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Gryffenne

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Posts posted by Gryffenne

    When The Cold Is Dangerous

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Another quick fix that might work if you don't have boots:

    Baby/Toddler socks. You want the ones that are long enough to go past the hock, preferably. Those + vet wrap (A few weeks ago, used medical tape in a pinch just to keep them on) to secure them are what we use on the handful of days it is too cold to even go out to pee.

    How Much Correction Of Other Dogs To Allow?

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted · Edited by Gryffenne

     

    If another dog ever did this to Hester I would be very concerned.

    I'd have to ask myself what was MY dog doing to CAUSE another dog to correct my dog instead of me correcting them.

     

    The other owner admitted that his dog is a pain. He was possibly unconcerned because he was aware that Hester just finished telling his dog off in Canine language.

    Assist Harness

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    We've started searching for an assist harness for Sammi. At the vet today, within 5 minutes of standing, her hips & back legs started to look like a GSD's. Thankfully the chairs in the office are the right height that I can get my thigh under her tuck and take the weight off of her back legs.

     

    We're trying out Carprofen. So far so good. First dose was tonight and she is really relaxed atm. So guessing it is taking care of the inflammation and pain :)

     

     

    Now onto the question.. Assist harness. A friend recommended the Solvit assist harness, but when I look on Amazon, the reviews are really mixed, and unsure of the sizing do the the pictures all being in a foreign language :(

     

    Also looked at the Help em up harness & a few others.

     

    Sammi is 12 yrs old and 76 pounds.

     

    Any recommendations of others to look at or experiences with the above 2?

    Thanks for looking!

    Update On River

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Small update.

     

    It's been a few days since we started her on her meds and so far no accidents! :yay (I really hope I didn't jinx myself just now :ph34r )

     

    In fact, she woke us up this morning, ate breakfast and went out to pee. Very. Full. Bladder. DH said that she peed so long it looked like she was trying to write her name :lol: I asked if it was cursive or gallifreyan ;)

     

    She had some itchiness from the AB the first few days, but that has calmed down now.

    Update On River

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by Gryffenne

    After a urinalysis and lengthy discussion on when, where, how much, and odor (none) of River's accidents, drinking habits, etc... she's pretty certain that it may be incontinence. Starting out with Incurin. To be on the safe side, we're also doing a round of antibiotics. Starting Incurin the first 2 weeks at 2x per day, then if there is no accidents, dropping to 1 pill per day. Follow up is in 3 weeks. Another urinalysis and discuss how the Incurin is doing.

    Hey! It's Been A While Since We've Seen A River Thread In

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by Gryffenne

    So it's been sorta quiet on the homefront with my bubblewrapped brat, River Song.

     

    I think she's sprung a leak somewhere, but I am not sure where.

     

    A couple weeks ago, River was roached next to me on the sectional. Next thing I know, there is a wet spot under her rump. Not a lot. Enough to dampen the sheet on the cushion and the cushion cover, but not puddle, nor saturate the cushion material. Run her outside and she goes potty while Doug deals with the cover. I notice that she makes yellow snow and empties a full bladder. Doug comments that he isn't sure that it is urine as there is NO smell and no discoloration of the sheet & cover beyond a wet spot. One of the boys had taken her out in the dark after dinner and could have spaced out on if she peed or not since she does like to pseudo-squat a few times until she finds the exact location within the universe to pee. I've done it. DH has done it. Stand there waiting on her and chat with whoever is out there with you. Space out for a second and suddenly ask, "Did she pee?"

     

    So we watched her carefully. We had the boys on full alert. We wanted to know when she pottied and how many seconds of stream. No more accidents and we write it off as a fluke.

     

    Until last night.

     

    Again, roached on the sectional. Moments before she was licking herself because I remember looking up when DH told her to knock it off. A few minutes later, I look over again and boom... another mystery spot has appeared. Same as before. No scent, no color. Enough to create a wet spot and soak through the cushion cover, but not enough to puddle, nor saturate the cushion itself. Run her outside and she empties a full bladder.

     

    I asked a few friends that I was already online talking with that are dog owners what they thought that it could be. Incontinence, she's 4 yrs old? UTI? She doesn't act like she is in pain (I remember UTIs more vividly than I remember childbirth :blink:). I was already planning to call the vet tomorrow to set up her yearly & rabies, so again.. we were on high alert for the weekend. And I have seen excessive drool when Sammi had that bad tooth- it was everywhere, not just one location.

     

    It just happened again. Just as before!

     

    All 3 episodes are the same:

    ~Evening

    ~Was told to stop licking -no spot when she was told

    ~Sleeping on the secional

    ~ Enough to wet the area, not saturate or puddle

    ~No discoloration

    ~No odor. If anything it smelled like a milkbone (Could she be burping up a small amount of water from her after dinner pit stop when she's twisted herself up like a pretzel to do her pre-nap cat bath?)

     

    Any ideas?

    That Great Post About Huge Change In New Hound's Life Etc

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

    This one?

     

    Credit Kathleen Gilley


    Of all breeds of dogs, the ex-racing Greyhound has never had to be responsible for anything in his life. His whole existence has been a dog-centered one. This breed has never been asked to do anything for itself, make any decisions or answer any questions. It has been waited on, paw and tail. The only prohibition in a racing
    Greyhound's life is not to get into a fight----------------or eat certain stuff in the turn out pen.

    Let us review a little. From weaning until you go away for schooling, at probably a year and a half, you eat, grow and run around with your siblings. When you go away to begin your racing career, you get your own "apartment," in a large housing development. No one is allowed in your bed but you, and when you are in there, no one can touch you, without plenty of warning.

    Someone hears a vehicle drive up, or the kennel door being unlocked. The light switches are flipped on. The loud mouths in residence, and there always are some, begin to bark or howl. You are wide awake by the time the human opens your door to turn you out. A Greyhound has never been touched while he was asleep.

    You eat when you are fed, usually on a strict schedule. No one asks if you are hungry or what you want to eat. You are never told not to eat any food within your reach. No one ever touches your bowl while you are eating. You are not to be disturbed because it is important you clean your plate.

    You are not asked if you have to "go outside." You are placed in a turn out pen and it isn't long before you get the idea of what you are supposed to do while you are out there. Unless you really get out of hand, you may chase, rough house and put your feet on everyone and every thing else. The only humans you know are the "waiters" who feed you, and the "restroom attendants" who turn you out to go to the bathroom. Respect people? Surely you jest.

    No one comes into or goes out of your kennel without your knowledge. You are all seeing; all knowing. There are no surprises, day in and day out. The only thing it is ever hoped you will do is win, place or show, and that you don't have much control over. It is in your blood, it is in your heart, it is in your fate-- or it is not.

    And when it is not, then suddenly you are expected to be a civilized person in a fur coat. But people don't realize you may not even speak English. Some of you don't even know your names, because you didn't need to. You were not asked or told to do anything as an individual; you were always part of the "condo association?; the sorority or fraternity and everyone did everything together, as a group or pack. The only time you did anything as an individual is when you schooled or raced, and even then, You Were Not Alone.

    In my "mobile abode," the Greyhounds each have several unique names, but they also have a single common name: it is Everybody. We continue to do things as a group, pack or as we are affectionately known in-house, by Kathleen's Husbandit, "The Thundering Herd."

    Back to those who have not been permanently homed. Suddenly, he is expected to behave himself in places he's never been taught how to act. He is expected to take responsibility for saying when he needs to go outside, to come when he is called, not to get on some or all of the furniture, and to not eat food off counters and tables. He is dropped in a world that is not his, and totally without warning, at that.

    Almost everything he does is wrong. Suddenly he is a minority. Now he is just a pet. He is unemployed, in a place where people expect him to know the rules and the schedule, even when there aren't any. (How many times have you heard someone say, "He won't tell me when he has to go out." What kind of schedule is that?) Have you heard the joke about the dog who says, "My name is No-No Bad Dog. What's yours?" To me that is not even funny. All the protective barriers are gone. There is no more warning before something happens. There is no more strength in numbers. He wakes up with a monster human face two inches from his. (With some people's breath, this could scare Godzilla.) Why should he not, believe that this "someone," who has crept up on him, isn't going to eat him for lunch? (I really do have to ask you ladies to consider how you would react if someone you barely knew crawled up on you while you were asleep?) No, I will not ask for any male input.

    Now he is left alone, for the first time in his life, in a strange place, with no idea of what will happen or how long it will be before someone comes to him again. If he is not crated, he may go though walls, windows or over fences, desperately seeking something familiar, something with which to reconnect his life. If he does get free, he will find the familiarity, within himself: the adrenaline high, the wind in his ears, the blood pulsing and racing though his heart once again--until he crashes into a car.

    Often, the first contact with his new family is punishment, something he's never had before, something he doesn't understand now, especially in the middle of the rest of the chaos. And worst of all, what are the most common human reactions to misbehavior? We live in a violent society, where the answer to any irritation is a slap, punch, kick, whip, or rub your nose in it. Under these circumstances, sometimes I think any successful adoption is a miracle.

    He is, in effect, expected to have all the manners of at least a six-year old child. But, how many of you would leave an unfamiliar six-year old human alone and loose in your home for hours at a time and not expect to find who knows what when you got back? Consider that if you did, you could be brought up on charges of child abuse, neglect and endangerment. Yet, people do this to Greyhounds and this is often the reason for so many returns.

    How many dogs have been returned because they did not know how to tell the adoptor when they had to go out? How many for jumping on people, getting on furniture, counter surfing, separation anxiety, or defensive actions due to being startled or hurt (aka growling or biting)? So, let's understand: Sometimes it is the dog's "fault" he cannot fit in. He is not equipped with the social skills of a six-year old human. But with your love and help, you can make it happen.

    Female Marker

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

    Sammi and Lynni both are markers. It's like watching the putting together of a Jenga stack if they are allowed to be near each other pottying outside.

     

    I'm peeing.... here.

    Hmm... me too.

    No I am!

    I am!

    Me!

    ME!

    me

    me

    me

    me

    me

    me

     

    River: Oh look, a butterfly....

    How To Stop Play Biting/mouthing?

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

    I agree, but would rather have a child 'yelp' than 'squeal'. A quick, loud, high pitched 'OUCH' should do the trick. :)

    That's what we've done with River (who, BTW, I noticed is exactly 1 yr older than Violet & also a brindle... annnnd also still very puppy-ish ;) )

     

    I warn everyone that she still has some puppy in her- how, I don't know. She's turning 4 on Saturday :blink: But she does. She chews (thank you Nylabone!!) She's clingy like a toddler. And she play bites/mouths. Anyone that comes over, I warn them about her mouth and if she does mouth them, to immediately stop petting/playing and give a very loud, high, dramatic OW!

    New Foster Up To Early Howling

    in Training and Behavior discussion

    Posted

    I would. Greys sleep like cats. :lol

     

    If you don't want to wake him at 10, may I suggest NOT feeding him at 5 when he wakes you up to potty? If it is only a quick (and boring) in and out to potty with no food or playtime, he may get the hint that it isn't worth it to get up until you do. (But still having the ability to get out and potty if he needs to)

     

    BTW, I do both of the above. A final potty before bed & no breakfast until I say it is breakfast time. Try and wake me all you want! Even get the others in on your evil plan! But you are not getting breakfast until: 1~You're settled down. 2~ The alarm has gone off. 3~I've had a cup of coffee (this is only because I am trying to disassociate leaving the bedroom means foooooooooooooood!!!!)

     

    Another idea you can try is to slowly move their time in 5, 10, or 15 minute increments. They go off at 5, you wait until a few minutes (Or until they are settled so that they don't think a Tasmanian devil gets them what they want) to make a move. Once they get used to that time, you move it again, slowly working towards your desired setting.

     

    I use this at daylight savings when the clock says it is 5, but the dogs' tummies all say it is 6. I also have used it in the past to retrain potty times when a new hound comes in or because of a shift change at work.

    Aging And Heat Sensitivity, Supplements, Etc.

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by Gryffenne

    Nutmeg gets more sensitive to both heat and cold as she gets older (age 13 now). Her comfort range is now from about 66-72F -- maybe we should move to the Pacific northwest?

    That has been Sammi's comfort range for as long as I have been with her ;) The 3rd AC unit I bought for my duplex when I first adopted her was because of her. She would forgo her afternoon potty if it meant she had to be peeled away from the AC.

     

    I do worry, reading the list, about her now (11.5). It will be something that I am discussing with her vet at her appointment this fall. Limiting her activity/excitement any more will kill her :sad1 She loves car rides & the bark park and already looks hurt and dejected on the evenings I take L&R to let them blow off steam there. Unfortunately this local one is all sand and with her weakened back end, it is so painful for her there. :( Same with long walks. I've already shortened hers down to almost nothing because, again, of her back end. But I always try to take her for my errand running, weather depending, so that she can still have her car rides and admirers in drive thru windows (bank, pharm, and of course I have to have a soda ;) )

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