GeorgeofNE

I'm so sorry--but it's not a misunderstanding. All kinds of dogs can get Osteo., so if your vet is confident that's what it is, then you're probably just going to get a confirmation from Dr. Couto. He's right at that age where it seems to hit so frequently, and sadly it's a HUGE problem in Greyhounds. Wishing you both all the best in your decision making and treatment.

The last picture, the bumps, are greyhound acne. Very common. Nothing to worry about. The redness? Hard to tell, but she could be itchy with dry skin, and licking.

Close the door to the basement? Once urine seeps into cement, it's virtually impossible to get out. Dogs tend to return to the same spot in the house. Also, you should have his urine checked at the vet. 4 years is a long time. He could have UTI this time.

It's only been a week. Take a deep breath, and know that with time this will no doubt pass. But do work on the alone training (search the forum, or buy the booklet from Amazon.com called "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell). I'd be careful leaving your dog with anything edible if there is another dog who is NOT getting a treat. Could lead to squabbles.

Uhm, squire??? Do you mean squirrel? I have never seen squirrel poop! But we always refer to rabbit poo as "popcorn." All dogs seem to love it.

Vet. My George used to do that sometimes--we decided it was probably the nerve pain from his LSS. As someone who has nerve pain myself, I can tell you it is sudden, sharp, and very painful, like a jolt of electricity going through you. I'd snap at it if I could!

Yes. Both of my Greyhounds are (were) totally cat safe indoors, and not even a little outdoors.

I myself find the clicker sound very annoying!

I agree--he's trying to play. Personally, I think this dog is not a good match for your home--period. I don't have kids, but if I did I would certainly not trust them not to get the dog overly excited if I wasn't around--and I wouldn't want to live on eggshells always wondering if the dog is put away, are the kids not roughhousing. There are plenty of dogs who were "turned in" that are older and used to being around children that would fit your situation. And plenty of people like me with no kids for whom this behavior would be a total non-issue. It's not always a good match the first time.

If you really want him to wear it, put his leash on, make him stand still, and put it on. He's not going to run away from home if you apply some tough love!

See an allergist, and if you're truly allergic to dogs, you can get a monthly shot. A good friend of mine was allergic to her GSD, but she refused to give her up OR take drugs daily, so that's the route she went.

You just need a different antibiotic AND probably a different food if she's forming crystals--at least for a while. Unless you rid her of the crystals, she'll likely have chronic UTIs.

Normal dog behaviors not specific to Greyhounds. I believe the coconut oil goes IN the dog, not on the dog! If your dog gained 5 pounds in two weeks, you're feeding him way too much an one fish oil capsule a day wasn't the culprit (nor was that likely enough fish oil to help). A full cup of water in his meals is also a lot. Just how much food are you giving him? My guy only gets a cup of kibble twice a day (he's a small boy though). But George also got 1 cup 2x a day, although he got lots of treats.

OMG, that's a ridiculously high quote. I've had growths removed from a dog, and a cat, and even though care here is generally very expensive, $900 for that tiny thing is insane. Find a new vet.

In a dog that age with what is no doubt advanced arthritis, neutraceuticals will not help. I would not overload an elderly dog's sytem with stuff that isn't doing anything. Glucosamine MAY have some value in early stages, but once you've lost cartilidge, there is no point to using something like that. I know from experience (myself).

I had a friend who took her hound in THREE TIMES before they actually found the cancer.

I'm not a big believer in just letting the dog get his own way. I would make him stand and listen and watch the children, perhaps feed him yummy treats at the same time. Letting him decide he wants to turn around will only increase his behavior.

Doesn't look like renal disease to me either. George's creatinine was higher than that all the time, and he was just fine.

Just an FYI--Valerian Root made my Greyhound's liver enzymes elevate dramatically in a very short period of time, and if you do some Google research, you'll see it's contraindicated for anyone with a compromised liver since this is a known side effect. "Natural" does not equal "harmless." I'd ditch the "natural" solutions and try some actual medication. Also, 30 minute walk is really nothing for a professional athlete. Particularly given the pace at which most of us allow our dogs to walk. I know it must be cold as can be up there right now, but try adding a bit more exercise if possible. And finally, my Greyhound was 100x worse IN his crate than out when he had SA. You might just try a day out of the crate, drapes OPEN (if he wants to look out, you might as well let him), music on, and something non-sugary in his Kong (I figgured out after many years that peanut butter actually made my anxious dog have to pee!).

Do you think it's really in her best interest to keep her here? Seems rather apparent she is ready to say goodbye. I know how painful it is--I had to watch my father go from 200 to 140 pounds. But we refused to allow the nursing home to tube or force feed him, and he refused to eat or drink. I think it was his way of letting go of this life since we were not allowed by law do free him from his broken mind and body the way we can our animal friends. My heart goes out to you, your family, but mostly your dear old friend.

I admit I did not read all your steps, but here is my suggestion based on my experiences owning both dogs and cats for many years now: if your cat is NOT familiar with dogs, keep the cat secured in a room for a week, at least. Visit often, but the cat is going to be totally freaked out by the dog unless you give it a lot more than a day.

I second what GreysMom said: pooping that often is NOT normal, specially if they're well formed. If you haven't already done so, a routine "wellness check" at the vet is in order. When a dog is pooping because of stress, it's usually runny. Sounds like he's clogged up somewhere and only able to pass small amounts. The figures for how much to feed on the back of dog food are irrelevant. I don't even look at them. Find out how much he was being fed before you got him, and start there.