3greytjoys
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There is a new product to help with Happy Tail. I don't know if I can post links here but you can find it by searching for "Tail-Bandit".
I didn't notice anything on their Web site about it being medically tested or recommended by veterinarians. If it works safely and the plastics are free of damaging chemicals seeping into the wound, might be a good option.
This thread is 7 years old. Fortunately our hounds' happy tail wounds have healed well without anyone losing their tail.
Clotisol stops wound bleeding on our excessive bleeders: http://www.entirelypets.com/clotisol2oz.html
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Good suggestions for alone training, exercise, and feeding schedule. Frozen Kong lasts longer than at room temperature.
Additionally, she probably needs a mid-day potty outing (whether one of you go home at lunch, or arrange for a dog walker). Video camera could reveal her timing needs. Dogs howl/bark for different reasons: some as a call back to their humans (seen by the dog as part of their family pack wandering out alone), and/or an alert that they need a potty break pronto(!), etc.
Our adoption group requires hounds be provided access to eliminate at least every 4 hours during the day, especially for newly adopted hounds. After they adjust to their completely new life, depending on the individual dog, they may be able to hold it for 5-6 hours. Dogs holding urine/bowel during dark overnight hours is different; they can finally relax while sleeping in the room with their recumbent people. Being left alone during day in a new world for first time in a hound's life is (understandably) scary for the dog. After their adjustment period (can last weeks/months), some but not all dogs can last through an entire work day.
As I caution all new dog parents, please don't reprimand a dog for his/her actions rooted from fear (anxiety is rooted from fear) and/or when humans miss a hound's subtle potty signals (simply standing up, or pacing, or sniffing the floor, looking out a window/door, approaching a person, etc.). Anxiety, missed signals, and lack of enough scheduled outings are the most common reasons for potty accidents. It is not the dog's fault. Even raising a voice to the sensitive Greyhound breed can compound and intensify problems (worsen fear/anxiety) by increasing dogs' overall stress level lasting for a looong time.
"I'll Be Home Soon" (mentioned above by Locket) is a helpful book: https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Home-Soon-Separation-Anxiety/dp/1891767054
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Hum, my BraUn rechargable toothbrush set has a perfect little tip brush that gets between tooth crevices.
https://oralb.com/en-us/products/power-tip-replacement-brush-heads
Perhaps they are made for manual toothbrushes too.
A hummingbird cleaner brush might work too, but might not be soft enough on the very tip, and it's handle length is short.
See nectar port brush: http://www.wbu.com/products/nectar-feeders/
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Fantastic news! So glad Violet's procedure and recovery went smoothly. Great relief!
Ask your vet for a 10cc syringe. Fill it with lukewarm water and use it to flush out the gaps and holes in the teeth. I do this every day after brushing my boys teeth to dislodge stuck-in food.I have to fill it twice. I fill a glass up with the water and draw it up with the syringe. I take the syringe apart and rinse it thoroughly and let it air dry when done. Hope this helps!
The syringe is a great suggestion.
I've used C.E.T. Oral Rinse's bent stem applicator with it's clean empty bottle for fresh water rinsing.
(I switched back to Oratene products by Pet King.)
Just thinking a (human) Waterpik device could work really well if hound was positively conditioned to the sound.
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Perhaps consider asking your vet Violet's expected start time for surgery. If Violet is not scheduled to be first patient, ask your vet the latest time Violet can arrive that would still allow adequate surgical prep time.
The longer hounds have to wait in a hospital kennel before surgery the greater potential to become stressed, increasing body temperature.
Post recovery, I pick up hounds immediately upon their medical clearance for discharge to go home. (Three of our hounds can't wait around for end of day pick up just because it's more convenient for a human.)
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Similar to seeh2o's comment: Teaching heel left and heel right helps all our hounds during walks, and helped one of our seniors who began to lose sight as a teen.
Our hounds like the rubberized horizontal channel material on this ramp: https://www.amazon.com/PetSTEP-Folding-Pet-Ramp-Khaki/dp/B00006OALW
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Our brood matron will be 15 in Dec. Her hind-end is weakening but she's still able to take brief walks (5-10 minutes), is interested in family members, still desires gentle attention, collects her favorite toys, works on her doggie brain exercise puzzles/games with supervision, and still eats very well (unless temporary medications reduce appetite). She's a little less enthusiastic during limited car rides (e.g. to vet) but can enter/exit the car via a dog ramp (manufactured with excellent horizontal ridged gripper material). We re-position (park) the car's back-end to meet the incline on the driveway to greatly reduce ramp incline. She has some kidney issues and is drinking A LOT of water. (Fine with me since she needs the fluid to flush toxins through her kidneys.) Her outings have increased (from previous healthy 6-7 outings per day) to 10 outings now. She can no longer climb a full staircase. She can stand up from a lying position on her own, but we assist periodically. If there is 4" of wood flooring at the far perimeter of a large area rug, she will find it and slip. We're SO incredibly grateful that she's doing as well as she is that we don't mind making life adjustments as needed. Presently, she's still happy, alert, comfortable, and can walk around the house on her own. Her hind-end begins to sink a bit if she stands still for an extended time (e.g. while eating meals or while outside) but is doing well overall for her age. She offers a single alert bark if she needs a human's help pronto. We have a hind-end medical assistance harness to carry on walks, etc. in case of emergency.
We lost another teenage Greyhound last year. (Slipped spinal discs while choking on dog food, resulted in complete paralysis of spine and hind legs). Emergency mobile vet came to house for our hound's comfort to avoid additional trauma of final transport to the e-hospital.
One of our other hounds recovered from a different type of paralysis (caused by a stroke) after a month of intensive home care, but that hound was not in pain and readily accepted intensive long-term handling care.
Each pet's medical condition is so unique, as is pet parents' availability, physical handling ability, and patience to offer loving home care.
Here's a Quality of Life scale that you may find helpful: http://pawspice.com/clients/17611/documents/QualityofLifeScale.pdf
If needed, link to our medical assist back-end harness: http://www.walkaboutharnesses.com/collections/walkabout-harnesses
Airlift One is recommended for males. We have the "original" back-end harness for females. (All can be custom-made for Greyhounds.)
You and your special boy are in our positive thoughts.
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Perhaps a fabric store would have a thick faux sheepskin for the muzzle rest.
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I agree wholeheartedly with Krissy's thoughtful post. Thanks Krissy.
OP: I hope time will eventually help ease your painful loss. I understand having lost some of my beloved pets and human family members way too young.
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These are really great. Do you find they hold up well?
Yes, they're in great shape. Never had to replace any in a decade. I ordered an extra reflective I.D. collar to use for fosters and visitors: I'M LOST + my cell phone number.
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IMO, you're smart about this not being an optimal time for another Greyhound. I would keep her as an only dog. Your girl seems to be naturally happily blooming in her current life with you and your husband. Your new baby will change everyone's life. Another Greyhound would further change family dynamics, including your four cats. Every dog needs time, attention, training, walks, regular and emergency veterinary care (dog bills can get expensive fast, even more challenging while responsible for four other animals food and medical care), grooming, daily tooth brushing, frequent nail clipping, etc.
I'd encourage you to devote your time and energy to rearing your new baby for 5-6+ years while balancing your existing animal family. IMO, it's not advisable to complicate your life with the physical, emotional, financial and liable responsibility of another large dog until your new baby is at least school age. Also, while retired racing Greyhounds are wonderful dogs, many would not be considered a best breed to live 24/7 with very young children since their upbringing is so unlike typical pet breeds e.g., Labradors. Retired racing Greyhounds are not considered rough and tumble playmates. Generally, toddlers' minds aren't mature enough to respectfully control their own reactive behavior around dogs. Our adoption contracts include a clause that dogs must be watched at all times whenever around children. (It's really impossible to supervise two large dogs, a child, and multiple cats at all times.)
Yes, multiple dogs do create a pack mentality towards cats. (We have/had four indoor cats.) Whether cat parents have one dog or more, it's very important to prevent Greyhounds from chasing cats, even if it appears to be in play. A Greyhound's playful leg pounce can seriously harm cats (cats look like live toys). Baby-gates installed 5"- 6" above floor level helps allow wide escape routes for cats. Our eldest, nearly 15 year old Greyhound still tries to chase indoor cats.
If you happen to be allowing your Greyhound up on humans' furniture, I'd encourage you to stop now. Begin happily teaching her to rest on her own thick, cushy dog beds on the floor. This will be very important when your baby arrives. Best to implement new rules now vs. later when jealousy could become a factor. Good rule of thumb for your own home or when visiting others with dogs: Don't place a baby (or baby in carrier) on the floor with any loose dog.
BTW, direct eye contact is considered threatening in dogs' language, so your girl's lack of eye contact was normal and considered polite for a new dog.
Enjoy your special Greyhound girl, and congratulations on your upcoming human baby's arrival!
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Photos of my favorite reflective, embroidered ID collars (phone# was blocked out for privacy reasons in this photo).
(Phone # was blocked out for this photo post.)
Camera's tiny flash reflection against snow.
It's way better than just having a name (useless!) sewn onto the collar (you'd want the phone number, not the dog's name).
Of course that would be useless. Perhaps the note about my phone # being blocked for this public post was missed. The phone # is as large and clear as the name on the outside of the collar, which can be read from afar if a dog won't allow a capture.
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I am so deeply sorry about the sudden loss of your young Snozzle.
Your vet, and perhaps Snozzle's breeder are the only ones who could truly offer their best guesses to answer your question. It might have been linked to a hereditary heart condition or many other possibilities.
I'm not a vet but there is very rare condition called malignant hyperthermia. We don't see it often on this forum because most of our adult retired racing Greyhounds have already been placed under their first anesthesia for surgery previous to being adopted. MH is caused by a rare, severe allergic reaction to certain anesthesia and would be seen during the dog's first surgery (usually a spay/neuter surgery). If a dog successfully recovers from their first surgical anesthesia, the dog is typically considered safe for future surgeries throughout the dog's life. MH presents with an extremely rapid elevation in body temperature which can lead to fatal levels within seconds to minutes.
Isoflurane or Sevoflurane are considered among the safest anesthesias for Greyhounds. (We ask vets to monitor Greyhounds' temperature very closely before, during, and after surgery.)
Again, not being in the operating room, we really don't know what may have happened to your beloved young Snozzle. My sincere heartfelt condolences to you. I can feel your crushing pain through your post. Our supportive thoughts are with you during this terribly difficult time.
Godspeed Snozzle.
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If veterinary professionals aren't available here, perhaps a late night pharmacist or local emergency vet office could answer re: this combined trio; otherwise, I'd look up each manufacturer's drug interaction list. Carprofen (Rimadyl) is made by Pfizer.
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Photos of my favorite reflective, embroidered ID collars (phone# was blocked out for privacy reasons in this photo).
(Phone # was blocked out for this photo post.)
Camera's tiny flash reflection against snow.
My revised snippet quote from a previous GT thread:
"We've had drivers stop to say they could see these ID collars from several long blocks away. As a Greyhound search team leader, I know these collars have helped prevent Greyhounds from being hit by cars. They're extremely helpful to searchers day or night, especially on dark Greyhounds. A flashlight's reflection on similar collar revealed a scared, deeply hidden, loose Greyhound under thick brush in the darkest of night. Dogs are more visible inside their own fenced back yard during business outings too.
Dog's name and cell phone number is highly visible from the outside of the collar, and can be read from afar if a Greyhound won't let anyone approach to read a tiny tag. (A tiny tag is practically impossible to read at night, even by a street light.)
Reflective ID Collar source: http://www.fancyk9s.com/collar/identification
Black embroidery is most visible against light reflective material.
5/8" I.D. collar width (with side-release latch) works well since Greyhounds wear separate Martingale collars for walking.
We request the tag ring be cut off for additional safety.
(Tip: I.D. collar should be placed lower on neck than the Martingale. If Martingale slips off by accident, I.D. collar is less likely to be pulled off too.)
Battery operated lights are helpful at night, but if leash latch malfunctions resulting in escaped hound, battery lights will die if hound is on the loose for an extended time; thus, reflective material is important. I like reflective dog harnesses or vests for winter walking too."
ETA: Unless a hound has a medical problem, IMO, flat I.D. collars should be worn 24/7.
Pet parents usually don't expect their hounds to accidentally escape from home, but it happens often (as seen in GT's Amber Alert). Only exception is dog's collar should be removed whenever s/he is locked inside a crate. (Newbie readers: A separate I.D. collar is recommended, so Martingale collars can be reserved for leashed walks/public outings since the big D-ring can get caught on things inside the house, yard, or on fence. Any tags on Martingales should be placed on side hardware, not the D-ring. If tags are on D-ring, tags increase danger of catching something causing strangulation.)
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I'm so sorry for your difficult loss of Pulsar. First Greyhounds are so special and leave such a huge void in our hearts. Seems Pulsar was a wonderful Greyhound Superman in so many ways. Thank you for sharing memories of his charming personality. May he remain close in your heart through all your happy memories. Godspeed Pulsar.
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Thanks for the positive update about your strong and determined Taylor boy! <3
Glad you all survived Hurricane Matthew also!
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Glad Aiden is healing well. Orange and brown stripes, cool! We haven't seen that color combo -- works for Halloween month too!
Our nearly 15 year young broodie has been minus an outside digit (left front, from an untreatable diagnosis) for several years. Surgeon did a great job removing the digit high enough so it wouldn't touch/rub the ground when walking. She's still doing well during walks, front leg lifts, etc. She's a tad more sensitive on that paw (phantom nerves) but is so much better than before.
Positive thoughts for Aiden's quick recovery.
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I'm so very sorry for your loss of Princeton. He was a darling boy.
Eventually, I hope you'll be able to do a few special new things with Logan to help ease this difficult transition for Logan and your family.
Godspeed Princeton.
(Shih Tzus hold a special place in my heart.)
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Agree with others: Human toothpaste is known to be toxic to pets.
Most dogs like the taste of CET pet toothpaste.
Poultry flavor is all our Greyhounds' favorite flavor (we've tried them all). They consider it like a yummy treat.
Here's one link: http://www.entirelypets.com/cettoothpaste.html
Long handled "pet toothbrushes" work well.
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Limited information in your post leaves me unclear about the situation (hound's paw injury, hound's location, standing or lying down during paw handling).
My heart hound boy (who lived to almost 14) was extremely sensitive when being handled for wound care, Several things that helped...
- Agree with muzzling first.
- If looking for foreign bodies in paw pads, a quick photo can be taken for closer (zoom) inspection on computer. Helps to photograph the dry pad, and then wet pad.
- I keep Clotisol product here to help stop excessive bleeding for all our hounds. It's a quick-drying liquid that can be squirted on bleeding wounds from a distance.
Clotisol: http://www.entirelypets.com/clotisol2oz.html
- Take Barron's muzzle to veterinary appointments, or alert your vet to muzzle him before physical exams.
- As difficult as it is, please do not punish a dog for growling/biting when the dog was defending himself. Remember anger begets anger in both human and animal species. Baron will lose trust in you, and it will make it much more difficult for you and professional veterinary staff to handle him in the future. (Our hound wouldn't let anyone, other than me, handle him, and he needed to be under anesthesia for veterinary tests that could normally be done without drugs.)
My quote from a recent thread: "We knew to respect his resting space. Whenever he was standing up we treated him kindly and respectfully with positive verbal rewards and love in all interactions. He arrived very untrusting of any humans touching his body, so during nail clipping he was muzzled + happily fed treats (from second human sitting down) through his muzzle, etc. We ensured he stood far away from his "personal safe zones" of his beds or crates during tooth brushing, grooming, pill administration, wound care, etc."
I hope your hand heals quickly. If this has gotten reported, please contact the Lexus project to help you and Barron. http://www.thelexusproject.org/
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Welcome to GreyTalk!
Glad you posted your concern. You are not alone.
First, keep your faith and patience with your new boy. Six weeks is still very early when a Greyhound is adjusting to any new environment, and your boy has two new environments and new people with which to adjust. You will see more changes at 3 months, 3 years, and beyond.
You seem to be doing a good job re: caring, respectful, positive reinforcement training, feeding, etc. Hounds often appear more joyful to see familiar people and/or animals they don't get to see as often as their expected faces in daily life. (Consider yourself lucky that your hound is so confidently independent.)One of our hounds was similar upon arrival. He adored men (was used to male racing trainers), but appeared indifferent to women (including me as primary caregiver 24/7). He watched everyone carefully but was so quiet, almost like a piece of furniture. We knew to respect his resting space. Whenever he was standing up we treated him kindly and respectfully with positive verbal rewards and love in all interactions. He arrived very untrusting of any humans touching his body, so during nail clips was muzzled + happily fed treats (from second human sitting down) through his muzzle, etc. We ensured he stood far away from his "personal safe zones" of his beds or crates during tooth brushing, grooming, pill administration, wound care, etc. He had no clue how to play with toys until we fostered a playful, young hound. I did happy, positive training but never pushed training to complete a cue if he was clearly uncomfortable. He quickly learned obedience requests by me capturing, naming, and rewarding his natural daily actions. He was super smart, but I never forced long practice sessions; 3-5 minutes practice is enough for our (independent) Greyhounds to keep their interest. I waited a couple of years to fully earn his trust before attempting to teach him "sit" (which I captured/named as he was about to lie down naturally). It took two years before I ever received a little kiss from him. That tiny kiss was the most treasured moment ever !!
That was just the beginning of him finally showing his love and trust. The extra care we gave him in the first couple of years set us up for a lifetime of trust and love. He was my heart boy and lived happily to almost 14 years old.We can't really determine your boy's mouthing reaction without knowing him and seeing all his other signals surrounding that moment. It might have been affection but could have been an early gentle warning of discomfort that he reached his tolerance threshold, especially if prior signals included turning away and tongue flicks.
Your boy seems like a sweetheart! Enjoy developing a trusting relationship with him.
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It would depend on the Greyhound; however, IME, I would not consider frequent, extended, power-boating excursions an ideal situation for a retired racer.
Greyhounds are different from other breeds. Greyhounds are very temperature sensitive, especially if in direct sun or reflected sun from water and boat materials.
(E.g., Many hounds can't tolerate walks well if air temperature is above the low 70's.) Most Greyhounds have thin fur; no protective undercoat; no protective fat layer; lack buoyancy; and their skin burns easily. (One of our hounds has sun-induced cancer.) Light-colored dogs are at highest solar risk, but black coats absorb heat also. Paw pads can burn on hot surfaces. Their long, thin legs make their balance/stability more challenging in a moving vehicle, more so in a boat on choppy water. Greyhounds are graded off the racing circuit for many reasons but some hounds may have had an old injury that could be painful being jarred in a power boat.
Greyhounds are adopted as indoor house pets. During outings, they need to be in a fenced enclosure, or leashed to their human. If on a boat, many dogs jump overboard unexpectedly. Greyhounds (aka: sighthounds) should never be tethered to an object. IIRC, dogs' hearing is approximately four times more sensitive than humans; loud motor noise could be painful, and/or damaging to dogs' hearing over time. Boarding/disembarking could be challenging; a female may tolerate lifting more easily, and better able to handle limited potty space. Agree that a canine life-jacket would be a necessity for any dog.
I spent years at a lake house which included about half dozen dogs in the family (Labradors to small dogs). None of the dogs actually enjoyed spending much time in boats. Generally, dogs in boats were discouraged due to accidents and drownings. They were not allowed in the ski boats for dogs' own safety, and to prevent claw damage (and/or nervous chewing) to the boats. The dogs were much more comfortable resting inside the cool, stationary house during the day.
Good to have a plan for access to closest emergency veterinary hospitals. Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Yes, all hounds should either be kept securely separated (perhaps crated while injuries are healing) or all hounds muzzled. Although a muzzle would likely be too painful for Mia's injury right now. (Moleskin can be placed as a soft liner where the muzzle rests on top of hound's muzzle.) Feeding and treats should be completely separated by a closed door or baby-gates, etc. for each hound. Helps to be aware that canine pack instinct is to join a dog fight if a fight is already in progress. Also, a multi-dog pack is prone to attack an animal in distress (e.g., crying or yelping in pain, or experiencing a seizure).
In my experiences, I would return Nora to your adoption group to be rehomed as a single pet to an adult only home. She could happily thrive for the rest of her life in that type of environment.
IMO, your responsibility is to your core family which includes your original two Greyhounds and your cats. Nora seems highly stressed in this environment, especially since her snaps are escalating. Your cats are at risk of her defensive reactions, especially the one who rubs against the dogs. (Personally, I would try to prevent cats from doing that to any dog.) Nora's quick reactions could be from her previous history/life experiences: perhaps she was attacked by other dogs resulting in her fear aggression and lack of bite inhibition; humans may have punished her (instead of using positive reward teaching methods); humans may have invaded her personal resting spaces; she may be feeling undiagnosed medical pain; animal competition; or simply feeling too much environmental stimulation while she's already stressed after losing her previous home. Greyhounds are so sensitive that a previous family's extreme stress and/or bickering could affect a hound longer-term.
Please read this link about the spoon theory: http://yourdogsfriend.org/spoon-theory-and-funny-dog-gifs/
Many years ago, as a child, one of my family's dogs (different breed) killed our Labrador when both dogs had been given their own separate bones (outside and spread far apart from each other). Unfortunately, one dog wanted both bones.
I'm very sorry you are going through this situation. Many other Greyhounds could live seamlessly well in a home with multiple pets. Good luck.
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Still Noisey, Different Reason
in Training and Behavior discussion
Posted
Your quote: "Since then she has destroyed 3 beds AND pooped in her crate (we were only gone for 20 minutes!)" End quote.
This is common with separation anxiety. When dogs are feeling highly anxious they often can't hold in their bowel/urine as long as when they're feeling calm. She may have needed a longer or more opportunities to eliminate immediately before your departure.
If she is not spending any time in the crate while humans are home relaxing in the same room with her (without her fearing being left for many hours), she's only associating her crate with being left alone. Muzzling her with her plastic Greyhound turn-out muzzle is safer than her ingesting bedding or toys.
If you decide to continue crating, please work on crate training:
Begin feeding all meals in her open door crate.
Next step: Feed meals in crate with closed door, but open door immediately (and provide quick potty outing) upon finishing her meal.
Next step: Play yummy treat toss games in open door crate (if crate has 2 doors, open both) but don't lock her inside during these games.
Next step: After crated meals, begin leaving crate door closed for 1 minute upon finishing her meal.
Next step: Leave crate door closed 2 minutes, etc.
Don't let her time in crate go above her comfort threshold.
If offering a PB Kong or other rare, high-value meat treats during crate training sessions, remove the Kong immediately upon letting her out of the crate.
Crate training works best if the crate is her only bed in that room (and she's not allowed on humans' furniture).
She'll be more inclined to view her open door crate as her positive, happy place to willingly enter and begin relaxing on crate's cushy dog bed.
Humans should keep her company by watching TV, work on computer, read or whatever in the same room with her periodically each day.
Once she begins to relax in crate (and trust that she won't be locked up for hours every time she steps paw in a crate), a human can casually walk by and quietly close crate door for a few minutes, then quietly open it leaving her undisturbed.
Slowly increase her relaxed close door crate time while she's sleeping or casually watching humans from her safe, happy crate.
If she's already developed a dangerously intense phobia of her crate, I'd get an extra tall baby-gate, install it a few inches above floor level for additional height, and muzzle her in her most comfortable room (i.e., most used room when family is home). Dog-proof everything in that room and keep remotes, paper (mail, magazines, etc.), eye glasses, medicines, food, etc. in closed drawers/cabinets. Hide and/or unplug cords. Close doors to other rooms in house/apt.
Good luck, and please remember racing Greyhounds have never been completely alone in their lives before adoption. A secure mirror at her sight level may help her feel less alone (almost like an instant kennel mate). Time and patience are your best friends.