Advice Please

[slim]

Hi All

One of our greyhounds, just turned 4, has always had awful breath but recently it has taken on a real amonia smell, it smells like an old peoples home or something. I heard somewhere that this could be a sign of kidney problems so I am going to take him for a check up but I just wondered what this might mean for us? Does anyone have any experience of this? Prognosis, treatment, treatment costs etc?
My greys are not insured because the quotes returned on internet searches were just so expensive so we opted for the piggy bank technique instead. So we always have a little put by in case of accidents but I'm not sure what to budget in the event he needs life long meds. .
My other boy who has just turned 7 is a really healthy dog and I think he will live to a ripe old age. He has a sort of huffy cough which the vets said was a catarr build up and gave him some powder for - i can't remember name but they said it was like ventapulmin for horses. This cough has returned so I got the powder again but it doesn't seem to have made as much difference as last time so into the vet for him as well - has anyone had this with their dogs? He sounds like golum off lord of the rings! It is not all the time and it is a huff huff rather than a cough if that makes sense. When i picked up the powder last time they said if it doesnt clear up they would perhaps do chest x-ray - what would they be looking for do you think?
hope someone can help put my mind at rest and thanks for reading x

[Flaperoo]

Take him to the Vet and get a diagnosis. It may be as you suggest but it could also be many other minor things; problems with digestion, bad teeth etc.

One of my dogs has breadth that would make you faint if you got too close , but he just has poor teeth

Hope it's nothing serious.

Mx

[vickyb]

Although River is considerably older than yours at 11 he recently developed breath that knocked you back I was really worried but he turned out to have a tooth which had broken right down its length in the middle, I'd looked but appeared fine if you looked in the side of his mouth, it was awful, but he was still eating fine. Vet removed it next day and did a clean up and his breath is fine. Here's hoping it's something relatively simple like that, do let us know please. No idea about the cough I'm afraid, but best wishes to them both

[slim]

thanks - he is booked into the vet on friday, fingers crossed its not as serious as kidneys

[michele]

fingers crossed for your dog. I just wanted to add that my hound has breath you could strip wallpaper with! It just humms. He had 11 teeth out when he came to us, as they were all rotten, and now they are all looking the same way again, due to his lack of chewing anything!

I've recently started using logic gel, and he loves the stuff. After a year of holding him down and not getting near his teeth, he will sit and beg for them to be done now.

Here's hoping your hound just has stinky breath too!

[janet456]

My sisters greyhound has breath that could stop traffic - so he does have a dental every year then it gets alot better.

Every so often he will get a bit stinky again but its usually gingivitis and a course of antibiotics clears it up and he is fine again.