vjgrey

http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=Hv6_ix&d=WK+Dare+Me&x=22&y=6

Weird - when I click on it, it takes me directly to his page. I didn't have any trouble finding his info, though - it came up as soon as I typed his name in.

I linked to it in my post - Greyhound Data

Well, yeah. It is. He's the one who's been dropped into a totally new environment. It's your job to help him adapt.

Looks like he raced briefly at Tri State in West Virginia (I believe it's now called Mardi Gras) - you can watch some of them here: TrackInfo Here's his pedigree information and some (incomplete) racing data: Greyhound Data

All of the above, plus - I'd be careful about how you're positioned when you wipe his feet. If your husband was bending over him, a lot of hounds dislike that. It comes across as aggressive or intimidating. I'd also check him over for signs of pain - it's possible he has an old injury and the way your husband handled him hurt. I wouldn't let him approach people, especially children, until you work through his issues. Even if he's only been snappy with your family so far, it's not a risk I would take. I don't think you should assume he's been abused. What you're working through are normal issues, and while some greyhounds are abused, most aren't.

I adopted three hounds during law school, including an 18 month-old puppy. My schedule changed often, depending on whether I had extra meetings to attend, study sessions, school events, social events, traded work shifts with coworkers, etc... I also split my time between my apartment in Oklahoma and our loft in Kansas. All of my dogs adapted AMAZINGLY well. As long as they were walked regularly, fed and given play time, they didn't mind to much when (or even where) those occurred. They'd pull all-nighters with me and sleep all day when I needed to, and they'd happily go to Kansas with me for a long weekend and then fall right back into our life in Oklahoma.

My Gabe was bounced for misdirected aggression, and while we did see it occasionally, we mostly learned to manage it. For us, it was a matter of watching him carefully, learning his triggers and then avoiding those situations. The excitement when we came home was a big one. We'd have to let the girls out first, let them get their wiggles out and then let Gabe out. If they were hyper and jumping around him, he'd sometimes turn on them.

Diamond has something similar on her leg. It's black because she's a spotty dog underneath all that white hair and has pigmented skin in that spot. Her vet says it's basically a mole and nothing to be concerned about unless it changes size or shape. She did recommend that we have it removed, just because, if Diamond has a dental or is under anesthesia for anything else.

I'm so sorry about Mia's diagnosis. I second the recommendation to check out the Osteo thread. It's great for information and for emotional support. You're on the right track with the medications - especially the Gabapentin. It makes a HUGE difference. Find out your hound's maximum dose of each from your vet, just in case you find she's struggling at night or on a weekend. I know it hasn't worked for some hounds, but radiation treatments were a miracle worker for my Gabe. He had Osteo in two legs, so he wasn't a candidate for amputation. I think we did four treatments total. He actually had to be carried into the clinic for two of those, and immediately afterward, he was walking almost without a limp. We also did Pamindronate treatments, which really seemed to slow the tumor's growth. The absolute BEST thing we did for Gabe was to get a referral to a veterinary oncologist. It was expensive but worth every penny. Gabe's oncologist and his staff were beyond wonderful - we couldn't have asked for better care.

Lamb lung is my favorite. I think I've seen them in Petco or Petsmart (called Baa Baa Qs), but I'm not sure where those are made. I buy them online from bestbullystick.com. They're great for training because they're a super high-value treat - all of my hounds have gone absolutely nuts for them. They're also easy to break into really small pieces, so you can give them often without giving a lot.

We call it the "pet me paw." Totally cute. Sometimes if we pretend to ignore it, Diamond will "roach," (all four feet up in the air) to make her tummy more accessible for rubs.

Lots of good advice here: 1) A vet check - A urinalysis is easy and relatively inexpensive, and if he does have a UTI, it should be an easy fix 2) Longer walks - If he's only going once, even if it's a "solid pee," he probably isn't emptying his bladder. A really long walk before you leave my also help with the separation anxiety - a tired hound is a good hound. 3) Sart over at square one with house training. 4) Do "alone training," also from square one - lots of info about that on the forum if you do a search 5) Have your carpets professionally cleaned, if possible, to make sure that the smell is actually and completely gone - If not, he'll keep marking over the same spots. Thanks for having the patience to work through this with him!

Please don't muzzle your hounds at the dog park. If trouble were to break out, they'd have no way to defend themselves.

Wow! I'm in awe. My Escape usually feels too crowded with three.

I'm SO sorry. It's such a hateful, awful disease.

Not sure whether you're referring to the suggestions about a fine needle aspirate, but if so, it's not the same thing as a biopsy. It's much less invasive and less risky.

New adoptions are SO exciting. Adopting my first greyhound was totally life-changing, and I've had dogs all my life. For some reason, these guys are just extra special. Re: the huge boys - I'm probably biased, because the big boys are my favorites - the bigger the better, in my opinion. However, if you adopt one, I think you'll find that something strange happens. After a few weeks or a few months, they stop looking so huge to you. I think that it's partially because you just get used to it and partially because even the biggest greyhounds can squeeze themselves into the smallest spots. After a while, they just don't seem as big as they actually are.

Yep - I'd do both.

Congrats! I LOVE the big brindle boys.

We never heard stages mentioned in Gabe's treatment, either. The only issues our oncologist discussed with us were: 1) Whether there were lung mets 2) Pain management (Which took some adjusting) 3) The liklihood of a fracture (Not always possible to tell from X-rays) Our oncologist also didn't like to diagnose Osteo based just on X-rays. He took a fine needle aspirate to confirm.

I'm SO sorry. Do you know what pain meds he's on? If he's not on Gabapentin, see if it can be added. A lot of general practice vets don't seem to know to prescribe it, but it makes a world of difference in pain management.

Tons of positive thoughts for Hot Rod and his humans.

Thanks for the comments. The vet checked her (pressing with her thumbs) for back/spinal pain, and she checked to make sure she has a full range of motion with her neck. She doesn't show any signs of pain or hesitancy to move. I'm also fairly sure the night panting isn't pain related. If we put a cool washcloth or a fan on her, she stops and goes back to sleep. I'll ask about having another/more thorough urinalysis. I'm sure something is amiss - just not sure what. :-( Edited to add - we don't have a thermometer at home (need to get one, I know) but her temp was normal at the vet.

Diamond turned nine at the end of December, and she's turned into a "senior," literally overnight. My playful, active girl isn't playing anymore. She doesn't even act as "fun police," when Lucy and Cash get too rowdy - something she's always, always done. She's restless during the day and possibly a little confused. She wanders from room to room and will stand and stare at me, or stare blankly at the front door. She's always been a chow hound, but she doesn't want to eat. Although if I cajole her into starting, she'll finish the meal and lick her bowl. She pants at night even though our room is kept at 65 degrees. She's been to the vet for a full wellness workup: geriatric blood panel, urinalysis, fecal. Her eyesight seems to be fine. Her teeth are "in great shape for a greyhound." She tested negative for tick borne diseases (although I'm not sure whether they checked for Valley Fever). The vet said her blood work looked good generally, although her kidney levels were "high normal for a greyhound," (not sure of the exact values) and she had protein in her urine. She wants us to come back for a blood pressure check. Any other ideas? Anything else we should be checking for specifically?