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3greytjoys

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  1. 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.)

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

     

    ... she was back at the door statued waiting to go inside. Oh and as for a walk - no chance!
    She's also not doing the play thing, so I'm thinking she's freaked out about something. I just don't know what. I'm back in the office next week, and need to get her back outside, she's young and usually energetic, and I wouldn't want her house confined. I've ordered her a crate, but would appreciate any thoughts or guidance to help her back to feeling safe in her yard and walking again. We already love her and want the best for her, she's bonding with us and looks to us for comfort, so don't want her to regress.

     

    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.

  5. . It's been a steady decline on both issues for about a year now. I work mostly from home, but we have stairs to our front door and I have to carry her up and down the stairs about 8-10x a day. I'm 5'1/110lbs so it's no small feat but I do it with love.... she struggles to lay down and get up and often her legs slide open when standing too long on regular concrete. I use mats for her food area and have bought carpet tiles for one floor of our house that she is pretty much restrained to. It's a large area but still. She is definitely incontinent even though I take her out every couple hours. During the night she pees on the floor and sometimes poops. Her appetite is good. What gets me is that sometimes she will have bouts of fear/anxiety when she gets stuck and can't get up. I'm usually here so I can get to her right away but a couple times I didn't wake up for about 20 minutes before I heard her and she started pacing in circles, panting, and being very afraid. The combination of the myelopathy and dementia anxiety makes me feel like maybe it's time.

     

     

    Thank you for your replies. I'm making the appointment. I have a vet who will come to our home. Suki's able to walk up and down the parking lot, but not much further. She's generally in a good or neutral mood, but I was going through some old photos of her where she was obviously experiencing so much joy just being alive - and she doesn't really have that anymore - even though she does still love her homemade food and treats. Part of me feels resistance. I sooo don't want to do this. I am pretty sure she could physically live a few more months. I just don't think the quality of life will be so great. It is probably the gentlest thing to do to spare her the decline.

     

     

    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

     

    :grouphug

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

     

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

     

    :f_pink

     

     

    Roo: Thank you for letting us know about Jessica's passing.

  10. 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.

  11. 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

  12. 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. :)

     

     

  13. 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! :)

  14. I would definitely return him if he seems to fit the criteria outlined above:

    If Turnip is hunting the cat (looking for him when he is not in sight), fixated to the point where nothing distracts him, trembling, drooling, etc., when he sees the cat, he is not cat safe and very likely not cat trainable.

     

    I would also skip the middle-people and try and talk with whoever is in charge of the group - the President or Chair, whoever is listed on the website as the highest person in a position of responsibility. I would specifically and calmly detail everything, just like you did for us...

     

    Agree with others, especially if he's reacting to your cat as noted above. Your cat's safety takes priority. Even if you do your best to keep your cat and Turnip separated by fully latched or locked doors, confined cats frequently dash out of a room between a human's legs the moment the door opens.

     

    I've had short-term foster hounds who were too high prey to live with cats. My house rule is no cats roam freely in house unless the hound is securely crated in a separate room, and under direct supervision. (Some hounds can escape from locked crates.) Otherwise, cats are placed in a room (with food, water, potty, toys) with a closed/fully latched door before the hound's crate door is opened. A baby-gate is placed across a middle section area as a secondary divider/air-lock safety barrier to help keep hound from accidentally reaching cats. (Although, one of our cats jumps over a baby-gate while banking off a wall when in the mood.) Non-cat friendly hounds are moved to a non-cat foster home or kennel ASAP.

     

    When a newly adopted hound is later deemed unsafe to live with cats, the adoption group should provide a cat-friendly hound to fulfill your adoption agreement. Generally, you should not lose your adoption payment in that situation.

     

    If the hound were to have had a veterinary dental, per the adoption group (common for new adoptions), the hound should have the dental completed at no additional cost to you. That's very important for the hound's health. Home dental care is important but is not solely adequate to correct poor teeth/diseased gums, and it could become more expensive for you later if hound originally needed cleaning with extractions, but the veterinary dental was missed. Ask for dental clarification if not clearly posted on the adoption group's Web site.

     

    Parasites are common in newly retiring hounds. Glad you had a fecal test done for Turnip. Annual fecal tests are important for all dogs, and if positive, repeat tests are needed after treatment. Repeat tests are usually the responsibility of the adopter. Hopefully, the adoption group tests all their newly arriving foster hounds, but some smaller groups might not. Please do encourage fecal testing if your group doesn't do so. :) Good luck.

  15. Fortunately, so far, all of our racing Greyhounds have lived well into their teens, the oldest 15 1/2. I wouldn't hesitate to adopt a senior. (Medical history is a bonus but okay if hound lacks records.) Depending on a hound's prior life (racing kennel; Greyhound farm, etc.), the middle age to elder hounds almost seem to appreciate living in a happy, loving home even more than younger racing school dropouts. Our seniors often still act like happy, playful puppies, their energy bursts just don't last quite as long.

     

    Preventive care is usually a great way to extend their healthy double-digit years: vet dental care; home tooth brushing; leashed walks (appropriate to hound's physical level) during coolest/shady times of day to help maintain muscle tone, mobility, blood circulation, healthy weight (seeing last two ribs), and life interest; a prompt vet visit for early removal of bumps. Minimize time in direct sun. Avoid smoke. Avoid feeding human leftovers, especially avoid foods toxic to dogs: spices (onion, garlic, etc.) grapes, raisins, fruit seeds (apple seeds, avocado pit, etc.) chocolate, some nuts (macadamia, etc.), fats, and sweets -- cancer cells thrive on sugars).

     

    Whether lasting multiple years or less, every day with a Greyhound is a gift! :)

  16. It takes time but, they will eventually get into the routine of the house - these dogs are all about routines. Most of my fosters would try and wake me early and I would take them out and settle them back in bed after.

    This is all new to them - give him time to settle and get used to his new home.

     

    Ditto. Also, your new hound might have come from a different time zone, and racing kennel operators arrive very early to provide elimination outings and begin their day.

     

    Take him outside to pee. No fuss, no interaction. Just go out and pee. He's VERY new. He might need to go, as he's getting on a new schedule. It'll level out after a couple days, or weeks. You're lucky a brand-new dog lets you sleep that long.

     

    I agree. Let him out but no fun playtime. We had quite a few middle of the nights when Chelsea was new, and if we ignored her it usually resulted in us having to break out the carpet cleaner. Now she is a champ at sleeping in :)

     

    Agree. Plus as mentioned, crate in your bedroom, or block off or baby-gate a small section of your bedroom to prevent his physical access to your bed. He sounds very happily excited to have joined your family! :)

     

    I'd caution against using a squirt bottle. It's more important for humans to earn their Greyhound's trust with positive interactions. Squirt bottles teach hounds to fear approaching a human. If hounds are squirted while attempting to communicate their need to eliminate, it's more likely to suppress hound's communication attempts resulting in increased potty accidents, and new undesirable behaviors. ;)

  17. Several things could be happening. First, racers are on a highly regimented schedule, so she may be accustomed to starting her day very early, especially if she raced in a different/earlier time zone. The first human that arrives in the racing kennel awakens the entire kennel of Greyhounds eager to begin their day. Since your housemate is feeding her breakfast, she's focusing on his movements/schedule. It may help for you to be the breakfast feeder so she gradually becomes less interested in his early morning activities. Perhaps he could feed a dinner meal if he wants to continue being involved. Newly adopted hounds' time adjustments can take a while.

     

    Perhaps she's truly hungry and not getting enough healthy calories per day for her high metabolism. How many meals is she eating per day, and at what times? Different kibbles require different amounts to feed. (Check the feeding guideline label on back for her healthy weight, then watch her body condition.) Our hounds' daily portion is divided into breakfast, dinner, plus a bedtime snack of about 1/3 cup of kibble to satiate them through the night. (A bedtime snack is key to help them sleep later and avoid excess bile.)

     

    Racing Greyhounds have never been alone in their lives prior to pet adoption, so naturally it can be a challenging transition for them. Some early anxiety is very normal. Given time and patience, they can adjust smoothly. Very important to continue practicing short sessions of "alone training" daily. Ideally, it's best to return to the room before she goes over her comfort threshold; meaning return to her just before Kong is finished, then pick up Kong treat immediately. Repeat very short sessions. When she's ready to handle slightly longer time increments, do so gradually staying under her threshold. Treat filled Kongs can be frozen so it takes longer for the dog to finish. (Food Kongs should be washed with soap and warm water, and rinsed thoroughly every day.)

     

    Perhaps your adoption group might loan you a crate for your bedroom for a short time. Most hounds will settle in a crate when they can see their person quietly sleeping next to them. Any time a dog whines, the first consideration is whether they need to eliminate outside. If not, ignore whining and don't encourage it during other times.

     

    Could she have been ignoring your (human dinner time) cue to go to her bed because she doesn't fully understand the action yet? (She's only been in a family home barely 2 weeks.) From dogs' perspective, dogs do what works for their benefit. If the reward for her to go to her bed wasn't of high enough value to her, she wouldn't be motivated to complete the exercise. Also, every time racing Greyhounds smell food, it's their food. This time, she was loose in a home for first time in her life (behind baby-gate vs. in a secure kennel crate) eagerly salivating like crazy while smelling delicious dinner. It's really not too surprising she's reacting so eagerly to get into the kitchen/dining area. Keep practicing with positive treat/meat reinforcements when no one is cooking/eating dinner, and don't expect too much too soon. Generally, when communicating a behavior cue, avoid requesting any action if you can't follow through to assist the dog in that moment. "Stay" as in staying on her bed for any extended time is much more advanced, especially with distractions like human meals. Remember that racers have never been taught any obedience actions -- it's a completely foreign concept to learn to respond to a human. Catching and rewarding Greyhounds natural behaviors is the best way to teach them new cues (e.g, teach verbal "down" and be prepared to offer immediate reward when hounds are naturally in process of lying down on their own).

     

    This is a start, others will chime in too... :)

  18. Funny coincidence: We have a 4' tall ex-pen surrounding the front outside of the fence gate (as a hound safety air-lock space), which doubles as a clear indicator that large dogs live here. Recently, neighborhood watch reported suspicious activity, so my old Rottweiler Road sign was unearthed and moved out front. (No Greyhound signs since they're not known as guard dogs.) Our standard "Beware of Dog" signs are Dobermans. We didn't know one of our Greyhounds had a voice for the first two years, but he watched everything. :) None of our pack bark when hearing the front doorbell. We've considered adding an automated recording of a fierce dog's bark! One hound barks at critters and during play sessions, but doesn't have a deep voice. Fortunately, surrounding neighbors' bark-at-everything dogs have deep barks.

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