gracegirl

You can tell she feels right at home. Wishing all of you many happy years together. By the way.....those ears are the BEST!

One thing I found with Fenway was that his muzzle became his "time out", "safety blanket" or "chill pill". Basically, once he was used to the routine of me putting the muzzle on, getting him a treat, and leaving...it was the muzzle that became his signal to be calm. If I forgot his muzzle, I'd come home to a wound up dog and some sort of destruction. I was also taping him while I was away....again muzzle = calm and quiet dog while no muzzle = whiney, distressed dog. He's gotten over it and aside from a few instances of general bad behavior, he's quite a good boy now. (bad behavior = shredding things when he's POed or bored. I can now almost predict when it's going to happen. And it's usually my fault - skipping a walk, coming home and leaving again right away, etc. Fen is a creature of habit and routine.)

I've never had insurance for either of my dogs. There are times I wish I had it, and there are times I'm glad I'm not paying out every month. I have money in savings (not dog specific savings, just general savings) and I use that if necessary. I've thought about care credit, but have not used it yet. Insurance companies bank on the fact that you will pay more than they pay out. That might mean one person pays for the super-duper premo plan to have their dog live a long and healthy life when another person is submitting claims left and right. I guess it depends on your overall outlook on the cost of care. Some people will do anything it takes to save their dog. If they cannot afford to spend $10,000 all at once to do so, insurance is a great idea. Others might have a cost in mind, and once that cost is reached they might decide it's time to say goodbye. I'm somewhere in the middle....in that I'll use care credit but I also know I might need to make a tough decision regarding saying goodbye because in reality money is a factor. I will never, ever add up all vet bills for my dogs because I just don't care to know exactly how much I spend on them. I'd have a stroke myself. Bottom line: dogs are expensive. Good luck with your decision. if you do opt out of insurance, in just one year you will have over $2400 saved. I hope you never have to use a dime of that! Yep....this is a great idea. We think along the same lines.

I'm so sorry for your loss. She was a lovely gal!

I'm so sorry for your loss. He was a special dog, for sure!

She was a special girl. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm so very sorry for your loss!

Thank you! Grace us my first dog, and while I've had her for 5 years some of these aging issues are still new to me.

Nala...you are loved and missed! I'm so sorry for your loss.

Thank you very much for the info jjng. I appreciate it and will discuss the other medication options with my vet for the remainder of the summer/storm season here in Colorado.

Supporting the Humane Society is a bad thing? I had no idea!

The one I raised from a pup is not afraid. Grace, who I adopted when she was three, is afraid. Were either of the two greyhounds you conditioned older when you began working with them? If you could share what steps you took, that would be helpful.

Hello greytalk! I have had Grace for just over 5 years now. Each year her fear of fireworks and thunderstorms has gotten worse. At the first noise (even if it's imagined) she begins panting and shaking like a leaf. She will not go outside to potty, and she will typically not eat (either her kibble, or treats). If available, she finds refuge in the bath tub and will bunker down there for safety. Fenway is a confident dog and sat on the front porch with me for an hour the other night with fireworks going off all around. He sets a great example for her, unfortunately I just can't get her to follow that example. Last year the vet suggested meds. We rode out last summer without meds, using the bath tub for comfort. This year, it's gotten so bad that I picked up some Ace to use last weekend. A 25 mg pill will put her to sleep in 30-45 minutes. It's the only way any of us can get rest, otherwise she's up panting until about 2-3am. I'm not thrilled about using Ace long term, so I'd like to try some other things before I go with drugs. In addition, there is no longer a tub available for her to access. She unfortunately doesn't feel as comforted by my walk in closet. Any thoughts? Here's my biggest problem....with the many afternoon thunderstorms we have all summer long in Colorado, I am typically not home when the thunder starts. Unfortunately I come home to my panting mess of a dog frequently. I'd love to hear your success stories in how you desensitized your noise-phobic greyhound. Thanks!

I'll trade you the little terrier for DBF's 95 lb Airedale. I love Jackson, but I cannot and will not ever walk all three dogs together. It's downright dangerous. Because of his size and strength, as well as his smarts (he can throw his collar in seconds!) I walk him in a pinch/prong collar. I am not a fan of them...at all...but it's the only thing I've found to work with him. He's 4.5 years old. Hopefully he'll grow up someday. I would try a no-pull harness first with the terrier, combined with the stop/start method. I also recently bought a leash for running with my greys and it clips around my waist, like a belt. I LOVE it. I've been using it with Grace durring fireworks season so that I don't drop the leash and have her take off for home. This would give yuo peace of mind to work with the terrier, while not having to keep track of two leashes. Once the terrier learns to walk nicely, your walks will be much more enjoyable. I used to dog sit a friend's two greyhounds....I'd walk all four together. I also use to dog sit a friend's two Boston Terriers, and they were by far the hardest dogs I've ever had to walk.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope my Freckles was there to escort her around bunny heaven when she arrived. He was 12 when he passed and survived an ear infection in his time with me.

Although I never met him, I feel like I new him. And I miss him too. I'm so sorry for your loss. My heart hurts for you and Mitch. Wishing you peace and healing.

Where did she race? Sometimes they lay dormant for years before symptoms begin to appear.

Huh. I didn't know dogs could get moles. Maybe that's what the weird bump is on Fenny's leg that I sometimes poke at. Let us know the results!

I'm so glad she's feeling better! Have you had her tested for Tick Born Diseases? I'd suggest that testing, from NC State (someone will correct me if I'm wrong), since you have not other answers so far.

To lower phosphorus levels you can also add a phosphorus binder like calcium to their diet. Fenway does not have elevated BUN nor does he show any numbers outside of range on his bloodwork. It was the ultrasound that revealed kidney damage. Just thought I'd mention it as a tell tale way to see if there is anything going on with his kidneys. Typically kidney damage/failure won't show in bloodwork until 75% or more of the kidney function is compromised.

I have a pup with minor kidney damage. He is 4.5 years old and this was discovered first by his pee accidents (also clear, odorless urine), then by his U/A (can't concentrate his urine) and bloodwork (all checked okay), finally by an ultrasound (revealed the kidney damage). If you are not sure what is going on with his kidneys, I would absolutely 100% suggest an abdominal ultrasound. This gave me exactly the answers I needed for diagnosis. I highly reccommend it, worth every penny. Of course, now that I know what's wrong....I still have questions around treatment. But at least I know what's wrong and can monitor blood values and USG every few months to catch any changes fairly quickly. Good luck!

Thank you all for your input. Grace shakes like a leaf, won't eat, will break down baby gates to find what she determines is a safe place to hide when she hears noises. What also has me really worried is that she *thought* she heard thunder last night and was like that for two hours before she came out of her episode. Like you, Judy, her behavior is worrisome. Can they really have a heart attack or stroke from work themselves into a frenzy? Oh my!

Grace won't wear coats. She needs meds. I'll call the vet and see if Ace is one that he was thinking for her. Any side effects I should know about? She's on proin for spay incontinence.

Hi all! My poor, sweet Grace girl is terrified of thunder and fireworks. She turns into a shaking, drooling, panting mess! Poor thing. She's 8 years old and it only seems to get worse as the time goes on, it's noise related. Can anyone give me suggestions for some drugs they have used and what the results were? My vet suggested we think about drugs this year, and after the first few storms we've had I agree! I've tried melotonin without any success. Same for Rescue Remedy and DAP. Thanks for the insights!

I flippen hate outdoor cats!