OwnedBySummer

I'm so sorry for your loss!

The treatment is normally good for one month (one little tube on the skin of the withers). And yes, you can bathe them now. Note that the Advantage website says they should be bathed with a non-detergent shampoo (?). However, I use whatever my dog shampoo of the season is and I've never had a problem with washing the Advantage off (and I live in a notorious flea area).

He sounds wonderful, what a great tribute! I wish I'd known him, he sounds like my kind of people!

Heartworms are exactly that, worms in the heart. Horrible nasty things! I agree with all the other posters! -- get it checked first to be on the safe side (heartworm testing is not expensive) and then start a preventative. Here's some info on the little creeps:

What a wonderful, heart-wrenching story! Thank you for sharing Chessie's tale!

I have now taken Summer OFF the melatonin. I found it made her waaaaay too lethargic and I don't like it. So... her coat will be what it will be. I have since started her on human-grade fish oil, 1 tsp. per day. Hopefully that will help but if she's to have bald spots, so be it. I love her anyway!

I started Summer on melatonin a few weeks ago (Aug.6), 3mg/once a day. This was because her butt was getting a bit balder and she lost a lot of hair from the front of her neck. However... I have now stopped it and put her on human-grade fish oil, 1 tsp. per day. The melatonin made her very, very lazy and I didn't like it. So... either the hair grows back or it doesn't! What will be, will be.

I have no words for you but I do know your fear, having lost my heart dog in May. Summer and I will be sending you and Rainey our very best thoughts!

I am looking forward to reading the replies! My girl also hates loud noises and, after one of the fireworks weekends, she doesn't like the backyard at night time for a few weeks afterwards, although she does eventually get over that. If there is a balloon popped at a neighbor's house or someone perhaps drops a plank of wood... day or night... she is at the patio door, very anxious to get back in. She'll run back and forth from me to the door, making it very very clear what she wants. If it's bad enough, she'll then run upstairs and hide in a corner. I hope someone can help both you and I!

Thyroid?

I've only taken Summer to ball fields so the "sniff and squirt" isn't too much. Even when it's a greyhound run, there's not too much of that. When it's just her or just her and one hound friend, I use one of those Chuck-It things and fling tennis balls around. She likes to chase a dog who is, in turn, chasing the ball. If I throw her Kong Wubba, she'll happily chase that, pick it up and run around with it like a nut. Maybe some toys might encourage more play behavior? Oh, and "Greyt_dog_lover", I like your recall training thing! -- I'm going to tweak the idea a bit and start practicing it!

She's lovely! I saw her lots on the adoptable's page, too. If I was going to get a 2nd one, I would so seriously be interested in the broodies! And if you're close enough (I see you're "near Toronto"), maybe you can bring her to a SSG run one weekend! Here's the link so you can join: SSG , if you're interested. Congratulations!

Great, thanks!

I also have a reluctant eater. What's up with that? Anyway, I now have her on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon but even still, it takes her all morning to eat it. Sigh. Getting another dog is not feasible so I'm going to try your gruel recipe! My question is: I always add water to her kibble. Assuming you did that, are you still adding water to the kibble?

And you can freeze other things... like pureed liver mixed with yogurt. Or even beef broth in an ice cube tray. Yum yum good!

I've just got to stop reading these remembrances. Now I have to go and re-do my eye makeup before I can go out. But, really, that was a beautiful tribute and your girl was stunning!

Thanks, everyone, from me too! I will use some of these approaches with Summer!

Oh, ya, inside and outside critters are two completely different things. Here's a suggestion for your inside kitty's... especially if you don't want to muzzle the dog or enclose the cats... pull your armchairs and couches and dressers away from the walls. Just enough so the kitty's can fit behind and the houndie can't. It will give the cats lots of places to use to run away from the dog and to hide in.

I had a non-grey who used to do that, although not enough to leave quite such a large wet spot. Maybe it feels nice on their tongue?

Perhaps the harness works so well for me because Summer is not a puller. And the harness isn't making her want to. But this particular harness I mentioned DOES have a martingale feature, giving you control. She had to learn to wear it, of course, as it was a new way of walking. And sometimes she DOES pull to get to a sniffy spot but a quick snap of the leash and hence a tightening of the girth band and she stops. I dislike walking any dog, greyhound or not, with a collar. Especially a puller. One dog I had who was a really bad puller and very, very strong, I used to walk with a Halti but I don't think they'd fit the greyhound. I eventually taught the Halti dog to stop pulling and I did it the way that other posts have remarked -- by randomly turning and changing directions and stopping and starting. She HAD to pay attention. With a grey, whether with a plain harness, a martingale harness or a martingale collar, I would do exactly the same thing.

Sorry I can't help you but I'm anxiously awaiting reading replies from people who CAN! Summer doesn't have a man thing but she does have a noise thing. Basketball games would freak her out because of the quick, sharp sound of the basketball bouncing on the floor. She's afraid of balloons being popped. And if someone drops a 2x4 onto pavement or a pile of other 2x4's. I'm really hoping your replies will be helpful to both of us.

I have a wonderful no-pull harness made by Wiggles Wags and Whiskers. The model I have is the "Classic" harness and I'm thrilled with it (it's NOT the harness in my signature, though, that one is a cheap PetSmart one that I didn't like). Here's the website: WW&W. The harnesses are martingale style, which is really effective. Plus the part behind the legs is all lined with velvet! Here's Summer in her WW&W harness, with her Daddy. Sorry it doesn't show a lot of the harness.

Hi from the Great White North! Looking forward to a picture of your pups!

I can't help you with products to use in the house... but I use Revolution on Summer and all is good. I have read that you can also use Advantage on them. Good luck! -- I feel for you! I had a flea infestation years and years ago and, at the time, the vet sold a wonderful product for the house called Siphotrol. They also sold a fabulous flea mousse for the dog, causing instant flea death, but I have the feeling that the mousse may not be a good product for a greyhound. The product was Vet-Kem Ovitrol Mousse and here's the active ingredients: Methoprene 0.5%, Pyrethrins 0.4%, Piperonyl Butoxide 5.0%, sodium nitrite at 0.10% as a preservative. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can comment on this product? And here's some information on the Siphotrol "Premise Spray": Methoprene 0.085%, Permethrin 0.350%, Phenothrin 0.300%, N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide 2.000%, Piperonyl butoxide 1.400% and it also contains petroleum distillates. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

What on earth did she tear herself up on? Poor baby!