.0-0.1 mg/dL BUN 27 9-31 mg/dL CREATININE 2HIGH 0.5-1.5 mg/dL RESULT VERIFIED BY REPEAT ANALYSIS CHOLESTEROL 199 131-345 mg/dL GLUCOSE 126HIGH 63-114 mg/dL CALCIUM 9.9 8.4-11.8 mg/dL PHOSPHORUS 2.7 2.5-6.1 mg/dL TCO2 (BICARBONATE) 18 13-27 mmol/L CHLORIDE 111 108-119 mmol/L POTASSIUM 3.5LOW 4.0-5.4 mmol/L Information for Surprise DeLuca Page 9 of 11 Hope Advanced Veterinary Center - Rockville 1 Taft Court Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 637-3228 SODIUM 148 142-152 mmol/L ALB/GLOB RATIO 1.3 0.7-1.5 BUN/CREATININE RATIO 13.5 BILIRUBIN UNCONJUGATED 0 0.0-0.2 mg/dL NA/K RATIO 42HIGH 28-37 HEMOLYSIS INDEX N Index of N, 1+, 2+ exhibits no significant effect on chemistry values. LIPEMIA INDEX N Index of N, 1+, 2+ exhibits no significant effect on chemistry values. ANION GAP 23 11-26 mmol/L SDMA 8 0-14 ug/dL SDMA is a new kidney function test. It increases earlier than creatinine in some animals with chronic kidney disease. Unlike creatinine, SDMA is not impacted by lean body mass. SDMA and creatinine should be interpreted together, along with a urinalysis.For more information go to www.idexx.com/SDMA.SDMA IS WITHIN THE REFERENCE INTERVAL AND CREATININE IS INCREASED which indicates kidney disease is possible. Muscular dogs with normal kidney function may have a normal SDMA and creatinine just exceeding the reference interval. Assess body condition and complete urinalysis to help determine significance of these results.RESULT VERIFIED BY REPEAT ANALYSIS Panel Name CBC COMPREHENSIVE WBC 3LOW 4.5-7.5 K/uL RBC 7.86 5.39-8.70 M/uL HGB 19.9 13.4-20.7 g/dL HCT 55.9 50.0-65.0 % MCV 71 59-76 fL MCH 25.3 21.9-26.1 pg MCHC 35.6 32.6-39.2 g/dL % RETICULOCYTE 0.4 % RETICULOCYTE 31 10-110 K/uL % NEUTROPHIL 68 % % LYMPHOCYTE 24.6 % % MONOCYTE 4 % % EOSINOPHIL 3.4 % % BASOPHIL 0 % PLATELET 139 80-150 K/uL REMARKS E REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.NO PARASITES SEENPLEASE NOTE NORMAL REFERENCE RANGE FOR GREYHOUNDS (NOT ITALIANGREYHOUNDS): Platelet Count: 80,000- 150,000/uL WBC Count: 4,500-7,500/uL PCV (HCT): 50-65% NEUTROPHIL 2040LOW 2940-12670 /uL Surprise DeLuca Page 10 of 11 738LOW 1060-4950 /uL MONOCYTE 120LOW 130-1150 /uL EOSINOPHIL 102 70-1490 /uL BASOPHIL 0 0-100 /uL Panel Name URINALYSIS COLLECTION METHOD FREE-CATCH COLOR YELLOW CLARITY HAZY SPECIFIC GRAVITY 1.039 GLUCOSE NEGATIVE BILIRUBIN NEGATIVE KETONES NEGATIVE BLOOD NEGATIVE PH 6 PROTEIN TRACE Protein test is performed and confirmed by the sulfosalicylic acid test. WBC NONE SEEN 0-5 HPF RBC NONE SEEN HPF BACTERIA NONE SEEN HPF EPI CELL RARE (0-1) HPF MUCUS NONE SEEN CASTS OCC HYALINE (0-1) HPF CRYSTALS NONE SEEN HPF UROBILINOGEN NORMAL

the sore on Snuggles right back hock where she broke it while racing is healing nice as long as I keep a sock over it so she can not lick it. It works nice for us. A great way to use socks no longer having a match. It seems to let enough air around the area and the scab is deep and nice and strong. Because she does not have much hair in that place, we may just keep that area protected. That way when she plops down on the floor or tries to lick it, it is protected and she will not be able to cause it a problem. She can not live her life in a collar or a potty mouth guard. The sore on her hip was hard to keep covered, but I did for many weeks. It is now half the size it was, not weeping and is filling in nicely. I hope it continues to do so. I have been able to leave the bandage off of that now for about three/four days. I do no creams or anything to those areas and they seem to be healing nicely. I pray it continues. No change in her meds for now. Back to the vet next week to get blood levels to make sure her meds are enough. She is improving each day, but is still not herself. I love the improvement for sure.

Read your journey today about Jeff. My prayers are with you. Sounds like he is holding steady.

Just reading about your Sneaky-Pie. I pray that you get much more time together. My Snuggles has GME and is doing good and my Surprise is on daily Chemo pills and pain medication for a growth he had removed from his leg. San Tan Snuggles is five years and 4 months, and Surprise is six years 6 months. Our greys are our babies or kids, but every moment with them is precious. I have met some wonderful people during this journey and their encouragement and advice has been so helpful. I also consulted with Dr. Cueto once I got the oncologist's results and he approved Surprise's treatment.

Thank you for the article. I printed out all 19 pages.