greydad92

Hi All, Zero is great...8 years old, nice shiny teeth, soft coat, lots of smiles and hugs. I have a dilemma I'd like to share with you all and interested in your thoughts. I'm going away on a vacation this Summer for a week. It's about 4 hours away with my family. I will going several places where dogs aren't allowed. When I'm at work Zero alone in my house baby-gated into my bedroom, a hallway and the guest room. He's home for ten hours a day with Kongs and toys and does great. He's a very good boy. The problem is, if I travel with him somewhere and have to leave him alone at say my mother's house where he's been several times he doesn't do well, panting, drooling like crazy, chewing up moldings on the doors and goodness knows what else. He doesn't crate well either, I've already gone down that route. So here are my options (any other suggestions would be appreciated): 1.) My dog/house sitter isn't available that week. He's a great guy and Zero can be home and "safe" 2.) I could bring him with me, but just don't trust him in the house alone. I could do the go away for a minute, come back, 2 minutes come back, 3 minutes, come back, etc., etc., etc. thing, but I honestly don't know if that will work. If it doesn't I'm kind of limited as to what I can do as far as going places, doing things, etc. 3.) Sure I could have family members watch him, but don't really want to "burden" them with that. They all have busy lives during the week as we all do. 4.) I took him to a local greyhound rescue for a night and they said he did fine in the crate with other greyhounds around. It's just that I left him alone in a crate in my Mom's house once and he actually got out of it and could have killed himself in the process, than God he didn't. 5.) I thought about finding someone else with a greyhound that could sit him, but he had an "issue" once when left alone with another grey. Who started what I'm not sure. So there you have it. I'm not sure what to do. Thanks for reading (listening), Zero's Daddy

Yes, Zero like to play at home with his sqeaky toys. He also has those "greyhound" sperts of energy on his walk where he spins around.....freezes, spins around....freezes....growels....spins around....it's so funny.

Hi All, Zero's daddy here. First off Zero will be eight in April and he's doing great, my how time flys. The vet gave him a thumbs up on his checkup and said his teeth look great!! That's from brishing them daily. I think I posted something like this a while ago, but are greyhounds as lazy as I think they are? Zero just lays down all over the place. If he's on my bed and I need to make it he'll jump off and get on his bed and lay down. If I'm in the kitchen he lays on the rug right in front of the sink......convenient place eah He's a lazy boy indeed. I've also mentioned before that on walks he quite often lags behind me to where I'm almost pulling him along, no limping or anything, just lagging behind. However, when we walk with other greys he always walks in front of me. Sure, he's getting older, but I definitely like to keep him exercised. Other times he walks beside me, but more often walks behind. Anyway, just a survey to y'all to ask, are your greyhounds lazy? Silly question right? "40 mph couch potatoes". Sincerely, Zeeo's Daddy

Thanks :-) Please send Razzi our best.

Hi All, Just got back from vet. She took an x-ray df Zero's mid section and it looked normal. She said probably whatever he ate on the golf course may have upset his stomach and may have caused some acid reflux. She gave him a shot of and perscribed Pepsid. Thanks to all for your comments. Sincerely, Tony

Gurgling sounds in his tummy, abdomin is soft, he seems to be calming down now. I'm going to call his vet. They open in 1/2 hour Gurgling sounds in his tummy, abdomin is soft, he seems to be calming down now. I'm going to call his vet. They open in 1/2 hour

No, not drinking a lot of water Definitely a lot of gas going on

I just took him out again and he pooped normally. Could it just be an upset tummy? When I was growing up my parents always had dogs and I've never seen a dog exhibit this sort of behavior for so long.

Oh, and really bad gas. We were out on the golf course walking yesterday morning and he found something small on the ground that he ate quicker than I could react to. Who knows what it was.

Hi All, Very strange behavior from my greyhound this morning. I was getting ready to take Zero out and all of a sudden he started swallowing like something was stuck in his throat or he was going vomit, but he never ate anything. I took him outside and he immediately started eating the slush on the ground and the grass. He kept doing that no matter where we went in the yard. He peed, I brought him back inside, still swallowing. His breathing seems to be ok. I gave him his breakfast thinking that it could wash down whatever was in his throat, but he was still swallowing. Now it's about 1/2 later and he's still doing it. He's also extremely clingy to me, following me around the house more than usual. I don't know what this is. If it keeps up for much longer I'm going to take him to the emergency room. Has anyone ever seen this in their greyhound? Sincerely, Tony (Zero's daddy)

Actually it was 1lb of cream cheese

Not fat free

Hi All, Zero ate 2 lbs of clam dip.....cream cheese and clams. We had it out on. The table and we found that he ate it in about 5 minutes. He's been a very bad dog this Christmas season. Should I be worried? Bad dog -Tony

Hi All, Zero is doing just fine. He didn't poop in the house at all.....what a good boy, I'm so proud of him. Thanks everyone for all your help, comments, etc. Sincerely, Tony

Otherwise Zero is doing great. He's 7 & 1/2, this coming February I will have had him three years. Got him right from the track. He's a wonderful boy, my best friend. I think Santa will bring him lots of cool stuff this Christmas......despite the fact that he is a little devil

So all joking aside, I shouldn't worry? I'm worried about bloat.

Hi All, Zero's daddy here. I went to the grocery store and made another quick stop. While I was in the store Zero got into my shopping band and ate 1/2 loaf of very dense whole wheat bread. Should I take him to the vet? What should I look out for? I know lots of poop to come. What. Should I do? Just one piece of this bread is is 100 calories, contains 4 grams of fiber. He probably ate ten plus slices. Sincerely, Tony

Thanks for the suggestion Chad. I'll do the 5 sec, 20 sec. thing.

Do you have a fenced in yard? I don't which makes it hard.

I'll totally give him a hug for you. He is a very good boy. Mom would totally be fine if I confine him with a baby gate. Luckily she has friends in the area that can stay with him at her house if we go out to dinner or something like that for short periods of time. It looks like that may be the best answer to this, but I would like him to be abble to stay relaxed when left alone though in those situations.

Hi George, Thanks for your response. Even if Zero is home in or out of his crate and I'm out doing yard work, mowing the lawn or anything right outside the house, he freaks as well. He's chewed up a window sill, drools all over and pants. However, when I go to work and leave him for ten hours a day he's fine. The next time I go to Mom's house I'll try the baby gate thing. I'll also do the 'leave him for 5 minutes, check, 10 minutes, check, 20 minutes, check, etc.' so he gets used to it.

Medication will be an absolute last resort. I'd rather him not be on one because he is fine most of the time. Would I have to have him on meds all the time or is this as a need to use basis? I will do whatever it takes to help my boy. I should have known better about leaving him in that crate.

Zero actually sleeps in his crate on his bed every night, with the crate door open of course. My mom has a six bedroom six bathroom house with antiques. There is a lot to get into. I don't think I'd feel comfortable letting him have run of the house with no one home Hi MaryJane, Thanks for the advise Zero actually sleeps in his crate every night, with the door open of course. Thanks again. I could not agree more. My Murray would lose his mind locked in a room inside a crate with the door closed. Wow, I had no idea. Thanks for your response

Hi All, This past weekend I went to visit my mother in Pennsylvania. I went down Saturday and came back today. Sunday, Mom & I went to church. I put Zero in his very large metal wire crate in my bedroom with his bed, a Kong & water. Air conditioning was on and talk radio was playing softly in the background. I shut my bedroom door and proceeded to go to church with my mother. We returned two hours later. When she unlocked her front door, Zero was standing there with paint chips on his face, obviously shaken up. I went up stairs and found that he chewed and broke up 1/3 of the plastic bottom of the crate and he managed to squeeze his way through the bottom front of the crate to get out. He then proceeded to chew the molding on the side of the bedroom door to bits and somehow managed to open the door. There was probably 1/2 cup of drool on the floor. Zero is lucky he didn’t rip himself open and kill himself getting out of that crate, but he had no injuries thank God. He obviously has extreme separation anxiety. When he’s home and has access to my bedroom and guest room 10-hours-a-day he’s fine. However, if I leave him in his crate and I go outside to mow the lawn or do yard work he barks non-stop and I find him drooling all over himself. I’ve run into issues with him before leaving him alone in my mothers house. The last time I was there he was uncrated and left in my bedroom with the door shut. He chewed the molding by the door up pretty badly. I’m very upset by all this. I’m going to work as hard as I can to resolve this. I would appreciate sharing any information you have have about this. Sincerely, Aryon92

Thanks all for the kind words. I'm beating myself up over the money for the vet bill because I really couldn't afford it. However, I took Zero to the animal hospital because I wanted only the best for him. Deep down I cared and it was that good person inside me that only wanted the best for him. He's doing really well actually. His dizziness is getting better :-)