a_daerr

Probably eating too fast. They make "slow feeders" that are basically bowls with plastic prongs in them that prevent the dog from eating too fast.

I've tried Iams in the green can, Nutro Chicken and Oatmeal, and Pedigree from Sams Club. I've had good results with all of them. I would recommend anything that's not too rich (lots of people say Blue Buffalo gives gas) and only give a little bit at a time.

Hahahahaha! I call them "popsicles," more for my own benefit since "feet" is kind of gross. But these are REALLY popsicles. Great job!

This. All of this is correct. Henry and Truman are both very "cat safe" dogs. They have never had any issues with our three cats. They caught a squirrel earlier this summer. I didn't see it happen, but my neighbor said they were both carrying it around in their mouths and throwing it up in the air (like their toys). Wild animals outside and pets in the home are apples and oranges. You're good for being vigilant (you can see in my previous post that I let my guard down too soon with my foster grey and he killed our kitten). But I wouldn't worry too much about it. ETA: After our squirrel incident, I took Henry to the vet because he had some cuts on his muzzle. They used surgical glue on one of the cuts, and that was about it. Unless it persistently bleeds, and assuming Zoe is current on rabies, you should be fine. Like Susan said, squirrels rarely have rabies.

Payne has this quirky thing he does... he barks A LOT during thunderstorms. He'll be laying on his bed, then when the thunder hits, he runs down the stairs and starts barking. He'll do this half a dozen times until the storm eventually dies down. He will also go outside and stand in the rain and bark. It's the strangest thing. I actually don't think it's out of fear. It's almost like he's trying to be protective (or territorial)? He barks the same way when visitors come to the door, or when people walk through our alley. How do I comfort and reassure him without reinforcing the behavior?

We changed Henry's name because he hadn't raced for very long, and he didn't respond to his racing name. We ended up keeping Payne's name because he had a longer racing career and he was close to his trainers, so he knew his name. It depends on the individual dog.

I made Truman a feast for his birthday- cookies, cupcakes, muffins, meatballs, and even a turkey meatloaf. He gained two pounds!! The secret must be home-cooked goodies!

Interesting. Both our pups eat grain free food. It's certainly possible the new food we tried is the culprit, but since he's been off of it for close to a week I would expect things to be getting better, not worse. We've had Jasper for about 3 years and this is the first time he's had these sorts of issues. He's 6. I'm still leaning toward discoid lupus since you've had him for three years and have never experienced these types of issues before. I feel like if he had an allergy or a reaction to something, you would've seen it by now. I'm curious now. Let us know what your vet says.

I just wanted to say that the OP got a few snarky remarks about her husband and floors. I give the husband a lot of credit for continuing to try after having been bitten! He's doing what he can to cope in a stressful situation. I wouldn't automatically assume that being stressed equates with not wanting or not being on board with having a dog. In our family, my boyfriend didn't want ANY of our pets. But he fell in love with Henry and Truman, and now he admits that he wouldn't trade them for anything. As for her floors and possessions, this individual has done everything possible to make the situation work. She even hired a trainer/behaviorist to work with Django. It's clear that she has a bond with him. Why assume the dog feels miserable or unwanted? I hate seeing this elitist attitude of people criticizing someone for doing the best she can.

I'm really sorry to see this. I don't really have anything else to add except for this- there were times when we first adopted Henry that I thought to myself, "OMG, I made a terrible mistake. I don't think this is going to work out." My DB even suggested returning him because he was our first dog, and we had A LOT of stumbling blocks with him. That's normal. But despite all the setbacks, we decided to keep Henry because he was steadily making progress. His issues were slowly showing improvement, and the longer we had him, the more our bond strengthened. I never got to the point where you are now. If you decide to return Django, please don't feel bad or guilty. And also, don't feel reluctant about trying again with another. Django might be a different dog in an environment with other greyhounds who can boost his confidence. Or, maybe he would thrive in a more residential setting with a big yard. This just sounds like it may be a bad fit. It you come to that realization (and you'll know when it's time), don't beat yourself up over it. Life goes on. ETA, feel free to email me. Since we're both from Pittsburgh, I'd be happy to meet with you (and Django) and talk more. alicia . daerr @ gmail . com (no spaces). BTW: You would love Payne. He is a bomb-proof, cuddle-monster hound.

Could be discoid lupus... our friend has a white ticked greyhound whose nose is always peeling. He's ultra sensitive to grain-based foods. How long have you had Jasper?

Intact dogs have a tendency to mark more... so I'm not certain whether or not your neighbor's dogs are neutered. Marking is something dogs do to leave their scent, usually due to territory or dominance. My foster marked when we first got him, but he had not been neutered yet. After the neuter surgery, and when his hormone levels evened out, he stopped altogether. Don't get me wrong, certained neutered dogs mark too... but I've otherwise never had a problem. And I have three boys! I actually prefer boys because (as a whole) I think they're a little bit less high-strung, more affectionate, more silly. I agree with everyone else's advice though- don't let things like size, color, or gender be a huge factor in your decision. FInd the one you fall in love with, and go with it.

None of my dogs have ever been crated... one of them has terrible separation anxiety and would gnaw his way through the bars if I tried to crate him. We have two established "cat rooms" and that has always worked out pretty well. Yep... I can't say with certainty what happened, but I believe and hope it was an accident. More diligence needed on my part. I lost a very dear cat last year to lymphoma. I'm hoping she's taking care of little Tia at the bridge.

I'm guessing it was Payne because the cat was laying on his bed and after the fact, he was acting more hyper-aroused by the other cats (barking, radar ears, things he hasn't done in awhile). If I had to guess, Payne started it and the other two joined in. Of course, if it was him, I'm not labeling him a "cat killer." He just got carried away and did what his instincts told him to do.

Thanks, I do... but this means a lot. That's what I figured happened. It wasn't a vicious attack. No blood, no puncture marks. It looks like he just picked her up in his mouth and shook her- probably broke her neck. A few months ago, we had an incident with my other two outside and they got a squirrel. They didn't kill it though, just shook it and carried it around for awhile.

We do have two rooms upstairs that are "cat only" rooms. They have baby gates with smaller holes that only the cats can fit through. One room has their food and water, the other has our guest bed and a bay window where they sit most of the day. Recently, we blocked off one of the rooms because my male cat started peeing in there. So... I don't know if Tia tried to run in and got cornered. She was definitely the most brazen with the dogs and was not afraid to be around them. I really don't know what happened. I'm just shocked and saddened over the whole thing. I did so much to keep that little kitten alive, and now she's gone... I guess I took for granted that Henry and Truman are truly "cat safe" dogs. I thought that once we got past the initial curious phase, Payne would be the same way. I don't blame him for what happened. It was my own stupid fault for not keeping a muzzle on him unsupervised. It's just so weird because I've seen Tia walk up to him on his bed, play with his tail, roll balls past him... he barely glanced in her direction anymore. He has discovered toys lately, and he's been playing more and more with squeaky toys and stuffies. Maybe he just got wound up and reverted back to his instincts. Either way, I'm thinking that this is probably my answer regarding whether or not to keep him... as much as I love him, I could never fully trust him alone with the cats. I never want to go through something like this again.

I'm at a loss right now. I came home, and the dogs, presumably Payne, killed one of our cats. I don't know what happened. I'm utterly devastated. Some of you might remember my thread about Tia, the 6-week-old kitten we found on the side of the highway. Unfortunately, she was the one it happened to... This is shocking. I'm scared for my other cats. I don't know what to do. Help!

Good job! I would take a picky eater over Truman anyday of the week! He gets into everything. I came home from work last week, and he'd gotten into a 5-pound bag of flour.

This.

Thanks for all the helpful info! I see how much he eats, so I know he is well-fed. He definitely does have "stegosaurus spine" and his hips are bony. But after reading all these posts, my opinion is that he's going to end up being a big boy, so he will most likely fill out after his bones are done growing. Instead of feeding more, I'm going to supplement with canned food that has a higher calorie content. And instead of two big meals, I'm going to try three regular-sized meals. If he's still looking scrawny in a couple months, I'll try more add-ins. I think it would be hard to incorporate fresh meat and eggs when I have three, and they all want what each other has. Rachel and Petra, thanks for the compliments on his pics!

Yay! I hope it works out. Henry was very shy and timid- now he's a therapy dog. It's so fun and rewarding watching them try new experiences and watch them slowly come out of their shell. I think she'll be wonderful for you.

Thanks, Linda! I think Truman was 40 pounds when we brought him home (16 weeks). So he has grown a lot, but not through the middle. I'm going to start giving him a higher calorie type of wet food (I bought Nutro chicken and oatmeal puppy formula) and see if that makes a difference. We are having a birthday party for Truman over Labor Day Weekend as a last hurrah before the neuter.

He turns one-year-old on 8/31/12. That's what I was thinking... but this vet deals with a lot of greyhounds. Apparently, one of the techs also raised a greyhound puppy that has been seen there for awhile. So I would think they know what they're talking about? I don't know. I have a couple pictures of him posted under my Grapehounds Pics thread. You can see that he's pretty tall. I call Truman "the dinosaur" for the same reason!

He's an AKC. He never raced.

Took Truman to the vet yesterday for his before-neuter checkup. I'm having him neutered at the vet we use for the adoption group because our regular vet quoted me a price upwards of $500. I thought that was kind of steep, since most of our adoptable dogs get spay/neuters, dentals, and vaccinations for around $250. Anyway, when I took him to this other place, the vet commented that he was really underweight! This was pretty shocking to me because, although skinny, he is still a puppy. He's a very lanky, tall boy who just keeps getting taller and longer. My regular vet said he was fine, and that he should fill out eventually. They weighed him at 73-pounds, but this vet said he should be closer to 85. She also said that it wasn't good that the bones in his spine, ribs, and hip plates are visible. Now, keep in mind, he eats like a horse. I give him two cups of dry food in the morning, two cups at night, and a can of wet food everyday. Should I bump up his food intake? Feed him something different? I'm worried now!