greytdogsks

I'm so very, very sorry Robin and Rich .... hugs to your heart ....

I'm so very sorry for your loss of such a gorgeous girl .. Run free beautiful baby ... you will be forever loved and forever missed.

I'm so very sorry Cynthia. He is a gorgeous hound.. He is always in your heart. Run free beautiful Cruz.. you will be forever missed and will be forever loved....

Oh my goodness ... I am so very sorry to hear this. He will certainly be missed ...... Godspeed Ripley ... run fast and free.......

Pat, I'm so sorry about Baby...we were just talking about him yesterday. You should/could have called me this morning. If you need to go pick him up tomorrow -- I'll be working from home. Yeah, it'll take a bit for me to get there, but I can come help you if you let me know.... Prayers for Mr. Baby ...

Every pet is going to have a different experience but ... I, personally, did not like using it for my dog. It was many years ago that I tried it. I can't remember the dosage of pills the vet gave me, but I was told I definitely needed to get him on them before the nerves ever started. So, about 8am on the 4th, I dosed him. He was O*U*T very shortly. Scared the **** out of me because I could holler his name loudly, and I could shake him and he didn't even flinch. However, within probably 2 hours of this, he was back up, trying to walk around, but was very 'drunk'. I decided I didn't want to just keep him 'out', so I waited until mid afternoon to give him just 1 more pill. It didn't knock him completely out and as soon as he heard any fireworks, you would never even guess he'd been given anything. I didn't dose him again that day. For Lee, I'm guessing the only way I could keep him from reacting would be to keep him completely knocked out - and I'm not comfortable with that. So - for us, we try to go to the basement and turn up the TV. Doesn't work really well. It's not too bad when in the house, but I play heck trying to get him to go outside to potty. This year, we're going to try a t-shirt (if I don't forget) and/or we may be at my mother's where, luckily, we won't experience many fireworks at all. If we stay here at home, it will sound like someone is bombing the neighborhood. Good luck. As I said - every dog will have a different reaction/esperience however...

I'm so sorry Mary. Maybe give him lots of bread ??? I had a vet tell me he managed to get a treble hook through a dog without a problem by feeding it a LOT of bread.... Just a thought. Hopefully he spit it all out or at least that the pieces are tiny and can pass through. Kay

I took Lee to have a dental a few weeks ago. I had to stay with him due to him freaking out the week before when they tried to do it. As they were getting him prepared, the tech looked at his back leg.... it was swollen from the 'knee' down. I hadn't noticed. Due to him being a greyhound, she said the dental would not continue until that leg was x-rayed. Thank goodness, nothing was found. I will pray that your's goes the same way. A difference being that Lee wasn't limping - that I noticed. I still don't really know why. The guess was that there was a tiny sore on his foot that caused it.... ?? Good luck.

I'm so sorry. Run fast and pain free Festus. Fly high and chase those bunnies...

My mom's Gracie: 8 (we think)/1994 - 10/27/2008 (we could never clearly read her tattoos - so we don't know her racing name either)

I am so very sorry

I've never had a problem with them moving - you mean like sliding up his body off the necessary area? No, never. I have had it turn around his body - but I just needed to snug it up a bit.

I've used one from cherkotts as mentioned above (he's 'out grown' it ....). A friend has made me several - she made them from cotton fabric, lined with quilt batting and shower curtain ... I also have 2 from www.nonudehounds.com The only time I've had leakage is when he gets let out and the band is left on by mistake so he fully loads it. Kay

I'm so sorry Karen . Thank you for giving her the loving home she deserved, I'm sure she felt she'd 'hit the jackpot' when she got to your home. Kay

I forgot to add --- I cut the elastic out of the pads when I use them. The elastic would help curve the pad around the body (but the band takes care of that actually), but when I remove it to let him out, if the pad is clean/dry, I don't change it and if it has the elastic, it starts to curl up, so I just cut it out/off.

Some of the bands I have are lined with batting and the others have a pocket for a terry wash cloth. However, on the occasions he has a BIG accident, neither of these would hold what he puts out. So, just so I don't have to be washing a belly band all the time (he has frequent smaller accidents), I use the equivalent of the Poise pads - I get the Wal-Mart version ... Options pads. Just today he got outside with his band on (workers let him out in the yard) - he did a 'full pee' in the band/pad ... not a drip out, but he did get the band wet thus needing washing. Cool's 'problem' is incontenience - it's very random and unpredictable.

A long time ago my vet told me that the rabies shots they give here are actually the same as the 3 year vaccine - but the city (or county, can't remember which) requires rabies every year, so to be legal, we have to get them yearly. They did just recently change so that the other vaccine is only needed every other or every 3 years (I can't keep it straight yet!).

What I've always heard --- though it could be wrong --- tape worms do not necessarily show up with every fecal, they are expelled in segments, thus, times when they aren't present. I'd talk to the vet about treating anyway. I know when I brought a puppy home, all was taken care of with her receiving 1 pill.... then she was fine. Good Luck

You've received a lot of good advice. I don't have any experience with amputation or osteo/cancer, but ... RE: regretting a decision - I had a cat diagnosed with renal failure. I had her in the vet's for a week on IV's. They suggested 48 hours then check the values again. Each time, she got better so I'd say try another round. After 5 days, her values were back to normal. The whole time at the vet's she didn't eat. I brought her home and she still wouldn't eat. I tried all kinds of things. I got desparate enough I even forced fed her some small chunks of canned food. I thought for sure I was going to have to take her back to be put down 1 week after bringing her home. So, all of the beating up of myself started. But I kept trying different foods. I did get her to eat deli smoked turkey! This story ends with me having to put her down ......... 3 years later. RE: eating. As mentioned, I haven't dealt with amputation/cancer, but one of my guys is getting picky in his eating. I'm having to try different things all the time to get him to eat enough. Most recently what has worked really well for him is adding a small, stinky can of fishy cat food with a bit of water all throughly mixed with is kibble. Last night it was a 'can' of Little Caesar dog food. He's been slicking it up the last couple of days for a change! Good luck. Positive thinking, try everything .... she'll get better on her schedule...

This is just a guess - based on what my vet used to test my boy for when we were having a challenge with his stools firming up --- giardia (sp?). My vet said that this isn't something they usually check for so when I brought the samples in I had to tell the tech to check with the vet before testing. He didn't have it, but I'd guess it wouldn't hurt to have them check yours just to be sure ??

The back seat is folded down so the 4 dogs have the whole back end - thus, the reason I don't have room to carry the steps! The passenger seat ... and the corners I can find in the back are stuffed with whatever I need when taking a trip - bags, things for the dogs ... etc. I've been thinking of getting a cargo carrier for the hitch - if I get that, then I might just have a place to carry them! Thanks!

I have a question for anyone who uses this (type of) step...... Where do you put it in the vehicle is/when you'll need it elsewhere? Like, if you are taking the dog(s) someplace where they will be getting out and thus needing to get back into the car? If you are just taking them out and about where they won't be getting out of the car -- then you can just leave the step at home. I'm asking because, I have 2 11 year old boys who will possibly soon be needing help getting in my SUV. I do have a ramp, but I'm not sure I can get them to use it because it is short enough that it's a rather steep angle. The 'problem' with this item, for me, is that it is large and things are tight in the car now with all of the dogs loaded so I'm not sure how I would transport it to be of help elsewhere. Thanks

I saw it and watched some other ladies use it at our local gathering this summer. Theirs was just a dremel with an attachment that has different sized holes for different sized claws. The part I liked is that all of the 'dust' is contained. But overall, I prefer my dremel. As I watched them use it -- it can still overheat on the claw if you don't keep it moving -- it is a dremel afterall. For me, you can't really see what you are doing with the claw. You just put the claw through the opening and move the tool on the claw. You COULD still go to far like you can with a dremel - there isn't anything to stop you other than you paying attention. Most of the time the ladies would finish each claw by removing the attachment and doing some touch up with just the sanding drum - just like the dremel. To better shape the nail, to get a smidge under the nail, etc. If you don't have any tool yet and want to try it, give it a try (as long as the attachment is removeable) .. though, if you've never used a dremel, you might not have the desire to shape the nail in any other way. But, if you already have a dremel that you use .. I'd probably just stick with it -- that's what I'm going to do anyway....

I understand what you are saying. It is a much more 'obvious' decision if/when your pet is ill in some way that you know they won't get better and/or the decision can be made with a smidge less guilt when their quality of life is basically gone, when the light is gone from their eyes, when they can't get around on their own, if they are in pain, etc. But, when they still have a spark and various other 'normal' things .... it tears my heart out. My first pet loss, a cat, had mammory cancer that metastized to her lungs. She didn't have treatment, but I worked and worked and tried to keep her eating .... for way too long. If I had delayed probably an hour (or so) longer in getting her to the vet, she probably would have gone on her own ... I should have done it a bit sooner, with a bit more dignity -- but, the decision wasn't terribly difficult -- it was obvious. The next was my first dog. He went from fine, to having an ear infection (off balance, turning in circles, vomiting from motion sickness), to, what we guess, liver failure. X-rays showed 'something', liver values WAY out of whack, extremely anemic (white gums and ears). He couldn't stand up ... etc., etc. Due to work issues (I HAD to go out of town for a week), and no one to really take care of him adequately ... and his situation I had to make the decision. I felt quite a bit of guilt - though, he wouldn't have gotten better (he was 14), keeping him around just would have been for me. The next was another cat. She was in kidney failure. She was down to 4 lbs. She was still walking around, snuggling up for love but not eating. I had her at the vet's for 2 days on IV's ... she didn't improve. It was extremely difficult to make that decision, i definitely felt that I was killing her. She could have lasted longer - but without eating ... and already at 4 lbs., it wouldn't have been long and I couldn't watch her get weaker and weaker. Next was another cat. She was 17. 2 years prior, I had her at the vet's for a week on IV's getting through another one with kidney issues. After that week in the hospital, I had her another week. I was glad we went through that. The kidney's didn't 'get' her. She had an abnormality in her chest - I guess as a result she had smaller lungs - or at least a smaller cavity in which they could expand because if she was to strenuous, she would pant before any others. I really don't know what 'got' her, but I started noticing she was struggling for each breath - and it was getting worse. It was a Friday night, Saturday morning it was worse. I felt myself start to panic at the thought she might/would 'suffocate' and be terrified that she couldn't get air. Most recently was my first greyhound loss. She always had challenges - but not life threatening. She stopped eating. i tried 'everything'. She went to the vet for various testing. We tried this or that. Nothing worked. She was down to 48lbs. The next thing the vet said they would suggest trying was to scope her -- but she would have to be 'out' to do that and the vet said she wouldn't do it .. she didn't want to lose her on the table - she wouldn't survive the anesthia. I made the decision.... but I think it was the hardest and I still tear myself up about it at times -- and that was almost 3 years ago. I couldn't stand to watch her waste away and I didn't know what else to do. She walked herself into the clinic, tail wagging, looking for love from whomever she saw. I question myself on this one quite frequently - but work to stop myself since I can't do anything about it now.... So, yes, I understand, from my point of view, what you are saying. Sorry for the length ---- guess I just needed to get it out....

I went to Whole Foods tonight after work to get some of this for my Cool man ... who is being quite picky at times. They didn't/don't have the Red Star brand (unless they have it someplace else in the store)... I did get a bottle of the powder. The also had another brand in flakes in bigger 'cans'. I'll try this, then may try the flakes next time -- they were a bit less $$ anyway! I was initially afraid that Cool might not eat it because it does smell (I don't mean that badly -- it just has an aroma) .. and Cool has recently been sniffing food and not eating it, so I was concerned ... but he did give this a try and apparently liked it because he did finish his supper tonight. If he will start acting like he's looking forward to eating again and will clean his dish each meal like he used to -- I'll be sold! He didn't eat breakfast today, but I had to come home at lunch, so he did finish his breakfast at lunch. Thank you for the information.