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Snow has started having difficulty getting up from a sit.

Goes to vet today at 4

Anyone else have this problem? I'm a little worried.

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Apparently according to Dr Couto ghs are not inflicted with LS as much as we had thought. He lectured about this during this past gig event. He has run mri's on ghs thought to have LS and to much surprise none of the dogs had stenosis. He feels that some of these guys have more of a compression issue. He treats it basically the same-first with NSAIDs, lower dose Tramadol and he may add in gabapentin. With more advanced cases he will try a oral corticosteroid--he mentioned he's not fond of the injection that Dr Stack uses simply because if there's an adverse reaction you can't reverse it.

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My Larry has had this problem with the "sinking rear end" and as tbhounds mentioned, Larry went to his neurologist back when it started and it wasn't LS. We are treating with Deramaxx, occasionally a tramadol, and with Longevity (you can get from Amazon). He also gets chiropractic adjustment at least once a month more because he also has corns and it throws his gait off and with that, some of his muscles get tense.

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Apparently according to Dr Couto ghs are not inflicted with LS as much as we had thought. He lectured about this during this past gig event. He has run mri's on ghs thought to have LS and to much surprise none of the dogs had stenosis. He feels that some of these guys have more of a compression issue. He treats it basically the same-first with NSAIDs, lower dose Tramadol and he may add in gabapentin. With more advanced cases he will try a oral corticosteroid--he mentioned he's not fond of the injection that Dr Stack uses simply because if there's an adverse reaction you can't reverse it.

Tracy,

I didn't know Dr. Couto wasn't a fan of the LS injections. That's very interesting...

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My first grey had this, and it wasn't LS, just back end weakness. Supplements and acupuncture helped quite a lot. I started the acupuncture after she got really bad, and she recovered to about 85-90% normal. She was 11 by then.

 

Is the shot Dr C is referring to the adequan shot?

Edited by Remolacha
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The injection Dr Couto was speaking about is the Depo injection that Dr Susan Stacks is fond of. Dr Couto claims he doesn't like to use something that you can't reverse-an other words-once the injection is in you can't take it back out. He prefers orals. I'm sure he's fine with Adequan.

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Apparently according to Dr Couto ghs are not inflicted with LS as much as we had thought. He lectured about this during this past gig event. He has run mri's on ghs thought to have LS and to much surprise none of the dogs had stenosis. He feels that some of these guys have more of a compression issue. He treats it basically the same-first with NSAIDs, lower dose Tramadol and he may add in gabapentin. With more advanced cases he will try a oral corticosteroid--he mentioned he's not fond of the injection that Dr Stack uses simply because if there's an adverse reaction you can't reverse it.

Interesting. Did he talk about whether those dogs suspected to have it but with "negative" MRIs had had pressure tests done and whether they responded?

gallery_12662_3351_862.jpg

Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart

"The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong."

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took her to the vet. he watched her gait. bent her legs every which way, and pushed on her back. only problem is she's a yelper, no matter where he touches her. said he sees no swelling on her legs. gave her dermax for ten days and said no walking for the first three. I hope this works.

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Interesting. Did he talk about whether those dogs suspected to have it but with "negative" MRIs had had pressure tests done and whether they responded?

I'm sure they were symptomatic otherwise he would not have used them in his personal study. I'm unaware of any other diagnostics he performed to make his conclusion. Actually, thinking about it I'm not sure now if he said he ran mri's or scans (might of been scans-they are much cheaper to run)--I'll have to see if I can find my notes. He really didn't come prepared to talk about LS-someone just happened to ask a question regarding it.

took her to the vet. he watched her gait. bent her legs every which way, and pushed on her back. only problem is she's a yelper, no matter where he touches her. said he sees no swelling on her legs. gave her dermax for ten days and said no walking for the first three. I hope this works.

I'm sorry we are hijacking your thread-I'm glad the vet didn't find anything sinister. Finger crossed the Deramaxx will offer some comfort. Remember to give that with food! :-)

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He has run mri's on ghs thought to have LS and to much surprise none of the dogs had stenosis. He feels that some of these guys have more of a compression issue.

I'm just a layman but Isn't Lumbosacral stenosis compression of the spine????

From Greythealth -

 

As our greyhounds age, quite a few of them, especially the males, become weak, wobbly, and/or painful in the rear end. Many of these are affected by lumbosacral stenosis (LS), a narrowing of the last part of the spinal canal, which causes compression of the nerve roots.

 

 

The Depo shots worked wonders for my Rex and Heather's (Kennelmom's) dog. I am a believer,

 

I sat in Mike Herron's office in College Station, TX and watched him do the thumb test and take my Rex to the floor. It did nothing to the twelve year old girl hound next to him. He had it she didn't. Just so much more powerful than hearing something about something at a convention...as was watching Rex go from not being able to get off the couch to bounding up the back steps.

 

Four different respected vets here in Dallas administered Depo shots to my dogs, including GALT's main vet Dr. Jeff Ellis and one of Dr. Couto's protégés who is actually an unabashed fan of Depo for many uses.

Edited by Hubcitypam
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Stenosis is a narrowing--Like a old garden hose being narrowed from build up of yuck inside verses someone stepping on it and compressing it flat Does that make sense?

I could do the "thumb test" on my perfectly normal, healthy boy and I could, with very light force push him to the floor too so I personally don't hold that test with too much value.

Hey--every clinician has there own personal treatment plans. Dr Couto is simply reporting his findings after running diagnostics and I am simply passing it on you don't have to agree with him.

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Not arguing whether what Dr. C said is true or not because I have no clue, but I have done the pressure test on asymptomatic dogs out of curiosity (because I know the test itself is a bit controversial to some) and they do not have the same reaction that Zuri does, which is an immediate fast sinking with very minimal pressure. I can't get Violet to sink with as much pressure as I feel is safe to try.

 

ETA: And yes, OP, sorry for the hijack! Hope your boy is getting some relief. Of your vet suspects LS, Gabapentin can be very helpful with minimal side effects.

Edited by NeylasMom

gallery_12662_3351_862.jpg

Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart

"The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong."

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Gabapentin is a wonder drug in my book. It works on so many totally unrelated things in people, which I found out quite by accident.

 

Dr. C. also swears that no greyhound takes a breath between starting gate and finish line. I have a bit of trouble with that one too - especially with the long races.

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