silverfish

This is true, but it becomes contaminated very quickly after it's passed (it can even pick up a number of nasties from the dog's own sheath as it exits) so it's a very good idea to wash it off open wounds.

Me too! Except it's usually a bowl of water rather than the hose. He tends to run away from the hose! Yes, but I see you do cover it.

True, it doesn't explain why seizing dogs get attacked. There may be more than one cause, and possibly one IS prey drive related over-excitement. The only times I've witnessed it in one of my dogs, Jeffie wanted to bite a spaniel which was doing the high-pitched yelping, throwing itself manically around thing. It was either excited or stressed and using displacement activity as an outlet, but it was whirling around near the ground like a demented (and very noisy) mop. Jeffie appeared disturbed rather than anything else and was quite focused at trying to bite at it as it came near him. He looked half-scared and half-intent. When it stopped whirling and squealing, he immediately quietened down himself. It was as if he didn't like it and wanted it to stop. When it stopped, he completely lost interest in it - unlike any prey-driven behaviour I've seen. I wonder if the seizing dogs are broadcasting some kind of upsetting electrical activity? We know dogs can sense all kinds of things we can't, including imminent seizures, as well as earthquakes, thunderstorms in the distance, blood sugar fluctuations etc. Could be that that upsets them.

The others are correct. However, I'm not in total agreement with Jennifer (JJNg). I don't think it has anything to do with prey drive at all. IMHO, the reason that these dogs attack screaming dogs and not elderly-in-decline dogs is simple: the pack needed to get the screamer to shut up as quickly as possible to prevent the position of the pack being given away - perhaps to protect themselves against attack by larger animals (or man), or perhaps during hunting or scavenging, when a screamer would have prevented everyone from eating that day. I have read that adult dogs will also grab and hold the muzzles of pups who get too excited during the hunt for much the same reason.

It might be more that he was exposed to a lot of other doggie pheromones and decided he needed to compete. I'm with the others: it's a perfectly normal behaviour and I don't see the need to stop it. I'll ask them to move on a pace or turn them while I pick up, so I don't get covered in divots but ... it still happens sometimes!

This sounds much like Jeffie. He too can jump into the car with absolutely no trouble at all - he sails in like a springbok - but he can stumble and fall on his backside going down our front door step if he misses his footing. The odd thing about Jeffie, though, is that he doesn't seem to have significant muscle wasting in his hindquarters. He's as thin as a rake, but it's a generalised thinness and he still has fairly solid muscles in that area. I'm disturbed at what you say about your fosterer not wanting to give your girl treatment. Surely she understand that she is still your dog and she must do whatever you wish to do in that regard? I know there's delicate ground to tread since she's doing you a favour and you don't want her to simply say she won't care for her anymore but it seems very high-handed of her to say that if she has her she won't 'intervene' medically.

I hope he's OK! I admit I laughed when I saw the title, but there's a large piece of metal inside clickers. Maybe he spat that bit out.

If it's not inflamed or infected it will heal, but of course, since it's open it could easily get infected. I think I'd like it covered or restitched, but it will heal. See what the vet says in the morning.

Panting in older dogs with pain issues in the summer can be a mixture of factors: pain and heat/humidity. Dogs cool down by losing water from their lungs, so if the humidity is high, this process is less efficient. You can't put much water into the air if it's already saturated, right? However, there could be another factor at play here. Tramadol is an opioid and can often cause panting, which may be due to the fact that it can make them feel 'odd', so it's stressful for them and makes them anxious. Sid has been on Tramadol several times. He's OK on a low dose, but ramp it up to the max and he keeps me awake all night panting, bless him. It's a bit of a compromise we have to make in these circumstances; do you eliminate the pain but make them feel weird and stressed, or do you keep the dose down to avoid that and have them deal with incomplete pain control? I think if I were you I'd ask the vet if there's anything else she can take as an alternative to Tramadol, even if it's short term so that you can see if it's the Tramadol which is to blame.

Yeah, that would be understandable!

It is interesting. Jeffie is terrified of children out in the park (screaming, throwing balls, using the flying fox etc) and is generally extremely wary of them when we meet them walking along the road, so I was very cautious about introducing him to the twins, who were born in May last year. We needn't have worried. Obviously it was a good idea to introduce them carefully and slowly, but right from the start he's been fascinated with them. Even when they were being sat on the table in their car seats as tiny babies (don't worry, under close and constant supervision by parents) he would try to reach up and touch their feet with his nose. The first time we put them on a duvet on the floor with a babygym, Jeffie crept on to the duvet and went peacefully to sleep next to Phoebe. Now that they're on their feet, he doesn't waste an opportunity to lick them; faces, hands, feet, whatever he can reach. He honestly seems to be very taken with them! I can't see a trace of aggression, prey-drive, fear or nervousness. He's still the same with older children out and about, but he's now quite interested in babies and toddlers. It's as if a light went on and he said 'Oooohhhh! They're tiny humans!' and I think he feels protective.

In my opinion, two walks are better simply because they spread the fun out and give your dog two exciting things to do each day instead of one. It's also a wonderful way to spend time with them and help them to integrate into your family because there are endless training opportunities on a walk and it's a very companionable and nice thing to do. I mean that in a 'dog' way, as much as in a 'human' way, (like, for instance, sitting talking to them or stroking them, etc), because it's kind of like meeting them halfway as a species since dogs so looove to walk. Now, having said that, there are dogs out there (particularly some greyhounds) who really do not seem to enjoy walking that much, so in a sense, you have to be guided by 1) your dog and 2) your knowledge of what's best for your dog. Lazing around all day without any exercise at all is bad for them, just as it's bad for us. Encouraging a 'lazy' hound to go out for a walk is something we do for their own good, and if you have a lazy hound, then one walk a day may suit you better. Sounds as if you don't have a lazy hound, though. I bet your dog enjoys his/her two walks, no? Splitting the walking time into two sessions is useful when you first get your greyhound to condition them. They will have spent a lot of time being inactive (unless they were fostered in a home where walking was the norm) and may have tender pads or be limited by old racing injuries. It's also useful for the seniors: it's a fact that dogs with arthritis or low exercise tolerance will still benefit from exercise but will do better with two or more short sessions rather than one long one. We had a pair like this once; Jack & Renie, the dogs in my siggie. Jack adored to go out in high winds and driving rain or snow. Renie loathed bad weather. So we'd have one little dog forging ahead into the wind, head up, eyes slitted against the blast and ears flying behind him, almost with a grin on his face and prancing along, and one 'Eeyore', dragging behind bundled up to the nines, reluctance writ large in every dainty line of her body. She'd cower behind her person, refusing to put her foot into a puddle or deep snow, and only pick up the pace when our front door was in sight once more! We called them The Princess and The Pirate. :nod

Congratulations on the new guy! I agree with these two posters. Some greyhounds take a looong time to fully blossom. I've had a couple who hadn't really shown their true colours until we'd had them a year. Usually it's more like six months. Five days is nothing, and as Riverhound says, don't stress about the training. It's OK doing 'manners', of course. You can also play the 'capturing behaviour' game: if you see him about to go to his bed, say 'On your bed, Lester' and then 'Good boy!' Make sure he really is about to plump himself down though. Even that I wouldn't worry about for the first week or two. For that first little while I just concentrate on earning their trust and affection and giving reassurance. Their world has changed so much.

Hi Hannah! I'm up near Peterborough. I have two oldies.

She really was beautiful. I'm so sorry you lost her so young.

I've never used one and have never seen the need, but I'm in the UK where it is a lot less common and the greyhounds here are not accustomed to them. They're kept in pairs in roomy kennels, not crates.

Kar, you've had some very knowledgeable people here tell you that your dog is not in renal failure judging by the results you've posted. One of the people who told you so is a Vet Tech, and another is a Vet. Please, please get a second opinion. A kidney diet won't help her, especially if she's not eating enough. Did you get the latest blood results?

I'm so sorry to hear this. How very sad. Hugs.

I wouldn't mind letting a tech express the glands, but would certainly want a vet to take a look in this case. The 'nearly empty' one could in fact be infected or simply contain stuff which isn't emptying in the proper way. If there's any trace of blood it needs attention. Let us know how you get on!

So sorry to hear you lost your Poodle. Sounds as if he had a great life with you!

Wow. Well, I've bookmarked it as a possible supplement for the bad times. I'd have to order online because I've never seen it in the shops. Do you have to do that?

If there's dust and dog hair in the drawers, then yes, I'd launder them. Kudos to DH! And I'm so glad you found a pet sitter willing to come and stay to care for them!

I like the idea of making gelatin treats with broth for using to hide pills! Thanks for the link.

Well, at least that guy was there to get his dog some treatment, presumably. Pity he didn't stay. We don't have quite the fighting dog problem that you have in the US, but we're now seeing it. It's so, so sad - scary, too.

Knox gelatin isn't available in the UK, but I looked it up. You just need individual packets of powdered, unflavoured gelatin. It's very easy to mix in. DH found ours in the desserts aisle at the supermarket (because it's used for making jellies, panna cotta, etc). I would imagine you can use lamb, but turkey wouldn't have a high enough fat content.