greysmom

Yunan Baiyao does work - we use it for Felicity - but it *is* an herbal supplement and doesn't quite have the medicinal punch of Amicar or TA. Personally I would stick with the RXs for amputations. If she's not had any bleeding issues previously she should be fine with the doses the surgeon described, but more doesn't hurt if you can find it.

Apologies for not seeing this sooner!! I'm so sorry you had to send your girl on her final journey. It's a tough job you (and Jan) have set for yourselves - always taking in the seniors. You and Chris are very courageous and compassionate. {{{hugs}}}

Well, it *is* reinforcing his reactivity, BUT, as stated, there is not much you can do in situations such as the one you described. Best practice is to keep your eyes and ears always scanning for things that could be problematic and try and avoid as many of them as possible. It's a constant question for dog owners of all breeds, no matter if they're reactive or not - what to do when you and your dog are approached by a dog or dogs who are unaccompanied and obviously up to no good??? You should research what is and isn't allowed wherever you're walking - for instance, some places in the US you cannot carry certain kinds of batons or sticks, or something like bear spray. And different countries will have very different rules. And different owners have their own tolerances for various solutions. Some things that have been suggested here on GT (which may or may not be appropriate for your situation): various types of long buggy/driving whips, the mentioned bear spray, long distance wasp spray, straight vinegar in a strong spray bottle, different kinds of folding batons and poles, different kinds of tazers. You can search here for threads about the subject for more ideas. Good luck.

We're all with you. {{{hugs}}} Give them both kisses from all of us!!!

Yeeeaaah. We have a 900 sq ft house with a large fenced yard. Most one bedroom apartments have more inside square feet than we do. At our most crowded we had 6 greyhounds and 4 indoor cats. As long as you're committed to several walks a day (plus for potties), you'll be absolutely fine. If you're concerned about rambunctiousness, talk with your group about taking in a returned dog or senior that is already used to living in a house.

The answer is always YES!!! BUT! Make sure you have the funds, and most of all, the time for a second dog. And temper your expectations for how your current dog will react. Greyhounds are used to living communally, so they (usually) get along just fine. But as mentioned, they may or may not turn out to be BFFs like you see pictures of on social media - cuddling and snuggling, playing together, etc. This question comes up frequently, so there are numerous threads to search for regarding adding a second greyhound to give you a ton more info. I will just add to all that - Common advice is to NOT get two of the same gender, especially two females. There is a higher chance of behavioral issues and frictions between two females than between two males or a mixed couple. But I've had three, and now two, girls for several years now and, while we do have some occasional minor dust ups over toys or snacks, we've had no serious issues. I would urge you to let your current girl help pick out her companion - play dates with fosters, or time in turn out with others at a kennel - to make sure you get a match that suits everyone.

Have you been hulling her corn?? Flexor tenotomy surgery has been extremely successful in ridding most dogs of their corn issue. It's a super fast and easy surgery - basically creating a sprung toe by snipping the tendon instead of a naturally occurring tear - with only a two week recovery period. It might be the kind of surgery that could be done without anesthetizing her completely, if you have a vet that would consider it. Many dogs have an almost immediate relief from their corn and it doesn't return. There is a chance that corns will pop up on other toes, but you'll have that anyway with her altered gait whether you amp or not. It may be something to consider if her corn is one of the obstacles to an amp and have some time to fit it in prior.

Sometimes more isn't helpful. That's a lot of gabapentin. And sometimes it can have the opposite effect from what you want. She's past the point where she needs it for pain relief, so I would have a discussion with her onco about trying to gradually reduce the amount of gaba she's getting. Our dog by this point wasn't on any regular pain meds, or any meds at all except supplements. If he had a pain flare or a bad day, we had codeine sulfate, and some 50 or 100 caps of gaba to give as needed. If she'll let you ice the area that may help.

Rachel, I'm so sorry. This is totally not fair at all. {{{hugs}}}

Black dogs in particular get a "sun coat" when they are outside a lot. The hair shafts are basically faded from black to brown from sun exposure. It's not uncommon for them to to come from farms and kennels completely brown. This coat usually falls out during the next shedding season, but you can help it along by a good brushing a couple times a week. But if the coloring is limited to around his mouth and undercarriage, I would agree with the above that staining and dirt is the issue. Use some hypoallergenic baby wipes after eating and peeing to keep those areas clean.

What you're experiencing is common with greyhounds, and you can search here in the forum for the many (many!) threads related to spook dogs, idiopathic fear syndrome, anxious dogs. There's tons of information for you to read through in those threads, along with a lot of ways to help her. I have had a dog like this myself, so I know how difficult and frustrating they can be to deal with all day, every day. The best advice I can give you is to consider that she has a mental health challenge herself. She's not normal. She's effectively disabled with a condition much like autism. It's probably genetic in nature, and breeders say they can actually see individual dogs - or even whole litters - turning reactive as they grow. Spooks are *extremely* sensitive to any change in their environment. They often won't respond to their names. They often don't like to be touched. They can engaged in obsessive behavioral cues like licking, pacing, and chewing and scratching themselves raw. They can be very reactive to strangers, both human and animal. They can be overly protective to invasions of what they consider their personal space. They do better if you keep their world very small, and on a very strict schedule. One or two rooms in the house, same walking path, same feeding schedule - every day. Give her a "safe spot" in your house where she can retreat to when she's feeling threatened - a nice crate, a dogbed in a separate, quiet room that she won't be disturbed in. And make that spot completely off-limits to any guests. Do NOT expect her to interact with anyone, and keep curious people out of her space. You need to be her advocate and protector. If you have to do potty walks, try and time them when the streets are less busy and noisy (they are often sensitive to noises). Don't expect more than she can give. Unlike autism, these behaviors in dogs can often be helped by anti anxiety medications. It can help rebalance their brain chemistry and help them be more relaxed. Macoduck above outlined her journey to find the proper anti anxiety medication for her dog. As she mentioned, her vet has a background in pharmacology, and could help direct this search in an informed way. You may want to consider a consult with a canine neurologist, or a certified behaviorist with a experience working with dogs with anxiety disorders. Many of the medications that could help your girl will be off-label uses of human anti anxiety medications, and that's a huge complicated knowledge base that's changing all the time. You will probably need to try several different drugs and doses to find the one that helps her the most. It's a long road that needs to be traveled from here. Good luck!

I'll echo what everyone has said and will continue to tell you - you made the best decision available with the information you had. That's all any of us can do. I doubt the toenail had anything to do with anything, though a panic attack could have triggered some physical issue, especially a stroke or internal rupture. And, while I don't like to question the professionals, you not seeing any symptoms of pneumonia in the previous days (panting, coughing, physical weakness, fever), it seems like a curious diagnosis. If he did suffer a heart related issue, or an embolism, it could have caused some lung filling leading to a cascade of failure. BUT - knowing the cause would NOT have changed the outcome. You would have been faced with exactly the same decision. It just sucks. I am so sorry that Logan had to leave. {{{hugs}}}

Safe trip!!!

When she sees the cat, is she staring at it fixated and you're unable to break her concentration? Does she try to chase it? Is the cat interested in the dog and seeking her out when you're outside at other times?? Have you tried taking her further afield from her normal potty spot to see if you can break her fascination with the "cat in the yard?" A high prey drive dog can sometimes become obsessed with seeking out prey, but this seems to be a pretty extreme reaction. Did your vet look at a fecal sample to make sure there was no disease or parasite present?? Is she having diarrhea all day every day? Have you changed her food or eating schedule at all recently?? Will she sleep quietly/normally during the first part of the night? Does she display these same anxiety behaviors during the day? If this is only a nighttime, 4am in the morning thing then I would speculate she may be waking up on her old racing kennel schedule (they usually wake them up early to get the day started), and has to go urgently, then gets outside and sees the cat. If she's truly not having a medical issue, and you can't break her habit, you may need to try a course of anti anxiety medication at bedtime to get her calmed down.

Sometimes it's just meant to be. Laila

It's a Roach!!!

Every breed can and does have individual dogs who don't care for slick floors. Until you meet one and see how they react you can't make generalizations about any certain breed.

Our bedroom is on the second floor too, so we bought a camp cot for when they start staying downstairs and need a human closer by. With extra padding it's actually quite comfortable. Good to hear he's rallying a bit. Makes you appreciate every day even more. {{{hugs}}}

The other option is to use something like a ground cloth or very thin runners. The dogs just need to feel something grippier than a smooth floor, not necessarily something thick like an actual rug. That way you can also secure the all the edges to the floor with carpet tape to make it safer for your husband. Anything with a low profile can work depending on your husbands needs - FLOR floor tiles, green artificial turf runners, paint tarps cut to fit, thin outdoor rugs/runners, vinyl office floor runners. Some folks have had success using things like PAWZ socks or toenail grips or paw pad stickers to help their dog feel more secure on slicker floors without rugs. It also helps to keep their paws clean and well moisturized, so they stay flexible and naturally grippy. A dry paw pad gives a very slick feel on smooth floors. We've had the spectrum here in regards to comfort on smooth floors - all the way from "no problems" to my one now who has to be carried into the vets office because she won't leave the entrance mat by the door!! But definitely ask if they have any information about how any prospective dog reacts with slick floors.

Good job!!!

Stop letting her dictate where you go. Walk quickly, with purpose, out the door and down the street the other way. Keep her close to you and a firm hand on the leash, and moving right along - walk with purpose. If she starts to hesitate or try to head in a different direction, give the leash a shake, and tell her to "come on girl!!" in a happy voice. Once she's moving along with you again, give her a (normal) treat and continue. Keep encouraging her to keep up with you as you go along a way you've mapped out in advance, so you don't have to stop and think about which way to go (preferably a way that does NOT go by your car at all). If you want/need to give her time to potty or sniff, wait until you're outside of your familiar neighborhood area. Set a goal of getting her to a spot and then let her have her head and freedom to go where she wants. As long as it's not back towards the car!!