greysmom

What else have you tried? Have you done *any* Alone Training? Search for threads here on separation anxiety and read through them. Get the book "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell, it have tons of good advice and stretegies to follow. Try baby gating her in a room that has been dogproofed and is easily cleanable. The crate is not going to work anymore now that she's learned she can break out of it. It's dangerous and she could seriously hurt herself.

Lexie you are multi talented AND multi cultural!!!!

You are often going to be surprised by people who believe they are experts on your dog/dog breed, despite never having owned a greyhound, never having seen one race, never doing one bit of research to find out what the truth is about how utterly awesome greyhounds are. Sometimes you can turn the conversation and actually give them some true facts, but mostly people will believe what they want to believe despite the science or the facts.

Looks like you're down to a food with beef as the limited ingredient. You're going to be closely reading all the labels as well to make sure it doesn't have any of the other off limits ingredients either. Given that he also can't have beans you definitely should stay away from any "boutique" grain free foods due to the risk of heart trouble (from diet related DCM - see the thread on this here too). If you find a food with/without the right ingredients you still may need to supplement with taurine. I would try and locate a canine nutritionist to help guide me though this confusing labyrinth!

When our Male puppy began to exhibit similar symptoms, discospondylitis was mentioned. He turned out to have hypertrophic osteodystrophy that was impacting one of his hips in addition to his long bones. If he does have a bone infection, it doesn't sound like he was treated with antibiotics for long enough. Bone infections can take months to clear. It also sounds like he needs an actual pain med like codeine sulfate or tramadol, along with an nsaid, and the gabapentin. I hope you can get a handle on this quickly.

Other than maybe concentrating the fiber a bit, I don't think there is much difference. Though they will keep much longer than fresh carrots.

As long as she's secure in a fenced yard, not getting into anything (like dirt or grass eating), and has water available she should be fine. I would *never* leave her outside when you are not at home though. And be really mindful of the heat and her sun exposure during the summer. Their skin can sunburn just like a persons. You also need to evaluate her exposure to strangers walking by. In our area there have been several cases of unattended dogs (not greyhounds) being stolen from their yards.

This has been going on long enough that you need a vet. Probably an emergency vet at this point. If there are greyhound adoption groups active in your new area, most will have a list of greyhound friendly and knowledgeable vets on their websites. But really, he needs some general help and nothing really specific to the breed. I would also fast him - until the diarrhea stops - though make sure he keeps drinking at least some water every hour. You can also use Pedialyte or broth. Then start up feeding again with a bland diet. I would stay away from rice as, as you have seen, it just goes right through without giving them any benefit. Try overcooked pasta or sweet potatoes or plain oat bran for the carb source. Use bland, non fat (or drained and rinsed) protein - ground chicken/turkey/beef.

Great article. Thanks. I do find that DCM group incredibly sad though. So many sick, dying, and dead dogs from a fad.

Yeah, bland diet, small portions, several times a day if you can. A good probiotic can help get her back in balance.

Yes. They do tan if left out in the sun as much as they want, and can burn too. They will also blush/flush if they get excited or exercise.

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with bribery. It's how they connect commands and behaviors. So up your treat value significantly, decide on a command, and go out walking. Use the treat-and-command to get him going. Circling can also be helpful. You might think about driving away from your neighborhood a few times, especially on weekends. You can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out what's "wrong," so it's best to just act like nothing is. Walk ahead confidently - and even a little quickly - and speak in a friendly and encouraging voice. He needs to learn that he's not in charge of all the walking, so make them good, short, focused training times, as well as pleasure walking.

The Ruffwear Webmaster harness is good, and, I think, what many of us have used. {{{hugs}}}

Sometimes a second works and sometimes it doesn't. You don't know until you try. Most importantly, do not adopt a second dog unless you want one and can afford all the additional expenses of another.

Yes, definitely keep in mind that we are not vets (for the most part - krissy actually is!) It sounds like this escalated really quickly. A limp can be anything, yet it seems in a short amount of time it went from a small yelp to being on steroids and seeing a neurologist. Did your vet try an nsaid or other pain reliever first? Could he localize the pain through a physical exam? Was there any sort of incident that started this - a zoomie or wild play session where he could have pulled a neck muscle? If he's not any better after treatment then a consult with a neurologist or orthopedist seems warranted. If cost is an issue see if you can find a specialist who will do a records review without a physical exam.

Given her lifestyle, I would think taking it off is the safer option. Definitely some protection is warranted, imo. You might duck tape it together (really, not sarcastically). A second opinion might be good too.

I bet she's going to at least need a local for that. Ouch.

For our seniors we usually gradually work up to a combo of an nsaid, and true pain reliever, and gabapentin. Our nsaid of choice is meloxicam as all our dogs have tolerated it well. We also don't do tramadol for pain relief anymore. We found it ineffective, and prone to make our dogs opioid hyper. New vet recommendations I just read say not to use it. We switched to codeine sulfate. Some dogs find gabapentin helpful for issues involving nerve pain, some don't. It's the combination that works best for us. We haven't tried laser or injections, but I wouldn't hesitate if needed.

Aiden!

:confetti :confetti !!!!!!!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS M!!!!!!!!!!!

Try a *much* higher value treat to lure him forward - rotisserie chicken, steak bits, liverwurst. One you use just for walks and only when hes stalled, along with a command like "walk on" or whatever you want. You can also try a toy squeaker to get him excited. They sell replacement squeakers at pet stores. Then when he stalls out, use the command and step out confidently and squeaker the squeaker out in front of him. For other strategies search here for threads on "statueing."

Could be a few things. My first thought is part of a broken tooth. Also, sometimes a piece of food or treat will get caught way up or back in their mouth above the gums or behind the molars. Usually you can push it back down into their eating area from the outside, or with a finger scoop inside.

When was his last fecal test done? I would suspect some sort of parasite infestation or giardia.

But you will find all the issues you are worrying about no matter what kind of dog you choose to adopt next, whether that's a greyhound, a shelter dog, or even a puppy. That being said, each dog is unique, and you really can't apply past problems to future dogs you may have. In addition, you now know what questions you need answered by either the group or an extended foster period in your home prior to adoption. You *can* mitigate some of the issues by doing your due diligence, and asking the group you're working with to help you find the right match. Most groups *want* their placements to work, so they will try and find out everything they can about their dogs. Our most recent dog is now a 1 year old greyhound puppy we got when he was 3 months old, and he has such attachment issues we have to give him anti anxiety medication for me to leave the house. Otherwise he has super bad meltdowns - screaming and crying and running back and forth between the windows looking for me. It doesn't even matter that my husband is right there with him! He's getting better as we continue his desensitization, but it's a long road. My husband and I haven't left the house together in a long time unless we take him with us. So I do understand what you were dealing with with Ruby. Yes, retired racing greyhounds may become harder to find in the near future. That just means people who want one will need to be more patient. It's no different from a person wanting a show dog from a particular breeder, or someone who wants a prospective service dog candidate - you have to wait for the right one to come along. So. Stop. Breathe. And give yourselves some time to decompress. This is a stressful time for you and your partner aside from dealing with a difficult new dog, so be kind to yourselves. Ruby *will* find the perfect home for her. It does no one any good to worry about some future which may or may not ever happen based on one bad experience.

STEWIE!!!!