3DogNite

update post 1

I'm sorry for your loss of Hobbes! our hearts never completely heal when they leave us. Did Hobbes have vomiting and diarrhea? Lazer hasn't had either of these things thankfully. Lazers kidney/liver values are "off" compared to the normal everything else ~ i am going to request a copy of the blood work, i forgot to get it from them yesterday. this along with the fever, and other symptoms lead us to this diagnosis. he has already been on the cephalexin for 3 days,, changed to the amoxicillan yesterday.... i'm hoping he feels better soon. Hobbes probably went to Tetracyclin ~ i read about that one too.. I gave Lazer 1/2 bag of fluids this morning, after a night of obvious fever. Last time we did this he did perk up, and feel better. He is getting pepcid half hour before i try to feed him. he reluctantly will try to eat.... not all of his meal at once,, and i can persuade him to finish it . then comes the amoxicilan. he is a good patient,, he just doesn't feel good, poor guy!!! Thank you for your insight!

3/10 Lazer feels BETTER!!! we changed the antibiotic to Doxycicline ~ it is the right antibiotic for him! no more fever his eyes are bright and happy he is out with the other two grey's running in the yard this morning!!! still waiting on the VF test results, but i'm going to just be positive, and assume it will be negative! now i just need to get him interested in eating again. hopefully this will happen when he's off the antibiotics. my boy is better!!! 3/8 Lazer isn't getting better. He still has a fever, not eating his meals and his eyes look sad and helpless. He is still getting sub-q fluids every other day. yesterday he showed interest in Ensure,, so he had that. I have several emails out to greyhound experts, and am waiting for second opinions. I just wonder if my vet it is missing something "greyhound" related. my vet has today off, and i will be calling tomorrow for a follow up. 3/5 Lazer ate his dinner tonight willingly! this is a first in about 2 weeks he had sub-q fluids this morning, so i think that has really helped!!! last night he had a high fever again and a very grumbly tummy, so please keep your fingers crossed that tonight is better... Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts! lazer and lorinda 3/4 For the last 3 weeks, my boy Lazer has been shedding TERRIBLY! MORE than spring shedding,,, clumps and itchy and scaly... He's depressed... he looks pitiful (in the eyes), tired all the time, off his food, and really hot all over his body!! Wednesday this I took him to the vet. he had a temp. of 104!!, we started him on cephalexin, and we started antihistamine (assuming allergies) - he had allergies last year this time i gave him 1/2 bag of sub-Q fluids,,,, he did feel better after that, and it was absorbed in about 3 hours. we did blood test for thyroid and tick born diseases Neg. tick diseases thyroid - normal blood work mostly normal -- liver was off: then the urine testing: protien high, billirubin high My vet went to an hypothesis of Leptospirosis or Valley fever (we were in phx. over christmas) changed the antibiotics to Amoxicilin Everything i read about Lepto is you give Doxicyclin (which if my research is right, is the same one for VF) anyone out there have an opinion on the anitbiotic? I am going to call my vet again tomorrow to quiz her a little more about this. we haven't done the test for Lepto yet.. we will probably do that, but we need to treat this problem,, and i want to be sure to be on the right antibiotic!!! Thanks for your help!

I made up Fat Balls for Darbee after her tieback surgery. raw hamburger with raw eggs and lots of other good stuff. gelatin, molasses, olive oil, wheat germ... anyway, i could hide her pills in them and she'd be able to swallow without any problem. they were soft and small. she lived on them for a couple weeks. she started kibble about the 2nd week, but I kept giving her the fat balls cause they were easy, and she liked them and she was a skinny little thing, so she actually put some weight on. Darbee was almost 13 at her tie back,, and she lived another 2 years, without any complications! she died of a seizure --- unrelated to her LP. good luck!!! Mork is very handsome!!!

here is Curry, foster from last year, in her Bad girl panties from Holly at the Unruly Hound They look a bit more substantial in between the legs for holding a feminine pad.... Curry tried really hard, and never got them off! and the washed up well too! good luck!

I'm so sorry to hear this!

Fat Balls! raw hamburger, raw eggs with shells, molasses, wheat germ, gelatin, veg oil ,, darn it, and something else,, all mixed together,, feed raw, my doggies love them and will eat 5-6 at a time ,, perfect for getting pills down too. you might have to search for the recipe, or I have it, just need to find it for you. Good luck. the old ones are special, and you are doing a wonderful job!

I just wanted to jump in and offer a thought about Pilling your dogs ~ sorry if this has been covered in the past, Fat Balls is what kept my angel Rascal going for a long time. I could hide pills in the fat balls, and he'd eat them without a care in the world ,,, and it helped keep weight on him too. a mixture of raw hamburger, eggs with shells, molasses, wheat germ, olive oil.. the exact recipe i'd have to look up and will do if you want it,, !! I think I gave him 5-6 fat balls, just about every time he came in from outside as a treat/food supplement/pill popper. he was a very picky eater, and these fat balls were wonderful for him. Hugs to you all and your pups going thru this!!!

I just talked with Claudia (greyhound gang) about your question of their supplements: Greysmom was asking about supplements: Claudia's suggestion is that "the 4 pack" would be really good for your dogs once they have recovered from the amputation surgery. I think that's the Glucosamine, Vit C, MSM and Condroiton. Let them heal from the surgery, then start up with the supplements. But the Yucca intensive: start immediately! do not change the dosage amount suggested on the package. The supplements will help the remaining 3 legs work to the best of their ability! keeping the joint mobility and fluid in the joints is really important. The supplement doesn't slow the Osteo unfortunatly,, but the other 3 legs will have the extra support they need. Yucca Intensive is a tincture that works WONDERS for inflammation and pain. I use in instead of Rimadyl or Meticam for arthritis and other aches and pains. GreyhoundGang.org has a lot of medical information on their web site.... on a side note: I am praying for you and your doggies! I read and cry with you all daily and will do a happy dance naked in the street when we find a cure for this awful ~ AWFUL cancer!!! Lorinda

I don't even know what to say! and nothing seems adequate or even sincere --- my heart hurts with yours in this terrible time of loss. They all sound like wonderful companions,, if only we could keep them forever! I'm sorry for your loss!!!

the SLC crew are holding a vigil for Dude!!! and are so happy that the surgery went on without complications!!! Now for the recovery,, continued good thoughts coming your way for Dude and you ,, the flu on top of this,, can't be a good combination

Last week Power was diagnosed with Calcification of the Biceps tendon. He has been limping very badly, and i am researching everything i can,, trying to decide what to do for my boy. Initially I was told, even with surgery, these things tend to grow back,, then I found this: VersaTron 4 Paws, PulseVet,, Non-invasinve regenerative extracorporeal shock wave technology ~ web site: www.pulsevet.com basically,, dog has to be anesthetized (which i was hoping to avoid) and then this shock wave is applied for x-number of "shocks" or a period of time. it is like being zapped buy an electric fence,, not quite that harsh maybe,, the shock is variable, depending on injury. Cost with my vet: it's PRICEY!!! $500 per treatment,, NOT including the anesthesia! (anesthesia easily adds $75 to the total) however,, they gave me referrals to call,, other vets who have brought their pets to them for this treatment,, showed me before and after x-rays where the calcium deposit was completely GONE in 3 treatments. one treatment every 4 weeks. i guess it is painful enough that the week of the treatment the dog is on some pain meeds... I'm curious if any of you have heard of this treatment,, or if you have first hand experience with this.... Thanks for your input! Lorinda

sounds good, and like he'll be able to have a wonderful full life ahead of him! Thank you for giving him that second chance,, even if he isn't the jogging companion, he will be wonderful walking/snuggling one! continued good luck with speedy recovery!

Thanks for the article. it looks really interesting, I wonder if they've used this procedure on dogs yet? Today Power is really limping badly. and doesn't want to follow me everywhere, and almost refused to do the stairs.. definitely NOT like him. Gave him Tramadol today .. it really isn't helping. poor guy,, he's pretty miserable. I'm going to call around on monday and check into acupuncture and physical therapy,, maybe,, i don't know. probably will check in with a few other vets who specialize in more orthopedic things. I love my country vet, but he doesn't have the latest and greatest technology. i wonder if he is this bad due to the manipulation yesterday,, as he wasn't nearly this bad before we went for X-rays. it's also really cold out.. that doesn't help i'm sure. ok, thanks for your help,, if you think of anything else let me know!

I took Mr.Power to the vet yesterday because he has been limping for the last 3 weeks. He turned 10 last october. Vet x-rayed his front L leg, from toes to shoulder. he saw a lot of arthritis, not unexpected with the amount of racing Power did (more than 200 races!) He also found Calcification on the Biceps tendon at the shoulder. He said this is why Power is so lame. Power "rolls" the shoulder under as he walks. it doesn't look like a hard limp. he has never cried out in pain. he limps badly when he gets up from sleeping, and especially in the morning. but after a little while he has just a slight limp. he doesn't hesitate to go up the stairs. or to play with toys, or to trott/run around the back yard,,, it's when he is walking that you see the bad limp. he lets his body down hard into a laying position. and he usually is the first to lay down, not really wanting to stand very long. he stands with his leg in an odd angle, sort of under his chest, but at the ankle his foot goes out to the side -- ankle showed lots of arthritis, that isn't helping at all. Vet said, there isn't much to do for this. i can give him Tramadol for pain, but he will just be living with this now for his life. I could have the calcification removed, but it grows back. I don't have to really stop all extra exercise,, he will just be favoring the leg after a walk, or run in the back yard. vet also said changing the food wouldn't do anything extra for him either. Anyone out there know anything about this? I haven't called my $$$ Vet who has all the wiz-bang, fancy equipment yet,,, but I'm wondering if there is a laser treatment or an ultrasound thing that will "Blast" the calcification off of the tendon. I'm not ready to do the surgery. Power is very stoic, and i'm sure he is in pain,, however if something will grow back like this, it makes me want to find other alternatives. i will make sure he is as comfortable as possible, unfortunatly (or fortunately however you want to think about it) I have a lot of pharmaceuticals from when Rascal was still with me.. pain pill was his middle name oh,, Power gets TONS of supplements,, glucosamine/msm/shark cartilage/fish oil,,,, just to name a few. he has been on Yucca Intensive,, a full dropper (single dose is about 10 drops) twice a day.. this has helped some, but he shouldn't be on this everyday,, the body kind of gets used to it.... Sorry this is long.. just wanted to have all the information I could think of in one place Your help is much appreciated! Lorinda

I've been WAITING for this to get to SLC. i called again, and they FINALLY have IT!!!!! i purchased bags in Phx. over the Holidays, and am sooo excited to have it here!!

we'll be thinking about you and Princess! one more for good measure!

How is Usher doing? praying for a good outcome from the surgery for him!

One of mine refused food for what seemed like forever, lost a lot of weight,, I forced Fat Balls down his throat. raw hamburger mixture with eggs and molasses.. small enough that a ball size would go down easily.. He swallowed it, and for about a week it was all he "ate" he did well on it, and the Fat Balls became a staple of food in this house for a long time. I could hide pills in them, and used them as treats,, i just gave him as many as he wanted. it put extra weight on,, and started the hunger search for food. Good luck, I know how it is watching, and worrying about our babies!

I have been thru this with my angel Rascal. He tore BOTH Achilles at a "fun" run. He had a couple of surgeries. and recovered well enough to do walks daily and occasionally lope in the back yard,, he never really RAN again. but he was a very happy, sweet, loving boy until he passed many years later from kidney disease. he wore full casts on both legs for 6 weeks. then modified cast for longer. and leash walks for even longer! I had the vet tech teach me how to wrap him up for the bandage changes which needed to happen frequently. and due to both legs being casted he required extra help with just about everything!!! I work at home, and was his CONSTANT companion for the whole thing. email or PM me if you have more questions. lorindastack@yahoo.com I love,, LOVE,, LOVE my vet who did the surgery. he said it was VERY difficult due to the already tightening of the tendon, and one leg was always tighter than the other. But it didn't bother Rascal much. I miss my big black boy!!! good luck, and keep us posed on his recovery!

I used the squirt bottle technique too. It does work, startles them out of the "whine" syndrome. good luck!

may the sweet memories of your Gustopher P keep you warm at night, even if it is with the warm tears of sadness. In time , they will be tears of contentment, to have known and loved a special hound is our common bond! god speed,, you are missed and loved! Mr. Pimpmaster!

oh, good! I'm glad you got a new kind ~~ Mine all get Yucca (from Claudia) and I could tell a difference right away with them!!! I'm sure you will see a difference too!!! I also give them extra squirt of the salmon oil,, it has anti inflammatory properties too. All my (limited) knowledge on this comes from Claudia,, she is a wealth of information and a wonderful resource!!!

This is Great!! i hope my doggies never get Corns,, but if they do, I know where to go for a cure!!!

I think that's called a Histeopericytoma,, benign lump -- they resolve on their own, like what you saw. my friends dog had those. they came and went,, some were quite large.... unfortunatly i don't know the difference of good vs bad by looking at them. waiting for them to fall off would make my hair go grey in about 2 days!