lothianjavert

Read the part on the treatment. While using ivermectin can be part of the treatment, it doesn't kill the adult heartworms. The treatment to kill the adult heartworms is NOT pleasant, nor is it without risk. Heartworm treatment I use a preventative (ivermectin) year round, even though we have cold winters. It's just safer that way.

Somehow D managed to scrape his knee while running around (major major happy bounding, sliding snow zoomies). It's not bad, the deepest part is a little less than the size of a nickel. It's not bleeding, and he doesn't even notice it (he hasn't licked or anything. I don't think he has a clue that he even hurt himself ) However, I would feel better if I could keep some ointment and wrap on it, especially since he's my "grubby boy" and will be in the mud when all this snow melts in a couple days. I tried vet wrap, and it just slides off. The knee/thigh area just isn't conducive to vet wrap staying in place. I'm reticent to use tape though, and have trouble getting it off later. (I have both paper and cloth medical tape)

Thanks! She seems to be feeling a bit better. She pigged out tonight and then went to DH and begged for his pasta. I'm going to keep her vet appt. for Thursday anyway, just to get her checked out (it would make me feel better to have her Lyme done again, as when it flares, she gets lethargic and "off") I'll take some photos of her tomorrow after work. It's usually an effort to get her to NOT look pitiful. She's snoozing on her bed at my feet right now, with the boys just a few inches away.

Sending lots of good thoughts for Carrie

I'm so sorry. :grouphug

I would've thought thyroid at first too, with the symptoms, but it does sound like the testing was thorough. The only other thing that makes sense with some of the symptoms would be Cushing's, which has already been mentioned. Common symptoms include: weight gain (around midsection), irritability, anxiety, unstable emotions, depression, lethargy, slow healing of wounds, infections, broken bones (due to loss of bone- osteoporosis), thin fragile skin, stretch marks (striae), muscle weakness, hair loss (animals).....

I hate it. I know there's nothing I can do, I can't turn back the clock. I've added night lights all over the house so that there's light all the time, and I keep the back porch light on, as well as the outside greenhouse lights so that she has light outside as she often goes out a couple times at night. She seems to have the most trouble seeing when it's dark. Carpets have been put down on slick spots for extra traction, and no furniture gets moved (she knows the layout). Sometimes she seems confused, and I'm not sure if it's that she just doesn't have full use of her eyes/ears anymore, or if she's getting a bit senile. Other times she seems pretty sharp, though I can tell she really can't hear unless it's extremely loud. Up until about a month ago she could still do a pretty long walk, but it's just too much for her now. I hate leaving her behind when I take the boys for a long walk, but she just can't do it, and at 55+ lbs, I can't carry her for long. I make sure she gets a short one (with the boys along) because she loves it, but she hates that the boys go without her for part of it. I've noticed her body changing, and it's not just the gray hairs, it's the way she moves, her posture, her rear has lost muscle and is weakening and wobbly. She seems tired now, though she still seems happy and enjoys treats, pets, and her short walkies. The boys seem to know and Diesel especially sticks close to her. I know I'm lucky to have been able to share fourteen years with her, and for her to be so healthy and active all that time. I just hate aging and the indignities that come along with it. I know we all deal with it and go through it with our pups and I'll be there in a few years with the boys and I've been through it before with other pets, but it's still not any easier.

No ideas on what those are, but I know the feeling about the lumps and bumps. I hope her vet appointment goes well and they are just "bumps". Sebau, my old gal now has lots of assorted lumps and bumps. (A few pea - grape sized lipomas, a couple warty-like ones, all are benign (we had the vet check them too), but she's just a lumpy bumpy ol' gal A couple of the lipomas have been there for YEARS now and haven't changed much)

ok.. I'm getting things all screwed up..... Thinking of one thing, worrying about another while doing something else and well... Please keep the ol' gal, Sebau, in your thoughts. The past few months she's really been slowing down. I know, she's 14, and has really done great until now. I just hate seeing her get old. She's not seeing very well at all anymore, and her hearing isn't the best either. Yesterday she refused to eat breakfast, which is NOT her. She's a pig. I usually have to watch her to make sure she doesn't boss the boys out of their food bowls. She did eat today, though not with her usual gusto. She's just "off" and starting to look so old now. We have an appointment at the vet Thursday just to check things out. Why do they have to get old so quickly? Where did the time go? It doesn't seem like it was all that long ago that she was just a pup.

Sending lots of hugs and prayers to you and Jack

The bloodwork can screen for -existing- kidney or liver issues, but it can't tell the vet if that dog will have an unusual reaction. Now, if the nsaids are to be used long term, then periodic testing is done to monitor the effects. However, some react very badly very quickly, and there's no way to predict that.

NSAIDs-- non-steroidal anti-inflammatories do help relieve pain, but they also help reduce inflammation. Many NSAIDs can damage the kidneys and/or liver-- it's the same with human NSAIDS. Most dogs handle them well, but there are some that just don't. Unfortunately, you don't know until you find out the hard way. (same thing can happen in people too) The most common side effects in both people and animals are either gastric disturbances (upset stomach, ulcers, bleeding) and kidney impairment Tramadol is not an NSAID. It does relieve pain, but won't do squat for inflammation. It's often combined with an NSAID. Steroids such as prednisone are the most powerful drugs when it comes to inflammation. However, they have nasty side effects and you don't want to use them casually. You also cannot just start and stop steroids, you must gradually taper the dose. If they are truly needed, go for it--they are lifesavers, especially for auto-immune problems. But for a minor injury like a broken toe, steroids would not be the way to go. Keep in mind that they can also delay healing. * increased blood sugar for diabetics * increase in blood pressure * weight gain * facial swelling * depression, mania, or other psychiatric symptoms * unusual fatigue or weakness * blurred vision * abdominal pain * peptic ulcer * infections * painful hips or shoulders * osteoporosis * insomnia * severe joint pain * cataracts * black stool * stomach pain or bloating * severe swelling * mouth sores or dry mouth * Avascular Necrosis * stretch marks * nervousness * acne * rash * increased appetite * nausea, vomiting * frequent urination

Pred can either increase or decrease appetite, depending on the dosage and individual reaction. It can be pretty nasty on the stomach as well. Is he taking anything like prevacid/pepcid, etc.? Those are often prescribed to ease pred's effects on the stomach and help prevent it from causing ulcers.

Dam$! I've been following and praying that she would get better... that there would be some answers. :grouphug

Both budesonide and prednisone are steroids. Budesonide is often administered in different ways -- i.e. inhaler form, etc. Per mg, it is much more powerful than pred, but it's not metabolized quite the same way. It's very effective for treating specific inflammations (i.e. lungs) w/o getting the systemic effects of prednisone. Or at least effects as severe as on an equivalent dose of pred. It CAN cause cataracts, osteoporosis, etc., with a high enough dose over a long period of time, but in that sense it is much safer than pred, and those side effects are seen much less often. One thing to also keep in mind-- many of the people on budesonide may occasionally need a boost w/ a systemic steroid like pred, so that can also skew results. Thrush can be an issue though, as can infections, just like with any steroid. I would be more concerned w/ long term prednisone than with budesonide. Pred is a LOT cheaper. If the pred works, it might be worth it to try budesonide. BTW, budesonide is used frequently in humans for treating intestinal inflammation and asthma (Pulmicort & Symbicort are the two budesonide inhalers that I use) and is very effective.

Sending lots of prayers! :hope :grouphug

Sending lots of good thoughts and prayers to Sadi and Bart. :grouphug Sending lots of good thoughts and prayers to Sadi and Bart. :grouphug

Sending prayers that everything goes well and that Ms. Bug is on her way to feeling better!!

I don't have any idea if the amputation could cause him more pain or not, but it's interesting. Amputation has been suggested for Sully's whopper of a corn, but I wonder if it would just cause more problems. He often holds the foot up and will 3 leg it. He has booties for walks (which help greatly) and booties for the house, but the house booties usually end up in odd places in the yard... or stuffed under a dog bed . They just don't stay on well unless they are so tight that they cut off circulation. He has the overgrowth/callus area around the corn that we keep filed down. It also causes pain-- it seems like it can be just as bad as the corn! They both grow so quickly that hulling/filing are now pretty much weekly. Gads... I never would have thought that something so small could cause such an issue. Hugs to you and Mork I know too that corns are "minor" and I'm also thankful that it's not something bad, but when you see your pup limping and holding up a foot despite all you try, it's frustrating.

Another hello from another Marylander! (waaay up in the NE corner ) Welcome to GT!

Monday day Sully was his usual self-- goofy, happy, playful, ornery... nothing really was out of the ordinary. Before bed, he decided to do a bunch of zoomies, first in the yard, and then in the house (again, nothing unusual-- he usually does zoomies when we come home from work, and often before bed as well, they usually last about 5-10 minutes) We went to bed like usual, and all the pups were happily on their beds in our bedroom. At about 2 a.m. Sully woke us with the GSOD. He was just standing there screaming, and then tried to climb in bed with us, shaking. We flipped on the lights and tried to comfort him, checking him over.... at first we though maybe a cramp (this has happened once in a blue moon-- also if a leg falls asleep, he'll do the GSOD- he is quite the drama queen) or his leg was asleep, but he was obviously very uncomfortable and upset. He stopped the GSOD, but kept whining and trembing, which is unlike him. We couldn't find any obvious signs that anything hurt upon manipulation. After a bit, we got him to calm down, and since he wanted to be super close for reassurance, I spent the rest of the night on his dog bed with him. He fell asleep after a bit and slept peacefully until the alarm went off and I got up for work. I got ready and fed everyone. Sully came down for breakfast and I noticed he seems a bit hesitant on the steps. He wasn't limping, just uncomfortable, and holding himself oddly-- kind of stiffly. He still pigged down breakfast (and tried to steal more out of the food bin too ) and went out to pee/poop without issue, though he was still moving stiffly. I left for work, and left DH with instructions to call the vet as soon as they opened. He did, and Sully went in at 8 am. The vet did a physical exam, and didn't find any tenderness on any of his limbs (save for the tender corn on the corn foot), or along his back or neck. However, his abdomen seemed painful upon palpation. They ran bloodwork, but all came back normal. They did some xrays of the intestine/stomach, and again, just fine. Not only was there no obstruction, but also no extra fluids or gas. Normal. They did also do a urinalysis, to check for UTI or kidney stones (blood in urine), but that also came back fine. No bacteria, no wbc, no blood. The one odd finding was some bilirubin in the urine. Not enough to make it a funky color, but enough to show up in the test. By this point, it was late evening, and it had been about 14 hours since he'd peed. (Mr. Iron Bladder didn't feel like performing for the vet techs. It was wet outside. He does routinely hold it for 14+ hours at home, esp. if the weather is bad. He has access to water at all times, and access to the yard via a dog door. Water is added to his food as he doesn't drink much) So... I'm stumped. The vet is stumped. Sully seemed to be feeling a lot better yesterday and did yard zoomies when I came home, and pigged down both dinner and this morning's breakfast. So, I'll talk to the vet again this afternoon and see what's up, if he has any more ideas. One possibility was if Sully wasn't feeling better to take him to DE to a referral clinic for an ultrasound of the gallbladder, ducts, etc. to explore the bilirubin finding (after I drop off another urine sample today to see if it's still there). On the positive side... the vet techs are all in love. Apparently he love sponged off of everyone all day Tuesday and when I picked him up they all had to kiss him goodbye. The new tech also got to hear her first greyhound chatter. She had never heard a dog do that before, and had run to get the vet (he chattered, bounced, and wagged his tail as soon as anyone seemed to be coming near him when he was in the cage at the vets) because she was worried that he was cold or in a lot of pain. The vet explained that it's a greyhound thing, and to look at the rest of his body language (happy, excited) and that he's fine, just really happy to see someone and hoping for more attention. So, please keep him in your thoughts... hopefully this was just nothing....

Previcox and tramadol work completely different ways. Previcox is an NSAID-- non steroidal anti-inflammatory. It helps pain by reducing inflammation. (COX 2 inhibitor) Tramadol is an analgesic. It alters the way pain is perceived, but does not reduce inflammation. It's a synthetic that binds to the opioid receptors (among others).

Sending lots of good thoughts to you and Riley!!

I ordered them, and I'm hoping that they work for him! I don't know how he'll be about keeping them on. The boots are tolerated because Boots=walks. I'm not sure if he'll keep the slippers on or not, but it's worth a try. I just hate seeing him limp. Yes, he did get xrayed when this whole thing started-- from his shoulder all the way down. Nada. Then the corn broke the surface. At first, hulling really helped (and it does still help some), but the darned corn is just HUGE. If it isn't hulled, he'll 3 leg it, when kept hulled and sanded, he limps badly. When he wears his boots for walks though, the padding really helps, so I'm hoping that the slippers offer similar padding but are more comfortable-- enough so that he would tolerate wearing them daily around the house/yard.

OTC diphenhydramine comes in 25 mg capsules or caplets. I've never seen it in a smaller dose (or any other dose), except for children, but then it's combined in a cough/cold/allergy type preparation. For medium-large dogs, 25 mg is fine, and for a dog the size of a big male grey, more can be given.