greysmom

Not a medicine but some "bad girl" panties would probably help *you* so you're not cleaning up as often. Hope there's something that can help pretty Sophie!

I was going to put this in before and forgot! Start a seizure log for Hero. Write down the day, date, time of day, length of the episode, description of events - basically everything you can remember about the seizure. My Libby had several different episodes within each seizure (different phases I guess), and it helped the neuro vet to have the timing of how long each part lasted. Hugs!

Wow! That must have been a fascinating process to go through. And great that you now have some definitive answers and concrete things to work on with her.

Bad breath is a first sign. Check her teeth close to the gums and look for a lot of tartar build-up and/or if her gums are bleeding or look inflamed. Also, if you can, open her mouth and look around the cheeks and lips for any sores or areas that look wrong.

I'm so sorry Hero is developing this. You are all in our thoughts! Your vet will probably NOT put Hero on medication for one seizure - there needs to be more than one in a 4-6 week period, or the seizures need to be clustering (several one after the other, or in one 24 hour period). Unfortunately, there are no real diagnostic tests for idiopathic epilepsy. Even an MRI will often not turn up anything derivative. Once meds are needed, phenobarbitol is the drug most usually start with. It may take a while to get the dosage right. Adding Potasium Bromide (KBr) is the next step. Some dogs do fine on one or the other, some need both. Althea's reaction is actually good news. Some greys will attack their pack mates when they are seizing. If you don't crate Hero now, it may be a good idea to do so when you're gone, just in case. The crib bumpers are an awesome idea to keep him from injuring himself if he seizes. If you're home, try and take him outside as soon as he can safely get around. Have lots of clean fresh water handy. He may also need a snack afterwards as seizing can cause their blood sugar levels to drop. The good news is that this is really treatable, and Hero can live a long and happy life. The seizures themselves are harder on the people than the dogs - they really are out of it and don't remember anything. Please let us know how he's doing!

Dude is completely into the bed and all furniture and has been since a few minutes after coming to stay with us. He's a champion full-body-contact snuggler and would be in absolute heaven if we would feed him while snuggling on the bed. Copper and Cash both get on the bed, but vacate when people become involved. Toni also loves to sleep with us, though only on her own terms. She's not comfortable snuggling and prefers to lay at the bottom of the bed with her head or leg touching us. She doesn't always sleep with us - she tends to stay on her dog bed until early morning and then get up on our bed.

I wasn't saying you should or should not, only that you make an honest assessment. If you truly are willing to work with her, then more power to you! We'll be here - probably with more advice than you need or want. Every dog and situation is different, so you'll be figuring out what can work for yours. "The Cautious Canine" is a great book to start with for info.

It took my spook more than a year, behavioral training and drugs before she was able to have a relatively "normal" life. Time and patience are the biggest factors in letting her adjust at her own pace. Keep your husband and kids involved in low key ways. Reassure them that her reaction IS NOT a personal slap and that your greyhound needs their time and support too. Beyond patience, the next thing to say is to try and not be frustrated with her. But don't coddle her either. No baby voices to comfort her when she's scared. Just tell her she's a nutball and go on about your/her business. This will reassure her that you're not scared so she does't have to be either. Some other tips: don't pet her on the top of her head - it's very threatening for a dog and requires a lot of their trust to enjoy; don't look her in the eye or stare her down - also very threatening; get a spook harness to walk her; try and put her in situations where she can succeed to help boost her confidence, even if it's only one simple command that she knows. You may want to explore some other ways to support her. DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) sprays can help her stay calm. Homeopathic rememdies like Rescue Remedy ca be helpful as well. Some spooky greys like to be wrapped in a T-shirt, and there are professional "swaddling" outfits that accomplish the same thing. If necessary, you can explore prescription options with your vet. Try reading some books by Patricia McConnell to become comfortable with the signs and signals she gives to help you deal with her fears. Spooks do need more from their owners than other greyhounds. The rewards can be huge when you finally see them come out of their shells! Please be honest with yourself, your family, and your situation. If you don't want to put in the time and effort you'd be better off returning her sooner rather than later.

Don't grab her by the collar when you want to move her. Hook on her leash, especially out in the yard. If she still balks, don't try and drag her straight ahead. Go around in a circle or sideways. You can also stand behind her and sort of shove/crowd her with your knees in the butt to get her going. Don't use regular treats - get something really smelly and yummy like cheese or liverwurst. If she's not food-motivated, just be patient with her. Sit on the floor in the same room with her and ignore her - maybe toss her a treat every once in a while. She will get better. Just be patient!

Any surgery is still surgery and very scary for everyone involved. We'll be thinking of you all tomorrow!

If this is completely unprovoked behavior and with a sudden onset, a vet visit for a complete check-up might be in order. Make sure they run complete bloodwork, including free T4 (thyroid test). See threads in the Health&Medical section for "normal" greyhound values. Low thyroid can be a cause of fear-based behaviors. Pain can also cause a dog to react more strongly to getting crowded or stepped on. Don't necessarily put all the blame on your greyhound. Consider the other dogs involved as well. Are these dogs he normally plays with well or are they newcomers to his dog-day-care pack? Are they dogs he has a problem with when he's not laying down? Are they pushy and don't back off when he warns them away? Was he really aggressive or only upping the level of warning? Just some things to consider.

OK, I'm going to take a somewhat opposite tack here. Sounds to me like you want your cake and to eat it too. You want her to be loving and interact with you, yet by your own admission, you have to work from home and ignore her. She knows what the daily routine is and she follows it. It seems like she's learning the rules really well! You're working = she leaves you alone. She's come out of her shell and settled into your household without many problems, and is doing what 99.99% of greyhounds do all day - they sleep and laze around. The behavior you're describing sounds perfectly normal to me. If you wanted a dog to interact with you 24/7 then a greyhound wasn't the right breed. I'm also home most of the time and my four will spend considerable time off on their own somewhere - unless I have food or treats, or are going outside! Then, I'm their best friend! They all go through spurts of playing with toys, though one of my boys is pretty unmotivated by them and prefers to just carry them around. I will also say that dogs do not act resentful, angry, spiteful or any other human emotion. Try reading Patricia McConnell's "The Other End of the Leash." It will give you a better insight into what an how your dog thinks.

I had to be persuaded to put Cash on pills as well. We had somewhat the same experience as you. Cash lost her older sister about 6 weeks after coming to live with us (up to that point she had been making progress with some of her issues) and Cash simply fell apart. She was scared and anxious 24/7, or nearly everything, barely slept, and spent all her time hiding in our upstairs bedroom. We too tried all the usual behavior modifications, training, exposure, and got every test available. We did DAP infusers and collars, Rescue Remedy, melatonin, and other homeopathic and anxiety potions. We researched and read and talked to experienced greyhound people. We ultimately started her on alprazolam (generic Xanax) and noticed a difference within a week. She does get a dose every eight hours - I'm home and able to give it too her, but a longer acting drug might be better for your situation. The best thing we did was adopt a sister for her. She has two brothers, as well, but they didn't make a dent on her behavior. Since Toni came, Cash has made HUGE strides in overcoming her fears and her "attacks" of panic are much less, shorter, and she recovers from them within minutes instead of days. I had really discounted the effect of a same-sex house-mate having that much to do with it. I am now convinced! A couple things to remember: Different medications work on different areas of the brain and different chemicals eleased by the body. They all work differently for different dogs, same as with people. The first one you try may or may not have the desired effect. You might have to try different doses or kinds of anxiety meds to find the right one for your dogs particular problem. Clomicalm is usually the first one vets try, since it is actually the only one approved for animal use so far. The others are all off-label uses of people drugs. Good luck! You might try searching in the Training and Behavior section for more info in threads about SA, anxiety, shyness, etc.,..

She has so many angels watching over her - earthly and heavenly! - that nothing will be *allowed* to go wrong tomorrow! All the white light and good thoughts we can beam to the other side of the country! We'll be waiting for the updates!

Thyroid meds, whether animal or people, seem to vary quite widely in effectiveness from generic to name brand and from natural hormone to manufactured. Also, just like with people, some dogs do better on one or the other. If you trustyour vet I would say start with what he has and what he suggests and then retest after 6 weeks. If you have good absorption and levels on the thyroxine then stick with it. If you don't get good results over a period of time, then I would switch to the soloxine and see if things get better. Dude was on soloxine and didn't have any trouble with it (other than the fact he didn't really need it and was getting too much - whole other story!). He came to us on it and we continued it until we stopped giving him the Rx all together.

Lack of hair or greyhound pattern baldness *can* be caused by low thyroid. Thus, replacing the thyroid causes the hair to grow back. Used to be that having a greyhound with a bald butt was an automatic prescription for meds. Now they really pay more attention to test results.

Poor Logan! We're thinking of you all! TBD was my first thought too, with the other tests coming back OK. Those stupid tick diseases can lie in wait for years after exposure before showing up as a problem. Lyme is notorious for that I think. Regarding the food, I was advised to feed Toni puppy food when she needed to gain weight as it has more calories, is easy to digest, and is really palatable. She was on Science Diet canned/kibble when we got her and had HORRIBLE diarrhea. As soon as we switched her to another brand she was better - gained weight fast, better poop, and she loved it. The other thing she really liked was canned hash (the people food version) from Dinty Moore. I mixed in an egg, either raw or cooked, and that went down fast!

I was just wondering about you and the boys since I hadn't seen you around lately! Sorry about the computer crashing - sucks big time. But YEAH BERNIE!!!!!!! That's fantastic progress!

He probably likes looking out the window. It's more exciting than laying in a boring Tv room! Give him a little time and patience and he'll probably come to want to be with you both more. Then you'll be here asking how to get the velco dog unattached from your hip!

Make sure you ask your vet to do a free T4 thyroid test. A deficiency can also cause some of the issues you're dealing with. Take a look at the Ohio State Greyhound site for more info. Hopefully someone has the web address.

Some greys do well in obedience an need the extra exercise and brain activity. Most probably don't. We do teach all our dogs some basic commands - off (for getting off the bed etc), wait, come - for safety sake mostly. We also try "feet on the floor" to keep them from jumping, which is helpful when they get excited or people come to the house. And a "drop" or "leave it" command which has actually saved the life of a cat in the yard. no one was more surprised than me when it worked in the heat of the battle! I am considering strongly taking Toni to obedience since I'd love to do therapy dog work with her. She's outgoing, unafraid in all situations, loves people, loves attention, and she's very gentle with seniors and the disabled. She is also one who needs the extra exercise and brain stimulation! One factor to consider when thinking about an obedience class is that greys don't tend to do well in that "class" environment, especially at a big box pet store or training facility. It's too big, too loud and noisy, to much activity away from the class that catches their attention.

Poor guy! Did he cut his foot or leg?? Did they do xrays?? Hope he's all right by tomorrow!

You can also put a baby sock on top of any bandaging to help keep him away from it.

Also, if the vet didn't advise this, putting a warm compress on the wound several times a day will help keep infection down and the wound heal faster. As warm as she can stand, 5-10 minutes 2-4 times a day. If she gets an upset stomach and doesn't want to eat from the antibiotics you can give her a over-the-counter people acid reducer like generic famotidine (Pepcid).