silverfish

How horrible for you and Phoenix! I'm so glad you found that in time. My ten year old Sid had an emergency splenectomy a few months ago. It wasn't associated with any kind of bloat or torsion event, it was just that I'd noticed he was a bit off and had been watching him carefully (and, incidentally had taken him to the vet several times for check-ups when they could find nothing out of the ordinary) and eventually noticed when he was lying down that he had a large mass in his abdomen. The vet had to lay him on the table to see and feel it, but when he did, Sid was immediately booked in for surgery. We were lucky the huge mass didn't rupture before we found it - he'd have bled out and died. During recovery he did have some arrhythmia and a rapid heart rate due to hypovolemic shock: his spleen was enormous and full of small chambers containing blood, so when it was removed, he lost a lot of circulating blood volume. When you get a very high heart rate, you often notice more sinus arrhythmia, which is basically harmless and normal in dogs anyway. Sid's heart rate returned to normal after a couple of days when he'd made enough new red blood cells to cope with the loss. If Phoenix's spleen was twisted so that blood could enter but not leave, it may have been very swollen with blood. If so, his arrhythmia and rapid heart beat could be due to the same cause as Sid's, which is to say, the loss of a large amount of blood. Sid's spleen weighed five and a half pounds, if that helps with comparison.

You have had some excellent advice. I agree with all of those who said things like: Without wishing to sound offensive - being blunt, I suppose - what you have been doing is teasing your dog. He is responding in a frustrated, confused way and has finally had enough. I know you are not doing it on purpose and I know that it's the last thing you intend to do, but the way you have been going about his training has unfortunately had this result. From his point of view, this is what he sees: you give him his food, you mess with it, you behave aggressively to him, and then when he reacts in the only way dogs can, you 'go nuts' and take it away again. You also behave in a very threatening way. As he sees it, he is trying to survive and defend himself. Please don't read this as being harsh, I'm simply trying to show you how it seems from your dog's point of view. Reading through what you've said below, it sounds as if you have been less than consistent and have seriously confused him. It's not as bad as all that, though. All you need to do to recover is to read up on dog body language (there are a lot of good books out there like 'Bones Rain From The Sky' and 'The Other End of the Leash') and start again. Do all the things you have been doing with hand feeding and hand on him while he's eating, but instead of your fingers in his food, toss something extra in from a little distance away. Instead of getting in his face, work on earning his trust - others have already gone through this process, so I don't need to. Don't ever take food away from him unless there's a VERY good reason, like he's picked up a chicken bone while out walking. If you begin again from the beginning and get him nice and relaxed with eating his dinner, and then use the 'trading up' method for de-sensitising his reaction to your approaching when he's eating high value treats, this should soon be quite possible without a struggle. I've had two dogs with so-called 'food aggression' and have successfully got them past it to the point where I can take anything away when necessary. It's all about mutual respect and trust. As for growlng over high value treats, by the way, with a few dogs you may have to compromise: if there is something they won't behave well with, you either leave them well alone until they have finished, or you don't give them that particular treat.

We've had to put all our oldies (over twelve) onto puppy food to keep weight on them. Jeffie is particularly bad - I constantly expect someone to call the RSPCA to us for starving him! With puppy kibble plus add-ins of homemade meat stew, canned fish or quality wet dog food, he's almost an OK weight. FYI, he loves satin balls, but vomits if I don't lightly cook them for him. I freeze them raw and dry-fry them a few at a time.

Absolutely. That's great that your dog had 'only' a cyst and not osteo, Greysmom.

Not at all normal for osteosarcoma which is a very aggressive cancer. Chances are that the diagnosis was incorrect - a very, very good reason for getting an expert second opinion! So glad to hear that the mass is gone, whatever it was! How was it found to have disappeared though? Is it just you saying 'the lump is gone'? Because if so you'd need another x-ray series to know for sure.

Yep, yep, and yep. Total idiot - to put her dog down again and again and let the same thing happen? Practically brain-dead. Good grief. Yes, muzzles are for playdates so no-one gets nicked or ripped in play, which can happen. Muzzle one, muzzle all. As for the aggression question, I suppose technically it IS aggression, but I certainly wouldn't label her as 'aggressive' in the sense most people mean it. She was acting instinctively - pack behaviour as someone else said. I would be careful around small fluffies in future, but she'll probably be fine with those who don't behave that way. My first greyhound was the same: he'd play with small dogs, and even roll them over by accident then stand back and wait for them to get up and begin playing again, but I remember one time when a pup (flatcoat retriever) threw herself down on the ground in front of him in abject submission, rolling over and showing her belly and doing that high pitched whine that some pups do. I think she wet herself, too. And he went to grab her. He didn't hurt her, just bumped his nose on her and kind of looked bewildered, but then went in again (that's when I managed to get hold of him). It's instinct. He never did it again with any other dog, but we were always cautious after that.

There have been several things I've asked to be done while they're under for something else like a dental. The vets almost always agree on the 'if we have time' basis, but something like that I think they'd probably make time for. For instance, Jeffie has had warts removed while he was under for a dental - they were not a huge problem but they were itchy, so we took them off. He's grown more, of course!

No, Jeffie has never touched dry kibble, either. It can be a real battle to get him to eat enough. He'll accept small bits of cooked meat most of the time, but often if I put them on or in his kibble he'll pick off what he can and leave the rest. The puppy kibble really is helping if only because he needs to eat less of it to get the same amount of calories. His fosterer told us that she would have to hide behind the door if she wanted to watch him eat because if he knew he was being watched, he would simply walk away and not eat at all. He's come a long way since then and now often won't eat UNLESS someone stands with him and watches over him. I have no idea what goes through his head. I think maybe he is afraid the Dog Wraiths will get him.

Jeffie is on puppy food now. He started off OK on Satin Balls, but then produced horrible diarrhoea so we took him off them (he wasn't getting them every day, but whenever I did do them for him he'd explode). We now give him Almo Nature Holistic 'puppy' and he's looking really good - for him! - but most supermarkets/pet food manufacturers do cheap canned puppy food. If you add that to 'Doggy Dog's' kibble he'll probably love the mushy, stinky stuff and do really well, too! Edited to add: Yeah, satin ball mix is hugely expensive, isn't it? Not just the beef, but the eggs and all the extras really push the price-per-pound up.

Were they wearing collars? My best guess is that Hank got his toe caught in her collar - this would explain the cut on his toe (as he pulled it free) and her screams of fright and pain because of the yanking on her neck and maybe a degree of strangulation as the collar twisted tightly. As a FYI, I'd certainly recommend no collars or ONLY breakaway collars when they are playing together, especially unsupervised. Dogs have died through one getting a foot - or worse a jaw - caught in a tag collar, sadly. They twist so easily, causing asphyxiation in the collar-wearer as both dogs panic and fight to get free. My own feeling is that I wouldn't let a pup and a senior play together unsupervised because of the inequality in their fitness, tolerance, and age levels. I'd probably also limit supervised playtime too, because dogs can be really bad at knowing when enough is enough. By the way, our first greyhound screamed blue murder when he got a toe caught in a blanket, too!

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

Great! Keep going, slow but sure, and she'll get the idea!

I would first of all move the beds so that they are apart when resting. Many dogs do not like to share sleeping space. We have a similar situation here, with daft old scared-of-his-own-shadow Jeffie growling and barking at Sid if Sid dares to walk too close when he's lying down. Jeffie is also the 'new' dog - Sid was here first. I don't make too big a deal of it. Firstly, I am strongly of the opinion that it's best to let dogs sort out their own order of things by themselves, and while it's just posturing and warning -which it always has been with Jeff - then I let them get on with it except that we tell him to quieten down if he goes on too long or if we're watching a movie or something. He does, instantly. And when it's bedtime, I have to make sure that Sid gets his own bed. He is an aging tripod and finds deep donut beds difficult, so we have two flat beds with sheepskin on them in the bedroom and one donut. Jeffie gets to choose, but he cannot choose the one which Sid prefers: I make sure he doesn't sneak onto it by turning a rubber backed mat upside down on it till I'm ready to supervise Sid settling down. By that time, Jeff has settled on one of the others and all is peaceful. You'll have to make the judgement on whether it's likely to escalate into snapping, but I will say this: you teach a dog that it's not OK to growl at your peril. It's their early-warning system and is there to let the world know they're not comfortable. If you teach a dog that it's 'bad' to growl, that's when you get bitten 'without warning'. If you must intervene, I'd simply clip a leash onto the new girl's collar and cheerfully say 'OK, let's go'. Then you can make her get up and move somewhere else. But seriously, I'd simply avoid all the hassle by separating their beds. We have one on one side of the lounge, and one on the other. Occasionally they choose to sleep near each other, but it's always Jeff's choice.

That's funny! Pretty sure it should be 'wipe the SEAT'! We often see that printed and posted on the back of a toilet door over here, sometimes in the sort of small cafe etc where there are only one or two toilets, but sometimes people actually buy porcelain plaques with this rhyme to hang in their own homes!

I'm with Jennifer: I'd assume it was fleas. Why do you say there's no question of fleas? Just because they're never off lead doesn't mean they can't pick them up. Fleas wait around in the grass or anywhere any infested animal has paused, sat or slept, so if you have any kind of wild or domestic animal in your neighbourhood, there will probably be fleas. Ours pick them up over the fields from foxes and rabbits, but you can also find them in grass verges, front yards, public parks or anywhere another dog has been for more than a few minutes. They can even hitch-hike from one warm body to another while the owners are chatting - remember that fleas are phenomenal jumpers! If I were you, I'd get a flea comb, dampen it, run it through his fur on the back of his neck and at the base of his tail multiple times then wipe it on a bit of white tissue. If you see black dots or streaks of red, you have fleas. If you do, this could well be an allergy and getting rid of the fleas should help a lot. Oh, and for a picture, you can use a picture hosting site like Flickr or Photobucket, then you can hotlink it with the 'IMG' tag.

You're welcome! Good luck!

I too would start from the beginning. Start out as if you were beginning from scratch and ignore the fact that she has been OK and regressed. Go slowly, and be thorough with each step. Here's how I do it: First, set aside some time. You cannot hurry this. Stage One Without making a fuss of your dog, pick up your keys and walk out of the front door. Close it behind you. Immediately open it again and go back in. Put your keys back where they belong. Do not say anything to your dog. Do this every half hour until your dog no longer leaps up to watch you go, looking ready to panic. Ideally, he will lie down near the door to watch for you. Stage Two Without making a fuss of your dog, pick up your keys, walk out of the door and lock it behind you. This time, count to twenty and then go back in. Put your keys away. Do not say anything to your dog. Do this every half hour or so. Your dog may be very watchful, but should not panic. Stage Three Again, without making a fuss, do exactly the same thing as in Stage Two, but count to thirty before going back in. Do this every half hour to an hour. Your dog may be very watchful, but should not panic. Stage Four Again, without making a fuss, do exactly the same thing as in previous stages, but this time walk away from the house, and turn and go back inside after five minutes. Once again, do not greet your dog, but be very matter of fact and go about your business. Do this every half hour to an hour. Your dog may be very watchful, but should not panic. Stage Five Do exactly the same, but stay out for ten minutes. After repeating until your dog is no longer over-alert and watchful, you can stretch out the time to fifteen minutes, and then to twenty minutes. During this phase - as long as you are sure your dog is still not reacting with anxiety - you can get in the car and drive it away from the house for the required period of time. Once you are able to leave the house and drive away, remaining away from your dog for half an hour, you're pretty much home and dry. Just don't rush from half an hour one day to six hours the next day, or you'll undo all the good work. Please note: It is impossible to say how long it will take. One stage might take three days, or it might take half a day. The important thing to remember is that IF AT ANY STAGE your dog howls, whines, barks, pees, poops or shows any signs of anxiety at all, you are going too fast. Go back a stage. If that doesn't soothe him go back another stage, until you find his comfort zone. This will not work if you are impatient and try to rush things. As long as your dog remains calm at all times, you may find you can move through the stages quite quickly. Try to mix things up a little; throw in a quick 30 second outing in the middle of the ten minute ones. Don't go out for two hours, and then go out three short times in a row within a half hour. Go out on foot, by car, or by bike if you have one. Go out with your coat on, and without. Go out with your work clothes and packed lunch bag. Go out with a shopping bag. With 'dog-walking' shoes on, or with smart 'office' shoes. Try all possible combinations. In the end, you should have a dog who accepts your coming and going and trusts that you will return. When you have reached this point, you can begin to greet him when you come home in a normal way. You may find that it's useful to have a key phrase to use when you leave. We say (cheerfully) 'See you later, good dogs!' Always use the same phrase, and it can have quite a comforting effect.

Be careful hosing down with cold water. If the water is really cold, it could cause shock. Cool water is fine and is the way to go, and it's probably better to just use wet sponges under the belly and armpits and inner thighs. Some authorities suggest rubbing alcohol on the feet, because it cools by evaporation, and does it in a fairly natural way. All of my dogs have been completely intolerant of hosing, BTW. As soon as they see the hose come out, they RUN!

Yes, it's good to know the signs of rhabdomyolysis, but it is fairly rare. Apart from the red urine, check for muscle soreness (to the touch) especially over the mid to low back area (saddle). It used to be called 'Monday Morning Disease' in horses because it so often happens when they work hard after a period of rest, but really, unless Violet does absolutely nothing for two or three days and then runs totally flat out suddenly, it's unlikely - and I've had dogs that did that and still no trouble. Of course, heat must be factored in, and I wouldn't let mine run in unusually high temperatures. If one of mine came in like that after a 'normal' sprint round the yard, I'd suspect that they'd found something to chase which gave them a rather harder work-out than usual! There is a good overview of exertional rhabdomyolysis here. Scroll down for a description of the hyper-acute, acute and sub-acute forms, and be aware that the most severe form is described first!

I've not had a dog dxd with CCD, but I've had to leave a nightlight on for one of them when he got older to keep him happy - without it he did a lot of wandering around at night. It's simple, inexpensive and definitely worth a try. We had one large, low wattage lamp which lit the kitchen/lounge and partly lit the hallway and dining room was enough for Jack. Depending on your dog and the layout of your house, you may want more than one, but do give it a shot. It could be that he doesn't hear and see so well these days and he finds the dark unsettling. I think that was Jack's problem. Another thing worth a shot is the Adaptil diffuser. It's just a pheromone based calming fluid which diffuses through the air and can help to soothe an anxious dog. I hope you find an answer. It all sounds very stressful.

There should be a little bit of space between the inside of the muzzle and his nose - between half to one inch should be fine. This is from a site which sells muzzles: "GENERAL FIT/SIZING INFORMATION: Nose & Snout Clearance – The muzzle should rest approximately ½” to 1” under the eyes on the snout. The end of the nose clearance should be greater than ½” between the nose and muzzle. (The nose muzzle clearance can be as much as 1.5” longer, in certain sizing situations) The sides between the muzzle and snout should average ½” - 1” on each side of the mouth. The under the mouth clearance will be greater in size due to the shape of the muzzle. (The under mouth muzzle clearance provides for panting while exercising and drinking liquids) Circumference (mouth/snout) – This is the measurement around the snout (Outside Diameter) below the eyes where the muzzle will rest. Compare this measurement with each specific muzzle selection. Headstall Strap (loop) – Run a “tape measure” starting at one eye and follow around the ears to the other eye. Compare this measurement with the “Headstall loop” specific selection. Correct Fit – Muzzles are adjusted for final fit with the “buckle” or “quick-snap” attachment. Be certain the muzzle does not touch either the eyes or nose when fitted. The muzzle can be attached or removed by simply pulling the headstall loop on or off around the ears. If the dog tends to remove the muzzle by scraping against objects, or with paws; it may require a tighter fit. If the dog persists in removing the muzzle; a “security strap” can be ordered for attaching the muzzle to the collar." Greyhound skin is thin and easily damaged and I've seen the odd greyhound with scarring on his nose from badly fitting muzzles. I would replace the comfort strip with something nice and padded like chiropodist's foam or sheepskin. If it makes the muzzle too small, get a bigger muzzle - they're not wildly expensive. As to dremelling, like anything else you want to do to your dog (tooth brushing, grooming, corn treatment etc) you'd be much better off taking the time to get your dog's trust and cooperation than muzzling and using coercion. All you need to do is get him used to having his feet handled and then to the noise and vibration of the dremel. It should be done in 'baby steps'. When it comes to the use of the dremel, let him get used to the noise close to him before you try to use it on him. When you do start dremelling, don't go for all four feet at once - don't even expect to get a whole nail done in the first session. Take it very, very slowly and let him tell you when he's had enough. Mostly, it's dogs who are fearful and feel out of control that get snappy when you're doing something to them. You should find that at each new session he'll allow more time, but as Greyt Joys says, remember the heat and vibration can be quite uncomfortable, to be careful not to keep it running on one nail for too long. Use treats and praise and talk to him soothingly wile you're working!

He does look a bit overweight - it's the lack of a tuck! See how he does with reducing his food. However ... I feel I should just mention my own recent experience with a 'fat' hound. The vet kept telling me 'he's looking a bit porky' and suggested we reduce his food. I posted on here, and some said he was OK, some said he did look overweight. But we did cut his food down and it didn't make any difference. He didn't even look particularly fat to me, except that he had a 'gut', which was especially noticeable when he lay down flat on his side. Well, I thought, he's getting old and a bit saggy. Clearly he does need to lose some ... Except that one day I noticed that he was getting thinner everywhere but his belly, and then I felt a lump in there. Turned out he had a 5lb tumour on his spleen. Once that was out, he looked so thin, bless him! Chances are it is just overfeeding in your case, but as I said, if his tuck doesn't reappear with the food reduction it might be worth just getting someone to feel his belly. You may have to have him lie down to do it because so many tense up while standing. Apparently tumours on the spleen are really common in dogs - my vet said they routinely take out one a week!

Great! So glad he's unburdening himself as normal!

Absolutely! Good grief... one has to assume these people are the quietest folk on the planet and never make a noise of any kind? We have taught all our dogs to bark on command (except Susan who was with us less than six months). It is a simple progression then to teach them to stop, although it has to be said that for some dogs barking is its own reward and they'll bark no matter what. For those dogs it's extremely hard to get them to stop barking. However, your girl should learn the trick pretty quickly. All we did was to praise hugely while they were barking, and then simply say 'OK, good dog, that's enough' - often laying a hand firmly on their shoulder helps to get the message across - and then more huge praise when they're quiet. You may have to be quick to catch the moment to throw in the praise in the early stages. If they're not immediately quiet, I'll add an 'Uh-uh!' with a raised finger or hand in the 'stop' position. Add in a treat when she obeys if you like. I've honestly never had to do more than that. I'm not sure how it's going to help you in this situation though, unless you yell it through the door, by which time you're pretty close to having her be quiet anyway. I doubt it's separation anxiety. It's simply her throwing a party because she loves you and you're home! The other thing you can do if this becomes a real issue with the landlord is to ignore her when you walk through the door, until she is quiet. It seems a shame though, not to respond to her delight that you're home.

Not unusual for a dog in a lot of pain not to pee because he doesn't want to get up, but if he's trying without success, it's time for the vet, ASAP. Hope he's OK!