sarabz

How many different kibbles did you try before you found one that worked? And how long do you let each go before giving up and moving on? Currently on our 4th....

With my last vet, I would have been charged the full $65 office visit plus about the same for a bandage change. With my new, I would be charged a reduced office visit fee and a nominal amount for the bandage change, or possibly nothing. To me, I'd rather the vet just build a couple of bandage changes into the fees for surgery or whatever.

We have one grey who adapted immediately to living in the middle of Manhattan. Our second boy gets spooked on trash pickup day because the cans are out on the street versus next to the garage. She loves car rides and going new places; anything out of his routine makes him uncomfortable. I think, as others have said, to create a routine first to help this girl feel safe and secure is the way to go.

Manuka honey gel is helping tons. Picked up some CS this morning. He is getting better, just not sure how to prevent in the future.

The scratching was before the DAP collar and he only wears the others when going on walks, not 100% of the time. In the last few days the wounds are healing - we're keeping the cuts covered by a heavier shirt, various ointments, keeping a sock on his foot.

Tag collar, martingale collar, DAP collar (we're trying to manage some SA). He wears the DAP collar all the time but has only been wearing it a few days so not related to the scratching. The other two are off unless we are going on walks. We're also trying to manage soft stools so have been changing foods around and limiting treats - the itchiness has not increased/decreased based on the food (different protein sources, grain free, chicken & rice, etc). The big issue here is that I think the cuts start to heal and itch as they heal, so he scratches and opens them up again. Trying to find a way to get him to stop opening them up so that they can finally heal. He seems to be leaving his socked foot alone and that is helping since it limits his ability to catch the skin with his nails. He LOVES having his neck and butt scritched but no more or less than Bella does. They both do happy wiggly dances if you give butt scritches and give nudges when you stop scritching their necks (along with making some really funny faces when getting either end scritched). I gave him a bath with oatmeal-based soothing shampoo a couple of days ago and it didn't seem to make a difference but may try again this weekend with another blend. What is CS? Edited to add - is this colloidal silver? No, but happy to try anything! Will get some tonight.

Pardon the cruddy cell phone pictures - out of focus (!) - I was rushing and juggling Kirby who didn't want to stand still and the toddler who wanted to "help".... Right shoulder - hasn't ever been this bad but a couple of days that I was not around and he didn't have a t-shirt on. Left shoulder currently - some scar tissue, minor cuts Overhead shot Right shoulder again

Thanks all. Will post pics tomorrow.

No harness and using bravecto.

For some of the smaller cuts, yes, works nicely

I think that's on tonight's activity list, if only so I can stick a band aid on

Thanks for this post He's not constantly scratching - it's a totally normal dog thing, scratching occasionally during the day. I think more often than not, he's actually trying to scratch his neck but his shoulder blades are so pointy that he catches them. Then yes, the scab gets itchy (we had a couple of days of not putting on ointment as often and the scratching increased) and he scratches there.

Happens anytime, I was just saying that he's doing it even right after his nails are cut (and edges are dremeled) so it's not the nail length that is causing issues. He takes off socks, even with a muzzle and bitter spray. We've been dealing with so many other issues that we haven't dealt with the vet on this. Next week. We are starting to test for allergies. The cuts will heal and then he re-opens them so it's not that they are not healing. One is just particularly bad right now because he was without a t-shirt for a couple of days.

Kirby has had scars, cuts & even open sores the size of quarters on his shoulder blades since we adopted him. When he scratches with his hind feet, he catches the top of the shoulder blade and opens up the skin. There are scars there so obviously he's been having this issue for a while and we can just about get them healed before he opens them up again. He manages to open them up even right after his nails have been trimmed short, so it's not a nail length issues. We've been trying to protect them with a tee-shirt but unfortunately sometimes the material gets stuck to the wounds and opens them back up again. He's also managed to occasionally rip open the tee shirt. We're trying a sock on the back feet kept on with vet wrap but he's able to worry it off somehow (even with a muzzle and various "leave it alone" agents on the sock/vet wrap). There's got to be ways of solving this and getting him healed that I'm just not thinking of. Thanks for any creative thoughts.

Thanks all My sitter I'm sure would do anything (she actually works in my vets office) but I'd like to try to not be *that* owner and make it as easy as possible on her. Ok, feeling dumb - the Olewo website has bars and such already made, so it's certainly an option. :

We will be going away for a week and leaving our pups in the care of a terrific sitter. It's taking us quite some time to figure out what will work for Kirby so that he's not getting a ridiculous amount of food but gets enough fiber and calories. We are also trying the beets to help with his constant itchiness. Oatmeal is another great additive for him to help his stools. So - I don't really want to leave our sitter a ridiculous list of feeding instructions. I was trying to think of any way I could make some sort of "cookie" from all that stuff so she doesn't have to be soaking the carrots/beets every day but was concernedabout heat destroying good stuff in there. Any ideas? (Side note - I never thought I'd be this high maintenance about my dogs. Even when I had horses they didn't get crazy blends of supplements ).

Thanks Jen We're finding that odd things are triggers. 75-80% of the time he's fine but something as minor as both of us going back upstairs in the morning (versus one of us downstairs after first morning walk) can be enough to make him poop inside. But this can happen one week and he won't poop, it happens again the next and he will. Our group also recommended valerian root. DAP - collar or diffuser(s)?

Hah! I'm using other Springtime supplements and like them, just wasn't sure if anyone here had personal experience with this particular one

Has anyone tried these? Would love feedback. Thanks.

Hi & welcome! You will get a lot of very strong opinions on dog parks - there have been a lot of people whose dogs were hurt, in part because greys have such thin skin, so be prepared to be told that it is the worst thing ever to go to dog parks. With our first girl, we took her to dog parks occasionally including shortly after we adopted her, and the most she ever did was sniff and pee. She's always been laid back and easy going, however - we could take her anyway. Our second boy is more nervy - not spooky but just a different dog altogether and because he is more anxious and reactive, I won't even think about taking him to a dog park anytime soon, if ever. I also don't trust other dog owners to not keep small dogs out of the big dog areas. It is NOT cruel to not let them run. Looking forward to others' opinions.

Oh I am so very sorry.

Our morning and evening walks are typically 30-60 minutes and 1.5+ miles isn't an issue. Our girl Bella, now 11, went from racing to being an only hound in Midtown Manhattan, to the suburbs, to us having a baby, now toddler and adding a second grey, so they are definitely adaptable. Our newer boy, Kirby, who is 4 and has been with us for 2 months, would likely happily be a hiking hound and LOVES to follow his people around the house anytime we move. Every time we move. Others have chimed in with great thoughts.

We had Bella for almost 6 years on her own (she is now 11) and adopted 4 year old Kirby in May. Some thoughts - We thought that Bella was getting more lonely as she gets older. She has opted to stay with Kirby a lot while he's crated in the living room during the day, even though she has the run of the house. They don't snuggle or play, but I'm also not surprised as it's not been that long and there is the age gap. Kirby has developed some SA from us (well, me) which Bella doesn't really help with. Of course, that's hard to judge as I don't know what he's like on his own. I suspect she helps some; I think he'd be miserable as an only hound. Kirby makes us realize how much of a Mary Poppins* Bella is/was. She didn't really chew anything when we first adopted her, only had 2 accidents inside, no barking, no whining, pretty laid back, took everything from living in midtown Manhattan (with Macy's 4th of July fireworks 2 blocks away, elevators, small fluffies living on the same floor, walking through Times Square, riding the train from Grand Central) to vacations to moving to the 'burbs in stride. Kirby's not thrilled with anything that isn't part of his routine (e.g. going places) but is a big, mooshy, golden retriever in disguise. *Practically perfect in every way That said, we have 2 hounds, which I love. DH isn't so convinced that 2 is good Bella is starting to slow down and obviously, at 11, sooner or later she will not be around and none of us wanted to be completely hound-less when she passes. Of course, since I suspect Kirby couldn't be alone, we'd need to go adopt another and the cycle continues.... All of this

I am so very sorry. While none of us would wish suffering on a pup, the sudden, unexpected loss is in some ways harder. Many hugs.