DocsDoctor
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Wow! Very interesting! I guess this debunks the whole "dogs are carnivores, carbs are bad" theory.
Yes, that was my thought on reading it too!
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I haven't seen this mentioned yet on Greytalk so thought some of you might be interested. A new study by a US/Swedish team suggests that, compared to wolves, dogs have many more genes for metabolising starch - and so for scavenging and digesting the kind of waste likely to be produced by early farming settlements:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21142870
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Thank you for rescuing Isaac! I agree with silverfish, he looks like a lurcher (sighthound/other breed cross) rather than pure sighthound. She's given you lots of good advice already, additionally I can recommend this article by a British trainer called David Ryan, on controlling the chase instinct: http://www.dog-secrets.co.uk/how-do-i-stop-my-dog-chasing/
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Lovely - they do look as if they are enjoying themselves!
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Hi Moofie
Yes Doc suddenly appeared to be in a lot of pain last May - head down, reluctant to walk which is very unlike him - and x-rays showed a compressed disc in his spine - I think also L7, at any rate in the pelvis area. There was also some arthritis so we think he'd done it some time before but had been being stoical until the pain got too bad. Also his right hip was painful, probably down to an associated pinched nerve.
My vet initially put him on anti-inflammatories, a fairly hefty dose of tramadol and very restricted exercise. I also found a lovely local physiotherapist with lots of greyhound experience who does home visits - she is an NHS and veterinary physio, who volunteers at our rescue - who was able to make him a lot more comfortable, just with massage and cold laser therapy initially and then manipulation too as he got less sore. She also gave us various little exercises to do daily between visits which we still keep up. My vet's offers hydrotherapy on the premises and though Doc was unenthusiastic about the water treadmill a course on that helped build his muscle back up too. Acupuncture would have been another option to explore.
All this worked well for Doc who is now happy and comfortable and back to enjoying long walks! He will always be on the anti-inflammatories - liquid Metacam/Meloxidyl - the vet says the liquid form is easier on the stomach and kidneys, but also that Meloxidyl is just a generic version of Metacam so she is happy to write me a prescription for whichever is cheapest online! He has stayed on the Tramadol for quite a while thanks to some other unrelated health issues (surgery on one paw for a lump on his toe, then an infected wound on the same foot, then removing the lump when it came back again) but fingers crossed he is now over those and we have got the dose down to half a pill every other day, and should have phased it out altogether within a month. Vet tells me it is works best to scale it down slowly like this because of the way it works on the ?nerve receptors - otherwise you may get a misleading result. I also give him a joint supplement daily.
If the rest/physio/hydro hadn't worked, the other option would have been surgery of course. But Doc is older than your Hattie I think - eleven last August - and talking that through with my vet (not an orthopaedic specialist but very experienced and sensible, someone who will always give an honest answer if asked 'what would you do if it was your dog?') and the rescue I felt it wouldn't be fair to put him through it. It's major surgery, which would have had to be done at a specialist facility and involved a stay of several days, for an uncertain outcome.
Hope that's helpful - ask if there's anything else you'd like to know!
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Another Lidl fan here in the UK. A more limited range than the Asda next door but often cheaper - and foods they do have are often much better quality - e.g. meat, cheese, smoked fish, chocolate, jam, at this time of the year European Christmas goodies like panettone and stollen ... Doc likes their packs of pigs' ears and tripe sticks too!
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Here in the UK Doc has the liquid form - he started out on Meloxidyl, is now on Metacam because that is cheaper. My vet tells me that Metacam was the original product, then when its licence expired other manufacturers brought out copies - Meloxidyl and ?Loxicam are the ones available here. She has no problems with writing me repeat prescriptions for whichever I can buy cheapest online, given that their makeup is identical.
We use the liquid form as she says that is more easily absorbed and gentler on the stomach. It needs to be given with food so I squirt it onto Doc's lunch. He's been on it now for 6 or 7 months (following diagnosis with a compressed disc in his spine and resultant arthritis) - no problems with his digestion, kidneys, etc, appetite very good.
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What a sweetie! I think some of this at any rate will be just ingrained dirt/blackheads. Sounds horrid but is nothing to worry about -lots of greyhounds have this in the same place, especially if they have been living in kennels, because this is the point where their chests rest on the ground when they 'sphinx' (lie down on all fours).
This vet's website has helpful information about 'comedones' (the blackheads) and other greyhound health matters
http://www.grassmere...l.htm#Comedones
I remember worrying myself about this same thing. The kennels I adopted Doc from here in the UK suggested putting a bit of Sudocrem (a medicated cream, very mild and usually used for nappy rash) on the spot before a walk, so it had time to soak in. With time/ soft bedding/ living inside the comedones will clear, but if you like you can also speed the process up a bit by soaking the spot with a hot wet flannel and then gently squeezing the spots. That is, if he'll let you do that while he's lying down and it doesn't gross you out....
Edited to add: yes, I think there's a bit of bruising there too. Maybe he lay down too fast and thumped himself in the process? Doesn't look serious!
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I had this recently with Doc, my eleven year old, who was looking too skinny after a bout of worms,and then a small op and an antibiotic afterwards which upset his digestion. The vet advised adding some extra protein and fat to his regular food, rather than extra carbs, as being the easiest thing for ageing digestions to metabolise . Very popular with Doc, who likes nothing better than having some cheap raw beef mince (nice and fatty!) mixed into his dry food. Or other kinds of mince when I can pick these up cheaply, raw green tripe, offal - usually pigs' liver or kidneys, a couple of scrambled eggs, little tins of sardines ... he quickly put the weight back on.
Go easy with any of these, though, until you know what suits your dog's digestion. All these suit Doc, but some other additions I have seen suggested don't - both raw eggs and cottage cheese give him terrible wind! And I don't serve liver too often, as I understand it shouldn't make up more than 10% of a dog's total diet, or you run the risk of creating a vitamin deficiency.
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What Arthur's doing is resource guarding, not 'dominance' - an outdated and unhelpful concept for dog training, this article explains why:
http://www.fun4fido.co.uk/blog/2012/10/15/debunking-the-dominance-myth
That this has come up as an issue now, after six months with you, is because he is settled in with you and now feels secure enough to try pushing the boundaries a bit - 'hey that bed looks comfy, maybe I can nab it for myself?' Don't forget that in his kennel days any bed (and any food) that he saw was his - he has not been brought up to share.
If you want to be in a position where you can share beds/furniture you will need to teach him an 'off' command first. A kind but firm voice and a ready supply of treats works wonders. If you don't want to share, that's fine too, so long as he has a nice comfy bed of his own to be sent to!
Meanwhile, if he growls at you when you ask him to do something he is probably picking up on your nerves. Kind but firm voice again, if that fails clip a lead on him and ask again. Don't ever try dragging him off the bed by the collar, that will feel threatening to him so he could snap.
By all means give the rescue a ring, if you think they are likely to be helpful. Are you in the UK? Is it a specialist greyhound one? My local one I know is very good about advice over the phone, and would also probably do a home visit if that might help.
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Glad she's feeling more cheerful and here's some good luck for tonight
:clover - let us know how you get on! -
thanks
I've got her jumper on anyway as she normally gets chilly in winter and put a blanker over her at night.Can't bring vet appointment forward sadly. Do you think it' best not to walk her tonight at all?
Your hound is gorgeous by the way
Andy
Thanks, yes Doc is a handsome boy and I think he knows it! Re the walk tonight I'd be guided by her - if she wants to go, take her but keep it short and on the level. (From past experience Doc gets most unhappy on 'bed rest', sometimes constipated too, but just 5 mins round the block is enough to cheer him up and keep things moving.)
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It does sound as if it may be arthritis, if it is all-over and coincides with colder weather. Or she may just have pulled a muscle or something? But greyhounds can be very stoical about longterm pain, so this may be something that has been building for a while without her letting you know. Glad you've got a vet visit booked, maybe you can bring that forward? Keep her nice and warm meanwhile and don't make her do more than she wants to. If it is arthritis, there will be lots of things that can help - anti-inflammatories, joint supplements, physio- and hydrotherapy have all helped my 11 year old boy greatly.
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Yup, it's like asking 'why are some people obsessed with food, etc'. Nature and nurture are both going to play a part - different people/ different dogs have different personalities, different metabolisms, have been brought up differently and fed differently too ... Doc doesn't actually fit either of your descriptions. He loves his food, but when he's had what he needs, he leaves the rest. (Wish I had the same kind of attitude myself!)
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When I needed to keep Doc off the chaiselongue (when he'd hurt his back and wasn't meant to jump up) I just left an upturned wooden stool on the middle of its seat when I went out. Could you do something similar?
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I think it's quite normal for greyhounds to play with toys by themselves, and just in short bursts. Doc has learnt to play with me but I've never managed to implant the idea of 'retrieve' into his head - instead play consists of me throwing the toy for him, him grabbing and running off with it, and me grabbing it and throwing it again. With Boo this may just come with time, or to encourage him now I'd suggest
- playing with the toy yourselves - throwing it to each other, having fun - with him in the room
- Wiggling the toy around so he can see it but not you - e.g. from behind a door, on a string, thrown down the stairs
- Moving outside to the garden and seeing if a change of venue helps
- A 'lure pole' - a longish stick with a string, to which you attach the toy and then whoosh it around for him to catch. Often used for training greyhounds and usually pretty irresistable! You can buy one or make one yourself - I'm sure if you do a search on here you will find instructions, plus videos of greyhounds playing with them.
- playing with the toy yourselves - throwing it to each other, having fun - with him in the room
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Cherry laurel fruits are toxic for humans, I believe.
However, your dogs may not even be interested in the fruits and leaves - can you watch them out there and see? It seems to be a matter for the individual. My Doc completely ignores all the wild plums currently scattered all over the grass in the park down the road - but I know some of the other local dogs will gorge on them given the chance.
If your dogs do prove to be interested, could you just block the trees off from them at fruiting time? It seems a pity to have to cut down nice mature trees, especially if they are appreciated by the local wildlife!
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My big boy is an enthusiastic marker on walks, but was also very quick and even eager to pick up on housetraining and indeed all house rules. I remember when I commented on this to the manager of the greyhound rescue she said something along the lines of "ah, the boys - the boys just want to please - it's the girls who are more likely to wonder 'what's in it for me?'!" They are all individual characters of course though so just go into the adoption process with an open mind, and the right dog will surely pick you!
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Here in the UK Doc (eleven last month) came down with severe pain back in April and x-rays showed a compressed disk in his spine (L6? near the hip joints anyway) with some resultant arthritis. His right hip was also very painful due to associated neurological damage.
Our vet was hopeful that this would respond to pain management and physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. She put him on meloxidyl long-term and on tramadol hopefully short-term - the latter twice a day to begin with, now down to once, and at the beginning of October we're going to see if he can come off it altogether.
For the physiotherapy I found a nice woman who is qualified as both a human and an animal physio - she volunteers at our greyhound rescue so knows all about greyhound physiques! She does home visits - she massages and manipulates him and also uses a portable laser machine - as well as giving me little exercises to do with him daily in between. The hydrotherapy (water treadmill) is something my vet offers on-site, Doc is not enthusiastic about it but with lots of encouragement from me and the vet nurse he does co-operate!
Again we will review both therapies at the beginning of October and hopefully dispense with them. The best part of six months on both have clearly been really helpful for him, his gait and muscle tone have hugely improved and watching him trotting round the park this morning it is clear that he is once more a very happy and much more comfortable dog.
I did discuss the possibility of surgery with my vet back in April, should the therapies/ anti-inflammatories not have worked, but I'm afraid we both felt it wouldn't be fair on him, given his age and that he would have to be sent away to a specialist surgeon for the op and initial after-care. The greyhound rescue was in agreement with this too, saying that the important thing was to keep on top of the pain management and make sure he was comfortable - hopefully they'll be pleased to see how well he's done when we go to their autumn fair in a couple of weeks time
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I adopted Doc some six-and-a-half years ago now. At that point we had to try a few different dry foods, to find one that he liked and that suited his digestion. We've stuck with it ever since. It's one made in the UK for working dogs, and is certainly not high-end. Those dog food analysis websites would mark it down for too much corn and beet pulp, but that doesn't trouble me, as clearly it doesn't trouble him - for a dog of nearly eleven he is still in very good condition. He gets quite a variety of add-ins with it, to keep life interesting and because I think that's good for his health and digestion.
It's all about knowing what suits your dog. If I did need to change his food for whatever reason, an important criterion for me would be that the new one didn't contain rice. Although this seems to feature in quite a few high-end foods, I know jolly well it gives him the squits...
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Not a special CD, but I used to switch the bedroom radio over to Classic FM (UK commercial station specialising in soothing classical 'lollipops') for Doc when I went out to to begin with. He soon got over his separation anxiety but still likes a bit of background noise when I go out, so now just gets BBC Radio 4 (mostly talk) because that's what I listen to first thing in the mornings.
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He is new to your household, I assume? So he's working out what the boundaries are, and you need to decide what those are and be consistent about enforcing them. That way you will both be happy!
I'd say sharing the sofa with him is probably not a good idea at this early stage, especially if you think sleep startle is an issue. (You can always revisit that a few months on when you know each other better.) You also don't want him to get the idea that the sofa is just for him, and become possessive of it.
So if you do decide to allow him up, teach him an 'off!' command too. If he ever proves reluctant to get off, don't grab his collar - that's scary for him, so may provoke an untoward response. Snap a lead on first and say 'off' again, kindly but firmly. Tell him he's a good boy and maybe give him a treat when he does.
Doc's not allowed on the sofa when I'm around, because it's a small one and so there isn't room for both of us. He gets up on it while I am out, which is usually fine by me - on the rare occasions when it's not (eg when he'd hurt his back so wasn't meant to be jumping up) I put an upturned stool onto it when I go out.
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Quite feasible I would say, especially for a younger, more active dog. My Doc in his prime got 1 1/2-2 hours of exercise most days and his favourite treat was an 8-10 mile walk somewhere new, especially if it featured a pub lunch in the middle! (I adopted him age 4, he is now nearly 11 and still loves his walks but couldn't go that far any more as he has a dodgy back.) Just tell the adoption group about your exercise plans and hopefully they will be able to team you up with a dog who would enjoy being your walking companion. You will probably need to build up to longer walks, I agree, especially if s/he has been sitting in kennels a while - start with 20 minutes or so for each walk and see how it goes, I would add 5-10 minutes every day or so as I saw the dog getting fitter.
edited for sense
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Turning round in a circle to hollow out the bed before lying down is normal - many greyhounds also go in for a more extreme form of 'nesting' involving scrabbling with their paws. My Doc is one and has many a happy session turning his bed (a folded double duvet) into weird shapes!
Yes, your boy probably only got short walks whilst awaiting adoption, bear in mind that it's also pretty humid today (at least it is in London). And also that as you say the outside world's all still very new and exciting for him - there is so much to look around and take in, quite apart from the physical exercise! Give it time and if you want to lengthen the walks do that by increments, five-ten minutes at a time. Why not also try just going to the park or an outside cafe with him, sitting down and watching the world go by for a bit? That's also good for his socialisation and you will probably find lots of people wanting to make a fuss of him, which he will enjoy if he is the outgoing type!
:clover 
I've got her jumper on anyway as she normally gets chilly in winter and put a blanker over her at night.
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Middle Of The Night Pottying
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
Could she somehow have picked up worms? I had this problem with Doc at one point and that was what it turned out to be - he was being fed same time, same food as normal but obviously his digestion was affected!