Rickiesmom

Melissa I am so sorry.

I second the suggestion for an assistance harness. I have a 15 1/2 year old whippet with neurological deficits and this has been a lifesaver for us. If you go that route, be sure to ask for enough adjustment to the measurements for it to fit over a thick winter coat. The maker is in Florida so that might not be an automatic consideration. You can find this harness on Etsy - just search for "assistance harness".

What a beautiful girl, inside and out. I am so, so sorry for your sudden loss.

Ducky I am so sorry. Tessa looks so at home in the photos, so loved. My heart goes out to you.

Some of the problem may be that a lot of vets do not realize the injection isn't into the spinal canal, but to either side. It is important to confirm that information. They may still not want to do it, but that at least eliminates a potential area of misunderstanding.

Judy, holding you both tightly in heart and prayer.

I've used Dermicare - here I have to get it from the vet but it's pretty nasty.It's made by Aventix which is in Canada but there is a US distributor - contact info is on the website (aventix.ca). I'd post a link but Paste does nothing for me right now, no idea why.

Lori I am so sorry for your loss of a truly special, one of a kind good friend. Godspeed Unka Lee.

Thank you everyone who has shared their experience. I was asking in view of increased back-end problems in my whippet Rickie, who will be 15 1/2 at the end of the month. The neurologist caring for him was not opposed to this treatment, but felt he would benefit from wider-spread anti-inflammatory effect. She has prescribed Prednisone, but we are also looking into Medrol, which may have milder side effects.

Suzanne Stack's article on lumbosacral stenosis. She has a number of other useful pieces on the same website.

For those whose hounds have had the Depo-Medrol injections recommended by Suzanne Stack for LS, what has been your experience? - Did it work well, - No effect, - Adverse reaction? Thank you so much for your help.

Thank you.

Is possible to stop giving Metacam and give a steroid like prednisone for example, without a washout period? I know this is strongly contra-indicated because of GI effects, but I am wondering if it is possible to mitigate those effects to reduce the risk if it looks like a steroid would be very beneficial. If so, I would like to discuss those mitigation options with my vet. Please respect my wish not to discuss the backstory at this time, it is a difficult situation and I just don't have it in me right now. Thank you for this, and for your help.

You gave your girl every chance. I am so, so sorry.

I am so sorry. Hugs to you and to Henry.

You can ask Trupanion to provide you with a list of exclusions based on Kili's medical records. They will almost certainly cover Kili in spite of the heart murmur but may place some conditions / exclusions on coverage related to heart issues. (I say this because Jaynie has a murmur and was seen by a cardiologist who did an echocardiogram, said she saw no reason for action at that time but recommended a recheck in a couple of years or if anything changed. Trupanion has flagged heart issues for her.)

I am so sorry. Your love for Tex permeates every syllable of your tender and beautiful tribute.

Poor Iker - hope he's OK. My foxhound of many years ago did something similar - no ill effects but then again, he had a head made of cement.

What everyone else has said!

Not knowing and not having enough time for the test results to come back is a very tough situation to be in. We will be thinking of your beautiful Maya on Wednesday.

Carol Ann, I am so sorry you lost your beautiful wild child. Hugs!!!

Awhile ago I learned that while most dogs will tolerate a first blood transfusion of any blood type, broods need their own type because antibodies cross the placental wall. Here is the original thread. Jaynie was at the clinic today so I asked them to test her for blood type. The report said "DEA Negative". From the little bit of reading I've done since, it seems that there should be a number as well, e.g., DEA 1.1 Negative? I am hoping someone who understands the classifications will chime in with more information, please! Thank you!

Judy I hope the news is positive. We are here for you no matter what.

Hoping no news is good news, and sending good thoughts for Nadir.

Judy