GreytNut
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Posts posted by GreytNut
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From the time we got up this morning, Tiny was limping and panting so hard I thought he was going to hyperventilate. He refused to put any weight on his right front leg and cried when I touched it. I had terrible flashbacks of Argus right before he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, 'cause that's exactly how Tiny was acting.
So we went to the vet, sat for three hours waiting for an opportunity to be seen--they were booked--and came out $500 lighter. However, all of Tiny's x-rays came back clean!
We suspect he fell on the laminate floor, which is slicker than snot, and twisted/banged his elbow. I also just happened to notice something while we were waiting. Tiny got tired and flopped out on the tile floor, showing me his underbelly. I saw some thick white discharge coming from his penis which I hadn't noticed before. Turns out he also had a UTI, poor guy. It was just dumb luck that I saw this before he licked it away and while we were already in the vet's office. Otherwise he might have been uncomfortable for a while longer. He's now on Rimadyl for the elbow and amoxicillin for the UTI.While we were there, the vet decided to take a look at Raven's hematoma. It hangs out on her chest, is benign and doesn't cause her any pain, but it does rupture and spew blood everywhere from time to time. It'll be taken out at her next dental. I warned the vet about the spewing blood thing... too late. He'd already grabbed it and was studying it when it splattered all over his nice, pristine monogrammed white coat. Oops.
So we're poorer tonight, but very much relieved. I was convinced that Tiny had osteo and was a hysterical sobbing mess. It was so good to come out knowing he was okay. And because everyone was so well-behaved, on the way home we stopped for hamburgers sans bun, which was very well received.
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Kiowa
in Remembrance
He was a rare find, and one others would have passed right by. You did right by him.
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Year round, always, even when it's -20F outside. Not only does Heartgard Plus or Interceptor protect against other worms--not just heartworms--but we can have warm Chinooks in the middle of winter when it's 60 degrees or better for a week straight. I wouldn't trust that a few skeeters might not take advantage of a warm spell to come out and take a bite. Besides, I am a creature of habit and it helps me remember to give it if I make it a monthly ritual.
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All of my critters, hound and feline, are microchipped. Depending on where they were chipped, some have AVID and some have HomeAgain. I prefer HomeAgain over AVID because you can update your pet's info for free and do it yourself online. You can also upload a picture of your pet. My experience has been that HomeAgain offers a basic service with no annual fee and an upgraded service for $15 a year. AVID requires you to pay $6 per pet to update any info (this can get expensive with multiple pets) and I've never, ever had them get all of the information correct on the 1st, 2nd or even 3rd try. Their data entry operators simply do not pay attention to what they're doing.
Microchips are cheap insurance, provided that you remember to mail in your registration and keep your pet's information current (and complain if it's entered wrong). Collars and tags can come off or be removed. Not everyone knows what to do with an NGA tattoo. They just add an extra layer of protection if your pet is lost and a means of positive ID if your pet is stolen. When I worked for a vet, the first thing we did when we had a stray was scan them.
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It all started with one lone sign that said, "Free Ice Water."
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from South Dakota. You just missed the tornadoes! Did you get to see Crazy Horse? It's a stone's throw from Mount Rushmore and even more spectacular.You'll likely have passed too far to the north to see it, but there's a town in eastern Wyoming called Lost Springs. Population: 1. I cackle every time I drive through there. Wyoming's a beautiful place, but desolate.
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59.
Happy trails!
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Our paper shredder has an auto-shutoff feature if anything other than paper tries to go into it, but I keep it unplugged when it's not in use for just that reason. I remember hearing about a kitten who had climbed on top of one, got his long fur caught in it and ended up with a shredded belly when the skin on his tummy followed the fur into the works. Better safe than sorry.
ETA: Kitten lived!
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Argus had a dry, hacking cough as well.
I'm sorry.
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Mine get bathed when they actually smell like dogs. It's only about 3 times a year, unless they get into something really foul or Tiny pees on Raven.
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Neither are super close to Ramona, but there's Dr. Clayton Johnson at AVL Animal Hospital in Hemet, and IIRC there are at least two grey-savvy vets at Mission Animal & Bird Hospital in Oceanside. I liked/trusted both places.
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I should mention that the extreme dose I gave to Argus was for end-of-life comfort, and given with regard only to alleviating pain, without consideration of long-term side effects. That dose will not kill a greyhound, but would likely have serious long-term effects. If he had not already been dying, this would have been something we needed to think about.
Tramadol does have a fairly wide margin of safety, but still... check with your vet before going bonkers with it.
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Argus was on it for osteosarcoma. He started at 2 50mg tablets a day and by the end he got 16 tablets a day. It never did appear to make him sleepy, not even at the extremely high dose.
You have enough latitude with Tramadol that you can adjust the dose up or down if you need to, but do check with your vet first.
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Yes, Argus would get Charley horses and spring up out of a dead sleep screaming and dangling his leg. It scared us half to death, but he would be okay after a a few minutes of rubbing it and walking him around to loosen him up.
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I have found that Advantage seems to work better for fleas and Frontline for ticks, but either will do in a pinch. Bathe Esme, then put the flea treatment on as soon as she's dry. Make sure you wash all dog bedding, blankets and plush toys. Sprinkle Borax on your carpet, let it sit for as long as you can, then vacuum it up. Wash your own bedding, too, in case you have any stowaways that may have hitched a ride with you. That should nip it in the bud.
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OH I can't believe it's been that long. I still have her in my email address book. I can just never bring myself to delete it. It would be like deleting the part of her that was in my life.
Same here. I sure do miss her.
Anyone know how her pups are doing in their new home?
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I'm sure you made the most of every day you had with him. He fought the good fight and was certainly loved.
to you. -
I'm sorry that you lost him, but glad that his passing was peaceful and gentle. He was lucky to have had you in his life.
Sending hugs to you and the pack.
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I'm glad your boy is feeling better, though I'm sorry for the diagnosis. It's always hard to hear the "C" word.
Hopefully your vet will be able to present you with non-invasive options for treatment. We opted not to go for painful amputation and chemo when it had such a narrow likelihood of success in our case, but it might have been different if Argus had been a better candidate. You'll do what you think is best for your baby.
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Less than 3 weeks from first limp to the end. The vet said 4 months, but Argus went downhill very quickly and we went from 1 65 mg tablet of extended release morphine and 2 50 mg Tramadol a day to 3 morphine tablets and 16 Tramadol. When even that still left him crying and I had to carry him everywhere because it hurt too much to walk and he couldn't even bend his leg enough to limp without it painfully dragging on the floor, it was time to let him go. We could've bought him some more time with amputation if it hadn't already gotten into his lungs and if he'd been the sort of dog who could take that sort of thing in stride... but by that point he was already beginning to hack and cough, and he was the kind of dog who cried even before somebody stepped on him, just from the anticipation of pain. I can't imagine how he would have dealt with amputation and chemo.
Yet there are other people on this board who've had their hounds for several months after diagnosis and they're still managing pretty well. It really does depend on the individual dog, the aggressiveness of the cancer, the dog's pain tolerance and just plain dumb luck.
Here's hoping that luck is with you and your baby.
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By the time Argus had to go to the bridge I was giving him 16 50mg Tramadol per day (in addition to morphine) with no obvious ill effects. I would call your vet to be sure, but you can probably significantly raise his dose.
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It took Raven a long time to relax enough to play with toys, but once she did... look out! She prefers to play with people and other dogs, though. Argus had to be taught how to play with toys and mostly preferred snuggling with them... and he was kind of a socially awkward boy with other dogs.
Tiny loves to play with Raven but doesn't know how to be gentle so she doesn't encourage him. I know that he plays with stuffies because I hear him squeaking them, and a couple of times I've even caught him on camera, but he's shy about it. If he realizes that someone is watching him play with a toy, he will usually drop it. The few exceptions have been when he's so excited that he just can't stop squeaking the toy, even when I come into the room. A great big exception is his basketball, which he will go crazy for even with an audience. Just can't resist, I guess. He too will probably relax. Neither of them play for more than a few minutes a day, but when they do they really enjoy it.Don't worry about it. It may come with time and familiarity... or it may just not be her style. Not all dogs understand or like toys.
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It really is a total crap shoot as to how much time you can expect. I've known a grey who was "given" 6 weeks and was still around 18 months later. My vet told me Argus had maybe 4 months and he was gone 2 weeks later. I think it very much depends on the individual dog and how well they tolerate pain/how well you are able to manage the pain. Argus had a very low pain threshold and I was unable to keep him comfortable even with enough narcotics to bowl over an elephant. Like your pup, the cancer was in his lungs and he was not a candidate for amputation.
I'm sorry for you and for Pebbles, and hope that you have many more pain-free and happy days together.
ETA: Recently found out that the hound that made it for much longer than expected was on an herb called Arteminisin. Do a search for it on the board and you'll find out a lot about it.
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Snowman sounds like one tough cookie.
Give that boy a hug from our pack.
We suspect he fell on the laminate floor, which is slicker than snot, and twisted/banged his elbow. I also just happened to notice something while we were waiting. Tiny got tired and flopped out on the tile floor, showing me his underbelly. I saw some thick white discharge coming from his penis which I hadn't noticed before. Turns out he also had a UTI, poor guy. It was just dumb luck that I saw this before he licked it away and while we were already in the vet's office. Otherwise he might have been uncomfortable for a while longer. He's now on Rimadyl for the elbow and amoxicillin for the UTI.
from South Dakota. You just missed the tornadoes! Did you get to see Crazy Horse? It's a stone's throw from Mount Rushmore and even more spectacular.
Big Scare With Mr. Tiny Today
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
They are fond of Wendy's hamburgers, hold the bun, hold the condiments. They haven't learned to savor the experience, though. Those patties disappear right quick.