GeorgeofNE

Gross, but not dangerous! I suppose you might want to at least CALL the vet and find out if you can catch parasites from ingesting squirrel!

A skin scraping does not generally involve anesthesia. I've had it done on both a cat and a dog as I stood there holding them. If you're talking about a cut biopsy, only a mild amount of anesthesia would be involved, and with modern protocols, this is NOT a big deal at all. They can give her gas, do the biopsy in minutes, and wake her up. You're not talking about full-on, knock the dog out for major surgery anesthesia. Unless your vet is totally uneducated in the sensitivity of greyhounds, this shouldn't be a problem.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww! So sweet--but really, he's a dog, and Greyhounds are pretty darned tough. It's all over and done with a lot faster if you take the direct route. You don't actually HAVE to give him the Tramadol.

Yes, but it's no big deal if you didn't. That tick looks to be pretty full and nearly ready to drop off her anyway. Worst thing that will happen if part of the head stayed in is she'll get what amounts to a pimple which will disappear in no time.

I think that's a LOT of pain meds for a cut. I have NEVER been prescribed pain killers for a cut foot. You really don't want the dog using the foot more than he has to, so ... Tramadol (which I take myself) is very bitter. You're better off just sticking it down his throat. I never hide pills--if it's not tasty enough for them to eat in their food, I just go to the old standby of putting it as far down their throat as my hand reaches, stroking gently on their neck, and then giving them a cookie!

My opinion is NO, the natural remedies don't work. But! The Preventic collar does, and works very well! 2 pack on Amazon.com! Tick collar

Interesting, since neither breed is a retrieving breed!

I would not call what you describe "aggression." She's growing up and starting to test the boundaries! Six months is right about the age where a puppy starts to do that. The cute little pup who followed you around starts to run off. The puppy who loved to rough house and just took it all in now starts to rough you right back. All very normal! Time to start training in earnest!

I'm so sorry-- Without x-rays, you won't know FOR SURE, but it sure sounds like it's spread. Enjoy what time you have left. I am sure it's a very hard thing to go through.

What a cutie! And she has racing sneakers, just like George!

Ditto. I don't play games. I want to know for sure the pill is down. Biting on it when it's hidden in food is no fun since many pills are bitter. It isn't difficult to give a dog a pill (a cat is a different matter!) and the amount of time and energy saved...well. 'Nuff said!

Have you done any reading on retired greyhounds/behavior, etc.? Your child should not be going near him when he's sleeping. At nine years old, not only is he old enough to understand that, he's old enough to read the books himself! No toddler should EVER be close enough to the biting end of a large dog that you ALREADY KNEW might snap! If he were mine, he'd be in a crate if there were visiting children. I'd suggest you do some reading, and at least one or two more sessions with the behaviorist. And have a long talk with your kid.

I'd like to know the name of the group that recommended a "rolled up newspaper" unless they're suggesting you hit yourself with it. I actually am STUNNED to read this-- Stunned. Of course my neighbor adopted a dog from a "well respected" group in my area, and they suggested that to curb their brand new adoptees whining in the crate they "bang on it--just to scare him into shutting up." Argh!

Those herbal remedies in my opinion (having tried them) are totally useless. I did try (on my former vet's suggestion) Valerian Root extract, and it made George's liver enzymes go WAY up...so no more "natural" remedies for me. My dog is fine at home (now, took him a long time!) but he is MUCH happier when we go to my parents, who have two dogs of their own. I'm guessing your very experienced sitter has other dogs??? That's probably it. Hang in there! They change SO MUCH for quite a while. Try and be consistent, try to ignore the whining if possible, and above all, be patient!!

Well, you have two new things this season; thyroid meds and a brand new food. Doesn't sound like NORMAL seasonal shedding--if the medication level was just checked, it's probably the food. Are you giving fatty acid supplements (fish oil)?

What a tragic accident Deb. I am so sorry.

George has had it too! I have him some Benadryl and wiped it down with a cool cloth, and it was gone withint 48 hours.

Get a new vet. This one clearly doesn't understand Greyhound values!!! Or much else; Greyhounds are REGULARLY urine tested at the tracks. No fool would think they could get away with steroids. And why would they bother? 80-85 pounds isn't unusually large either. Tell the vet to watch the live racing on the 'net for one hour and he'll see dogs ranging from 55 to 85 pounds racing every night! There is NO reason for your dog to be on a prescription diet because his creatine is MILDLY elevated-- My (former!) vet insisted on my dog being tested over and over, blood AND urine. I finally got fed up and email Ohio State (Dr. Couto). He sent an email back saying it's perfectly NORMAL for a Greyhound to have abnormal creatinine as long as their urine is normal, and that there was NO REASON to keep testing my dog's blood! And my vet read the email and said, "Well, he's the expert!" and that was that. George's creatine is higher than your dog's. Always is. Always will be, I assume, as it has been for the three years I've owned him!

I've always wondered that! 'Cause I'm guessing the kennel keepers don't race out to the track kennels to comfort the dogs every time there is a storm! Do they freak out and just have no where to GO, or do they not freak out 'cause there's no one there to say, "Now now, it's all right"???

George was tested over and over and over for a UTI because he kept peeing in the house. He was cultured twice. Every single test was negative. All blood work was normal. But every time he took antibiotics of ANY kind for more than a week, he stopped! Within weeks of finishing, he'd start again. Finally we did 14 weeks of Baytril, and he hasn't peed in the house since! Draw our own conclusions, but my vet says he is not the first greyhound she has had the same issue with, treated the same way, and gotten the same result. Of course this was all immediately after adoption--but did go on for a YEAR before we got him fixed up...your situation sounds different, but I'd ask to try again with a broad spectrum antibiotic.

It's not going to do any good at all to continue to clean his ears if you don't get the allergies under control, and I'd be very leary of a vet who proclaims "food allergy" based solely on an ear infection. Any kind of allergy can cause ear problems.

The first time I gave George a bath I thought I had killed him when he slid to the bottom of the tub!!! Glad to know he's not the only one. I just keep the water cool now, and move FAST! Their fur is so short it doesn't take long.

The simple answer is to shut the dog door when you're not home. But you stated you don't want to do that, you don't want a sand box 'cause you don't want sand in the house either. Hmmmm. No ideas whatsoever. But then again, I'm more of "the obvious answer is often the best one" kind of gal! Maybe some REALLY good "mud rugs" surrounding the dog door area? Or baby gate her into one room, the room that has access to the door?? That's how our old dogs were set up; they had their dog beds in the laundry room--there were actually TWO dog doors, so they came and went as they pleased, but there was a dutch door closing off the laundry room from the kitchen. So they could go outside, or in the laundry room with their beds/water/toys, but no where else (the entire house was burglar alarmed so they had to be restricted anyway).

She needs a FULL medical work up. And dogs DO get senile... And there ARE medications that can help with CCD (Canine cognitive disorder = doggy senility). It's news to me that Lyme's disease causes behavior issues; my father has had it, my sister in law has had it, and one of our dogs had it! They were all sick as heck, but no behavior issues. My brother had babesia, and he was in the hospital--now his behavior has always been a bit unruly...

I've had George for three years, and his sleep aggression has gotten worse, not better.