PrairieProf

Congratulations!! She is gorgeous. Her facial markings are really unusual, the way her "mask" comes down onto her muzzle. And her BIG ticking spots, so cute! I am so thrilled for you that everything's going so well! I also think Aoife is a beautiful name (and/but I did know how to pronounce it already!).

Frankly, I would never expect my dog to hold it that long (or stay in a crate that long without a chance to stretch her legs) -- though I presume she could hold it in an emergency. Fortunately I'm a professor and don't have to be gone that long most days, but on the day I am I have a petsitter come to walk Beth midday (yes, she is crated). And for what it's worth, we leash walk 3-4x a day in all weather -- snow, ice, whatever. The walks may be short if it's subzero, but we still do it. Even if I had a bigger yard we'd still walk at least twice a day. A pair of Yaktrax helps a lot if it's slippery. If the road is plowed, a dog can walk.

Bang-O-Rama is saying nay, don't bother. My understanding (which the more scientifically astute can correct) is that unlike humans, who manufacture all their enzymes, dogs eating raw as they would be in nature get some of their enzymes in their food, which is how their systems are supposed to work. Presumably the stomach acids don't destroy the enzymes before they do whatever they're supposed to do. Dogs eating kibble don't get that, so their pancreas has to work harder than it would otherwise. For that matter, however, many people have also benefited from taking digestive enzymes if they're having problems.

It seems to me there are more greys (or at least as many) with at least some little split or nick in one or more ear tips than not. My understanding is also that it's likely from puppyhood (since older greys are always muzzled for turnout, especially).

I use enzymes, though I really can't say what difference they make. I started when Beth had loose poop after I got her before I found the right kibble for her (TOTW). I have continued because the health benefits seem worthwhile (improving nutrient absorption, lessening the risk of bloat, etc.). Sometimes I think of taking her off them for a while to see if it makes a difference, but I never do. All I can say is that she almost never has gas, despite having a pretty sensitive digestive system.

Oh no, I am so very sorry for your sudden loss. Such a young boy and so handsome!

I really find myself wondering if it's that common a problem, if only because I've been on GT for over two years and don't recall reading anything about it, despite the countless health issues I've read threads on!

Welcome -- Portia is so pretty! Love her perky ears. ("Hot Italian Dish" Maybe her nickname should be "Pasta"!)

Well, just to offer a positive view on crates, my Beth loves hers, and I still use it when I go out after two years -- she goes right in when she can tell I'm about to leave (or when she hears me get the Kong out of the freezer!), and doesn't come out in a hurry when I get home and open it up. I appreciate having the crate as a familiar safe place for her when we are staying in other places -- I would not feel comfortable leaving her loose in a strange environment, so I haul it around with us. And I like knowing my cat is 100% safe, and that Beth isn't chewing anything up as she has been known to do. Anyway, mine is the folding wire kind, 48" -- I can just manage to lift it up on the racks of my Subaru by myself. I think I ordered it from Petco, they have free shipping over $50. I cut up an old foam egg-crate mattress pad to soften the tray, and now use a simple rectangular dog bed over that, I think I got it at Target (and a pillow, because like many greys she likes to rest her head on something!). When I first brought Beth home I used a folded quilt on top of the egg-crate, but found she tended to dig it up to nest. When I first brought Beth home I used a baby gate (extra tall) with a little cat door in the bottom of the part that opens so that I could keep her in part of the house with no access to the cat at times (when I couldn't directly supervise), and then would open the cat door so the cat could choose to be in the part where Beth was or not. I highly recommend this style! After a while Beth and my cat were fine together (this took a few months until the cat was really relaxed in her presence) and I stopped using it -- it's at my parents' house to block off access to the bathroom where the cat's food and litter is when I stay there (at home they're in the basement, where Beth doesn't go). I don't remember which site I got it from, but this is the product: http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-0941PW-Extra-Tall-Walk-Thru-White/dp/B000JJFNJK Also -- I have always kept a blanket or whatever on the top of my crate. At the track and kennel the top is never "see-through," so it gives more of the den effect. (Plus the crate takes up so much room, I tend to pile dog coats etc. on top of it anyway!)

That's pretty cute, though I'd definitely be alarmed too if my hound suddenly started making that sound! FWIW half-sister Beth is a resolute non-rooer, even during "group roos" at greyhound events -- she looks around like she's got no clue what all those silly dogs are doing.

I like this. I've learned that pacing and being more active at an unusual time are Beth's main signals for needing to go. The only times she's ever had an accident in the house (three times during the first four months or so after I brought her home) were because I hadn't learned this yet. She's on a schedule too so now the "need to go out" behavior almost always involves her having D. A week or so ago she was playful and barking after dinner when she's usually in a coma, and just didn't settle down, so I took her out ... sure enough, we had a little incident stemming from those nasty treats the folks at Petsmart had given her earlier in the day. Once in a while she stands facing the front door, but not always....

I devote an incredible amount of mental energy to keeping Beth's walks and life interesting. We do the same short walks a midday and late at night, but for morning or late afternoon walks, I always vary it, either in the neighborhood or taking Beth in the car to walk bike trails, in the state park, etc. But I'm single and taking care of her has become my major hobby. I do think she'd be fine on familiar routes at least for a while, since there would be new smells from day to day.

I agree about the need to do serious alone training ... when you introduced Lola and said how attached she was to you and how you'd been home with her for a number of days, this is actually something I thought of asking about -- it seemed like a setup for a separation anxiety issue to develop. I doubt it is anxiety about the crate per se as opposed to being alone -- has she shown any evidence of trying to break out of the crate? But that will be easy to tell if you make a game of going in the crate and then seeing how she does in there for very very short and gradually increasing periods while you're still around. It's not safe to crate her if it's the crate making her anxious ... I will say, however, that after over two years I still crate Beth when I'm not home as she does better that way and does have a tendency to get into trouble when left out, so I am quite pro-crate. If you are not familiar with the alone training protocol, Patricia McConnell's booklet "I'll Be Home Soon" is highly recommended. And, of course, make sure she has a real walk before you ever leave her, so that she's done whatever pooping she needs to do.

I am so sorry. What a very beautiful girl. You and Neyla will be in my thoughts.

Checking in on Goldie . . . I'm sorry you haven't found a "magic bullet," but you're both hanging in so bravely. I'm glad she seems happy enough during the day, at least!

Big congratulations, and wishing you many many happy and healthy years with Lola!

I am so very sorry for your loss.

I'm so very sorry Goldie isn't doing better, poor girl, and that you have to contemplate this difficult decision.

Oh, I am so very sorry. I remember Star and was just wondering about how she was doing within the past week or so. I am so very sorry she had to go so young. She was such a beautiful and clearly very loved girl.

How scary! I have no experience with this, but I thought I'd note that "squamous cells" are just the kind of cells in skin, pretty much -- it's not a term of pathology, so don't freak about that.

Oh no! I am shocked and so very sorry.

Beth was sick with vomiting and clearly feeling crappy about a week and a half ago, and after a good bit of diagnostic testing my vet feels it was a virus and said he'd seen a lot of that going around in the last few weeks. So it may not be anything you caused and certainly not the food. Especially with all of them getting it like that. But I do agree they may need fluids and you should take them to the vet.

What a beautiful little pumpkin kitty. I am so very sorry for your loss.

Wow, that hole was really, really high-value to him, huh? I haven't had Beth growl at me so I can't add to the advice you've gotten about that, but I'll just throw in that in cold weather she is absolutely obsessed with eating frozen poop (or dirt clods, if she thinks they're poop) at the dog park. It's very annoying, and of course I can't put a muzzle with stool guard on because, well, it's the dog park and she's not alone.

I had my vet do it over a series of sessions for Beth when she had a sore neck ... it seemed to help, though it's hard to tell since it seemed just to be a muscular issue that would have gotten better anyway. But I'll definitely do it again if and when she has any need for it. She yelped once or twice when she moved a little and a needle poked her the wrong way, but was otherwise very relaxed (the vet was giving her a nice neck massage at the same time, and you could see her close her eyes and lean into it....).