greysmom

He's stunning!!!! What a beautiful boy!!! I hope everything goes just exactly right for all involved!!!

This is probably all the explanation you need. He was doing fine. Then suddenly, his entire life is completely changed - again - and he's reacting by becoming anxious in new situations and with new people. This is a completely normal reaction. It sounds like you're doing everything right. Make sure the trainer is only using positive reinforcement techniques. Up your treat value significantly for your deconditioning training with the dremel and people out on walks. You want to make an impact in a short amount of repetitions so they need to be memorable. If you want some further suggestions and insight get two booklets by trainer Patricia McConnel: "Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog" and "The Cautious Canine." She understands dog behavior and offers step-by-step training techniques. As a bonus for you - his owners - all of this change for him is coming about just as he would have been really settling into his new adopted life. When he was beginning to get comfortable and his personality beginning to emerge, his entire world was upended. You are, essentially, starting over from the beginning. It's going to take some time and patience to work through his new-old issues. Good luck!

My first thought was bloody nose too. If that's the case, I would suggest a vet sooner rather than later, as, while usually benign, it can also be something really nasty. Make sure there's nothing caught inside his mouth between his upper teeth - piece of grass, or something else small but irritating. I forget which dog, but we had to use a flashlight inside their mouth while they were roaching to discover a tiny stick between two upper teeth that wasn't visible at all any other way. The only symptom was repeated "air licking" and worrying at it. OR something caught between the cheek/lip and gum outside the teeth very high in the front like a piece of kibble. OR maybe he knocked an epulis off with his collision??

Not super common, but we hear about spooks quite frequently here on GT. First thing to do is a search here for "spook" threads so you can do some reading. If you want to google "Idiopathic fear syndrome" that's another thing to research. Imagine living in a world where everything terrifies you every minute of every day. This is what she is dealing with. Second thing is for you to realize that this isn't a behavioral issue. Spooks are a genetic and a physical problem that occurs in a certain percentage of greyhounds, sometimes following breeding lines, but they can pop up in any litter. Breeders can see it developing only a few weeks after they are born and no solution has ever been found to stop it. The best analogy I have found is that this is like having an autistic child. Everything is scary. Everything is new each time it's encountered. They often don't respond to names or familiar people. They often don't respond to familiar cues. They often prefer to self isolate, do repetitive behaviors, refuse to eat. Third, you've hung in there for a very long time and you should be commended. But this isn't what you signed up for, and no one would fault you for wanting/needing to return her to your adoption group. There are people who specialize in dealing with spooks and who have a lot of experience doing so. Hopefully your group has one of those people available to help this little girl. Call your group and explain just what you have here, and ask them what their procedure is for returning a dog. It's not going to be any better or worse for her to be returned, at this point, since she's devolved so far down the rabbit hole. If you want to try and stick it out and help her, ask your vet and your adoption group for a referral to a certified animal behaviorist who is experienced working with fear and anxiety issues. Make sure you interview this person and that they only use positive reinforcement techniques. Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists Also, you're on the right track beginning with anti anxiety medications. But you've only stuck your little toe in as far as the toenail. There are multiple classes of drugs, with multiple medications and dosages that can be tried. Trying one med and giving up because it doesn't work is doing a disservice to treating her. This is an issue that is multifaceted and involves both the physical and chemical properties involved in an individual dog's brain. What works for one dog will be ineffective for another. A CAB can address both the training aspects and medical aspects of helping her. A neurologist also may be able to help monitor and suggest anti anxiety medications. As far as her fear peeing goes, I would invest in some diapers. It will at least help contain the issue. You can use appropriately sized human diapers (cut a small hole for the tail), or they make doggy diapers for incontinence. But... None of this is a quick fix. I can take years to discover the right key in the right lock to help an individual dog. Only you can decide what's best for you and your family. Good luck, and keep us informed.

This. Tramadol doesn't even work that well in people. And Fentanyl can really cause anxiety and other mental issues with dogs. We've used Codeine Sulfate with very good results for the past 10 years instead. And just keep in mind that what you're really doing is providing at-home hospice care. There's no need to be (too) concerned about long term side effects or other effects that may come about from long term use. Talk with your vet beforehand - now - about incremental increases you can make to her pain medications, and keep smaller or dividable tablets of each on hand so you can tweak her amounts as she needs more. And talk with him about what to do in case she does suffer a break at home. Monitor her daily for quality of life. One thing our vet told us was to pick her favorite three things, and when she can't enjoy those things anymore it will be time to let her go. Big hugs!!! {{{hugs}}}

As many have said above, first rule out any medical issues, most importantly hookworm, but including giardia and other bacteria. Even if she has been wormed, even if she's had *a* negative fecal test - hooks can remain in the environment for a very long time, and you need 3 negative fecals spaced out over about 3 months (one at 3 weeks post worming, one at 6 weeks, and one at 3 months) to be sure she's clear, then monthly preventative wormer. The other thing I'll mention (and suspect with your description) is that she probably has an intolerance or allergy for either the protein source or the carb source (or both) in whatever you're feeding. The most common culprits are chicken and corn, but your individual dog may have her own idea. The only way to diagnose this is to do a conscientious food trial with home prepared food over about 6 months, but once you figure out what the issue is and fix it, you will all be so much happier. Third on the list is to be aware of the possibility of nutritional DCM (Dilated Cardiomyeopathy caused by feeding grain free food). Make sure any commercial or raw food you feed is a complete food including whole grains. Many of us have switched to Pro Plan varieties due to this issue and have not been disappointed. I would caution to really look at the percentage of protein content, as too high a % of protein in a food can also cause gastric upset and diarrhea. I keep my dogs on about %25 protein, but again, your dog may vary, and it depends a LOT on how active she is throughout the week. A dog competing in dog sports or activities regularly will need a higher percentage than your regular lay-around-on-the-couch greyhound. You can try adding in insoluble fiber to her food, but if there is any underlying medical issue it won't help. You can add fiber using dehydrated Olewho Carrots or Beet fiber, adding vegetables like green beans to her diet, adding overcooked brown rice (high in fiber than white rice), high fiber pasta cooked in broth, cooked or uncooked oat bran, or even plain Metamucil wafers (check for artificial sugars).

Make sure he's not getting cold at night - a blanket for him, or have him sleep in a light coat or PJs. Make sure his bed is out of drafts and feels comfortable and safe for him. Did the behavior begin when you started using the heat for the winter? Have you tried changing your bedtime routine to disrupt the start of the behavior? Or crating him in your bedroom? Making sure he completely goes potty before bed? It sounds like he's the one dictating when he eats. The one thing I've discovered for dogs with sensitive stomachs is that they need to be on a strict schedule, and they do much better when their stomachs don't get completely empty. He's getting nearly all his food within a very short time of going to bed. Most dogs will do better having their meals spread out (though nearly every dog I've had has self-selected themselves out of breakfast at some point as they have aged). At 8 years old, unless he's unusually active, he probably doesn't really need 2-plus cups of food to maintain a healthy body weight. If it is an anxiety behavior, it could be that an anti anxiety medication will help him settle and sleep through the night. Also, if he does have some arthritis or joint issues, it may be time to start him on a daily nsaid to keep him comfortable. At some point, OTC supplements just don't provide enough relief for older dogs. Something to talk about with your vet. Another thing to discuss would be the onset of Sundowner's Syndrome and/or doggy dementia. He's a bit young for it, but each dog ages at their own pace, and he is technically a senior. Their is a medication for it now for dogs and it might be worth exploring. Good luck.

Just keep doing what you're doing. It takes time and patience and consistency to change fear-based behaviors, and 2 months in a new home is just a blip of time for him. You can try a behaviorist, as long as they *only* use positive reinforcement techniques, but it sounds like you're already doing everything one might recommend. All of what you're describing is really common behavior for newly adopted, retired racing greyhounds. Consistency. Time. Patience.

You need to be more proactive about protecting your dog in these situations. He's just doing what he feels he needs to in order to protect himself. Be much firmer with the owners of off leash dogs - at least here in the US - they are actually breaking the law in most jurisdictions. Off leash dogs are rude, and hardly ever under voice control of their owner, and can cause untold problems for well behaved dogs on lead. No one wants to see a dog get hurt or injured, but this is what they are in danger of by running up to strange dogs. Many people carry sticks or canes to help fend these dogs off. A squirt gun with a water-vinegar mixture can sometimes be a deterrent. I've even resorted to kicking persistent and aggressive ankle-biters to keep them away from my dogs. Then I ask for their owners contact information so I can report them to our local animal control. If you're walking him in a muzzle because of these incidents, I would urge you to reconsider. One of the reasons he feels so anxious is because he knows he has no defense if one of these dogs does bite or attack him. And a muzzled dog seems to give some owners of off leash dogs a feeling that their dog is "safe" from retaliation. If your dog does have issues with "leash reactivity" there's a wonderful booklet by trainer Patricia McConnell called "Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog." It's cheap, and comes in hard copy or ebook, and gives step-by-step training help to work through this behavior.

IMO, finding a schedule for meds and food, and sticking to it as much as possible, makes it easier to stay on top of pain and to monitor when it needs to be increased. Instead of daily/hourly reacting to seeing her in pain and giving more or having her drugged up from too much at a time. Also, talking with your vet beforehand about incremental increases you can make without discussing it with them beforehand when it does becomes obvious she needs an increase. I agree with Jerilyn about seeing if you have access to a hospice program can be very helpful.

!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY WIKI !!!!!!!!!!!!

IMO, it looks like: 1 - he either had a separate injury to that pad that's still healing, OR he's starting to get a corn 2 - (other than the pressure sore on the top of his foot) it looks like the area to the rear, right above his main pad is still really swollen, even up to the "ankle" area (I can't see any higher on his leg in these shots). This leads me to believe he may have injured the toe tendons more than just a strain/sprain - maybe a partial or whole tear of one or more flexor tendons. I would ask the vet to snap a quick shot of as much of the leg as possible, just to rule out a broken bone that wasn't visible before (some of those smaller toe bones can hide non-displaced breaks). He probably refused the bandage because of the developing sore, and I would be cautious about rebandaging until that was taken care of, but he probably does need support on that leg for a few more weeks. Definitely on leash walking only and restrict his activities as much as possible. Warm epsom salt soaks of as much of the swelling as you can, a couple times a day, will help both the swelling and the sore. Plus also, icing in between times. And keeping him on an nsaid for a while longer. Also a real pain medication like codeine sulfate could help keep him more comfortable.

That cross will need a job to burn up energy and keep it's mind engaged. And would probably take to dock diving or nose work like a duck to water. But a puppy is a puppy is a puppy - there's potty training, socialization, manners training, daily exercise, more money for food and treats and veterinary care. It's a big commitment and one you should make fully aware of what it entails. If you have doubts about Grace, see if you can take her over to meet the litter before deciding. Many greys do just fine with young puppies, but some want nothing to do with them. And there's no better puppy trainer than an older dog.

How's your sweet boy doing now?

I'm sorry I missed this until now. Congratulations!! We picked our first greyhound. The next 5 dogs that ended up at our house permanently were picked by the foster coordinator! Whiskey/Lilly were the next ones we picked out 8 years later!! Libby - first greyhound Jack - successful medical foster!!! Voodoo - foster fail Copper - foster fail Cash - foster fail Toni - foster fail Dorie - foster fail Hopper - successful medical foster!!!! Whiskey, Lilly, Felicity, Atom, Andi - we picked out all of them!

It was the cat!! Or maybe a pony!!! Happy Gotcha Day sweet boy!!!

You should see if you can use the GoodRx app for this rx at your regular pharmacy. If you can, it can really cut the cost down to something manageable. But not all their coupons can be used for pet prescriptions. You might also check if Chewy's new rx service has it cheaper. Vetmedin is so expensive because so many dogs are on it now for DCM there are supply issues across the country. Hopefully this will work itself out as manufacturing (and delivery) catches up with demand.

General recommendations are 5-10 mg per pound, given three times a day (or twice a day for extended release). So a 70 lb dog would be 700 mg x 3. What your vet is recommending is lower than the recommended dosage. But, I would definitely consider switching. Phenobarb can be a hard drug on many dogs, with lots of side effects and needing lots of bloodwork and monitoring. Keppra is generally well tolerated, with few side effects except a little initial sedation. It's usually given along with pheno, at least at the beginning, and then the pheno is tapered off as low as possible (or completely withdrawn if the dog doesn't need it to keep the seizures controlled).

We just lost our GIRL who was 32 inches at the shoulder. She was as tall as our smallest Great Dane (the breed we had before greyhounds).

Couple things True aggression in dogs is really rare, and many dogs get labeled "aggressive" when in fact they are anxious and scared and reacting in an over-the-top way to whatever is scaring them - strange dogs, strange people, whatever. And reacting to meeting other dogs when on leash is *extremely* common. It's called being "leash reactive" and there are some ways you can help him work through his issues. Pick up the booklet "Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog" and "The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears" both by Patricia McConnell, to walk you through training and deconditioning. Both are available in print and as e-books. Long about this time in an adoption, most dogs start to get really settled in to their new home life, getting comfortable with the routine and day to day activities, picking their favorite human and favorite bed, and just starting to assert their personality more and more. He's not just ignoring what's going on around him, he's trying to rearrange things to suit his wants/needs better. Greyhounds are really excellent people trainers, and it sounds like he's doing a pretty good job! If multiple people in the household need to be responsible for his care, then everybody needs to rotate through doing all the daily activities - feeding, walking, training, daily grooming, toileting routines - so he doesn't become habituated to one person, and so he learns that all his humans will take care of him and be his advocates. Generally when training, you use small portions to reward and reinforce good behavior. Most times, a single kind of training treat works fine, but sometimes a dog will need persuading with a higher value treat. Most times, you can use the same kind of higher value treat to keep a dogs attention, but some dogs need that reward to be rotated so they don't become bored with it. Find a couple different yummy high value rewards he responds to no matter what - roast chicken, cooked or dehydrated liver, cheese, jerky, roast beef - and use them sparingly and only when you really need him to respond. As far as walking him goes, it sounds like he's a bit anxious about leaving the house now, for whatever reason. Outside is stressful and scary since there are so many things out there he's scared of, and he doesn't have his "support person" with him now. If he doesn't need to go for these walks for toileting purposes, I would give him a break for a few months. Work on building his confidence, both in himself and in other members of the family who need to take him for walks. Other family members need to go with him and your dad for a while, holding the leash for a few minutes and gradually increasing the time. Everyone also needs to use the same training and confidence building techniques with him. If he does need to walk for potties, make these non-dad trips short and positive. Out and back in once his business is done and lots of praise and rewards for it. He needs to relearn that going outside can be fun and positive, and not scary and stressful. I would also break up the getting-ready-for-walks routine into a couple different stages. First call him to you, out of his bed, with rewards and praise - basically working on his Recall training. Practice this at other times throughout the day so he doesn't figure out this is the new walk routine. Then put on his leash - with rewards/praise - sometimes immediately take the leash off, sometimes leave it one for a while, sometimes actually go outside and back in, sometimes for a walk. Several short training sessions during the day rather than one long one suit a greyhounds attention span better. Things like these issues take time to develop and they take time and patience to work through. This isn't a quick fix kind of thing. He has fears and needs support from all his humans. If you all feel he needs more help, or you all need more personalized suggestions, ask your vet or your adoption group for referrals to certified veterinary behaviorists in your area who have experience working with greyhounds (and use ONLY positive reinforcement techniques). Time and patience and consistency. Those are the keys. Good luck!!

Your adoption group may have a store or link to purchase them. Or this online store from Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan is good: GEM Store Muzzles Or this online retailer (a GT member) who sells imported muzzles from Ireland. If your boy is particularly small (60 lbs or less), the Padded Irish Muzzles are perfect. Hound Safe Muzzles