kolarik1
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Posts posted by kolarik1
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Thanks everyone! It's been great to meet all of the groups and learn about the breed! We're thinking we may foster for a bit to see how it goes with Oscar + 1, but I'm sure it won't be long until we have at least one more permanent family member =) My husband wasn't able to go to the past meet and greets, so he'll be joining me at the next one and then hopefully we'll be able to submit an application to a group soon. All of the groups all been so great, it's going to be tough to figure out which one!
Thanks again! Hopefully I'll be able to share some greyhound pictures soon!
Here's one of Oscar- not a grey, but we love him.
Oscar is adorable...Fostering is wonderful! I'm on my 43rd foster with most of them being from Allies. You get to see all the 'firsts'....their first toy..first snow..teach them all about homelife. It's a wonderful experience and good luck to you!
Oscar is a cutie. And congrats on fostering...you'll also get to seem them discover that weird dog in the mirror who mimicks them, the t.v., STAIRS!!! (LOL) My first foster thought the refrigerator door was going to eat her the first couple of days
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Thanks everyone!
Kolarik1 - both! I received 2 degrees from MSU and am now lucky enough to work there after living in S. FL for 3 years (we LOVE being back).
K9Cookies and OwnedBySummer - I've gotten some excellent information from people at GEM- I went to their meet & greet last Saturday. I just figured it would be great to meet some Lansing-area greyhound people too.
mcsheltie - I'm planning on going tomorrow, so hopefully I will meet you there! Do you know if it will be ok if I bring Oscar or do you know for sure there will be greys there that are not so fond of smaller dogs? He's close to 30lbs, so he's not exactly a small dog, but obviously not quite as big as a greyhound. He did really well with them the last couple of weeks- we just wait to approach until we know who may not want to meet him =) If you think it would be a problem though, he can stay at home.
Got any good leads on jobs near Pensacola/Milton? I have a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences. I currently have a good job in MI, but want to be closer to DBF.
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I don't know where Lansing is... but GEM in Michigan is a wonderful group. Really nice people. And they also do a prison program with the dogs, too, which I think is really cool. They are having a big event in May (13-15) at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Ann Arbor. Woot! -- and we're coming down for it! GEM Event
In good weather/traffic you could probably make it to Lansing in about 45 min from AA...Lansing is about center in the southern part of the state from west to east. It takes about 90 min to get to Detroit (not the suburbs, actual Detroit) and about an hour to get to Grand Rapids using I-96 for both cities.
I was raised in Northern Lower MI, went to MSU & love the Greater Lansing area...lived near Metro Detroit for 5 years and that was HORRIBLE!!!! I absolutely cannot stand that area! Give me the East Lansing/Lansing/Bath/Okemos area over Metro Detroit any day...Northern MI is a little too quiet for me but there are a couple of cities that I could live near if I had to (not a fan of living in the city, which I currently do)
Of the fosters listed on our site, I've met Graphite & Dewey who last I knew were still in the Lansing area and I've met Molly who is actually a smaller-to-average size girl (I have a larger male and average female).
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Hi!
I've been lurking around this forum for the past few days, so I figured I would take this opportunity to introduce myself! We haven't yet added a grey to our family, but are looking to do it soon! Oscar (our rescued JRT mix) and I been to a couple of meet and greets on the East side of MI and met some really great people, but will also be going to some more in the next few weeks. My husband is taking the bar very soon, so any major life changes will have to take place after that =)
We're in the Lansing area, so I was also hoping to find out about any local adoption groups/ resources. My searches seem to put most of the groups on the East and West sides of MI- though I am planning on attending a G.R.A.C.E. meet and greet this weekend closer to home. At this point I am trying to learn as much as possible- I've read the Cynthia Branigan and Lee Livingood books and now am just trying to get as much personal insight from people owned by greys as possible!
Thanks in advance!
I don't know if Mcsheltie has responded yet, but we are both with G.R.A.C.E. and we're both in the Lansing area. We have fosters all over, I know some are in Lansing, some in Grand Rapids and some in the Metro Detroit area/northern Ohio areas. There should be a meet'n'greet tomorrow at PetSmart in Okemos, but check the calendar on our website. I'm currently visiting my DBF in Florida, but will be back in Michigan on Monday. Mcsheltie's DH may be at the meet'n'greet tomorrow along with another couple from the Lansing area, I'm not sure who exactly will be there but they'll gladly answer any questions that you have. If I was in Michigan I'd probably go to help out with the fosters. If you look on our site, Uno and Adora were my fosters but both have found wonderful homes perfect for each of them.
Welcome!
ETA, do you go to MSU or work for MSU? I was just looking at your name.
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I'm soooo sorry. I had to have Mousey put to sleep due to cancer and she was barely 8 1/2...Just remember he loved you and you loved him and you gave him a wonderful life, that's all that really matters.
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I started crying when I saw Mousey's name there...it's been 3 weeks today since she passed. And right as I started crying Zelda came over and gave me a kiss on my arm, my sweet nutty girl.
Everyone is happy at the Bridge, having a wonderful time I am sure of it
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One thing I have done for gassy pups is put an acidophilus pill either in their food or shoved into their mouth at each feeding and that has really helped with gas.
My foster Uno is on TOTW Pacific Stream and he can still have gas, but nothing too bad.
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Does anyone feed this? If so, what variety and do you buy in a local store or online?
Thanks!
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One thing I just realized, and it may not be related...but Mousey's lymphoma started near her intestines more on her right side...which is where she was bit by my cousin's dog almost 6 years ago. It just makes me wonder.
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She is a beautiful girl. Hugs to you.
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I think Pop & Zelda are kinda looking for her, although I did come home and immediately went over to Pop and cried into his shoulder. Pop was adopted roughly 6 months after I got Mousey and then about 2 years later Zelda was adopted. Mousey ALWAYS made Pop share his bed, even though he would growl at her...she told him who the boss was (all 9 lbs. of her). I still remember one time while playing with Pop, Mousey got jealous came running over, jumped up and hung from Pop's neck
Pop stood very still with this look of 'OMG, what do I do?' And during the home visit with Zelda, Zelda and the other girlie chased Mousey up a 5' ladder, literally
Nothing like seeing 2 greyhound girlies bumping butts down the hallway trying to get to the kitty first. Needless to say, Mousey wasn't overly thrilled when Zelda came home to live -
I had to help my adorable kitty to the bridge today. She was diagnosed with lymphoma at the end of August, so I have been preparing myself, but it has not made it any easier. I keep expecting her to tell me it's time for her food, or to come walk across my laptop because *she* is the one who is allowed on my lap, not the computer. I would love to be able to watch her face light up when the Christmas tree is put up in the years to come, but I am glad that she did enjoy herself when I put it up on my birthday about 1 1/2 weeks ago.
She was a great kitty who my cousin adopted as a kitten in October of 2002...about a year later, she gave Mousey to her sister who had her for just over a year before her high prey drive dog bit Mousey...which is when I got her. This spring would have been 6 years that I would have been owned by Mousey & I am glad I started taking pictures right from the start up until Dec. 1 of this year.
She was a good dog bed & crate tester:
And also good at checking out the dog dishes to ensure they met the minimum standards:
And she was NOT fond of her Halloween costumes/hats:
I will bury her at my parents house, which is next to Lake Michigan alongside my other cats...that way I will always know where my little pumpkin is.
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My 2 do well on Diamond Naturals...I switch it up between the chicken, lamb and beef flavors for them. However, my foster Uno doesn't do well on it...loose stools, so he is on Taste of the Wild.
ETA a 40 lb bag (sometimes you can find 44 lb bag for same price) runs $27 - 30 depending on the flavor...and the price seems to be the same whether I go to Tractor Supply, Menards (similar to Home Depot/Lowes) or Pet Supplies Plus. One bag seems to last approx. 3 - 4 weeks for my 2 pups.
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My foster has really dry skin. He drinks a ton of water & I give him fish oil capsules (one pill twice/day - they are from Sams) yet he has a lot of dandruff. I have looked him & my pets over, no sign of fleas. I really don't want to put a humidifier in my apartment, although I know the air is dry here in Michigan with winter coming. So, any suggestions on what to add to his diet? I am currently feeding him TOTW Pacific Stream.
Could this be because he is blowing his track coat & I just need to brush him more? I brushed him yesterday & got a fair amount of hair off of him, which is what kicked up a lot of dandruff.
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I should add the vet did a complete physical exam on Zelda & didn't see anything wrong, nothing neurological either. Due to the low WBC (low end of normal) the vet started listing off possibilities and then said '...cancer, which is low to last on the list.' I stopped her and said 'actually, not with her as her sire passed around 6 1/2 years of age because he had stomach cancer.' She asked which kind, which I didn't know, I just know that he had passed. So, there go my worries, yet again, that her genetics will catch up to her.
Another thing that we were told about seizures is never to put your hand into their mouth because they cannot control it and WILL bite you. Fortunately, she was able to control that so that is another good sign!!
Sending many good thoughts for your trip and Zelda's health!
Yeah, I know I shouldn't have stuck my hand in there, but I was worried she had swallowed something when I wasn't looking & her airway was blocked, although she wasn't choking. Besides, she has a tendency to bite when playing as she never really learned bite inhibition...still, not going to reach my hand in again unless I notice she is choking on her tongue during a seizure.
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Dogs can have "absence seizures" (petit mal seizures) as well as the gran mal sort, so actual convulsions are not inevitable. If your vet thinks this might have been a seizure, ask for a prescription for valium before your trip to Florida. Valium is used to break up cluster seizures (one seizure occurring after another), and having valium on hand can eliminate the need for a frantic race to an emergency vet.
Before your vet visit, write down some notes: what time of day this happened, how long since her previous meal (did she eat normally? how much?), approximate temperature at the M&G, how long the "event" was obvious to you, how long did it take her to get back to normal (seizures often have an aftermath period where the dog is responding to its name but still is not "right"). After the event, was she eating and pooping and moving normally? Or was there a problem (e.g., diarrhea, nausea, grogginess)? Be prepared to keep a similar record of any future events Zelda has. There may be something in her life that triggers these episodes. And ask your vet about the possibility of a tick-borne disease. TBDs often manifest as neurological problems; TBDs can lie dormant for a long time, then spring up years after the dog was exposed.
And before your trip to Florida, hunt on-line to determine where emergency vets are located. You might want to print maps (or addresses and phone numbers) and take that with you, along with a copy of Zelda's medical records.
Also, the most urgent thing: Make sure Zelda is protected from your other dogs when you aren't there to take care of her. It's not unknown for dogs to attack a dog having a seizure--even dogs from the same household. Zelda needs to be crated for safety or all the dogs need to be muzzled when you aren't going to be home to look after them. And if there is another episode with Zelda, be prepared to push the other dogs into a spare room or move Zelda to a safe place (like an ex-pen; getting her into and out of a regular crate when she may be seizing could be difficult). And if you have Zelda and the other dogs together in the car, you may need to muzzle everyone. If Zelda has a problem while you're doing 55 on the expressway, you won't be able to help her very quickly.
Thank you for the good ideas. I crate when I'm gone, although I am trying leaving Uno loose w/Pop (both are muzzled) to see if that will stop his SA...I think he just hates being crated after finding out that he no longer has to be...so far he has passed today, we'll see if he cries tomorrow when I'm gone.
I will have a passenger on the trip to Florida, so I will have muzzles with me and someone to help...I will also get ER vets in the area. I took Zelda outside yesterday as soon as I saw something wasn't right as I didn't want her going down in front of the other greys, but I should have just pulled her off by the vet out of the reach of the other greys. I will move the boys into a separate room if Zelda has another episode as I know the other dogs may attack her if she has another seizure.
I just got back from the vet & hadn't been on the computer yet today. The vet said that it could have been a petit mal seizure & suggested I keep a journal. They did find a heart murmur which she hasn't had before & her blood work came back good except her WBC are on the low side (3.65 and low end normal is 3.5 for greys)...they ran a urine sample & that was good, so no UTI but they gave a script for Doxycycline in case there is an infection unknown to us currently & want to re-check her bloodwork in 2 weeks. I will ask about a script for valium & see if they can give it to me.
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My first thought was seizure, but her body didn't convulse, so then I thought stroke due to the stiffness & her falling down in the front. Plus, I know people can get heat stroke, so maybe her body temp rose enough to do something similiar with her? I feel horrible for this, but she has done meet'n'greets before for 3 hours and was fine (just panted a lot like she did today).
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When My Curfew gets his "episodes," I give him (1) 81 mg low dose aspirin (*to break up a possible clot). I also give him rectal Valium if needed (per the vet) to calm him down and it stops whatever he has.
Per Dr. Couto, I also give 1/2 81 mg low dose aspirin daily, with a Pepcid AC, to keep his blood thin.
I wouldn't recommend any of the above, until Zelda sees her vet, and testing is done. This may never happen again, either, but, I'd get everything checked out, just to be sure.
Curfew also gets 5 mg of Valium at night, because he is very very restless at night, ever since he had his first "episode" two years ago. I definitely think he has some brain damage :-(
Please keep us posted on your baby girl! Hugs! Dee
Thank you, I really appreciate it. We are leaving a week from Sunday to drive to Florida, so I am hoping I have a firm grasp on what is happening by then. She is acting pretty much like her old self, just a little tired. I am hoping she still wants to play bumper butt (she bumps me with her butt because she wants a butt massage) while we are out walking.
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Wow! You must have been very frightened. Yes, it does sound like a seizure to me. Was she very tired afterward? It could also have been a TIA (mini stroke).
I would not bring her to anymore M and Gs, and keep her out of stressful situations as well.
I'd recommend bloodwork, a full exam, and be sure the vet checks her blood pressure. This is soooo often overlooked with dogs, and it can be the cause of a lot of problems. My Curfew had an "episode" about 2.5 years ago, and has smaller ones every now and then. I call them mini strokes, one vet, seizures, ... another vet doesn't know, so, when he has them, I treat for both a mini stroke and seizure. Anyway, shortly after we started going to the vet here, she did an EKG on him (normal) but his blood pressures were off the charts, so, how, he is on Enalapril for his BP, and it is working great.
Sending lots of hugs, support and prayers your way, and hoping this was an isolated incident.
How do you treat for a stroke or seizure? She didn't seem tired so much as just out of it. Then once she was with it, she just wanted to go. I know when I had childhood seizures they just watched me to make sure I didn't get hurt, but what do you do for a dog?
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Let me start by saying Zelda HATES going inside new places, which means she doesn't like pet stores. We had a meet'n'greet today, so I took Uno & Zelda...I have taken Zelda to meet'n'greets before, not a lot, but a handful. Zelda panted like crazy (like she normally does) which of course makes her warm...she drank a little water while there. We had been there over 2 hours when I saw her lay down on the blanket we had there, but she didn't seem right. I thought she might have to potty so I got her to walk outside but she was walking stiff on her left side.
We get outside by the corner of the building and she is super stiff on the one side, her front half kept falling to the ground, her jaw was clamped shut and her pupils looked about the size of a pin. I pryed open her mouth (twice) and stuck my fingers down her throat to see if she had swallowed something & by doing this I pushed her tongue out of the way both times. I kept telling her to look @ me and she tried her hardest to obey but she just couldn't control her body. That's when I thought 'why am I OUTSIDE? Our booth is right by the vet.' So I took her back in...the worst was over & she was still walking a little stiff & she seemed a little disoriented. I did take her back outside for a few minutes to cool her off & she seemed to be almost herself, but still a little out of it.
So, was this a seizure? And was it stress/heat induced? She always flips out over meet'n'greets which is why I don't take her often, but I won't be taking her back after this.
I stopped by my vet on the way back & they had just closed so I talked to them & they recommend doing bloodwork. I scheduled an appt., but should I just watch her to see if it happens again or go get the bloodwork done?
Needless to say I almost bawled @ the meet'n'greet because I thought I was watching Zelda die in front of me & I felt helpless (yes I was overreacting).
Thanks for all input.
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Usually if their ears are cold, they're cold around here! Landlord keeps the place @ 72, but these old windows are drafty. So, what I do on the chilly/cold nights is bring all the pups into the bedroom with me and shut the door almost all the way. The radiator warms up the room very nicely and we are all nice & warm for the entire night (I have started bringing a water dish in as well in case any of the pets should get thirsty, but mainly Uno & Mousey drink out of it).
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I can't see any situation where I would attempt to use a dremel on a cat.
I actually used it once on my cat while someone else held her (holding her is required anyway to do her back nails, she has all her nails still). My cat was pretty good about the dremel and it was super quick, but now that I live alone I'm lucky if I can hold her still long enough to use the clippers on her front nails.
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Uno has a home visit today, so I am trying to make sure the stitches are out. I'll have someone else double check before we arrive at the home visit...this family met him last Sunday and fell in love with him.
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Is it possible for the pups to pull out a stitch after being neutered? I know Uno wouldn't leave that area alone earlier this week and when I went to take out his stitches, I got one out. The other one had a scab over it, so I picked that off gently and don't see a stitch. He was neutered almost 2 weeks ago on Monday. It doesn't look inflamed or anything, I'm just not seeing the second stitch. Thanks!
ETA I put triple antibiotic cream on that area after taking out the stitch and picking at the scab, so I'm currently watching to make sure he doesn't lick that off.
Pop stood very still with this look of 'OMG, what do I do?' 
Nothing like seeing 2 greyhound girlies bumping butts down the hallway trying to get to the kitty first. Needless to say, Mousey wasn't overly thrilled when Zelda came home to live
Hello From Columbus, Oh - Or Soon To Be Corvallis Or
in Introductions & Biography
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How is Willow at traveling in general? Does she like car rides? I travel to/from Pensacola, FL (starting in Lansing, MI) with my 2 pups. I just stop every 4 hours to let them out, give them water...they eat before we leave and when we get there. If the weather is bad like this last time, then I'll crash at a hotel for the night...I stopped @ Best Western, but others on here who go to Sandy Paws, GIG, Dewey, etc. could tell you of other chain hotels that would allow pets. Mine can handle the 15 1/2 hour drive straight through, but not much more than that. If you do your drive over a couple of days then you'll be able to book a hotel in advance.
And welcome to GT!