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greysmom

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  1. You got this. It's just really hard right now. Better days are coming! Ask your surgeon about Codiene Sulfate for a pain medication. It plays well with other drugs, and helps them relax much better than tramadol or an anti anxiety med like trazadone. Gabapentin and an nsaid will help too, if she's not already taking them. Keep an eye on her incision site since she's being more active. {{{HUGS}}}
  2. Are you trying to stop her from grabbing it on walks? Or just from chewing it in general, like, when it's just hanging around? My thought is to try the rope leash, but I might also think about covering the lower portion of the leash with... tinfoil? An old piece of garden hose? A cloth cover made of strong canvas (or ideally firehouse material? Or spray it with Bitter Yuck or Bacteen.? Mostly it's a training issue, I think. Carry a small squirt bottle on walks for a few days. Clicker training and Leave It for the Little Miss Faithless, too!!
  3. And that first poop will be epic!!!! She's got to work through what's happened to her too. Time and patience from and for everyone involved.
  4. Groceries. Tasty, tempting things to eat. Her favorites. A rotisserie chicken. Some McDees cheeseburgers. Canned chicken. Make up a pot of rice. Some tasty dog food meals like Beneful Prepared Meals, or those refrigerated rolls of food. Once you get her eating again she should be good, but it can be a struggle getting to that point. Plus people food. Count on someone saying with her during the night and someone during the day, so you may not feel like going shopping. Delivery is also a good option.
  5. I would take Dr Couto's suggestions over my own, but my thoughts: 1) The fevers may or may not have anything to do with his other symptoms. I suspect he might be having some lumbosacral stenosis causing his limping and hind end weakness. His CT results at L7 support that. It's very common in greyhounds, and he's at an age where these kinds of issues become more serious. I also suspect he's having some pain, whether from the LS and/or from arthritis. He may benefit from daily joint supplements and a daily anti inflammatry at this stage, and may need an actual (non-opioid) pain reliever or nerve pain reliever such as gabapentin in the future. 2) As I mentioned above, stress colitis is a real thing, and is probably what is causing the fevers. You have horses so you know how hard it can hit them. It is manageable though. He may benefit from a daily, low-dose anti anxiety medication. Keeping him on a strict daily schedule with very few surprises or changes will also help him manage his stress. I have used a chinese medicine supplement called Shen Calm in the past with particularly anxious greyhounds with good effects. 3) It sounds like you're living in the UK?? If so, there are many differences between the two countries in regards to attitudes regarding pets and their care. UK vets are also not as advanced in general pet care as the general vets here in the US. Particularly if you are dealing with rural vets. You may need to look for a different, more greyhound savvy practitioner for a second opinion and different treatment methods. 4) Along with that difference in attitude, I'm going to suggest that you try and have him become a house dog 24/7. Greyhounds aren't really built for living outside the majority of the time, and seniors can get fragile very quickly if they are under stress from pain or disease or physical problems.
  6. Just like with people, it's best to brush every day. Chews and additives help a lot, but nothing beats a good brushing. That being said, I'm a horrible dog mom and I never brush. But I've also been really lucky in that I've only had one greyhound who needed it. He was one of those that could have had a full dental every 6 months and had a horrible mouth. My others have been easily managed by a combination of twice daily/after-every-meal chews (we use crunchy granulated rawhide sticks and Whimzee brand chew bones), and large crunchy treats (like milk bones). With this regimen we are able to put off dentals to every 2-3 years, and sometimes longer. I did try one of those "awake dentals" last year with Andi. It was done by a vet and they laser and scrape off the plaque and do an exam. She had some issues with anesthesia during another procedure and I was leery of having her put under again, even by our wonderful vet who is very greyhound savvy. Andi tolerated it well and we've delayed a full dental for perhaps another year, but she will need one eventually. My other girl has bleeding issues so we need to plan in advance for procedures, but she needs a dental soon. Her last one was almost 4 years ago.
  7. Are you diagnosing the fuo at home and then taking him to the vet? Have you ever kept him at home and monitored his temp in a more relaxed environment over several hours? Stress anxiety is a very real condition - one of our long-time members dealt with this with one of his dogs for many years @Time4ANap Don, can you help with some guidance?? Has your vet ever recommended antibiotics to treat these fevers? Does he not want to eat, or have vomiting and/or diarrhea during a fever? Does he limp more or less during an episode and/or leading up to one? Does he have difficulty moving his head and/or neck? Have you noticed his lymph nodes being swollen or hot to the touch? Have you had diagnostic xrays taken of his limbs, toes to shoulders to check for cancerous lesions or osteo? Have you had an ultrasound done of his chest and abdomen to check for tumors or other abnormal growths around the organs? Has he been chacked for lymphoma and other blood related cancers? Has your vet discussed the difference between a fever (elevated temp due to internal issues) and hyperthermia (elevated temp due to outside causes)?? And/or speculated which Golly is experiencing?? One thing I would recommend is to begin keeping a journal of Golly's daily activities - schedule, activities, foods/treats, medications, note down his daily temperature from the same time every day. I would definitely talk to Dr Couto before starting any kind of steroid treatment. Just from my own experience, greyhounds and steroids are not a good mix, and they should only be used as a very last resort. Lastly, I will also just say - sometimes a fever is just a fever. Not anything diabolical or even fixable. If these episodes don't seem to have an origin, and they don't interrupt his life in an extreme manner (other than some lethargy and limping which is taken care of by medications), it might be fine to just deal with them on a case by case basis, or by having him go on an anti inflammatory full time. At 10 years old he's coming to a time in his life when physical issues become more pronounced and difficult to deal with. Getting old is hard and isn't for the weak of heart!! Good luck!!
  8. Could just be a normal, individual reaction. If he's not coughing or sneezing a lot, or doesn't effect his ability to eat or do normal morning activities, I would not worry about it. Getting up and getting moving after a full night's sleep will set all the lymphatic systems to work clearing out their systems for the day.
  9. Just something to consider and talk with your surgeon about - we left Dude in the hospital an extra day, so the experienced tech staff could do the hard work of getting him up and pottied and walking right after the surgery. By the time he came home - 3 days post amp - he was already steady on his three legs and ready to take on the environment at home, which included stairs. He was also pretty much off the surgery pain meds and starting his new normal med routine (I needed a spreadsheet and alarms to remember everything). But Dude was **very** comfortable at the vet, and everyone adored him and doted on him while he was there. So we had no concerns about him being too nervous and not eating. When he went in for his chemo infusions they set him up on a blanket in the middle of their office instead of in a kennel in the clinic, and they took turns sitting with him. And when he was going to make his journey across the Bridge 10 months later, every one of them stopped by the room and said goodbye, bawling as much as we were. The first two weeks are the worst two weeks ever. But you'll all get through it. {{{HUGS}}}
  10. And as we've seen with greyhounds very often - one even slightly uncomfortable experience will often make them say "Nope!" to any ongoing activities involving anything to do with what scared them/hurt them/made them anxious/made them uncomfortable in any minor way!! I'm also assuming by "boot" you just mean the last space in a car or SUV with a hatchback (or similar) where the cargo goes and not actually closed up in the trunk of the vehicle. So - number one!!! Make sure there's no medical reason she doesn't want to go for car rides: >A vet visit with attention to soft tissue injuries especially in her back/neck, look at her feet and lower legs for nicks and bumps, and any other hurty areas. >Car sickness is a possibility - does she drool copiously during rides, or actively heave and/or throw up, is she off her food later in the day of a car ride from feeling nauseous? Is there a place more towards the front of the vehicle she can ride? Can she see out towards the direction of travel? You can use most human carsickness over-the-counter medications, just make sure there's no artificial sugar!! Or your vet will also have rx medication you can try. Number 2 - Use really yummy treats and classic counter-conditioning techniques to help her feel comfortable in the car again. At a calm time when you aren't going anywhere just take her out to the car and sit with her. If she'll take a treat at this time give them to her along with giving her some time to lay down and relax. My dogs usually take about 20 minutes to decide any particular thing is OK. Read a book with out there with her or anything to give her space where she can figure things out. You will probably need several short sessions of this stretching out to longer time periods, and perhaps active reinforcement during future car rides. Good luck.
  11. It depends on how much you want to work, and if you want to try it yourself or have a certified animal behaviorist (not just a dog trainer) help you. Whatever the source of her anxiety around other greyhounds, it will likely not be a quick fix. It's possible that simply giving her more time, and structured socialization, will make her less fearful. Structured socialization meaning leash walks with other greyhounds; greyhound training classes, participating in AKC events such as LGRA or dock diving, barn hunt, or whatever she may have fun doing where there are other greyhounds around in controlled environments. I would NOT let her just have unstructured playdates with a big group of Greys since that will likely increase her anxiety. One on one sessions, closely supervised and with muzzles on, would be better. If one or more of your close greyhound neighbors are calm and bomb-proof, that would be the ideal candidate for this type of off-leash encounter. Calmly going for walks with another grey can be a bonding experience and help her see that the other grey isn't going to bully her. Walk together, but not side by side. In all these activities, monitor her stress level and remover her for time outs, or just to go home when you can see her getting anxious. Make sure to praise her and reward with a yummy treat when she's reacting appropriately, to reinforce the message that other Greys are good for her. If you want help, talk to your adoption group about a referral to a professional who has successful experience working with greyhounds. Your vet may also have some recommendations. A professional behaviorist could also help you determine if her anxiety is due to some sort of past incident, or if she just prefers being an only dog. It's not super common, but these types of greyhounds do exist, and we see them sometimes. Good luck!
  12. I'll add our appeal to Jan's. Andi is a study participant, and this is such a worth-while scientific endeavor!! It would be a shame if it couldn't see this through to the end. They are also still looking for dogs to be enrolled in the study, if you have an interest in contributing to the health and wellness of canines. It takes minimal time per year, and nothing extra in terms of appointments or exams. A couple surveys, uploading records, doing some fun exercises with your dog a couple times a year. If you live in Texas or Washington State they were also looking to hire for some staff positions recently.
  13. It's a complicated situation. And it sounds like you're in the UK?? In many ways, vets in the UK are *very* reluctant to try anti anxiety medication, and are somewhat behind where regular vets here in the states are in regard to knowledge and use. Since most of us are in the US we are more used to asking for prescription help and receiving it from our regular vets. You may need to seek out one that specializes in canine neurology, or one who is more familiar with anti anxiety medications. First, it's entirely possible she does have a form of canine autism. We often call dogs like her "spooks" and they are fairly common - enough so that you can do a search here and find a LOT of threads regarding them. I had one myself, and I can tell you they are not easy, but they can be rewarding. You identify many of the symptoms that she has in common with human autism. Some of the same treatments used to help autistic children can help her too. Keep her on a strict schedule for eating/exercise/pottying/daily events. My girl did not do well any time her normal schedule was changed. Try and not put her in situations where she has to make decisions about her own safety - she can't evaluate them properly and her anxiety rules all, hence she will stay outside in the cold rather than come inside through a door or floor that scares her. Try using another door. I also had to leash walk her in our yard nearly every day of her life. In the beginning she would follow the other dogs (we had four other greyhounds at the time) inside and outside, but as she became more comfortable in our home, she started not interacting with them as well. It could take her a couple hours of running around our large yard before she would get tired enough for me to catch or for her to want to come inside. She also felt more comfortable outside - where she had easier escape routes - than being inside. So I just kept her on her leash all the times we were out. She was still getting exercise due to walking, but I couldn't trust her off leash in the yard, so she stayed on. The thing that help my dog the most was building a strong bond of trust with her. We did some different forms of training, I hand fed her for a time, we went on solo walks away from home (with a regular martingale AND a harness for safety). Spooks often don't respond to normal dog treats due to being too anxious, so it's important to find a reward she does respond to - a very high value food treat (roasted chicken, freeze dried liver, cheese, etc), or even squeaky toys or other items she has fun with. My girl LOVED playing with the lure pole, for instance, and that was a good activity we could do together. If one anti anxiety med was helping for a while it's possible you may need to try a different one in the same class or a different class all together. No one really knows why anti anxiety medication works - in humans or in dogs - so it's often a crap shoot finding the right one that helps to balance your individual dog's brain chemistry. Most anti anxiety medications are "off label" uses of human medication, which is why it's important to have a vet who is comfortable and knowledgeable with them. You'll find a ton of more info and stretegies if you search for "spooks" and/or "spooky dogs" here. It can be a difficult behavior to deal with, but my girl was also very loving and snuggly once we bonded. I just had to always be congizant of her restrictions and treat her accordingly.
  14. Not saying you did, your post just brought it to mind.
  15. Yes, if it wasn't clear, buckle collars are not secure on greyhounds for much the same reasons. To make it tight enough to be secure it has to be really too tight. Go to Etsy, or your favorite online shopping spot, and do a search for "martingale collars," or "greyhound collars." There are tons of vendors to choose from. I prefer 1 1/2 inch wide collars for my average size greyhounds.
  16. Huh. I wrote this yesterday but it never posted. Here you go. It's more than likely the freezing on walks has nothing whatsoever to do with the type of collar she's wearing. For newly adopted greyhounds, freezing is their way of saying they are overloaded at the moment. Most greyhounds are not accustomed to the normal city/suburb environment with sidewalks and cars and loud noises and strange people walking around. It's a completely new and scary place for them, on top of having a completely new and possibly scary living situation. Freezing is an anxiety and fear response and NOT a "stubborn dog" being naughty. Usually, if you let them be for a few minutes they will decide they're ok and will be able to start walking again. Don's strategy of walking and turning will also work, along with walking at less busy times of the day. I would go back to her original equipment, but really evaluate if it's too heavy, or makes a lot of jangly noise, when she's walking. Change it out for thinner leashes, a padded harness, use tag bags or scraps of fabric to quiet noisy chains and tags, and make sure the harness fits properly so it's tight enough without pinching her anywhere (armpits especially). She's also probably not used to having a harness on with the extra weight and pressure on different parts of her body. I know they can be a valuable safety tool, so you may want to have her get used to wearing one by having it on her when you're just hanging out around the house (never leave a dog unsupervised in a harness). A slip lead can be a proper tool for other breeds of dogs, but not so much for greyhounds with their skinny heads, which allows the greyhound to back out of it too easily. Slip leads can get too loose during regular walking unless you keep tension on them all the time, which can be dangerous and uncomfortable for the dog. A properly fitted martingale collar fulfills the same purpose without getting too loose during normal walking. Most of all just be patient with her. Remember the rule of 3 - 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months. Those are general time frames for how new dogs settle into a new living situation. Your individual dog will have her own timeline, but she still needs time and patience to figure everything out. Good luck!
  17. Thank you to everyone for participating again this year!! We received so many lovely cards!! Ours will probably stay up until Spring, so we can see everyone for a few months yet!!!
  18. Not just a regular vet, but a canine eye specialist if possible. Pannus isn't one of those greyhound-specific diseases. A competent vet should already know and understand this problem. At the very least you should have gotten antibiotic drops, and a referral to an eye specialist. It doesn't sound like your vet offered ANY treatment????
  19. Yes, Leah, the ornament was perfect!! Thank you!!
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