GeorgeofNE

As a new houndie owner, you might not be aware that their skin is very fragile. That looks like he probably brushed up against something like a limb on a small tree or just a bush. Doesn't look like a rash to me. Just keep an eye on it, and if it doesn't improve, you might take the dog to the vet. My boy gets all sorts of mysterious red marks and such on him--they usually disappear in a day or two.

Did I read it wrong--are you leaving the puppy without water all day?

I hope your dog is wearing a life jacket on your boat. Most Greyhounds are not good swimmers, and accidents do happen.

I'd be delighted if my dog could hold it from 11 PM to 7 AM! I haven't slept past about 5:30 in four years, and prior to that, it was 13 years, up at 6 AM, every single day! I'd personally take the dog bed OUT of the crate and replace it with old towels that can be washed any time she has an accident. If you can smell urine on the bed, she sure can, and it may be indicating to her that it's an OK place to go.

Sure, but if your dogs are nesters, they might not like it. I know mine didn't.

Wow. That is high. Best wishes for a speedy resolution to whatever ails her.

Where do you live? You might want to try to find a vet familiar with Greyhounds, if possible. Most newly adopted hounds have soft stool--remember, his entire world has been turned upside down. So part of the issue is more than likely due to stress. The color change could be related to a change of food, if there has been one. If you get the lab results, and post them (blood and urine) people can give you some better ideas.

haha... this reminds of the first time I met you and George at that GW picnic... he looked like he was going to pull your arm off I know!! Remember how he INSISTED on being at the head of the pack!!! Those pictures are hilarious. My arms look like rubberbands! Perhaps, but the OPs question was how to teach her dog to heel.

George gets NSAIDs every day. No problems thusfar. Routine bloodwork to look for any possible problems is important. My last dog, not a Greyhound, took Rimadyl for years. You have to weigh the potential risks against the quality of life--being in pain versus being comfortable. For me, it wasn't a hard decision. As someone who is in pain every day, I know how much it sucks.

You might be surprised how much pee a small dog can produce. Can you somehow separate them with a baby gate or something so you'll know for sure?

I have never heard of a vet splinting a "sprain." Did he take x-rays, or is he just guessing? Dogs can get around on three legs with very few problems. I'd be inclined to take the splint off if he can't walk with it. My old dog had major leg surgery once, and the vet put this MASSIVE wrap on it. He couldn't hop up the stairs with it on (I lived in a basement apartment at the time, and I'm sorry, I can't carry 75 pounds up the stairs!) so the vet told me just take it off. So I did--problem solved.

Fleas? All it takes is one of the little buggers to drive some dogs nuts.

Four pounds is only significant if he was the perfect weight before he lost four pounds! As to how to put weight on him--I'd start with feeding him more. And I'd take a fecal sample to the vet, and perhaps deworm him regardless of the results.

And on the other side of the coin--I found it 100% useless. I did some research--and the only studies I found that flower essences (in a base of brandy) will do anything for your dog were all published by the manufacturer. However, there are plenty of people who honestly believe it helps--and really, can't HURT, so give it a shot.

George plays VERY rough--actually, he doesn't really have the chance because I don't have a yard, or another dog, but we have another Greyhound in our complex, and when George tries to play with him, his owner FREAKS out! He wants to pounce on him, and rear like a horse, etc. The other dog is such a sweet, passive, young dog he just stands there! And when George tries to play with me, he makes a LOT of noise, and tends to grab at me--which I do not permit. So, I conclude if given the chance to really let loose with another dog, his behavior would be similar to what you're describing.

I'm sure he didn't eat it. There would be nothing appealing about it. Since you cannot find even the empty vial or packaging, it's probably under the couch, etc. The things that disappear at my place amaze me. It's the cat though, not the dog. Once I found a large avocado in the middle of the dog's bed. Since the dog was in my bedroom all night, I know it wasn't him. The cat weighs about 7 pounds. Their were fang marks in the avocado too! Hilarious.

This answer. When I adopted my mongrel shelter pup, he was at the shelter because, as his shelter run card said, "thrown from moving car." He vomited on the way home, and I spectulate that his first owner didn't take kindly to a vomiting puppy and simply tossed him out like trash. He got over after a few weeks of short trips in the car. I would not suggest covering his eyes. That'll just make him panic. And as someone who suffers from motion sickness, I can tell you that closing your eyes doesn't work. Keeping your eyes on the horizon (a fixed point) is the only thing that helps. Dramamine for a long trip until he gets over it would work, but don't use it for short trips. Takes way too long to wear off.

Does he take an NSAID regularly? Tramadol is good for pain, but not for inflammation. George takes a daily dose of Deramaxx to keep his creaky pains at bay, and Tramadol when his LS acts up.

Heel is the first thing I taught George! You can train a Greyhound to heel as you would any other dog. I find the rapidly changing directions method, as well as the sudden stops method works well. Also, make sure you start walking with your left foot, and say, in a cheerful voice, "heel!" and set off. I do give an additional "heel" while they're still learning when I turn quickly and without warning. I found with George he REALLY had no clue that he wasn't the supreme leader of the world on a leash, and much hip checking was required to get him to stop crossing in front of me!

My dog ate Purina N/F called, and Hill's kibble. He did just great. Nice coat, bright eyes, no problems at all with the food. I personally wouldn't get too concerned about the ingredients of a prescription diet--particularly if my dog was already 15. If that's why she's hesitant to use Hill's.

Swap him for a Lab or a Golden? But seriously--if you find something he likes enough, and he WANTS to catch, he will. Or he won't. Popcorn is a good thing to try, cause it won't make him fat in the process. Good luck!

I'll share how I KNEW it was my dog's time. He had a large nerve sheath tumor on his rib cage. He was terminal, and I knew that for about 8 months. The tumor itself was quite painful to the touch, but he seemed otherwise OK--until he started to do what I called the "thousand-yard stare" and just stand and stare at nothing. Not like him at all. Then one morning I put his food dish down, he looked at me, and he laid down in the kitchen. Not only had he never refused to eat, he had never laid down in the kitchen--and he looked at me with this expression that said, "I'm done." I took him in that day. I will never regret it. We were togther for 12 years--in that time, I took one vacation (to Africa) that separated us. Other than a few times I was ill and my parents took him for me, we spent every single day together, and every single night. He would have died for me. He would have walked through fire for me. TI'm being dramatic on purpose--just to stress how much that dog loved me. The very least I could do for him was let him go before the pain was intolerable. Before every scrap of zest for living was gone. I miss him every day--but I do not ever second guess my choice.

I think some of you are missing the part where the OP cited COST, age, and other health issues as reasons for not amputating. As to "waiting on Deramaxx until it's needed," if Tramadol isn't doing it, then I assure you Deramaxx won't. Deramaxx is just a NSAID. If you're past the point where Tramadol is working, I doubt an NSAID is going to do much.

My last dog had a similar issue, and my vet also prescribed prednisone--low dose, short course. It's a miracle drug, if your dog can handle it. Kramer did great with it--he was a mixed breed. As he got older, his allergies (inhaled) got so bad, he took steroids frequently.