JohnF

It looks like there's a corn on one of pads (in your last photo), so that could also be behind the persistent limp. But there's something systemic going on which may have been caused as a reaction to antibiotics or NSAIDS, tick borne disease may also be coincidental. For whatever reason it looks like the immune system was triggered and Lymphedema has also occurred. There may be an actual splinter somewhere in the dog's paw, I recall we had a mystery bad paw like that with our Great Dane which was eventually only found by surgery. It was a 3/4" (yes that big) splinter of pinewood from the forest floor, that hadn't shown up on any of the imagery they did.

Buy some rolls of vet wrap tape (elastic) and wrap it over a small amount of non sticky bandage (even cotton wool). This will stop the tail being wagged too hard into walls and radiators etc. When Peggy had her tail problem the vet used a splint that had four arms to it. I think you can get a mesh thing today under the trade name of "Dog Ends"

So sorry to read this. I know how it goes with kidney disease having lost 3 to it over the years. Only one of them definitely told me it was time and that she just wasn't going to eat again. I'd tried dozens of different kinds of foods, then one day she did something she'd never done before, she tipped her bowl over and looked away. I think the day when they won't or can't drink is far enough; and better a day too soon than to wait for that.

There was some research done which showed that large breeds have a longer digestive system passage time and that can make them more sensitive to certain foods due to fermentation. Many Greyhounds just like to eliminate several times, and the last one won't have had as much time for the colon to reabsorb the water content. I'd worry more if there was diarrhea throughout the day, particularly in oldies.

So sorry to read of your traumatic loss. Quite possibly something was already wrong like a brain tumor, or an aneurysm pressing on surrounding brain tissue, possibly even an unknown fracture in her neck. Don't blame yourself for scratching her head, it is a normal and loving thing to do. It sounds like a sequence of seizures took place with the last one being prolonged and fatal. Try to look at it that it it was just her time to go. Even were it not for the Covid-19 disaster preventing vets from making home visits, they probably would not have been able to save her. I don't think there's any lesson to be learned from this; you did your best and she did not pass unloved and alone.

Yes, reach out to the adoption agency and say exactly how you are feeling. Although he probably would have bitten you by now if he really wanted to, that isn't the point. You're showing fear now and the dog is reacting. Probably the sooner he is back in an environment where people don't show fear, the better his prospects will be. The right dog for you will be out there somewhere, sometime, so don't beat yourself up over this. The adoption world often balances itself out quite soon when it gets a bounce.

Almost certainly flea bites. Use Advantix II or whatever your vet recommends as being better.

Station wagons are trending again. Choose one with the most upright tailgate glass (helps in the hot sun). Yes, it's a 'sensible' car, but they're so useful. Take care if you're using a hammock that you can safely attach your hound to a seatbelt fixing. Apart from the easy distraction, 80lbs of loose dog airborne on a sudden crash stop weighs tons and neither dog or you might survive; don't wait until the law insists you travel them tethered or in a cage.

Definitely don't feel bad about returning him. Just reassure the adoption group that you still want a dog that's right for you, and then everything can balance out with no blame to you and no loss to the Greyhound adoption world. It's hard to hand one back, but they'll go to a home which can handle them; and you could soon end up with a dog that's calm around other dogs and pets.

Often it is the simplest of things like that which can make a big difference. Peggy, now 13, often shrugs off her fleece blanket and lies on it, only to become unsettled by cold; putting a new blanket over her usually helps. I tried a fleece coat but then she can get too hot.

The 'freezing' or 'statuing' is a behavioural issue to do with the dog being anxious in the situation in which it finds itself. If you search the topic on here you'll find you are far from alone in needing to deal with it. If your dog is visibly licking its lips then it's a sign that it's worried about something and asking you for some forbearance. In other words; "I'm not a bad dog, just need some help here please." You can sometimes get around issues like this by diverting the dog's attention. At home try to get it to associate a whistle or a hand sign as a cue to get given a treat. When out walking try to jolly the dog along and not hold the leash too short and tight. Getting to know another greyhound and its walker is an even easier way to give your dog that extra confidence. Don't give up, you will get past this. Cold weather in the UK? A "Blizzard" brand coat is usually adequate, just get one that's slightly too large and then the rain will drip away from the back end.

That's some positive news. Perhaps he needs some Omeprazole (human 20mg is OK) while you're giving those antibiotics which often create a very sore stomach lining. Hope you don't need to use the Chappie as they like it and it's hard to wean them off; even more so with the Forthglade Beef and Lamb trays which I now feed Peggy along with Chappie. It was imperative to get that weight back on after her two flare-ups in the summer, so perhaps I can try going back to the more affordable kibble again soon.

I would say it's not reliably possible, and that trust and friendships with a cat or other small furry pet animal that darts around or squeaks can be dropped in a moment of heightened interest. It's that trust issue again, and even with the best will in the world you can't expect dogs to inhibit reliably like people do. Often the testing is done in circumstances that are far from being the dog's usual and long term environment; they can be angels in foster, yet as their self-confidence grow on rehoming and their anxiety reduces, the old prey drive comes back to a hair trigger. So some cannot even be allowed off leash in parks where dogs are allowed. I've adopted when I already had a cat, and all went well for 6 weeks or so. Then family visited with their small dogs who chased the cat, leading my dog to chase and catch the cat. I only just managed to save the cat from severe injuries, and had I not been on hand the cat would have been shaken to death. From that point on my dog lost privileges and was not even allowed to eyeball the cat, and if we were going out the cat was confined to the kitchen where there is a cat flap to the outdoors. There was no trouble between them ever again; but I still didn't trust. So it's going to depend upon the personality of the Greyhound and your own vigilance. At least you have had a year to get used to each other. I'm sure others will chime in and say it will all be fine. Hopefully it will, but never trust that it always will be.

But this can be quite normal for some Greyhounds who typically like to eliminate a couple of times before activity. Seriously, try feeding Chappie original in cans. Too much chicken and too high a level of protein can be an irritant.

This all sounds too similar to what was happening to Peggy back in the summer. It took two courses, ten days apart, of Metroniadzole and Syncuclav to clear it up. They didn't find any parasites in the stool sample, but I'm pretty sure it was Giardia because I've experinced that horrible diarreah smell many years ago with another dog (excess mucus was very much present). A simple way to firm the stool back up may be to feed Chappie (Original in cans, not the chicken and rice version), it certainly seems to have helped Peggy. I also give her Forthglade Beef and Rice trays, not the ones with mixed veg. Many pet shops stock that brand.

Sorry to read of your loss. It looks like he had a most wonderful and happy life with you.

TiT for sure ;-) They'd pee on it to stake an official claim. Dogs are ultra-conservative and dislike change after a certain age, just like a lot of people.

I used to do that to help my last dog, and kept by her hips to stop her 'jacknifing' coming down the stairs. She never had a bad fall and never lost her trust in me though. A stumble alerted me to the fact that she was no longer safe coming down steep stairs alone.

You wrote a beautiful tribute. Danny was clearly very much loved. So sorry he had to leave you so young.

Contact the adoption group and/ or look on social media for another local dog owner who you can walk your dog with. It is very important that the dog doesn't sense the family bouncing stress from one to the other, because that only tells the dog that he's quite right to be worried about whatever it is which is stressing him. If you see him doing a lot of licking his lips, sniffing the ground and looking away, then he's trying to tell you he's worried. Those signals, when seen by another dog, say something like: "please be nice to me, I'm trying not to cause you any trouble." If he walks better on grass than on hard surfaces, then he may well have corns. Did you recently walk him on a very hot pavement or road which can burn their pads? So from now on, have someone with a tasty treat like a piece of hamburger, walk out of the door first and start the walk, then call you. Then you can go in a happy voice: "Ralphy - let's go walkies!", gently attach the lead and tug the collar, and make your way out (and give a treat as you get to the door). The person outside has made the outside safer already, and you've kind of got his back for anything else. When you catch up with the other person. he gets the high value treat and everyone's happy.

So sorry that Larry's time came far too soon. Think of him as running happy and pain-free at the Bridge. You wrote a really warm tribute, and that's always a great start to getting those happy memories back; the ones that will define him.

They can get spooked by the strangest of things: What happens if you turn the fan off? Have you still got a crate which you can drape a blanket over the top and 3 sides of to make a safe den? We humans can positively reinforce or notions of things like this adorable tv ad featuring a desk fan and a dog: Could you start doing something extra nice and calm in that room?

Thanks Mary Ann. Yes, when she's feeling well enough, she will eat real Turkey and rice, and that's what her kibble was before she went off it. She's improved over the last 3 days so is eating better and the stool is no longer liquid. The course of Metro. has come to an end and but she's still getting 1 Pred. a day which, I think is stimulating appetite and (hopefully) getting some weight back on. I'm getting some success with feeding "Chappie" dog food which someone suggested; I only hope she doesn't go off that too.

Thanks. Yes, I'll need to ask about that. They sent both samples off to a specialist lab and it took a few days, so maybe they already cultured it and found nothing remarkable? Apparently the kidney disease isn't as advanced as they initially thought either after the latest bloods and urine sample. I just wish they could get a handle on this condition; and I'm still not convinced it isn't Giardia because I know that smell.

Yes, that was on my vet's mind too. But all the liver blood work came back fine, just a tiny little bit raised on one of the pancreatic factors. (Amylase I think) but he said it wasn't significant. He also said there was also a diagnosis (other than idiopathic) for a disease caused by intolerance to antibiotics.