3greytjoys

Yes, yes, yes you are doing the right thing by keeping the non-cat Greyhound visitor securely crated. I've fostered non-cat hounds and there is no room for error in a household with cats. Be sure to keep the visitor hound muzzled whenever she is out of the crate. (Yes, they can harm or kill a cat when muzzled (+leg pounce) but not nearly as easily or instantly as without a muzzle.) Here, before the crate door is unlocked, the cats will have already been locked in another room. Since cats often bolt out of a room the second someone opens the door, we ensure the dog is locked in the crate before opening the cats' door. Please don't take any chances. The Grey likely lived in kennels all her life before retirement so one week, with daily outside walks, will be fine for her. Extra hugs to Bus as he temporarily adjusts to his friend occupying his favorite space. Since some Greys don't do as well in boarding facilities after retirement, next time, you might suggest to your friend to post on our local forum to try to find a non-cat Greyhound sitter.

The best news is that Rocket was diagnosed by a vet so he can begin treatment. Please be sure to follow-up with your vet for a retest after his medicine is finished. Your vet can tell you the best time to retest Rocket considering the growth cycle of the particular type of lungworms. Some worms are easier to kill than others; some take more than one treatment plan. I assume your vet already suggested to keep Rocket's feces carefully picked-up to prevent spreading of worms. Some people quickly place newspaper (or a paper plate) under the dog for an easy, clean catch. Good luck, and know that you're not alone, most of us have been there. It's no fun for Rocket or you, but Rocket will feel so much better once all those parasites are gone. It's great that you are taking such good care of him!

It's possible, but parasites are common and can be picked up anywhere other dogs frequent, including parks and neighborhoods. Which parasite did the stool sample reveal?

Just in case you (or other readers) have cats; my understanding is Advantix is dangerous to use on dogs who live with cats.

Robin, Phene, please send your momma a special breeze with a kiss from you over the bridge. Thank you for posting his handsome picture. We still miss him on GT too.

Maybe the vet could do the cystocentesis urine draw at the office instead of free catch. (Quick needle into the bladder provides a more sterile sample.)

Also, you and your baby were on the floor level (aka: dog's level). Many years ago, one of our dogs (different breed) charged a visiting infant (stranger to that dog) who was placed on the floor in a carrier seat.

Welcome to GT! Willow is adorable snuggled under his blanket! Love his silver-heart face! Glad you've had 10 years together so far; hope you have many more. Thank you for sharing his picture.

You are smart to keep that evidence (and a picture of the ground scene outside). Hopefully, your neighbor is just a harmless non-animal savvy person. I know you are aware that some people do things intentionally to harm dogs. I know someone who lost four dogs (within 4 hours) from something someone tossed over the fence to harm them. (The dogs were mostly indoors but had a dog door into the back yard.) Hopefully, your dogs are quiet when outside, and the yard is kept clean of feces and urine odor so that neighbor wouldn't have any reason to be upset with them. If interested, reflective ID collars increase visibility of our dogs while we're watching them during yard outings. If you end up questioning whether or not that neighbor will stop his behavior, one idea is to temporarily section off a dog potty area closer to your house, or on a different side from that neighbor. What a relief that Fintan is okay after that scary situation while you were away. Hopefully, your mention of the expensive vet bill will be enough to stop your neighbor. Good luck. To Skirtinthedirt: Welcome to GT and thank you for posting! That's excellent information for us to remember. We hope you'll post more on GT.

A Webcam might help while you are at work. Positive thoughts for Thyme, and you all.

PetSTEP is our favorite dog ramp for cars to date. We have SUV crossovers (it's not made for big trucks). It has been a lifesaver for our pack which also includes three geriatric aged Greyhounds. http://www.amazon.com/PetSTEP-Folding-Pet-Ramp-Khaki/dp/B00006OALW/ref=sr_1_1/182-2746658-7908210?ie=UTF8&qid=1384031234&sr=8-1&keywords=petstep+ramp Here is my previous thread about this PetSTEP ramp. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/297675-dog-ramp-in-emergency/ (We ordered ours from Costco on-line; however, it appears to be unavailable at Costco right now.)

It might be helpful for your vet if you could journal Peggy's medical symptoms for a week or two including meals, exercise timing, and take a photo of her when actively foaming for your vet. Since there are many causes for excessive foaming, listing any other minor symptoms that may otherwise go unnoticed could help diagnose a root cause, especially if it's something other than an oral/tooth problem. Peggy may still have too much undigested food in her system even after waiting 2 hours after a meal before hard exercise. If weather and time permits, try waiting about 4 hours before allowing hard exercise. (If I recall correctly, some racing kennels in the U.S. do not feed breakfast on a Greyhound's racing days.) Excessive white foaming is one of the symptoms of bloat too. Understandably, Peggy is still with you so she hasn't bloated, but as you mentioned, better to curb her exercise a bit rather than letting her go beyond her individual healthy limit. Good luck.

It is strongly possible. Giardia is very common in lakes, creeks, standing puddles of water, birdbaths, and raw food. I'd suggest taking a fresh fecal sample to your vet for a fecal test (possibly ELISA test). After giardia infection, it takes 5 to 12 days to be detected in the stool. Please make every effort to avoid letting her stool seep into dirt. Giardia can live outside it's host for many months, and can infect humans also. Bleach kills it on surfaces. The longer a dog is infected, the harder it is to treat the dog, not to mention the internal damage the dog suffers. If anyone is interested, my favorite hound potty area material is tumbled playground bark because I can immediately scoop up the bark along with the stool, keeping the dirt free of parasites. Careful management, including fostering new hounds, we haven't had a yard parasite problem in years. Our potty area is sectioned off and not large enough for hounds to run, otherwise I wouldn't use this bark. This bark is less likely to have splinters, but the bark is small.

Wow, she was amazing flying over those hurdles! What a special girl she was... your wonderful photos of her are worth a thousand words. I'm so happy you have videos of her to keep her wonderful spirit alive. This thread topic might get locked preventing people from adding new replies. If it does, please feel free to add a post with your video link about your lovely Lulu in the Remembrance section. That thread would be able to stay open. Thank you for sharing this wonderful video. We can imagine your huge feelings of loss.

I agree with all suggestions above. I'd go a step further to recommend runner rugs in the kitchen, plus other rooms and hallways your hound frequents with hard floors. It's important to get either rubber-backed rugs, or add rug gripper mats underneath. Greyhounds slipping on hard floors is common and can be very dangerous, even more dangerous later once he settles in if he tries doing zoomies on a hard floor, or on unsecured rugs. Cheap runner rugs and grippers are available at home center stores, etc. In addition to resolving the hard floor concern, you might try sitting on a (carpeted) floor holding his regular bowl while he eats his meal for a couple of days to see if he feels safer with you holding the bowl. If he's still hesitant of "that" bowl, try a weighted plastic bowl (as mentioned in a previous post) until he rebuilds his confidence. BTW, there are flat ID collars available that he could wear 24/7. His tags could then be placed on the side hardware of his martingale collar for use only during outings. Good luck helping your boy feel more comfortable eating.

Oh, I'm so very sorry that Lulu had a brain tumor, and has passed. My heart is breaking for you. I hope you can find a bit of peace knowing there was nothing that could have been done. I am so relieved she was able to spend her final days inside her own home with you. Hopefully, Lulu has already met up with her best friend Malcolm over the bridge. You are in our positive thoughts during this difficult time of loss.

I'm so very sorry for your sudden, heartbreaking loss of Monty. I've been deeply moved by your thoughtful threads about him and have enjoyed seeing his photo journal. So many favorite photo memories... Monty will be missed. Our thoughts are with you and your family during this most difficult time.

How old is Peggy now? I wonder if Peggy's foaming may be a bit excessive for a Greyhound. A few things come to mind to watch, and consider discussing with your vet: Check her gum color. As you know, many healthy hounds' gums are light to medium pink, but some have darker markings on their gums naturally. (Very deep dark red, purple, or blue gums raise a medical alert flag for us.) Listen to her panting to notice if it's excessively noisy or labored. Has her voice/bark changed over time? Smell her breath for clues of possible oral/tooth infection, or internal organ infection. I assume the outside temperature is not too warm for her to run (increasing her body heat excessively). I assume she's not drinking excessively while still in a heightened physical state. Retching or vomiting would be something to consider as abnormal. Glad you wait at least two hours after meals before allowing her to run. I wonder if you've tried exercising her two hours prior to eating a meal to see if she has the same result. As you mentioned, might be reflux or food related. (Our hounds acid related fluid is usually bright fluorescent yellow.) Rarely, we'll administer 10 mg. of Pepcid with food. (If you don't have Pepcid in the UK, maybe you already use a veterinary recommended mild reliever that is safe for dogs.) In our case, a couple of our hounds exercise must be limited to walks due to their medical reasons. Good luck. Hopefully it's nothing abnormal.

I'm so sorry about Lulu. I agree with others to please try to get Lulu in to see a veterinarian or specialist ASAP. Most dogs are very stoic and try to hide pain. Excessive panting (when air temperature is cool and dog is not exercising) can be a strong indicator of pain. You mentioned panting a couple of times which leads me wonder if she might be in fairly severe pain. Shaking/tremors/spasms and jolting forward could also be related to pain. One of our hounds also had a TIA stroke (entire right side was affected, including head, right front leg and right back leg). She couldn't walk at first, but minutes later she did begin walking but was goose-stepping both right legs. Her vision appeared to be okay. She fully recovered within 10-15 minutes. No recurrences in well over a year. There are also many eye problems that can cause blindness. A veterinary ophthalmologist would be most helpful. As an example, I've known several Greyhounds with pannus, which leads to blindness if not caught early. A dog's eyesight can often be saved if prescription eye drops are administered at home. It isn't a cure but can slow or halt disease progression. Might be a good idea to keep an eye open for brusing just in case she was tapped by a car or something. Whatever happened, I'm relieved you were finally able to capture her. Good luck and please let us know how things go with Lulu. Positive thoughts for her recovery, and for you. Here is a veterinary site you might find helpful: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2354

Just seeing this thread. Is Casper improving yet? I don't recall our hounds having any similar response to Casper; however, we didn't incorporate any Meloxicam. Interestingly, Gabapentin is used to help seizures. Tramadol does have a side effect of seizures and bizarre behavior with higher doses. Please read both links about the use of these meds in dogs. Gabapentin: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2764 Tramadol: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1815

Great about Gable moving into the bedroom with his new human family pack. Depending on your time zone vs. his previous location, he might have been on a different feeding schedule. The snack before bed may help prevent him from awakening hungry. Treat puzzles and feeding meals from a food cube would help mentally work (tiring) his mind until he's able to expend physical energy on walks. Your thought re: dependency is understandable; however, you need sleep and Gable is getting plenty of alone time during the day while you're at work. After Gable becomes more trustworthy with the cats, a stepping point beyond the crate would be to wear his muzzle coupled with a baby-gate until he proves disinterest in cats. A baby-gate used during the day while you're home would allow him safety inside your most used daytime living space (perhaps a family room?), and would help him retain confident independence by him not needing to stay on high alert to follow you to the bathroom, throw away a piece of trash, etc. We install baby-gates about 5"-6" above floor level so cats have a wide berth escape route. Cats always need safe escape routes, and even muzzled dogs can pounce on cats so supervised management is important. Good luck and keep us posted.

First: I assume you took him outside to potty. Many hounds bark when they desperately need to eliminate. Second: I assume he has pain medication for his broken leg and is ingesting it successfully? (Possibly whining, panting, or barking due to uncontrolled pain.) Third (very important): I'd suggest allowing him into your bedroom to sleep as part of his new "family pack". You could move his crate into the bedroom or ask your group if you can borrow or rent a second crate. Newly retired Greyhounds need humans nearby, especially when they've suddenly lost their entire huge family of a racing kennel full of Greyhounds. If he's sleeping elsewhere in the house, and you leave to work during the day, that leaves very little time for him to be with you. This is his most major life adjustment ever, compounded by a painful leg. I would not give him any sleeping medication (herbal or otherwise) if he is on medication for his broken leg. Most pain meds would relax him. IMO, medication is not the best answer for this specific overnight issue. Being allowed to sleep in the room with his humans is potentially the answer. How much kibble is he eating daily, and what is his weight? You might consider reducing his dinner by 1/2 cup, then give him a 1/2 cup of kibble just before bedtime. That could help curb his hunger until morning. I assume he's being given enough time for his full elimination immediately before bed. Only if all of the above doesn't work, and if he's not on pain medication, ask your vet if it's okay to give him "naturally derived" plain "Melatonin" hormone (like Nature's Made brand, available at most drug stores), 1.5 mgs about 45 minutes before bedtime. Again, please try all other suggestions above first (before adding a sleeping aid), especially try allowing him to sleep in your bedroom. Please keep us posted on his progress.

Congratulations on your adoption of Ernie! Yes, I agree about too much walking too soon. Racing Greyhounds are sprinters (not endurance walkers/runners). They only race 1 or 2 races per week. One race only lasts about 30 seconds. Most of their hours are spent resting in crates. They are usually in a limited size sand turnout pen for potty elimination. Upon adoption, it's often suggested to limit newly retired Greyhound walks to <10 minutes each walk during the first several days, then slowly increase to 15 minutes, eventually building up to about 30-45 minutes over 2 or 3 months. If too much exercise, their pads can become very sore (even rubbed raw). Also, good to be aware that some Greyhounds develop corns, in which case, cement is one of the most painful surfaces on which to walk. Hounds feeling sore paw pads often seek carpeted surfaces inside, and grass, or soft dirt when outside. Also, good to consider his racing history. It's possible he may have an old racing injury that is causing extra body soreness on stairs (and possibly during walks). When a Greyhound is not a willing participant, there is usually a good reason. He may simply be exhausted, or feeling pain. Open riser stairs (vs. closed risers) are more difficult for dogs, but are typically more challenging going up than down. His hesitation leads me to wonder if he's trying to avoid walks. Even if he not walking mid-day, good to test cement temperature with your hand for about 10-15 seconds since cement/pavement retains heat for an extended time long after sun has rotated off the sidewalk. Greys are sensitive to heat and cold. (Our hounds are comfortable walking when air temperature is below about 72 degrees.)

Thank you for asking this question. You're smart to avoid physical force. (Some dogs will bite if forced, and/or will lose trust in their human.) Most importantly, I would not recommend teaching sit to any hound who has any rear leg or spinal injury/discomfort. A straight sit is not a very comfortable position even for physically healthy Greyhounds, and I don't expect them to stay in a sit for any extended length of time. (Greys are built for running or lying down, but not extended straight sitting like other dogs.) I don't sweat between a side sit or a straight sit. The Greyhound's physical comfort is most important. Many good positive reward (non-force) suggestions posted, and I've used them all. Whatever method is used, it's important to keep sessions short (under 3-5 mintes). Keep sessions fun and happy. If frustration begins, stop immediately. Try again later or the next day. The snippet below is from one of my previous posts. This method is highly effective, and particularly helpful if hounds have trouble understanding other positive reward methods. "Try to set your hound up for success. Watch for hound to walk towards their bed (or carpet) to lie down naturally. Get ready with treat in hand, and quickly move closer to the hound. Once hound's rear end touches the ground/bed, you jump in to stand directly in front of the dog's body. Your body is blocking the hound (into a natural sit) while preventing dog from lying all the way down. Immediately say "sit" + offer treat, and praise, praise, praise. Do this whenever the dog goes to lie down naturally, and the hound will learn "sit" in no time. If desired: A clicker can be used if you want to "click" immediately and treat when the hound's rear end touches the ground (or dog bed), but just treating with food works fine in most cases. A person can make a clicker sound (like horseback riders) if you don't have a clicker training tool available. I've had a number of hounds that do a side sit vs. a straight sit. This is fine as far as I'm concerned considering a Greyhound's body design. Many times they will eventually do a straight sit on their own if it's comfortable for them. Other hounds I teach a straight sit from the start. Greys learn differently than most breeds. Adapting with gentle, positive training is sooo important with Greys."

k9soul: Thank you for elaborating your timing. I'll clarify my mention of an open dog bed along a (far) wall or in a (far) safe corner (with open sides). Both are assuming it's a safer protected area for the dog to avoid being bumped into or frequently walked over (i.e., away from human traffic area). A dog's bed should not place them in a physically vunerable position. An escape route is important in case a dog suddenly feels startled or fearful. Good to avoid a direct frontal approach early in adjustment period if dog is resting. Here is a good dog language link that includes photos with a diagram of signals to watch: http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/diagrams.html