It's A Greyhound Thing/disease

[Guest Fasave]

About a month ago I posted a photo and picture regarding some bumps on my Tucker's ear.

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/296653-bumps-on-ear-should-i-be-concerned/?hl=bumps

 

Turns out they are Leproid Granulomas. My vet had never seen anything like them before and even the pathologist had only heard of this condition but never actually seen it. I contacted Dr. Couto who says it's a greyhound disease. There is a drug protocal but he said it is pretty toxic for greyhounds and there is no evidence that it the drugs resolve the situation versus them just going away naturally on their own in 3-6 months. For now we are doing a wait and see. Because this appears to be pretty rare, I thought I would post the follow up so others are informed should they run into a similar situation. Gotta love having Dr. Couto available in our community for these type of situations.

[Batmom]

Wow, learn something new EVERY day! Thanks for posting.

[3greytjoys]

Thank you so much for sharing this info!

[kudzu]

Well, that's a new one on me. Thanks for sharing. Glad it should clear up on its own in time. Um... hate to ask this but... Doesn't this sound rather like some version of leprosy?

[Guest Fasave]

Well, that's a new one on me. Thanks for sharing. Glad it should clear up on its own in time. Um... hate to ask this but... Doesn't this sound rather like some version of leprosy?

It is a form of leprosy. It is also closely related to TB so initially my vet and I were pretty freaked out. Luckily it is not contagious to either humans or hounds and best of all it's not a form of leprosy where I have to worry about body parts falling off . I was joking with my vet that between the four greyhounds I have owned over the last nine years, I think I have earned my veterinary degree and should open a practice!

[tbhounds]

Wow-thanks for the update and thank goodness for Dr Couto :-). ----weird stuff!!

[greymatters]

Wow indeed - your pups *do* like to challenge the vets, don't they ?

 

Very glad to hear it doesn't seem to be too serious and should resolve on its own. Scritches to our buddy Tucker!

[kudzu]

Luckily it is not contagious to either humans or hounds and best of all it's not a form of leprosy where I have to worry about body parts falling off .

 

And THAT is always a good thing. Canine leprosy, it's never even occurred to me before. The world just got stranger for me.

[EllenEveBaz]

Quadruple wow. Hope Tucker is back to his relatively smooth self soon.

[seeh2o]

Fascinating. I'm wondering if this is what Carl had. He had them on the back base of his ear, on the front flap of the other, on his rear hock and two on his nose, one of which opened up and looked hideous. Vet had me give him Thuja and they were gone within week and have not returned. I keep him on a maintenance dose of Thuja, two pellets twice a week, just in case. I have pictures, but can't find them on photobucket. I'll look for them on the computer and post later.

 

You may want to give Thuja a try, it really helped Carl. They are super cheap, less than $10 at health food stores. I gave him 2 pellets every other day until they were gone. If I tried to do it less than that. Initially, I was supposed to give it twice a week, but they would start to go away and come back before the next dose, so vet had me switch to every other day. Knocked them right out.

Edited May 3, 2013 by seeh2o

[Guest Fasave]

Fascinating. I'm wondering if this is what Carl had. He had them on the back base of his ear, on the front flap of the other, on his rear hock and two on his nose, one of which opened up and looked hideous. Vet had me give him Thuja and they were gone within week and have not returned. I keep him on a maintenance dose of Thuja, two pellets twice a week, just in case. I have pictures, but can't find them on photobucket. I'll look for them on the computer and post later.

 

You may want to give Thuja a try, it really helped Carl. They are super cheap, less than $10 at health food stores. I gave him 2 pellets every other day until they were gone. If I tried to do it less than that. Initially, I was supposed to give it twice a week, but they would start to go away and come back before the next dose, so vet had me switch to every other day. Knocked them right out.

Interesting. I may give it a try. I've had Tucker a little over a year and he is only four and is also susceptible to hygromas on his elbows. Just a lumpy boy but it does make you wonder if there is something systematic running through him. What is weird about this condition is that they really don't know the origin but suspect insect bites of some type. He spent his career in Florida so I wonder if there is a regional link.

[Guest Fasave]

Interesting. I may give it a try. I've had Tucker a little over a year and he is only four and is also susceptible to hygromas on his elbows. Just a lumpy boy but it does make you wonder if there is something systematic running through him. What is weird about this condition is that they really don't know the origin but suspect insect bites of some type. He spent his career in Florida so I wonder if there is a regional link.

Also, I think it could be what Carl had as the ears are the most common place for them to appear. If you do a goggle search you will find some photos of these that have split open as well and look pretty messy. Good to know you found something to keep it in check. Off to the health store I go!

[seeh2o]

Here are two pictures, it looks pretty awful. I didn't take many of him when this was going on. He was never in any pain, though. This all began with a little tiny bump on his snout (the one closest to the end of his nose), then very very slowly the other one began and the ones on the outside of his ear. This was pretty much the peak of how bad it was, we had just started him on Thuja about this time and I switched him to a raw diet the week before this was shot.

 

I just realized, while looking at these pictures, you can really see the lipid rings in his eyes without having to enlarge the picture. His left eye is now completely clear and his right eye just has two small spots. He has come a long long way since these pictures were taken.

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2013 by seeh2o

[seeh2o]

Oh, I made a mistake, after he started the Thuja, they began to go away, but they were gone in about 3 - 4 weeks, not 1 week. In 1 week they had, however, begun to get significantly smaller.