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Glad to hear a good update. If the problem starts back up again, would you be open to confining him, but not in a crate? For example, babygating him in the kitchen. That way, it will feel less restricting for him, but it will still be easier to clean up if he has an accident? For destructive dogs or chewers, a muzzle is another good alternative.

You can definitely do socialization and positive reinforcement training right away, but with greyhounds off the track, you have to start VERY small: Sharing space (when the dog is on his bed, drop treats as you walk by) Accepting your presence near the food bowl (drop a few tasty treats in while he's eating) Learning his name, eye contact, and touch training (easily done with a clicker- mark the behavior with a click, then treat) Housebreaking (throw a big party and reward him for going outside) Muzzling and crating (treat and praise everytime he goes in his crate or allows you to put the muzzle on) Noise and visual distractions (while walking, if you see a loud truck or a cyclist, treat and praise) Gradually, you can move up to the traditional "obedience" types of training, like sit, down, stay, recall, calm loose-leash walking. And definitely wait awhile, at least a few weeks/months, before trying a group class. The same goes for introducing other dogs or going to a dog park. In situations with all different types of breeds, you may find that your new grey is fearful of non-greys or too high prey to be in a class with small fluffies. Ask your adoption group if there are any greyhound-only classes available in your area (we have one in Pittsburgh, and it was great... I think Henry took it three times!)

Awesome update!

YES!!!!

In our area, the ball fields are mostly owned and maintained by the city or township. They all have signs that say "NO DOGS" If you can find one that allows dogs, though, have at it. You may have to bring some type of barrier or snow fencing if the exits aren't completely fenced.

No need to transition to bland diet… but if his diarrhea is really raging, you may want to fast him for a meal or two. Dogs can go a much longer time without eating than humans can. Fasting is a good way to "restart" the system and allow that inflammation to go down before introducing something new. You probably won't notice any changes in behavior or energy unless he's really sick or dehydrated. As for switching between two kibbles, I'm usually a big proponent of a 25%-50%-75% gradual switch over 7-10 days. However, if the diarrhea is still consistently bad, you can do it cold turkey. When I switched Henry to IAMS green bag, we went cold turkey because his system was already so screwed up (coincidentally, from TOTW High Prairie). He was also really itchy and constantly licking his paws/bum while on that food, and I figured things couldn't get much worse. He had noticeable poop improvements within a few days. The itchiness cleared up in about a week.

Could you go back to Purina? I've been seeing more and more on this board who can't tolerate the "designer" kibbles like Acana, TOTW, Orijen, etc. Too rich. If he were my dog, I'd deworm, re-test, and deworm again. Then, I'd transition him back to a mid-level kibble. Many greyhound owners (myself included) have had great success with IAMS in the green bag (a.k.a. the magic beet pulp poop firmer-upper). P.S. If you're using the Dog Food Advisor website to compare kibbles, don't waste your time. You'll drive yourself crazy. The website's creator, Mike Sagman, is a dentist who has no formal education or training in pet nutrition. The reviews are heavily biased, with lots of complaints through websites like Scam.com, RipOffReport, and the BBB. There is nothing wrong with domesticated dogs having corn, wheat, grain, or soy in their diets.

Nice!! I'm going to look into this.

Agree with the others. I do know rabies injections can make them a bit sore, but nothing like what you're describing.

I'm also interested in know how this one compares in price. Nexgard is around $60 for a three month supply.

No worries. To each his own. I will say, though, I'd love to see some documentation from a medical journal or an unbiased third-party showing mid-range kibble (IAMS, Purina, Hill's, Kirkland) causes X, Y, and Z health problems in dogs.

I agree with everything the others have said. Just wanted to mention that some greys (mine included) aren't comfortable with little kids. They're closer to the dog's eye level, which can be intimidating for the dog. Also, kids are usually louder, more spastic, and have less control of their voice level and body movements. It's not inconceivable that Lois allows petting and belly rubs from the older people in the house, but not the small child. Most times, this apprehension can be remedied with positive reinforcement and counter conditioning, but you have to go veeeery slowly without pushing the dog too far out of their comfort zone. P.S. Never use the muzzle as a punishment. If you're worried about a bite, have her wear the muzzle on a regular basis. Muzzles are tools to help us (and the greyhound) achieve a certain level of safety. When you only use them as a punishment, you create an aversion, and the dog will start to hate it.

OP, you seem reluctant to try the IAMS. Just curious if there's a particular concern you have?

The x-ray from your vet should be on a CD as a picture file. If it's a PDF or something, you can take a screenshot and make it a photo. Then, that's what you'll send to Dr. Couto. I'd start with that, and he'll tell you if there's anything additional needed. I will actually be seeing Dr. Couto this weekend at the NAGAP Conference in Pittsburgh, where he's doing a speaking engagement. It may take him a few extra days to respond because he's traveling. As for diet, I think it would be a bad idea to switch foods at this point. Doing that could be very hard on the stomach. Factor in the nausea and diarrhea that come with whatever combination of pain meds he's on, and he could become very ill. As someone else said, the research is changing all the time. I haven't seen any well-documented research that says kibble with carbs makes any difference during cancer treatment. FWIW, my boy ate IAMS through his treatment (still does), and he did just fine. I don't want to discredit your vet in any way, but I think it's absolutely ridiculous to suggest a 7-year-old otherwise healthy dog would not do well with amputation. My boy got his amp at 5-years-old, but I think we're the exception. Most tripawd greys I've met are 8, 9, 10, 11, 12+ I would consider a 7-year-old a pretty young dog, unless there was some other mobility issue in the spine or the remaining legs. Very odd that he'd say that. Lastly, there is a chance you may not be dealing with OS. It's a bit coincidental (although not impossible) that OS would pop up in the exact same spot where the bone broke, given that this injury occurred several years ago. I'd wait to see what Couto says to confirm what you're seeing on x-ray is in fact an osteolytic lesion. There's a possibility it could be a shadow or some inconsistency in the bone based on the prior injury. Many people on this board have needed two or three sets of films before a decision could be reached. In other less-common cases, osteolytic lesions have turned out to be Valley Fever, bone infections, and other types of cancer (as in the case of my Henry, who was originally diagnosed with OS, but ended up having a rare type of fibrosarcoma, which was much more treatable). These are all reasons not to rush to euthanasia before you have complete answers. Obligatory tripawd photos up next! This is what helped me through Henry's cancer journey, because sometimes you need a reminder of how well they do on three... The day of the amp, our friends came to the vet and threw Henry at 'tripawd to be' party. And after. Here he is at the GIG Blur of Fur. He ran 29 MPH, which was three miles FASTER than his four-legged greyhound brother.

Come on over to the osteo thread. Unfortunately, there are any people here who have gone through the same thing.

Hmmmm… I wonder if you'd have better luck switching to a different brand, but same protein source. Here's why I say that. When Henry was on TOTW, he constantly had itchy paws and bum. I don't think it was an allergy per se, more of an intolerance. I really wanted TOTW to work, so I tried different formulas over the next several months (bison, fish, turkey), and they all made him itchy. When I took him totally off TOTW and switched (this time to IAMS). The problem went away. I finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't the protein source at all. It was some ingredient that TOTW put in all of their formulas. It could've been some obscure thing way far down on the list. I think a lot of people convince themselves that the allergy/intolerance is related to the big ingredients (wheat, grain, soy, protein), then end up dismissing a lot of choices that *could* work. In your situation, I'd probably start small before ruling out every kibble with X protein or X carb source. Does that make sense?

Do you know what food he was on before you adopted him?

Definitely agree with George and Batmom. It seems like a lot of owners jump to food allergy right away, but true food allergies are not very common in dogs. And even if he is legitimately allergic to something in the food, it could be an ingredient halfway down the list (not necessarily the protein source). Before you go through the stress and hassle of an elimination diet, I'd try an antihistimine or steroid shot first. Seasonal allergies are really bad this time of year.

Easier, safer, and much cheaper to just buy the Iams. You *can* buy straight beet pulp, but it's hard to say how much to give, since most beet pulp is sold for equine use. If you use too much, it can make the stomach swell. It doesn't taste good either.

Just an idea. Instead of all the grain free, limited ingredient, wholistic, organic stuff, try giving him Iams in the green bag. It's a mid-level food that's pretty cheap (don't let that scare you off). But there's a fiber source called "beet pulp" in it that seems to do the trick for a lot of greyhounds. Someone told me that several years ago on this forum, and my guy's diarrhea cleared up almost immediately. Definitely something to try before you go too far into prescription and homecooked diets.

How's Zuri doing today? Back to normal yet?

Sometimes it's not the anesthesia, but the pre-anesthesia meds that cause problems. Truman has had Ace three times, and each time, it's taken 12+ hours to wear off. The one time he was given Valium before anesthesia, he was back to normal in much less time. If you look on your receipt and discharge paperwork, sometimes it will show an itemization that includes the name of the anesthesia and pre-op meds.

Oh wow. What a situation. The biting makes a little more sense, but it sounds like his stress/anxiety is running so high that he's going straight to biting instead of cycling through the usual dog body language first. Poor guy- so much trauma and change in a short amount of time. I would seriously look some anti-anxiety meds, at least while you're going through this transitional period. Until then, muzzle all the time. I'd hate for him to misdirect aggression at your other dog or kitties. Thank you for giving this boy a chance and continuing to work with him.

I'm one of the few here who raised a puppy. Just my two cents, but I wouldn't do it again. Too much work. Also, despite constant training and obedience, our puppy grew up into an adult with a lot of anxieties and hang-ups. I'd rather get a dog as an adult and KNOW exactly what I'm getting (and leave puppies for folks who are real experienced and have a lot of free time on their hands).