GeorgeofNE

My male weighs 64 pounds, and he gets two cups of TOTW (and abundant treats, I admit!). She looks perfect to me, but I think a Greyhound is SUPPOSED to be slim. And I also happen to think there are a LOT of overweight Greyhound pets. Drop a stool sample off at the vet--that way you don't have to wait and see if the food increase helps and THEN test her for parasites!

Unless there is some OTHER reason, I sure wouldn't spend my money on a urinalysis. Dogs do weird stuff. We could lose our minds trying to figure it all out!

If YOU want a female, then get a female, but don't get a female because you think he'll prefer a female. Truth seems to be that two boys typically get along better than either a boy and a girl or two girls. Boys tend to be more easy going and thus it's pretty easy to find two that get along. Get one whose personality you like--don't get a black one because he sniffed a black and one seemed interested--by all means if you're nuts about black hounds get one, but don't pick one that's black because of his reaction. After all, you need to like the dog too! It took my Greyhound over a year for his true personality to emerge. You haven't had Fonzie all that long. He may change significantly yet. Nothing you say indicates that he's actually a spook. Perhaps you were expecting more intereaction with a dog, but sleeping a lot and hanging out in the bedroom don't necessarily mean he's afraid. They may just mean he's one of those VERY COMMON super laid back dogs who spend the bulk of their time sleeping. I've had my dog for five years. He has played a total of maybe 20 minutes in 5 years. He likes to eat, sleep, go for walks, eat, go for walks, sleep, eat, beg for food, sleep, go for walks, etc.

When my brother was a baby, he ate a Christmas ornament. Back in the "olden days," they were all made out of glass. Mother fantically called the doctor (yes, back then the doctor would actually take a phone call!) and he said, "First one this year!" My brother was fine, and I'm sure your hound is too. Probably best to put all food covered dishes out of his reach in the future, now that you know he is rather determined!

You know I have been through this nightmare myself-- And this happens to this day. It's as if once a month or so his bladder just suddenly fills up to absolute maximum capacity and if I don't get him out IMMEDIATELY, it just gushes out. He sometimes starts to pee on the sidewalk when I get him out. He has no control once it starts, and that's why I've taken to just permanently leaving an emergency indoor "potty station" by my sliding door (two human hospital bed pads he is allowed to pee on). I can't tell you how frustrating it is. Sometimes I can't actually tell "Is it serious, or is he playing me?" but having shed too many tears over the mess and thrown away at least three expensive dog beds (he pees on them if he has no other options), you bet I move when I think he has to go. He'll stand and pee for two solid minutes. It's usually a gusher, nearly clear, totally odorless, as if someone turned on the water taps. And this happens with seemingly no pattern other than it's about once a month! If he were a girl, I would wonder if it is hormonal! As you know, I have tried EVERYTHING too. There is absolutely no known medical reason why George has had this ongoing problem. Nothing we can DETECT is wrong with him. And I'm sorry--it is NOT behavioral! Through our trials and errors and thousands of dollars of tests, we stumbled on the realization that if he took a certain dose of NSAID, he is able to hold it throughout the day while I'm at work. Lower the dose, the accidents start! At present, he is on 100 mg Rimadyl in the AM. This gets him through the day. 50 mg of Deramaxx worked better, but you can't get Deramaxx any more. He is also taking 200 mg of Gabapentin at night. This seems to help him get through the night. Oh, George has LS--so one theory is that this is a pain thing. But who knows??? Having recently had a hip replacement, and having residual nerve pain now, I can get how nerve pain might disturb him to the point his bladder over flows. I dunno. But you're NOT alone! Maybe at this point do what I've done, and make a potty spot for her? I'm sure, like George, if she could stop, she would. But I know he can't. He tries SO hard that he goes to the closest spot to outside (in his mind) he can find, which is looking out the sliding glass door. So that's where I put his pads. So far he's used them a couple of times--during his transition from Dermaxx to Rimadyl. I'm fortunate that my vet was willing to let me experiment with assorted drug cocktails. She's never seen anything like it herself and I think she finds it rather interesting what works and what doesn't! Oh, and he is on a totally rigid schedule of walks Monday-Friday. I think it really helps for him to know that he's going to go out and he doesn't panic. 5:20 AM, pee break. 5:45 AM, 2 mile walk. 3:45 PM, pee break. 5 PM, pee break. 7 PM, pee break. 9 PM, last out. I should go later than that to avoid things like last night, which was a 3 AM out, but c'mon! I get up at 5:20 AM and take a 2 mile walk in the dark then work all day! I only have so much energy!!

Oh, I'm so sorry!

What you're really attempting to do is add Omega fatty acids to the dogs diet. You can buy fish oil, fish, other forms that contain it-- As long as you have the right kind of fatty acids, it's all good!

When my Kramer had part of his tail amputated, my clever vet (he was having major leg surgery--the tail was a bonus the vet did for free!) removed the tail tissue, but took the skin from the end (that was healthy) and wrapped it over the stump, effectively giving him almost a double layer of skin on the tip. Never had another problem.

I have one of those Greyhounds who has "abnormal" for at least one value every single time blood work is run. We were turned down by VPI because of it (even though I have an email from Dr. Couto himself saying the values are "perfectly within normal limits FOR A GREYHOUND." At a certain age, insurance becomes very expensive, and aside from the $$ cost, I do not believe most dogs would choose invasive treatments, countless hours being poked, prodded, examined, held at the vet for observation, etc. With a father who is a virtual vegetable right now, in a nursing home, I happen to believe that letting go and taking into account what the DOG would want is much kinder that throwing money at something like a terminal illness in order to extend a dog's life.

Any bleeding sore needs to be looked at by the vet--and I see you're already on the way, so good luck!

Your dogs don't get walked or exercised? Oh, I'd have a rebellion on my hands!! The recommendation to treat them for heartworm because they're from the east makes little sense to me. They need to be TESTED for heartworm, yes. But if they don't have it, they don't have it. Monthly preventative will not treat heartworm.

George has nipples down by his sheath. You have to remember, they're basically in the same place on males as females, yet on the male, there is other plumbing in the way! Having said that, George has lots of spots, freckles, moles, whatever. I don't worry about them a bit. Unless it starts to bleed or ooze, I wouldn't worry yourself over them.

Wow. Prednisone for a limp? Any unexplained limp in a Greyhound needs an x-ray, in my opinion. 3 is pretty young for it to be osteo, but no way in heck would I pass one up. I have honestly never in my life heard of steroids being given for a limp. No clue what "vetprophen" is--I assume an NSAID of some sort. Given she improved a little, perhaps he figures that the much more powerful antinflammatory properties of steroids will help--but I assume you would mention swelling if she had any. I'd insist on an x-ray if it were my dog.

Oh, I NEVER say "whatever he needs" to the vet. I'm sorry, but I am single, one modest income, a mortgage and a bunch of other things I have no choice but to pay for. I take good care of George, make sure he gets all his preventive care and quality food and such, but I have no qualms about refusing expensive tests. I took him to a specialist about his suspected LS. She explained the only SURE way to diagnose it was an MRI. That's over $2,000. I asked her what would be different if she SUSPECTED LS vs. she was sure (since there is no way in heck I'm subjecting a dog to spinal surgery, which is the only "cure" for LS), and she said, "Nothing." So I said, "Why would you even suggest an MRI then?" and she explained that some clients really do want to do "everything possible." But she totally supported my decision not to have the test done. We are consumers at the vet, and we owe it to ourselves to be educated consumers, and smart ones, and ask questions. If you can afford the "anything he needs," great. If you can't, I don't think anyone should ever feel guilty about not spending money they don't have at the vet. If your animal is suffering, you do what you have to do to alleviate their suffering--which is not always to "fight" whatever the problem is.

George had a bump like you describe after he was neutered. I don't know how long it took, but it disappeared. If the bump isn't bothering her, of there are no signs of infection, I wouldn't worry about it. I am a firm believer that ALL newly adopted dogs should go to the vet with their new owner within the first couple of weeks anyway, if for no other reason that to introduce the dog to your vet when it ISN"T sick, so if you decide to do that, just remember to ask about it!

Absent a health issue, dogs become overweight for the same reasons we do; their intake exceeds their output. Increasing one and also the other isn't going to work! Find another way to show him you're pleased with his lessons besides treats.

Royal Canin is excellent food. Why not try their non-lite formula? It's probably very close to what she was eating. My motto is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" when it comes to food. As someone else mentioned, we raised a show dog on Puppy Chow and Dog Chow. He was stunningly beautiful with a long, silky coat, excellent healthy, plenty of vigor, and he also was used for hunting. We've gotten WAY too obsessed with dog food "quality."

Hahahahahahahahahaha. Good luck. I gave up. Love my Georgie, but he is NOT interested in being trained! I figure he's handsome, he was fast, and you can't have it all! He walks nicely on a leash, and that's the most important thing to me at this time in my life. If I hadn't given up, what I've always done when they get up and move is very CALMLY walk them back to where they're supposed to be, make them lay down again, and start over. I do not make them lay down where they moved to--to me that says, "OK, I didn't really mean it."

Sounds like your blaming the foster mother for doing something that has made your cat more interesting to the dog. I really doubt that's the case--perhaps what you're seeing is simply the dog wanting to get a closer look? George lives with cats, and really doesn't care about them at all. But I recently adopted an older cat who is extremely over weight, and thus doesn't really look like the cats George knows (I mean he's REALLY overweight). George was VERY interested in him--the cat was scared to death--but once George got a good sniff, he realized that it's not in fact a seal pup or a Labrador puppy, it's a cat, and he has returned to his normal state of "Who cares." Maybe your Luka just needs to meet the cat up close and personal? If your cat has an escape route and a safe place to go, and you keep a leash on the dog so you can grab it, I'd give intereaction a shot and see how it works out.

I love what Fountain Lady said, especially about picking up on our stress. You seem freaked out already, and nothing has even happened! Your dog is going to feel that if you leave the first time EXPECTING problems. $45 a WEEK for day care? Wow. I think it's more like $25 a day here. George had really bad SA when I first got him. He got over it. He doesn't make a peep anymore! Lots of exercise before work, and his favorite peanut butter Kong, and it's all good!

George sheds year round--yet barely has any fur! Well, he's fully covered, it's just your typical short, thin Greyhound coat. Rub his back, fur in your hand. I have a vacuum cleaner, and I know how to use it! I use a rubber curry (horse) comb on him, outside, as often as I remember. It never stops coming out.

I've never brushed George's teeth. I had his teeth cleaned when I first got him (and he had a rough time with the anesthesia) and I haven't touched them since. I give him raw bones on the weekends, and they're awesome. Unless you have one of those dogs with a chronically disgusting mouth, I'd just back off for now. You haven't had the dog very long, and it's really not worth it at this time to pile on stress.

It's possible the vet himself is on the up and up, and he has LOUSY staff.

Totally normal. Some breeders do it, some don't.