jenn8

I just wanted to throw in an idea for those who might be interested. You can go to web sites like MapQuest or Google Maps and plug in your address to see an arial view of the surrounding neighborhood, then pick out certain parks that look like they might have enclosed areas for your dogs to run. It takes a little bit of work to go check out these places but at least it's an adventure for your dogs to go along and you might get lucky and find a place that is perfect for letting them loose. You can also try to speak with the park's representatives to see if they would be willing to allow you a block of time when a ball field is not in use or something, so you can lock all the gates and let the dogs run safely. There are also private parks in some neighborhoods that may be willing to give you permission to use, although not as likely as public parks. I found the coolest one near my house that is just perfect, however I am still trying to get my foot in the door with them. They have a sign posted that clearly prohibits all dogs from ever being in there but you see them in there occasionally and I have even walked mine on leash in there a few times. The neatest part about this park is that it's like a huge sunken valley, completely surrounded by beautiful trees and solid fencing around the entire perimiter..... one gate only.... and you can see the whole park from wherever you are standing. I keep watching homes sales in the area and would love to eventually buy one there. There are probably lots of different places that can be much safer than some dog parks, if you can just find them and finagle yourselves in. Jenn

OMG, the same exact thing happened with Bullet, only we were already down to the bare minimum on his Digoxin and could not take it entirely away. I remember the night before I had scheduled to put him to sleep, I did not give him any Digoxin at all and he had the most comfortable sleep in a very long time. I always felt bad about having to give him so many pills but we did try as many combinations as we possibly could. To the OP, if you notice anything that might be side effects from the pills, definitely ask your vet what can be done to improve that. One way of telling is by changes ioccuring in your dog's behavior, shortly after his dose of pills. There are many different combinations and dosages that can be tried until you find the right ones. Lots of information on the internet about these drugs as well. Jenn

My first greyhound had congestive heart failure. It is definitely manageable with the proper medications but you have to be diligent about giving them to him and following all your vet's instructions, including follow up visits. Some of the drugs they prescribe can affect the liver, so periodic blood tests need to be done to determine if the medications should be adjusted. Your dog is 10.5 years old, so he's getting up there anyway but it should only take a little extra effort to make the best of his last few years (or longer... you never know). Ask your vet as many questions as you need to fully understand what you should do. Also, giving multiple pills can be challenging. As someone else mentioned, too much sodium (from human foods especially) can be harmful. If you are looking for things to disguise his pills, try to find low sodium or sodium free. Some things that work are cottage cheese, liverwurst, peanut butter, cream cheese, etc. We have lots of ideas about this here if you need more. Jenn

I think we all get to know our own dogs well enough to be able to tell if they are suffering, mentally or physically. The worst possible thing we could do is base our decisions on our own feelings, rather than what we think is best for them. 9 times out of 10, we will end up feeling worse if we do. Jenn

Boy, you would think with the amount of money most vets rake in, they could pony up for an additional scanner if that is all it would take to make the system work. Jenn

Onyx is microchipped through AVID. He's had it for many years. Every time we go to the vet, I have them scan him to make sure it still registers. I keep forgetting to have Bug chipped but I would not hesitate if I could just remember to do it. Jenn

68 Jenn

I made a donation yesterday but the little supporter thingy is not showing under my name. Did you guys get it? Jenn

That should help a lot, Patti. Flashy needs the red carpet treatment 'cause he's a special guy. Jenn

If you ask your vet (or the receptionist or vet tech) for a copy of her medical file, it will show the anesthesia they used, as well as any complications and/or additional drugs given. You should also be able to see what her temperature was before, during and after. You have every right to see these files. Onyx had a similar reaction after his last dental but the vet was very open about it and gave me enough information to know what was going on. She said his temperature went up to 105, so they had to put ice water in his IV to bring it back down. She believed the cause was stress, so she gave him a sedative to help calm him down. He was extremly unsteady, nervous, panting and shaking (especially those back legs) when I brought him home but it only took about a day and a half for him to get back to normal. One of the biggest risks for some greyhounds going under anesthesia is hypothermia. In some cases, it can be genetic and other cases, extreme stress. Because of his age and shy/fearful tendancies, I won't be leaving Onyx alone again at the vet for any length of time, if he ever needs to be anesthesized again. They will either have to let me stay with him until he goes under or bring him in right before the procedure. With my other greyhound, I'll just make sure I know what anesthesia they are using and verify that they monitor his temperature. I don't know if the same thing happened with your dog but you should be able to tell by looking at her medical file. Jenn

Maybe your vet can recommend an eye specialist for you. They have special equipment that will tell if there is a problem going on. The visit is very easy and not painful (unless you count your check book). Jenn

Love the name. It fits her perfect! Jenn

Wendy, just thinking about you. Hoping you are doing okay. Jenn

Onyx has been on it for a month now. My vet recommended it and I am so glad to finally be able to say I have a knowledgable vet who I trust. Jenn

Oh, Wendy.

There are a couple of things you can do to periodically to check for possible vision problems. Stand or sit facing your dog and hold your finger up in front of the face, then quickly bring it closer to their eyes/nose, like you are shaking your finger at them (but one shake will do). Make sure you aren't waving the air too much or your dog could pick up on that. If don't get any blinking reaction, there may possibly be a vision problem that should be checked. Another way is to drop a cotton ball in front of your dog's face to see if his eyes follow it down. What little vision Onyx has left seems to be peripheral vision. I can hold a treat right in front of his face and easily tell that he can't see it because he opens his mouth and misses it most of the time. But if I hold it way out to either side, he seems to zero in on it better. Of course that nose can find anything edible, no matter where it is. Jenn

If you are giving daily supplements that will go on indefinitely, you could be adding too much sodium to your dog's diet with things like peanut butter, cream cheese, etc. I was able to find sodium free PB and cottage cheese at only one of the grocery stores in my area, Pavillions. Even though they tasted horrendous to me, the dogs didn't seem to mind at all. Jenn

Get well soon, Flashy. Your momma loves you! Jenn

I am kinda thinking that the breeders and/or people they breed dogs for would prefer not to have their dogs face any type of health problems, before or after they retire. Jenn

After Onyx was diagnosed with PRA, I came up with the same questions. There is actually a program that collects genetic information about certain breeds affected by the disease. My Vet/Opthamologist even told me that it was common in greyhounds and referred me to their web site. Unfortunately, their study does not include greyhounds at this time. Of course, that makes sense as the interest would have to come from breeders. I also contacted Dr. Bradley Fenwick who collects DNA samples from every racing greyhound for identification purposes only. I asked him if there were any other types of studies that the DNA was used for to determine genetic diseases in this breed. Here is his response: I think as more and more adopted greyhounds reach their senior years, the possibility exists that some inheritable diseases are not as rare as previously thought. It wasn't all that long ago that the majority of dogs did not make it far enough along in life to even identify that a disease existed. Heather, I can tell you that Pam Davis (onrushpam) has taken a special interest in identifying which lines in greyhounds seem to inherit PRA (or maybe all related eyesight disorders) to share the information with other breeders and hopefully prevent more occurances of the disease. For anyone whose dog has been diagnosed, I think she would like to hear from you and get your dog's racing name, DOB, sire, dam, etc. Jenn

Heather, I know exactly how you feel. The news is very hard to take. I cried all night when I first found out Onyx had it. But the progression is so slow that your dog just becomes used to it and learns to adapt just fine. I forget exactly when he was diagnosed but he must have had it way before that because I noticed the unusual reflectiveness in his eyes the day I adopted him... over 6 years ago! Now, of course, it is very obvious as he has lost a good part of his sight. He still does everything he used to do (except fetch, lol) and it doesn't seem to bother him one bit. I don't think there is anything you can do to stop it, regardless of when you catch it though. Now, this is very important. If you think Hanna's central vision is affected more than her peripheral vision and she still seems to see okay at night, it is possible that she may have another type of PRA that could benefit greatly with the supplementation of vitamin E. I won't go into details unless you think it is possible because it is much less common for dogs to have this form of the disease. I give Onyx the PreserVision supplement as well. Also, if your specialist prescribes eye drops, you can usually get them for half the price at most pharmacies rather than directly from the vet. One type called Voltaren is very, very expensive but it does last quite a while. Try not to worry about Hanna. She will do just fine. She has you and your hubby, plus all her brothers and sisters to help her out. It may still be a very long time off but you will be amazed at how well she handles it. Jenn

Are you kidding? Right after breakfast! Jenn

There is nothing harder. Jenn

I was thinking she could just be a little spoiled from the table scraps and keeps wanting them instead of kibble. Some dogs are pretty talented at seperating the two when they are mixed! but it might be worth a try anyway. Aside from that, I think the Walmart hipro sounds fine but she may even grow tired of that if you continue to free feed. This could actually be the reason for her lack of appetite. She may eat more if it is not always there. Jenn

Are you mixing the leftovers with her kibble? Jenn