Meandmy

Welcome! Your girlie is gorgeous I'm from CO originally, and just came back from a visit. I miss it terribly!

Yikes, sounds like Billy isn't feeling well at all. I hope you are able to get to the bottom of things quickly, and that it's nothing serious. I'll be thinking of you.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I feel so much better! I, myself, always get every possible side effect when on medications, so I'm totally paranoid about what meds *might* do Maybe I should be on Clomicalm

Just now seeing this. I'm so in love with Joey Glad to hear that everything went fine for him today

Shadow had surgery on his knee way back in February, to remove a hemangiopericytoma. Since then the wound has healed 3 or 4 times, but any time Shadow gets a chance to, he licks it back open and we have to start back at square one. Poor guy has been in sweatpants/bite-not collar/muzzle for 6 months! I took him to the vet a couple of weeks ago and he took a good look at the wound to make sure there is nothing that is irritating Shadow and determined that it's a case of OCD. He suggested putting Shadow on Clomicalm for a bit to get him past his need to lick and let his leg heal once and for all. He's starting on a low dose, then will be bumped up after 2 weeks. I'm starting him this weekend so that we can watch him for any potential side effects. I'd love to hear what your experiences were/are, and what I should look out for. Thanks so much!

If you don't want to do a muzzle, one-legged sweats worked very well for Shadow. We finally had to give them up as he has a hard time staying cool in the summer and they were just too warm. All I did was buy little-boy sweats (size 6 if I remember right) and cut one leg off up to the waistband. They stayed on great, gave the wound air and he could even potty in them : Let me know and I can take a picture of them if you want. We found that nothing else worked since their legs are shaped like a funnel, everything else eventually slips down.

Oh do I feel your pain! Shadow had surgery on his leg the end of February and we've had it almost healed twice before he'd open it back up. He's in a muzzle with a stool guard until it's not only healed, but the skin is no longer pink. It's so, so frustrating!

In August of 2005 we decided to adopt a second grey. We brought Gabe home and thought all was well. We were told he was food aggressive so were very careful. Unfortunately, he decided one of his toys was enough like food to guard it, and attacked our poor Shadow when he walked in the room. It happened so fast! But there was a lot of damage. We debated whether to keep Gabe and be more diligent, but when Shadow came home from the e-vet he was so terrified of Gabe that he wouldn't come in the house. So Gabe went back to the group, where he was adopted out a few weeks later By December of that year, Shadow was healed up and we were ready to try again. And along came Tori. She and Shadow get along so well and have never had so much as a cross word with each other. They are my joy. This is a picture of Shadow with both his shoulder and his confidence healed nicely. We had had Tori for only a couple weeks when this picture was taken.

OMG!! I know I'm of no help, but that just about made me fall out of my chair!

Just seeing this now. Sounds like Rickie is doing fine and in great hands I know how you must feel as my 10 year old, Shadow, had a hemangiopericytoma removed from his knee earlier this year. I was not prepared for how big the wound would be and, because of where it was, the stitches didn't hold. After the pain subsided, though, the wound didn't seem to faze Shadow in the least. It took a while to heal, but it did. It sounds like this is a recurrence, so I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. I will say that the one-legged sweats we made for Shadow were a God-send since he couldn't seem to handle the e-collar. If that's something that you think would be of help let me know and I'll gladly share that with you. I'll be thinking of you and Rickie. Please keep us posted on his progress.

Love it love it love it! I just came from Wallace's b-day piccies in your other thread and I'm so happy that there is already good news

I have the same concerns about my pups, so I bought a pump sprayer (like you would use for weed killer). It has a 3 gallon capacity and I fill it with warm water and take it outside. It works great and is very easy.

Unfortunately, when I asked my vet if they carried them, he had never heard of them before I showed them what they are, so now they know, but they still aren't planning on carrying them, so I'm on my own. I ordered the 6" collar and I'm sure it will be fine.

His weight is 66 lbs. The web site said 6" for up to 70 lbs. So is that what you have? He definitely needs the rigidity of the collar - you should see the lengths he has gone through to get to his knee through sweatpants, an e-collar, a taped muzzle, and finally a muzzle with a stool guard. I'm hoping the Bite Not collar can stop his when nothing else has been able to!

OK, we've given up on everything else for Shadow's knee - he needs to not be able to reach it. Period. I want to buy a Bite-Not Collar, but am unsure of the size. The web site says for his weight to get a 6" width collar, but is that long enough for a greyhound neck? I'd love to hear what size collar you have and if it works. Thanks!

That is so helpful (and quick!)! Thanks so much

I've exhausted all other efforts, so Shadow is going to have to wear a muzzle for a while until his knee heals up. Can someone tell me (or post a pic) how to tape his muzzle so he can't lick through it? Also, can he be left in his muzzle during the day while we're at work, or will he not be able to get water? Thanks for your help

Shadow had one removed a few months ago. It grew quickly on his right knee - about the size and shape of an egg under his skin. We weren't sure what it was until it was removed and biopsied (the vet at first thought it was a fatty tumor, until he aspirated it and saw unusual cells). The research I've done says they grow slowly, but this one seemed to appear over just a few days. Maybe it was growing slowly for some time, then sped up enough for me to notice it (I check my dogs over almost daily). Other than removal with clean margins, the only other proven treatment is removal and radiation, but it takes *a lot* of radiation. Shadow is terrified of the vet, and the cost was exhorbitant, so we opted to not do radiation. There is also amputation, but that is extreme in most cases. The bad news is that they weren't able to get clean margins on one side because it was right on his bone. The good news is that hemangiopericytomas don't usually metasticize, so they are, for the most part, localized tumors. Once a dog has had one, they are more likely to have another and they will grow more quickly, often in the same spot. The damage of these tumors comes when they grow into, and misplace, other tissue in the area. Because Shadow's was right on the knee, the recovery was slow and painful. If another one grows in the same spot, we won't have it removed. He is 10 and has hind end weakness that also made it more difficult. In another dog, I most likely would have it removed again. I hope this info is helpful for you. Feel free to PM me

Welcome from Western MA! Our boy, Shadow, also came from Hinsdale and is black, too

What a touching and heartfelt tribute not only to Buddy, but to all of us who have had to make the same heartwrenching decision. Run free, Buddy. Enjoy the beach!

Posts such as this are so hard to read. I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to your sweet girl. Run free, little one...

Run free, dearest Stanley... I'll be thinking of you and yours, Bev.

I'm so sorry that you're going through this, but it sounds as if you're doing everything right. I'm glad you reported the idiot who didn't have his dogs leashed, and I'm glad that at least he's owning up to it. Maybe between the fine and the vet bills, he'll think twice next time! Just a few more hours and your boy can be checked by the vet. I know it's almost impossible not to, but try not to worry too much in the meantime. Hugs to the both of you

Now that's a smart idea

My new vet only carries K9 Advantix, which I don't want to use on my pups. I want to get them on something ASAP as I'm already late (I usually start the first of April) and I've had to pull a tick off Shadow already. I'm going to a meet & greet at Petco tomorrow. I know they carry Frontline Plus, but is it the same as I would get at the vets? Thanks!