Sighthounds4me

I don't clean Naples' ears often, because it just is not normally necessary here. But I check often, and clean after monthly baths with the hairy beasts.

Sara, I did not see this before now. I will pray for you and Buddy! I know how much you love him, and it hurts to see you hurting!

Well, he's drinking water like crazy (normal for him), and currently draping himself across my foot, in between nosing around like a dork. IOW, he's acting perfectly normal! No swelling, either. Perhaps he was barking, trying to get his uncle to play!

I think he just got stung. He barked, then I saw something fly away from him. He could have been barking to get Cooper to play with him, too, I don't know. But I figured the Benadryl can't hurt, even if he was not stung.

I think the Henley got a bee. I do not see a stinger, so I gave him a Benadryl, and we will be keeping an eye on him. Any other thoughts?

Naples' vet and staff are amazing! The staff always remembers us, and asks about the Borzoi and the cat, even thought they go to a different vet. They are just fantastic people. There is also very little turnover, at least among the staff we all see. I have seen additions to the staff, but few, if any, losses. That says a lot to me! The trouble is the distance from home. We are willing to do it for Naples, because of her issues. But in the future, we will go more locally. They seem very good too, but we have only been there once or twice.

In a book on SA from Patricia McConnell, PhD (the book is called "I'll be Home Soon"), shw states that Acepromazine does nothing but immobilize the dog.It does not treat the root cause of the anxiety, but makes the dog unable to do anything about it. So, the dog still panics when the owner leaves, but is immobile. Better drugs are amitrityline (brand name Elavil) or clomipramine (brand name Clomicalm). They help the anxiety, snd do not immobilize the dog (though they do cause drowsiness).

I use a curry comb and a shedding blade, both available for horses. Just be careful with the blade...it can and will cut the skin if you apply too much pressure. And keep brushing sessions short, so as not to irritate the skin too much.

This is exactly the reason I bought a flexi without the "piano wire." Mine is the one with all nylon belt. I only bought it when Manero was healing from foot surgery (due to an injury), and had to be leash walked. He had never learned to potty on leash, so I wanted to give him more privacy. Comes in handy when travelling for dog shows too - works when no one else is around, like at the hotel. Sorry to hear of your trouble! Hope Anubis heals well and quickly. And if you ever see the guy again, make sire you mention to him what happened!

We had Naples' dew claws removed last year during her dental. I had always been told that it is very painful, like removing a toe. But she had broken one, and it was not the first time, so we opted to do it. She was a little painful the first day or so, but after that, it was a GOOD THING we leash-walked her in the yard! The girl wanted to RUN! When I picked her up, the vet tech gave me Rimadyl. I asked her, "Do I HAVE to give it to her," knowing it has anti-inflammatory properties. She gave me a knowing look and said, "I have a Lab like that!" All in all, I believe that dew-claw removal is painful. For Naples, it barely put a dent in her acivity, but she feel no pain. Ever. I don't think I would have it removed unless there is a good reason (like breakage.).

Most dogs blow coat twice a year, spring and fall. My front yard looks like a dog exploded in it, because I groomed and bathed two of the hairies yesterday. And they are still losing a ton! It's normal, not to worry!

I did not read through all the replies. But I want to say, if you have a dog with a life-threatening problem, just show up, and DEMAND treatment! if they turn you away at that point, well, put it this way, I would get UGLY on them. I mean UGLY. I won't hijack, but I have a little experience with a situation like this. The injury my dog had was not life-threatening, and it was during normal office hours. I showed up at the nearest vet clinic, where I was not a client, and they treated me like crap. I can give you more details, but like I said, I do not want to hijack. Put it this way, they are lucky I was in a hurry to get out of there, or they'd have had to deal with me being really nasty!

Anything with Permethrin is NOT safe for sighthounds or cats! For more info, please check these sites: http://www.hartzkills.org/ http://www.hartzvictims.org/ By the way, when applying Frontline, Advantage or other safe spot-ons, make sure you wait at least 24 hours after a bath. The bath will strip the skin's natural oils, which the products need to travel on the body. You need to let the oils build back up.

My Borzoi actually do better in the heat than the Greyhound does. Though, if you ask Manero, he'll argue. He's a bit of a princess. Cooper and Indigo love to play though! They all prefer the cold, though, even Naples!

I've usually had very good luck with Omaha Vaccine. I also have good luck with KV Vet Supply and Pet Edge, too, depending on what I want/need. Those three are the ones I always check first, and compare. I usually get good prices with many dog show vendors, too, but none of them are online...

Hugs to you, Deanna! I'm still so sad for you!

As soon as I saw that locked thread, I was afraid! I HATE seeing that! I am so soory for you!

Diotomaceuous earth? You should be able to find it at any garden supply store.

After you dilute it, you apply it to the wound. EMT gel can be found in a number of places. Most pet supply catalogs have it. (some of my favorites include Pet Edge, Pet Supplies Delivered, and KV Vet Supply). I get it at a farm supply store. For a long time, I could only find it in the horse and cattle sections, but they have recently been stocking it in the pet section too.

EMT gel is likely to work, because in addition to "sealing" the wound, and encouraging healing, it contains lidocaine. Lidocaine is a topical anesthetic, so it would prevent itching, and hopefully prevent the reason he is licking. The other thing you can try is a product that tastes bad. Bitter Apple is one of the most common, but can be expensive (instead, try apple cider vinegar!). And, it has been my experience that most dogs may be deterred at first, but the stuff does not taste bad enough for them to stop licking after a couple days. And, I swear some dogs even think of it as a condiment! I like tea tree oil. It tastes TERRIBLE, and is a natural antibiotic. It also helps heal. A drop or two, diluted in about a cup of water can be enough to deter a dog. HOWEVER, you do have to dilute it, because it can cause some stomach upset if injested. And, some dogs hate it so much that they cannot even be in the same room with it. My Manero is one like that. When he injured his foot sa few years ago, I tried tea tree oil. It made him so crazy! I felt so bad. He would pace and pant, and just HATED it! Even these days, if I put some on a wound on myself, I keep him away from me till it dries...he can't stand it!

For future referrence, I have heard cotton balls soaked in something yummy work as well as bread. Broth, milk, gravy, whatever...

Yes. Interceptor does kill them, but it does not stay in the dog's body the entire month. More like a couple days after the dosage is given. So if the dog is exposed after the dose is done working, she will run the chance of getting hooks. In addition, I would not rely of Interceptor to treat, if it is confirmed that she has them. It's fine do do if there is no confirmed case (like a monthly wormer), but not if she has them. In that case, you need three days of Panacur, three days again in three weeks, then three days again in another three weeks. Then test again. Hooks can be ridiculously tough to get rid of. But the good news is that Panacur is not that expensive, nor should the fecal float be.

The first thing I would do is rule out medical issues. Have her tested for a UTI. If that's what it is, it can be very tough to hold it, because it literally burns (ever have a bladder infection? You'd understand!). If that is not the problem, I would not automatically jump to SA. True SA is a panicked dog, who is frightened that you will never come back to her. This is often manifested by a dog that fights to get out of the crate (or out of the house if not crated), who often drools a lake because of the panic. In fact, many dogs with SA do not mess in their crates. We had a non-Grey foster at one time that had what I would call a moderate case of SA. He tried to escape his crate, shredded the crate pan and bedding, and drooled a lake. He rarely had an accident though. In that case, you'll want to work on desensitization. I recommend a book called I'll Be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell, PhD. Not only does she give recommendations, but she explains what SA is, and what it IS NOT. If this is not SA, I can tell you, I have been there. What we have found for Naples is that she needs an extra potty break before we leave for work in the morning. We have to MAKE SURE she goes, because often, she will become distracted, and not go. In that case, when she needs to go while we are not home, she will. She does not care about being dirty. It took us a while to learn this about her, and really see her cues, but we have gotten there. And now, she is reliable most of the time (I don't want to jinx it, though!). Best of luck!

I would push at the vet. I don't like that answer. If you are seeing blood, it does not matter if the dog is not reacting...there is SOMETHING going on there! Many sighthounds are very stoic when it comes to pain/being uncomfortable. They just don't show it easily. So the fact that he is not showing signs of pain means nothing to me. I would make an appointment, whether the vet wants to or not. No, I'm sure he does not *want* to do it. Too bad...it's his job!

Naples hurt a toe once, and bled like that. I used LOTS of Quik Stop, and finally got the bleeding stopped. I almost resorted to super glue! But for Naples, I bandaged the foot loosely, just because the cut was in a spot that touched the ground, and I did not want it opening back up. For your girlie, I would do exactly what you did: get the bleeding stopped, clean it up, and apply EMT gel, then keep an eye on it. I should think she'll be just fine!