3greytjoys

Completely agree with Jennifer. If I'm understanding Lazer's symptoms correctly, Lazer is suffering badly. IMO, this is ER worthy and he needs veterinary attention ASAP. I consider Lazer's condition a life-threatening breathing crisis. Just my experiences, not only could he collapse from lack of oxygen, but he could overheat (hyperthermia) from such physical stress while desperately struggling to breathe in air. If fluids build-up in his lungs/chest it's like drowning on top of everything else.

A baby-gate + crate offers you excellent flexibility. The crate is also helpful for a new dog that is being housebroken. Many dogs love the safe, cave/den-like environment of their crate. This can be especially helpful for Greyhounds who've come from track life. Transitioning from a track into a new home is so different from anything they've ever experienced. A crate may be the only familiar feeling of security the hound has in a new home. Your boy sounds mellow and clearly appears to like having a crate (sans door scare). Since he had temporary difficulty re: crate door, you could feed him his meals inside the crate with the door left wide open (secure it open if needed). Crate should = Willis' happy, safe place. Some hounds who never see a crate at home (post adoption) have greater difficulty when they must be placed in a crate for veterinary hospital procedures (which can make their hospital experience more difficult). Some dogs need to go to boarding kennels, or a pet sitter's home (who may need to confine dog for safety reasons). If a hound goes on vacation with their owner to someone's home, the crate is a safe place to prevent dog from getting loose, or tearing up a (strange) house while people go out for dinner, etc. (These are not the best times to have to do crate re-training.) I assume the crate is properly sized for Willis if he's a typical tall male Greyhound... A Greyhound should be able to stand up comfortably, turn around, and lie down flat comfortably inside a crate. As mentioned, if you're able to block the crate door with your body and teach him "wait" until you get the door open, he should be able to learn to exit smoothly. If he's bursting out because he needs to eliminate, ensure he has ample opportunities to eliminate before being left alone. (We take new hounds outside every couple hours during the daytime for their first couple days, extending to 3 hours the next several days, gradually increasing up to 4 hours during day.) BTW, a little whining (or barking) when left alone in the early days is very common with new arrivals (many breeds, any ages). Sounds like you know to wait for any moment of silence before reacting to Willis (to avoid rewarding with your attention for whining). Keep doing brief alone training while you are home, and walk outside the apartment for a few minutes at a time. Multiple brief daily separations are helpful. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I completely understand your frustration and concern, particularly about the lack of interest in alone treats. (Dogs feeling extremely anxious often don't feel comfortable enough to eat. They will eat as their comfort level increases.) I agree, in your situation, that veterinary prescribed meds could help her relax to be receptive to learning that it's okay to be alone. Your vet can prescribe a short-acting med, coupled with long-term med. You are doing great to try to get her accustomed to spending time in the (hopefully heavily used) den/family room, or at least the full downstairs (with upstairs doors closed). Feed all her meals in that den (to make it her happy and safe area) -- whether in the room or inside her open door crate. Fine for you to stay in the room so she stays relaxed enough to eat. A great sign is when you offer a peanut butter stuffed Kong for short training (seconds, eventually up to minutes) while you leave the room (still in her sight is okay for now) and she is more interested in licking the stuffing out vs. showing more concern for your whereabouts. Pick up Kong every time you walk back in the room. Muzzle becomes most important when you have a "real departure" from the house/property (for her own safety and the safety of your home). Thundershirt doesn't do much for our hound, but they do have a return policy for people who don't have success within a month or so. If needed, it might help to borrow a friend's longer-retired Greyhound just to see if it relaxes your girl more during her transition as an only dog. Another working person might "share" their Greyhound with you on workdays. Where is she sleeping at night, and how is that working? BTW, newly retired hounds' paw pads are more tender, so good to clean off snow after walks (if you're not already doing that).

Great news! He's been through so much, he was probably exhausted from all his medical activity. Glad he's showing signs of his normal behavior.

Might ask your vet if Truman should avoid peanut butter while on that dose of Prozac. Foods rich in tryptophan/omega 3 fatty acids increase serotonin levels (peanut butter, turkey, pumpkin, etc.). Just a thought: If your vet is keeping Truman on Prozac, if needed, a slightly lower dose might work better going forward than it did initially (when the new drug was just beginning to build in his system). Hopefully the pharmacy or vet clinic provided a Fluoxetine (Prozac) drug warning leaflet including abnormal side effects like muscle tremors, reduced appetite, stool changes, plus many more. If not, might be helpful to find one on-line from the drug manufacturer. If interested, and if your hounds are difficult to administer pills, this device is helpful: http://www.entirelypets.com/pillgun.html I'm relieved Truman didn't fall into grand mal seizures coupled with all his symptoms. Glad he's recovering well in his home environment. What a huge relief that you were home to see him struggling, and got him to the ER in time. Hope you can all rest better this week.

Guinness was such a special boy... He will hold a special place in your heart forever. He is still missed by many of us on GT. Hard to believe it's been three years...

I am so deeply saddened by your and your wife's shocking and sudden loss of your sweet boy, Obie. He was one of my favorites on GT. My heartfelt sympathy to you and your family after all your recent losses.

Trazadone and Paxil interactions appear very risky also: http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/paxil-with-trazodone-1800-1156-2228-0.html

The drug interactions make sense. I'm relieved he was able to return home with you, and that he's showing positive signs of recovery. Whew!

One of our hounds had a mild TIA stroke with ataxia several years ago but was fully recovered by the next day. If you have to leave Truman at the hospital again, please ask them to call you if his anxiety increases too much. Seeing you or relaxing with you in his own familiar (cushioned) environment of your car may help him relax. Positive thoughts for your vet pinpointing Truman's diagnosis, and treatment soon.

Congratulations on your new adoption of Cozett! If you have the luxury of doing much shorter alone training sessions, it could help a lot. Try to keep her calm and under threshold during alone training. (Two hours feels like an eternity to a new anxious dog.) I agree with continued focus on housetraining too. Alone training for some dogs requires thinking in terms of stepping out of dog's sight for only seconds at a time, particularly a newly retired hound who has never been alone in her life. Great to give her the yummy workable treat (stuffed Kong) every time you leave her sight. Be sure to quietly pick up the Kong immediately upon your return to the room. No fanfare. The yummy Kong is only provided as her special alone treat. Slowly build up alone time from seconds to a minute, two minutes, etc. without letting her go beyond her threshold. (Ideally, dog should not feel any anxiety during alone training.) After dog feels calm and relaxed for up to 20 minutes repeatedly, then lengthening the alone training time beyond 20 mins. usually begins to go faster. Important to not rush building up to 20 minutes of calm alone time. (BTW, I don't recommend leaving a dog unsupervised with a Bully Stick. They can be a choke hazard.) Begin to create brief separations from her without you leaving the house/property. -Go to the bathroom alone for a few seconds, close the baby-gate behind you, leaving her on the opposite side. -Briefly sit in a room on the opposite side of the baby-gate. (She can see you but closed gate ensures extra physical space between the two of you.) -When she's resting on her dog bed in the same room with you, try to locate her bed farther away from your chair. - Go into other rooms alone for very brief periods. Some of her following you inside the house is fine since she's still learning about her new home/family, but it's important to begin teaching her you'll be right back within seconds multiple times per day every day. Helpful if you are moving in/out of rooms so frequently that she begins to find your daily movements so boring that she relaxes on her own comfy bed without feeling like you'll leave her forever if she isn't glued to your side, and/or watching your every breath. Anxiety is fear-based and many dogs feeling anxious are not physically able to hold urine and/or bowel as well as they normally can while feeling calm. (Similar to a person needing to urinate frequently before public speaking.) Anxiety often begins building as dogs notice pre-departure signals (like human getting dressed). Planning 2 (or 3) elimination outings before a departure helps. If she goes outside to eliminate 30 minutes before you leave, let her out again immediately before you depart. Helpful to watch dog eliminate vs. just letting her outside. (If there's an accident inside, please ask everyone in the house to be careful to not scold her. Scolding compounds and prolongs the problem by magnifying fear and anxiety.) One idea is to close all upstairs doors, dog-proof downstairs and muzzle her during your actual absences. Leave window coverings open so she can see outside without damaging them. You may already be doing this, but I find it helpful to take new fosters outside for potty breaks a lot more often than usual. Day 1: Elimination opportunity every 2 hours during day. First week or more: Elimination opportunity every 3 hours during day. Good luck.

I'm so very sorry about Bella's diagnosis, Maggie. So many excellent responses, and the links galgrey posted are very helpful. Just a few thoughts to add as you become Bella's seeing eye person: - Begin teaching Bella proper "heeling" while on leash (if you haven't already). Bella's right shoulder next to your left thigh. This keeps dogs away from passing cars since pedestrians are supposed to walk against traffic flow. Try to step with your own left leg first each time you begin walking. - Teach "heel left" and "heel right" when making a turn. Helpful to teach u-turn or round about. - If leash walking two dogs on your left side, Bella would benefit from walking in the middle (between human and other dog). Bella next to your left thigh; Cleo next to Bella's left side. As her sight worsens, you may notice her keeping her head very low watching the ground as she walks, especially at night. I agree with others about completely avoiding a dog park, especially with a blind retired racer. Besides crashing into dogs, trees, humans, fence, chairs; other dogs and wild ground critters dig holes causing falls. Bella would be perceived as the weakest underdog in the park. She would become the most likely target for other dogs to attack. She couldn't see her attackers to defend herself. Good luck, and please let us know how the specialist's opinion goes for Bella.

I didn't address your "how" question since I agreed with Batmom encouraging treat exercises. It will take repeated practice sessions over time, but well worth your effort. If Clarice isn't highly food motivated, plan sessions when she's hungry. Either use her kibble meal for training, or reduce her kibble intake and offer high value treats on training days. Here is Dr. Sophia Yin's link (with video) for counter-conditioning dog to dog resource guarding (whether food or toys, it's the same training technique): http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/a-scientific-approach-can-help-you-solve-many-types-of-possession-aggressio In lieu of Dr. Yin's remote treat dispenser (in video), a second person would be helpful, otherwise just toss treats to Clarice from afar. Treat timing is important with these exercises. Here is another example by Patricia McConnell: https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/tag/guarding-in-dogs Could be helpful to take Clarice through an obedience training course. Otherwise, home training "come", "down", "leave it", "drop it", etc. "Learn to earn" exercises could help her too. Good luck.

We keep all toys out of sight (unless supervised) whenever working with fosters or our own new hounds. Newly retired hounds usually go crazy over the exciting new concept of "toys" after track life. Now, all our hounds are fine playing together, but we keep toys on the opposite side of a baby-gate when we're gone just to be safe. Also, we don't want them chewing and ingesting them. I consider it a little "insurance" to keep food and toys separate for hounds who are not interested in sharing.

Welcome to GT! The extra time can be very helpful for a new transition, but many people adopt at the beginning of a 3-day weekend. Either way, it's extremely important to begin very brief periods of alone training within the first 2-3 days (only brief minutes away, but practicing many times each day). It can be difficult to build up too fast before a full work week. Initially, I recommend business outings every 2 hours on Day one (during daytime hours), stretching it to 2.5 to 3 hours on Day two. Each day thereafter usually becomes easier (unless the dog has medical or transition issues requiring more frequent outings). The most important thing to consider is your dog will likely need a mid-day potty break (by someone), especially a new arrival. Our group recommends business outings about every 4-6 hours during the days. Some dogs who are well adjusted and have lived in their home for a long time can last longer; however, most dogs should not be forced to wait an entire work day before being able to eliminate. Daytime hours are not the same as overnight hours. Many Greyhounds (especially older hounds) sleep a lot, but they awaken much more often during the daytime. It really depends on the dog. Your adoption group should be able to find you an appropriate match for your living situation. I'm sure others will chime in with their thoughts too. Welcome to the wonderful world of Greyholunds!

I agree with others. One of our Greyhounds had a front (outside) toe amputation a couple of years ago. It was the best possible decision for our girl, and she has recovered beautifully. Many dogs (all breeds) have very successful toe amputations, so I'm relieved to learn that your wife has agreed with your veterinarian's suggestion. Two important tips: 1. Depending on the lesion's location, it's important to amputate high enough up on the digit joint so a stub will not touch the ground when she's standing/walking. 2. If you're not familiar with aminocaproic acid, please discuss it with your veterinarian ASAP. If she agrees it would be beneficial, ask her to call a prescrition into a pharmacy for your pick-up before surgery day. If you're not aware: >25% of Greyhounds are considered excessive bleeders. Aminocaproic acid can help prevent excessive bleeding during and after surgeries (including minor dentals with extractions). Many vets begin Greyhounds on aminocaproic acid the day of surgery (or a day before for known bleeders) for a 5-day duration. If time allows, it's best to have a prescription called to a pharmacy several business days before surgery since the pharmacy may need to order it for you. (We have many Greyhounds in our region so our pharmacies keep it stocked.) - Cheapest aminocaproic acid is usually liquid form from a compounding pharmacy. (This is my preference for a one time surgery since liquid (beef flavored) tastes like yummy treat to dogs, and it's fast-acting.) - Costco pharmacy can order tablet form (may be a little more expensive, but has a longer shelf life if needed (about one year). If your vet has questions about aminocaproic acid for bleeding in Greyhounds, here are a couple of informative articles from OSU: - Greyhound Bleeders: (Caution: pictures of post-operative internal bleeding in this article.) https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/greyhoundbleeders/index.cfm - Aminocaproic Acid is mentioned in this article under "Treatment and Prognosis" section: https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/bonecancer/index.cfm Our Greyhound's digit amputation surgery and recovery went very smoothly. She happens to be one (of three) of our excessive bleeders. Fantastic news that your girl's lungs are clear. She sounds strong and healthy which should help her recover quickly. Positive thoughts for clean surgical margins, and for her to feel better post-op. Please let us know how it goes. I'm very sorry for your losses of your previous two Greyhounds.

If a willing Greyhound specific adoption group is near the dog's current southern location, their experienced cat testers might be willing to test this dog before transport to CT. If so, a kind gesture would be to offer that Greyhound group a nice donation for your favor. Clearly, the dog's second reaction sounds more promising as potentially cat workable, but it would be most helpful to be tested by Greyhound experts. A very high prey Greyhound likely would not have given up her captured prey (without harm) and so easily, nor would she look away for any length of time. I second greysmom re: pre-arranging a Greyhound group in your area to accept her if she's not cat safe (in advance of her transport). Good luck.

That does sound odd. We refuse to order any medications on-line. Too many illegal business practices. - Many drug manufacturers do not guarantee (their supposed) products sold through on-line sources. (Many on-line sellers obtain product from illegal sources, and/or sell counterfeit or expired products.) Example: This means if a dog gets heartworm while on preventative, the heartworm preventative manufacturer will not pay for treatment costs to try to save that pet. If heartworm preventative IS purchased legally through licensed veterinary sources and administered properly, they WILL pay treatment costs (which can be expensive). - Medications are required to be kept within certain temperatures to work effectively (and many are light sensitive). - It's impossible to assure safe and proper handling, storage, and shipping from on-line sources. - Most importantly, when purchased through unauthorized sources, there is no way to know what actual products pets are ingesting which could seriously damage their health. We gladly drive to pick-up pet medications from a licensed local source because of these issues. Also, mailboxes are subject to extreme temperatures whether ice boxes in winter or hot ovens in summer. (Medication boxes or inserts provide temperature requirements.) Local licensed veterinarians are often a most trusted source; however, if cost savings is of concern, check Costco pharmacy prices for heartworm preventative and other pet medications. Anyone near a Costco might be surprised how affordable these medications are from a local source. (Last time I checked, a 12-month supply of Heartgard was about $80. for Costco members, and just slightly more for non-members. Merial, Heartgard's manufacturer often offers a $12.00 mail-in rebate, which drops that final cost to about $68.00 - 70.00 for a year supply.) Here's an FDA link. Looks like it is illegal to purchase veterinary medications without a prescription. http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm203000.htm

Glad the peanut butter worked. I highly recommend keeping a pill popper available: http://www.entirelyp...om/pillgun.html It's especially great for dogs who have bitten into terribly bitter Tramadol, and later catch on to our food tricks. These pill poppers work great for dogs and may be the best tool ever invented for cats.

A few thoughts: - As others mentioned, environmental management is key. It's very important to not allow her access to poops. Follow the dogs outside to clean up immediately to help prevent the behavior. (The more a dog succeeds in snagging bites of poop, the sooner it can become a habit.) - If Addie hasn't had a recent fecal test, please do so to confirm parasites are not robbing her of her own food nutrients. - Check Addie's kibble bag feeding chart to ensure she is getting enough daily calories for that particular food. (You probably know a healthy Greyhound pet weight is seeing the last two ribs. Many Greyhounds do well eating two meals per day, plus a small bedtime snack.) - If you decide to use a muzzle with stool guard, please don't leave a dog unsupervised with a stool guard in place. (If the dog vomits, he/she could choke and drown from vomit trapped in the guard cup. When dogs vomit, they typically hang their head down which forces the stool guard into a bowl/cup position.) - Certain medications can cause stool eating in certain dogs. (This happened to one of our hounds. After we changed the medication, the sudden coprophagia behavior stopped.) - Good to try to prevent your girl from eating other animals' poop while in public to help prevent ingestion of other animals' parasites, etc. The following is not Addie's issue. Just a mention for other readers (who might be new to dogs) to be careful to not scold dogs for eliminating in inappropriate areas (e.g. indoors). Better option is to catch them in the act and calmly and quietly rush them to an appropriate dog business area outside. Then happily praise them for doing business in the correct area. Here is an excellent veterinary page link re: coprophagia: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1613

Thank you for asking this excellent question that could help others too. - Indoor exercise idea if your hound is physically able: If you have (or can find) carpeted stairs to walk up/down inside a building, then repeat, repeat, repeat. (Elevation works muscles well. Ensure stairs are closed back (vs. open riser) stairs for Greyhound's safety.) - Place kibble pieces (or small plain meat or cheese treats) under plastic cups and play the "find it" game to encourage your hound to find the cups with treats. (No garlic or onion spices on meat; both are toxic to dogs.) - Teach hound a name for individual toys. Then teach hound to find specific toy/s by name. - Play hide and seek. - Place separate types of dog scented treats in individual small cardboard boxes (empty boxes discarded from a grocery or drug store). Teach dog individual scent names, then teach dog to find the correct scent/box, placed on floor level within a couple of rooms. - "101 Things to Do with a Box" helps work a dog's mind if you don't have other interactive puzzles and toys: http://www.clickertr...ng.com/node/167 - Hide a couple of toys around the house for hound to find. ("Tuffie Toys", rated 9 or 10 on their toughness scale, are excellent and very long lasting. http://www.entirelypets.com/tuffyringyellow.html) - Puzzles: I try to find slider type wooden puzzles (vs. hard plastic loose pieces, which can be deadly if chewed and ingested). All puzzles should be used only when supervised. Wooden puzzles (see video) here: http://www.activedogtoys.com/collections/dog-puzzle-games/products/nina_ottosson_dog_brick http://www.activedogtoys.com/collections/dog-puzzle-games/products/treat-wheel Amazon is a bit cheaper: http://www.amazon.com/Nina-Ottosson-Wooden-Dog-Brick/dp/B003F1JYCQ Dog boredom relievers: "Kong" Excessive chewers may like "Durachew" bones (by Nylabone), "souper" size works well for Greyhounds, bacon or chicken flavored. If needed, peanut butter can be smeared on it to teach the dog it's a chew toy. (Just my opinion: Softer flexible Nylabones are not safe for Greyhounds because they break chunks apart too easily.) (Entirely pets or Amazon are well priced sources for several items mentioned above.)

I highly recommend a pill popper: http://www.entirelypets.com/pillgun.html I've used these for dogs and cats for decades. Last year, I needed to administer over 20 pills per day (including Gabapentin, and yucky, terribly bitter Tramadol). I keep pill poppers in a few places in the house so they're always within arm's reach of pet meds. Just to be on the safe side, I'd suggest running your question by your vet (or the pharmacist who filled the prescription) to insure your hound's Gabapentin is not sustained-release. (I know there are several different forms of Gabapentin for humans.) The taste may or may not be worse for the dog if capsule is opened. If he's already spitting it out, I'd assume he doesn't like the taste when he bites into the capsule. Another option is to ask your vet if it's available in a pet-safe flavored liquid. Good luck.

Melissa, I'm so deeply sorry you have lost your sweet boy, Bishop. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time. Godspeed Bishop as he joins his littermates across the bridge...

I don't have photos but it's a free-standing covered pergola with a slightly higher roof pitch on one side similar to these: http://www.hometips.com/how-it-works/patio-roof-construction-diagram.html Only the posts are cemented since it's over the ground (instead of over a full patio slab). Clear polycarbonate pre-cut roof panels are available at home center stores, etc. This type of shelter provides ample covered dog potty space, excellent air flow, and natural light. (Helps to see dog poop for easy daily clean up, or better yet, clean after every outing. Excellent air flow reduces heat in summer months.) Here are a few other roof pictures: http://davesnyderrealestate.blogspot.com/2011/05/porch-roofing-clear-plastic.html A few tips for any type of dog potty area shelter: - Ensure structural safety for all seasons (particularly snow and/or wind). An angled roof prevents rain from pooling, or weight from snow. - Plan to accommodate adult size humans' upright height for cleaning during/after each dog outing, and for appropriate air flow. - If possible, consider direction from which snow/rain storms approach when deciding size needs and placement. - A hose bib close by comes in handy.

Many good ideas. We added a simple roof structure that covers a designated dog potty area (about 15' x 25') next to a house door. It has been more than worth every penny for all our hounds over the years. (Cheaper than vet bills for a serious fall.) Anyone in a heavy snow region would likely need a high pitched roof or A-frame to prevent heavy snow build up.