3greytjoys

You might try K.O.E. Kennel Odor Eliminator. We use it outside on the hounds' playground bark potty area, inside house, and on dog beds. Per Thornell (K.O.E. manufacturer), any of their odor eliminator products can be used directly on dogs (for skunk odor, etc.) It's non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, biodegradable, and highly concentrated so one bottle lasts a very, very long time. The built-in easy measuring section ensures no product waste. http://www.entirelypets.com/koe-concentrate-fresh-scent-16-oz.html I've also had laundry success with some other pet laundry detergents made for quick rinsing, available at pet stores.

The Pom should be considered a dangerous dog since he/she already attacked you (and your thin-skinned hound could be next). For the welfare of all passersby/public safety, Animal Control should be informed of any potentially dangerous dogs who are not controlled by leash or secure fencing. The State of New York has laws to help protect it's residents, including it's law abiding pet owners. Please contact Animal Control or your local police dept. (non-emergency phone# in front section of telephone book). If needed, your city or county's codes/laws can be found on-line. I'd encourage you to add Animal Control's phone number to your cell phone's address book. Agree to try to create a temporary fenced area to keep Poms out of your hound's immediate potty area. Tallest ex-pens are 4 feet high, portable, and made with a ready-made gate. They can be connected to (temporary) 5' long metal fence posts, including a couple posts placed against the exterior wall on your house to create a larger U-shaped potty area. 2 or 3 ex-pens would make a larger space, or 1 ex-pen with gate and additional cheaper metal fencing as needed. All can easily be removed when/if you decide to move.

Greyhound-to-Greyhound head rests/hugs are very common in our pack. Also by other hounds at Greyhound events, Meet and Greets, etc. Many hounds do that behavior when they're tired. One of our hounds stands with her head pushed flat against her sister's side while her sister is in an extreme panic from fireworks, or SA. They are wonderfully sensitive beings.

We keep a squirt/spray bottle of plain water next to the door for quick leg or paw rinses, and towel dry. If urine is rinsed off before it dries, there usually isn't a problem with odor.

Welcome to GreyTalk, and congratulations on your new addition! Good advice by Greysmom. Do the best you can at managing (protecting) your new hound's resting space without threat of close invasions, and keep your other dogs (especially your elder deaf girl) away from him while he's getting adjusted in his completely new world. He may be feeling a bit more fearful than normal after being dropped into an existing resident canine pack. Remember that growling is a dog's means of communication. If humans attempt to "correct" dogs' (safer) verbal communication, dogs can quickly learn to skip their (punished) warning growls, and go to a bite to get their point across. Generally, most Greyhounds adjust to their new environment over time and accept that other resident dogs can walk around the room without harming the hound. Our hounds communicate between themselves with warning growls periodically. The other hounds understand this canine language, and respectfully retreat to allow their personal space. Your deaf girl will need a little more help from her hearing aid human/s.

OP, you might find the following seminar excerpt interesting. Thoughts of a Greyhound By the late Kathleen Gilley This breed has never been asked to do anything for itself, make any decisions or answer any questions. It has been waited on, paw and tail. The only prohibition in a racing Greyhound's life is not to get into a fight--or eat certain stuff in the turn out pen. Let us review a little. From weaning until you go away for schooling, at probably a year and a half, you eat, grow and run around with your siblings. When you go away to begin your racing career, you get your own "apartment," in a large housing development. No one is allowed in your bed but you, and when you are in there, no one can touch you, without plenty of warning. Someone hears a vehicle drive up, or the kennel door being unlocked. The light switches are flipped on. The loud mouths in residence, and there always are some, begin to bark or howl. You are wide awake by the time the human opens your door to turn you out. A Greyhound has never been touched while he was asleep. You eat when you are fed, usually on a strict schedule. No one asks if you are hungry or what you want to eat. You are never told not to eat any food within your reach. No one ever touches your bowl while you are eating. You are not to be disturbed because it is important you clean your plate. You are not asked if you have to "go outside." You are placed in a turn out pen and it isn't long before you get the idea of what you are supposed to do while you are out there. Unless you really get out of hand, you may chase, rough house and put your feet on everyone and every thing else. The only humans you know are the "waiters" who feed you, and the "restroom attendants" who turn you out to go to the bathroom. Respect people? Surely you jest. No one comes into or goes out of your kennel without your knowledge. You are all seeing; all knowing. There are no surprises, day in and day out. The only thing it is ever hoped you will do is win, place or show, and that you don't have much control over. It is in your blood, it is in your heart, it is in your fate--or it is not. And when it is not, then suddenly you are expected to be a civilized person in a fur coat. But people don't realize you may not even speak English. Some of you don't even know your names, because you didn't need to. You were not asked or told to do anything as an individual; you were always part of the "condo association"; the sorority or fraternity and everyone did everything together, as a group or pack. The only time you did anything as an individual is when you schooled or raced, and even then, You Were Not Alone. Suddenly, he is expected to behave himself in places he's never been taught how to act. He is expected to take responsibility for saying when he needs to go outside, to come when he is called, not to get on some or all of the furniture, and to not eat food off counters and tables. He is dropped in a world that is not his, and totally without warning, at that. Almost everything he does is wrong. Suddenly he is a minority. Now he is just a pet. He is unemployed, in a place where people expect him to know the rules and the schedule, even when there aren't any. (How many times have you heard someone say, "He won't tell me when he has to go out." What kind of schedule is that?) Have you heard the joke about the dog who says, "My name is No-No Bad Dog. What's yours?" To me that is not even funny. All the protective barriers are gone. There is no more warning before something happens. There is no more strength in numbers. He wakes up with a monster human face two inches from his. (With some people's breath, this could scare Godzilla.) Why should he not, believe that this "someone," who has crept up on him, isn't going to eat him for lunch? (I really do have to ask you ladies to consider how you would react if someone you barely knew crawled up on you while you were asleep?) No, I will not ask for any male input. Now he is left alone, for the first time in his life, in a strange place, with no idea of what will happen or how long it will be before someone comes to him again. If he is not crated, he may go though walls, windows or over fences, desperately seeking something familiar, something with which to reconnect his life. If he does get free, he will find the familiarity, within himself: the adrenaline high, the wind in his ears, the blood pulsing and racing though his heart once again--until he crashes into a car. Often, the first contact with his new family is punishment, something he's never had before, something he doesn't understand now, especially in the middle of the rest of the chaos. And worst of all, what are the most common human reactions to misbehavior? We live in a violent society, where the answer to any irritation is a slap, punch, kick, whip, or rub your nose in it. Under these circumstances, sometimes I think any successful adoption is a miracle. He is, in effect, expected to have all the manners of at least a six-year old child. But, how many of you would leave an unfamiliar six-year old human alone and loose in your home for hours at a time and not expect to find who knows what when you got back? Consider that if you did, you could be brought up on charges of child abuse, neglect and endangerment. Yet, people do this to Greyhounds and this is often the reason for so many returns. How many dogs have been returned because they did not know how to tell the adoptor when they had to go out? How many for jumping on people, getting on furniture, counter surfing, separation anxiety, or defensive actions due to being startled or hurt (aka growling or biting)? So, let's understand: Sometimes it is the dog's "fault" he cannot fit in. He is not equipped with the social skills of a six-year old human. But you can help him. Source: http://www.northerngreyhoundadoptions.org/ThoughtsOfAGrey.php

I thought about that for the U.S., particularly '87-'89. Early adoption numbers were so limited, it likely wouldn't have made a significant difference in these worldwide pet studies. I was considering the more widespread worldwide adoption years. Quote: Retired racing Greyhounds haven't been in the adoption system to be included in "many decades long" studies. End quote.

My OP touched on dogs living with toddlers, elaborated GH specific info., and explained reasons behind some adoption groups' guidelines. I posted the pediatric study in response to your following comment: "In my opinion, having a senior grey and a 2 year old, I think you're making a lot of assumptions that aren't universal." That study (19 references worldwide) happened to be the first I pulled (and was based on more cases than replies in this thread). Clicking study link reveals chart data (second tab) to see "Hounds". Retired racing Greyhounds haven't been in the adoption system to be included in many decades long studies, but I, and others who work in adoption groups, have seen many returns resulting from issues involving young children. (Rarely the hound's fault.) Adoption groups create business practices for good reasons. Your last comment (about me) is far from the truth! I generalize things on a public forum. First, I was not at fault whatsoever for the dog bite. I simply opened a door and the dog charged/attacked before realizing I was a familiar family member. Second, I am not fearful of dogs in the least. Mindful, educated, respectful, and careful: absolutely! I've lived with many multiple large breeds (at a time) from birth and throughout life. Studied animal behavior for more training purposes than anyone cares to know. My original suggestion to the OP was based on decades of collective experiences for general breeds, and Greyhounds.

I was attempting to post (#32) delicately; however, my comments are based on true facts, and medical science. Additionally, I've had a personal interest in studying this topic for five decades after surviving a severe dog bite to the skull as a young child, and later witnessing others being bitten. There are many documented studies. Below are several facts quoted from a 10 year long pediatric study of 341 cases (mean age 5.9 years old). Quotes from: "Pediatrics, March 2006, VOLUME 117 / ISSUE 3 Analysis of Dog Bites in Children... - Because of the accumulation of dog bites in younger children, we agree with Thompson et al17 that parents should postpone purchase of a dog until children are of school age. - Children who are younger than 10 years represent the high-risk group for dog attacks. - Incidence was highest in 1-year-old patients and decreased with increasing age. - The [other] highest incidence being among 5- to 9-year-old boys - The relative risk for a dog attack by a German shepherd or a Doberman was >5 times higher that that associated with a Labrador/retriever or cross-breeds. The present report covers dog bites over a 10-year period. Taking into consideration that <50% of all dog bites are reported to doctors or police" End quotes. Source: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/117/3/e374.full ------ Brief article below discusses commonly linked behaviors: Why Dogs Bite Kids Study Shows Common Links As medical reports of dogs biting children continued to increase, researchers started to ask, “Why?” Henceforth, a veterinary behavior clinic in Philadelphia embarked on a study to help us understand what makes a dog’s mind tick…or at least what ticks it off when it comes to kids. As reported in the medical journal Injury Prevention, researchers at the veterinary behavioral clinic examined 111 cases of dog bites by 103 dogs (representing 41 different dog breeds) that took place over a four-year period. Several notable patterns came to their attention: the dogs displayed territorial behavior, anxiety, or were coping with medical issues at the time the biting occurred. Territorial BehaviorResearchers suggest the main cause of aggression in dogs stems from territorial behavior: Children under the age of 6 were more likely to be bitten when a dog felt the kids were threatening to take his food or toys. Older children were bitten when the dog felt the kids were intruding on his territory. A dog was more likely to bite children he knew while he was guarding his food. A dog was more likely to bite children he didn’t know while he was protecting his territory. Anxiety May Lead to BitingOf those dogs studied, three quarters exhibited anxiety due to: Separation distress Sudden noise, such as thunderstorms or fireworks Noise and unpredictable movements from young children An anxious dog frightened under these circumstances may be more prone to bite children, whether or not they are familiar with them. Other studies have revealed that boys ages 5 to 9 are bitten five times more by dogs more than any other group or people. Pain Pushes Dogs Over the EdgeCommon sense may tell an adult not to touch a dog in pain. Kids, however, may not be able to discern when a dog is hurting. In fact, half of the dogs studied by researchers had medical conditions such as liver and kidney disease, eye problems, and diseases that affected their bones and skin. Small Children, Big ThreatOther studies have revealed that boys ages 5 to 9 are bitten five times more by dogs more than any other group or people. Their loud, energetic and sometimes aggressive actions simulate behavior displayed between young dogs. What do dogs typically do when playing with one another? They bite. The faster and louder kids get, the more dogs become stimulated. In addition, dogs bite when they don’t like they way someone is playing with them. Study a fed up dog’s behavior: a turned back, lying down, a curled lip, or quite obviously, growling. Children have a tendency to tug on dogs’ ears, pull on their tails or jump on their backs. While some dogs may tolerate this, others will grow tired of it quickly. To learn more about children and pets interacting, such as teaching your children how to care for and behave around pets as well as deciding which dog might be right for your family, read our article on pets and children. http://www.petinsurance.com/healthzone/pet-articles/pet-behavior/Why-Dogs-Bite-Kids.aspx

Great that you're doing advance research; a toddler/child's behavior changes so frequently during their early years. If I were in your position, in my experience, I would wait at least 5 (or more) years for a Greyhound. If you want a dog before that time, there are other breeds that are better suited as pets living with children. One of the primary reasons many Greyhound adoption groups don't adopt to families with young children is because a human child's brain has not had time to form/develop enough to comprehend animal safety, or to control their own behavior to act rationally, and respectfully around dogs inside a home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In fact, some adoption organizations only adopt to adults, or families with nearly fully grown teenagers. Retired racing Greyhounds are professional working dogs who have not grown up inside a normal family home environment like other "pet" breeds. Adult Greyhounds are not rough and tumble dogs, and many won't play with toys. Greyhounds are like living, powerful machines that can reach up to 45 miles per hour within 3-5 strides, creating an exceptionally strong force. (Imagine mini-race horse.) A child can't even handle a Greyhound's leash during walks. Being sight hounds, they can see (and try to chase) a moving object, whether it's litter blowing in the wind or small prey 1/2 mile away. Greyhounds lack body fat which also makes them more sensitive to touch (vs. other pet dogs), and they're extremely temperature sensitive (both to warm and cold temperatures). This limits when it's safe for them to go outside, go for car rides, or take walks, etc. Like other large dogs, they have large pointy ends that can open very wide. Before adopting a Greyhound, I'd recommend reading "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" by Lee Livinggood.

Hopefully others with more experience will chime in to answer your specific questions. Meanwhile, if you're not already familiar, there's a Yahoo group for people treating dogs with SLO: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SLOdogs/info I'm so sorry your poor hound is struggling with SLO, and thyroid cancer. Your girl will be in our thoughts on Feb. 10th for a successful thyroid cancer surgery. Hopefully, they can address any additional nail problems during same surgery.

Many Greyhounds are more sensitive to medications anyway, but for whatever reason, our eldest Greyhounds are much more sensitive to medications than in their younger life (possibly underlying conditions). Perhaps your vet clinic's answering machine provides an e-vet contact that you could call to ask about reducing Wally's dose(?). (Personally, I would not want to keep dosing Wally that heavily while waiting and waiting for your own vet to return next week.) We've had to open and split 300 mg. dose capsules before (it was okay to do that since our hounds' gabapentin is not time-released). We opened the capsule(s) and poured 1/2 of the powder into a food treat for the hounds. (The other half dose remained in the capsule that was recapped, and set aside separately from the bottle, to await their next dose time.) In case you missed it, below was my post to your previous thread: Posted 28 January 2016 Our Greyhounds' vet prefers to start our 70 pound (+/-) hounds on a lower dose of 100 mg., and observe their reactions. If pain is not controlled with lower dose, with vet's approval, it can be increased by 100 mg. Their high end dose of 300 mg. every 8 hours is only used for extremely serious disease pain. Our eldest hounds have become more sensitive to medications as they've aged. (Not sure if that's unique to our 13 and 14 year old hounds.) Considering Wally's leg issues, it may help to be aware that ataxia is a side effect of gabapentin, and should be mentioned to your vet if noticed. Link below provides overdose symptoms: http://www.wedgewood...rinary-use.html

Aww, Cody looked like a sweetheart who was fortunate to have had a wonderful life with you. What a great shark (model)! Cody will live on in your heart forever... Thanks for sharing your photos. (You're not alone in missing your hound. I still miss all of mine, especially a beloved girl who passed 17 years ago.)

I'm so sorry for your sad loss of Maggie. So glad she found her way to you (via Pam) to happily live out her retirement. May your happy memories bring future comfort.

I'm so sorry for your loss of Diana. Diana was clearly a remarkable, and very well loved girl. May your happy memories provide comfort. Rest well, sweet Diana.

I am so deeply sorry for your loss of your beloved heart boy, Zeke. Your thoughtfully written remembrance brings tears as I understand some of your feelings to the core while sharing a similar loss. Your photo of Zeke above is particularly heart-warming. May Zeke's spirit fill your heart and bring you comfort as you process this sudden loss of your beloved boy. Godspeed Zeke, until you meet again...

How great that you're doing research well in advance of your future canine addition! Enjoy the GT forum.

Congratulations, your young Poppy appears to be a wonderfully affectionate darling! I'll offer a little more general canine food for thought as you determine whatever works well in your own situation. You mentioned you are not working "at the moment". I often find it important to create some independent space for new hounds to encourage their independent confidence level. Meaning, if your hound is practically touching you 24/7 (sleeping on your bed + lying on your sofa) it could be setting her up for a bigger challenge when you eventually have to go back to work, or temporarily leave the house. (Your alone training is great.) Although Poppy may be a perpetually accepting love bug, she hasn't been living in a family home long enough to feel her comfort level in different situations. It's often much harder to take away furniture privileges vs. waiting several months before inviting dogs up on human furniture. Retired racers are used to undisturbed resting space. That respectful, undisturbed space can be provided with dog beds in the home's most used family room + bedrooms, etc. (as you've provided). Dogs resting on dog beds benefit dogs and their humans. It provides the dog his/her undisturbed safe space (especially while adjusting to all the workings in a new home); allows humans time to learn their dog's personality as it slowly unfolds; helps create a little healthy independent distance from their humans (e.g. humans sitting 10' away from dog's bed); helps dogs accept other human visitors (who might expect to sit on sofa ); helps when owners need to depart the house. Also helps dogs settle into their place within the family. BTW, helps a lot if all adults in the household participate in dog care and feeding. If or when you decide to allow furniture privileges, I'd suggest teaching and frequently practicing the "off" cue. If any dog begins showing territorial behavior, do not try to physically move the dog. Instead, happily call the dog into another room for a very high value treat, or toss treats on the floor where the dog can see them and will willingly jump off the furniture. Enjoy your wonderful new girl!

If it helps clarify anything, below are some average sighthound size differences at maturity: Greyhounds: 30" tall, 70 pounds. Whippets: 20" tall, 30 pounds Italian Greyhounds: 15" tall, 12 pounds (toy breed) An Italian Greyhound puppy would be much smaller and more fragile looking than a standard Greyhound puppy of same age. Since puppies grow faster than weeds, what are you ultimately looking for in your dog?

Our Greyhounds' vet prefers to start our 70 pound (+/-) hounds on a lower dose of 100 mg., and observe their reactions. If pain is not controlled with lower dose, with vet's approval, it can be increased by 100 mg. Their high end dose of 300 mg. every 8 hours is only used for extremely serious disease pain. Our eldest hounds have become more sensitive to medications as they've aged. (Not sure if that's unique to our 13 and 14 year old hounds.) Considering Wally's leg issues, it may help to be aware that ataxia is a side effect of gabapentin, and should be mentioned to your vet if noticed. Link below provides overdose symptoms: http://www.wedgewoodpetrx.com/learning-center/professional-monographs/gabapentin-for-veterinary-use.html

I'm so very sorry to see this horrible diagnosis for Tilly. Her symptoms mentioned in your previous posts were deeply concerning. Sending strength and supportive thoughts as you rapidly process potential choices for Tilly. Meanwhile, I hope her pain can be managed with generous doses of medication as effectively as possible. What a trooper your girl has been during the past month. Hugs.

Vet visit cost varies by location. If you'd like to post your general region, we may be able to offer a better answer to your question (and it would help for when I reply to your food question). Glad you're planning a veterinary visit. Skin lesions can stem from so many different causes, many of which require specific veterinary medication to fully eliminate them (i.e., anything from a fungal source like ringworm (which is not a worm), to parasitic mites, to allergies, to skin cancer, etc...). ETA: I'd encourage you to print, complete, and take this (linked) form to your boy's veterinary visit. It's an excellent source to keep/repeat for vet visits throughout the dog's life to gain the most from each visit. http://www.petplace.com/article/dogs/first-aid-for-dogs/nursing-care-for-sick-dogs/your-dogs-physical-examination-at-home

Yes, good to simply allow her non-pressured time to adjust to her new people, new home and fenced garden. She's probably tired and overwhelmed. Try to limit the focus to her most simple, basic needs for the time being. Try not to worry about exercise at this early stage for several reasons: She's 5 years old and doesn't require an excessive amount of exercise. Her zoomies in the fenced garden are fine. Building her trust in you and her home environment is more important now. Even young racers only run 1 or maximum 2 times per week for approximately 30 seconds on race day. Otherwise, they are in their kennel unless in their sand elimination area. I'm in the U.S. but when we get newly retired foster Greyhounds from racing kennels/tracks, they arrive with very little endurance or pad toughness for walks. Example: We start with 5 minute walks for the first several days, then 10 minute walks, etc. while slowly building up to 45 minutes as a long-term goal to reach in a couple of months. A few benefits of building duration/distance slowly: - Newly retired Greyhounds arrive with very soft paw pads which can become sore/damaged if walked too far too soon, especially if on hard surfaces. (Racers are used to soft sand surfaces.) - Introduces Greyhounds to their new surroundings (neighborhood, people, strange looking dogs, cats, cars, trucks, strange noises, etc.) little by little in a respectful, less frightening manner. - Builds their physical walking endurance (and pad toughness) within their comfort threshold. Just a guess, but her paw pads might be a little sore from walking on snow too. Years ago, one of our other dogs (different large breed) developed frostbite on paw pads during a short neighborhood walk on snow (possibly mixed with a little road salt/sand which made it worse). Vet taught us to limit walk times on snowy surfaces unless dogs wore boots, and to clean off paws after quick outings since snow/ice can get caught in between toe pads for an extended time. Your new girl is lovely! She looks quite happy in her new home.

Eugene is a handsome boy! If thinking long-term, please keep in mind there's a reason Iams is so cheap. Iams Proactive Health (aka: "green bag") is made with lower quality, undesired ingredients including corn, and by-products. (Just because a dog poops solid poops does not mean their food is desired quality for optimal or average life health.) Below is a snippet re: a few (of several) of it's controversial ingredients per Dog Food Advisor (link in post #7). Ingredients are listed on dog food labels in order of quantity before cooking. Iams Proactive Health Adult Large Breed Ingredients: Chicken, corn meal, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken by-product meal, etc. The first ingredient is chicken. Although a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight. After processing, this item would account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product. The second ingredient is cornmeal, a coarsely ground flour made from dried corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog. We do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food. The third ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn. The fourth ingredient is chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed. In addition to organs (the nourishing part), this stuff can contain almost anything — feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs — anything except quality skeletal muscle (conventional meat). End snippet. Side note: General recommendation for retired racing Greyhounds' healthy pet weight is being able to see the last two ribs, and feel the third to last rib. Seeing hip points is desirable. It usually equates to about 3-5 pounds above the Greyhound's racing weight.

I'd take him to the vet for evaluation and veterinary medication. IMO, that's not a normal scratch. BTW, I wouldn't put any non-veterinary topical treatment that close to the eye. (Body heat melts Neosporin into a liquid which could easily drain into the eye.)