Sighthounds4me

I use it all the time. A few drops, even used neat (meaning undiluted), is not going to cause a major problem, despite what some sources say. It does help to ude a carrier oil, though. There are several you can use, all widely available (often in the grocery store!): grapeseed, sweet almond, and olive oils are some of the most popular, and easy to find. But injesting a small amount should not cause problems, though I have never used it on a small dog (haveing always had big dogs). One caution, though, because it is so strong smelling, it is often very offensive to animals. My Manero goes bonkers when he smells it, so if I apply it to myself for any reason, I am very careful about going near him. But when he had a foot injury a few years ago, he would not leave the bandages alone. I tried several things, none of which worked. So I diluted 10 drops of tea tree oil in a HUGE bottle of water, and sprayed that on his foot. The stuff tastes NASTY, so I figured, that would deter him. He about went through the roof, he hated it so much! I had to re-bandage him! I am surprised he forgave me! But I have found that it really helps in healing all sorts of minor wounds, as well as working as a topical antibiotic.

What about a waterless shampoo? I like the idea of alcohol-free wipes, too, whether adult wipes or baby wipes.

I would imagine that alow is safe. I don't know fror sure, though. But I can tell you that vitamin E oil is safe, and works wonders. I use it on my own dry, cracked skin (bad at this time of the year!), and it's not only very soothing, but it helps heal, and prevent scarring. It's affordable, too - I have seen it at the dollar store!

Eek! I had to deal with this with my own skin after recent injuries! Even paper tape ripped the HE77 out of my skin! I found that marinating in baby oil really helped loosen the adhesive, but I had to marinate for several minutes. If I had any resistance at all, I was concerned that the skin would rip (literally - I am THAT sensitive), so I'd apply more oil. I had to do this every day, because I needed to apply topical antibiotics while the sutures were in. It was NOT FUN! Thankfully, I could use less irritating band-aids once the sutures were out, and now I am healed enough that I use nothing. But it was NOT GOOD for a while - I had major bruising, then the skin irritation besides. I looked like an abuse victim! *ETA: I would also place his muzzle on him. Even the sweetest, gentlest dogs can/will bite if in pain. I did not need a muzzle, however.

Can't help you with the liquid, but Hair of the Dog is available in 9# containers. It is a powder, though. I have never tried anything that works better...

I've actually been told not to use it with Greys, because of potential stomach upset. I have used it, with no tummy problems, but no longer do. Instead, we do melatonin (2 - 3 300 mg tablets) or chamomile (two capsules, but I don't recall the strength).

We had Naples' dew claws removed this spring. She had torn them slightly on a couple occassions in the past, because when she runs, she means business. Those times, though, the tears were not bad, so we applied EMT gel, and wrapped them for a couple days, and she was fine. But in spring, on a Saturday, she was out running, and came up limping. I suspected a strain or sprain, because this was the first good run of the year. Then I saw her dew claw - it was not just torn, but also dislocated. She did not show a ton of pain at that point, so DH and I took her inside, and I set about bandaging her up. Thank goodness I opted to leave her muzzle on! Poor girl definitely showed pain as I went to wrap her - she did try to bite me! So I called the vet, and scheduled her for a dental and dew claws the following Monday. She came through with flying colors. I am told that dew claw removal is a very painful recovery for adult dogs (told this by a vet friend, who suggested not doing it for human convenience, because of the pain). Naples did not seem to be very painful after a day or two. We were sent home with Rimadyl, but I had asked if we HAD to give it. The tech looked at me, with a knowing look - "Oh, she's one of THOSE, huh?" Yup - within reason, I WANT her to feel pain, so she knows her limits! They said no, if she does not seem too painful, she does not need the pain meds. Good thing! Even though we leash-walked her till a few days after the sutures came out, she kept trying to run! So, though I have been told dew claw removal is painful, and I would certainly think it should be, Naples showed few signs of pain. But then, little stops her... *ETA: Unless there is a different reason for the general anesthesia (like a dental), or an injusry, I would NOT recommend general anesthesia for just this reason. Too risky - combine procedures whenever possible!

I wouldn't think it would require a vet visit, unles it is especially deep. But I have not seen it, so I can't tell you. I would definitely put some Bag Balm or triple antibiotic on it, and cover it with a sock. Yes, he may remove the whole works, but he may not. To make it less likely, you can place duct tape on the bottom of a kennel muzzle, and put that on him, too...

Honestly, I think if a dog has good quality of life for a substantial period of time after an amputation, that's a good thing. What I mean is, if the dog lives 1 - 2 years after the amp, and make it through the recovery period, that's good enough for me. One example that I have of NOT amputating is our Gunnar. He was diagnosed with bone cancer at 11 years old. He was frail enough at that time that we decided to not even move forward with a biopsy, much less an amputation. We did not think his quality of life would be good enough for a long enough period of time to put him through the recovery. So we chose to medicate for the pain, and love him as long as we could. We had him with us another 4 months, before he had a really rough couple of days. He was in more pain than he had been, and was obviously uncomfortable, so we euthanised him in his favorite sunny spot in our living room, surrounded by his people. My point is that if I felt that a dog could have a good quality of life, for even 6 months after the recovery, I would consider an amputation. But if I did not think my dog could handle it, I would not do it. I know that did not answer your questions, Elciyon, but it's the best I can do! Welcome to Greytalk!

I know when Gunnar was diagnosed with bone cancer, we had him on Hair of the Dog (link in my siggy). We never had a biopsy done, or an amp, because it would not have changed how we treated him. But, based on the location, and it's aggressiveness, I do think it was osteo. I truly believe, to this day, that the HOTD (and pain meds, of course) is what gave him his remaining quality of life. He remained as healthy as he could have been, and was almost like a puppy! He was seeking attention like always and was happy to the end. He ate well (for him) too. I would look into this product. And remember, "Doc" is a vet, and can answer questions, if you have some. Just send an email to the address in the link!

No limping today! Looks like the prayers are working, THANKS! So I think we are going to keep on keeping on - I will hold off on the vet, and keep leash walking, and see what happens. I'm thinking she strained something, so I think we'll wait and see...

I have always found that probiotics and Pepcid AC really help the stomach and gut when a dog is on antibiotics. One Pepcid every day, and probiotics about an hour after the meds really seem to help. Also, feeding separately will help you know how well she's eating.

I'm going to call and make a vet appointment tomorrow, but a few prayers in the meantime would be appreciated. She's been licking at her right front foot for a little while now. We have these nasty little sand burrs all over our yard, and they get stuck to EVERYTING, so of course, that was my first suspicion. I have checked very thoroughly several times, and have found nothing. No burrs, no wounds, everything on the surface looks and feels healthy. But still, she's limoing. She's not letting it stop her, so we will have to leash-walk her in the yard, to prevent her hurting herself more. But, based on where she's licking, I think it's a foot or wrist problem, so I am thinking we are not dealing with the "C" word. But DH thinks she's losing weight. I see that she's lost some, but not any more than she usually loses at this time of the year. She LOVES to run like an idiot, and in the cooler weather of fall, she does! So she loses weight, because of increased activity. We never realize it till we can see it, and then we increase her food. I think that's all it is this time, too, but DH is unsure. So, like I said, we will make an appointment for as soon as we can get in.

Oatmeal shampoos do work. But the problem is, you really have to let any shampoo sit on the skin for several minutes for them to do any good. Simply working into a lather, and rinsing off immediately won't do it. I don't think Lucy would enjoy that! I usually also use a Zoom Groom (like a rubber curry brush), and really work the shampoo into the skin. My dogs love that part - it feels like a massage! I would also recommend trying a shampoo with Neem in it. Neem is a natural essential oil that is very good at soothing irritated skin. It has a strong odor (kinda medicinal), but it really works. There are a few on the market, but you may need to order them - I have not seen them in big box stores. You can also try a tar and sulfa based shampoo. They usually stink to high heaven, and look nasty (they are dark, often almost black), but they DO WORK. However, it is often recommended that they be used daily. I doubt Lucy will like this! You would also want to follow with a good remoisturizing conditioner. Again, this needs to sit on the skin for several minutes, because that's the only way to get it to work well. I also follow with a spray leave-on conditioner, again to help re-moisturize the skin, and thus further prevent itching. I spray heavily, and massage into the skin. Check this link for Nature's Specialties products (my favorites!), which include the Neem shampoo, a Tar Sulfa shampoo, and an oatmeal shampoo and conditioner: http://www.ivory-s.com/products/naturesspecialties/index.htm Oh shoot! I see now that this website only ships to certain locations... Well, you'll get info from this site, and I will keep searching to see if I can find more info. Nature's Specialties' website is down right now, for construction, otherwise they have a number to call, so you can find a dealer near you. **ETA: I found a few of these products for sale at CBS' store, of all places. Don't let the prices deter you. These products are concentrated, and dilute down like crazy, so they are far less expensive than you think.

Cooper does this to himself all the time. He likes to run onto the deck, at top speed, and sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide to a stop just short of the glass patio door. He abrades his pads as a result. The first time he did it, I dissolved Epsom salts in lukewarm water, and soaked his feet for a few minutes a day. Then I dried them, and applied a moisturizer (does not need to be medicated, but can be. Bg Balm works really well for this). Since then, we have had fewer problems, because his pads have toughened up.

Yup - had similar comments to that from our usual vet - VERY Grey-savvy.

Yes. They are in place to tie back the tubes and blood vessels that went to the testicles. Gotta leave 'em in, unless he was to have more surgery, and that's pointless. The ligating clips are very similar to heavy-duty staples.

I would get some foam pipe insulation, a hair curler, or a syrine with the plunger removed, and wrap it, if she wags a lot. And make sure you wrap for at least a week after you think it's healed, just to make sure. Tails can be a real PITA to heal, and their low blood supply makes it tougher. Sometimes a small, nondescript wound can result in a lot of trouble.

I find pie pans work well for this. I use an old one that I don't use for anything else. But a disposable aluminum pan would work well, too.

So this docs blend is a dog food? Abe has some serious tummy troubles and I just found him a food that he can tolerate so I hate to switch it. It's Nutro Natural Choice herring meal and potato for sensitive stomachs. It says it has omega 3 and 6 in it as well. His coat is really nice and shiny... only gets flaky when we go out and he may be a little stressed. I wonder if this will help hair growth. He's only on it a few days at full feeding. It's taken about 4 weeks to do the switch though. Yep, I'm laughing all right! I LOVE HOTD, and can't say enough about it! NHNora pretty much covered it, so I won't say anything more about the product, other than to answer the question above: it's not a food, but a supplement. You'll add it to the food you have him on. For a dog the size of a Greyhound, you'd give him about a tablespoon a day. You can safely double the dose if you desire. Oh, one other thing, do not expect an overnight response to this product. Because it works from the inside out, it can take about 4-6 weeks to see results. But the beauty is, it contributes greatly to the overall health of the dog, so you'll see a more healthy dog overall. But it does help coat growth, I can certainly attest to that. I usually have Manero on a double dose when we are actively showing him, and trust me, if he's out of coat when we start doubling the dose, he's back in within a couple weeks! But they have changed packaging. They still have the buckets that they started with, but to save shipping, they have also started using vacuum-sealed bags. In addition, you can email the manufacturers, and give them your zip code, so they can figure your shipping costs. Often, it saves money, vs. what's listed on the website.

OH, DUH! Now that you all mention it, she had a dental at the same time as her dew claws. She was sent home with the Rimadyl, and DUH clindamycin! I'm a dork!

I just use a shedding blade, designed for horses. I do brush outside, though, so I have nothing to clean up!

Naples had her dewclaws removed in spring, after tearing/dislocating one. She was sent home with 75 mg tabs of Rimadyl, but we only gave her a couple, because she did not need much. So we have some left over (a good thing, if you ask me - hopefully we won't need it for anyone, but it's on hand in case. Right now she's on 750 mg of clindamycin, twice a day for a vaginal infection. She has a painful toe (I'm guessing arthritis, due to her age, and the fact that I feel no inflammation or swelling). She's limping a *little*, but still running as normal. So we are keeping an eye on it for now. But my question is, if her pain gets worse, is it okay to give her Rimadyl, while she's on the clindamycin, so she can have some pain relief before we get her to a vet for a check up? I can't imagine we will need the pain med, and I can't imagine it would be a problem, but I want to be sure...

Can you separate them during the day? Baby gate one in one room, the other in another room, and wherever the pee is, you have your answer.

I think I would take the wait-and-see approach myself. Wait a day or two, wathing closely, and if it gets worse or does not get better, to the vet he goes.