Sighthounds4me

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I would try an Omega fatty acid supplement. It will help the quality of the skin, as well as regrowth of hair. My suggestion is Hair of the Dog, by Doc's blend: www.docsblend.com I don't know where you are located, but it would also be worth emailing the manufacturers, and asking about shipping, rather than just going with what's on the website. Now, this is assuming you are feeding a good quality food, whether raw or commercial.

Greyt news, and continued prayers from us!

OMG, I am just seeing this now!! You have lots of prayers from me!!!

Oooo...I LIKE this! I could make them taller, and use them to get in and out of the (raised) bathtub that we keep putting off!

With Gunnar, we opted for no surgery. So we do not know for certain that his bone cancer was osteosarcoma. But, based on its aggressiveness, we are all but certain it was osteo. Based on his age, and the fact that he was rather frail at the time of his diagnosis, we opted for no surgery, not even a biopsy. We could not put him through the pain of a biopsy, when knowing what specific cancer he had would not have changed our course of treatment. We discussed with the vet our pain management options. He recommended Piroxicam, which, in some cases could slow the growth of the tumor. However, we did not find it early enough, so it did not slow the growth for Gunnar. It did give him many pain-free days, though, and he found his puppyhood again! We took many pictures, and treasured him every day. He never did bear weight on his bad leg again, except accidentally. And if he did, he screamed in pain. But he still had his fantastic spirit to the end. He was diagnosed in mid-July 2004, and died the Sunday before Thanksgiving. That Saturday, we had a meet and greet for our adoption group, and he desperately wanted to go. He insisted on being brushed as I did Naples, so I obliged him. It was then that I noticed the mass in his mouth. I'm sure it was a metastasis of the cancer. (We did not take him to the M&G - he was too fragile and weak, and we WOULD NOT risk a fracture). That night, he was restless. He could not get comfortable to sleep, and was drinking lots of water. We knew it was time. The next day, our Borzois' breeder, a vet, came to our home, and euthanized him in our arms, in his favorite sunny spot in the living room. We both miss him terribly, because we had such a short time with him. We had adopted him just before his 9th birthday, and he had just turned 11 in June of that year. But neither of us would change it for the world. Gunnar brought us so much joy, and he will never be forgotten.

Even if he tested negative for hookworms, it's possible he has them. They are notoriously difficult to detect. I would treat him as if he has hooks.

Looks like an ad for a book to me! Now, I am not saying that I advocate feeding dogs crap. However, one should do the research from sources not biased to their own agenda. My biggest reason for not feeding my dogs a food that contains "meat" or "meat meal" or "meat byproducts" is that I have no idea what they are. Are they getting chicken, pork, beef, road-killed skunks? And how much does it vary from batch to batch? no thanks! I want to KNOW what I am feeding my dogs!

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss! I have no advice other than what has already been posted. I have always had luck with Nature's Miracle, but the spots I have used it on were not large: just a few small spots of carpet from a minor foot injury.

Robin, I am so sorry...

I've never had much luck with taking a dog in for a cut/tear in the webbing between the toes. Even when I've had it stitched the stitches tear out within a day and we're in the same place we started from. Now when I see that I just clean it well and wrap it for a week or so. Good point. I was thinking of that one, having had no experience with it. But it was the first example tht came to mind... um, how 'bout the "armpit" as an example of a place that moves a lot?

I agree with those above: some cuts very obviously need veterinary attention, some obviously do not. It really depends, also on how painful the dog is. Naples tore dewclaws on several occasions, but she was never painful, or lost a lot of blood till the last one. And even then, she did not bleed much. But the nail was obviously dislocated, and VERY painful for her (had I not muzzled her, she'd have bitten me: VERY uncharacteristic for her!). So she needed veterinary attention. She has been dewclaw free for over a year now. And when Manero (non-Grey) cut his foot, I initially did not think it was too bad. I wrapped it tightly, and rested him for an hour, and when I removed the wrap, I found out in a hurry that there was arterial involvement. He ended up needing surgery. But we have had many cuts and abrasions here that have required little more than antibiotic ointments and vet wrap (at most). Many more simply needed healing time. Like the time Cooper opened up a hole on top of his muzzle: we had just moved unto the new house, and he did not see the fence: ran right into it. I had to run to the drug store for supplies, because we did not know which box our stuff was in! He was fine. A little cleanup, and watching for a few days, and we had no trouble. But as said, so much depends on where the wound is, and what the size is. If the wound is arge (larger than a nickel, say), and/or in a spot that moves a lit (like the webbing between the toes), I would get the dog in. But if it's something you'd be unlikely to see a doctor for on yourself, you are probably safe to treat it yourself on your dog, too. *Edited to add: if you have ANY doubts, get thee to a vet. Better to be overprotective, than not protective enough!

What we do here: at all times, a narrow (I'm talking 5/8" wide) nylon buckle collar is on them for tags. These are kept very loose. For walks or other outing, we put on the martingales. I typically use martingales lined with satin, to prevent rubbing. I have never had a problem with hair loss, not even on the hairy hounds!

What about stones or crystals?

I was gonna suggest slippery elm. Glad to see someone ele did. Best of luck! I was gonna suggest slippery elm. Glad to see someone ele did. Best of luck!

i give them tap water. should i be giving them bottled water? Bottled drinking water was suggested when Naples was having UTI problems. The theory is that impurities are what cause the problems, and there are fewer impurities, thanks to the filtering. My vet told me that we could do the gallons of drinking water from the grocery store, rather than spend a ton on cases of bottles. BUT, I believe you'd be able to do just as well if you have a charcoal filter, like Pur or Britta. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, though!

I talked to a friend yesterday, who told me her Great Dane Hamlet passed away a week before. He was her heart dog. She would not even let me hug her, because she knew she'd start crying again. So I cried for her instead! Hamlet was 9 years, and five days old. In true Hamlet fashion, he had to wait till he was at least 9 years old. He had a procedure done on his tail a few weeks before, and Nancy had told him that if he needed to go then, she'd understand. He had to wait. Then, he bloated, and rather than put him through the surgery, she elected to end his pain. She felt it was the best thing she could do for him, after all he'd done for her. Please say a prayer for her. She's having a tough time.

When we did straight racing with a friends' Whippet, we used a heavy duty medical tape (I don't recall the name of it). We taped semi-loosely, from just above the large pad on the front foot, to just above where the dew claw would be (his have been removed). In his case, I think it was overkill, because the ground was never very hard, but the owner wanted us to do it, so we did. But, if the ground is dry and hard, wrapping is likely a good thing to do, especially with Greyhounds and Whippets. Coated breeds' skin tends to be thicker, because it needs to be to support the coat. Therefore, you don't see the same type of problems with torn pads. By the way, if you plan to course your dog, I HIGHLY recommend the book Sighthounds Afield by Denise Como (if you want an ISBN, I can get one - I have a copy, but it's not handy). It gives info on taping, first-aid, conditioning, dangers to watch for, and the like. It is SO GOSH-DARN informative!

I think most traumas to the pads will cause a spot like that. I believe it is just an area where the pigment is lighter, as a result of the trauma.

Wow. Just wow. I will censor my thoughts for the *woman* and her dog, and simply say that you and Diamond have my prayers and love. I pray for Diamond's quick and complete recovery, and for your peace of mind. Best of luck as you persue this...

Is there a drain in place? That should help control infection. Otherwise, all I can offer is prayers and good wishes! Zoe has them!

Any updates?

Honestly, I am not a fan of those "cool coats" that are made of terry cloth. The way to use them is to soak them in water, then put them on the dog. But here's the thing - to effectively cool a dog, the water would need to evaporate off the dog's skin. If the terry cloth is in the way, this is not going to happen. Go ahead and slip your hand under the terry cloth after your dog has been wearing it a bit. It's pretty warm in there! Better to simply soak the dog down periodically, provide cold water and/or ice cubes to drink, and leave it at that.

I think I would show them the pictures, and ask if they know how this happened. Based on what I am seeing, I have a feeling they did not tell you the whole story! But then again, how/when did she injur her toe? Could this be bruising related to the original injury?

Dandruff is quite common if the dog is blowing coat. Nothing to worry about.