DesertFox

OMG how awful! So very sorry!

I am so sorry!

OMG I'm so sorry! Godspeed Stepper...

Thanks! ... it's been a rough couple of weeks

I had to take Sammy in today for his vaccinations, and since i was there I had the vet look at his eyes, as I've noticed a dark patch starting to grow from the corner of both his eyes and was a bit worried about it. We did corneal stain. Diagonosis is Pannus. We also did a tear test which came out OK. No ulcerations or anything else He's been started on Optimmune Ointment once a day and Prednisolone Acetate 1% drops twice a day. We're supposed to go back for a recheck in 10 days at which point they may elminate the ointment and decrease the drops to 1 time a day. Unfortunatly I got the one vet at the practice I cannot stand, so my questions were brushed off. She made it sound like once we get "into remission" things will be OK. Apparently this hasn't progressed too far, which is good, however, doesn't this require care for the rest of his life? She made it sound like we will reach a stage where nothing has to be done beyond just monitoring it. I'm a bit confused and was hoping some of you with pannus experience can give me a few tips. Thanks.

I am so sorry... Goodspeed Ember...

So sorry for your loss Godspeed Klem...

I am so sorry for your loss Godspeed Festus...

Run free sweetheart

Smiley was my first greyhound. DH and I had wanted to add another dog to our house. DH had grown up with farm mutts, and I came from a family that had hearding dogs (Border Collies, Aussie and GSD's). Somehow through some homework and long discussions we settled on a greyhound. Not a bad choice, we had ex -racehorses so why not and ex-racedog? The adoption group I work with is one that picks the dogs that suit your lifestyle and other pets in the home, they then call you and give you your choices. It's like a long term blind date. The adoption coordinator called gave me my choices but told me flat out "take Smiley, he'll be the best dog you will ever have." I took her at her word. She was right. The moment he stepped into the room on the night we picked him up, he looked me in the eye, walked up to me and leaned. I was totally smitten. He rode home in the back seat of a Camaro, and not long afterward we got a bigger truck just so he's have room to stretch out his legs. He endured car shows, car club house parties, teenage pet sitters (who did god only knows what to my house ... he never did tell), and lastly a kitten that was convinced Smiley was some long lost relative. He was my constant companion as my DH travels 4 nights a week most weeks of the year. He kept me company when I was sick, he cuddled with me on cold nights, he was the reason I got Sammy, so he's have a greyhound buddy to hang with while I was at work. I could write a hundered things about him, but mostly I've had dogs come and go in my life, I loved them all but I've never had one touch me as deeply as he did. He had a way of looking at you like he was reading your very soul. The thought of waking up tomorrow to a world without him is an unbearable thought, yet I know it is a reality I have to face. I'll miss you buddy, find some of the other new angels like Bones, Emmy, Andy, and TigerPower... have a good time. I'll see you on the flip side.

Things went downhill very quickly this afternoon. Thank you all for reading the saga. Smiley has crossed the bridge. The sunshine has left my life...

Last night he was disappointed that i took the otehr hound and the pom on a walk and he couldn't go. DH stayed with him and got him to eat an extra serving or Chicken pasta and rice. This mroning he wasn't interested in food, and didn't really act like he wanted to get up. DH got him to eat some satin balls for lunch. His hind legs are back to swelling and he doesn't want to use his left one at all. He acts very depressed. This is not a good thing.

Thanks Kristen! I'll be looking into the EVO food I've heard of it but never seen it on the shelves here. I got the recipie for Satin balls and will be giving those a try as well.

Thanks Batmom. The swelling has subsided somewhat I can see defination in his hind legs again, but they are still puffy, but I'm guessing with as swollen as they were it's ghoing to take a while. The bruising has continued up his belly but no swelling to go with it. He still has issues getting up on his own, and the unfortunate side effect of the pred. is increased water intake which means he can't go for more than 2 hours without a trip outside. Whe've had a few accidents, and I have to give him a bath tonight. Once he's up he's stable, it's like he just lacks the strength to get up. I've managed to get him to eat by boiling a chicken quarter and serving it with 2 cups of cooked pasta. He loves it. I'm adding rice to the mix now, and have gotten him to drink an Ensure (Vanilla) but he looks like an escapee from a concentration camp. DH will be taking him to the vet's tomorrow to give them an update and see where we go from here. If anyone as any idea on how to get more calories into him I'm very willing to listen. Thanks

Smiley, slept good last night. He let us help him get up and go out to do his business. He was feeling very independent he walked arund the yard a bit and even went back in the door on his own. The swelling has receded back off his belly and the leg that was swollen the worst has come down especailly in the hip and thigh areas. He didn't want to eat at 5AM so I didn't push the issue, he's never been much of a morning guy. He did eat all his breakfast at 8:30, so I'm not to worried. We got the antibiotics from the vet this morning and started him on those. The vet said we should encourage him to walk on his own. So we are getting him up every few hours whether he wants it or not. The vet is still pushing an ultrasound($500 just for the mobile unit to show up, not including diagonistic), DH and I are backing away from that. IF this is some sort of weird bacterial infection then an ultrasound won't show us anything, if this is some sort of cancer (unlikely becasue of x-ray and blood test results) then we're just going to make him comfortable until we know it's time. I feel bad because I want to do everything I can for Smiley, but the realist in me says that my vet wants to play with an ultrasound, and in the long run anything I get from it won't be useful to my current situtation. Thanks for asking about him everyone! I have some hope now.