What Could Be Wrong?

[Guest Laura76]

Hi All,

 

Haven't been to Grey talk in a few years, so I signed back! My reason for posting is I need some advice. I have 4 dogs...2 Greyhounds and 2 Italian Greyhounds. My only female, Zoey my soon to be 7 year old greyhound is showing some VERY odd behaviors. About a month or two ago, she started to refuse any hard biscuit treats. Soon after that she wouldn't take the soft junk food type treats. No, it is any and all dog treats. She refuses all of them. She used to just take them and hoard them, but she won't even do that. When I toss one to her, she acts like she is having trouble picking it up off the floor and when I pick it up for her, she walks away from it.

 

Soon after that, she starts SCREAMING, really loudly at any given time for NO reason. I will go over to her, pat her down, and touch her everywhere to see if she is in any pain and she doesn't flinch. She seems tottally fine. Other than her rancid breath she seems perfectly fine. She eats like normal, will chase everyone around outside, drinks and poops like normal. She does seem very sad lately and doesn't seem happy. Always seems like she is hanging her head and is sad.

 

I am not sure what to think here. She is not the same Zoey as she was last year. I thoughtmaybe it was the winter blues, but here in New England it is getting nicer out and is still sad. Even become kind of bitchy lately. Wants no attention and only once in a blue moon will she come over to be petted.

 

I want people here to be honest with me. Can my sweet baby girl be developing bone cancer and her screaming is due to bone pain and not muscle pain?

 

Thank You everyone for reading and replying honestly to me. We will be going to the vet, but before we go, I want to know what I could possibly be up against.

 

Thanks!

~Laura in NH

 

[Batmom]

Need to get to the vet ASAP! Could be a tooth problem but could be anything. I wouldn't wait any longer to have your dog seen.

[Burpdog]

Since she has been off so long, I'd get her to the vet asap. Sounds like a bad tooth (teeth).

 

Sending prayers.

[Guest Ola]

Agreed with tooth problems. The rancid breath and refusal to eat crunch things are the first indicators. I'd get her to the vet asap, if there's an infection it could spread and cause a lot of problems!

[FountainLady]

Please get her to the vet and have her teeth checked ..... Have you ever had a tooth ache ?---- omg - it is a type of pain that you can't ignore.

 

Do not delay -please take her today.

 

 

[Guest HeatherDemps]

I agree- sounds like teeth or mouth problems, especially given that her breath is bad.

[silverfish]

Your dog isn't screaming for no reason - there is something bothering her! I'd guess at neck pain, since she screams apparently at random. Do you feed her in a raised dish? Is treat time the only time she has to pick something up off the floor?

 

It could still be a bad tooth, but neck pain can result in a dog refusing to bite something hard, because when they bite down, the neck muscles are involved and can put stress on - for instance - an out-of-alignment disc in the neck.

 

I'd get her seen ASAP if she were mine, and just tell the vet all you've just told us.

[Guest lizmego]

Rancid breath = tooth/teeth problem. Probably won't take the hard treat because it hurts her to chew it. Our Effee, age 11, had terrible teeth and gums about 3 years ago and would not eat her morning meal, I think, due to it being painful for her. and we soak her kibble in water. Once her bad teeth were extracted, she was like a new dog! Eating well, more energy. Effee only has 3 teeth left in her mouth so she only gets soaked kibble and soft treats now.

 

Even if your pup's teeth look pearly white, she may have really red gums or infections in the root or gum pockets of the teeth. An infection is usually what creates the awful rancid smell in their mouth.

[Guest greytexplorer]

Take her to the vet NOW. Agree with teeth issues. Sounds like she needs a general checkup and a tooth cleaning.

A really GOOD teeth cleaning.

Please let us know what the vet says.

Hugs to you and your pup!

 

~Pat

[CaliforniaGreys]

Another vote for the vet asap. Dogs sure don't scream for no reason. I would have her teeth checked, and her hesitation to pick up a treat and her hanging her head down could very well be a neck problem. One of my boys started hanging his head down, almost to the floor and that's how I found out he had the bone spurs. Please don't hesitate and take her in. And please keep us posted

[MerlinsMum]

I'm in agreement with everyone above - please do let us know how things go!

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

First thing I thought of before reading about her rancid breath is that she has something wrong with her teeth or gums. I would take her immediately to the vet to see if she needs a dental and possibly some teeth removed.

 

[RobinM]

Dogs don't scream for "no reason". A vet visit is in order, sooner rather than later.

[Guest vahoundlover]

Another vote for the vet ASAP!

[CaliforniaGreys]

Just checking in, I'm concerned about Zoey

[patricia]

Checking in for an update.

[Guest Laura76]

Our appointment is for Friday. I couldn't get the day off any sooner. Thank you everyone for your support. Please don't think I have been avoiding this. I know the screaming thing is for a reason, but I am not sure it is a teeth issue since her breath has ALWAYS been bad, even the day I got her after her dental.

 

Thank you again for the support!!

 

~Laura and Zoey....

 

 

 

[CaliforniaGreys]

For Zoey

[Guest jurishound]

Good luck, Laura - fingers and paws crossed for Zoey --

Edited April 15, 2008 by jurishound

[RobinM]

Friday? did you tell them your pup was "Screaming"?? If so and they said you had to wait till Friday, I would have 1) either brought her in and demanded she be seen immediately or 2) found an new vet VERY quickly...

 

unless of course the screaming has stopped.

[Rickiesmom]

What group did you adopt from? Perhaps they could help by either taking her to their vet or recommending one to you. Please look into that and let us know the outcome.

[seeh2o]

I'd guess it's a tooth problem, too. Even the screaming when her head is down could be the tooth/gum throbbing when her head goes down and pressure is applied to it. I know when I had a toothache the last thing I wanted to do was lean my head onto the side with the pain.

[Guest Laura76]

Well, the vet could see me sooner, but I couldn't get time off sooner. she yelps once maybe twice a day. it is not a constant scream. I would NEVER let her suffer like that. Last night she didn't make a peep. She was running inthe yard, playing with the other dogs and having a blast. Ate her foo dlike normal, etc. I will let everyone know when we are done on Friday. We go to the vet our gryhound group goes to. it is a 45 minute drive up in northern NH, but it is worth it as they are greyhound experts.

 

I hope to god it is just a tooth issue and NOTHING else. Is extracting teeth expensive? I have had her have cleanings before, but never an extraction. If my mind serves me correctly, it is like 75.00-100.00 per tooth correct?

 

Thanks again for ALL your kind words!!

 

~Laura

[CaliforniaGreys]

Well, the vet could see me sooner, but I couldn't get time off sooner. she yelps once maybe twice a day. it is not a constant scream. I would NEVER let her suffer like that. Last night she didn't make a peep. She was running inthe yard, playing with the other dogs and having a blast. Ate her foo dlike normal, etc. I will let everyone know when we are done on Friday. We go to the vet our gryhound group goes to. it is a 45 minute drive up in northern NH, but it is worth it as they are greyhound experts.

 

I hope to god it is just a tooth issue and NOTHING else. Is extracting teeth expensive? I have had her have cleanings before, but never an extraction. If my mind serves me correctly, it is like 75.00-100.00 per tooth correct?

 

Thanks again for ALL your kind words!!

 

~Laura

Laura, extractions aren't that expensive. Vets are high here and extractions are 25.00 per tooth. Good luck tomorrow, we'll be thinking about you

[turbotaina]

I hope to god it is just a tooth issue and NOTHING else. Is extracting teeth expensive? I have had her have cleanings before, but never an extraction. If my mind serves me correctly, it is like 75.00-100.00 per tooth correct?

 

Extractions at many vets are based on difficulty of removal. I think at my vet, the canines were about $50 (we had a foster that had to have 12 teeth extracted, including canines, due to crate chewing while he was at the track). Probably the most you'd pay for a very difficult and surgical extraction would be $75 (and that would be at a pricey vet).

 

Have the vet take x-rays ahead of time if they weren't planning on doing it already. There could be something going on there that's not visible on regular examination.