juliemac

i started insuring my 2 hounds ~16 months ago (my first hounds to be insured). 10 months after I joined, my rates went up 10%, and I now pay 118.00 for my 2 girls. i just incurred my first expense ... this will determine whether I retain the service, because I already get taxed to death by the state of Illinois, and don't need any additional help in spending my paycheck. I'm pretty sure I can save this same 1400 per year for the inevitable expenses.

Congratulations on your new addition! in addition to what's already been said, you might want to consider tucking the BIG BED away for now and use old comforters for a bed. They'll transition nicely to the car after you all adjust to each other, and you might have a little more room around Kai to put a small xpen for him to have his safe space. good luck, and please add pictures when you have enough posts!

Gentle hugs. I don't think you need anyone's help in making your decision, and you've probably already made it.

Oh, I'm so very sorry ...

took 7 treatments for hookworm (drontal - drontal - panacur - panacur - panacur - panacur -panacur+advantage_topical) remediation in my house last year. Drontal didn't seem to do much, but Panacur was working well for mine. Had some negative (good) results between a few of these, causing me to start treatment over again. Ended up using Advantage for 6 months in conjunction to boost the results (expensive! switched back to regular meds after 6 months). yard cleanup is critical ... twice a day is minimum (but if you wait that long, you'll probably need to check all dogs in the house periodically during treatment period). Good news is that deep freeze will kill the hooks in the ground (bad news is that it's Spring).

You'll want to note the drug reaction to Rimadyl in case you need pain meds for other issues later (there are other options available). Good luck with your new pup, who I hope heals quickly!

welcome to Greytalk! You've got a lot to work on together! Mollie may get a bit confused (and therefore scared) by the harness ... the first hound that I fitted for a harness 'statued' in the middle of a busy street on his first trip outside! But if Mollie is ok with the harness, you could consider leaving it on her while you're at home (just to have one less change leading up to walkies).

mine whine like that when they're hungry. Maybe a treat to tide him over until breakfast?

Prayers coming your way.

Oh, yeah, I've got my first poop-eater, and it's nasty. And unfortunately, poop-eating probably won't stop after the worms are treated. I'm sure you're aware, but worms in the poop can infest the ground (and then reinfest the dogs at a later time), so picking it up at LEAST daily is important until the deworming is finished. The grass-eating is definitely a sign of upset tummy ... and if you haven't experienced tummy gurgles yet, you might want to pick up some gas-x (because paint-peeling gas always follows those gurgling sounds). Deworming meds can definitely cause that (and cause the food disinterest). ​It sounds like you've got a good strategy with the 1/2c kibble, yogurt & olewo carrots with his meds. My boy Riley only liked Peach yogurt (and really resisted olewo carrots), and so your 'treats' may not be yummy enough to overcome the tummy upset. See if yummier treats work (a teaspoon of peanut butter, a tablespoon of leftover chicken or hamburger, or small pieces of ham) - he can afford the extra calories for the duration of the deworming protocols. You could also try adding some broth (chicken, beef, bone) to the kibble/carrots ... that may add enough flavor to peak his interest. Hope you find something that works. Seeing your pup lose weight when you're not trying to is always hard.

Try adding some (rehydrated) Olewo carrots with his bedtime snack. If he likes the carrots, they can add volume without a lot of extra calories (see if he likes other vegetables as well, and then add them to all of his meals to fill up the belly more). ​I'm not sure how long you've had him in your home, but my girl had been fostered with a family that did a 5a turnout, and it took about 3 months to move that time to 6:15. I found that an early potty break allowed me to go back to bed for an extra 30-45 mins before breakfast, which is "easy" with a fenced yard).

My friend uses the olewo carrots as an 'after dinner' treat (after dinner is in quotes because she does free-feed her 2 hounds). You might like that model, so the carrots don't get dried out. Many of my new dogs eat more in the first few weeks in my home than they do after they've settled in (exceptions: dogs that were rehomed or fostered and dogs that were highly stressed when they came to me so they didn't eat much of anything). Of course, I don't think that the tapering of food happened in the first month, so that's probably not what's going on for your pup. If your pup is eating grass (and regurgitating), then they probably have an upset tummy for some reason. The deworming meds can cause that, but so can a lot of other things. Watch for lethargy, ~3d of not eating, irregular potty issues (blood in anything, for example) or disinterest in yummy treats (piece of chicken, for example). Enjoy your new family member!!

I'm so sorry for the diagnosis.

Welcome to Greytalk! Your boy shouldn't have a discharge, and the licking is probably a result of the infection that is causing the discharge. It isn't unique to greyhounds. Unless there is blood, I wouldn't consider this worthy of emergency care, but I would try to get it diagnosed & treated within the week if possible.

I've successfully had 3 hounds with sleep aggression share my home (and bed). It takes some care, but totally manageable. If you're worried (when you get your hounds), then muzzle the pup at night.

great news!

And as long as you don't have hardwood floors (which would be scratched by any tracked in sand), I would mix some sand into your salt. I only use ~2cups of sand on my driveway (fits 6 cars), and it gives all of the traction i need to walk it safely with the dogs (no sidewalks here).

I might also suggest getting him used to a belly band while you're investigating the causes. It shouldn't bother him, and you'll appreciate the clean-up (a lot). Just don't forget to take the belly band off when you send him outside.

Seeing something familiar (e.g., another greyhound) would probably help ease any fear that you're sensing ... doggy playdates or even a meet & greet would serve pretty well if you don't have someone in your adoption group who can stop by with one of their hounds for a cup of coffee.

I'm so very sorry.

yep. mine likes shoes. In particular, my birkenstocks (but only the left shoe). I am now trained ... all shoes go UP on shelves or tucked away in the closet (where they belong). Femur bones give my chewer something to chew on. How old is your girl and how long have you had her?

If you do decide to leave them unmuzzled, please make sure they stay familiar with wearing the muzzles ... you don't want to need them someday (say, if you have an injured hound or if you have visitors and want to let them all run freely in the yard) and find that they fight you because they haven't worn a muzzle in years. I like mine to wear their muzzles at least twice per month, even though they don't wear them for normal turnouts. When my friend has HER pups over for playdates, muzzles go on or the hounds go out separately. Congratulations on your new addition!!

I'm glad that Stella is settling in, and she's just reaching the point where her own unique personality is starting to shine through! Do you meet up with any other greyhounds in your area? If not, you might consider doing that ... she may show you what she's interested in if she sees a familiar face (e.g., another tall cat).

how amazing! what a greyt gift! I'm so happy for you.

I'm glad you're also exploring alternate vets. I have a firm belief that any service provider (doctors, vets, auto mechanics ... ANY) that regularly cause their clients to have a significant wait for service (20 minutes or longer) have a poorly run front desk, and that is an indicator on how they run other parts of their business. I totally understand the possibility of emergencies (and am occasionally the beneficiary of that care) but there is no reason that the office can't call scheduled patients to let them know that there will be a delay (and allow some to reschedule, if desired). And offices that experience a growing delay throughout the day need to recognize that they haven't allocated enough time for each patient ... they can fix that by allocating more time or planning an open slot in the appointment book once an hour/90 minutes (which can be used for all sorts of 'catch-up', including calling back a patient, taking a health break, or keeping their office on schedule). I see no benefit in unnecessary waiting in a vet office, surrounded by potential illnesses that I especially don't want my senior dogs to be exposed to. Normally, I approach the front desk to understand the situation when I haven't been seen after 20 minutes, and at 30 minutes I graciously inform the office that I will help them catch up on their backlog by rescheduling my appointment to a more convenient day. And for my seniors, I always bring a non-slip bed/blanket just in case they would feel comfortable (or tired) enough to lie down & rest. I'm so glad you found some interesting food that Ralph enjoys! I hope that he continues to like your mixture (but don't be disappointed when he decides he prefers meatloaf with bacon or chicken mcnuggets next week).