GeorgeofNE

I had a vet try and tell me George had "kidney problems." I paid for test after test. Finally I emailed his lab work to Dr. Couto who wrote back "results appear to be from a healthy greyhound. Please stop testing this dog for kidney disease." And that was the end of that!

Don't even bother giving her the amitryptiline. That takes weeks to start working in most humans. Giving an odd dose now and again will likely do absolutely nothing.

She should be housebroken by now, and you should have dog proofed. Why not try leaving the crate door unlocked? Most dogs don't need them after a while.

I think four year old lab work is useless to the point of disregarding it--obviously I am not a vet but no doctor worth their fee would rely on tests that old to make any kind of diagnosis. I would start with a U/A and an ultrasound of the bladder area.

I don't brush my dog's teeth, but you can find what you're looking for quite easily on Amazon.com, although the toothbrushes are people toothbrushes! Given they lick each other's ears and other body parts, I can't see how sharing a toothbrush would hurt them--but I also don't get upset if my dog drinks out of the toilet so ...

I agree--as long as you have the water available, he'll drink what he needs.

Preaching to the choir! I don't think I'll ever crate again, after seeing that neither of my greyhounds like their crate AT ALL. Cute dog!

Nutritional supplements may or may not help very mild forms of arthritis, but it sounds to me like your dog probably has lumbar stenosis and there is no supplement on the planet that will relieve spinal compression. As long as you have the vet monitor your dog's liver function, NSAIDs are a perfectly reasonable course of treatment. My dog probably lived two years longer than he would have through the use of medication.

"Someone's home! Someone's home! Let me out of the wire box NOW!" It's not SA. He's happy to see you and wants out of the wirey cage of doom!

7 really isn't old. My dog would lose his mind if there were toddlers in the house. I agree, vet visit first. Worry about everything else later. You actually want it to be medical--way easier to fix!

Ugh. Why anyone pays money for a mongredoodle is a mystery to me! Plenty of lovely mutts in every shelter in the world! I refuse to lend credibility to these "designer" dogs by calling them cute names. Robin W., you might have adopted nothing but easy going dogs perfect for new comers. But CLEARLY you got lucky. My first greyhound was a damn nightmare. To the OP (original poster), I happen to feel that the sporting breeds are great for first time dog owners. A well bred Golden is NOT hyper. It's the pet store goldens you want to run from. A well bred Labrador is a fabulous companion animal. Again, avoid backyard breeders and pet stores. I grew up with English Setters, probably the most relaxed hunting dogs out there. Sweet, gentle, quiet, loving. But very hairy, and require professional grooming if you want them to look good. My pick: a mutt from the shelter. Best dog I ever had was a half pit bull from a shelter. He was gorgeous, brilliant, devoted to me, and just an awesome dog. Sadly, his vet bills ran well into the five digits, so don't be folled by the "mutts are healthier than purebreds" we used to believe!

Time for a talk about "bad touch"!

He'd do just fine without the leg. What you have to decide is how much is it worth to you to have a few more months (and I don't mean strictly financial)? And how much pain (and fear) are you willing to subject him to? Remember: he will not understand what is going on. He will not know why he wakes up with a missing leg--but he will move on and do OK. I have already made my decisions on all these matters, having seen the typical course the disease takes and the typical outcomes. I figure if I stick with greyhounds, I'm bound to end up with an osteo dog sooner or later. For me? No suffering, no putting off the inevitable--because that is what I would want for myself. I would rather have one last bash or outing, my own hamburger off the grill (with a bun and cheese!) and go quietly in the arms of my loved ones versus being chopped, irradiated, and doused with chemicals. All so I could MAYBE live for less than a year longer. This is the one situation where I do try and see it from the dog's point of view. I don't think there is a dog alive who would chose to "fight" bone cancer. Remember: your dog has no choice once you decide. He's not fighting the disease--he has no idea he has it. Only you can make the terrible choices. I'm sure everyone on this board has nothing but empathy for you, and whatever you decide to do, it is what's right for your family.

Oh dear!!!! No no, bad dog! Cindy, this is alarming and upsetting. Poor Fancy! I hope she is ok.

Nothing about what you described would rule you out, but... As a member of a super, super "doggy" family, I would have to say, personally, I think a greyhound is not a good choice for someone who has never had a dog before. Oh, sure, if you happen to get a perfect, easy hound, it would work out fine. But we see way too many posts here from people who thought they were prepared, and end up disappointed. Greyhounds are awesome, but a little...odd. You either learn to love their quirky nature, as most people on this board do, or you wonder why the dogs on TV and in the movies are so totally different from this slightly alien beast in your home! I know it happened to ME, and I thought I knew everything anyone would ever need to know, having been raised with dogs and cared for them all my life. Your best bet would be to ask for a "bounced" dog (one who was adopted, and normally through no fault of their own, returned). A group knows more about a dog who has already been in a home. Also, it's likely to be housebroken (some newbies seem to think that because they're adopting an adult dog, it will magically be housebroken, leash trained, and require no more work than a stuffed animal). Not that housebreaking is all THAT hard, but I was in an elevator building with my first hound, and it is certainly more difficult when you have to 1) get dressed, 2) make it down the hall, 3) make it down the elevator, and 4) find a place in the city where your dog is able to relieve himself quickly versus those lucky folks who have houses with fenced yards! I sometimes worry about what I'll do if my dog needs to be carried--I can't carry him for more than a couple of feet, but...luck may have been with me, it's never happened. My mutt dog I had when I lived in Boston tore his ACL one morning, and his leg was totally unusable, but he was able to walk on three legs--that's the closest I've come to an emergency. Just offering MY opinion. I expect I may be skewered by people who do think greyhounds are awesome first time dogs--so take it for what it is. Just my personal opinion. Good luck, and this is a great place to ask questions.

Why confine him at all? My first greyhound could NOT deal with any confinement. I was going to say if you're afraid of the dog, please return him. But it sounds like things are going better? Pee happens. Get over it! I don't mean to sound flippant about it, my first boy peed in the house regularly for seven years. Believe me, I know it isn't any fun to come home to. But give him a break. Two perfect months?? One pee? Really, that isn't a set back in my book! I also wanted to say about the prior owner considering euthanasia. I think some people are so full of shame that they have made a decision to abandon a pet they promised to take care of that they cannot bring themselves to return the dog like they agreed to. Yeah, there are people like that. Don't assume the dog bears ANY fault in that.

LSS

Climbing stairs is not rocket science. If you've had him for a YEAR and he still hasn't learned on his own, it's really time to teach him, regardless of whether he likes it or not. I honestly think if he's in your room, this pattern ends.

The less fussing the better. Please remember she is not a vengeful toddler. She won't suddenly dislike you if you have to give her pills. That's one of the MOST AWESOME things about dogs! I got with the direct approach. Open the gob, toss the pill in, smooth throat. Never fails.

I'm confused. Are you under the impression that after two weeks your dog housebroke herself with the aid of your other dog? Because she was never housebroken in her life, unless she's a bounce. Your first two weeks were possibly just blind luck if you've been taking her out that often. Don't assume she actually "gets it" that quickly. You need to assume she has no clue, and housebreak her as if she is a puppy. Also, every newly adopted dog needs to be seen by the vet. She needs to be checked over for the obvious things, but it sounds to me as if a urinalysis would be appropriate as well. As to the smelly urine, you MUST obtain a cleaner made specially for urine. I find that the powder sold by www.planeturine.com is fabulous.

What you're interpreting as "cranky" I interpret as a dog who wants to be part of the action. She probably would prefer it be all about her, all the time. The barking is her way of saying, "Hey! It's all about me!" Any chance you could enclose even a small area of the yard?

I'm late to the party, but any competent vet can diagnose a torn ACL without a single x-ray. It's a very obvious thing, and all they need to check is the "drawer reflex" or something like that. Basically if the lower leg and be easily moved out of place from the upper leg, the ACL is torn. My dog had a ruptured ACL and did have a TPLO (a mutt) and it took the vet less than 30 seconds to diagnose him.

They actually sell canine first aid kits! What I keep on hand for dogs include: Benadryl (the plain kind, not the decongesting kind) for bee stings or other bug bites that cause swelling Gauze pads Gauze rolls vet wrap Immodium EMT gel QuickStop (styptic pencil) And (this is important) program into your phone or GPS or nav system or whatever you use the address of every emergency clinic anywhere near you, so you'll always be able to just jump in the car and go. I came across a family whose dog had just been hit by a car, and helped them, but they had NO IDEA where ANY emergency clinic was, and it was 7 AM and nothing else was open. Anything that requires more than the above in the short term is probably an emergency.

Don't worry--we like all dogs! I think you just need to keep him from licking it at this point. That sort of sore will heal up quickly now that it's getting air.

You need a second opinion. Rimadyl is an NSAID. That works on inflammation. Gabapentin works on nerve pain. Dasaquin is a "neutraceutical." Opinions are mixed on whether it does anything or not. I don't know why a vet would add yet another drug instead of swapping out the gabapentin for a real pain killer like Tramadol. Not all pain is nerve pain.