3greytjoys

Oh Jeff, what a sad shock to see that you've lost Betty Joan. Our thoughts are with you through this most difficult time. She will be missed on GT. Godspeed your special girl...

Good question. Aside from sunburn, hounds can suffer from sun-related cancers (e.g., melanoma or hemangiosarcoma). Some sun-related cancers are life-threatening even if caught early, so skin protection is important. I believe Epi-Pet is still the only dog sunscreen that meets FDA guidelines: http://www.epi-pet.com/sunscreen.aspx It helps to limit dogs' sun exposure to early morning or evening outings, and seek shaded walking areas.

I'm so very sorry for your loss of Danger, Wendy and Kevin. He was clearly a special and beloved boy. Thank you for your true understanding and willingness to adopt him into your family. The long awaited rewards from building a trusting relationship with such a frightened being far outweigh the challenges. Thank you for sharing Danger's special story. You will be in our caring thoughts during this difficult time. Godspeed Danger. May he relax peacefully and painfree...

I'm so very sorry for this sad loss of your sweet Opal, Mary Pat. May her spirit remain in your heart forever.

Sending lots of positive thoughts for Charlie, and supportive wishes for mom.

Great that this little girl was able to have a trial visit before being left for a lengthy stay in a new place. Did she eat well while she was at your house? If not, another very short daytime only visit (well before the long trip) could be very helpful for her. I'd suggest watching her behavior closely during and after your typical long walks. A couple of reasons excessive exercise could be questionable for some highly anxious dogs is because it's similar to mental "flooding". As Schultzlc mentioned, being in a new environment with new people/new dogs can be overwhelming to some dogs, especially a spook. Even if this dog appears to be beyond her earliest adoption fears with her owner, those feelings can return in the absence of her owner, especially in a new environment. (Sort of similar to long lost dogs reverting to fearful feral behavior.) Also, unless her owner already slowly increased this dog's exercise stamina, it might be a bit much for her physically, but I imagine you will check her paw pads after walks to ensure pad thickness is still okay. I assume her mom will bring her dog bed, food/bowls and familiar items from home to help her feel more secure. Her mom's scent on unwashed, well-worn shirt/s could help too. (A couple of shirt back-ups could be placed in a sealed plastic bag for you to provide mid-visit.) Hope her longer upcoming visit will go well. She's adorable!

A blanket recommendation for daily low dose aspirin for hounds who have never had a stroke is very surprising to me. I understand that every patient is different. We happen to have three excessive bleeder Greyhounds. One of the excessive bleeders had a TIA stroke several years ago, but even with that diagnosis, I couldn't imagine giving her blood-thinning aspirin daily. In contrast, she still requires Amicar (aka: aminocaproic acid) to prevent excessive bleeding during surgery/recovery. Rimadyl even causes her internal bleeding. Although there may be better topical products to treat hounds' minor skin wounds at home, we keep "Clotisol" on hand to help prevent minor cuts from becoming dangerous bleeds before we can get to a vet. (We do not use Quick Stop powder on skin tears.) Human doctors often warn pre-surgical patients to halt blood thinner supplements (like Vitamin E, Fish Oil, etc.) before surgery due to increased risk of bleeding. Like Pam, Silverfish and others mentioned, doctors are more carefully weighing humans' risks of low dose aspirin due to excessive bleeding. Please let us know how things go with Luka.

Peeing in a new home environment when other dogs are in the home is very common territorial behavior for many dogs no matter how house trained they are in their own home. That said, my guess is this dog is feeling highly anxious being away from her mom and her home. She was likely already becoming stressed at her own house while watching and feeling her mom's silent departure signals. Internally, this hound may have been an emotional wreck before her mom ever left your house. Long walks do not equate to eliminating anxiety. Sometimes when dogs are feeling extremely anxious internally, they don't have the physical ability to hold in their urine/bowel. I'd suggest a lot more frequent backyard potty opportunities while her mom is gone -- like every 30 minutes to 1 hour when this hound is not asleep. Rush her outside the minute she awakens from a nap, and within a few minutes after she eats and again within 30 minutes post meal. When I welcome a new hound visitor, the hound goes directly into the fenced yard to leisurely sniff, mark and potty before entering the house. Once inside the house, the dog is kept on leash tied to my waist for as long as is needed -- hours if not longer. Then baby-gated into the most human used room under close supervision. (Fosters are crated until they can be trusted.) Btw, it's extremely important to not reprimand her for potty accidents inside. Anxiety is fear-based; reprimanding compounds a dog's fear for a long, long time.

Professional racing Greyhounds are often highly competitive while running on race tracks. Many hounds instinctually carry that behavior into retirement when running with other dogs. Also, any moving animal/bag/item outside could be perceived as prey (even if hound is fine with inside cats). In your new hound's case, other dogs may be frightened by his racing behavior, or may be (rightfully) feeling the real danger of becoming prey. Generally in any dog breed, a fearful dog could be considered an "underdog" in a dog pack setting. Wild canine instinct is to hunt down injured, sick, or fearful prey. In a dog park, something as minor as another dog yelping or tripping/falling is enough to spur an entire dog pack attack. This can happen in seconds, too quickly for any humans to intervene in time. (Btw, squeaky toys mimic the cry of live prey.) A few options to consider: - Perhaps ask your adoption group if they offer "Greyhounds only play dates" where all Greyhounds are safely muzzled while playing together inside a fenced enclosure. - Possibly another Greyhound adopter with a fenced yard would welcome you and your hound over for play dates. - Consider limiting dog park visits to times when others are not present. (If he doesn't want to run, take a nice walk instead.) - Fast-paced leash walks are excellent exercise for healthy Greyhounds. Important note: It is not safe to muzzle only one Greyhound in a dog park setting because if a dog fight occurs, your dog would not be able to defend himself. Also, other dogs often perceive a single muzzled dog as a helpless underdog to attack. General rule: If one dog is muzzled, all dogs should be muzzled. Since Greyhounds are quick sprinters (not endurance runners), they don't require extensive running exercise. Racing Greyhounds average 2 races per week. Each race lasts approximately 30 seconds. Running is nice for retired hounds who have access to safely fenced enclosures, but running is not required for them to live a healthy, happy life. Daily leashed brisk walks are fine exercise for many apartment/condo dwelling Greyhounds. (If your hound lives with cats, a lure/flirt pole may not be recommended because it reinforces prey behavior.)

We've had many cat friendly Greyhounds with multiple indoor only cats. All have been fine together with careful safety training. Good to provide multiple "cat only" safety zones in which cats can retreat -- far out of very tall Greyhounds' reach. Baby-gates raised about 5" above floor level can be helpful to ensure cats have an easy escape route out of family living areas. Also, we have a gated cat relaxation room where cats come/go freely, but dogs don't go unsupervised. Keep litter boxes and cat food bowls far out of reach from inquisitive Greyhounds' needle noses. Yes, outside cats (or other critters) = "game on" even for cat-friendly Greyhounds.

Good question. 12-14 hours is too long to hold urine on a regular basis. I'd suggest adding a little water to Tatiana's kibble (if you're not already doing so). Helps prevent hounds from choking on dry kibble, prevents dehydration, helps kidney health, etc. Typically, racing Greyhounds' elimination outings are scheduled every 4 hours (exception is while sleeping overnight). They're placed in a fully-fenced enclosure to sniff around and eliminate at their leisure (limited potty time). After being adopted as pets, some new Greyhounds are either so excited about going on leashed walks that they don't think about eliminating, or they feel too shy to eliminate with humans standing close by. It sometimes helps to lengthen their leash (just while they're eliminating), and/or for humans to turn/look away. If extra leash length is needed, two regular leashes can be very securely knotted and clipped together. (Please do not use a flexi-leash for Greyhounds. Flexi-leashes are very dangerous, especially for sighthounds.) All our Greyhounds (various ages) comfortably urinate 5 (to 7) times per day. Have fun with your new girl!

Therapaws standard boots are great, but also wanted to mention that Therapaws makes a dorsi-flex assist to help keep paws in an upright position. (I'd run this design by the dog's vet to ensure it's appropriate for a dog's current medical condition): http://www.therapaw.com/dorsi-flexassist-1.aspx

One of our hounds (picky eater) often develops loud tummy noises if she goes too long without eating. Stomach acid/bile build-ups making her feel more lousy, then she refuses future meals that day. I try to avoid that cycle by keeping her on a careful feeding schedule of breakfast, dinner, plus dividing about 1/2 cup of her dinner meal to serve just before bed (as others mentioned). If it happens in the future when Betty is off her current medical plan, administering Pepcid (10 mg.) helps combat the acid they develop on an empty stomach. Pepcid can help prevent them from later vomiting yellow bile too. We usually keep a few cans of meaty dog food for emergencies when a rare, high enticement is needed.

Another option is placing part of Charlie's healthy kibble ration into a separate "treat container". I've had dogs that were just as excited over bites of kibble when their special treat container was shaken with fun excitement, then pieces happily hand-delivered. This also works with a small bag of a different type of healthy kibble, if you want variety. Probably not in Charlie's case, but sometimes offering too many doggie treats inadvertently teaches dogs to hold out for treats rather than eating regular meals (i.e., dessert without dinner). Glad you're able to notice his weight change before it affects his health.

Good advice. Agree with Silverfish about not scolding for growling, etc. Sleep startle is different from a dog protecting their personal "space". Growling is a dog's safe way to communicate discomfort. In Cozette's case, about not wanting to be touched while she's trying to relax. Safest to respect her needs and not invade her personal space. If her early warnings are ignored (or scolded), her need to communicate heightens and her seriousness could result in a bite (in less than an instant). Understandably, many dogs dislike being touched when they are trying to rest, whether asleep or awake. She sounds like a wonderful sweetie; however, as she becomes more comfortable in the home, helps to be aware that sofa sharing space concerns might escalate. After a quick snuggle (on her terms), she might feel better resting in her own personal space on a cushy dog bed on the floor instead of permanently sharing humans' furniture.

Agree with iluvgreys and greysmom. Outside = game on. Any small running animal can look like an exciting lure. Chase and hunt instinct + excitement hormones increase quickly, especially outside. Sweep may not have even realized exactly which animal she was chasing. If it were me, I'd go back to square one cat safety to be safe with both animals inside too. IMO, It's always a risk to leave small animals free in an unsupervised house with hounds. Our hounds are always behind a 5" raised baby-gate so cats at least have a wide escape route, and younger hounds are crated if cats are roaming free inside the house unsupervised. Greyhounds are faster runners than cats. I'm so sorry this happened to you and your cat. I can imagine the horror. I've never had any indoor cats escape outside in 30 years, so it can be done. I work hard to keep cats from ever developing an interest in the doorway. I make very loud scary noises (from the other side of the door) if a cat approaches a door leading outside (e.g. banging on a metal garbage can top). I try to use the closed garage as a secondary safety net. Good luck, and try not to worry too much. I'm confident that with careful care you can resume Sweep's good relationship with your cat inside the house.

Just saw this old thread but wanted to let folks know that many Greyhounds chatter their teeth/jaws when they are feeling extra happy and loved, excited (e.g. anticipating yummy treats/meals, outings, etc.), or when they are feeling too chilly (cool air temperature). If they are too cold (might include body shivering), try placing Greyhound jammies on them or cover them with a light weight blanket. Greyhound teeth chattering toward their humans is often considered an endearing complement. If none of those possibilities fit, then I'd certainly consider a potential medical cause. Hopefully, the dental helped OP's "Kai" return to normal.

Welcome to GT! We'd love to see pictures of your handsome boy sometime soon. Considering Toby's racing name is "WW Junkman" (seriously?! ), I'd keep the house (and yard) extra-tall-baby-proofed like crazy! He sounds like quite a busy, and entertaining character. Several of our hounds are collectors. Since our house was already well doggie-proofed, the youngest enjoyed collecting bath mats, bath towels, and dog blankets. After increasing our "Tuffie Toy" collection, they began to focus their collections to their own favorite dog toys. Good advice.

Our vet's office uses wonderful bandaging products that deter licking for toe amputations, etc. Perhaps your vet could take a peek to ensure there is no underlying infection or pain, and provide some better bandage wrap. (At home we use PetFlex - No Chew, and "Bitter Yuck" spray. Tastes worse than Bitter Apple. Not sure if you've already tried that type of no chew wrap.) If he's not in leg pain, I second the suggestion to increase his daily morning walk time (and/or increase pace) to tire him out during your work day, so he's less inclined to lick obsessively. If he enjoys playing with toys, Tuffie's Toys are very thick and more durable than most. (If Kongs are empty, they're not touched around here.) Side caution: I'd be careful to watch him for any signs of upset tummy as long as he's wearing a stool guard. Dogs can choke to death if they vomit into a stool guard.

Normally, most Greyhounds do need to urinate upon awakening in the morning. Many newly retired racers are shy about eliminating while being leash walked in a new city neighborhood environment. (They're used to fenced turn-out pens at racing kennels and farms.) It may help to temporarily securely knot two leashes together to offer your hound a little extra space to eliminate. Initially, it helps to turn away while hound is eliminating. She'll learn soon, then you could go back to using a single leash. (Of course, while walking it's safer to hold excess leash to prevent tripping.)

Happy birthday sweet Desi... :confetti Glad to read this much improved report. (Outdoor carpet runner material is washable and could dry quickly.)

Agree. Greyhounds are at higher risk for deadly heat stroke/hyperthermia. They really need to live as indoor dogs. I believe some dog doors have a security chip the dog can wear on a collar to activate the locked door. Our Greyhounds can tolerate shady, outside temperatures up to the low 70's fahrenheit (21 - 22 celsius) before they begin to show signs of suffering from heat. Car travel can be especially risky for Greyhounds. Parked cars in shade can increase to dangerous temperatures within 5 to 10 minutes, even with windows partly open. Please read this important link re: heat stroke/hyperthermia: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=366

Oh, I'm so very, very sorry. I can only imagine how shocking this must be for you and your family. You certainly did everything possible to help save your beloved boy. Our sincere caring thoughts are with you. Godspeed Spartacus...

As someone who is with Greyhounds 24/7, my suggestion is to try different options until you discover what works best for your situation. We've often needed to crate only one dog in a pack whether it was a new foster, or one of our own (in crate or secured ex-pen) for sleep/space guarding issues, cat safety, etc. Baby-gating the same room allows dogs to keep each other company, even if only one dog is crated. If traveling, we crate several (or all) unsupervised dogs for their own safety, and to avoid damage to an unfamiliar vacation home. We're careful to provide elimination outings every 4 hours, but 5-6 hours would be okay for some hounds. Many hounds can't hold urine or bowl as long as others, especially if newly adopted hounds are feeling anxious or excited. Our hounds average 6-7 elimination outings per day, but one hound would have done fine with 5 outings during younger years. The key to basket muzzles is so dogs can pant, drink water, etc. Please be careful to not leave a cat roaming free in the house when left unsupervised with a non-muzzled, non-crated new dog. If Greyhound is left free in baby-gated room, cat is safer behind a fully closed door. A muzzled dog can still harm a cat either through a muzzle or by a playful pounce.

I wonder if the continued urine discoloration is a combination of the anesthesia + other medications + old blood. Any idea if he swallowed the broken tooth? If so, he's probably already passed it by now, but might be worth watching for it in his stool.