GeorgeofNE

Tar like stools is indicative of blood in her stool. Her condition seems more serious than just hookworms. I hope your vet comes up with some answers.

I would also suggest getting rid of the crate. One good thing about having cats in my household is I'm already pretty much "puppy proofed" since cats walk wherever and I just don't keep anything I can't stand to see broken out in the open, just in case. George would cry the ENTIRE time I was gone if I left him with my parents when I visited them if I dared do something like go on a walk without him. He adored them both, and they had two dogs. Didn't matter. I wasn't there and therefore he felt he had to vocalize his displeasure. I noticed when my FATHER described his behavior, it always sounded worse than when my mother described it. I assume mothers have a higher whining tolerance than men??

My dog adores me, and sleeps with me, and snuggles with me. That doesn't mean he allows me to put my head on him! He hates that. And clearly your dog does too. That's not resource guarding--it's communicating. Just tell your roomie to not do it again, problem solved! We assume dogs like the same kinds of displays of affection that we do, but they often don't. Patricia McConnell's book "The Other End of the Leash" talks about it in detail.

She may not "like" to go on a leash, but you need to be the adult here and tell her she has to! I know it's rough, and seems tedious when you're lucky enough to have a yard, but she will go on a leash when she has to go, and it might actually end up being a good bonding experience for you both!

I doubt you could get the "cuff" small enough for a dog leg. I know my vet charges a ridiculous amount for just taking their B.P. $35 for my cat, I think, and it took seconds and didn't use up anything--I was livid! I said, "Surely that machine is paid for by now?" and she just looked at me like I was nuts!

The only flea treatment that kills fleas really fast is Capstar. I don't know how long it would take to get fleas OFF of Peggy, but if she were mine, I'd bathe her with a soothing shampoo (I have great luck with products that say "coal tar" on them).

Please find a new vet. Yours does not seem to understand canine behavior at all.

Such an excellent reply from Greysmom I don't even have anything to add!

Those are blackheads. They're very common in greyhounds. As are bald thighs. Your vet should know that. The fur may grow back, or it may not. My dog has a totally bare butt, chest, and belly. He also had a terrible patch of blackheads, but with diligent applications of warm compresses, witch hazel, and Biore pore cleansing strips (yup! Just like on your own nose!), they're gone now. The hair hasn't grown back on my dog, but it's purely cosmetic and nothing to worry about. Grain free is a trend and frankly a scam (for most dogs). If your dog is doing well on the kibble you have, great. Don't worry about the Milk Bones. There is nothing evil about wheat, and no reason dogs can't eat it. My dog happens to eat a grain free kibble, but only because he likes it, he does well on it, and I see no reason to change it if it's working. But I didn't pick it because it was grain free. Millions of dogs have done quite well on dog food that has contained grain for as long as commercial dog food has been made. Good luck with your new pal!

My boy does the same, and consequently my chest is regularly bruised! He only does it to me, so I don't mind it too much, but you got some excellent suggestion, above.

So, honestly, you actually don't even know what's happening if this is always when you aren't in the room. Until you do, it's hard to make suggestions beyond the obvious. Tell the kids to leave the dog alone. If you were dreaming of a Lassie/Timmy situation, well, that's television! A dog doesn't just randomly growl out of the blue, and only when Mom or Dad isn't there. Something else is going on.

The so-called "orthopedic" beds are made like they are for just this reason: when you have arthritic joints, they do best in a position that allows them to fully rest. If you're sprawling out, legs every which way, I know for myself it's easy to sleep in a way that makes me stiff in the morning. Assume he is fine after a few minutes of walking it off, I wouldn't worry too much. You can't make arthritis WORSE by sleeping in funky ways. Then there is my other school of thought: for my own peace of mind, because it's a greyhound, I might be inclined to go get some x-rays. Assuming they're clear of that-which-shall-not-be-named, I'd let him enjoy it. Edited to make sense! Sorry. Couple of typos in the first sentence.

Sounds like he is getting less, not more, comfortable with you, and yes, it is very possible this is not the right dog for you. Please contact your adoption group TODAY and find out what they recommend.

Maleware Bytes recently admitted they have been hacked and that their own free program is carrying a trojan horse. Get rid of it.

First off--take him to the vet. I don't know where people got the idea that chicken and rice was a cure for diarrhea. The actual advice the vet would give you is to fast him, totally, for 24 hours and THEN start him on a "bland diet." That would be your chicken and rice. Some vets like to push a Hills prescription diet as a "bland diet," but chicken and rice has become a go-to. It won't firm him up, what it should do is NOT make the situation any worse. He probably has some parasites, and he probably needs something for that. If nothing else, the vet can give you Flagyl which WILL stop the diarrhea. Before you get too worried about ALL of the rest, he needs a vet visit, time to settle in, and time to bond with you.

Oh dear. Well, hopefully others who have managed to "fix" this issue (it's not a problem, unless it annoys you, which apparently it does!). All I can tell you is that some dogs are just chatty. Sounds like you have a boy who loves to express himself! I also find it annoying, but some people find it cute, and others manage to just accept it as part of the dog they have! I'm not sure there are any easy solutions, but I'm sure others will chime in!

Fetch? Good luck with that. I think with two dogs you will have zero need for "socialization" since they have each other, and if you have a fenced yard, they will no doubt wear each other out. I personally wouldn't waste my time trying to teach a sighthound how to fetch. That there is retriever work!

It's a foster dog. I wouldn't give it another thought. I'd probably growl too if I was penned up surrounded by strange people/dogs and there was food in the offing!

My first tip is buy a flashlight, because "we need to wait until it's light out" is easily rectified! My dog is 100% leash walked, and I get up at 5 AM. It's already dark out in the morning. They make fantasticly bright, very small LED flashlights these days, easy to hold in your hand and 100% solves the "it's dark out" issue! There are loads and loads of threads on this topic because it's a common problem when greyhounds are new to home life. Is she new? Now that you know she doesn't have to go, the only way to really deal with this is to stop responding. At all. Maybe tell her one time, "Not yet, go to bed" or something, and then you just have to ignore her. I know that is really, really hard. But it's just like a bratty kid. If you keep giving in when they demand something that it isn't time for, they'll just keep demanding it, and maybe even start demanding other things you don't want to give! My first hound had a 4:30 internal clock. I let him get away with it for the first month, and then I told him "that's it pal" and simply refused to take him out until wake up time (which sadly wasn't that much later!). It was a tough couple of days, but it worked.

You say the thing about bugs in your apartment like that's normal. I've lived in four basement ("garden level") apartments and I've never had bugs! I'd call the landlord. Most commercial sprays are actually quite safe; and it's safer to have a pro treat (when you inform them you have pets) than try to do it yourself. My dog is super sensitive too. I try not to raise my voice because for him, it's too traumatic and he shuts down and doesn't learn. I can't imagine why your big guy is so interested in your remotes, but you need to put them up higher! Marbles look like a toy, so I get that. Get rid of the ant things--mint leaves on the counter should repel ants, but see my first comment, above. It's not acceptable to live with bugs in your apartment and your landlord needs to deal with that! Great you have a spider hunter though! I guess you can try to redirect him when you catch him. There is no point in trying to discipline him after the fact. As you've already seen, all you're doing is scaring him. He's not going to put "I found this bitchin' clicky thing to play with while you were out!" with being disciplined hours later.

Any halfway decent vet will insist on bloodwork prior to putting a dog on a course of NSAIDs, and then every six months to a year to check for liver damage. There truly is no reason not to use them if used properly and with the proper precautions. My Kramer would have been put down at least two years before he was without his NSAIDs. As someone who suffers from chronic pain, I can say that I would MUCH rather risk damaging my internal organs than living in constant pain. I'm not suggesting THIS dog is in constant pain--sounds like normal arthritis if it gets better when she moves about a bit. But the fear of NSAIDs, in general--you have to weight the risk/benefit, like every other medication or herbal or other remedy you give your dog. If there is no improvement on an NSAID, you stop giving it, and consider a second set of films on the most likely painful limb.

You HAVE to have him on something for heartworm, and all heartworm meds treat certain other parasites. Not sure about hookworms, but one thing I make sure NOT to do is give the heartworm and the flea/tick preventatives on the same day. I give heartworm the first Saturday morning of the month (it often gives my dog soft stool so I like to do it on the weekend so we don't risk an accident while I'm at work) and I give the flea/tick the following Saturday.

Since this isn't a retired racer, you can raise her exactly like you would any other dog, and it is NOT too early to start with the basics. I'd start with leash walking myself.

If it's a greyhound only, muzzled group, then it is what it is. I would continue redirecting him, but eventually "Florida" will get sick of it and let him know!

Human doctors do not believe supplements work on arthritis--at least my orthopedic surgeon and my rheumatologist don't. They urged me not to waste my money. He should be feeling just great on an NSAID and a pain killer! Do not think that him not exercising is going to help; it is critical you keep him moving, keep his muscle mass up, and his weight down. Just like with a human patient, excess weight is the worst possible thing you can do for your joints. Regular leash walking will do him a world of good!