greysmom

I have an IBD dog as well. FWIW, she is *extremely* sensitive to chicken - which we discovered through a food trial. She cannot tolerate *any* chicken, including that in hydrolyzed diets, and in the chicken fat tocopherols used as a preservative in treats and foods. So we had to find a food, that she would eat, with neither chicken or chicken fat tocopherols. Once we did that, we embarked on a long course of treatment with acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is actually approved by the FDA for treatment of intestinal issues in people, including for IBD/S. So there is a history of it being effective. Our practitioner is also a licensed veterinarian, so she was able to guide us using traditional medications and then weaning Lilly off them. We never did use steroids for her, but she was on metronidazol, tylan, probiotics, appetite stimulants, vitamin B12, and other treatments prior to beginning this modality. We did this eastern medicine treatment for about a year. She had weekly needle sessions for a month, then every other week, then once a month. Lilly was also on a course of herbal treatments along with the acupuncture. We saw a huge difference within the first month, and Lilly continued to improve until she was no longer taking any rx medications, Chinese herbs, or having needle sessions. She's been treatment free for over two years now. Your vet did a disservice to you in refusing to try budesonide. It is an older and slightly less powerful drug, but it tends to be more effective in greyhounds than prednisone for IBS due to their unique physiology. There are several vets I know (on this forum and through social media) who use it on their own dogs. But you need to find something to feed her. To do an effective food trial you would stop the rx diet and fast her for at least 24 hours, or until she stops having diarrhea. She's not gaining any nutrients from her food at this point, so fasting will not make her lose and more weight. Make sure she continues to drink water, vegetable broth, or Pedialyte for babies to keep her hydrated. Then start feeding her small amounts (a 1/4 cup to a 1/2 cup) of a bland diet. A bland diet consists of equal parts of a carb source and a protein source. I recommend staying away from rice as a carb. Unless it is very overcooked dogs don't really digest it, and that's not what you need right now. Use overcooked pasta, peeled white potatoes boiled and mashed, boiled and mashed sweet potatoes, and even certain beans (chickpeas, adzuki beans) mashed up can be used. For a protein source, choose something unique that you have good access to like tilapia or other white fish, venison, bison, or beef cooked to render the most fat out of it or rinsed after cooking. You can add in vegetables if your dog likes them and put everything in a crock pot to make larger batches. Feed one protein for 7-10 days to see if she can tolerate it. With at least a day of fasting in between. Once you find one, you can either search for a commercial diet, or stick with home cooking. A dog can be on a plain diet for a couple months without having additives for vitamins and minerals to maintain proper nutrition. Our Lilly is on a commercial diet of Turkey protein with sweet potatoes. She only eats canned food, no kibble. She also gets a 5 oz can of tuna every day. There's no law that says a dog *has* to eat kibble - it's just cheaper for the humans! I have found a few treats that are ok under her restrictions as well. It's going to be hard until you can finally put the pieces together, but once you do you will all be much happier! Good luck!

:rofl

What a great story! Congratulations!!!

Just because something is natural and/or organic doesn't mean there are no consequences when taking them. What happens if and when your dog needs real medical care and you have them stuffed full of "all natural ingredients" that preclude them getting emergency surgery or medication? There are no quality controls on natural products, as you have discovered. And no science supporting their effective long term use. I'm not against homeopathic care, but that's a LOT of stuff to be giving any one dog. Please be careful.

Been there, done that!

This one is pretty simple - wash, disinfect, protect - as you did and others advised. But you should also consider what you are comfortable dealing with - or what you're comfortable paying your vet to deal with - for the future. For myself, if it's any sort of bite or ragged tear, deeper into tissue, actively bleeding beyond my ability to stop, or large enough to consider needing stitching/stapling we go to the vet. Minor scrapes and cuts we deal with at home. To that end, most of us have a dog first aid kit. It has things like a wound wash, disinfectant, bandaging supplies, a thermometer, vet wrap in various widths, plastic bags and/or old iv bags to protect feet from getting wet, Epsom salts for soaking wounds, hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting (NOT for wounds), and various other miscellaneous items used for first aid. I've also taken a class from the Red Cross on pet first aid, just so I feel confident. Our adoption group sponsors one just about every year and it's a great idea.

Oh Lila!!!

How unique! And an awesome story! Taylor!

I have 4 greyhounds and we have to have separate play times with toys. They just get too wound up, and it only takes a second for things to turn in the wrong direction. Plus, one is a true resource guarder so we have to be careful she's playing nicely. Our toys - except for one or two boring ones - are kept put away so we can control when and who is playing with them.

Search through the forum for threads about "leash reactivity." There is also an excellent book - "Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog" by Patricia McConnell. It will help you guide your dog through stressful greeting situations.

Yes! Now we're all curious!!!!

:confetti :confetti

S/he will need to be potty trained and introduced to ev.er.y.thing in the house. They may walk in and be perfectly fine, or be really freaked out - and you won't know which you have until you get them home. But potty training is the biggest concern. Next will be Alone Training. This dog has likely never been left alone, so you need to start this process early and often to see if your new greyhound is going to be able to be left at some point. Some things to introduce: walking on leash, beds, slick floors, panes of glass in windows and doors, different sounds and smells, stairs. Is s/he being spayed/neutered before you pick them up? Wormed? Cat tested? The dog might need medical vetting and the group should pay for that. Otherwise, I think you're worrying too much! You've had greyhounds, so you (at least intellectually) know what you'll be dealing with. Enjoy the process!

Sleep startling dogs very seldom growl, because - duh! - they are asleep! Greyhounds just aren't used to being near anything that moves while they are sleeping, and it can cause them to wake abruply and be snappy. If she had really *wanted* to bite you, she definitely could have. Since she is so new to your home, and this is your first greyhound, institute a rule of only giving her attention when she's on her feet. Call her over to you, off her bed or wherever she's sleeping. You can use treats to lure her over to you if necessary - call her name, make sure she's awake, and see if she want to come to you.. Don't try and snuggle with her on the floor or couch - in fact, I would probably keep her off the furniture for a few months. If you have kids or have them over, especially during the holidays, just have a hard rule - don't approach the dog when she's on her bed. And give her someplace to go if she needs to have a people break. You can search the forum for older threads on "sleep startle" for more ideas on how to help get through this initial adjustment period. I imagine, if the foster home was an exerienced greyhound home, they probably followed all the rules about sleep startle, so they wouldn't necessarily know if she had it or not.

Great update! Congrats!

One of mine outwaited a huge multi-day rain deluge of 5 days before she pooped. Its not optimal, but unless they stop eating and drinking, start vomiting, or other signs of distress indicating a blockage, you can usually wait on the vet.

The human drug for Parkinson's disease called Anipryl (selegiline) looks like what is currently being prescribed. A quick Google search returned many possible topics if you want to learn about Canine Cognitive Disfunction treatments.

Some dogs are ok with *any* kind of companion - cats, bird, small dog - others not so much. Make sure your dog is cat safe before you get one though. You group probably cat tested him prior to putting him up for adoption.

I hope he's calmed down by now. He may need to see a vet for anti anxiety medication to get him through this. It's not good for his body to be under this much physical stress reaction. Benadryl and melatonin can both help, but may not be strong enough in this case. I suspect the earthquake triggered him and now he's anxious pretty much all the time. He also may be hearing very low or high frequency sounds associated with the earthquake and aftershocks that humans can't register. I would put in a call to get him in to the vet. Keep a good track of his temp and heartrate. He may need an evet if he can't calm himself down. Good luck.

If there's been no improvement at all, and you feel you've done everything suggested by the behaviorist and from your group to the very best of your ability, then it's time to move on to medical intervention. If your behaviorist is accredited and licensed, they may be able to help guide you. Otherwise consult with your vet. This is NOT NOT NOT a miracle cure. Anti anxiety meds only help adjust your dogs brain chemistry so that they can better accept reconditioning through continuing your alone training and other training aids. The first med you try may not be the last one you try. Since we don't really understand how they work, it's mostly trial and error to figure out which medication is the best for your dog. Even once you find one that helps you then may need to try different dosages and timings before getting the right combination. And even then, there are simply dogs that cannot live easily as only dogs. They need a companion to be truly comfortable in a home situation. Good luck and keep us posted.

I agree with Clare - what you're dog is exhibiting is not severe separation anxiety. Your dog is fine. She just misses you mildly. As she settles into home life even those small signs should disappear. Severe SA involves howling for hours, destroying furniture and household items, peeing and pooping all over, bouts of loud barking, destroying door and window moulding. We've even seen dogs jump through plate glass windows! Your girl is fine!

Yes. Everything sounds totally normal. It's only been a few months and some greyhounds can take up to a year - or even longer - to really settle into home life and begin to show their personality. You're giving him plenty of exercise and stimulation. They just normally sleep a lot! Some never learn to play with toys. I've had greys that would chew a Kong all day and some who just go "meh." The panting is probably because he gets hot easily laying next to a big warm person. If he really wanted to move he would! Give both yourself and your dog more time and patience. You're doing everything right. He's not going to be all outgoing and entertaining like a lab or golden - greyhounds have been bred for hundreds of years to work and hunt independently, so it takes time for them to get in the swing of living collaboratively with a person!

Check for a UTI as suggested. Otherwise, it's actually not really random - she's going when she's being left. You might have a slight case of separation anxiety. Even if she doesn't go *every* time her humans leave the house. Something is happening to make her anxious (some noise or sound most likely) and she pees. Make sure you;re cleaning up with a good enzyme cleaner and getting the spot as clean and dry as you can. If you have a crate, and she's dry when left in the crate, you might want to start using it again. Set it up where she can see her sister and see how it goes. She may not like being crated anymore and then you need to decide if you want to keep at it with the crate. There are good reasons to have a dog that's comfortable being crated, but for some dogs they are simply counterproductive. But check for a UTI first. A hookworm infestation can also sometimes cause this, so check again for those.

With some dogs the changes are huge - a shy dog becoming outgoing and friendly, for instance - and they are easily observed. Some are more subtle, as said above - a softer look in the eye or face, coming up for attention, where they choose to spend their free time. Walking and feeding are good bonding activities and are hopefully being shared with you and your partner. Another thing you can do is to just sit quietly with him wherever he feels most comfortable, reading a book or magazine. You can even read out loud to him. If he's not overly interested in treats, but is motivated by food, you need to increase your treat value for now. Small, fragrant bits of cheese or hotdogs are usually a big hit, but use whatever he responds to. FWIW, all of what you describe sounds entirely normal! This is often how new owners feel in the first several months. Just stick it out and have a lot of patience! Give everyone the time to get used to everything that's new. Don't overwhelm him with too much "newness" - new people, new places, etc.,. Time and patience! You'll all be fine!

I'm so, so sorry. You both fought the hard fight for a good long time. {{{hugs}}}