GeorgeofNE

But you'd be imagining something that can't possibly be so. Our fingers are full of nerves so that we can TOUCH things and tell what they are. A tail is not. Which is not to say it has NO nerves. Can you imagine how incredibly painful wagging a tail and whacking furniture with it (which every dog I've ever known does happily) if the tail had the same kind of sensation in it that fingers do? My dog was certainly never given pain meds for his tail. Part of pain control with an animal is, I think, a delicate balance between relieving the pain and totally taking the pain away. Since you cannot explain to a dog "don't let your tail hit the table for a month!" if you took away ALL the pain, he's much less likely to be careful about it.

I'm so sorry too.

Make sure your vet double wraps the skin on the tip--that's the only thing that worked on my dog. And FYI, this is NOT a Greyhound-specific thing. My last dog was a mutt and he had a HORRIBLE case of happy tail which resulted in needing a partial amputation. Keep the tail wrapped for AT LEAST three weeks past when you think it needs to be wrapped. Trust me on this!!!!

Please take her to the vet first-- If she had a "tummy bug" she may still have something. Sounds if not, then you need to start from step one with housebreaking. Any chance you could install a dog door? If you were OK with leaving the door OPEN in the nice weather, you would probably not mind having a dog door. Problem solved.

You can get Frontline Plus on Amazon.com with no prescription--exact same stuff you used to get from your vet. That's where I get mine.

My dog has LS, and he takes a lot less medication that your guy is getting, and they make a world of difference. It's hard to believe in a HUGE city like LA there isn't a doggy chiropractor, what with all those Hollywood types willing to do ANYTHING for their purse pooches! Good luck with Sam.

I think it often refers to the fat content, but I think it's one of those expressions that people use in different ways.

It could be anything from a pulled muscle to a pinched nerve. And yes, it could be weather related pain. If she does have arthritis, two things are very important: keep up the exercise. Gentle leash walks are best, but if she's used to 30 minute walks, no reason not to continue those. It seems counterintuitive, but NOT exercising actually makes arthritis worse. Second thing is to keep her slim. If she's carrying any excess weight, get it off. If she's not, make sure you keep her slim. She (and all older dogs) need muscle tone to support their joints. Greyhounds are not built for excess weight. I am an arthritis sufferer myself, and these things hold true for human beings as well! My doctor said the ONLY thing I had going for me is my weight (or lack thereof) and he ordered me to stay slim for my own good!

I'm sure there are good dog classes out there, but I've never felt they're useful for me. You don't need classes. You just need to decide what you want to teach the dog, find a method that works for you and the dog, and be consistent. My father taught me how to train a dog when I was 10 years old. It's not rocket science! There are lots and lots of good books (and some really bad ones!) and lots of trainers (both good ones and bad). Maybe try a private session with someone? Perhaps they can recommend someone at your vet's office? Then all you need is time and practice. George isn't any good around non greyhounds, so I had to skip that "rule" my adoption group had, that I take group classes with him. I held my own classes! I did find him rather frustrating as he is my first hound, but even George knows how to sit and lay down now! Stay is another matter...

Well, I suppose it's possible, but I don't think most Greyhounds would be afraid of coyotes. Mine sure isn't! One approached us and George went NUTS and scared the bejesus out of the coyote who turned tail and ran. From what I understand, in some parts of the country they still use Greyhounds to hunt coyotes.

I keep a very strict schedule just because my dog has a history of pee issues! He also needs to go after he eats--within an hour and not a minute later. Here is my schedule: 5:20 AM, alarm goes off. Quick trip outside for George to relieve himself Inside, breakfast for dog, coffee for me 5:45 AM, "long walkies." (This is our primary walk Monday through Friday) Leave/work all day 3:50 PM, arrive home, run like the wind (well, since my hip replacement, walk rapidly with a pronounced limp!) with the dog to relieve himself 7 or 8 times! Feed dog dinner 4 PM 5 PM, dog out for about 10 minutes to relieve himself 7 PM, dog out AGAIN (this is where his pee issue raises it's mysterious head--he makes it all day while I'm at work, but cannot seem to make it from 5 PM until bedtime!) 9 PM, dog out for final pee (only this early because we get up so early and I am old!)

A simple dental around here is at least $400. No way I'm also paying for x-rays! Actually, George had an issue with the anesthesia when I had his dental done, and we haven't done once since, and even the vet says his teeth are great. I don't even like paying for x-rays for myself!

1) The one with the thumbs holding the leash should dictate the pace and direction of the walk. You do not have to let him stop every time he wants to. 2) I do not let my dog walk on anyone's lawn. I absolutely LOVE dogs, but I would be ticked off if my neighbors were using my lawn as a toilet for their dog, particularly if he's scratching afterward. Again, you control where he goes. 3) It's really to your benefit to let him drain out as much urine as possible, but you also want to get him some real exercise, so what I do is the first few minutes of our morning (before work) walk, I let George do his thing. We take the same route every morning, so he knows where he wants to check his pee mail and leave a reply. Then I tell him, "OK, time to walk!" and we quicken our pace considerably and I do not let him stop until we get to the end of the "going out" route. Then he gets a break to sniff and pee, and we turn around. Same deal. We're walking for the exercise at that point. Our walk terminates in a park, where he then gets 10 minutes of "sniffabouts" where he gets to decide where to go, sniff, pee, etc. While we're walking, he's allowed to urinate on trees that line the street, telephone poles, fire hydrants, but NOT on people's shrubs or lawns. If someone has a patch of mulched area between their lawn/fence and the sidewalk, I will let him poop on the mulch because it's very easy to pick up. If he happens to scratch, I replace it with my foot. I think this routine gives him what he needs in terms of his doggy desire to pee on everything, but also his real physical and mental need to exercise. He then spends 8.5 hours alone, so I don't let him just poke about. He's too fit to be tired from a sniff and pee walk!

Geeze, I was sobbing way too hard when Kramer was put to sleep to even think about dealing with another dog there. Even the vet was crying! We sat on the floor with him and made it as easy for HIM as possible. When one of my cats died very suddenly at home, I scooped him up and raced off to the vet so quickly the other cats never realized what had happened, and I SWEAR it changed one of them for the rest of his life. One minute his best buddy was there, and then he was gone and never came back. I do wish I had let him see that his friend was dead--but it was just such a horrible shock to see a six year old cat literally fall over dead in front of me I wasn't thinking.

Sorry, but I can't just let this go by. I have no idea who told you this or why you believe it--I think the issue of being in their own private crate at the track and never, ever being "snuck up" on explains space aggression pretty simply, but let me tell you about Bo. Bo was one of our English Setters. We owned his sire and dam, so we know everthing that ever happened to him from the moment of conception on. All of our dogs worshipped my father, who treated them like cherished family members. One night, when Bo was about 5 or 6, he was asleep in one of the chairs he was allowed on. Dad bent over and gave him a kiss, and Bo bit him, right in the neck. My father was so embarassed at his own stupidity for not letting a sleeping dog lie he didn't seek medical treatment even though he had a puncture wound in his neck. He ended up in the hospital a few days later--and he never admitted to the doctor his own dog bit him. PLEASE stop assuming that dogs do things because they were abused or mistreated. We don't know half the time why they do things. For what it's worth, my Greyhound has sleep aggression. He also sleeps with his eyes open from time to time, so even five years into having him in my home, I'm careful.

Substitute the word "greys" for dogs-- Greyhounds are no more or less obsessed with food than any other kind of dog.

Three per dose? I am giving George 200 mg once a day. I wonder if he could use more. He isn't making it all night lately. If I even reduce his dose of NSAID, he has an accident! The vet wanted me to give him his dose split morning and evening, but that doesn't work (and its OK to give it in one dose).

How much time is she spending alone? How much actual exercise is she getting (and I don't mean you open the door and let her outside while you stay inside doing something else)? It's important for her to have both physical and mental stimulation. I work too, but I make sure my dog has a Lon walk every day before work--and I also try not to leave him alone any more than I have to on week days since I feel that the 9 hours he's alone is already a lot. Perhaps try a long walk before work? It was a game changer for George. His SA was so bad when I first got him, I considered returning him. That was five years ago, and with a bit of patience and a LOT of walking and a ridged schedule (so he wasn't confused about what to expect) and we got through it.

Oh look at that! You live in Massachusetts like I do! I would ask your vet how many Greyhound patients he or she has, because honestly? A 15 minute walk is NOTHING. If the dog is shaking and such, it may have some sort of issue, but the notion that he would be having a problem with a short walk and the response of the vet it to suggest you stop walking him is kind of bizarre! There are lots and lots of Greyhounds in Massachusetts, and lots and lots of vets who know plenty about them--and some that don't. One of the vets at the clinic I go to really knew nothing about them, so I gave her all kinds of information which she willingly read. She also called his former vet (who had greyhounds herself!) to educate herself. Sounds like you made a good decision on your own to start back up--but it's worth asking some questions of the vet 'cause as you can see, I'm not the only one who found the suggestion weird! By the way, have you heard of Greyhound Adventures? It's a Mass. group that has greyhound-only walks every Sunday. It's a nice way for the hounds to get to see their own kind if you don't have any hounds around! And trust me. No dog is going to get worn out on these walks! I had to quit cause they just move too slowly for me, but I did quite enjoy the few walks I attended (aside from them taking too long for me!).

I'm confused as to why are your dogs in a pen? Doesn't sound like this was a temporary thing while something was going on since you mentioned being concerned about it. Baby gating them into part of the house I can understand in certain circumstances, but two of these dogs you've had for a long time. Surely they don't need to be confined? As to your new dog growling--that's how dogs communicate. Not sure why you "screamed" at him. It's the height of rudeness to step on another dog, I imagine, in the dog world. Not too many dogs so passive they would just accept that with no protest. If he was "aggressive" he would have bitten your older dog, not just growled.

Not ever cut requires antibiotics. Sounds like you did a great job cleaning it, and the topical antibiotic is probably more than sufficient until you see the vet.

Fecal incontinence is often something that happens to dogs with LS. The nerve damage makes it difficult for them to feel when they need to poop and SURPRISE there it is! And no, there is nothing you can do about it, if that's the case. Did your vet happen to mention LS? Take an x-ray of the lower spine?

Why is he wearing a muzzle on walks?

This is perfectly normal DOG behavior. I don't think it has anything to do with the track etc. You have a nester. As so I. It doesn't matter what his bed is like or how many things he's given to choose from. It's just some sort of instinct thing, and he does it a lot. Victoria Peak makes an awesome bed with a very heavy duty denim cover that thusfar has held up beautifully to the nesting.

Wow. Your vet thinks two 15 minute walks are TOO MUCH? My 10 year old with LS gets a 45 minute walk every single morning. My vet said the single most important thing I can do for his overall health and condition is keep him slim and keep him muscled up. I imagine your dog is bored out of his mind and I would seriously rethink the "cut back on exercise."