greytlucy

Our poodle puppy is obsessed with our pepper plants - jalepeno and new mexican peppers. He doesn't seem to mind the heat. he doesn't eat them but likes to chew on them. I'm constantly taking htem away from him and he's constantly harvesting new ones for himself. Apparently he doesn't notice the heat.

Here's the protocol my vets recommend: DHPP: 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 1 year, 4 year Rabies: 6 mos and every 3 years after as required by local law Bortadella: only for dogs that are at high risk of exposure. My don't board or visit dog parks we don't do this I've had three dogs on this protocol. One a retired racing greyhound who was vaccinated at 4 when we got her and then only had rabies shots until she passed in June at 14+ years old. The second a greyhound that never raced and I adopted at 8 weeks. He's now 9 1/2 and other than rabies hasn't vaccinated since he was 4. The third is a standard poodle who is now 17 weeks old. He's being vaccinated according to the above schedule and has received all his DHPP puppy shots and will have the rabies in approx two months. I'm not yet convinced the 4 year is necessary but....i've had two cats and now a dog live past 14 so I do that one until there is more evidence on the efficacy of vaccines past ten year. Also, rabies and DHPP are never given together by my clinic. Under my vet's recommendation I don't bother with titers and have never had them done.

I think it's all relative to teh dog. We're in Arizona. As a result our dogs have become pretty acclimated to heat. Does this mean we walk when it's 110? Of course not. But I have walked them at 530AM when it's over 90 degrees. For other dogs in other parts of the country this owuld be extreme heat as the wouldn't be used to it. I also don't think greyhounds are necessarily more heat intolerant than other dogs(my own anectodal experience is that our standard poodle is having a much more difficult time with summer heat than either of greyhounds ever have). Good rules of thumb are not to walk in the sun in high temperatures(I have black dogs, even in the more mild months I rarely walk them mid-day when it's 75 or over). Keep them well-hydrated. Watch them and learn the signs for your own dog when the heat is too much. Keep them wet down if they are hot(i don't like the coats, blankets etc for this...I prefer to just wet them down directly). Shorten walks in the heat. Some of our more extreme days(for instance a couple weeks ago when we had more than a couple 115 days in a row) our walks are as short as to the corner to get the mail at 11pm at night just so they can get out and have a mental break out of the house. I find I myself am pretty acclimated to the heat here as well. If I'm uncomfortable my dogs typically are as well, if I'm comfortable it seems they often are too. That said, neither me nor the dogs tolerate cold so well anymore!

Adjustments take time. I mentioned above we actually preferred not to add another dog when our older dog passed in early June...however the younger dog had grown up with her from a young puppy and was lost on his own. Knowing come fall we'd both be out of the house again, we went ahead and adopted another dog. We were unable to find an adult rescue for the breed we weanted and couldn't wait as we needed to bring the dog home during the summer if we were going to add one(i'm home during the summer to help the dogs acclimate) so we ended up with another young puppy. I wouldn't say that original dog is thrilled with our decision right now....however just having anotehr dog around HAS helped him. He's more interactive with us and interested in what's going on in the house rather than staying on his own in a back bedroom as he was. Watching us work with the puppy, he's seeking out our attention as well. He and the puppy are figuring things out. It will take time for them to be buddies, and it won't be like it was with our older dog as the relationship is different this time but I think in the end it will work out. i'm sure all of yours will figure it out, too. Dogs are creatures of habit and routine so it takes time to adapt to lots of change. Good luck!

Does anyone know if Diamond is still making Kirkland? I know they were a few years ago but am pretty sure these are new versions of Kirkland so am wondering if this is the same supplier?

I'm sorry, Trudy. We said a lengthy goodbye to Lucy in much the same way and you're right it doesn't lesson the pain. He was a beautiful boy. Much sympathy to you.

I"m sorry. Thoughts to all of you. Godspeed, Ryan

My 9 year old went through this when our 14 year old died in early June. He'd actually been depressed for most of the last year as she was having health issues and their interactions changed as she became more ill and less active. I tried to spend a lot of time with him, walk him more, and get him out of the house more. It helped some. New activities and routines seem to help him. (do you have a place you can take her to run?) My vet told me that dogs can grieve for a matter of months not weeks so it may take a while for her to feel better. We did get another dog. We weren't dying to have another dog but I felt badly as we adopted him as a young puppy, he was very attached to our old lady, and he'd never been without canine companionship. I'm home for summer right now but will be back into a busy schedule in the fall and felt guilty about leaving him alone so much. If I were going to be home more I probably would have held up getting another dog however. After about a month he was starting to feel a bit better. Condolences on the loss of your pup.

Can't help with the e-collar as have no experience with any of the new types. but I do have a greyhound with several allergies that went though terrible skin issues until we sorted it all out. If you haven't been investigating food allergies, i'd strongly encourage you to do so. He has environmental allergies as well but once we identified the food allergies(we did the testing) and got him on a food that didn't cause issues the other allergies calmed down immensely. We also give fish oil regularly as a supplement. I still have to give him benedryl for about a week in june due to some grass that comes up then but other than that we haven't had any issues. During the worst of it we did have to go to strong meds along with daily baths but everything calmed down pretty quick with the meds(I forget what...sorry this was nine years ago and we haven't needed anythign since) and the food change. Good luck!

Since this is your first dog, personally, I recommend an obedience class for both of you. Your dog may be well-behaved but basic obedience work is a great way to build a bond with the dog. Additionally it will give you the opportunity to socialize your dog to other dogs in a controlled environment and learn how to read the interactions between dogs with supervision and instruction. From there you can practice both obedience and socializing your dog on your own, giving both of you more confidence and more bond as a team.

Y'all just be glad you aren't in Arizona. Temps in Chandler: yesterday 112, today 115 forecast, tomorrow 117 forecast, saturday 114 forecast. Overnight "lows" of 89/90. Even when you're used to the desert summer this is just miserable. Stay cool!

Our younger greyhound for the most part hasn't cost us a lot in vet bills over the years. He came to us at 10 weeks old so the first year we had typically puppy stuff - shots, neuter, the occasional er visit for consuming indigestible digestibles. He had some allergy issues and low thryoid($400 testing and about $40/mo for meds) it's just been routine bloodwork annually. He's now 9 so we do bloodwork twice a year. He's been not quite right the past year so we've done a lot of testing and xraying that's come up inconclusive. I've probably spent a couple thousand on that. Our older greyhound, who we recently lost, was the same. For most of her life just typical bloodwork annually(With vet's agreement I stop vaccinating around 5-6 years old so don't have that expense, just bloodwork). She had pannus so we spent about $100/annually for an exam and about $35/mo on drops. Once she was older we did have large bills with her - arthritis and congestive heart failure. The past year and a half we were probably averaging $300-$400/mo for exams, meds, supplements, accupuncture, etc. We lost her in june at 14 1/2 so those bills, while high, were just a short period of time of the total 10+ years she was with us. Overall, i'd say we budget about $2000/yr per dog when younger to cover regular expenses and unexpected illness/injury. We don't always use this much but at least this way we're prepared if needed.

Yes, and yes. We treated one of our greyhounds for 7 years for pannus and the initial treatment was the same 3x/day, then 2x day, then actually 1x/day per drug(we used two different types of drops). Are you seeing an ophthalmologist? I can highly recommend Dr. Felchle in Gilbert if you don't already have one(myself, I'm in Chandler). Good luck! Our dog did fine with pannus. I never could get her to wear the doggles but the eyedrops were easy to give and after the initial diagnosis we never had any issues, just regular check-ups.

It took a few years, but I've been quite happy with the current clinic we use. We've seen most of the vets there at some point or another. They're all great with the dogs which is the first thing I look for: "bedside manner." I want my dogs to like and be comfortable around the vet as a person. All of them have got down on the floor and made friends with the dogs before starting any exam or procedure. Lots of hand-ons stroking and petting beyond the exam. Same with the techs. (I"ve never been at a clinic that tried to put one of my dogs on table?) They always ask me lots of questions and want to know what i know. Most are fairly young (to me!) but I actually like that as they're up on many of the newer approaches and findings and aren't stuck in old ways. My worst experience was with an older vet that was about 30 years out of vet school. They're happy to consult with other vets. We recently lost our 14 year old hound - they had no issue working as a team with the accupuncture vet and the cardiologist. They don't take me to task for the vaccination schedules I prefer(or that I don't like to vaccinate past a certain age)and actually recommend the schedule I use(this was a first for me, i've had to fight with other vets on this). Here in AZ we often find the vets have been to Colo State for vet school due to the reciprocal agreements with arizona. I"ve had good experiences with that. Where they went to school does matter to me. I want them to have gone to one of the "biggies" (Cornell, Davis, Colorado State etc. Out here it's usually Colorado State or Davis) as they'll be up on the latest research. I've been to both small and large clinics. Typically I prefer small and this one is a large - at least 6 vets I think. In this case, because I like all the vets I like the size. They can do almost everything there as they have much modern equipment. I have never not been able to get a same day appt when needed. They've always found a slot for us, even on busy days if the dogs were having some kind of crisis. The front desk staff and the techs, are all friendly to me and the dogs, and professional. Different vets have different experiences and expertise. We've just added a standard poodle to our house and one fo hte vets we haven't seen regularly in the past is a standard poodle fan, having had many herself. We saw her yesterday with him and will likely use her as the primary vett for this new dog due to her familiarity with the breed and its issues. We can still keep our greyhound's regular vet, too. I like this arrangement myself. So I guess what I'm saying is beyond experience a lot for me is about attitude. And just whether or not I feel comfortable iwth the environment and the vet(s). It took us several tries to find a place we were really comfortable with. Good luck!

I'm sorry for your loss, Wendy. Much sympathy to you and Kevin. Godspeed, Xena

Thank you everyone for the kind words.

It was a long, full life you lead, over ten years of it shared with us. You came a long way in those ten years scared of everything when you arrived. No one who met you in the last several years would believe the stories of the timid dog you once were. Those who know you long ago, couldn't believe the transformation to the confident dog you'd become. We'll miss you so very much. It's been a while since you've run full out...enjoy that first sprint when you arrive in Heaven. I know it's going to feel fantastic!

Yes, Digoxin isn't typically the first drug of choice. We just added that one to try and lower heart rate. The vet didn't want to increase the Diltiazem if this would work though. It's only been a week so still early but a follow up last friday showed a decrease in heart rate from 180 to 120 and so far no side effects. Each dog is of course different so one regime definitely doesn't fit all. You bring up an important point about observing. Subtle differences can point to dramatic changes...particularly with panting. Before the visit to the cardio vet, we'd always assumed panting meant heat intolerance(we live in the AZ desert and it got much worse with arrival of summer) or pain. Turned out to be ultimately driven by heart and fluid. As for pain meds, we use meloxicam. When everything else is balanced and stabilized we can use a half dose of the meloxicam. We've been using this for at least 2 1/2 years now...we give it with pepcid as it can be tough on the tummy and without the pepcid our dog goes off her food. It's a lot of drugs we give daily....so far, no real change in the kidneys. We do some homeopathic and accupuncture to support kidneys, heart and the spinal/hip issues. Don't know exactly how much it helps, but figure it can't hurt... Hope things go well at the vet today and you can find some answers, Trudy!

Vetmedin, Lasix, Diltiazem and we just added Digoxin. We're trying to treat both a-fib and CHF, though from what I understand they often are associated with each other.

What's he on the Enalapril for? Lucy takes this as part of a CHF regime. The panting and fluid build-up you describe make me wonder if something is going on with the heart. We see more panting in the summer heat but ultimately, in her case, the panting is due to the work the inefficient heart is doing, which is working harder in the heat. The panting then makes them thirsty, they drink more and then pee more. Assuming no severe kidney or diabetes issues. We just adjusted some meds and in spite of higher temps the panting has decreased. I was amazed at the different the CHF treatment has made. She was 13 when we started it and now 14 and a half. Her back end strengthened and she was less wobbly once the drugs kicked in and her heart was working more properly and the fluid was out of the system. She also gained back a lot weight too which the heart doctor said wasn't unusual. She's back to wobbly now but for a year and a half we saw dramatic improvement and now with a new adjustment in meds we're seeing overall improvemetns, including back end again. Anyway, something to think about if he hasn't had a full heart check out. Hope the vets can figure it out and get him more comfortable!

Anyone have a dog with CHF being treated with Vetmedin? If so, have you had issues with diarrhea? Our nearly 14 yo has been on Vetmedin for 8 weeks now. ABout ten days ago she developed terrible and uncontrollable diarrhea. It started the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend so vets and ourselves originally thought ti was colitis from too much turkey and too many cookies from my Mom (i wish she'd stop handing those out when I"m not looking!). Anyway, she's been takign Flagyl, probiotics, and been on a diet of chicken and rice since. She can now control the diarrhea so at least I'm not cleaning up the house constantly anymore but her poop quality has not impoved. All three of my vets(including hte heart specialist) now think it's a side effect of the Vetmedin. We're cuttnig back the dose for a few days to see if there's improvement. Anyone have experience with this? The vetmedin has worked well for the CHF so if that's the issue I'm not sure what this means for her long term maintenance...

Yes, she's from AAGI :-). I think she was in a foster home for a few months and I'm grateful they did such a good job with her! I remember her then - she was a foster. Such a horrible racing name! Hattie is a cute name for her! Both Spencer and Buzz are from AAGI. Cheers from Chandler!

All the vets we currently work wtih(3) consistently offer to call prescriptions into people pharmacies and compounding pharmacies to save us money. They always suggest it first and indicate it will be much cheaper than if i purchase through them. Maybe because most of the drugs we're using are long-term at this point. I didn't realize this was really that unusual and thought maybe the industry had shifted that way. (our old vet was resistant to allowing us to fill prescriptions elsewhere...which is one of many reasons they're our old vet)..

Long shot but I'll toss it out there. My husband had these himself about 10 years as a side effect of some meds he was on. Is she on any meds?

Oh wow, I'm just seeing this for the first time. i"m glad things turned otu well and hope she has a quick recovery. Glad also you were able to find a ride. We have an Element and aren't far from you(Dobson/Ray) so if you ever need transportation help again please let me know! I'd be happy to help!