greysmom

Ligament injuries take forever to heal, and he may still come up lame after heard exercise. Did the vet say if the ligament was torn or just a serious sprain? Does the toe still look swollen? Does the toenail point in another direction from the other toes on the foot? If he's still having pain he should still be on an nsaid or pain med or both. You can also try having him wear a boot on that foot for more support. He will hate it, but persevere as it can help in the end.

Annie!

Yes. I forgot to mention our vet called the Proheart manufacturer and spoke with their staff vet at some length re using it off label for parasite control as they see a lot of the greyhounds in our area. This person was very positive that it would work for this purpose successfully and my experience has born that out.

Sage is a wonderful adoption group, and i think they have a lot of info on their website about galgos. We do have quite a few owners here on GT with both. In general though, they seem to be healthier and less prone to genetically disposed diseases like cancer and allergies. You do have to deal with the behavioral after effects of what they experienced in their prior existence - which can be horrific in some cases - but it's about what you might expect with any *true* rescue dog from here in the states. They are also different than greyhounds. Both breeds are similar sighthound types, and if you've never had a greyhound you may not notice any real differences, but they do exist. The folks at Sage should be able to answer your questions much better than me! Hopefully some of our GT galgo owners will chime in too.

There are pros and cons to ProHeart that every one needs to evaluate for themselves and their dogs. It was originally released about a decade ago and then pulled due to safety concerns. It's supposed to be much safer this time around. I have switched my three dogs to Proheart 6. I think, with the heartworm test that comes with it, it cost me around $80, which in my area is cheaper than other topical/pill combos for treating heartworm-parasites for 6 months. It does NOT protect against fleas and ticks. Though it's active ingredient - mixodextrin (or something like that) - is listed to protect against internal parasites, the Proheart shot is NOT listed by the manufacturer as being effective against internal parasites. So use for hooks would be an off-label treatment. The problem with treating hooks is the timing of dosages in combo with the lifecycle of the parasite - you need to dose when the hooks are active so you kill them. Unfortunately, hooks can hide in other body tissues, and only emerge every two weeks or so. With this shot you don't have to worry about timing - the dosage is always available in the bloodstream to kill them. One of mine had a pretty bad hook infestation that we treated initially with the Ng protocol for two rounds before getting a clear fecal. She got her Proheart shot right after this and she has been hookworm clear since then - about 4 months. Another has a compromised digestive system and has a LOT of trouble taking oral meds of any type. She's been absolutely fine with this shot and parasite free. She's also been on it for nearly a year now as we started her on it first. Our last one did not have any hooks or other issues as our other girls, but it was certainly simpler and cheaper to have her on the same treatment. She's also been fine, parasite free and with no health issues for 4 months. So overall I've been very pleased with it. I've been choosing the 6 month version just because I do still have a tiny bit of doubt about it, but will probably go over to the 12 at their next due date.

It probably smells weird. Put a nice dirty blanket on it, or spend some more time on it yourself to help it smell better. If the cover comes off you might wash it. Put the innards outside in the sunlight.

Like many, I never knew it came in liquid, though it makes sense for human consumption and use for young children with seizures.

MIss Lila!!!! I am dialing the AyEsPeeCeeAy for you!!!! Try and hold out! AndiPants

Just checking in!!!

Happy Gotcha Day sweet boy!

Olives and the whole "cheese" thread are GT classics!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIGER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Going to second the PT suggestion. A splint or brace will likely cause more problems than it helps with pressure sores and other issues. At 6 your dog is beginning to make the *physical* transition towards being a "senior" dog. She's losing muscle tone, gaining weight (if you don't keep a sharp eye on it), becoming more sedentary and relaxed, developing the beginning stages of arthritis and other aging diseases. Something like swim therapy - if you can get her in the water! - would be awesome with all of that. Or talk with your PT neighbor about some exercises you can do at home with her to help her maintain muscle tone and flexibility.

Even if she's been treated before it's highly likely she still has hooks, and these are kind of classic hookworm symptoms. You can search here and find numerous recent threads on how to treat them as they are resistant to most usual treatments. Missing a meal or two won't hurt her overly much, but try and see if she will drink some for you to keep hydrated - either water or broth, one of mine even liked apple juice (just make sure of the no-xylitol rule!). And get her in to your vet with a stool sample as soon as you can.

Mine always want to know where all these bunnies come from!!!! We only see stoopid skwerrils, birds, crows, and the occasional possum or raccoon!

Our very first greyhound had very bad sleep startle. We had read all the books and knew about the issue before we adopted her, so it's not like it was a surprise. Both husband and I had had dogs before, together and separate - we weren't dog newbies, but fairly experienced owners. And still, Libby managed to bite both of us multiple times, including drawing blood, before we retrained *ourselves* enough to not force her to respond that way. It just takes time. And in the meantime, you have to be conscious of your movements and actions when you're around your dog, and realize that he really can't control his responses in this regard. It's all about building trust between you and four months is just a blip of time! It took Libby years to finally be able to sleep on the bed with us - her favorite thing ever - and we still had to be careful of where her teeth were sleeping! We've had several resource guarders over the years, and we have a resource guarder now - toys and treats are her triggers. She's been here almost three years and we are still using "trading up" and other forms of distraction. Oddly enough, she doesn't care a whit about her food bowl, high value treats and anything squeaky are sure to bring a growl and a snap if we try and remove them from her. So you *can* manage resource guarding just fine at home, as long as you realize what YOU need to be aware of all the time. The one caveat I would say would be if you had, or are planning to have, very young kids. That's just an accident waiting to happen unless you are hyper vigilant at all times. It's the main reason that many adoption groups will not adopt to people with kids under, say 5 years old. It's just too dangerous for all invovlved.

Hahahahahaha!!!!! Cletus!!! Seriously, it was probably a hawk or owl meal. Or even a cat or neighborhood coyote.

Slumberball - Kate's personal bank and restaurant!!!!

Aiden 1-4!!!! So relaxed!!!!!

Has Leo been neutered? If not, schedule it asap. If he has, it can take between three and six months for them to lose all that extra testosterone in their systems and calm down some. That will help a lot. But it's also true that dogs getting along is basically a personality match. And though most greys get along with most other greys just fine, sometimes they don't. Only you can determine if this is a basic personality clash, hormones on overdrive, or just two dogs learning how to live together - by watching their body language, how they interact, and how serious the snarls/snaps are. You may want to ask a neutral observer who understnads dogs/greyhounds to come in and observe them if you don't feel like you can tell. Someone from your group, or a certified animal behaviorist *which is hard right now, I know. You might have to wait a while before you can do this.) Then you have choices. If they just need some more time together (more than likely), then just keep the youngster muzzled. You can also help things along by taking them for side-by-side walks to help them bond a little quicker. Reward Leo for being calm and respectful to Marlow. (You can toss him yummy treats, but that might cause more issues, so give them directly to him.) In our house, we *always* defer to the senior dog. They were here first, they have been part of our family longer, and they deserve to be respected by us and by their housemates. It's up to US - as the huumans with thumbs - to protect the senior's place in the pack as top dog and to reinforce his status, to keep him safe and make sure the other dogs know that behaving badly towards the senior will not be tolerated. The senior gets fed first, gets his treats first, goes in and out the door first, gets in the car first, walks first in line, gets to choose where he wants to lay (other dogs get moved if he wants a particular bed), has his own private time for pets and attention from/with us. Your younger dog may need some subsidiary NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) behavior modification too. I find it works well with pushy dogs, especially pushy males. Basically he has to work for anything he wants - food treats, attention, whatever - he has to offer something you *ask* him to do before he can obtain his goal. So, separately, teach him a command that he can accomplish - watch me, sit, down, but anything will do - that he can "pay" with. This emphasizes his place in the pack and helps him realize that HE isn't the boss of the house. And, if ultimately you feel your senior dog isn't safe living in his old age at his own home, you *may* consider returning the younger dog. It's hard and not ideal, and most adoption groups will push back, but, as I said, I always defer to the health and safety of the dog that's lived there the longest. Good luck.

I'm also unsure how this could happen unless he's actively trying to get out??? If this is the case you may need to rethink crating him all together. Some greys do just fine in crates post adoption, and some really do not. Unless he been destructive in the past he *may not* need to be crated at this point. If he is destructive, consider using a plastic basket muzzle instead. If he's just being a dork and getting his nose caught while sleeping or something, many people use baby crib bumpers to line the inside of crates to pad it a bit. Be careful with this option if your dog is prone to nesting his bedding though.

I'll add in some sort of medication reaction to the mix as a possibility. These episodes are extremely difficult to figure out. It could be any of the things people have mentioned, none of them, or something else completely. And, as you said, the vet isn't going to suggest doing anything but watch and wait. A video of any off behavior will help, especially if it seems there are many tiny issues/episodes - the evidence adds up over time. Glad she seems to be fine this morning. {{{hugs}}} for you and {{{kisses}}} for Violet!

It's exactly the right thing to do. Reward the behavior you want, ignore the behavior you don't. Timing is everything when working through a behavioral issue. As I just wrote in your other thread - time and patience. She just needs more time to work through her anxiety. The good news is, she does seem to be aboe to do so. Just give her the extra time and support she needs. When the lockdown is over and you're considering introductions to your parents Danes, do so on neutral ground - a park or other quiet walking place - and meet them one at a time. Don't everwhelm her with meeting two giant dogs at once. Then, just walk together for a while and don't force them to interact. I would probably do this 3 or 4 times (with each Dane) before I let them interact off leash in a secure area. This way she has a chance to process the meetings herself. Try and make sure the walks end with a nice yummy treat and a positive experience.

Short time durations are fine for Alone Training. It's getting her used to the coming and going that is the goal. Just remember that she's going to take some extended time to feel comfortable with any new thing. The dog you have right now will NOT be the dog you have in 3 months, or 6 months, or a year from now. Time and patience, always.