Hurt Nose?

[Guest Cardiffcouple]

Ben is crying out whenever his nose is pushed from the front. Even a tiny bit. I remembered that a few days ago he walked into my leg and cried out. And I mean walked at a slow pace and barely bumped nose on. Yesterday he had a bit of time where he was panting. He never pants so we knew he was in some kind of pain. All else seemed fine. (Well, except for the high blood pressure and kidney failing but that is another subject.) He has been more lethagic than usual (our Ben is not a life-of-the-party kind of guy). He has groaned a bit when getting up and it appears he is slightly uncomfortable while on the way to lying down. Anyway, he cried again this evening so I rubbed his neck and ears and gums all over and nothing. I gently pressed the front of his nose into my thigh and he cried. Can greys hurt their nose like that? It's not crooked at all so it doesn't "look" broken. Has anyone had this happen? Can anyone offer any thoughts? Ben will be 7 in May.

 

Thank you very much!

[Batmom]

Grass seed up his nose? Bad tooth in front?

[Guest verthib]

I would take him to the vet right away. That's not normal.

[Charlies_Dad]

Interesting....sounds like it could be more than the nose that is the issue based on your description. Has he been to the vet recently for a checkup? I'm concerning about the lethargy, discomfort laying down or getting up and his nose too! I guess they could hurt their noses but a simple bump into your leg is not going to cause that. Hate to say 'vet visit' as it's not cheap these days but you know your pup best and if you're noticing changes, then perhaps it would be beneficial.

[Hawthorn]

I would suspect a neck problem and agree about a vet visit.

[Guest Cardiffcouple]

He is going in for blood tests on Sunday. We know that our time with him is shotened by his high blood pressure and failing kidneys. We are going to have the full blood panel and urine test to see how it compares to his last test. His lethargy and slowness in getting up could be attributed to the fact that he is failing. Neither of us wants to believe that yet. We are not ready to let him go. Of course, if it should be time, we will. We have six cedar boxes in our guest room and know we will add more over the years. Hopefully he can be with us longer. We will also have our vet take alook at his nose issue. Prayers for Ben please.

 

Thank you for your responses!

 

 

 

 

Interesting....sounds like it could be more than the nose that is the issue based on your description. Has he been to the vet recently for a checkup? I'm concerning about the lethargy, discomfort laying down or getting up and his nose too! I guess they could hurt their noses but a simple bump into your leg is not going to cause that. Hate to say 'vet visit' as it's not cheap these days but you know your pup best and if you're noticing changes, then perhaps it would be beneficial.

[tbhounds]

Can I assume he's taking medicine to combat the high BP?

Does he have protein in his urine??

[Newgreymom]

What medication is he on for bp and kidney issue??

[Guest Cardiffcouple]

Definite yes to protein in urine. He is on Enalapril as well as 1/2 baby aspirin for dinner. He went from a regular protein food (and the most wonderful poops!) to a very low protein food. Sigh. Back to squirts! (: Out vet did a lot of research on high blood pressure in dogs and said that we only had about 1-2 years. I said, "Are you telling me that we only have 1-2 years before Ben dies?" She said yes. That was about a year ago. Could not believe it. He's only 6-1/2. So we are just enjoying him each day for as long as we have him. He is a very quiet sweet boy who has always kept to himself. Lately he has been coming up to us and resting his head in our lap while we pet him and sing to him. His favorite is "I am Mr Ben" to the tune of Mr. Ed's song, you know, "I am Mr Ed."

 

Sunday he goes in for blood panel at same time as Mercy gets her dental. She has her blood work done tomorrow. We are just going to sign the house over to the vet. (:

[tbhounds]

Is your vet aware that GN appears to be a chronic disease with Ghs as compared to other breeds such as wheatens where the disease advances much quicker???

Is your hounds BP controlled with the enalapril? Current UPC???

[3DogNite]

Cardiffcouple - I'm sorry you are going thru all of this with your boy, he sounds sweet!

 

I dont' know how to pull them up and put on here as a link: maybe someone else can for me/you...

I have posted quite a few threads in H&M about my adventures in Protein Loosing Nephropathy with my boy Lazer.

Last august he died in my back yard, threw a clot/stroke. i revived him and that's began our journey. We found out he had PLN.

we have done several ultrasounds, he's on several prescription meds ~~~ but MOSTLY he is on herbal supplements and essential oils

 

He eats regular kibble, has great poops is HAPPY and BOUNCY boy!!! we walk 2 miles most days and he is asking for more!

 

his blood work has improved!!! and i fully plan to keep him here with me FAR BEYOND THE DIAGNOSED TIME OF 2 YEARS!!!!

I still don't have a great understanding of all the blood values, I'll let the vets figure all that out.... What I do know is that

he is alive and the blood values have improved with the regime of holistic and allopathic treatments.

 

Good luck with Mr. Ben!!! I hope he has a long happy life with you!!

[carronstar]

Lazer's mom - maybe if the thread can't be posted here, the list of herbal supplements and essential oils and their dosages could be posted here and be helpful. I know that I followed Lazer's thread and was very impressed with the miracles that were wrought. It was a hard battle but you sure seem to have won!

 

Cardiff Couple -- Ben sounds like a sweetheart, I am so sorry this is happening. Many prayers and good thoughts for you all.

[Guest Cardiffcouple]

I don't know if she knows. I will ask. I never heard of it so Googled it. Wow. Complicated. I looked at several articles and my head was spinning. It is controlled with the Enalapril. Don't know UPC. Oh yes, he is taking EFAs also. Has a gorgeous coat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is your vet aware that GN appears to be a chronic disease with Ghs as compared to other breeds such as wheatens where the disease advances much quicker???

Is your hounds BP controlled with the enalapril? Current UPC???

[joejoesmom]

I assume he is going to the vets (as opposed to a lab) for the blood tests tomorrow. If so, make sure they examine his nose. As Batmom said, it could be a grass seed or other foreign object that has been inhaled. Does he have any nasal discharge? Any discharge from the eyes? Any bleeding from the nose? Any wheezing? Any sustained sneezing or snorting? In the US there is a weed called a foxtail (a kind of grass actually). Foxtail seeds can cause major problems and actually migrate around the dogs body. I don't know if there is anything like this in Wales (I am assuming you live in Wales because of your user name).

 

As to the stiffness and pain: He seems too young to have this issue, although I guess it is possible that he has some early onset arthritis and/or lumbar stenosis. Has he had a tick panel done? What about testing for a fungal infection. If he is from the US, did he spend anytime at all in the southwest US -- if so, you might want to test for Valley Fever.

 

Lastly, regarding the kidneys. With proper treatment, there are dogs who have had many years of happy life. My Shelby, who is a 50 pound whippet mix, was diagnosed with kidney issues when she was 9. She had a low specific gravity and protein in her urine. A urinary tract infection was ruled out. A protein / creatinine ratio indicated that there indeed was a problem with her kidneys. So she started on a low phosphorus early stage renal diet. I got her blood pressure checked at least 4 times a year, a urinalysis at least twice a year, and bloodwork at least twice a year. At 12 years old, I decided to do an abdominal ultrasound -- no particular reason but her age. Her kidneys did show changes consistent with glomerular nephritis. About 2 years ago her urinalysis showed a progression of the disease and I put her on a kidney diet (low phosphorus, lower protein). Since I don't like the prescription kidney diets, I make food for her. I give her half homemade food and half prescription kibble along with a multivitamin -- this way if I am out of homemade food I can give her 100 percent kibble without gastrointestinal problems.

 

The disease was first identified when she was 9. She is now 15 1/2. So kidney problems don't necessarily mean it is the end. I hope that your boy will have many happy year left, just like my Shelby.

 

Jane

[Guest Cardiffcouple]

Live in California. Cardiff by the Sea is a tiny town a bit north of San Diego. Ben's blood and urine test showed that his levels are starting to drop (sorry, I can't tell you more than that). The vet thinks that coupled with his behavior it is probable that he is in the beginnig stages of his decline. He could live another day or another year. Who knows? We are just hugging him every minute and enjoying him while we can. She also looked up his nose, pushed, prodded, checked ears and eyes and mouth. Nothing. When she pushed on the front of his nose nothing happened. When I did he cried. Maybe he knows that when I push on his nose and he cries I will hug him and smother him with care. He is a very smart boy. He doesn't have any discharge of any kind. We do have foxtails here. The weeds are still green so the foxtails haven't come out yet. When they do we are vigilant about checking all over their bodies to be sure no foxtails hitched a ride while on their walks.

 

Thank you all for your replies. I will let you know how things go.

[Guest madredhare]

My Tom was diagnosed with kidney disease over 4 years ago. He takes enalapril and pepcid twiced a day. We just celebrated his 12th birthday on Saturday.

[joejoesmom]

Live in California. Cardiff by the Sea is a tiny town a bit north of San Diego. Ben's blood and urine test showed that his levels are starting to drop (sorry, I can't tell you more than that). The vet thinks that coupled with his behavior it is probable that he is in the beginnig stages of his decline. He could live another day or another year. Who knows? We are just hugging him every minute and enjoying him while we can. She also looked up his nose, pushed, prodded, checked ears and eyes and mouth. Nothing. When she pushed on the front of his nose nothing happened. When I did he cried. Maybe he knows that when I push on his nose and he cries I will hug him and smother him with care. He is a very smart boy. He doesn't have any discharge of any kind. We do have foxtails here. The weeds are still green so the foxtails haven't come out yet. When they do we are vigilant about checking all over their bodies to be sure no foxtails hitched a ride while on their walks.

 

Thank you all for your replies. I will let you know how things go.

Typically greyhounds do not start to "fail" with old age at 7 years old. It is also fairly common for greyhounds to live for some time after being diagnosed with kidney issues. Levels dropping in kidney bloodwork (Creatinine and BUN) and urinalysis (protein) is typically a good thing.

 

If you are interested in our opinions, please try to get the actual lab results from your vet and post them here. We have a veterinarian (jjng) who checks this forum often and is very well versed in all the greyhound peculiarities -- and there are a whole bunch of these. There are also a couple of vet techs, some laboratory techs and other "very knowledgeable" people. They just need more information to help.

 

If the situation is that you can't pay for more tests, just let us know and we will stop suggesting them. If you simply want someone to listen and empathize, let us know. We just tend to go into the mode of "OK what can we recommend to try to fix the issue?"

 

Jane

[racindog]

Live in California. Cardiff by the Sea is a tiny town a bit north of San Diego. Ben's blood and urine test showed that his levels are starting to drop (sorry, I can't tell you more than that). The vet thinks that coupled with his behavior it is probable that he is in the beginnig stages of his decline. He could live another day or another year. Who knows? We are just hugging him every minute and enjoying him while we can. She also looked up his nose, pushed, prodded, checked ears and eyes and mouth. Nothing. When she pushed on the front of his nose nothing happened. When I did he cried. Maybe he knows that when I push on his nose and he cries I will hug him and smother him with care. He is a very smart boy. He doesn't have any discharge of any kind. We do have foxtails here. The weeds are still green so the foxtails haven't come out yet. When they do we are vigilant about checking all over their bodies to be sure no foxtails hitched a ride while on their walks.

 

Thank you all for your replies. I will let you know how things go.

 

 

They can be smart like that. Ivy would scream if my son merely touched her. Boy I was all over him hot and heavy and he kept denying he was doing anything to hurt her. When I came flying in the room one day after Ivy screamed to lay into him again he pleaded "Mom just look." So I said 'Alright show me!' And he ever so gently just touched the suface of her fur and she screamed bloody murder. He actually had been telling me the truth-all he had done was touch her and she screamed and got him in trouble and of course got lots of "sympathy" from me. It was so funny. What a joke she played on us. She also had this ears thing. There was nothing the wrong with her ears but if you" lifted them up" she would always scream. She was my first greyhound and is a very special angel.

[JackieDog]

I'm glad you posted this, and for all the replies especially what Hawthorn wrote.

 

Yesterday I barely walked into Jackie's nose (nothing that hasn't been done before) and she gave a mini GSOD. Sometime between afternoon and dinner she suddenly could barely walk though she pottied okay, ate everything with gusto etc.

 

Last week she had been limping a little--DH took her to the vet and 'everything checked out' (my husband's words). Several weeks ago she had given me a little yelp during 'neck rubbies'...but yesterday morning she was running around like a 6 year old. By bedtime she looked like she was going on 13 (she is almost 11 but would never know it).

 

In any case, today (I barely made it to the end of the appointment) she now has the dx of either a 'pinched nerve' or a herniated disc in her neck. Before I got there apparently one of the exam maneuvers included the neck range of motion and poor Jackie shreiked.

 

Without an MRI it's hard to say for sure but I'm glad I happened to read this thread...it gave a good piece of information for the vet to figure out what was going on. I was worried about a stroke or osteo otherwise (I was VERY worried last week with the limping), and though this is not a happy thing for Jackie hopefully she'll improve or at least be managed.

 

Tramadol, Rimadyl and leash potties only for a week...but the nose pain was a good clue.

 

 

Cathy (and Jackie-the-owie)

Edited March 12, 2012 by JackieDog

[Hawthorn]

Cathy: I hope Jackie will be OK. One of mine (Sunny) has a neck problem which flares up from time to time. I've learned how to manage it and he leads a very normal and happy life, but it has made me very aware of some of the less obvious signs of neck pain.