greysmom

Hope this works out for him!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whether you return him or not depends on how hard you want to work with him. Anxiety and leash reactivity are a difficult combination, but they can be overcome with (lots and lots) of time, patience, and constant attention to training for a few months. First, it's no bad mark against you to return this dog. Hard - because you've already bonded with him - but it doesn't sound like it was a good fit in the first place. There should be a better personality out there for living in the busy city that would fit the bill perfectly. I always tell people to consider NOT that you're returning a dog, but that you were his first foster home, and now the group has a much better idea of what kind of living situation he will do well in. But if you are *really really* committed to this dog, you can work with him to help him become comfortable and less anxious living in a busy town environment. A good, positive reinforcement only, certified animal behaviorist can help you with strategies and training after observing you and your dog in person. There's also a really good author/trainer named Patricia McConnell who has written booklets (and ebooks) address most common dog behavior issues. Her one for leash reactivity is "Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog." She gives clear and concise guidance for how to handle the problem day to day. It's not an easy behavior to deal with, so make sure you evaluate your ability and interest as objectively as possible. Good luck!

You can consult with Dr Couto directly through the Greyhound Health Initiative. He should be able to reveiw your dog's records and give you a better idea about how this treatment would help or not. I'm so sorry. What a double whammy. {{{hugs}}}

No personal experience, but if you're curious enough, you can ask for a consult with Dr Couto (greyhound health specialist) through the Greyhound Health Initiative. It does cost, but you might get a better idea of a treatment direction. Otherwise I would suspect you're in for lifetime treatment with nsaids and pain meds, and other OTC supplements. I would also look into cold laster treatments and acupuncture, and possibly some sort of professional canine sports rehab to help him stay mobile for as long as possible - swim therapy, water tank treadmill, canine massage, PT for stretching (like human yoga or pilates).

Y'all know this topic is from 2007, right?

Choosing your way through end-of-life decisions is just about the hardest thing we do as dog owners. There are numerous articles out there with various criteria, but in almost every case it comes down to knowing your dog, how they enjoy life, and when they aren't any more. I always try to imagine if I had exactly what my dog has, feel the way they do, with the same issues dealing with life day to day - what and when would I want a compassionate end to be? As many of us here advocate - better a day too soon than a day too late. The worst regret is the regret that comes when you know you waited too long to release them. You might see if your vet will come to your house for the taps - or find a home vet that they can suggest for it - to reduce stress on your dog from this event. Keep a close monitor of his breathing and heart condition - often the effusion will sink down into their legs. Coughing and cogching up blood are also signs to watch for. It's never, never, easy. Good luck moving forward.

Of course! But like any athletic endeavor, he needs to train and build up his stamina for longer hikes. He might actually like and be more enthusiastic about "off road" actual hiking (ie out in the country, or on trails, at nature parks, etc) due to the variety of smells and varied terrain. But his body will still need to become accustomed to doing the work. Greyhounds specialize in "fast twitch" muscles for ultimate effort in a short amount of time. That muscle needs to be converted to more endurance level muscle to support long term effort more conservatively. And if you do a LOT of hiking/walking he may need more food to maintain his body weight and condition.

He's probably tired! A long race for a greyhound takes maybe 45 seconds, and they only race every 3-4 days. They usually need to be gradually stretched out for longer distance walks, especially after the excitement of a walk being unusual wears off. In a way, it's a good sign. It shows he's settling in to his new home life and novel things are becoming familiar. A good 20 minute walk should be fine for him exercise wise. I don't remember where you live, but if it's getting colder he probably won't want to be out long in the winter anyway.

Cletus we all love you big guy!!!

Is your dog on any post-dental antibiotics? I guess I'm confused as to exactly when he had his dental or if it's still upcoming. Regardless, he may benefit from a course of ABs. Just because he doesn't have any teeth doesn't mean he doesn't still have a gum infection problem or gum disease. Also, when you go in Monday, take in a stool sample and a first-of-the-morning pee sample. Even if nothing is wrong they will be a good baseline for his records. And they will be able to check for protein dumping in his urine then. One cause of bad breath can be too high a protein percentage in the food he's eating. If he's on a soft diet right now that doesn't mean it needs to be totally canned dog food. Soft carbs like overcooked pasta or oatmeal can be added in for a better balance. If/when you switch to kibble, keep this protein-to-carb balance in mind if his breath doesn't improve. You should also be giving him a good canine probiotics to help re-populate his gut bacteria post surgery.

Good boy!!!

Lilly learned her lesson years ago. She walks up to the bed she wants, stares at the occupant for a few minutes, turns around and sits in front of DH or I. This cycle repeats until the stupid human moves said interloper enough for Lilly to lay in the place she wants!!

Sending. You might want to put a reminder thread in Off topic so people know to sign up. I never come to this section of GT except by accident.

It would probably be good for both of them to walk together several times a week. On a related note, our next door neighbors just got a 12 week old golden-irish setter mix, and Lilly is *obsessed* with little River. It always amazes me when dogs that are so big (like Lilly) are the best at dealing with puppies.

Andi was 15-thousand-something two weeks ago. We also chose to do extra studies. Interestingly, when I mentioned it to our vet, she said she also has 4 other clients who've been accepted - 3 goldens and a mixed breed.

You seem to have found an adoption group that will consider you and your family, but I have to tell you that many would not. The group we work with does not adopt dogs to families with kids younger than 5 years old. This is for the safety of all involved, and was put in place after a family sued the group after the greyhound they adopted bit their child in response to roughhousing. Even many all breed rescues, shelters, and humane societies have restrictions on adopting to homes with young kids, so it's not just greyhounds. So it's not just a matter of the dog fitting in with the kids. The kids have to be taught how to interact safely with the dog - don't approach the dog when it's laying on it's bed; don't bother the dog when it's eating; no roughhousing or crawling on or pulling on various appendages; never leave dogs and young kids without adult supervison *ever*; and the (already addressed) responsible dog management of keeping doors and gates closed. So you as the parent need to first objectively evaluate your kids - are they mature enough to follow instructions and be compassionate with a canine companion (of any breed). And you also need to decide if *you* are willing to do the work of monitoring both dogs and kids. Patricia McConnell is a trainer who I recommend here frequently. You should get her books "Family Friendly Dog Training," "How to be Leader of the Pack," and "Play Together Stay Together." See what a professional trainer recommends as far as training basics, and if you feel up to the task. You haven't mentioned if your husband will be involved in all this. How tolerant is he of the noise and mess a dog will add to his environment? Is he willing to be your partner in monitoring your kids safely interact with a dog? Is his WFH situation very formal? What happens if a dog or kid burst in unexpectedly on a zoom meeting? Is he fully on board with bringing a dog into the house? Finally, there are many, many families out there who have dogs and kids. It can be done and it can be done safely. If we here on GT seem to be steering you away from dog ownerswhip at this time, it's really not anything personal. Our perspective will (almost) always be for the safety of the dog, not the humans involved. Only you can really evaluate and determine whenther your family is ready for a canine companion. It can be tough to separate out your own desire for a dog and if that's the best move for everyone involved.

No. Just no no no. You haven't failed him. Not in any way. And don't let anyone make you feel as if you did. It just wasn't a good fit. It happens, more often than you would think. Consider that you've been his very first introduction to livnig in a home - his first foster! And now, his group has much more information to place him successfully in a home where he will thrive, even with his prey drive issues. He'll be fine. And you'll be safe. Send him out into the world with a smile and a kiss for luck! There are plenty of lower prey drive greyhounds out there. You may need to wait for the right one, but please don't let that one fact turn you off the breed.

In my completely non-medical opinion, it's likely it's cramping. Many greyhounds have similar episodes of waking up in unidentifiable pain, for varying lengths of time, with no discernable cause. It can be very startling to be woken up by the GSOD in the middle of the night by one of these episodes. I do not think an orthopedic consult or 2nd opinion is over-reach at this point given her leg deformities. If you can afford it and you have access to a good multi-discipline hospital/clinic I would probably go ahead and do it. If nothing else it will give you a good baseline for her care and treatment going forward. I also don't think it would be inappropriate for her to be on medication, even at age 4. An nsaid at the very least, as long as she can tolerate them. Gabapentin to handle any nerve pain resulting from her hock issues. Perhaps even a muscle relaxer like Robaxin, and or an actual pain medication like codiene sulfate (avoid tramadol) as needed. We had a dog come to us post-hock break that was poorly treated. Her one back leg was always wonky and she was on medication her whole life with us. She still played, ran, dug in the yard, and did everything all the other dogs did. We just had to monitor her for overdoing it and give her adequate rest in between really active days.

I'm so very sorry. {{{hugs}}} If you are looking into treatment there was a dog on GT a few years ago that had a radiation knife therapy for a brain tumor with fairly good results. It seems to me I remember the dog having at least a couple more years of good quality living with her family. Googling around it seems both Gamma Knife and CyberKnife stereotactic radiation treatment are getting to be more and more common for dogs. I know my nearby VCA treatment center just started doing radiation therapy, so there is probably a place near you that provides it.

Stepping on my for a minute: Anti anxiety medication is a perfectly reasonable treatment modality for helping dogs to overcome anxiety. It's NOT a cure-all or a crutch, any more than it would be for a human suffering from PTSD or life-altering anxiety. Medication is a valuable *tool* that helps your dogs brain be in the right chemical status to accept de-conditioning training. Once the crippling anxierty is mitigated that dog can be helped forward in his behavior. If your dog had an infection, would you decline antibiotics? If he had parasites, would you not treat the problem and let your dog be eaten alive from the inside out? If your dog had an upset stomach would you decline medication to calm his system? Why would you discriminate/eliminate against a whole class of drugs just because the issue in with his brain chemistry and not some other part of his body? Mental health is mental health whether it's human or canine.

This trial is being conducted to better characterize retinal degeneration syndrome in greyhounds with hopes of identifying the genetic components of this disease. Understanding Retinal Degeneration In Greyhounds Particularly if you have a dog who is sired by Kiowa Mon Manny, whether they have been diagnosed with PRA or not.

There's no bloodwork that will show up cancer in dogs, so if it was recently done, and it was fine, there's no sense in doing it again. A full xrays set of his whole leg - toes to hip - will probably be more diagnostic. And, I suspect, if he has corns on one foot, he probably has corns on other feet as well. Corns can become an issue long before they erupt on the surface of a pad to be seen. Especially if pain meds and nsaids don't appear to help at all day to day, a corn is a more likely prosepct. But xrays first, and a full physical exam focusing on his hind end.

Re: your sister. and most especially if she has kids - it should be explained to her firmly that small children (and even big ones) need to leave the dog *completely* alone when she's on her bed or has a treat. If they want to interact with the dog it's best to call the dog over to YOU and supervise their interaction, with your dog on her feet. Watch her body language closely and cut things off if she gets anxious. I mentioned it before, but all three issues you're dealing with are extremely common in retired racing greyhounds. We literally have all been where you are now at some point, with some dog. Our very first greyhound had horrible sleep startle, and she drew blood - not just once, but 3 times!!! - before my DH and I finally wised up. Training will be key. Both to teach her some manners and to increase your bonding. It really is all about developing trust and comfort between you. You're doing fine. Just keep it up!!! Time and patience!