Help! New Greyhound with Nonstop Medical Issues

[mega_mary_000]

Hi all,

I am at a loss and and am looking for any help you can give - thank you in advance.

We adopted our greyhound, Benny Goodman, on Feb. 20th. Today is Mar. 12, almost three weeks later. He's been having medical issues since the moment we picked him up and we are super stressed out and exhausted. He is our first greyhound. I've grown up with English setters all my life, but Benny is my first dog of my own.

When we picked him up, I sat next to him in the backseat on the way home and could see that his 3-day old neuter incision looked red and swollen, but never having had experiences with neuters before, didn't think that was too much of a problem since he was new out of surgery. 5 days later, we were in the ER with an incision so swollen around the stitches that it looked like a hair scrunchie, and it was open and weeping pus. He was lethargic and sleepy - cant imagine how bad he felt. 10 days of clavamox and twice daily warm compresses helped. Still not totally healed, though, almost a month out, and had to pull hair and gunk out of an open part of the wound the night before last. Looks better today. Still coning him at night or in the kennel when we can't watch him. 

Towards the end of the clavamox, I gave him a dose of interceptor - the adoption agency gave it to me to give to him in order to continue his medication that he had been on with them. 

Benny was feeling better so we decided to let him run a little bit for the first time off leash in a fenced in area. There was also a guy running his toy car all over the place and although we avoided him, he followed us and ran the car around the outside of the fence to taunt the dog. Benny lost his mind and was sprinting around jumping and barking. It happened too fast to see what was going on, but all of a sudden Benny was limping, holding his paw up, and a few hours later, the toe was super swollen and a dark purple bruise has formed. Another visit to the ER, they can't determine if there is a break or not, so they gave him the carprofen for 3 days - foot is now fine, still a bit swollen but no limp and bruising is gone.

But now, the dog has bad diarrhea. We discontinued the carprofen at the onset of the diarrhea and moved him to a bland diet - chicken and rice, with added water to keep him hydrated. Called the ER vet and they said that it may or may not be related to the carprofen but unless the dog is knocking on death's door, just keep him at home. I am freaking out because just now had a small but very dark and bloody, mucousy poop. This is entirely new from his previous liquid brown diarrhea that he's had the past 48 hours. 

My partner and I are exhausted - we've only had him three weeks. We have an appointment a week from today with a regular vet that we scheduled weeks ago - they can't see us any sooner. 

Is this just bad luck, or is something going on with the dog that is underlying? He is so sweet and gentle - I've never known a dog like this before, to the degree that I keep wondering if he is feeling really bad all the time. I've only ever known my own dogs to be so calm and gentle and patient when they are feeling really poorly. 

Any help you can provide would be so so appreciated. 

[1Moregrey]

Congratulations on your new boy.  I relate to your experience.  I adopted a dog end of August she was 10 days out from her spay.  She ended up being allergic to the stitches used, it finally healed in November.  It would look better, then have a bubble (looked like blister) burst open.  It was no fun for either of us.  Cone of shame was on August to November.  She also has hookworms very loose stools/ diarrhea when she first came.  I am still treating the hookworms but her stools are good now.   Hookworms are a bigger problem than I ever thought.  I remember when you just treated once and were done.  I miss those days.  You are definitely not alone on this roller coaster ride.

I ended up trying a few different foods what ended up working for us is the purina sport 30/20.  She was hand walked / keep quiet for 3 months while she recovered from her spay.  She has settled in very nicely, I do feel like we are behind in some ways she did not enjoy being handled due to wound care.   We do walks which she really enjoys along with deck time. Still waiting for her first run in the yard due to not wanting to infect the yard.

Best of luck with your new boy.  Be sure to get a fecal check especially if you are in the states.

[1Moregrey]

3 hours ago, mega_mary_000 said:

He is so sweet and gentle - I've never known a dog like this before, to the degree that I keep wondering if he is feeling really bad all the time. I've only ever known my own dogs to be so calm and gentle and patient when they are feeling really poorly. 

Any help you can provide would be so so appreciated. 

It is just the greyhound breed for the most part they are very calm, loving, quiet dogs when inside. A little more active outside for a short while the back to a nap in the sun.

[Hubcitypam]

FWIW - My Rex had IBD and we wormed and fecaled him within an inch of his life.  Tried chicken and rice and bland diets.  I am a broken record but green bag IAMs fixed him...and many other other dogs as far away as Germany.  It's the beet pulp.  Many high end foods are too rich for grey tummies.

[palmettobug]

I'm there with you. My boy Roman, who I've had since September, has a sensitive tummy and probably still hook positive. We went through the bloody-diarrhea on Thanksgiving weekend. Plus problems with his front leg and shoulder. 

Iams Green Bag (ONLY the minichunks), Dave's Bland Diet, and Pro-Pectalin have really helped me get a handle on his digestive issues. He does have the occaisonal messy one, but it's usually because someone was a little generous with the snacks, or he got stressed out.

Cold laser and chiro treatments and CBD oil can help with the pain issues.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Congrats on your new boy...what is his name?

I'm Benny has had so many issues in such a short time.

Did you contact your adoption group about his neuter incision getting infected?  They may help pay for those vet bills.

If he came from Florida then he will have hookworms and require a lot of treatment to get rid of them.  Search the health forum for info on how best to treat him.  

Of course you wanted to see your new hound run!  However, in hindsight I'm sure you'll agree that he needed to settle into your routine and get to know you before testing his recall in a wide open space. 

Everything in Bennys world has been stressed and turned upside down....his home, routine and his diet are totally different and he needs time to settle in and adjust.  Hopefully his toe heals up quickly.     

[mega_mary_000]

Thank you all so much!! I feel so much better just hearing your suggestions and thoughts! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to give me encouragement and advice. Benny thanks you too!!

[mega_mary_000]

5 hours ago, 1Moregrey said:

Congratulations on your new boy.  I relate to your experience.  I adopted a dog end of August she was 10 days out from her spay.  She ended up being allergic to the stitches used, it finally healed in November.  It would look better, then have a bubble (looked like blister) burst open.  It was no fun for either of us.  Cone of shame was on August to November.  She also has hookworms very loose stools/ diarrhea when she first came.  I am still treating the hookworms but her stools are good now.   Hookworms are a bigger problem than I ever thought.  I remember when you just treated once and were done.  I miss those days.  You are definitely not alone on this roller coaster ride.

I ended up trying a few different foods what ended up working for us is the purina sport 30/20.  She was hand walked / keep quiet for 3 months while she recovered from her spay.  She has settled in very nicely, I do feel like we are behind in some ways she did not enjoy being handled due to wound care.   We do walks which she really enjoys along with deck time. Still waiting for her first run in the yard due to not wanting to infect the yard.

Best of luck with your new boy.  Be sure to get a fecal check especially if you are in the states.

Thanks for sharing your story - it rings true to my ears! I'm sorry your critter had such a rough time healing up from her spay...what a time that must have been. We will certainly get that fecal check (his last was negative, but that doesn't mean a darn thing). I hear you about things moving along slowly - we haven't been able to do much training or the like with Benny, either. Bet that first run in the yard will be glorious once you get her hooks squared away!!

[mega_mary_000]

3 hours ago, Hubcitypam said:

FWIW - My Rex had IBD and we wormed and fecaled him within an inch of his life.  Tried chicken and rice and bland diets.  I am a broken record but green bag IAMs fixed him...and many other other dogs as far away as Germany.  It's the beet pulp.  Many high end foods are too rich for grey tummies.

That IBD is something I wasn't thinking of...I will definitely keep that in mind. We are going to pick up a bag of this magical green IAMS that I have read so much about!! I tried to transition him off his kennel food onto something high end, so just like you said, that might be giving him problems too. Thank you!!

[mega_mary_000]

2 hours ago, palmettobug said:

I'm there with you. My boy Roman, who I've had since September, has a sensitive tummy and probably still hook positive. We went through the bloody-diarrhea on Thanksgiving weekend. Plus problems with his front leg and shoulder. 

Iams Green Bag (ONLY the minichunks), Dave's Bland Diet, and Pro-Pectalin have really helped me get a handle on his digestive issues. He does have the occaisonal messy one, but it's usually because someone was a little generous with the snacks, or he got stressed out.

Cold laser and chiro treatments and CBD oil can help with the pain issues.

Oh, boy. That has got to be the last thing you want on Thanksgiving weekend - poor Roman, and poor you!! I just took a peek at the Dave's and the Pro-Pectalin, and they look like they will be really helpful as we figure out what is going on. The ER vet told me today there was nothing they could do medically to stop his diarrhea, which was a bummer, so the Pro-Pectalin does give me hope that there is something that I can give him to help slow things down! And, the Dave's looks like a lifesaver - awesome to know that there is pre-prepared foods. 

I hope Roman's legs and shoulder don't bug him too much. We will definitely keep in mind your pain management recommendations. 

Thank you so much!! 

[mega_mary_000]

1 hour ago, BatterseaBrindl said:

Congrats on your new boy...what is his name?

I'm Benny has had so many issues in such a short time.

Did you contact your adoption group about his neuter incision getting infected?  They may help pay for those vet bills.

If he came from Florida then he will have hookworms and require a lot of treatment to get rid of them.  Search the health forum for info on how best to treat him.  

Of course you wanted to see your new hound run!  However, in hindsight I'm sure you'll agree that he needed to settle into your routine and get to know you before testing his recall in a wide open space. 

Everything in Bennys world has been stressed and turned upside down....his home, routine and his diet are totally different and he needs time to settle in and adjust.  Hopefully his toe heals up quickly.     

Totally right - in hindsight, not a good idea to let him off leash, even in a fenced in area.

We are telling ourselves the same thing - he's got an entirely different world from top to bottom, and he's got so much going on! It's easy to forget when they look like a regular dog asleep in their beds...but they've got a world of change happening. 

We did reach out to his adoption agency about the neuter issues, and the pooping issues, since both have been problems since day 1. Generally, Benny was a little worse for wear when we got him. Along with the neuter infection, he was a few pounds down from his racing weight and had bleeding sores between his toes (which we cared for and have healed up just fine, thank goodness!) To us, it doesn't seem likely they will help pay for any of his bills.

[organistswife]

All the greyhounds we've adopted have had very loose faeces  that took a long time to sort out. 

Please make sure he's on a low protein food.

 

They feed them mush when racing.

Luckily no neutering problems

 

Good luck.

[Hubcitypam]

11 hours ago, organistswife said:

All the greyhounds we've adopted have had very loose faeces  that took a long time to sort out. 

Please make sure he's on a low protein food.

 

They feed them mush when racing.

What exactly is mush? 

When I was pulling dogs from tracks and farms 99% of them were fed Purina Hi-Pro (when it existed) mixed with ground beef that came in 50 pound chubs and whatever canned veggies were around..

[HeyRunDog]

On 3/13/2021 at 7:53 PM, Hubcitypam said:

What exactly is mush? 

When I was pulling dogs from tracks and farms 99% of them were fed Purina Hi-Pro (when it existed) mixed with ground beef that came in 50 pound chubs and whatever canned veggies were around..

The food is mushed up so there is nothing hard to chew on so their teeth don't get the abrasive action to keep them clean which is why some retired hounds have bad teeth.

Pet greyhounds should only have about 20% protein in their diet otherwise it causes health problems later on. When they were racing the percentage is about 30%

[cleptogrey]

oh boy- what a rough start. communicate with your group. use your intended vet, E vets are wonderful for extreme emergencies but they are totally diagnostic and will do every and anything to get to the root of the problem in an aggressive way- triage- . the key with your regular vet is to communicate, don't be shy about calling back and questioning things. he's been thru a lot, things should ease up. i had a dog who reacted terribly to carpofen. there are many variables in your pup's case. one set of eyes looking at it is better than multiple at this point. cleaning up his gut, testing for worms, looking into the bruising(why?) and letting him heal will help unravel the mystery. your group should be supportive- don't be shy. the surgeon who did the neuter can look at it if your group gets involved. speak up- your his advocate, speak up- you are your own advocate. good luck.

[Hubcitypam]

7 hours ago, HeyRunDog said:

The food is mushed up so there is nothing hard to chew on so their teeth don't get the abrasive action to keep them clean which is why some retired hounds have bad teeth.

Pet greyhounds should only have about 20% protein in their diet otherwise it causes health problems later on. When they were racing the percentage is about 30%

OK.  What constitutes muss before  it is nushed up?   If lack of kibble holds true I'd had a skew of pocket dogs with bad teeth.

[mega_mary_000]

4 hours ago, cleptogrey said:

oh boy- what a rough start. communicate with your group. use your intended vet, E vets are wonderful for extreme emergencies but they are totally diagnostic and will do every and anything to get to the root of the problem in an aggressive way- triage- . the key with your regular vet is to communicate, don't be shy about calling back and questioning things. he's been thru a lot, things should ease up. i had a dog who reacted terribly to carpofen. there are many variables in your pup's case. one set of eyes looking at it is better than multiple at this point. cleaning up his gut, testing for worms, looking into the bruising(why?) and letting him heal will help unravel the mystery. your group should be supportive- don't be shy. the surgeon who did the neuter can look at it if your group gets involved. speak up- your his advocate, speak up- you are your own advocate. good luck.

Thanks so much for your encouragement, cleptogrey. It is very helpful! Sorry about your pooch's bad reaction to the carprofen! It's no fun!

We haven't been able to get into his regular vet, even for just an initial wellness visit, and they are too busy for us to drop in, so we keep ending up at the ER (every weekend since we got him.) We are getting him a fecal currently, and we are planning on doing a full blood work up to see what is going on. 

Our adoption group has been marginally helpful. We have reached out twice to try to get an idea of what his baseline health was like with them but they seem to dodge those questions. Guess that speaks for itself. Hoping that this is all just settling in stuff and he can start getting better so we can let him heal!