greysmom

I've been thinking about changing vets too, and there's several reasons. The clinic we go to does work with/for our adoption group and gives discounts for spays/neuters, meds and some other treatments. They were on our groups "Sponsor Vets" list, and were one of the closest, which is why I went with them initially. BUT! They are a first-come-first-serve place with no appointments except for surgeries and sometimes the wait can be quite long. I've waited over 2 hours (by the time I knew it was going to be that long, going somewhere else wasn't an option). The vets are all great, one has had greyhounds before, but you can't pick a vet and stick with that vet - they rotate through the waiting patients and you get who you get. It's basically a dog-and-cat place - very small, no after hours, only 5 1/2 days a week, no complicated treatments or surgeries. I couldn't go to them with a cancer diagnosis, or for extensive x-rays, Dude's toe amp would not have been done by them The one thing I can NOT stand with any service people is that they treat me like a) somebody who doesn't know anything, and only a woman who won't understand the complicated car! These vets are all pretty good, but if I have some specific knowledge about my dogs, they are a bit reticent to accept that knowledge. There really isn't a dialogue about my dogs' care - which is the way I prefer to deal with what happens to them. I want to have a team feeling from the vet, not them telling me what I should do. I do have to say, however, that over the last 5 years they have come to trust my ability to deal with open wounds at home, and will usually give me antibiotics without seeing the dog/injury. So I guess this is all to say to think about what your priorities are for your three fur kids and go with your gut feeling. >How do you want them treated? How do you want to be treated? >Is knowledge of specific greyhound problems more or less important than a compassionate, if less educated, vet? >How comfortable are you with their office procedures and staff, and the physical layout of the place? Is it clean and well-kept? Is the lobby big enough to hold lots of clients? >What procedures do they have in place for emergencies? Think about one of your dogs violently throwing up at 3 o'clock in the morning - can you call them? Can you go there or will you be referred somewhere else? Just some of the things I've been thinking about.

First off, she needs to find another behaviorist. Second, this pup should not be allowed in social situations if she is that unpredictable. She should be crated or baby-gated in a quiet room away from the hub bub. If the dog needs to be in the mix, she should be muzzled. She should never be left alone or unsupervised with kids - period - and probably never with non-family members. Forcing the issue is only going to get someone really hurt and the dog will be at the short end of the stick. Don't put the dog in a position where she will fail. There really isn't enough info in the post to do more than generalize. Is she "attacking" from fear? From aggression? Are they actual bites that draw blood? Are they discipline or play nips? Is she mouthy at other times when she's excited like when people come home or during play? Is it only men? Only strangers? Everyone? Does she have other anxiety issues? Are there other behavior issues? How old is the dog and how long has it been in this household? Is she a rescue from a adoption group, or an all-breed shelter, or a pup from a "breeder" (of coyote dogs or other hunting mixes)? Most importantly, is this family willing - and able - to work through her problems?

High creatinine indicates kidney issues. Hemoglobin/hematocrit I think is normally high for greys so these don't seem bad to me. Hopefully someone else will see them soon. How is he otherwise? He should be done with his antibiotics now?

Totally normal. Try moving walks and activities to earlier in the day before it gets too hot. If possible.

My boys will sometimes do this to my girls. Seems to be a more thorough version of butt-sniffing. The girls don't seem to mind. Actually, now that I think of it, they will return the favor occasionally. We're a happy household.

Short term, you'll probably need some heavy duty desensitization training. Long term, he may need some drug therapy. Not saying he will, but many spooks seem to need it at least for a little while to help them become calm enough to accept training. I wouldn't plan on a long walk any time soon. Take him out and just stand by the street. Treats and rewards and lots of praise for standing calmly and without running away. When he can do that with cars just going by, try walking a short ways, back and forth, with the same treat/praise rewards. Gradually lengthen the walk until he's back to normal. This could take some time so be very patient, especially in the beginning. Don't baby talk if he's scared or coddle or pet him when he's stressed. Decrease the stress to what he can handle and restart from there. If you cannot get to a position where he can be calm and (relatively) unafraid, he may need some support from either a naturopathic or prescription medication. Many people have had success with melatonin, Bach rememdies, even Benadryl. You can discuss with your vet other prescription options. As already mentioned, fast working medications like xanax will be of more use in this situation rather than drugs that take several weeks of dosing to take effect. Good luck!! Keep us updated!

It really does depend dog to dog. I have four greys - one needs a dental every 8-10 months (which we stretch to once a year), one needs one about every two years, and two haven't needed one since they've been with us (2 years and 3 years). They all get the same to eat, the same treats, the same water, the same everything. I don't do any teeth brushing - I know, bad Momma! - though they do get a chew bone every night. I'm also considering raw turkey necks during the summer when they can eat them outside. Some things to look for: >really bad breath - beyond the basic dog-breath version >trouble or reluctance to eat normal food (crunchy kibble) >trouble or reluctance to chew chewing things - rawhides, bones, whatever >bleeding around the gumline >lots of tartar build up on the non-chewing surfaces >blood on toys or chews In my neck of the woods (Portland Oregon) a dental with full anesthesia runs me about $250-$300. I ususally ask them to do toenail clipping at the same time so that's extra. There are places where you can have their teeth scaled while they're awake. It takes a specially trained tech for this though and it's not common around here. There is a shot you can get - it's had mixed results. And lots of dental sprays, water additives, and other things to help stretch the time in between full dental work. Greyhounds do tend to lose teeth and they can really get along fine without them. There are quite a few greys on the board with very few teeth.

I've wondered several times about what happened with Joey Bloo and Jack the Lad. So glad things seem to be well sorted now! Hope you can keep us updated - there are a lot of us who love Joey and Jack's adventures!

So glad our Ekko is back to feeling nearly her old self again! Hugs and scritches!

Mine all feel that all people were put on the earth with the specific purpose to pet them whenever they meet (Cash, of course, would run away!). They have never met a stranger they didn't immediately like, and appear very hurt if the stranger turns out to be uninterested in them. If a burglar broke into the house while we were away, he would most likely get licked to death before he could steal anything. That being said, I think if I were actually under attack they would definitely become protective. I don't ever really worry about it though. Most people think of them as big dogs, and therefore, threatening, so we don't get a lot of casual people coming up to us - and they usually ask first if it's OK to pet the dog. A panting greyhound with an open mouth full of teeth looks really dangerous! On the other hand, my Danes could completely intimidate anyone with a stare and very rarely growled. I never had to wonder what they would do - they are VERY protective, in general.

Oh dear! Hope pretty Ekko is feeling better this evening. I'm so sorry she didn't recover well. Could be the extractions set loose some yucky bacteria too, which exaserbated (sp?) her reaction. You could try some Ensure too, for some extra nutrition. And Perdialyte (for babies) to help keep her electrolites up after the dehydration. Here's hoping for a gud night and a better morning.

More Nature's Miracle. Also try vinegar and water. This isn't his house?? Even if you've been there many times, he still may not be clear on the potty rules. He knows he shouldn't potty inside at *his* house. If this is his house, I would be inclined to think this is an isolated incident (unless it happens again).

I would try some alone training this weekend with him baby-gated into your bedroom and see how he does. Make sure you actually leave -walk or drive away as you normally would, don't just stand outsie the dorr. If you're worried about chewing, just pop his muzzle on. He may whine or bark or howl. Ignore this behavior as much as possible; it should get less as time goes on. Make sure when you're leaving your routine is very calm and low key. Set a routine and do the same routine *every time you leave* no matter where you're going or for how long. No high, squeaky voice goodbyes, or hellos for that matter.

It could be he encroached a little bit too much on her space (she has some issues that way, yes?). My sleep aggressive girl would growl sometimes of someone walked by in another room, so I wouldn't be surprised if space was the issue with her this time. On the other hand, an eargasm does sound quite a bit like a growl. Sort of a low, throaty moaning sound back in the throat. It can happen when they are particularly happy - and especially when you're rubbing their ears. My four will press their heads down even harder on your hand and moan for as long as you'll rub! If she is - really - growling, then you have a completely different issue. Some greys take a while to warm up to men, and you both may need to give her some more time and patience. If this is more systemic and you think Bella is trying to protect you or be a higher player in the pack than your BF, you need to do this: from now on, as much as possible, he should take over Bella's care; he should let her out or walk her for potties; he should be the one to reward her with treats, he should be the one to feed her (by hand, kernel by kernel if possible) so that she comes to associate him with all good things. He needs to routinely carry around treats in his pockets and should reward her for good behavior *with him.* But I would say again that she's still very new and it can takes literally months or years for some greys to settle into home life. Try not to take her every little vocalization to heart. Discipline her when necessary and establish rules of the house. Set boundaries and be super consistent with enforcing them. Greys thrive on routine and rules and they need them. Time and patience. Patience and time.

Glad everyone's home and doing well!

My Cash is a blue brindle, and I can atest to the fact that she is a princess who believes the entire world is there only for her convenience (except for the parts that scare her, and they are to be ignored or run away from!). She is super smart and very stubborn - both traits that make her spookiness worse, IMO. If she wasn't so smart she wouldn't be scared by things, and then too stubborn to admit they aren't that scary! And now that she's (finally) settling down and becoming less spooky, I'm having a hard time disciplining her when she actually does something B-A-D. The word "no" does NOT exist for the Purple Princess! Also, she was a pretty good racer. And a brother from the same litter, also a blue, was as well.

For Ekko For Tessa For all the parents!!

I'm sure all the Power Rangers will be right there keeping them both company! Kisses for the fuzzball!

Do you really *need* to crate her? I know many many people swear by crating - and there is a time and a place for them - but she may be telling you she doesn't need it anymore. You might try a very short trial of left alone loose in the house to see how she does. Baby gate her into a dog-proofed room or close doors to rooms you don't want her in. If she's a destructive chewer she can wear her muzzle. If you do really need to crate her you'll need to up the yummy quotient on the treat quite a bit.

How's the little man doing today???

I've got two that do this - If we actually leave the house and drive away in the car they're totally fine. They just lay down and go to sleep (I assume) with not a peep out of them. If I need to do yard work or something outside, Dude and Toni go nutso! Barking, whining, howling and finally starting a group roo. You should try leaving him *exactly* like if you were going to work. Do the whole routine cause he'll know if you don't and it won't work. Otherwise, you might try putting him in an x-pen outside with you when you're mowing, or another area like a porch or deck where he can be safe yet still feel like he's outside with Dad. As far as the apartment goes, there may be some backsliding in his SA when you move until he gets used to the new place and new routine. You should begin his alone training right away after you move. But I would say there shouldn't be too much howling otherwise since you won't be mowing the lawn! He's such a cutie! Love the new pics!

Patience and consistency. If you don't want him on the bed then he needs to get off everytime you catch him. Either lure him off with a treat or snap his leash on - don't grab him by the collar as that could cause him to snap at you. I've taught all our dogs the command "off" and use it with all four from time to time. This could take quite a while to get the point across so you will need to eb in this for the long term. He's likely never seen a toy before in his life and so won't know what to do with it. Give him some time to settle in and get used to things. He may become a toy dog and he may not - there's all kinds! He's a really good looking greyhound! Congrats!!

Hope Jake gets to feeling better soon! Sending good thoughts!

I agree with the others - doesn't sound like a seizure to me. However, I don't have ny suggestions about what it could be - stroke perhaps?? Sending lots of good thoughts and Power Ranger Hi Beemz to Sterling!

I'm glad he's home. Now for some extra special sick boy treatment! Lots of cookies and ice cream!