3greytjoys

Godspeed your special Suki girl. She was clearly loved, and lived such a full life with you. I can only imagine the huge void you must be feeling in your heart and home. May your memories of your deep bond with Suki provide some comfort through this most difficult time, and live forever in your heart. I'm amazed at your strength to create such a lovely memorial montage, and your song selection was perfect.

Fantastic update! Some hounds are fine with a sitter, especially if they have trouble holding urine/bowel, but if Foxy can handle 4 daytime hours -- great! The rooing usually lessens with time as she adjusts to a new schedule, being left alone, and learning her people will return. Best of luck!

Aw, Pepper is adorable! Hope the Thundershirt helps her feel better. Thanks for the photo we always love seeing them!

Happy belated 8th birthday over the bridge, Paddy ALVIN! Mayhem. You are missed immeasurably on planet earth, but hope you're creating a path of fun mayhem with angels above. to your momma.

So glad Peggy is doing a little better! Continued positive thoughts to you and Peggy for her rapid full recovery.

Welcome to GreyTalk, Kat, Dave and Foxy! There are a number of friendly and knowledgeable Australians on board, just not sure how close they are to your location. We'll look forward to seeing a photo of Foxy someday soon. (There have been some recent threads about alternative photo hosting options since Photobucket appears to have changed their terms.)

Your boy is probably terrified. In this case it's fine to use food, toys or whatever he loves to encourage him to 1. stand up (good reward) 2. walk outside (better reward) 3. eliminate (best reward and praise party). One of our hounds was frightened to go on leashed walks at night for three months following particularly bad July 4th booms. We have to make their experiences as positive, happy, and fun as possible for them to regain trust in us and in their environment. Plain cooked meat (no spices), dried liver, or cheese, etc. could be helpful treats. If your boy loves his kibble meals, try holding back about 1/2 or 1/3 cup of his dinner to feed as a snack closer to bedtime (so he'll have a better reason to stand up and walk away from his bed on his own). While he's still standing up immediately after eating, calmly leash and escort him outside (before he has an opportunity to lie down on his bed). He'll likely feel more comfortable eliminating close to the brightly-lit house. No need to force him into a scary, dark walk until he begins to feel more comfortable again. The most important thing is for humans to remain calm, including when finding and cleaning up potty accidents. Quietly ignore the dog. Greyhounds are deeply affected when feeling humans' moods of displeasure. This compounds their stress, fear and anxiety for a very, very long time (days/weeks/months+), and can result in the development of new problems. Consider asking neighbors if any loud work is happening in the neighborhood during your work week. I'd agree with a urine test to ensure he's not struggling with a UTI.

This is a good illustration on some of the most common toxic foods and their affects on dogs: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5WvGIEXAAIKgVo.jpg

It's my understanding that Greyhound studies are underway to determine if there are breed specific differences in SDMA results. (Our Greyhounds' SDMA results have leaned towards the high side for "all breeds".) Neal's prior track diet might not be a factor by now, but it appears raw food can increase BUN and creatinine concentrations in dogs without kidney disease. A urinalysis is also important to measure specific gravity, etc. Please see page 2, #2 in this Greyhound Health Packet: http://www.medinavets.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Greyhound-Health-Packet-2016.pdf My condolences regarding your loss of Hoss to osteo last winter. Congratulations on your adoption of Neal! Hopefully, his test results will improve after he settles into retirement.

Thanks for this nice update! Baby steps are great. Sounds like she's doing really well so far!

Welcome to GreyTalk! Congratulations on your adoption of Foxy! She seems like a sweetheart! Great that she's already asking for attention. Roaching is a good sign of comfort in your home. Newly retiring Greyhounds freezing during walks is very common. It's usually caused by over-stimulation (as mentioned above, too many environmental changes too soon). Racing Greyhounds' past life has been extremely limited in racing kennels, including potty outings in a fenced turnout pen. Every little thing in a new "pet home" (TV, mirrors, glass doors, appliances, etc.), new people, and new neighborhood is completely foreign to them. When a dog becomes too uncertain or fearful of something, they react by either freezing, fleeing(!! -- hold on and don't let her back out of her collar), or (if directly physically threatened by a dog, etc.) the third option is fighting. Freezing is the most desirable reaction. As you already did very well; please continue to pay attention to your hound's comfort level. Being newly retired, simply reduce the size of her new world. Take baby steps. Let her show you when her comfort level progresses enough to expand her world. I agree to let her readjust to her own home and yard for a while. Thereafter, begin very short walks (remember anything from a garbage can - to a passing truck - to a piece of litter carried by wind, etc. could affect her). If she freezes again, offer treats and try circling and walking in a different direction. If she's not comfortable, it's fine to let her walk in any less threatening direction. If that's back home, so be it. Next time try starting your walk in a different direction. Great if a more experienced Greyhound joins your walk too. Each dog is an individual and adjusts at a different rate. She will adjust in her own time. (Avoid forcing or "flooding" a dog with what they perceive as scary or an unsafe threat, as that increases dogs' problems and often damages dogs' trust in humans.) On a separate note, I'm guessing you might be in/near Australia, but in the USA, retiring Greyhounds are adopted only as indoor family dogs. Some of the most important reasons are that Greyhounds are extremely sensitive to heat and cold temperatures. They are at greater risk than other breeds for temperature related problems, hyperthermia, and hypothermia, etc. due to their very thin skin, thin fur, lack of an undercoat, lack of body fat, and increased muscle. Even as indoor dogs, they can become too chilled during winter months. They often wear Greyhound jammies inside, and coats during walks in cold or rainy weather. A dog door installed in the human's home is okay with some adoption agencies as long as the yard is fenced and the Greyhound has 100% access to retreat inside their family home.

I completely understand and have been in a similar situation many times. As someone who moved downstairs over a year ago to care for my then physically healthy 14 1/2 year old Greyhound, I whole-heartedly feel that you know what is best for your beloved girl. Their lack of limb control can eventually become too dangerous to leave the room for anything (retrieving mail; taking garbage out, etc.). Each fall can be terrifying for the hound and can cause new injuries and extreme pain (which they naturally try to conceal, but panting and pacing can be an indicator of pain, unless hound is extremely desperate for a potty outing and relaxes immediately thereafter). I successfully nursed the same hound through a sudden temporary paralysis when she was about age 9-10, but irreversible lack of limb control upon reaching the advanced age of 15+ is completely different. Some extremely ill geriatric dogs will continue to eat normally, so unfortunately, that's not a sole indicator for humans to know when it's time. Their physical health and quality of life picture is more revealing. From what you've posted about your girl's debilitating conditions, it appears that she may be struggling too much now. You've been a great pet parent in assisting her through her final stages of life. Please try not to question yourself when it comes to preventing a beloved, elderly ill pet's suffering. I imagine your hound's veterinarian would concur with you about releasing your beloved girl from her advanced terminally debilitating conditions. Perhaps consider taking photos of her now, and if she's furry enough, you might carefully clip some fur as your special permanent keepsake of her. (Later, sometimes when looking back on a geriatric pet's latest photos, it becomes more clear how far advanced their illness had become.) If interested, here is a hospice veterinarian's video: https://www.lapoflove.com/Quality-of-Life/Determining-Pet-Quality-of-Life

Glad Violet vomited. So sorry this is happening! Positive thoughts for Violet and Skye! Even though your hydrogen peroxide was still good, this is a reminder for us to restock fresh bottles of hydrogen peroxide (in case vomiting needs to be induced for soft things only). (Non-edible hard or sharp objects ingested require veterinary attention to prevent harm while item is being expelled.) We write the "opened date" on bottle tops with a Sharpie pen, but time flies between uses.

Epi-pet is the only FDA compliant safe sunscreen for dogs: http://www.epi-pet.com/sunscreen.aspx All thin-furred dogs are at risk of sunburn, but I agree that light colored dogs (and cats) are at highest risk (white, fawn, etc). for sun damage and sun-induced cancers. After losing a Greyhound to hemangiosarcoma -- sun-induced cancer (plus multiple human family members to melanoma), our Greyhounds time in direct sun is very limited.

Robin, I'm so sorry you and Reagan are dealing with these health problems. I have no experience with EPI. Just a mention that we recently had to do an abrupt food change (regular kibble was out of stock). The new food is resulting in urgent and greatly increased stool output. The timing happened to be coupled with a round of antibiotics for one hound. The antibiotics caused temporary coprophagia and pica. A few years ago, same result occurred during treatment with a different antibiotic. Thankfully, the behavior was eliminated both times after a medication washout period. (Fortunately, I happened to be able to supervise outings, so the hound hadn't developed coprophagia as an ingrained habit.) I realize you've already tried changing food, enzymes, etc., so the above is likely of no help, but I wish you much luck finding a workable balance for Reagan.

I'm so very deeply sorry Jessica has passed away. My thoughts are with her family, Rudy, Cole, and friends. I had been missing seeing her GT posts during the past several months. She was so kind in her thoughtful efforts to help other Greyhound adopters. I hope her late Labrador, Raven greeted her along her peaceful journey. May Jessica rest in peace. She will be missed by many, including her GT family. Roo: Thank you for letting us know about Jessica's passing.

How is your Greyhound doing now?

One of our Greyhounds suffered terribly with reverse sneezing for many months after adoption. After seeing multiple vets and (misdiagnosed) allergy treatments didn't work, I was finally able to diagnose her with nasal mites. The treatment (see link) worked perfectly. Ten years later and still no recurrence. http://www.merckvetm...ine-nasal-mites (Nasal mites were not common in our region, so local vets didn't consider that possibility. Nasal mites are common in the state/s in which she raced.) Another possibility for reverse sneezing: GT member “Sambuca” posted 01 December 2013: Quote: “I brought a foster dog in for his annual at one point and mentioned that he'd been sneezing and reverse sneezing a bunch the last few weeks. The vet wasn't concerned until the fecal came back positive for nasal worms. They get nasal worms by sniffing poop infested with the eggs. They inhale the eggs and the worms live in the nasal area. Then the eggs get pooped out. A normal fecal tests for it. They are not normally able to sneeze out the worms or eggs.“ End quote. A third potential cause (in U.S.): Foxtail grass awns can enter and disturb the nasal passage, cause infection, and continue traveling more deeply into the body. https://www.petcarer...s-dont-mix/1236 If you are with your hound 24/7 and you've only heard 3 reverse sneezes in 6 months, it could just be a tiny seed, dust, etc. irritating her nasal passage. If it continues, please do seek an accurate diagnosis and treatment. Good luck.

A smaller female may be somewhat more likely to consider your small side space, but there is a difference in 2.5' vs. 3'. If there is more room on the opposite side of house, your hound would appreciate more space to turn around, and feel less trapped, or box off part of the cement and fill with mulch. We use tumbled playground fiber as a safer mulch for dogs' potty area. It doesn't splinter like other bark/mulch and has no dust. Available at professional landscape material supply businesses. We keep extra bags to replenish as needed. You're smart to avoid cocoa mulch, cocoa shells, redwood and others toxic to dogs. I recommend escorting dogs outside in the yard while they're eliminating. It's important to watch them to ensure they fully eliminate while outside, check stool quality, urine color, etc. If dogs are being treated for parasites, it's important to pick up and discard the poop (with it's mulch) instantly before parasites have time to burrow into the ground, which can repeatedly reinfect dogs. (We pick up poop instantly to keep all hounds from stepping in/tracking poop, prevent smell, flies, parasites, etc.) During walks/outings begin rewarding dog's eliminations instantly with a treat and a happy verbal cue: good b-i-g business, little business, pee-pee, poo-poo, or whatever. They can learn cue differences between pee vs. poop, which is very helpful through a dog's life. It's fairly easy to teach dogs to eliminate in a certain place if they feel comfortable in the space. Happily guide leashed dog to potty area when dog likely needs to eliminate, and happily say your potty cue word. Upon elimination, treat + happy praise party! Practice daily for dog to develop the location habit. It may only take a few days or week/s. We use "K.O.E." Kennel Odor Eliminator which is environmentally friendly and biodegradable. Works well on cement, bark, etc. (not for lawn grass/shrubs). I've been using K.O.E. original scent for many years, but now prefer the new "fresh scent". (I found an unopened bottle that was 16 years old, and it worked even better with age!) http://www.entirelypets.com/koe-concentrate-fresh-scent-16-oz.html

Dental X-rays are worth their weight in GOLD!

Is there any possibility of fostering a longer-term, confident hound to help your new girl adapt to your home environment? Your multi-Greyhound theory needs to be evaluated in your own home where she's already been living for 3 months, so you can determine if another dog truly offers her that much comfort during repeated alone time. Video or web-cam shows results. Otherwise, she's likely to be further affected by another move, another home, new people, new rules, etc. You already work from home, are Greyhound savvy, are more familiar with her behavior, etc. When she's left alone (without another dog), consider using her basket muzzle to prevent her from damaging furniture, etc. Keep working on crate training while you're home, and alone training, but keep in mind that if she's super crate phobic, baby-gating her in the most used room could initially help reduce her heightened level of anxiety. Sometimes helps if you're able to depart house from a door that she can't physically reach (e.g., door on opposite side of a baby-gate). If she doesn't gradually improve from your training efforts, consider getting a vet prescribed anti-anxiety medication to help enable her brain to be receptive to learn from alone training. Medications are not a substitute for alone training, but can be paired together effectively during the learning process. Meds. are meant to be used temporarily. BTW, although very dangerous, many young dogs (aka: large puppies) destroy kennel bedding, especially if left alone a few hours before they've reached a multiple hours long tolerance threshold (not to mention needing more potty breaks when new dogs are feeling anxiety when left alone). Most hounds improve greatly with time and patience.

I'm sorry Buffy was stricken with osteo. Nice that you were able to have some post amp. time together. May your happy memories together eventually offer you some comfort.

My heart goes out to you for your loss of Celeste, your ever special "first born" Greyhound. I was so saddened to see her name in Remembrance. She will be missed on GT. Godspeed Celeste...

What a great opportunity for all Greyhound pet parents and sighthound caretakers in the region! Dr. Couto is such a fabulous presenter, especially regarding the unique medical requirements for retired racing Greyhounds and other sighthounds. Wish I were able to arrange a trip to IL.

Statistics show that dogs most often panic when they accidentally fall into water/pools. They desperately tightly circle (e.g., dog's arm length) exactly where they fell in until they drown. (Most dogs become too disoriented to swim the entire perimeter of a pool to find steps.) Please do fence off your pool to prevent your Greyhound from falling in. Greyhounds' lack of buoyancy and poor swimming endurance makes them even more prone to drowning. Just like a toddler, dogs can go under in seconds. They should not be left by a pool unsupervised even for a minute. Our pool-like pond is too deep for Greyhounds. The perimeter of the yard is fully fenced 6'-8'+, but we added an inner divider fence to ensure the hounds would have a 100% dog-safe side yard. We opened the tallest (4') ex-pen with built-in gate to use as an instant fence by securing the panels to 5' tall metal fence posts. We added some wire fencing to reach corners. (Available in rolls.) Having spent many years at a lake, residents' dog drownings were way too common, and were completely preventable. Good luck, and enjoy your new home!