greysmom

Dissolve 1 Tablespoon per 1 cup of as-warm-as-they-can-stand warm water. Try and keep it soaking until the water cools, but any time your dog will tolerate will be good. If he will only allow it a short time, then try and do it a few times a day. Very low impact on your part, and use his muzzle with some peanut butter in the front (or spread on the wall if you're standing him in a container) to keep him occupied if he gets antsy or anxious. You really can't make the solution too strong or soak too long.

Foot injuries are *extremely* difficult. They are hard to examine and difficult to bandage. The very thin skin and fur all around make it hard to stitch anything and have it be successful, not to mention it's probably the highest stress point on a dog since they have to use it to walk around and do everything. And they are impossible to keep clean and dry, and easily reached for licking. I would suspect that either the stitches, or part of the stitches didn't hold and a secondary infection started. OR there was a stitch that didn't dissolve and the infection began there. OR it's something totally unrelated to the previous cut. OR he's developed a corn from his altered gait from his earlier problem. OR there some sort of foreign body he's gotten stuck in his foot - thorn, grass seed, tiny piece of glass or rock. I've had several greyhounds rip or cut their webbing. After much angst and worry and money spent trying to heal the webbing, I usually just leave it to heal with the toes remaining separated. It's not worth it since the webbing remains vulnerable and will easily split again. Most foot injuries are the same. First - get him some sort of easily appliable foot covering for all outside time. His foot must stay clean and dry. Look into PAWZ rubber booties. Or one of these if you want a more permanent solution Medipaw Boots And use his muzzle to keep him from licking when he's not directly supervised. You may need to cover the bottom holes with duct tape. Two - soak his foot in a warm solution of water and epsom salts at least two times daily. This will help healing and draw out anything that may have become embedded. Using the liquid solution is best, especially if the wound was in between the toes, but you can also soak a washcloth in the solution, wrap it around his foot, and cover with a plastic back (secure with some vet wrap to help prevent leaking). Three - get him in to his regular vet for a thorough re-exam. Good luck.

I'm so, so sorry. Even when you know it's coming, it's always a horrible surprise. Run with the angels, sweet girl... You will be so missed.

{{{hugs}}}

{{{hugs}}}

Willa

Tessie

Annie!!

You spelled that wrong. Know Your Angel Wiki is perfection!!!

Such a rollercoaster journey. {{{hugs}}}

for Willa!!!!! for your Richard...

Sorry. Just seeing this. Generally it's not recommended to do removal surgery on corns. The recovery is long and painful, and the corn starts growing back immediately. But if it's infected, perhaps draining the toe will help, along with some antibiotics. Also, there could be a foreign body inside the toe, either encapsulated inside the corn or separate from it but causing the infection. Again, in this particular case, surgery might help. I think if you visit the Flexor Tenotomy Page of Facebook, they *may* either have a list of vets who do the surgery, or you can ask the membership for recommendations in your area. Also, if your vet is interested in learning how to do the procedure, the veterinarian (Dr Guilliard, I think) who created it is usually quite helpful. That info can also be found on the FB page.

Yunan Baiyao does work - we use it for Felicity - but it *is* an herbal supplement and doesn't quite have the medicinal punch of Amicar or TA. Personally I would stick with the RXs for amputations. If she's not had any bleeding issues previously she should be fine with the doses the surgeon described, but more doesn't hurt if you can find it.

Apologies for not seeing this sooner!! I'm so sorry you had to send your girl on her final journey. It's a tough job you (and Jan) have set for yourselves - always taking in the seniors. You and Chris are very courageous and compassionate. {{{hugs}}}

Well, it *is* reinforcing his reactivity, BUT, as stated, there is not much you can do in situations such as the one you described. Best practice is to keep your eyes and ears always scanning for things that could be problematic and try and avoid as many of them as possible. It's a constant question for dog owners of all breeds, no matter if they're reactive or not - what to do when you and your dog are approached by a dog or dogs who are unaccompanied and obviously up to no good??? You should research what is and isn't allowed wherever you're walking - for instance, some places in the US you cannot carry certain kinds of batons or sticks, or something like bear spray. And different countries will have very different rules. And different owners have their own tolerances for various solutions. Some things that have been suggested here on GT (which may or may not be appropriate for your situation): various types of long buggy/driving whips, the mentioned bear spray, long distance wasp spray, straight vinegar in a strong spray bottle, different kinds of folding batons and poles, different kinds of tazers. You can search here for threads about the subject for more ideas. Good luck.

We're all with you. {{{hugs}}} Give them both kisses from all of us!!!

Yeeeaaah. We have a 900 sq ft house with a large fenced yard. Most one bedroom apartments have more inside square feet than we do. At our most crowded we had 6 greyhounds and 4 indoor cats. As long as you're committed to several walks a day (plus for potties), you'll be absolutely fine. If you're concerned about rambunctiousness, talk with your group about taking in a returned dog or senior that is already used to living in a house.

The answer is always YES!!! BUT! Make sure you have the funds, and most of all, the time for a second dog. And temper your expectations for how your current dog will react. Greyhounds are used to living communally, so they (usually) get along just fine. But as mentioned, they may or may not turn out to be BFFs like you see pictures of on social media - cuddling and snuggling, playing together, etc. This question comes up frequently, so there are numerous threads to search for regarding adding a second greyhound to give you a ton more info. I will just add to all that - Common advice is to NOT get two of the same gender, especially two females. There is a higher chance of behavioral issues and frictions between two females than between two males or a mixed couple. But I've had three, and now two, girls for several years now and, while we do have some occasional minor dust ups over toys or snacks, we've had no serious issues. I would urge you to let your current girl help pick out her companion - play dates with fosters, or time in turn out with others at a kennel - to make sure you get a match that suits everyone.

Have you been hulling her corn?? Flexor tenotomy surgery has been extremely successful in ridding most dogs of their corn issue. It's a super fast and easy surgery - basically creating a sprung toe by snipping the tendon instead of a naturally occurring tear - with only a two week recovery period. It might be the kind of surgery that could be done without anesthetizing her completely, if you have a vet that would consider it. Many dogs have an almost immediate relief from their corn and it doesn't return. There is a chance that corns will pop up on other toes, but you'll have that anyway with her altered gait whether you amp or not. It may be something to consider if her corn is one of the obstacles to an amp and have some time to fit it in prior.

Sometimes more isn't helpful. That's a lot of gabapentin. And sometimes it can have the opposite effect from what you want. She's past the point where she needs it for pain relief, so I would have a discussion with her onco about trying to gradually reduce the amount of gaba she's getting. Our dog by this point wasn't on any regular pain meds, or any meds at all except supplements. If he had a pain flare or a bad day, we had codeine sulfate, and some 50 or 100 caps of gaba to give as needed. If she'll let you ice the area that may help.

Rachel, I'm so sorry. This is totally not fair at all. {{{hugs}}}

Black dogs in particular get a "sun coat" when they are outside a lot. The hair shafts are basically faded from black to brown from sun exposure. It's not uncommon for them to to come from farms and kennels completely brown. This coat usually falls out during the next shedding season, but you can help it along by a good brushing a couple times a week. But if the coloring is limited to around his mouth and undercarriage, I would agree with the above that staining and dirt is the issue. Use some hypoallergenic baby wipes after eating and peeing to keep those areas clean.