Rickiesmom

Short on tail, long on character. Pam I am sorry for the Parkers and your loss. Show'em how it's done up there funny good girl.

Godspeed pretty Queenie. Karen I am so, so sorry.

I wonder if, in conjunction with other suggestions, it would help to add a probiotic. I give Rickie Fortiflora, which claims to help with nutrient absorption. In his case it was just because of his age, not to resolve a particular problem, and I figured it couldn't hurt. You may already be doing something like this if she's going on antibiotics.

Along with so many others, I was riveted to Gus's story, and so happy when he found such a caring, protective home. I cannot tell you how sorry I am for your loss, though I know that Gus left transported on the strong and true winds of love. May peace find its way into your heart.

Given what you have described I would also ask if there is any opportunity, if you are going to surgery, to do anything additional to help her. Not suggesting anything major, but something incremental that would be of acceptable scope in terms of risk, recovery and cost, but help her out going forward.

What a beautiful tribute to a remarkable hound, and to the special and different bond each member of your family had with her. I am so, so sorry for your loss of Hailey.

What an interesting life Kimba had with you, starting with how she arrived. I am so sorry for your loss.

Vet just called - it's a sebaceous adenoma - completely benign. Better safe than sorry.

The kennel Jeff was in fed Blue Buffalo as their dry food.

Happy for the good news, hoping now for some not-so-bad news too. Rest well both of you, hoping Desi was just to tired to eat to night and will be hungry tomorrow morning.

Sending good thoughts and prayers for your Desi - will be watching for an update.

I haven't had any trouble getting it here, but I buy 3 bags at a time so it may just be a timing thing.

Jan I am assuming it's nothing. But for peace of mind, it just seemed best to take it off and know for sure, rather than watching and worrying.

It's not a skin tag after all. He doesn't know what it is and said I could watch it or we could take it off. I decided to have him take it off, since he could do it using a local. Very little impact on her, other than a stitch or two, and this way we'll know very early if it's not as innocent as hoped.

I noticed a tiny "something" some weeks back and hoped it would disappear. It has grown and looks like a skin tag, not quite a quarter inch long, narrower and flattish. I can't find my camera or I'd post a picture. It's skin-coloured. (For anyone wondering, it's not a nipple, though it's not far from one, it really is a skin tag.) We have a vet appointment tomorrow as I want it looked at. In the meantime I'm wondering, for anyone whose had a hound with one of these, what it turned out to be, and what was done about it. Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences. Jan 15 update: It's not a skin tag after all. He doesn't know what it is and said I could watch it or we could take it off. I decided to have him take it off, since he could do it using a local. Very little impact on her, other than a stitch or two, and this way we'll know very early if it's not as innocent as hoped. Jan 18 update: It's a sebaceous adenoma - totally benign, yay!

I want to add that it turned out Arlie had dirt under her eardrum. This was discovered when I asked the dental surgeon at the specialty clinic where I have all dental work done, to have her ear flushed while she was under anaesthetic. After the ear flush, her ear problems went away, thankfully, though I continued to check that ear after the initial bad experience.

FWIW my Angel Arlie once had what I thought was severe neck pain. I took her to the vet and they discovered an ear infection. As that cleared up so did the "neck pain". Hopefully the real trouble here is the ear infection.

I've asked my vet to send a prescription. Will post when I have the gel and in due course how things go with it. Rickie has 3 corns on the two weight bearing toes of his left front foot that return quickly after hulling. We tried the Murray Avenue treatment and initially it seemed to help, one one toe but the corns came back, smaller at first, but eventually large again. On the other toe for some reason it changed the texture of the surrounding tissue in a way I didn't like so we stopped using it there.

Good thoughts for your pups, and smooches too, for good measure!

How very sad for you and for her family. I am so sorry for all who are grieving the loss of this pretty girl with a lovely sweet name.

My whippet Rickie had surgery for this (on his right back leg) in 2009, the vet did not get clean margins and it came back a year later (I was checking so found it very early). He had a second, more aggressive surgery at the specialty clinic, they got clean margins and it has not returned (he's 14.5). Because of the clean margins I didn't pursue the OSU chemo protocol, but I would have otherwise. It is done by injection into the lesion site (post surgery) and the chemo agent is in a special kind of sesame seed oil. I was in touch with RooRoo when her Rizzo was going through this and he had virtually no side effects. He was a wonderful hound, I am so sorry to learn he has passed away.

Poor guy. Fingers crossed for something easily fixed.

I agree that sometimes a combined approach is needed. My 14.5 YO whippet Rickie was having issues with producing a TON of poop on every walk, much of it mushy. Fortiflora helped, and independently, I like to think it helps with nutrient absorption but otherwise it didn't have any perceptible effect. After some research and a couple of false starts (think eye-watering gas) we tried a food called Now. No idea if it's available in the US but it has been great for Rickie. He's still a big producer but it's formed and I think total volume is down, though I had hoped for better in that direction.

So glad to see a good update. How is his appetite?

What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful hound. Made me smile a lot, and feel like I got to know him a little. I can't even imagine how much you must miss Cody right now.