|
|
Post by Kari on Nov 26, 2014 3:00:39 GMT 10
Here's a follow-up on Jack. Sadly, he's been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Yes, that has been in the back of my head all along, and it's common in greyhounds. Jack has lived a wonderful 13 years of fun and hike-filled life, and we're grateful to have him in our lives. We're terribly sad to have to say goodbye. He's doing well right now with pain management, so we probably have a few more weeks with him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Nov 26, 2014 4:47:51 GMT 10
Hi Kari,
I am so sorry, and wish you strength at this difficult time.
Greyhounds are such wonderful companions and a joy to have in your life.
Cheers,
Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by Vicki on Jan 28, 2015 15:18:01 GMT 10
Hi Tom.
I have a racing greyhound that has been checked by several dog checkers but continues to carry a hindleg from time to time. There seems no reason when she will carry this leg. She can be fine for weeks on end, then out of the blue she will carry it again. It was suggested that she may have something in the pad, and that it moves and causes her pain, could that be right??.
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks
Vicki |
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Jan 29, 2015 17:31:30 GMT 10
HI Vicki,
Sorry about the late reply.
In regard to a racing greyhound limping intermittently it is unfortunately just about impossible to provide a reason without being able to examine the greyhound thoroughly.
However in regard to the possibility of a foreign object in the pad moving around and only causing pain every now and again is somewhat unlikely in my opinion as something in the pad will stay in one place, but could cause intermittent pain if it was very deep in the pad and mainly caused pain if the greyhound stood on something that caused pressure right on top of the foreign object in the pad. The same could apply to a small corn in a pad.
The only way to test that would be to walk the greyhound over a gravel path with good sized gravel at a time when it is not showing any sign of limping as this would be more likely to put pressure on anything in the pad.
If it is not something in a pad causing the intermittent limping there are a lot of other possible causes, with the cause depending on whether a front or hind limb is involved. These can range from damaged sesamoids, ligaments, tendon damage, undiagnosed bone compression problems, bone splints, and even scar tissue in the calf muscles, or an undiagnosed groin injury.
Cheers,
Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by Car on Feb 21, 2015 8:15:57 GMT 10
Hi TOM
Just to give you the full picture... bitch had first handslip trial ...( sand track but grass margin around hair rail.) everything went chasing like mad... well but just before finish line, bitch mounted grass margin and ducked to side of finish line avoiding going under it, as if afraid to go under the arch of line..( hair driver said he has seen this happen before) so this is a nervous problem I have to solve also. Im more worried about what happened next.... so up and down off sand , grass and sand again... ended up lame after trial. now next morning.. not lame??/ but morning after that... very lame? With vet today... he could not find reason for lameness??? except for twisting and turning and probably jarring entailed.... gave me anti- inflams and said should be ok.... now let me say, he is an excellent vet and never set me wrong but I would like you oppionion on what I have just said to you. Thanks C |
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Feb 21, 2015 13:24:44 GMT 10
Hi car,
Not a good result for this to have happened so early on in the education process, but then from my point of view the owner/operator of a track where the surface allows the greyhounds to step from soft sand onto grass and back again when it's not expected needs a swift kick up the butt.
You can safely run a greyhound on most surfaces without causing damage, providing the surface they are running on is consistent. In other words either all firm or all soft, because most wrist injuries occur when a greyhound places a foot on either a hard patch, or into a soft hole when it is not expected.
In regard to the reason for the greyhound limping, there can only be one, and that is an injury. Unfortunately any injury that is severe enough to cause limping is also highly likely to cause a long term weakness unless it is found and treated appropriately. The other aspect of using anti inflammatory/pain relief treatment for an undiagnosed injury, is that using anti inflammatory treatments will often minimize the healing response as it kids the body into believing no injury exists. The only time when anti inflammatory treatments may be beneficial is when a reduction in scar tissue is required.
I believe it is very important for any injury that causes limping in a greyhound that is expected to have a racing career be found and treated in such a manner as not to jeopardize that career. It should also be kept in mind that as a general rule it is only bone and or ligament damage that causes limping. The only exceptions being a foreign object in a pad, or muscle damage to a muscle called the Lateral Vastus or thigh muscle if the limping is on the hind leg.
The most likely cause in this instance is damage to the Accesory Carpal ligaments and or stopper bone.
A search of the site in regard to Accesory Carpal ligaments should find you more information as there are several posts on this subject.
Cheers,
Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by Syed Riaz on Apr 20, 2015 12:58:23 GMT 10
Hello Tom,
I have a 5 year old central asian tazi, and she developed a slight limp in her hind leg about 2.5 years ago. the vet diagnosed it to be a hairline fracture close to the cruciate ligament, and plastered the leg up for about 6 weeks. however, the pup was real stiff in that leg for many months afterwards, and only with a lot of gentle stretching and physio, and cod liver oil was she able to get back her running rythem . now, last week, in a bout of rough play with our german shepherd pup, she appears to have got hurt herself in about the exact same spot. been a week.. she put her foot down but only so much. you think an x ray would help?
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Apr 20, 2015 17:12:33 GMT 10
Hello Tom, I have a 5 year old central asian tazi, and she developed a slight limp in her hind leg about 2.5 years ago. the vet diagnosed it to be a hairline fracture close to the cruciate ligament, and plastered the leg up for about 6 weeks. however, the pup was real stiff in that leg for many months afterwards, and only with a lot of gentle stretching and physio, and cod liver oil was she able to get back her running rythem . now, last week, in a bout of rough play with our german shepherd pup, she appears to have got hurt herself in about the exact same spot. been a week.. she put her foot down but only so much. you think an x ray would help? Hi Syed, It is highly likely that the original injury would have healed fully, and it is therefore unlikely that the same bone injury occurred again. I'm more inclined to think that her reactions are more to do with bruising, ligament strain, or muscle soreness which can often take as long as 14 days to come good. Unfortunately the only way to be one hundred percent certain is to have the leg examined by your Veterinarian, and if he feels it is needed another X-ray. Cheers, Tom |
|
|
|
Post by Will on Apr 28, 2015 7:06:26 GMT 10
Hi Tom,
I'm unsure if this is the correct way to contact you but here goes. I've read elsewhere that you recommended Fibrovein as a injection for muscle injury, what strength would you recommend , do you dilute it if so with what and at what ratio.
I have been told Fibrovein really stings them is this true, when diluted will it still sting.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Apr 28, 2015 8:48:01 GMT 10
Hi Tom, I'm unsure if this is the correct way to contact you but here goes. I've read elsewhere that you recommended Fibrovein as a injection for muscle injury, what strength would you recommend , do you dilute it if so with what and at what ratio. I have been told Fibrovein really stings them is this true, when diluted will it still sting. I'm sorry Will but that is not the case as a general treatment for muscle injuries any sclerosing injection including Fibrovein is going to do more harm than good. I have covered the limited scenarios where injecting a sclerosing agent may be of some benefit in the locked information only section of the website. Hopefully reading the information there will provide you with the right knowledge to make beneficial use of the Fibrovein. And yes all sclerosing agents will cause a burning sensation, and while diluting them may reduce that effect doing so could also reduce the effectiveness of the injection. Cheers, Tom |
|
|
|
Post by Will on Apr 28, 2015 15:10:21 GMT 10
Sorry Tom,
I've miss understood, it was on G Data that I read on a discussion about injections for muscle injury.
I'll read your locked section discussion as advised.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by Will on Apr 28, 2015 16:31:02 GMT 10
Tom,
Let's just say Bill Gates I ain't , how do I get onto the locked section you refer to.
|
|
|
|
Post by Samantha on Apr 29, 2015 22:19:09 GMT 10
Hi Tom
Been reading through this thread and you seem very knowledgeable, so thought I'd ask for your advice!
I have a 9 year old spayed greyhound bitch (Poppy). 4-5 days ago, I noticed that Poppy had a very slight limp. It was almost undetectable, but then whilst wiping her paws after a walk, she yelped when I lifted the leg, so it was obviously a bit uncomfortable. I assumed it was a sprain and thought I'd keep an eye on it.
Fast forward to last night and I noticed her haunches were really uneven and she seemed to have a big lump on one side. On closer examination, she does indeed have a large hard mass (about the size of a flattened egg) on the affected leg, which seems to be on the top of the buttock muscle. (She also had a smaller pea sized lump a bit further down, which feels like a cyst, but I'm not sure if that is related or I've just noticed it!). Anyway, she didn't show any sign of discomfort when I prodded and felt the large hard lump, although she is still limping slightly. Do you have any ideas what this could be? I've had lumps and bumps investigated before in my other dog and they turned out to be nothing, but I know my vet is overcautious, so I'm not sure whether to leave her for a few days to see if it improves or whether she needs to go asap.
Many thanks for your help.
|
|
|
|
Post by Will on Apr 30, 2015 1:11:22 GMT 10
Tom,
Worked it out.
Excellent read, thank you.
As Dynacleine and Enerzyme are both of the market what would you now recommend , is there any product available that is straight ATP.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Apr 30, 2015 9:41:09 GMT 10
Hi Tom Been reading through this thread and you seem very knowledgeable, so thought I'd ask for your advice! I have a 9 year old spayed greyhound bitch (Poppy). 4-5 days ago, I noticed that Poppy had a very slight limp. It was almost undetectable, but then whilst wiping her paws after a walk, she yelped when I lifted the leg, so it was obviously a bit uncomfortable. I assumed it was a sprain and thought I'd keep an eye on it. Fast forward to last night and I noticed her haunches were really uneven and she seemed to have a big lump on one side. On closer examination, she does indeed have a large hard mass (about the size of a flattened egg) on the affected leg, which seems to be on the top of the buttock muscle. (She also had a smaller pea sized lump a bit further down, which feels like a cyst, but I'm not sure if that is related or I've just noticed it!). Anyway, she didn't show any sign of discomfort when I prodded and felt the large hard lump, although she is still limping slightly. Do you have any ideas what this could be? I've had lumps and bumps investigated before in my other dog and they turned out to be nothing, but I know my vet is overcautious, so I'm not sure whether to leave her for a few days to see if it improves or whether she needs to go asap. Many thanks for your help. Hi Samantha, Like your Vet I'm inclined to be overcautious whenever a lump of some sort shows up and believe all of them need to be checked out as soon as possible, while most are NOT cancer related if it was the sooner something is done about it the better the long term outcome. Cheers, Tom |
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Apr 30, 2015 9:46:07 GMT 10
Tom, Worked it out. Excellent read, thank you. As Dynacleine and Enerzyme are both of the market what would you now recommend , is there any product available that is straight ATP. Hi Will, Sorry mate while it has been a few years since I have had any need to buy some, as far as I know Dynacleine is still available, at least it is still advertised for sale online. The other product that was similar was AMP 5 and it is also is still being advertised online. Cheers, Tom |
|
|
|
Post by Diego on Oct 29, 2015 6:17:39 GMT 10
I have a 9 y/o rescued grayhound. He has been with me for 5 years, very healthy. Last year he started limping. I took him to the vet, who got a set of x-rays. After evaluating him and the x-rays, the diagnosis was arthritis of the right elbow. The vet prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and also recommended physical therapy. I am reluctant to give him the anti-inflammatory medication since he does not tolerate it well (gets diarrhea and loses his appetite). Are there other alternatives to treat arthritis in a grayhound.
Thanks,
Diego
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 31, 2015 4:06:43 GMT 10
Hi Diego,
Arthritis is certainly a difficult problem to deal with in the older greyhound, and as you have noted NSAIDs can and do cause problems in susceptible greyhounds by causing diarrhea, as well as making some dogs feel ill enough that it interferes with them eating.
The Clucosamine/Condroitin products still heavily promoted for human use to help alleviate arthritis symptoms are pretty well useless, as are all of the other similar products advertised as an over the counter arthritis treatment.
There are central analgesic such as Tramadol injections to help alleviate the constant pain caused by arthritis but these only work in the short term. Adequan is another one often used for this purpose, and while some have had fair results with monthly injections, I have had very mixed results and have not found it very useful.
In reality it only leaves a very low dose of Corticosteroids as a possible treatment option in your situation, unfortunately long term use, as with most powerful medications can have undesirable side effects.
Because of the problems your greyhound has with NSAIDs I would discuss with your Vet the possible use of Prednisone as a treatment for your greyhound, and to reduce the long term detrimental effects of this corticosteroid, possibly a four week on four week off treatment regime with maybe a Tramadol injection to reduce the pain during the four week off period.
Cheers,
Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by Diego on Nov 2, 2015 9:52:00 GMT 10
Thank you very much for your advice.
|
|
|
|
Post by Daina AZ on Dec 9, 2015 7:13:30 GMT 10
I have read through the thread and it is very helpful thank you.
I have a 10yr ex racer who never had issue then I got a young dog... I do believe my greyhound pulled a muscle from playing. Took him to the vet who put him on Anti - inflammatory and pain meds. I also iced and massaged him regularly. seemed to be working till he seems to injure it even worse. Many days he does not place weight on it. He yelps if a push to hard on the front top shoulder area or if a fold his leg up/ back- Elbow folded bad towards belly) I have a few pain pill left that I have gave him and have been applying TheraFlex with MSM. I also message and stretch the area daily. I do think it is a tendon but I am not the doctor. My vet said if it did not heal the would work up all these test for cancer and so on. I truly do not think that is the issue . Is there anything else I can be doing?? This has been going on for 2 months. It seem he gets better then aggravates it worse. Anyway to stabilize this area??
|
|
With vet today... he could not find reason for lameness??? except for twisting and turning and probably jarring entailed.... gave me anti- inflams and said should be ok.... now let me say, he is an excellent vet and never set me wrong but I would like you oppionion on what I have just said to you. Thanks C