3greytjoys
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Does anyone recall a Greyhound racing vet's term for a pulled-up gracilis muscle (inside upper rear thigh)?
What racing action usually causes it?
Is treatment recommended if very old injury that appears painless, just tight?
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Yes. It sounds like your hound is vomiting bile from an empty tummy. Several of our pack will do the same if we go too long between meals. Ours get a bedtime snack of about 1/2 cup of their divided daily kibble ration to prevent them from vomiting bright yellow bile before breakfast. It did start fairly randomly for our hounds. One of my thoughts: Dogs may process certain kibble foods at different rates, depending on kibble quality.
ETA: Helps to keep a roll of paper towels nearby in most frequented rooms. If you're home to see dog's (or cat's) body language, it's easy to catch vomit on a paper towel before it hits carpet.
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Our sincere sympathy to you during this difficult time. Jake was fortunate to have you as his caring mom.
Jake run free of pain with your friends at the bridge...
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Oh Robin, I'm so relieved Dustin is okay!
One of our hounds choked on one piece of wet (but not yet softened) dog kibble. (Scared us to pieces!) I tried Heimlich on him at home first, but was unsuccessful. After X-rays were taken at the e-vet, it finally softened enough to pass down his throat. $200.00 later, vet's recommendation was to feed him a smaller size kibble and let it soften a bit more before feeding. Now, we often wet his dry treats first too.
Extra hugs to Dustin. I hope he continued to improve.
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Judy, Mike, and Kevin,
We are so deeply saddened that Jilly Bean has crossed the bridge. Our sincere condolences in your painful loss of that most special little "big" character girl of yours. Your stories and photos of her made us feel like we knew her. Jilly Bean will be missed, and always remembered by so many of us on GT.
Jilly Bean,
Please watch your family closely today - your 14th birthday. They'll need to feel your bright spirit from above as they miss you so much, especially today. Hopefully, you're having a doggie reunion with your other Greyhound family members in heaven today too.
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Oh, I'm so sorry Pugsley wasn't able to pull through. You and your vets tried so much to help her. It seems a little blessing that you were able to take her home with you, at least for a little while. Our caring thoughts are with you.
Godspeed your beautiful girl...
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Someone already mentioned Amicar (a trade name for Aminocaproic Acid) but I didn't see it on your list of medications. Please share this information with your vet. Aminocaproic Acid dosage is noted under section titled "Treatment and Prognosis": https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/bonecancer/index.cfm
Here is Greyhound Health and Wellness Program's link about Greyhound bleeders too: https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/greyhoundbleeders/index.cfm
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Sr Grey Lover - she's never been a bleeder before. Is this somehting that can happen as they age?
If I'm not mistaken, though it's not age-related per se, it's something that can happen at any time even if it hasn't happened before. But generally greyhounds bleed more readily than other breeds, even if they don't have the full-blown pathological condition of it.
Greyhead is correct. Excessive bleeding is seen in dogs of any age.
Excessive internal bleeding can occur spontaneously from a variety of causes, and in certain cases could become deadly if left untreated. Many Greyhounds aren't "known" to their owners or veterinarians to be "excessive bleeders" until either a surgery or when a wound bleeds excessively without clotting normally. (One of our hound's excessive bleeding (during minor surgery) was stopped in the O.R., then began internal bleeding 30 hours later at home.)
Here is Greyhound Health and Wellness Program's link about Greyhound bleeders: https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/greyhoundbleeders/index.cfm
Since we have 3 "known" excessive bleeders, we keep 4 days worth of "Aminocaproic Acid" tablets at home for emergencies. (Since it can take a few days for pharmacies to fill a prescription.) Costco's pharmacy offers a more affordable generic brand to Amicar's Aminocaproic Acid. Tablets have a 1 year shelf life. I prefer liquid form (from a compounding pharmacy) for "scheduled" surgeries. It's cheaper and beef flavored but only lasts one month when compounded. Again, the Aminocaproic Acid ("AA") dosage for Greyhounds link is in my previous post.
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If she's bleeding excessively internally, "aminocaproic acid" (One "trade name" is Amicar) should be mentioned to this hound's vet. Many Greyhounds are excessive bleeders. Liquid aminocaproic acid can be ordered from a compounding pharmacy. Costco's pharmacy can get aminocaproic acid in tablet form. (It's also used in human patients. Dr. Couto at Ohio State University (Greyhound Health amd Wellness Program) highly recommends this medication to help control excessive bleeding.
The dose is mentioned in blue text under "Treatment and Prognosis" in this article:
https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/bonecancer/index.cfm
We have 3 excessive bleeder Greyhounds. One hound has had a couple of similar situations on her belly, not related to any surgery. (We do use aminocaproic acid for all surgeries too, including dental extractions.)
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I agree with JJNG also.
Try asking your guests to toss Nemo super delicious "high value" treats on the floor (a few feet away from him) so he gets major "rare" rewards every time outsiders are visiting. He's more likely to view visitors with higher regard thereafter. (You could give your guests a bag of treats before they enter your home; things like plain cooked meat, smelly tripe, etc.)
A few additional thoughts:
When guests with young children are visiting, I highly recommend separating dogs from children, either by a baby-gate or crate, and being very careful to ensure Nemo still feels he's included as part of the main group (just without having full open interaction). Otherwise, it's too easy for an adult to be briefly distracted from supervising the child and dog. (This goes for any dog breed.) BTW, a young child visitor on floor level in a dog's home environment can easily be perceived by any dog as an unwelcome intruder. This includes a sleeping infant strapped in a carrier left on the floor.
"Let resting or sleeping dogs lie" (without disturbances) holds true (in my opinion).
This is a helpful link about understanding dogs' language signals: http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=1
Thank you for coming back to GT, and for continuing your original thread. That is helpful for us too.
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A few side effects of Prozac (Fluoxetine) are muscle spasms with muscle pain, twitching muscles, full body trembling/shaking, and nightmares, along with many other side effects. Please let your vet know for dose evaluation. Please calendar all unusual behaviors as they occur to document Dragon's reaction history.
I assume you're building dosage slowly over time. Was there any dose increase recently? It takes time for the dog's body to adjust to this drug. Back to back vacations likely heightened anxiety/stress which may take longer for Dragon to recover and feel safe/relaxed. Even if you don't see a huge change from Prozac, the drug is likely changing his system. Please be sure to alert a vet immediately if Dragon has seizures or aggression. These are severe side effects.
**Important: Please do NOT mix this medication with ANY other drugs (either over the counter, or prescribed) without checking with a vet first. There is a washout period needed before giving many other types of medications.
If you decide you'd like to reduce dosage or stop this medication, please contact your vet first. It sounds like you know this drug needs to be tapered down very slowly (not stopped cold turkey).
Assuming Dragon was experiencing S.A., it's very important to continue small steps of alone training (without pushing his threshold) while still on medication. Otherwise, he will likely revert back to pre-medication behavior once off Prozac.
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I'm so sorry. This is particularly difficult on the day before Thanksgiving.
Godspeed Skyler and Jesse.
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I'm relieved Tracker (and you) survived this encounter. Glad you took him to a vet. Wishing Tracker a full, speedy recovery.
I think my grey would chase an elephant if it ran fast enough. But after it stopped - she'd be clueless. The chase instinct is still there in our dogs - the kill - when they don't NEED it to eat - is lost. They're now pets.
Clarification for newbie readers: The kill instinct towards smaller animals is still strong in many pet hounds, even when they are not hungry. Outside environments = game on. This is one of many reasons to keep hounds leashed to humans when outside, unless in fenced enclosure without other small animals.
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Humm, this could be just about anything. Greyhounds are so sensitive, and I don't know Chad's age. Here are some questions just for thought...
Could this behavior be related to storm "Sandy" (if your area was hit by heavy winds, etc.) or a rare earthquake?
Did anything recently scare him while he was upstairs (especially), or inside? (Could have been loud noises from outside while he was inside, or extra loud movie/TV volume.)
Could the house temperature possibly be too warm for him?
Is he peeing and pooping normally during walks? You'd probably already know this if you've had Chad a while, but sometimes they hold a reserve in their tank for "marking" during walks; he might need to fully release urine in his own yard after arriving home (especially if he thinks humans might leave soon or retire to sleep).
Sounds like you know panting can sometimes be related to pain, but sounds like your vet has ruled out a medical reason for this sudden change in behavior. Panting can be a sign of stress/anxiety too.
Any other recent changes in the home with family members, schedule, or physical furniture changes?
Did he hunt a critter in the back yard recently? (Though that may include serious whining in excitement at door, and focused hunting behavior once in yard.)
No need to answer all these questions here (unless you want to) just might spark an idea.
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I am so sorry about Zip's passing. He looks like he was a wonderfully deserving and sweet boy. Bless you for welcoming Zip as a senior into your family. I wish he could have had more healthy time with you. I'm glad you captured pictures of him for your memories.
Godspeed Zip...
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Judy, Mike and Kevin,
We are so deeply sorry for your sudden loss of Valentino. After reading his memorial, tears were streaming and I was in such shock that I didn't respond immediately. Our heartfelt sympathy to your family. Your very sad loss of Valentino is felt by so many of us from afar. Our thoughts are with you all.
Hoping Valentino was swiftly greeted by his family of angels, Saint and Heart.
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Welcome to Greytalk! Congratulations on your upcoming Greyhound adoption! This is greyt news during an exciting year for you both. Great that Regal will soon have hound company. We love pictures around here, so we'll look forward to seeing your new boy (and Regal too). Do you happen to know Drake's racing name?
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We've seen too many dangerous interactions in dog parks so we prefer Greyhound only play dates where all Greyhounds are muzzled, and inside a fenced enclosure. Another alternative good option: Dogs of similar size and play style with all dogs muzzled inside fenced area.
(BTW, we would steer clear of using a squeaky toy in a dog park, especially if there are any other Greyhounds or hunting breeds. Some squeaky toys sound like a "lure" (an animal in distress) which can be a "calling" for dogs to attack the dog who is squeaking. If one dog is reactive, a dog pack attack can happen in an instant (long before humans could try to stop it). Many dog breeds can become possessive of toys and/or food which can lead to scuffles in public dog parks.)
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I highly recommend this exerpt: Thoughts of a Greyhound, by late, Kathleen Gilley.
http://www.northerngreyhoundadoptions.org/ThoughtsOfAGrey.php
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I'm not sure what size crate you have (most wire crates fold flat for transport), but I'd recommend asking your group if you can borrow a second crate temporarily to place in the bedroom. Greyhounds want to be with their family when family is home at night. (I'm assuming you're away during the day so that would be alone time for the hound.) After hound feels more comfortable at night, if needed, you could gradually move hound out of bedroom taking baby steps to move crate into hall by bedroom door, then into a preferred room.
Most hounds adjust fine being taught to sleep on a dog bed on the floor. If you work, it may simply take a few hours of teaching him not to get on the bed one weekend morning.
BTW, howling and barking could be a call for attention OR a hound may desperately need to go out for a potty break.
Best to not allow him on any human furniture. If he gets up and won't get off, try going into another room to shake a treat bag, squeak a toy or whatever positive excitement would capture his attention.
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Retired racing Greyhounds have never had to share their own space in a kennel. Your hound's reaction is very common for retired racers, and the reason so many Greyhound adoption groups teach people to "let sleeping dogs lie." The most important and simple solution is to give your hound his own thick, comfortable dog beds (including in the most human occupied rooms) on the floor. As you've smartly discovered, please keep him off all human furniture for at least a year, if not permanently. Respect his needs for his undisturbed personal space. Be careful to not lean over him on his dog bed. Allow him to be standing up and to come to you and your husband when he's ready for attention. Living in a family home is still new to him. Let him blossom in his own time. Treat him with respectful gentle patience so you earn his trust. The longer he is treated well, the sooner he will become your wonderful beloved companion. Some dogs take a little more time to "trust" in their new living situation.
One of our own hounds sounds similar to Arthur. We allowed him his personal space until HE felt more trusting of us. He is one of our favorite hounds now, partly because he has come so far in his trust and affection for us. He has accepted all our foster Greyhounds with ease; however, I wouldn't have expected him to live with a bouncing young puppy of a different breed and drastically different energy level so soon. (BTW, this hound was deemed cat-workable and has been wonderful and tolerant of our cats.) He hasn't felt any need to growl at us since his earlest months post adoption.
Greyhounds are very sensitive. If you do professional obedience training, please be careful to find a positive reward method trainer who doesn't use any physical training methods. If Arthur is having trouble trusting humans, positive rewards will be the best way to teach him to trust. Also, sharing happy feeding and walking responsibilities with your husband can help too.
I wholeheartedly agree that growling is an important method of dog communicating. As others mentioned, we don't want to reprimand a growl because it's a dog's warning alert. If reprimanded for growling, they may skip a future growl and go directly to a bite.
If he gets on furniture by mistake and won't move off, try going to another room to call him off by shaking a treat bag, dropping kibble in his food bowl, squeaking a toy or whatever would positively encourage him off the furniture. "Habits" are a bit harder to break, but it can be done.
Please try to be patient with your new boy. The eventual love and trust they reflect back to us is immeasurable.
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Many Greyhounds naturally drop to one hip as they lie down. Catching this position for teaching is considered a more comfortable "side sit." That's great! (My previous post explains an easy method for linking the word "sit" to hound's natural position. Also, my post in recent untrainables thread.) Once hound connects a hip "side sit" position with the word "sit," this is how many Greyhounds prefer to "sit". It's adorable and fine if that is more comfortable than a straight sit. Greyhound "sits" are a variety of positions, including some whose hind legs stretch out more than others. Greyhound bodies/long legs are built for running, not for perfectly tucked straight sits like non-racing dog breeds. Many hounds that learn a "side sit" first might occasionally do a "straight sit" on their own unless it's too uncomfortable. The hound's physical comfort is most important, and I do not ask Greyhounds to sit for a prolonged length of time.
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But, he picks up other random things. Often I didn't know he knew what they meant until I randomly said it and he actually listened!
I agree with several posts including one quoted.
I've been training dogs for many decades and have trained a good number of Greyhounds, all different personalities. I believe Greyhounds are highly intelligent and very sensitive dogs. Some are more independent (and smart) than others, but all have done well with positive method basic training. Definitely non-physical methods. Most dogs need a valuable reward for themselves to desire to take action: either high value foods and happy praise from their humans, or a special toy, etc.
**The most simple way I've found to teach retired racing Greyhounds is to look for them doing something right naturally, catch the action and teach the word at the same time. Be prepared to instantly offer high value reward for doing the action.**
A few common examples to help set hound up for success:
1. Teaching Down: Watch for hound to lie down on his/her own. Catch that natural action and teach word "down" each time they do that action for a couple of days. Be ready to reward with special treat instantly, and happily offer exciting verbal praise!
2. Teaching Sit: Many hounds will place their rear end down on the carpet/dog bed just before dropping into a full down position. Human can catch that exact moment: move to stand in front of hound to stop/block hound from dropping all the way down. Happily teach word "sit" at that moment while offering special high value treat.
3. Teaching Wait: Tell hound to "wait" before meals while you're still holding food bowl. Then happily say "release" as you place the bowl into the food bowl stand, allowing hound to begin eating. Also, practice "wait" command during other situations, like waiting before opening door etc.
4. "Come" (teach inside before attempting in fenced enclosure) needs major, rare high value treats, and/or favorite toy and a verbal praise party. Happily say hound's name first: "name + come". If hound doesn't respond well, make training more fun - try playfully running away from hound so hound chases you, then treat for coming. Consider time of day when hound is most hungry and energetic. ( #1 basic rule: Never call hound to "come" to human for anything hound doesn't find fabulously positively rewarding. If you need to do something hound won't be thrilled about (like a bath) human should calmly go get hound (vs. calling hound to come).
Watch for these natural opportunities. After hound connects word to action, human can practice briefly by having hound "sit" once before each meal, etc. (Just don't expect a Greyhound to hold a sit position for long, it can be uncomfortable for some hounds. Please don't be concerned with side sit vs. straight sit. One may be more comfortable. If hound had a bad racing injury, please avoid teaching sit, it might be painful.) If human begins to feel any frustration. Stop training. A frustrated human will "shut down" a hound from feeling relaxed and safe enough to learn.
Like children, dogs (especially retired racing Greyhounds) need consistency and function well when their world is predictable and positive. Just my opinion, it's not fair to be wishy washy allowing certain behavior sometimes but not all the time. Here, we happen to not allow hounds on human furniture for many reasons, but one reason is because over time many dogs can become too protective of their perceived personal resting space. Dogs don't understand why sometimes they're suddenly not allowed to sleep on their big comfy bed or sofa. (Imagine humans visiting a foreign country who wouldn't understand if someone suddenly forced them out of their safe, cozy room.) A dog's basic need is to feel safe in their own resting space.
BTW, "off" may work better using a leash + treats, or once hound will come when called, you could try going into another room to shake a treat bag to call him "off" the furniture.
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Welcome to GreyTalk, and the wonderful world of Greyhounds! Congratulations on your new adoption! Please let us know about your new hound once you're all settled.
Former Only Grey Is Being Assertive-How To Handle?
in Training and Behavior discussion
Posted
I agree, repeated mounting behavior is concerning. Tough not seeing these incidents or knowing your girl's life history/previous dog interactions, but it's likely she's feeling very highly stressed and insecure.
Until both dogs successfully adjust to each other, my suggestion is to not leave these two dogs alone "freely" together in any room without 100% human supervision - even when both are muzzled. (Dogs can still bite through turnout muzzles.) Muzzle for car rides too.
You might try to calmly redirect your female hound's behavior in a positive manner before her stress level reaches "mounting" point. (If bad things happen when she's already highly stressed and focused on newcomer, it may increase her negative feelings towards newcomer, heightening both dogs negative behavior.) If you see her approaching newcomer to mount him, if you can do so safely - intercept her by calmly and gently guiding her away from him.
Make a plan in case they get into a fight: Keep a high-back chair nearby in case you need to separate dogs. (You can hold chair legs to keep yourself at safe distance, using chair back to block dogs' faces from harming each other.)
Initally, offer wide living space: Newcomer's bed farther away, feeding very far apart (if using crate for new boy, feeding inside crate is good for many reasons). Meal time (including prep) increases chances for problems in a new multi-dog environment. Try not to push them to co-mingle resting space too soon. Your girl isn't ready. May be helpful for resident girl to get most of your attention/rewards while being good since the intruder arrived. (Newcomer can get your attention after resident girl adjusts.) Neutral territory dog walks/activities often help acceptance. (If 2 humans available, 1 dog per handler is helpful, early on.)
I'm not sure if they were introduced on neutral territory upon new hound's arrival (i.e., off your dog's home property and yard), but below are a few questions to think about (no need to answer here).
Before resident female hound mounted newcomer hound, what do you suspect was happening through your girl's eyes? Her perceived threat, jealousy, guarding of human, favorite space, feeding area, nearby toys, etc. Remember that she could be watching and stewing well before something finally sets her off to "take action" towards the intruder.
Did she strictly posture mount him, or try to bite attack him during the mount? Good that he only gave a warning growl response without teeth (those times).
These two links re: canine body language could help you closely monitor their behavior:
http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/canine-body-language
(As you know, many Greyhounds' ears rest back against their head normally. Some Greyhounds "smile" when very happy too.)
http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=1
If your girl's negative behavior continues/escalates, a professional positive method behaviorist would be recommended.