greysmom

Color doesn't make any difference to coat consistency. What he's already shed out is all the dead stuff from the previous year. It will probably take another year to completely change over his kennel coat to his pet coat. I would not add any more oils to his diet. In addition to loose stools, too much dietary fat can also trigger pancreatitis attacks, and other health issues. But do keep up with the brushing daily or every other day. In addition to helping remove dead hair and skin cells, it will also keep the skin oils moving through the coat and help it transition. Don't bath him too often as that can strip the natural oils from the fur and defeat the purpose of trying to get him shiny. Another factor is whether you dog has a thicker undercoat or not. He may be one of those greyhounds with a more "labby" fluffy coat, or he may be one who is very sleek and thin - again, the color of it doesn't really matter. You can usually see a sleek and shiny coat more on solid colors, just because it's more easily reflective, but a brindle can be as soft and pretty as any other color. If you really feel the need to add another supplement, try generic vitamin E capsules.

It's in my mind that certain blood-related cancers can show up as uncontrolled bleeding with no initial incident. I would definitely contact Dr Couto. Please let us know how she's doing now.

No nose in summer, winter's a bummer!!!

Nothing's wrong. Just chewing. She's still fairly young and it's a dog thing. Best practice is to interrupt the behavior and redirect to an appropriate chewing item - a chewing product or toy - or even have them move to another spot.

I think Andi must want to be a dentist. Her favorite way to get pets is to jump up and put her front half in your lap, with her back feet still on the floor, and sniff your breath r-e-a-l-l-y closely Felicity would be in pest control. Sky raisins are her favorite snack! But only flying pests, and not too big, because the big ones are scary!!! Small to medium flying pests only!!

If the bruising hasn't stopped growing by now, or if there's a pooling of liquid blood under the skin that keeps growing you should get him in to an emergency clinic as he may need rx help for the bleeding to stop. Also if the actual wound in the skin has opened up and continues to bleed. In a pinch, and if you can find some at a local homeopathic store (or that section at Walmart carries it I think), you can use a chinese herbal product called Yunan Baiyao. It comes usually in capsules and can both be taken orally and the capsules opened and the powder sprinkled on the wound to help the blood clot. Yunan Baiyao at Walmart

Not applauding getting laid off, but for everything else!!

You're partly right and partly not. Part of the counter conditioning is to get him used to calming *himself* down from being upset, so by not allowing him that time to figure it out, you may be shooting yourself in the foot, so to speak. It sounds like you're still making progress, so I would be inclined to tell you to continue at your present level for a bit until you see clear regression or advancement. You're in the UK so there are different feelings about using anti anxiety medications, but he may really benefit from their added help at this point. They are not a miracle cure though. They only put his brain in a better chemical state to accept the counter conditioning you're already doing. Talk with your vet about using a short course of either Clomicalm (the canine version of Clomipramine). This is a canine specific drug. All other anti anxiety meds are "off label" uses of human medications. Prozac (fluoxetine) is another drug that is commonly tried for SA. Recently, many people have had better results with Trazadone. Stay away from drugs that have a sedative effect like Acepromazine and Gabapentin. They only physically sedate them, they don't actually relieve any of the chemical issues associated with anxiety, and are unhelpful in assisting with counter conditioning. Many times, particularly with Ace, the dog can still *feel* very anxious and afraid, but they are so sedated they can't respond physically. This is very unhelpful and can be counterproductive.

Had much the same happen with our first greyhound, except it was a large smooth ROCK Libby was carrying around!!!

I think the pressure on adoption groups by long long long waiting lists leads to dogs being rushed through testing and fostering. Where in prior years, responsible groups would mandate the time to fully evaluate a dog, now they are being adopted out nearly as fast as they come in. The same holds true for groups evaluating and vetting prospective adopters. During the long process of home and background checks, some adopters may have dropped out of the process on their own, or adopted from other breed rescues, or just decided not to get a dog at all. Some might have decided greyhounds were not for them as they learned more about the breed and actually met some possible dogs. And some adopters - who were just into greyhounds for "pity adoptions" - would move on to their next cause. All this leads to mismatches between adopters and dogs - dogs that aren't ready for homes, homes that aren't really prepared/educated to properly take care of retired racers. Add to that, the explosion in growth of social media and more people finding their way here to GT when they're searching for answers to issues, and it can seem like there's been a big jump in behavioral questions. I'm not sure there actually has been by the numbers. We're also not seeing really hard questions - it's mostly basic stuff - statueing, resource guarding, not playing, sleep startle. Things there are probably thousands of threads about on GT already. Things proper preparation *should* have taken care of in the adoption process (IMO). You can also add in the large number of people that adopted dogs during the pandemic the last two years. People who just decided they were home full time now so they "might as well" get a dog. It's all over the news that many of those dogs are being returned now that folks are going back to the office or finding jobs away from home.

When I went to the dealer to do a test drive, I was shocked. They took a copy of my driver's license and insurance card, handed me the key, and said "Have it back by the time we close today," and sent me on my way to drive it wherever and however I wanted! We only live a couple miles from the dealership, so I just drove home and we popped everybody in and went for a ride. Took about an hour to drive it around, then I took it back to the dealer and signed the pre-purchase papers. No one seemed concerned with getting the vehicle dirty or any issues with accidents. We did NOT buy that particular vehicle - they only had ONE Rav4 on the entire lot, and it was a gas-only model (we wanted a hybrid). We had to wait three months for our car to be built, shipped, and arrive at the dealership. Huh. Just took a quick peek at the Ford website. Looks like they don't even have any new sedans anymore except the Mustang! If you can find a used Fusion that may be your best best for sticking with that brand. You should check the specs on the Edge though to see if it's any lower than the Escape. Also, when lifting your boy, did you put one arm around his chest and one under his tuck for the lift? Most dogs will be pretty quiet that way.

Three and a half months is just a blip of time for a newly adopted dog. She - and you - are just in the beginning of a very long journey. A lot of the behaviors you're seeing and dealing with are mainly because a) she doesn't trust you fully yet, and b) she's completely overwhelmed by this new world she's been forced to live in. So... Stop. Just. Stop. She needs time and patience - a LOT more of both than you're currently giving her. The rule of thumb is - 3 days, 3 months, three years - for a dog settling into a new home. She's NOT EVER going to be a plug-and-play kind of dog you can put into new situations and be perfectly fine in minutes - she's not a lab or a retriever. She's never seen (or heard) a truck on the street before. Never seen a cat, or even any other breed of dog. She's never had to feel anxious someone is going to take her food or her treats before. She has no idea what walking in a busy city on a leash is all about. Everything in her world is scary and adding to her anxiety. Stop pushing new things onto her plate. Stop expecting her to just... accept. She won't. She can't. Read through the other two threads below yours also about a newly adopted greyhound who's struggling. All of the behaviors you're describing are *very* common. All will likely resolve with patience and time and a lot of trust building between you. Except the prey drive. She may have been tested for cat and small dog tolerance before being adopted, but it's also very possible an overwhelmed dog will lie during that test. She may come to be cat workable with time, but she's dealing with a lot right now, so she's going to fall back on her instincts first. Your adoption group should have provided you with a plastic kennel muzzle. If they didn't, you can get one here Halemar or from many adoption group merchandise pages. Though they ARE NOT foolproof! My dogs can easily pick up balls and sticks, and even bite each other, with their muzzles on. If she's distractable when she sees a cat, it's likely you'll be able to work through this issue.

This is a reprint (without attribution) of a much older article by noted greyhound expert Dr Guillermo Couto, now found through the Greyhound Health Initiative, but at the time he was head of the veterinary program at Ohio State University. Dr Couto has long been an advocate for greyhounds and has done a lot of research into their particular physical differences from other breeds of dogs. One of our GT members has created a wallet card listing the common bloodwork and lab result numbers for greyhounds vs other breeds. It's quite handy when dealing with a vet who doesn't know sighthounds well.

MersyGrey has some good points re the differences in switching to a small SUV. We recently traded in a Toyota Corolla for a Rav4. We've had small SUVs before and wanted something with a little more room for both cargo and dogs than either the 4-door Corolla or our other car, a Prius. Well, the extra room is great! Even though we only have two dogs now since we lost the third in Februrary. The Rav4 is new, more gas efficient (a hybrid), has plenty of room for luggage and dogs for vacationing, and is comfortable for us people. The drawbacks are that it's significantly higher than either of our older cars whether getting in from the side or the back. Due to Andi's broken leg, we've had to lift her in for the whole time we've had it, I can *just* manage it, and would not like to try it with a heavier dog at all. We could fit three dogs easily in the back with the seats down (we never use them for sitting anyway), and with two they are able to stay out of each other's way even with two huge dog beds back there. The deck is SIGNIFICANTLY lower inside though and the dogs can't see out if they're laying down. Air flow is about the same. The tinted windows really help keep the heat down inside. We could easily fit two crates for their safety in the back and we're looking into that option. We don't take them a lot of places, but I want them to be safe when we do. All in all I might not get the same vehicle again if I had to do it over, even though as a human I LOVE our new Rav4. Something with similar cargo area, a hybrid, but smaller that would be easier for them to get in and out of, and to see out of. A Fit or Versa or even one of the different Prius models - our 05 Prius roof is quite low in the back, and standing up, even for a short greyhound, is not optimum even though it has quite a bit of laying down room. And it's much lower and easier to lift a dog into/out of. Most places will let you either bring your dogs to the dealer or take the car home to try it out with people and dogs. I urge you to take advantage of this.

All of this behavior is really normal in a young recently adopted greyhound. Some of it is due to him still being a puppy. Some is breeding. Some is genetic. 1 - Most greyhounds have never seen the night sky. They're very rarely out at night at all, usually put to bed in their kennels, with their littermates, to spend the night. So some can be quite anxious in the dark. And you live in the country, so even more scary noises he's never heard before. This behavior should extinguish itself as he gets more comfortable being outside in the dark. 2 - Playing - if it doesn't move, they likely aren't interested. That's just genetics. They've been bred for hundreds of years to chase prey, so stuffies and squeakies and other toys hold no interest for them. You're lucky he plays fetch! Most of them will run after the ball and then immediately turn away in disgust when it stops rolling!! You might try a flirt/lure pole if you want him to have some exercise and play. 3 - Resource Guarding is also very common. His stuff has always been *his* and his alone. He's never had to share, and has likely always been snug and secure, by himself, in his own safe kennel. No he's out in the middle of the house, another dog is around, people might take his stuff, and he feels he has to protect what's his. This is mostly a management issue on your part. Don't ever try and take a high value item away from him - food or chews or anything he feels possessive about. And DEFINITELY KEEP YOUR CHILD AWAY from him when he has something of high value. He may not bite - or he may not *mean* to bite - but he also could connect and cause real damage. If you do need to get something away from him, use a different high value treat (something he can't resist), and offer it to him and lure him away from the object, then pick it up and put it away. This is called "trading up" and it will usually work. Always supervise interactions when food or treats are involved, and if possible, physically separate him from other dogs/kids/people. 4 - Separation anxiety is also really common. They've never been alone before having always been with their littermates or kennel mates. Then they're taken away from everything familiar and plopped down in a new and sometimes scary place, with people they don't recognize. So they react by being anxious and (in some cases) destructive. He's settled on you as his anchor in his new world, and he gets even more anxious when your gone. The above mentioned book - "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell - is a good resource for step-by-step directions on how to work your dog through his separation anxiety. You can also search through the forum here for MULTIPLE threads about it. 5 - though you didn't ask for it. People in other countries tend to treat their greyhounds like any other dog. Letting a greyhound run loose in open country, off leash, is something that is just not done here in the US. Most adoption groups have specific clauses in their adoption contracts stating the dog will never be loose in an uncontained area off leash. The danger of your dog getting on the sight of a fleeing rabbit or bird, running after it, and getting lost and not coming back is real. Once greyhounds see something to chase, nothing else matters. They'll run away, into unfamiliar territory, into traffic, or into other dangerous situations they've never seen before and get injured or even killed. But that's something you have to evaluate for your own dog and situation. As a still-young dog he definitely needs the exercise. Just make sure you balance his safety. Congrats on bringing him home with you! Welcome to Greytalk!

Also get the book by Patricia McConnell called "Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash reactive Dog." She's a very good behaviorist and gives step-by-step instructions in all her training manuals. You can also search through here for "leash reactivity" for many many threads on the subject. It's really common for newly adopted dogs to be overwhelmed and anxious and have a hard time coping with all the newness that happens in their world after adoption. I would also suggest that - for the time being - you limit your walks. If you don't need to walk for toileting, just let him sniff around in the garden for a short while, and decompress that way. He's way too anxious now - which is why the behavior is escalating - and he's not finishing the bonding process with you and trusting you'll protect him. He feels he has to take that on to himself, and he's not feeling any safer, so he's doing the only thing he knows how and upping his response. If you do need to take him walking out in public, choose less busy times, and make the outings short and purposeful. Your vet or the adoption center where he came from may be able to help you with referrals for good behaviorists in your area. Make sure they are certified by the UK board in charge of such things, and that they *only* use positive reinforcement training in their work. Good luck!

I think it's a question of what she *will* eat, especially in the beginning. When you get her symptoms under control and she's back to her more "normal" schedule, and you find a low fat food that's acceptable to her, figure out how much she needs to eat a day to keep her healthy and divide that into equal portions throughout the day. There are some new RX diets available, though they're pretty expensive I think. It's way less hassle that home cooking, though you can control the quality of ingredients a lot better that way. It all just kind of depends on your comfort level and how much you want to fuss every day. And don't forget to defat the treats and chews and any other food things.

The way our oncologist explained the "low carb food" issue was to say that if low carb was that helpful in curbing the spread of cancer then it would be universal in human medicine. Since no studies or science exists to say it helps in the least, she said it wasn't necessary or helpful, since a dog needs carbs to get their full nutrition. In recent developments, it would also be a shame to cause her a heart problem (nutritional DCM) from a grain free diet just as she's kicking cancer's butt. I'm sorry Sherlock is having to scramble for treatment now. Poor timing. There are a couple CBD threads here on GT for you to search up for recommendations for brands. Some dogs find it really helpful and some don't seem to feel any difference. If CBD is legal in your state, and you have a dispensary near you, most staff can be very very helpful in recommending brands, especially for pet products. He may in fact need an actual pain reliever in addition to the nsaid and gabapentin. We've found the opiate codeine sulfate to be well tolerated with few side effects, unlike most other other opiates like Tramadol or fentanyl which can be very problematic for greyhounds.

Covered in dirt!!!! Totally normal!!!

I found that Dude preferred a bed with a little elevation because it was easier to get in and out of. Tessie looks like she agrees!!!

{{{hugs}}} He is missed.