GeorgeofNE

Your inquiry isn't redundant but only in a very similar geographic area does it make sense to compare costs. I RARELY go to my vet for even the most routine thing and pay less than $200. I think your low end estimate IS high, but your high end is not.

You don't give a reason why you think his food needs to be changed. Irritated skin could be from a lot of things. Typically food allergies present as itchy feet while other allergies present as itchy ears, armpits, etc. That's a generalization, but what made you jump to a food issue?

I had that happen to a gorgeous Siamese cat. He was six, and one day he just made a noise and fell over dead. It was awful. Vet said it could have been anything from a ruptured aneurism to a blood clot. I opted not to pay for a necropsy, and there is just nothing you can say that makes it any less devastated, shocking, horrifying, and depressing. Know only there was nothing you could have done for him. At least he didn't suffer. That's the only comfort I take in the death of my cat.

Hi! 1) I have no clue what you think greyhounds are like when you write "as expected, she is skittish and timid." MOST greyhounds are the complete opposite of that (not mine of course, just most!). 2) Please don't see abuse in any odd behavior. The PETA and Grey2K folks would love that kind of thinking to persist and prevail, but you have NO reason to believe that. Just like any other breed, some dogs are more timid than others. Greyhounds are bred for speed, not personality, color, or the size of their head (like some other breeds). Sometimes you get a dog who is just timid, like some children are bold, and some are timid. Imagine if we went around accusing everyone with a shy child of abuse! You might Google for an article by Dennis McKeon called "Idiopathic Fear in Greyhounds." Dennis was a trainer in Massachusetts before our ill informed voters closed down the sport. My dog is afraid of men. He is terrified of small children. Fortunately for both of us, I am neither a man nor a child--so it works out fine for us. If your dog is less comfortable now than she was before, that's typically a sign that her true self is starting to emerge. Does not sound like this dog is a great match for your home (but if you're expecting a dog to love you like a former pet, that's never, ever fair to the new dog) and in fact this breed may simply not be for you. Give your adoption group a call and let them know what's going on. They might come on out and visit and see if perhaps you're inadvertantly contributing to her fear with something you're doing. Otherwise, it's not a disgrace to admit a dog just isn't the right fit.

It's not just a greyhound, it's also a dog. Why do you feel you need "sighthound specific" training? You don't. You also don't really need a trainer. Buy a book. Follow the lesson plan. Practice twice a day, every day. No more than 15 minutes each session. The basics include heel, sit, stay, come, and down. I trained my first dog when I was 10. It's really not that hard. I have found it much more challenging to get through to a greyhound than what I was used to (english setters and my mutt who was a genius), but I did NOTHING any differently, except to make sure I never let go of the leash, and I did not do any off leash work as I do not have access to a fenced area. It's fun, and you CAN do it!

My opinion is that coddling her further is truly not necessary. MOST dogs live their entire lives without a dog door. If she chooses to use it, you have shown her how. If she chooses not to, what's the big deal? If you're afraid she will go outside and not come back in when you aren't home, then close it when you aren't there. It really is a giant superhighway into your house for would-be thieves, and most of us feel it's not all that safe allowing their hounds outside when we aren't home anyway. We had four dogs when I was younger, and two dog doors (too many head on collisions when there was only one). The ONLY time the doors were locked up was when we weren't home. Eliminates all chances of people leaving your gate open, breaking in, or your dogs escaping the yard and being gone for HOURS before you know it.

My dog does this. I accept that I am probably taking a risk allowing him to continue to sleep with me, but I am a grown woman and I have already lived through one greyhound with sleep aggression (which is NOT what this is, IMHO). When he growls anywhere near my face, I make him move over and get his face away from my face. However, Ducky is spot on with her advice. That's the safest option--no more sleeping in the people bed.

1) this seems rather obvious, but DITCH THE HARNESS If all you're doing is walking her in your own yard, why on earth do you need it? And ditch the coat if it's for a potty break. Totally unnecessary unless it is a raging blizzard. It's a greyhound, not a flower! In a very cheerful voice, walk up to her, say, "Time for a walk!" clip the leash on her collar, and just take her out. No big deal. No dressing and undressing, no harnesses and coats. It's a five minute chore that is probably taking way to long. Also, why are you feeding her so late at night? If she's ready to be asleep for the night at 9, can't you feed her at six, walk her at 7, and leave her be? My boy goes out at 5 AM, 6 AM, 4:30 PM, and 6 PM. He does great on this schedule. After our 6 PM outing, he is ready to get some serious sleep going on. He never even asks to go out after that, so I just let him be.

There is not much need for tapering if the dog was only on a low dose for a week. Go to every other day for a couple days, then stop.

I'm really sorry about your father's issuesWhat a tough situation. Can you suggest the Yorkies be kept in one part of the house with baby gates to reassure him?

UTI in greyhounds is no different from a UTI in any other dog, I assume. Housebreaking failures are the usual first sign.

Well, normally I agree with JohnF 100%, but I do not believe dogs are vindictive or use urine as a weapon. Sorry John. Pee isn't a bad thing to dogs. Why would they do that? Sadly, I had a dog (George) who did this for the ENTIRE 7 years he was my bestie. I spend thousands of dollars on tests, tried the dog walker, I tried EVERYTHING I could think of. He went an entire year without an accident, and I proclaimed him cured. And then it started up again. There was nothing physically wrong with him that we could find. Despite not seeming all that anxious (and I am very familiar with the entire bladder full of urine on a dog bed--happened more than once to me. And one time he let lose IN THE CAR!) and getting lots of exercise, etc., he never did kick the habit/problem. Eventually I just put hospital pee pads on the floor where he was going, and that solved the mess issue. He was peeing on the slider to outside--getting, I think, as close as he possibly could to going out. So I put the pad next to the slider, and his pee would hit the glass then land on the pad. At least when I got home, all I had to do was swap the wet pad for a dry one and get on with my life. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but we survived. George was an otherwise GREAT dog, and although I admit to wanting to kill him more than once, I truly believe he couldn't help it. I doubt this makes you feel a lot more upbeat about the issue. But you're not alone. Sounds like Ernie sold joint the Whirled Famuss Unruly Boys chat club and discuss his issues!

How about just closing the bedroom door? Because the real problem is yours--that he is waking you. There is certainly nothing "wrong" with a dog getting up a few times in the night. I mean that the behavior doesn't seem all that unusual, and if he is otherwise happy and healthy, maybe just close him OUT of the bedroom? Being medicated 24/7 because he wakes you up a couple of times at night seems rather extreme to me--but I don't think I've slept all the way through the night since I was about 6 years old, so it wouldn't really bother me that much. I'm guessing there is something outside and he can hear it. Like a raccoon or an opossum--some nocturnal beast. Have you tried teaching him "go lie down"! and just not allowing him to pace, etc.?

While it is true that SOME dogs simply can't live alone, I think it's a bit early to be advising someone to get a second dog. You don't tell us how long you've had this dog, but I'm guessing maybe DAYS? If you are truly at your wits end already, PLEASE call the adoption group and ask them what they think. There is no shame in admitting it's not a match made in heaven. There are plenty of dogs out there who do just fine alone (and please don't even consider what would drive YOU mad if you were left alone all day. You're not a dog.). Mine is one of them. I have four cameras in my condo, and know for a fact that 98% of the time when I am not there he is sound asleep. My first greyhound had SA, and I wasn't interested in dealing with it a second time so I made it crystal clear that it was MOST important to me that the dog I adopt be fine on his own. I let my group pick the dog, and they did a fine job!

My dog wore a belly band for a long, long time and never developed ANY problems from it. I think that advice about infections, etc. must not take into account that incontinence pads are MADE to hold urine and since there are millions of elderly people wearing them every day, they've changed a LOT. Just like diapers--the moisture sinks in and the surface remains dry feeling. Your vet does not, apparently, know that it is totally normal for greyhounds to have elevated creatinine. The simpliest thing to do is to lay hospital (human) bed pads wherever your dog likes to sleep, and hope that any leakage or urinating goes on the pad. They're machine washable and inexpensive, and you can get them on Amazon.com

No one seems to have mentioned HOUSEBREAKING. I agree, no more crate. But you need to double down on the housebreaking. Your schedule looks good. Are you throwing a little happy party when he goes? And cleaning--how are you dealing with the accidents? My first hound COULD NOT deal with being confined in any way (and he was an active racer for nearly three years) once he was retired. Enough is enough he said! Once I got rid of the crate entirely, his anxiety eased considerably!

Oh Lucy. My heart is breaking for you both. I wasn't joking when I suggested newborn diapers. I read that somewhere--because of their shape and the fact that her tumor is her foot--they might actually work.

I'm sorry to be the one to say this, but at 15, it could be that he has other aches and pains and that's why the corn relief is not helping. It's amazing you've had him for so long and obviously cared for him very well and loved him. I hope you can find some help.

I don't see anything about pain meds for this dog. Seems like a good answer. I wouldn't want to do too much testing either, if he were mine, nor would I want him to suffer needlessly if an NSAID would help, or possibly gabapentin.

I vote for going back to the pet store and buying a bone with some meat on it.

It could also be a UTI and it doesn't sound like anyone has checked for that.

I'm going to suggest that the Kong is ONLY for when you leave the house. Do not give her food in the crate at bedtime. What goes in must come out...we forget about that. When you put her to bed and turn out the lights, she'll get it. It's bed time. Bed time is not snack time. If the Kong and it's delicious stuffing are ONLY offered as a treat when you leave, the association with you leaving is hopefully a positive one. I like to save the Kong for ONLY leaving (like police dogs only get their toy when they're working).

He's not ready yet. 3 months is not a long time, and clearly you have one of the few dogs that actually likes his crate. Forget about it for now. Try again in a month.

Just in case you don't know: some greyhounds actually sleep with their eyes open. It's unnerving, and I never knew that until I got my first one. He had sleep aggression, and I was not aware that his eyes being open were not actually a sign that he's awake. Be sure to always speak the dog's name before touching her if she's laying down, especially if she looks really relaxed. He's probably just startling her.

What's the WORST thing that will happen if he does slip? He'll do the greyhound scream of death (GSOD) and shake himself off and get up! Although unless you live in a desert wasteland or the arctic, there really shouldn't be any "weather" you can't go out in for exercise. If you don't exercise him enough, he's got to do it himself!