ahicks51

I should specify- this is not Vaseline as in the waxy hydrocarbon that is useful for applying in large quantities to every single doorknob on the second floor of the men's dorm across the parking lot from the dorm I lived in in college. This is the stuff that comes in a white pump bottle, looking nothing at all like a doorknob-related appliance.

Does this make their hair greasy? Nope.

I've used Vaseline Intensive Rescue, cut with water to make it really thin. Only used it a couple of times, but it works.

Serum levels peak in 30-120 minutes in dogs: http://www.elephantcare.org/Drugs/praziqua.htm The original reference for that is Veterinary Drug Handbook Fourth Edition, Plumb, D.C., Iowa State Press, Ames, Iowa, USA, 2002. So, if I'm reading it right, by three hours it should have already been absorbed with most of it having undergone first pass metabolism, yes?

It's interesting that it comes with the prednisone. A number of autoimmune problems in humans involve uveitis; one of the more common is Reiter's syndrome, now known as reactive arthritis because Reiter was a Nazi doctor (no joke). He named it, even though it had been around long before the write-up. Anyway- it happens from a variety of infections, although most are sexually transmitted diseases. The triad of "can't see, can't pee, can't bend the knee" comes from uveitis, urethritis, and arthritis of the major joints. So- not that this means squat in the veterinary sense, but given that pred is prone to lowering the immune system, maybe there's a subtle, recurring infection somewhere. Idiopathic uveitis is quite common.

Give it ASAP. It helps bust up the clot, if there is one.

He's actually very greyhound knowledgeable, so I do trust him. He has had years upon years of experience with greys, and is the vet most rescue agencies have used in my area. If it's Yocham, then he used to be the track vet at Phoenix; he's the best person with greys for a hundred miles in any direction- next best stop would be Dr. Stack down in Yuma. She used to be a track vet in Tucson, IIRC.

I'm not normally much for pesticides if I can help it, but Frontline wouldn't be a bad idea if you find another one. Be forewarned- it's one of those weird paralytics; they come off, and then will be found around the house in their dazed death throes. Much disgustingness, but it beats the heck out of live ticks, and TBDs.

By and large, greyhounds have remarkably good hips. Part of this is that they are bred for performance more than appearance to meet any given standard; they don't make it through generations of rigorous racing and selection by having crummy hips. With age, some will develop lumbosacral stenosis, which is readily managed through regular injections: http://greythealth.com/lumbosacral.htm The only greyhound I know of firsthand with bad hips was due to a car accident: $5,000 and a lesson as to why one should pay attention when your greyhound is trying to learn how to manipulate doorknobs with their mouth.

We feed raw, so it's an easy trick for us- a chunk of beef heart, with a slit in it to accommodate the pill- a fairly long, thin piece can be used, with the slit running the length. A hot dog would work in a similar fashion.

An earlier form of famotidine (Pepcid) was Pepcid RPD, designed to dissolve in the mouth. Crushing should not make any difference. If you're using something like Pepcid Complete, it's an antacid + famotidine (hence the manufacturer's boast that it works more quickly- neutralizing acid, AND blocking acid production).

Google up lupus + naltrexone. It's pretty interesting stuff, but you're pushing double-risky: no trials with humans for lupus, best as I know, and no trials with dogs for anything. But- inexpensive, safe, and potentially effective with virtually no side effects.

Pardon me if this has been covered- I'm too lazy to read the original post- but how familiar with greyhounds is your vet? If the systolic is 173, greyhounds naturally run a bit high; Dr. Stack- who is a bit of an authority on the breed- says 160-170-80 is normal: http://greythealth.com/myths.htm Similarly, she puts creatinine at up to 1.6x that of other breeds; so, if high normal is 141 for dogs, it could be... 225 for a greyhound. And with platelets, Dr. Stack advises thusly: "Greyhounds can normally run low platelets - all the way down to 80,000 - 110,000." That is with the caveat that tickborne diseases (TBDs) can also lower platelets, but you know that and already have it covered, I see. Anyway- I know Dr. Cuoto did a big study a couple of years back on blood pressure, as it related to blood donor dogs, in greyhounds; I can't get access to the full article, so I don't know specifically what values were held as "normal." But 173 doesn't seem too-too wacky, according to Dr. Stack.

It's mainly a blowing dust and dirt thing; the fungus only lives in undisturbed soil, so when it IS disturbed (by construction, followed by wind), the spores go airborne and can sometimes cause problems. The majority of animals and people exposed to the organism have no problems with the disease; it's uncommon for it to cause serious illness, but it does happen.

Any D? Is he drinking ok- well-hydrated, etc.? Color of the gums good? Temperature good? If anything else is out of whack, a vet visit would probably be in order, but being off their food for a bit wouldn't be unusual if they got into something- and if it's not malice (poisoning)- it's just going to have to run its course.

It's tough to go wrong with a stethoscope for use with greyhounds; they have huge hearts, little fat, and such a thin body that there's not much to impede sound flow. Comfort is a consideration, as not all are a good fit for an individual's ears. Some come with interchangeable ear pieces. Check a local pharmacy to see what they have in stock; some carry them with blood pressure kits, but you'll probably pay quite a bit for one. Check a medical supply house if you have one in town. But Littman is a good quality, general purpose stethoscope.

In some states, it's law the vet must be willing to cut a script for a medication they prescribe- it's an ethics violation if they won't. http://members.verizon.net/~vze2r6qt/supplies/legal.htm I'm sure these vets would howl with protest if they had to buy parts for their car from the dealer, too.

You may be able to buy the bags + IV kits locally; I live in a large metro area, and $30-some for 12 bags sounds about right. If the shipping's not cheap, picking them up locally may drop the price some. The infusion kits can be bought on eBay, surprisingly enough; provided they're new-in-box and up to date, there's no reason not to use them- but again, a large distributor will probably cost about the same, or a little less. Plus, there's no absolute guarantee that stuff on eBay has been stored correctly for its entire life.

More common than anyone would like it to be. Probably a bit more than other large breed dogs, which are prone to developing osteo for no apparent reason other than their size.

Check the teeth, if it hasn't been done already. It may be too painful for them to eat on a cracked tooth.

Another fine use of the belly band, I suppose!

Anyone had success combating a staph infection with manuka honey? We've had no reason to try it, but I'm curious as to whether it would work.

Sorry; it's that foster, Xan, we had. Feh. As for the timing- the body "resets" its endorphins early into sleep mode. The presence of naltrexone messes with that. From Lowdosenaltrexone.org: "The brief blockade of opioid receptors between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. that is caused by taking LDN at bedtime each night is believed to produce a prolonged up-regulation of vital elements of the immune system by causing an increase in endorphin and enkephalin production. Normal volunteers who have taken LDN in this fashion have been found to have much higher levels of beta-endorphins circulating in their blood in the following days. Animal research by I. Zagon, PhD, and his colleagues has shown a marked increase in metenkephalin levels as well."

Here's hoping no news is good news.

You might post some pics; could they be staph?