DocsDoctor

Yes - you need to make sure you weigh out his daily allowance of dry food exactly, it's easy to err on the side of generosity if you're doing it by eye. Make sure it's correct for the weight of dog he should be, rather than the one he currently is! And you can probably then reduce it by some, especially while he's slimming, since dog food manufacturers frequently overcalculate their recommended daily amounts (because they want to sell you more food!). I'm a bit puzzled though by you saying the daily allowance on the supermarket pack is the same amount for all dogs over 25 kilos??? That could cover anything from a labrador to a St Bernard! The chart on the one I feed goes up in 5 kilo increments to 80 kilos. Some supermarket foods are not the best quality by the way -lots of artificial colourings and additives, including sugar - so that could be adding to the problem??? But if he likes it and it suits him otherwise just try reducing the quantities first. Once you cut down the amount of dry food you can add in some veggies as others have suggested to bulk up his meal again and stop him feeling hungry. Some may be popular enough to be given as treats in their own right - experiment with different ones to see which he likes. Mine likes broccoli and cauliflower (stalks as well as florets), cabbage of any colour and swedes. He doesn't like carrots or any kind of fruit (though many dogs do) and peas and sweetcorn go straight through. He seems to prefer them lightly cooked so I freeze and store them in small containers, you could also try them raw or ready-frozen. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also popular here but will be more fattening. Avoid onions which are toxic to dogs as you probably already know.

Hi, when Doc did this to a dew claw I just cleaned it a couple of times a day with salt water. Doc also did a fair amount of licking at it himself! It took a couple of weeks for it to regrow to cover the quick. I would try a little aloe vera gel, if you think it needs some extra soothing, but apply it just before walks/play/whatever so it has some time to get to work before she licks it off again! Not that aloe vera will harm her if she does. Calendula ointment is also meant to be good, but I haven't tried that.

I was also going to suggest aloe vera! Or a dressing of manuka honey (again from a health store) is meant to have near-miraculous powers in promoting healing, though I've never needed to try that.

Yes, that's what I do. I hold each one up by the wingtip, Doc takes it by the other end, and crunches his jaws a few times before swallowing it down with considerable relish. Splinters shouldn't be a problem, raw chicken bones are actually pretty soft, though you should never serve cooked bones of any kind of course. The worst that may happen is that the dog if inexperienced tries to swallow the whole thing without crunching, then has to guck it up. In which case it will probably dive straight back in and start all over again! Turkey necks also seem to be a popular for many US GT-ers, you might like to try a search of past topics for more information about those. I've not tried them myself as I've never seen them for sale over here. Saw some raw meaty bones on sale in our local butchers for the first time recently, so next I want to try Doc on those!

Oops, sorry!

Yes, it's a good idea. Kills off any salmonella or other bugs that for humans would be destroyed by cooking. That said dogs are much less likely to succumb to these than we are, because they have a shorter gut. I think the usual advice is that it is safest to freeze for a week or so before defrosting and serving, but I have fed stuff which has had a shorter turnround period/not been frozen at all without ill effect. Is the raw meat going to be an add-in or are you switching to an-all raw diet? If the latter I would do some reading up first as it is evidently a complicated business to get right and provide all the nutrients the dog needs. If like me you plan to feed your dog principally on dried food but add in some raw as a treat, here is what has worked for me. Certainly I have found Doc loves the occasional pack of human-quality beef mince when I see these remaindered and I'm sure he would also love chicken breasts but either of these served on a regular basis will work out pretty expensive! Try chicken wings, which he gets every day for breakfast. The bones in the wings are a source of calcium, good for teeth and firm up poops. Hold onto the chicken wing tip as you offer it if you think your dog might try just to gulp it down the first time. My pet shop also has inexpensive 1lb packets of frozen mince of various types (rabbit, chicken, lamb) which are convenient to try. Minced raw green tripe is especially popular here - very smelly, but also very beneficial, the vitamins from the half-digested cow stomach contents (eugh!) are easily absorbed. I have also given him remaindered pigs liver from the supermarket, liver is especially rich in iron but should not be fed too often - advice is that it should make up no more than 10% of the total diet I believe.

Poor sad boy... so glad that you were able to spring him, and yes sending lots of positive thoughts from this side of the Atlantic. You're in good hands now Brodie, relax and concentrate on recovering!

Doc does pass more and softer stools and have a bit of a gurgly stomach for a day or so after his dose of Drontal Plus, that I would expect as it's effectively scouring his stomach out. Your girl's reaction does sound more worrying so yes, in your place I would try the Panacur instead. It's a powder which you have to dissolve in liquid and not that palatable I believe, so rather more difficult to administer. Those are the only two wormers recommended by vets here in the UK that I know of, there are also of course the ones you can buy in petshops but I understand those are largely ineffectual. Also, why not ask your vet if she actually needs to be wormed so frequently? My vet feels once every six months is enough, and told me she would only recommend three-monthly doses if we frequented country areas with a lot of livestock about, or Doc was given to scavenging on walks!

Yes. We got it done relatively cheaply at the local dogs' home show - £10 I think. He squeaked a little when the needle went in but swiftly forgot about the ordeal. It was done in the usual place, between his shoulderblades, and now the vet checks it with her scanner whenever we have an appointment just to make sure it's still working and hasn't migrated. Collars and ID tags can come off off, not everyone knows about greyhound tattoos, and were Doc to get lost or indeed stolen (which God forbid, but petnapping does seem to be on the increase here in the UK) I would breathe a little easier knowing he has his microchip. It is also a prerequisite for the UK Pet Passport scheme, should we ever want to take a holiday on the Continent!

Your dogs are very handsome and neither looks too skinny to me at all! All the same, I would agree with others that an introductory visit and healthcheck at the vets is a good idea - as you say, it'll be less traumatic than waiting until there's something wrong. They can weigh the dogs for you and put that information on their records so you have a baseline to check against on future visits. I'm afraid the wormer you bought from the petshop isn't going to be particularly effective - ask the vet to sell you whatever's appropriate for your area (probably Drontal, could be Panacur) and also ask about flea and tick preventatives (Frontline, etc). How often these are needed will also depend on where you live. Here in London Doc only gets wormed every six months but needs the flea and tick stuff every month, at least in summer. Once you know what is appropriate you will be able to buy the stuff much more cheaply online - I use http://www.vet-medic.com

Here's a link to the introduction to the UK Kennel Club's Petlog service, which includes links to the websites of manufacturers for microchips recognised here in the UK, and also one to the European Pet Network for information about the rest of the Continent. http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/433 Hope that helps!

Perhaps you could teach him my dog Doc's party trick - 'Hunt the Treat', the canine version of the old 'Spot the Lady' card rig. Put three overturned cups or similar (I use small tart tins) in front of his bed, show him which one you're hiding the treat under, then whiz them round and round and let him find the treat for himself. If it's cheese it's easy to sniff out! I second the suggestion about human or dog visitors if he's sociable by nature but doesn't get too excited by them, also does he enjoy music? Doc loves to lie listening to music and even has some favourite CDs, mostly for some reason ones featuring male classical vocalists! Or you could try just leaving the radio on, as people do for separation anxiety - Classic FM or a talk station would probably be the most soothing.

Doc did this running after a squirrel, but ripped the nail right off so just the quick (a little red stump) was left. It didn't bleed for long, so we left it unwrapped and just cleaned it regularly with salt water - Doc also licked at it of course! As it stayed nice and clean I didn't bother to visit the vet or anything, just checked and cleaned it regularly until the nail grew back which took a few weeks. I've also heard of people sealing the quick by painting on Friar's Balsam. Your situation sounds a little more complicated - the nail is going to need to come off now it is loose, so that a new one can grow. You might need a vet's help with this, unless you and she feel confident about sorting it out for yourselves. Meanwhile I would put a little pad of gauze or similar *under* the claw when you wrap it, so it doesn't jiggle around.

We walk on pavements a lot so Doc mostly keeps his own nails down. I use a hand nail file on his dew claws, and to tidy the others up if necessary. He lies still and doesn't mind a bit!

The vet described Doc as a 'magnificent specimen' when he went in for his first checkup, and five months after his adoption we've had no problems at all. Bright eyes, cold wet nose, glossy coat - he bounces around radiating health and happiness! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this may long continue... One of the things that initially attracted me about adopting an ex-racing greyhound was their general health and strength - that these dogs don't suffer from the genetic problems now plaguing many pet breeds following misguided or unscrupulous breeding, tendencies to hip displacement and breathing difficulties and so forth. There is the bone cancer issue of course, but the jury seems to be out as to whether that's genetic or caused by the wear and tear of racing or a bit of both. Anyway, as you say, inevitably people will come onto the forum for health advice only when they have a problem, which may skew the picture a bit for new adopters. Hopefully your poll will help put things straight for them!

I voted 1-2 hours. That's 3 a day, 30-40 mins a time - early morning, lunchtime and late afternoon. I'm working from home at the moment so that's easy and healthy for us both! Doc dearly loves his walks whatever the destination - window shopping seems just as popular as the local park, especially since he discovered the cat who sits in the window of the motor spares place down the road - but more than an hour and he is whacked!