greysmom

She forgot to use the right allen wrench to secure the head properly!!

I was concerned about the protein level, as well, and have had zero issues. It seems to be highly digestible without the gas and tummy troubles I had been expecting from the higher protein. Most of the "boutique" food brands who tout their ingredients and grain-free-ness have been belligerent about their foods being implicated in the DCM problem. They won't even acknowledge that there *is* an issue. For companies who say they care more about pets than other "junk" dog food manufacturers, I've been extremely disappointed in their collective non-response.

Yes. Depending on the situation, snarking is almost always appropriate, IMO. Like growling, it's one of the only ways a dog has to express her opinion and offer a correction. If the other dog listens after a snark or three, it's a moot point. But if the other dog continues to bug the snarker then I step in to protect both of them. No animal gets to bully another, but they also don't get to terrorize another dog either.

"Not too expensive" is in the eye of the beholder. Just me, but I would stay away from the Kirkland for a while until the FDA gets the whole "Dilated Cardio Myopathy caused by food" issue sorted out as it has been implicated in causing some cases. If you do decide to use it I would do one of the flavors that does include grains and not a grain-free/legume protein one. I recently switched my guys to Purina Pro Plan - the senior to Bright Mind (turkey formula), and the non-seniors to Sensitive Stomach (salmon formula) - and I couldn't be happier about the results. Our old food was "fine." We had no problems, no issues, everyone was doing great, I could buy it at my local grocery store, no DCM reports on the food. But nobody was really enthusiastic about it. They ate it, and that's about as good as it got. The senior was beginning to refuse to eat it occasionally. Since the switch I can *really* see a difference in our 12 year old - he's much more interactive with both us and the other dogs, he will actually play inside and outside a bit as his physical condition allows, he just feels more "present" in the house and it's obvious he's feeling good. And for a 12 year old that is really everything I could ask for. He also seems to like better and find it more palatable. He eats with more enthusiasm and rarely leaves any behind. The others really love the new food as well, and they will hold their weight on much less food. Another added benefit is that they are pooping less and less often, and the poops are better (and they weren't bad before). I should add that I choose the Sensitive Stomach formula because it has no chicken in it, in case our intolerant dog would eat it. She won't but Felicity likes it a lot, and we're bringing in another girl at the end of the month, so two dogs will be eating it. But there are several different formulations with different protein sources and flavors depending on what you need. I wouldn't hesitate to switch to a different Pro Plan formula if needed. It is about twice as expensive as our old store brand, but I'm so pleased with the results that I don't even care.

It all depends on how compromised her system is. A good probiotic like Forti Flora will help a bit faster than natural alternatives like buttermilk or yogurt, but it could take a couple days to a couple weeks to completely resolve. A few days of a bland diet can also help, and make sure not to stress her digestive tract too much with treats and people food she's not accustomed to during this time period.

All right! All right! Tone it down a little, willya??

We've all been there in the corner with you! Remember - not too many changes at one time. If something is working, stick with it for a week or so before you change/add anything. Give the new pre/pro biotics time to work (can take up to two weeks to have full effect) and his gut to calm down.

There are good reasons to have crate trained dogs - illness and injury, emergencies and evacuations, safety. So would keep on with getting her used to this new crating situation. And it is new for her. Being in a racing kennel, in a comfy crate that two good sized humans can sit in, with the rest of your good friends around you is *very* different from being in a wire crate in a new place and environment. Remember, she's basically had her entire world turned upside down in a very short span of time, so it will take some time and patience on your part to help her through. You need to make the crate the most bestest place ever for her - feed her meals in her crate, give her special chews and treats in her crate. Leave the door open so she can come and go as she wants while you are there. When you leave, give her a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter or canned food. Leave a tv channel or radio on. Some dogs like to be able to see you leave, and some need to NOT. It's all about what makes her most comfortable. Search through the Training and Behavior section for more crate training ideas.

Hahaha!!!!! Sid is remarkably tolerant!!!

FWIW my boy has a naturally occurring sprung toe on his one back foot. It doesn't impact his ability to run and play and do regular dog things. We do protect that foot with a boot when we have to walk on pavement or hard surfaces. And the corn that was on that toe did indeed disappear - of course, it didn't do anything for the corns on his other toe! And that's the issue as far as I'm concerned - what do you do then if you a) have corns on multiple toes and/or multiple feet, and b) will the surgery *cause* a corn to errupt on that foot? We just don't know yet as this surgery has only been performed on a large basis for the last year or so.

It will take a while for her foot to shift into a post-amp configuration, so she may limp at bit for several months. An nsaid or gabapentin might give her some support through this time. At ten years old, she should also be on a joint supplement, and perhaps an nsaid anyway for general arthritis. You can also try acupuncture and canine massage therapy to help keep her up and going in top shape. Gentle walks on soft surfaces to keep her active physically, and visiting new places to stimulate her mentally. Glad shes doing good!

Both our angel VooDoo and Whiskey (half brothers) are grandsons of Gable Doge by his son Gable Oscar. Gable Dodge babies seem to inherit a double dose of sweetness and loveableness! They are very people oriented and do seem to draw attention to themselves wherever they go! And, OH! Those Gable Dodge eyes!!!!!

We've had from 1 up to 6 at a time, and I can say that after two, it's all just a question of management - time, space, money, resources. In some respects, three is easier because you can take one - to the vet or for a special treat - and there's still two at home. Walking is just something you need to take time to train them to do. Once they get it, you can easily walk multiples. We make sure everyone gets enough personal time with each of us, and we supervise meals so everyone can eat at their own pace in peace. If you have the room, crates can really help, but aren't necessary. Greyhounds are used to living together so there's rarely an issue. Though you do need to take your existing personalities into consideration. Generally, multiple boys live together more easily than multiple girls, but there are always exceptions! So if you can afford it and have the room and the time, there's no reason not to!

I was talking about thyroid supplementation. In my experience, once a dog's anxiety passes beyond a certain point - which is individual for each dog - over the counter products and natural remedies are ineffective, and you need to begin medicating with prescription drugs. This point seems to be when the anxiousness doesn't back off and the dog is basically living under an anxiety cloud all the time to some degree. You should search through the Training & Behavior section for the threads regarding anxiety to get information on the various medications available.

Her stomach is getting too empty overnight, causing a build up of stomach acids which make it upset. Try holding back a part of her dinner, or feed her a small snack, right before you go to bed. Keep track of her weight though as you don't want her to pack on the pounds with the extra food.

If you're on Facebook, please join the group "Greyhounds with Corns." There's loads of information there on the Tenotomy procedure, and many owners there have now had it done with great - short term - success. You can also ask about specific vets who have performed the surgery.

All of my seniors have gradually self regulated themselves out of at least one meal a day. They are seniors, and they just don't need as much food - just like a human - and sometimes forcing them to eat can be counterproductive. Being interested in food prep and human food, but then not wanting to eat indicates your dog may be nauseous. There are things you can get from your vet to help with that. Mirtazapine is the drug to help stimulate appetite. An easy OTC to try at home is givng an acid reducer like Pepcid (or generic) 20 minutes prior to meals. Puppy food has more calories per whatever to support growing puppy bodies. Seniors will often find it more palatable and easier to eat. Also consider that there's no law that says a dog *has* to eat kibble. It's just more convenient and cheaper for us humans. So if you can get him to eat enough canned food (a can or two a day might be enough for a senior) and he can hold his weight, there's a solution for you. If he can do dairy, you can try products like "Ensure" with is a smoothie-type commercial drink, usually for senior humans, to give them additional protein and vitamins. Just make sure whatever human food you try, it doesn't have artificial sweeteners in it. But ultimately, if he won't eat and begins to lose weight rapidly, you might be looking at making a tough choice. Good luck.

We did use acupuncture and chinese holistic medicine with our IBS dog. Just to be clear though, ultimately she has an extreme intolerance to chicken and her gut was damaged by hooks as a puppy - not technically IBS. Our acupuncturist also felt much of Lilly's issues stemmed from anxiety, and that's the main problem she was treating with the needle sessions. Our acupuncturist was also a licensed vet, in addition to having advanced training in chinese holistic medicine. Lilly's treatment plan consisted of 6 initial weekly needle session. At the same time, we were homecooking a special diet designed to calm her gut (we had already discovered her chicken intolerance through a food trial administered by our regular vet). The improvement in Lilly was really quick - within two weeks her car sickness disappeared entirely, and her stools improved dramatically, her vomiting stopped. At the end of 6 weeks we began transitioning her to a commercial (appropriate) diet, moved to every other week needle sessions, and added chinese herbal supplements for anxiety, calm her gut, and to sooth her stomach. This is the supplemt we used for anxiety: Herbsmith Calm Shen The others were proprietary blends made by the acupuncture vet. Lilly was on these for another four months, with every 3-4 week needle sessions, which were then discontinued. We used the herbal supplements for another 10 months before discontinueing them, as well. Her last treatment was over two years ago and she is now doing really great. As long as I keep on top of any ingredient changes in her food, she has good stools and no bad stomach noises, no gas, no vomiting, no diarrhea. she still has some quirks - she won't eat kibble, for example, and is only eating canned. I also have to spoon feed her like a baby twice a day. Yes, I know. But she *will not* eat on her own, and we can't have her stomach get empty or else her symptoms come back. So, I feed her. (Our regular vet thinks Lilly may have developed a sort of PTSD surrounding eating and food from the early years when she would have pain and sickness every time she ate.) All our dogs are on this pre/pro biotic supplement and do very well on it. Nature vet Digestive Enzyme

I live in fear of someone bugging our house and having documented proof of how much I talk to the dogs all day! Seriously. I talk to them just like I would toddlers in my house. We have conversations, little songs, special names - and that's not counting outside! I talk to them more than I talk to my husband!!! I need to get a life!!!!!

Belly up to the Bakkin Bar Paddy! And your brother can receive the Birthday attention for both of you!

Did you have your older girl meet the new one before you adopted? Standard thinking is that two girls together are probably the most volatile pairing, though that will obviously vary greatly with individual dogs. Your new girl just may not be the right fit personality-wise for your home. There is also the (slim) possibility that your original dog is one that needs to be an only dog. It happens rarely with greyhounds because of their upbringing and racing careers, but there are those dogs that are happier being the only dog in the house. But it is also *very* early days yet, and your two girls may figure out how to work things out between them amicably. For the time being, don't force them to interact, and let your older dog be wherever she's most comfortable. If it's not an issue, keep them separated for mealtimes as everyone will be happier. One thing you should definitely do is take them for walks together. Preferrably each with their own human, but any way you can will be helpful. Keep them muzzled in the house and watch them *extremely* carefully as long as there's tension between them. If you don't see significant thawing in two-three weeks, and you are still having daily/nightly scuffles and snarking, you may need to rethink this adoption and return the newer girl so she can have a chance at a forever home where she's not on edge all the time and your older girl can have her home back. If you'd still like to add another greyhound to your family, give it a few months and then try a nice relaxed big boy. And bring your older female to meet him first.

First thing is to test his thyroid with the full panel done at Michigan State Uni. Don't let your vet talk you into the normal test as it doesn't give correct reading for greyhounds. If you haven't yet, do some research in the H&M section on greyhound thyroid idiosyncrasies. Even *if* his thyroid reads normal you can also try supplementation just to see if it makes a positive difference. I've had greyhounds whose thyroid was basically so low to be unreadable, but yet perfectly normal for them, and dog's who read "normal" that needed supplementation. Second, find a new behaviorist because the one you had was not helpful and just plain wrong. Third, consider starting a course of a fast acting, broad spectrum anti anxiety medication, particularly if the thyroid test comes back within the normal range. Most vets with begin with Clomicalm since it's made for canines, but don't be surprised if you need to try several different types to find the one that works for your dog. This is NOT an easy fix, and it can take some time and patience. We don't really understand how or why anti anxiety meds work in canines, so there can't be an exact prescription. It all depends on your dog and his brain chemistry and what the physical issue is that's affecting him. But I'm betting it's a thyroid issue.

A hound's gotta do what a hound's gotta do!!!