Time4ANap

Methadone is used in every day medicine for humans and for animals. It is a drug like any other, with varying strengths and associated uses. I don't recall ever seeing a thread here about it's use in Greyhounds, but quick searching online looked like it is used in combination with ACE in many cases. Given the weird reaction that greyhounds have to some meds, I would be reluctant to have it used until one of the knowledgeable veterinary / medical people here can chime in with accurate info, or your vet is able to obtain a consult regarding it's use in greyhounds. Hope you get the issue figured out and that Shane is feeling better soon.

Beautiful tribute for your boy.. Run free, Mohican.

Some hate them, some never want to take them off. When we lived in IL Rocket would happily wear his coat or pajamas, but was also just as eager to go outside without a coat in cold weather. I usually made him wear a fleece coat anytime the temps went below 40 if we went out. Colder temps = heavier coat and maybe a snood. In the house we found that he was much less restless at night if he had on a light housecoat or pajamas. When he didn't wear them he would constantly be up changing position and nesting.

Could be allergies, but since your hound is new, I would have a vet check the eyes. Is she rubbing the eyes or scratching / licking her body a lot? Fall allergies aren't unusual and may require some eye drops or OTC allergy meds to control. Your vet will be the best judge if allergy meds are required.

There is no reason your greyhound needs a high dollar food if she does okay on something like Purina One or IAMS green bag. Many hounds do not handle the richer foods well, and end up with exactly the output you are describing. If you mist add a bunch of stuff, the food is not the right food. A few add-ins may be fine if you are using the add-in for a specific reason, but when you start adding things to firm up poop, you won;t know what is working and what isn't in the hound's diet. We've been through many foods over the years and the richer foods always have the same problem - pudding poop after a while. We have successfully used a higihly digestible food for several years now with no issues. Precise Foundation, and Precise Senior Kibble (essentailly the same but one has less calories and fat) It will take some experimenting, but since you are familiar with the Purina food, give it a try. You may find that it works well. Many people here use it with no issues. Remember - the best food for your dog is the one that actually works for your dog. Not the one with the guilt-trip on the label.

I'm so sorry for the sudden loss of your boy. Run pain-free, Penske.

Run free, Blue.

We've had excellent results from the Precise line of pet foods. There are a number of options, but the basic Precise Foundation Chicken Meal and Rice is always a good place to start. It's a very digestible food. I order ours from Wag.com. If he is recently off the track or kennel, you might see if you can find out when he was de-wormed, and if more than 3 weeks run another course of Panacur or or your vet's preferred de-wormer. We've never had a positive fecal test, but have had a time or two when another course of Panacur cured the issue. Actually getting a positive fecal is very hit or miss depending on which type of worm or parasite you are dealing with, and you might have better odds of winning Powerball than actually having a positive fecal test. I try to avoid too many additive or additions to food until the diet is under control, but if the gas is that bad, maybe try a regular Gas-X if you hear his tummy squealing or you think he has any gas pains. Good luck!

Some hounds are more reactive than others when startled. Some of this has been covered above by others. Our boy can be easily startled when sleeping. For now, you need to keep him off of the bed and other furniture until such time that his "startle" is under control. He should have his own bed on the floor (or several in various areas of the house. Our boy is easily startled and we have a "no petting unless he's standing up rule." No one is to approach him, touch him or have any contact unless he is standing up. We do this because he often sleeps with his eyes open, and even though we think he;s awake, we get the same reaction that you did because he can be sound asleep. It is strictly for everyone;s safety. 3 weeks is no time at all for him to get used to someone being in "his space." If you search the sire for "sleep startle" you will find similar issues and info from others who have worked with hounds to reduce or eliminate this behavior. Other will chime in with similar experiences. Just know that you should caution all guests, visitors, children etc that he is only to be petted when he;s standing and he comes to you for attention. The last thing you want is to have someone bitten and have to deal with the mess that comes along with that, when in reality the dog was simply giving a warning that he wasn't comfortable with the situation. Good luck

I wanted to add that the things that are off limits will sink in over time, but it's not something that you're going to be able to immediately teach. There will have to be immediate correction to reinforce what's okay and what's not. For instance, if the dog picks up one of your son's toys, you should do a correction and get him to drop it. Maybe even give him one of his own as a trade. However, if you come home and he has torn up one of your son's toys, correcting him or punishing him at that point does no good and serves no purpose. It often takes months for greyhounds to get interested in toys. If you want to get him a few toys that he will learn are his, try stuffed hedgehogs with a squeaker (not sure why, but hedgehogs are favorite among almost all greyhounds. In our experience with Rocket, the floppier the toy, the fuzzier the toy, and the more obnoxious the squeaker is will insure that he likes it.

You will also need to teach your son that if the hound has his toy(s), that he needs to get an adult to retrieve it. You do not want your son trying to get the toy from the hound as it could become a territorial issue that will get your son injured. With proper training of the "drop it" command or training in "trading up, the adult should be able to get the toy back. Agree with the others that if there are toys your son doesn;t want the dog to have, he needs to keep them where the hound can't get them. The hound is not going to know the difference.

I give them frozen, but thawed just a little bit. Rocket chews them when they are frozen like that, but would gulp them if they weren't.

Happy Birthday Desi! Glad you got home to celebrate! Feel better soon, buddy,

Run free, Brucie.

Run free, Chellie.

Rocket has held it in excess of 18 hours because he was just being stubborn. Nothing surprises me any more.

Thinking lots of good thoughts for Morty!

When walking a greyhound I keep the "death grip" on the leash handle. Just by habit now, i take up any slack in the leash instead of letting it hang. I only release it when it's okay for Rocket to explore further, sniff or go off the sidewalk. As soon as he;s done, I take the slack back. Your leash should be a maximum of 6 feet, but there are many here who prefer a 4 or 5 foot leash for control. You might try a shorter leash if it continues to be a problem.

She is gorgeous! Congratulations!

That was a beautiful tribute for your sweet girl. Run free, Aquitaine.

Do you have any ragweed or other large clusters of grass / weeds where you live? Rocket had serious issues with ragweed when we lived in Illinois from July through the first frost every year. He ended up being on Chlor-Trimeton, an anti-itch spray, and also had some steroids to try and combat the itching. Baths with an anti-itch shampoo also helped, but not too often as frequent bathing can dry out the skin and make it worse.

Run free, sweet boy.

Run free, Annie.

Run free Polly.

I'll second worms. Based on similar symptoms in both dogs, and the fact that they are fairly recent off the track. It's not unusual at all to have worms show after adopting, even though many groups give a de-wormer right off the hauler. It often takes multiple tries to get rid of them completely. There have been several times that we suspected worms and had a negative fecal. We treated for worms with Panacur, and the issue went away. The only thing a negative fecal really means is that the stool that was tested didn't have any. It doesn't mean they aren't there. The only other thing I can think of is gas pains, but if you aren't hearing some squealing from the belly, it most likely isn't gas. If you suspect gas, you can try giving 1 regular Gas-X tablet (not the kind with extra antacids etc.)