DaisyDoodle

Lucky, my mix, has something similar right now. Nearly every year she has "goopy eyes", as she has seasonal allergies and a tear duct that blocks up. Unfortunately, this year, her right eye is swollen, has lots of teary discharge, the third eyelid stays half extended, and sometimes the eye is squeezed shut, like Popeye. She's been to the vet and has gotten steroid eye drops for ~5 days and benedryl, and those don't seem to be helping. I'm going to call the vet's office today to see if I need to take her back in. I just found out a couple of weeks ago that she has LP, so I really don't want to have to put her under if the tear duct needs to be cleaned out. If I find anything else out that would be useful, I'll post it. DD

Mary, the way you describe the "possessed" nature of the behavior, it almost sounds like an odd kind of psycho-motor seizure. ??? Could you get his attention while he was doing this or was he in his own little world? If he had been sleeping beforehand, I'd wonder if he wasn't sleep walking. Poor boy, I hope he's better today.

Were the other episodes at this time of year also? When my hay fever acts up, the back of my throat gets really itchy and I joke that I wish I could stick a back scratcher down my throat to scratch it. I wonder if he's got an allergy? I'm glad he seems a bit better, DD

Has Teagan had a normal, solid stool? It not, the glands will not get expressed, and I assume this would allow the infection to stick around. Once I got Daisy on a food that agreed w her and her stool firmed up, her anal glands have been okay. We avoided surgery this way. Also, when Daisy had this problem, folks recommended to me that I keep her on antibiotics for several weeks otherwise the glands wouldn't clear up. FWIW, DD

Um,...I've never had a boy dog, but....um, well, are you sure it's puss?

I would take him to the vet. Call and tell them what you've posted and see what they say. I think foil could cause some problems, even if it does pass. See if his stomach seems hard. Also, has he had a BM lately? Can you check his stools to look for foreign objects?

I would show them pics or videos of a dog running a race to show how hard they dig their paws into the sand of the racetrack. I think that would be a good way to show how powerfully a GH uses its legs and feet when it runs at full speed on an optimal surface.

PPA has also been linked to stokes in both dogs and people. There are several of us here on GT who won't even give it for incontinence.

Wow, that was so nice of your vet to share the pics w you. You're right, not for the squeemish.

Not for the squimish to try this at home.... They are located at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock in the rectal area. You need a rubber glove and some K-Y to reach in there to feel them/express them. Insert middle finger and squeeqe down gently w your thumb pulling your fingers back out. (Anyone w more expertise, experience, please give a better description.) Apparently, there's a way groomers do it without going inside the rectum, but apparently this doesn't do a complete job. I'd ask your vet to show you how, then you can do it, but not too often, and only if you have a strong stomach.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I missed this thread 'til now. I thought it was about corn surgery on a toe. .... I just read through this entire thread, I'm so glad that Alex is doing better. Regarding peeing on himself...could the vets put some artificial skin or silicone wound dressing over his entire stomach, from the penis up, to cover the incision? I don't know the name of the product, but there is something used on humans to cover incisions that might help. Keep eating for your mom and dad Alex. I hope you are well soon, DD

What you're describing sounds like an anal gland might have ruptured, or at least infected. I'd check w your vet.

There are at least two folks from OC here on GT. Hopefully they can suggest good GH vets in your area. I agree, get the lab values, post them here and get a second opinion here, and in person in your area. Good luck, DD

Menoxadyl (sp??) maybe? That's what's used to grow hair for people. It was originally a med for high blood pressure, however, so I'd be cautious on using it on a dog who would injest what you rub on him.

Thanks, AJ. I didn't know if '419' referred to an area code, or what....

Depending on the type of lymphoma, it can be a very treatable type of cancer. My CoCo lived 28m from when her nodes were first noticed to be enlarged. I probably should have let her go sooner because of other difficulties she had, but as far as I know w/o a necropsy, she died cancer free at 14 1/2. I recommend that you join the Circle of Grey list on Yahoo. It's primarily for GHs w osteo, but anyone w a sick grey is welcome. If you search back for my name (Cos_n_Lucks_mom) (or Cosmo's) you'll find a number of my posts. Here are links to some of them, but you need to be a member to read them. Some of them are responses to questions others had, so it's best to read them in context. 2/27/07 http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Circleo...y/message/35558 8/29/06 http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Circleo...y/message/32241 (on CCNU for salvage treatment) If you scan through my old posts about prednisone, you’ll find that I told folks that my vet recommended giving it only after starting chemo. Dr. Couto has since done research and determined that it doesn’t matter if you use pred before or after chemo is started. 12/11/04 http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Circleo...y/message/22031 8/21/04 http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Circleo...y/message/18620 (on feeding ND) 8/17/04 http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Circleo...y/message/18358 (CoCo’s Tx protocol) There are probably more than this, but these will help. I prefer to refer back to what I wrote then because it was several years ago now, and I'm not as clear on some of the details any more. Please post any questions here or e-mail me if you have anything you want to know more about. DD

Jeff--what does "419" mean/stand for?

Debbie, I don't have any articles to suggest, I just want to welcome you to GT!! I love getting your e-mail updates on Ellie. It would be great if you'd post them here, in sequence, sometime. Donna (from Franklin Co.)

Allergies and need for dental work (and perhaps a recent dental cleaning) can cause the lymph nodes in the lower jaw to become enlarged. I imagine that other local infections anywhere in the body could also cause one or two to get inflamed, without all being involved. Did the vet check the dog from head to toe after finding the ones in the jaw? S/he should have. In addition to the two in the lower jaw, there are several more you can palpate yourself. There are two in the front of the chest (sort of the base of the neck), one under each front leg (arm pit), two in the groin (in the belly area, right between the top inside of the back legs) and one in the back of each 'knee' on the back legs. My Cosmo had lymphoma, and finding those two nodes enlarged was the first sign. The vet started by putting her on an antibiotic to rule out a dental infection. By the time of the official diagnosis, all of the nodes I mentioned above were enlarged. You shouldn't worry about lymphoma right off the bat, but I am surprised that the vet didn't at least give you antibiotics. I'd call this vet to follow up, take notes, and ask if it is nodes, should any meds be given. I'd consider getting another opinion locally. After getting more complete information, I'd do what the vet(s) suggest (other than waiting and doing nothing), then call/write Dr. Couto. It is likely something acute and not serious, but if it is lymphoma or some other form of cancer, it is better to catch it sooner rather than later. Thinking good thoughts for your pretty baby, DD PS I was just previewing my post and saw that you go to your group's vet. I'm here to tell you that the vet our group uses is the absolutely WORST vet I've ever met in my life, and having lived in several states and having had one or more dogs since 1995, I've met a few vets. Try someone new and see what kind of vibe you get from that person/office.

Lucky, my mix, tried to eat one of my movers (hey, she thought they were stealing my stuff ), and there was the smell of raw/cooking hamburger in the house after that. The mover was so scared that he hid between the inside door and the storm door which he couldn't get open to get away. I was never certain which of them the smell came from, but I _think_ it was Lucky.

Jenn, unfortunately, you will SOON know for sure what fire ants and their mounds look like, and will learn to avoid them like the plague!!! I'd ask Bill and MC what they use at Casa/Kennel Lambert. They'll know what works and is safest around the hounds. Other than hurricanes and venemous snakes (and the 2nd is up for debate), red ants are my least favorite part of FL. I was a child care teacher when I lived in FL and had a child swarmed by fire ants. We'd taken the entire class (30-35 3-5 yo kids) on a 'field trip' on a city bus to a park across town. We stopped for a rest and one little 3 yo climbed on a boulder to sit. A couple of minutes later he was SCREAMING and swatting at himself (he was not known to be a drama queen).He was covered w fire ants. We had to take all of his clothes off right in the middle of the park. Somehow (AJ Hicks can probably explain), the ants will communicate, work together and move up your body, until several of them are on bare flesh, THEN they start biting. They are just NASTY little !@#$%^^&*!!!! Jenn-that's how you'll know it was a fire ant and not something else. One, or sometime two, little whiteheads will pop up that burn rather than itch. I want one of those steam gadgets to kill the weeds in my yard. I've tried pots of boiling water, but it's a pain to get them outside, and to have enough hot water. I wonder if the dried ice would work on weeds?

I can get my dogs to do both the thumping and the rear leg extension. Regarding what the vet said, when Cosmo got sick (she had Degenerative Myelopathy[doggie MS] and lymphoma), if you'd scratch 'that' spot, she'd collapse. (I think because hind-end weakness is a big part of the DM.) So, in that regard, maybe the vet was a bit right. DH prides himself in finding 'the spot' on any new dog he meets. It would be sad to think that that is a sign of neurological problems to come. It just seems like dogs really like to be scratched in certain places. It sort of like shivering when a person gets a good back scratch. (My mom has dementia, and when you touch her back, she'll still ask you to scratch her back; she really loves it.)

I don't have the foggiest idea what actually works. But, here's what I'd try: --brush her teeth, maybe w baking soda --try to get her to eat some parsley in some form (I think fresh would be better than coked) More toward desperation... --spray yourself w bitter apple to make yourself unappealing to the dog (probably smells better than the eau de skunk) While Cosmo never did that to me w her muzzle, she did get nailed really badly right up her head. (As I posted elsewhere today, she used to playbow to little critters--wild and domestic--and get herself into SOME trouble.) Even though she was brindle, she got such a direct hit that she had a yellow stripe up her head where she got sprayed.

Frazzle-- I'm sooo glad I got a chance to meet you in MA during the Expo weekend. You cut a fine and regal figure leading your harem during the costume contest, and continued to be a happy boy in your wagon on the 'hike' through the woods. You have a devoted mom and dad. Prayers and healing thoughts for you today. Deanna, please give Frazzle a kiss on his kissy spot for me.

Cosmo was over 12 when she was put under several times for chemo (local vet didn't want to do it w her awake). She did fine w it.