GeorgeofNE

I disagree that it's "unsafe" to go outside in the cold. Would I go out for an hour in the cold with George without a coat? No. But a 10, 15 minutes walk? THEY'RE DOGS. Not orchids. Many Greyhounds, including those who race in Florida, are actually bred and born in places like Kansas (George included). They most certainly are NOT wearing coats outside in the winter when they're youngsters. I expect dogs are like people. Some have very high tolerance for cold. My oldest brother can go out in a blizzard wearing a t-shirt and a down vest and he is NEVER cold. My father's funeral was outdoors, in Feb., in CT. It was FREEZING. My nephews had on only suits. None of them appeared to be freezing to death. I was bundled up in a heavy coat and I was freezing! Different strokes!

I've never met a dog that would just chew on a rope. Those are good for tug of war, but not chewing. It's actually pretty dangerous to leave a dog with an edible chew when you're not around--meaning antlers, bones, rawhides, etc. Something like a Kong with gooey stuff smeared around on the inside will keep him busy, but there is no danger he might swallow it and choke.

I was completely floored when George's vet (one vet in the practice) told me I could go ahead and discontinue heartworm preventative, "Because at his age, something else is going to kill him before heartworm would." What??? So to save a few bucks a month I should put him at risk for WORMS in his heart??? Cause they won't be what ultimately kills him? The rest of the vets in the practice do not make that recommendation! I don't do ANY tests if I don't understand what they're for, what will change in the course of treatment, and HOW MUCH THEY COST! I learned the hard way when one vet very casually suggested a cat have her clotting factor tested "because it was hard to find a vein." It was like $125! There was nothing wrong with her clotting factor; the tech was a crappy blood draw-er! I was furious. Another place said, "You want us to clean that up?" about a small sore on Kramer's head. They billed me $25 for shaving a 1 x 1 inch section of his head and swabbing it. And now my vet is charging $3 PER VACCINE for "Sharps disposal." Excuse me. But you're already marking up the cost of the vaccine by about 400 percent. And I'm SURE that the $56 charge for the visit more than covers the cost of having your Sharps emptied weekly. Imagine the profit! Every client paying $3 per needle, week after week! Really ticks me off, but what can you do?

I'd say you're home free. Leave the crates up for a while, but once George left his crate, he never looked back!

There is a booklet--"I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell. Amazon.com carries it. They may even have an e-book at this point.

Sounds pretty normal to me. Dogs scarf down their food pretty fast. George often hacks up a piece of biscuit or kibble. He seems to catch it in his mouth and re-swallow. Doesn't bother him, so I don't worry about it!

The need for/usefulness of crates is highly over stated, IMHO. Not every dog considers it a "safe place," and a wire crate in an empty house is NOTHING like the familiar kennel environment, so assuming that a Greyhound is "used to" being crated and therefore will transition to homelife more easily is just...wrong! Many, many dogs do love their crates, but could you possibly have gotten a more clear signal that this particular dog doesn't?? My dog hated his crate. I mean HATED it. My adoption group wanted me to stick with their program (virtually round the clock crating at first) and I was on the verge or returning him because he was making life miserable for everyone within earshot of my condo. I finally gave in to what MY instincts told me and put it away and he hasn't made a peep since! Never chewed anything either!

Ducky, George has HUGE dewclaws that stick out like thumbs. He ran for three years at Raynham, and has no scars indicating they were ever a problem. It's a painful surgery, and one wrap of vet wrap on each "wrist" could fix the problem. If in fact it is her dewclaws! Here's a picture that shows pretty well how much they stick out! I Dremel him every Sunday.

That's a ridiculous pain med choice for a simple dislocated toe. I hope your dog is feeling better today.

Let's not pretend anyone can answer that question with any degree of accuracy! Growling in their sleep doesn't mean they're having a nightmare. For all we know, they're dreaming they caught something tasty and are eating it. Screaming, however, that sounds like pain, not a dream. George woke up screaming bloody murder on Sunday morning and would not put one leg on the ground--so I know it was pain. Very scary for me, but he seemed to get over it pretty quickly.

She's allergic to SOMETHING. You need to take her to the vet. They can prescribe something to stop the itching, and hopefully get you started on pinning down the cause.

That's a pretty precise diagnosis-- Any neurologist will tell you there really isn't much you can do for a pinched nerve except wait for it to unpinch. Oils and herbs? Wouldn't it be nice if that actually worked!

It's impossible to tell where you're from, but your vet doesn't sound very skilled. I can't imagine not being able to tell you if the dog has a fracture or not! Either he got bad films and didn't bother with new ones, or his equipment is awful! I'd get a second set of films at a bare minimum.

MaryJane! I had no idea you used her! I used to go to that clinic and I think they're fabulous! All the vets at Dedham Veterinary are good, I think. Most vets in Mass. have at least some Greyhound experience since there are so many Greyounds here. As long as they're willing to read the articles on blood differences, there isn't really that much different about a Greyhound. Angell Memorial is VERY expensive. I'd go there for a specialist only.

Every dog my family has ever owned, except George, has been fed, by my Dad, before they decided raisins and grapes are "toxic," copious amounts of raisins and grapes. Never, ever had a single problem. Your mileage may vary, but despite all the dire warnings, I've never actual meant anyone whose dog got sick from grapes or raisins.

You can, and you should! You may not have any desire to have him heel, but think about how handy it would be! To me it is the single most important thing for George to know because he is exclusively leash walked. My rules are: Thou shalt NEVER cross in front of me while walking. Thou shalt NEVER cross behind me while walking! The first few minutes of our walk are sniff and pee. The middle of our walk is EXERCISE and when I say "Let's go," I mean it. Thou shalt NOT stop, because I won't. The end of our walk is your time. Sniff abouts permitted and encouraged! Why is heel handy? Well, when I had my hip replaced, the only person I really trusted with George was my 83 year old mother. She certainly could not have handled him if he didn't know how to properly walk on a leash.

I would second the idea of having the vet take a look. It's not normal for a Greyhound to smell bad on a regular basis. I would NEVER use dish soap on my dog. Dawn IS used on animals that are being rescued from oil spills, but not as a normal bathing agent. It absolutely WILL strip the oil from the coat and if her itchiness is due to dryness, make it worse. I use either oatmeal dog shampoo, or coal tar shampoo.

I have hip dysplasia!!!! I didn't even know people got it. Unless I am part Labrador...I do enjoy a nice swim in cold water... Was never painful until 2 years ago when the cartilidge finally shredded and the femoral head started to disintigrate. Now I have one fake hip and a second one to follow.

No. When we moved to California with our two English Setters, one entire side of the house was glass. Before they got used to the idea, there was many a head bonk and no ill effects. Sadly, they also made their own doggy door within minutes by running through the screen! They did it so many times we gave up and just left it flapping on one door.

Any time a previously housebroken dog starts urinating in the house or the crate, a vet visit is in order.

Don't withhold water. If she does have a medical problem, she needs access to water.

I have a stand, but seriously, mostly for looks. George could and would eat from anything, anywhere!

I'm sorry--I think that's rather far fetched, and if it were my dog, I'd take him to a canine dental expert, if you have one near you.

There is mixed opinion on raised stands, but racers are fed on the floor of their crates and seem to do just fine. Try a paper plate or something. I would not continue hand feeding him. He'll eat if he's hungry enough. You don't want to create a monster while trying to fix a fear issue!

Wow. Talk about rushing! REEEEEEEEEEEE LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX! It's Tuesday! If all she's doing is a little whining, you're doing awesome!