greysmom

My Angel Libby and Dude were our first two greys and they were both comfortable from day one. Libby was a bounce, as was barely two-year-old Dude, though he only lived in his first home several weeks. Dude walked through our door and went and layed on the couch and fell asleep. He's been there ever since! With short breaks for breakfast and dinner, and the daily zoomie session. He has recently started being a major stuffy de-stuffer, so I guess his personality might still be changing after 5 years! Copper came from the Juarez track rescue, and we got him only ten days or so after he'd left Mexico. He's a pretty easy-going guy anyway, but he settled in fine. Of all our five greys we've had, his personality has been the most stable. He is who he is who he is! His biggest settling in phase was learning English. He really only knew Spanish words when we got him. That week, our neighbors had a new roof put on, and the roofers were mostly latino. He would goout in the yard and just stare up at them while they were talking and working. He also loved the Mexican radio station that was playing. I still talk to him in my limited Spanish when I can. He seems to still understand it. Cash, my spook, was a mess when we got her. She continued to be a mess for months. Even after putting her on anxiety meds, it was only after we got Toni last year that she really started to blossom. She's had so many of those eureka moments this last year my heart just overflows for her! The first time she played with me, the first time she asked for attention, the first time she came to me in the yard when I called her, the first time she came inside on her own - so many things I take for granted with the others. Toni, who's been here since Feb 09, had a hard row before we got her. She was emaciated and had horrible pressure sores down to the bone, but she was sweet as a sugar cube even when she could barely stand! She seemed to settle in fine but we have enjoyed watching her personality really emerge. She's goofy and smart and vocal and whiney and sweet and affectionate. And even with all that happened to her she is soooooo outgoing and simply loves people - any people and all people. She is the ultimate meet-and-greet dog.

He might not have "gotten" them himself. Around here, the less careful squirrels wll actually fall out of the trees if they jump from tree to tree and don't make it, or are playing/fighting and fall. It can kill them or just stun them. That migt have been why he wouldn't come in the first time - he knew they were there.

The perfect pretty girl! The perfect home! The most perfect story! I am so happy for all of you!

I think he is grieving the loss of his little brother. And the loss of everything else associated with him - the little rituals and sharing, going outside together, laying together - it's all different now. He's probably not gotten to the stage of being "lonely," but that will be next. You may see him develop some separation anxiety, or other bad habits he's never had before. Try and make sure he's staying hydrated. Some juice or pedialyte in his water will encourage him to drink. Maybe take him for a car ride or something else he enjoys and go to McDonald's for a cheesburger together. That might spark his appetite a bit.

A sharp edge on the collar maybe? My other thought would be a bug bite of some kind that she scratched. I'd clean it with mild soap and warm water, and put some neosporin on it. Then watch her for scratching at it.

Has your behaviorist never heard of Clomicalm (clomipromine)? I adopted a dog with severe SA. One month on Valium, two months on Clomicalm, with her crated when I wasn't home (so any peeing in the house was in the crate, not everywhere else), and she was fine. She realized I could leave the house, stay gone several hours, and come home, and her universe wouldn't come to an end. The drugs didn't make her dopey. They just took the edge off while she learned she could survive not having a person at her beck and call. (She didn't care that she had another dog in the house with her; she wanted a person.) You also might try a DAP diffuser. That product reports success with three out of four dogs. (My girl is a #4.) And you might look for a new behaviorist. Any behaviorist who isn't aware that drugs can be used to help deal with behavioral problems is a behaviorist who's not using all the tools available. For *severe* SA yes, I agree. But I think it's overkill to put this greyhound on a high powered drug for a little pee puddle when some further training and consistency and exercise could solve the problem. The dog isn't chewing, isn't crapping or peeing all over the house, isn't injuring herself or another dog, isn't tearing down curtains, and she isn't completely freaking when they leave. If they can't help her through this then, yes, clomicalm or another medication may be needed. I just don't think it's necessary at this point. I agree that the behaviorist should have known about anti-anxiety meds - assuming this person is a trained and certified behaviorist and not just a dog trainer who calls herself "behaviorist." Even then, there are many people who simply don't believe that drugs a) are appropriate at any time, and can really help animals in the long run. If this is not a certified Behaviorist, s/he may not be able to prescribe drugs and so try and pass them off as unuseable.

Nope. Drugs probably won't help in this situation. For behavior issues you need a behavior solution. I agree that your husband going back to school was probably the trigger, but do a thorough inventory of your house and neighborhood to see what else may have changed. Any new construction she can hear? New neighbors home during the day? A lawn service? New food or a new feeding schedule? Any additions to your house like furniture or anything else? Start at the beginning with her alone training. Be diligent and consistent. Don't make a big deal about leaving and coming home. Get a good enzymatic rug cleaner and throughly clean the places she's gone. If you feel you need to clean further, invest in a home carpet cleaner, as you will always have a need for it if you have dogs. Consider some "bad girl panties" if she continues to have issues. Please try and not stress about it. She is likely picking it up from you which will not help her. Gppd luck.

It's only been 2 1/2 months. Everything will be fine. Don't panic. Have a nice glass of wine! It's really just been 2 1/2 months! They are both still settling in and, as you mentioned, their personalities are starting to come out more. Their pack dynamics will change as this happens, and will continue to change as long as they live together. They may never be BFF snuggle buddies, but they will learn to live with each other as long as you make it clear that's what you expect them to do. Dogs live in the moment and neither of them will remember this exchange for future reference. Here's what to do > make sure both wear muzzles in the yard when playing as even a playful nip can quickly become an e-vet trip. > don't throw the ball for both at the same time, let each have a special playtime > keep an eye on them and step in sooner to nip snarks in the bud > make sure they both know that you/DH can and will be the adult in charge > set clear and consistent rules, follow a predictible schedule, make sure they get enough exercise (separatley) Everything will be fine! Have another glass of wine!

I always tell people at M&G's that greyhounds are just cats with long legs! And less irritating!

Sounds like a bit of hind end weakness - probably LS, but could be arthritis setting in, or a number of other things. As far as the chattering, I think you're right about him biting his tongue when chattering. If he's getting a bit uncoordinated and loosing muscle tone as he ages, then that could be what's happening. Good luck.

Three months is really not that long. She may change and she may not, you'll just have to see. If she seems fine - happy going for walks, responsive to directions, eager to eat, drinking enough, going potty on a schedule - then she probably is fine. Check in again with us in a couple months!

Good thoughts for Momma Sophia!

Uncontrolled drinking and peeing is usually a symptom of diabetes, but it can be a lot of things. Hope someone with some experience can help tonight. Good luck.

It's an off-label prescription, first off - no official OK to use for animals or for any reason other than human anxiety. Many vets just won't do it. Plus there are other similar drugs that are specifically for dogs, so many don't feel like xanax is appropriate. It works for some, and doesn't work for others. You just have to talk with your vet and try what you feel is appropriate and necessary for your situation.

I think some groomers will brush teeth, but this will vary widely. Greyhound teeth follow no rules. I have four greys - one needs a dental every year, one needs one every 2-3 years, two have not needed dentals and don't appear to need one in the near future. They all get exactly the same food and treats. I do not brush their teeth. They all get a chew bone of various sorts every night. Check on your girls teeth - are the gums pink and healthy? Is there tartar build-up, especially at the gum line? Is her breath fresh or not? Does she exhibit any difficulty or pain when chewing? Is there any swelling inside or outside her mouth? Any lesions or open sores or unusual growths visible? Any one of these things would be a reason to take her to a vet for a good dental check up and cleaning.

Cash weighs about 68 lbs, and that dose was making a difference, BUT (here's my spiel ) Xanax acts relatively quickly, and doesn't need a build up time of a week or more to become effective (though bodies do become addicted to it). It really only lasts about 8 hours so two doses a day doesn't give full coverage. Which is why you need to keep dosing throughout the day. But if it's working for Bree then it's working. Like I said above, all drugs work differently on all dogs, so your experience may vary. She also may need only *some* support, and not a full spectrum anti-anxiety control. I'm weaning Cash off first to see how she's doing and if she's really still as anxious as before (which was *really* anxious), and secondly because I think, if she's not any better spooky-wise, I want to switch her to a med that acts differently - like clomicalm or one of the other SSRI class of anti-anxiety drugs. Cash still does have her freak-outs, but they are of much shorter duration and not so all-encompassing for her. She does have a life now, and I think she's fairly happy. I know she can be better though. We'll see what happens.

The belly band isn't a bad idea, especially if he's going to be alone when a storm comes. But he needs to get used to it gradually. Put it on, give him a treat, take it off. Repeat, repeat, repeat - gradually lengthening the time he has it on. Part of the xanax is timing. I have found it takes 45mins-1 hour to take full effect, and if you give it to him after he's already started panicking, it's not as effective. And it's only really effective for about 2 1/2-3 hours, then starts to drop off. Check with your vet, of course, but I believe the max dose per day is 4 mg, so a 1 1/2 mg dose is OK. You might find the xanax does not work for Nuri very well. Just like with people, some drugs work on some dogs differently than others. If he doesn't improve after a good trial, talk to your vet about another kind of fast-acting anti-anxiety med (like valium). I'm currently weaning my spook OFF xanax, but at her height, she was getting 1 1/2 three times a day. We're down to half that now and she's doing great!

You might get some of that adhesive moleskin (for shoes and corns) to wrap around the cheek pieces and buckle. That might help in the future. Glad he's doing OK!

Awwww. Poor guy! Hope he feels better soon!

Run fast and far and free, sweet Larry! No more pain forevermore. Adrianne, I am so sorry. We were all hoping that Larry would beat the odds, and no one will second guess your decision to give him a try on something that could help. You loved him and you id the best thing you could. Thinking of you and your family. Chris and the Gang

Duct tape wires to the floor or mouldings. As for the Ipod, if they have to buy new headphones a couple times, maybe they'll learn to keep them picked up!!! Chew deterrent is good. Also, a squirt bottle for those longer distance corrections.

This. Hope Larry had a good night afterall - and that you got some sleep!

Should be OK. Sometimes they fall out on their own after the swelling goes down. Just keep an eye on it.

I use KV Pet for lots of stuff like that. I'm not sure about how their prices compare, but they are fast and very responsive.