gracegirl

I just got back from a close friends house. Grace, Fenway and I went to her house to be with her and her family while their beloved family pet, a 14 year old German Shepard Dog named JP, crossed the bridge. JP was one of the first dogs both Grace and Fenway met when they came into my life. He was found as a stray by her brother when he was a puppy. JP had a long and happy life, he was a Delta Society Therapy Dog who went to work with Lisa at the hospital for 7 years. Her co-workers from the hospital are setting up a memorial fund in JP's name for a plaque to place in the hospital's Healing Garden. My dogs were fabulous tonight, it was if they knew something bigger was going on while we were there. After JP left, Grace walked right up and stood over Lisa for a hug, OMG I can't stop crying. He lived a long and happy life and got to cross the rainbow bridge in the sunshine in his own backyard surrounded by friends and family. He was such a teddy bear. He was just getting so old. Fun free sweet man, and tell Freckles I miss him! Here is JP at my house the weekend I brought Fenway home... Here is JP looking over Mazie, Truman, Grace and Fenway... We miss you already JP, run fast and pain free!

Oh no, poor Roo! Looks like the vet did a good job. When Fenway had stitches in his side I put a t-shirt on him, and he left it alone. I hope you can find a trick like that for Roo too so he heals quickly and nicely. Get well soon, Roo-ster!

Oh no, not sweet Frazzle. I wish you a peaceful night tonight, sleep well good boy. My thoughts are with you and your family tonight.

Hello, also from the PNW. I'm in Seattle, and also got hound #1 from GPI. You have a handsome man there....

Alan you look so happy. You have the best parents in the WORLD!

Hang on little girl, we are all pulling for you!

White light and healing prayers coming your way. Hang on Penny, lots of folks are pulling for you!

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm going to hug my brindle beauty now...

No heartworm preventive needed in WA state. If I ever travel with the dogs, I'll check with the vet first. Fenway is still on his 6 months of heartworm preventative (every 30 days) because he's from Kansas. He'll get tested in the spring, and we'll be in the clear after that.

Fenway was awesome with his stitches, he left them totally alone! He had to wear a t-shirt to keep the wound clean....he was more upset about the shirt than he was about the stitches. I do think they started to itch a bit right before they were removed, but he was so good otherwise. I wish Dallas a speedy and uneventful recovery. Talking to the techs...how cute

Feel better soon Dallas....try to eat cookies instead of sponges in the future, little one. (A good wake up call for me to keep a close eye on Fenway too!)

Keep us updated....sending more good thoughts your way!

Oh no, not little Dallas! Feel better soon sweet girl!

Yay for #1! Good boy Luke. I just realized when I re-read my post that I sounded a bit harsh (not intended that way)...all of those other suggestions were good ones and you know your dog best....it's just that I was amazed with the crazy amount of running Fenway was able to get away with (and partly because I let him) within seconds. Good luck with the recovery!

Be careful with all of the above mentioned (flexi, long lead and snow fencing). As Luke feels better he may get the crazies....and with a greyhound puppy I know how little room they need to do those crazy flips that will put you back at Square 1 with the injury. Just last night we were at the beach and Fenway was on a 6 foot leather lead....he did three laps around me in a blink of an eye before I could reel him in. I would keep and injured dog on no longer than a 6 foot lead, they will eventually do their business while leashed. This is also why I always train my dogs to go on leash....you never know when you might be somewhere without a fence or need to do so for medical reasons. I'm wishing Luke a fast and uneventful recovery, and many poops while leashed!

Keep up with those walks...and great ideas about the chews for downstairs....I think everyone will be a lot happier and heathier! (Said the girl who has been so lazy and has not gotten back into running since the puppy came home.....)

Hugs and good thoughts coming your way....

Nothing new to add....but another "vote" for walks at least every other day. It will be good for your health too! If you can take you daughter with you on the walk it will be great for everyone. I also don't think this would be the best time in your life to add a second dog if you are finding it hard to spend time with the one you already have. Dog, while they enjoy the company of other dogs, also crave human interaction so I don't believe that adding a second dog would "solve" any problems. Best of luck, it sounds like you are almost on the right track and obviously you care very much about both your dog and your child.

This morning at 4:30 I'm woken up by a screaming puppy...he tried to get off the couch (his preferred sleeping spot, so he can roach into the cushions all night) and must have landed funny but it's not his back right leg that's giving him trouble. He'll walk on it with a slight limp, but he sits immediately if we stop on our walks and he's just "off". He also had the runs just now, something that is totally abnormal for him. His first poop of the day was fine, rock hard even, and it's not normal for him to go again this early. Stress from the pain? I'm leash walking him in the yard for now, and when our greyhound house-guest arrive this morning he didn't even get off the couch to say hello. I hope my little man is okay! Someone please tell me he's just off because he's hurting and he'll be okay again in a few days. I hate seeing him like this....my puppy should be crazy, not mopey.

Okay, I just let him out of his crate but kept him on leash and he is fine...a little tentative, but no limping. yay! I think I'll skip the drugs (but pick them up in case I need them in the future) and leash walk tonight. Hopefully he'll be okay tomorrow so he can play with Brock. I might keep him leashed tomorrow, we'll see! (How the heck do you keep a GH puppy "quiet"....I just know that after he eats dinner he'll be trying to play and will bark at me until I let him out to run....this should be a fun night!)

If I'm lucky he might even be just fine after work. I'll stop by the store to get the pain killers just in case. Poor little rough and tumble guy....and I'm greysitting this weekend too. I want Fenway to have fun with his buddy Brock....

I can buy this at the drug store, right? I've never had to give pain meds before....is it okay to give one without seeing the vet first? (I'd really like to NOT go to the vet if he's just going to tell me "give an ascriptin and leash walk him".)

Fenway and his buddies were running in the fenced field, and ran straight into the back of my friend. Unfortunately Fenway was in an unfortunate place where my friend landed on top of him. He's quite dramatic, so I expected the screaming....but he did it for about a minute. I leashed him up and walked him around...his back left leg is the one that is hurt and he was using it but limping. I rubbed him down, no yelping. I picked up his other back leg to make him put weight on the injured one, no yelping. After another 10 or 15 minutes I walked him around a bit more and massaged him again, still no yelping, no swelling and no heat. So the plan for now is just to leash walk him and let him rest, I'm hoping he'll be fine in a few days. Anything else I should be doing after work tonight and this weekend for him?

I hope everything is okay! Sending good thoughts your way....

I think child sunscreen is safe for dogs, there is a spray kind that works well. (Dirty dog + dog hair + rub in white sunscreen = EEEEWWWW!)