omyability

Lots of new research on dogs and kidneys and my holistic vet always told me that seniors need more protein, but a protein that digests well and to look for foods that have no by products, corn, or ingredients that are hard on the kidneys. I settled on Fromm a few years ago and it seems to work for the dogs I have now. Buffalo may be better than beef. I supplement with fresh chicken and sweet potatoes and carrots. I use Nature's Logic canned food. It is a really good food.

Thanks for the information. I am ordering from their site today, but will call them. I don't believe you need a script for it.

I am looking for the optimum dosage of Artemisinin to give to my boy Red Raider. I used Artemisinin a long long time ago, but it was for a different cancer than osteo. I came across a good review written by a greyhound owner just a few days ago on the Holley Pharmaceuticals site and thought why not. Red Raider (10 1/2 years old) started limping some some on August 1, but the limp would go away and come back. X-rays on August 15th showed nothing, but then did more x-rays on September 25 and 30. Colorado State oncology department said highly suspicious for osteo and a couple others said most likely. So far I he is not onTramadol and he is doing okay on the Rimadyl (150 mgs. a day). The yahoo board for artemisinin doesn't appear to be very active. Raider loves to run, but is creaky in the back hip area at times. He has fearful of the vet and I elected not to do amputation. He raced at 82 pounds and I am pretty far away from good oncology vets (live on a peninsula off an island).

Thank you for your responses. I apologize for just now getting back on GT. No excuse, buy have been crazy busy with the Ohio Lurcher Project and also moving retired racers from a farm in FL to northern groups. Update on the little girl with staph. She is on more antibiotics and they also changed her food. I believe adopter is doing some allergy testing. So far, she is responding and doing much better. We are keeping our paws crossed here. Adopter is in southern Florida and it is hot and humid.

Will check to see if a culture has been done. I know she had her on Keflex. Will offer the suggestion to go topical. That is what I would do. Her greyhound has been in a home for a year. Adopter is also a human doctor.

A friend of mine has a 6 year-old female greyhound who has a staph infection. It is on her belly and on one of her legs. It is not from a wound or anything. She has been on antibiotics twice, but it comes back. We are suspicious that she may have gotten the infection from swimming in a baby pool in southern Florida. I wondered if anyone has had a staph infection and what kind of treatment was done. I have heard that sometimes you have to treat for a few months. Thank you for any advice or suggestions. Trying to stay cool here in Gulf Shores. But very thankful for AC - the best invention ever.

Virbac told me six months before a test would show a positive. Thank you. I guess I need to wait. Long time time to wait though.

I spoke with Virbac a couple days ago and the representative said they have my file. They told me to talk to my vet and that that would pay for HW tests. I want to test right now, but will most likely wait three more weeks. My pups are all older - 11, 9 and 8. Hoping that they are all negative.

Most definitely will continue with the Heartgard. Wish I had never switched to Iverhart. I am hoping to see cooler weather and less mosquitoes. Now we have the dog flies. I will be talking to Virbac tomorrow.

I ordered the Iverhart from KV Vet Supply. I want to wait two more weeks before HW testing so I am not in the three month window. I want an accurate test. The box is for 51 to 100 pound dogs. My males are 90 pounds and my female is a big girl and weighs 80 pounds. Would feel better if they were were smaller. Because of the amazing amounts of rain for months, the mosquitoes have been just horrible this year. I said a prayer every day that I hoped my HW preventative was 100%. My neighbor has a Yorkie who tested positive for HW last year and he was on HW preventative. Yikes.

Anyone have a box of Iverhart that was on the recall list? Iverhart has kept expanding their list and now it includes 31 lots. I kept a box from May and June and mine is listed to my total dismay. I live in mosquito land. I switched back to Heartgard in July because I had a not so good feeling about Iverhart and the recalls on certain lots. But we have had so much rain down here on the Gulf Coast and I had mosquitoes inside the house every day. I was bitten every day and i am sure the dogs were too. Just wondered what others are doing? I am having mine tested and I have a call into Virbac. Seems like everything is recalled. I had a problem with Colorado Naturals last January.

I saw a post on The Greyhound FB page last week where someone had a grey with swelling in the foot and the vet removed a big chunk of blood and some other yucky substance.

This is difficult to write. My Marilyn crossed over that Bridge on May 21. I am still having a difficult time of it - probably because it happened in a blink of an eye. I took her for laser therapy with the intention of trying regular chiropractic (found a vet in Pensacola) and it was like a miracle. I could tell the laser therapy gave her immediate relief and she she walked better for the next ten days. She looked more content and there was happiness in her eyes. She started paying more attention to the little everyday things and came up to me for more attention. I was thrilled and rejoiced in her happiness. But on May 21, I saw her trot in the back door and then she started crying. Crying turned into screaming and then even got worse. Naturally, the vet office was closed (why does that always happen). I put in an emergency call and the vet met me at the clinic. By this time, Marilyn was in horrific pain and I had given her two Tramadol as soon as the pain started. I picked her up and carried her to car and it took me forever to get to the clinics - catching most of the lights. She was in such pain that I elected to let her go immediately in the back of the car. Her heart was at 220 and it took three sedative shots (enough for a 300 pound dog) to put her under. So she is at the Bridge now with all the others. When the vet moved her she hurt her bones and said something had broken. She was 12 (still young to most of us) but had a history of back problems. I have another 10 1/2 year-old who will likely need some kind of therapy in the next few months and will consider the therapy, but maybe will start with standard chiropractic. So hard to know what the best treatment is for them as every case is different. Sorry for the long post.

Glad Bootsy is okay now. Very fast thinking. I just put an article on the dangers of Xylitol in our group's newsletter. Xylitol is popping up in a lot of product - dental, foods, candies. Scary.

Thanks for the positive feedback! This is good news. I will schedule an appt for her. The vet cost down here is much cheaper in Ohio. My other option is to go to Pensacola, but if my vet in Gulf Shores can do it, I will try her. I am pretty far down a peninsula and have to order all my food, treats, etc. Not much around here. Thank dog for the internet. My Marilyn had an injury on the track. She has a very long ugly scar on her right rear leg.

My Marilyn who just turned 12 is having trouble with her lower back again. She used to have adjustmetns by my vet in Ohio, but I am now in Gulf Shores. I found a people chiropractor to do accupuncture and some minor adjustments, but there is a vet here that does laser treatments. Marilyn got bumped by my big old 90 pound boy Red Raider and she was in bad pain last night. The Tramadol helped and she better today, but still stiff. Anyone doing the laser treatments? Do they work pretty well?

I thought I was SAFE with USA high grade chicken jerky treats, but I was wrong. Last December, I bought a 3 pound bag directly from the company who makes Colorado Naturals called Nature's Deli. They are also sold at Petco. I had bought a lot of these same treats for a year. I started feeding my four greyhounds the treats around Christmas. All were fine before giving them them the treats. I gave them about a half strip a day with my older girl who is almost 12 a little bit more because she is finicky. I started having diarrhea off and on with all four. At first I thought they had picked up something and I treated them twice with flagyl and then wormed them and then gave them FortiFlora and other supplements. They had blood diarrhea off and on. I was getting really frustrated. I saw the recall for possible salmonella around Feb. 22nd. There was actually several warnings about possible salmonella contaimination before that about these treats, but I was in the process of moving and missed them. www.dogfoodadvisor.com. I called the company and the FDA. Had a long talk with the FDA and they want me to send the rest of the treats back to them and not the company (not much left in the bag). It has been 11 days since they had any of the treats and my oldest is doing better. She had been lethargic and not eating well. She will be 12 on March 15th. They are all back to normal now or so I hope. The FDA told me to be careful with any chicken jerky treats. Such a bummer!

Thanks everyone. Claudia, I will try Neem. Went for a walk today and Wendy must have stepped into a nest. I was halfway home and looked at her legs and there were dozens of ticks. My big black boy, Ceeby, is 10 and is sensitive to a lot of products. I usually used Heartgard and one time I tried Advantix III (think it was III) and he had neurological problems with his back legs and had trouble walking for two days. Marilyn is rather fragile after her vestibular incident five months or so ago. I am ready to go back to Ohio (a displaced Ohioian). The pups have enjoyed watching the dolphins and the pelicans. Wendy wants one for dinner - I can tell.

I have used Springtime's products before and thinking of going back. Will check out the garlic. We have lots of mosquitoes too, along with ants, yellow flies, and other pesky critters. I do hate the ticks.

Thanks! All of my family is from Alabama. My mom grew up in Gateswood. I have a lot of cousins and aunts and some live in Foley too. But I was in Ohio for 40 years! I feel displaced. I live 9 miles down the Fort Morgan Road.

I just moved from Cincinnati to Gulf Shores, AL a few weeks ago with my four greys, Raider, Marilyn, Ceeby, and Wendy. We live on the bay and there are a lot of woods, lagoons, swamps, near the house. I found three ticks on the dogs in the last couple days. One had already fed and dropped off - not good! Guess I should have figured that tick season may be all year around here. I hate to do Frontline every month. Marilyn has had vestibular syndrome and still has a residual head tilt. She will be 12 in March. Anyone have any luck with the Pennyroyal, Rose Geranium, or Lavender? Suzanne

Thanks!!! I will check it out today.

Ceeby has these big stand up ears and when he sees a fly, he gets all panicky and starts racing around. A huge moth was in the bedroom last week and he got pretty goofy, but didn't seem to mind it so bad. Yellow flies are a type of fly that come in the spring and summer and are aggressive. When they bite, they leave a big welt on you. They go for blood and zoom in much faster than mosquitoes. They are my least favorite insect. I believe they are just in the south. We live close to marshes and swamps. Lots of red ants here too. I was out with the dogs one night and didn't realize I was standing on one until too late. Someone told me the name of the bug coat maker. Knew I should have written it down. Maybe it will come to me.

I finally made the big move from Ohio to Gulf Shores, AL with my four greyhounds. We are living on Mobile Bay. The greys are adjusting really well and love the weather and being right on the water. So many new sights and smells. But my big black boy, Ceeby, who just turned 10 is bug-phobic - especially hates flies with a passion. He looks at each new fly like it is some kind of new alien that is getting ready to cart him away. I heard of a bug coat that someone makes, but can't remember who makes them. Anyone know? The flies aren't bad now, but wait until spring and summer when the yellow flies arrive. Ceeby prays for wind every day now I am sure. Or else he just doesn't go out much. I am getting really good at killing flies now. Suzanne, Raider, Ceeby (CC), Marilyn and Wendy

Good to know. Glad Mimi recovered so well. It is nice to hear that it just takes time.