krissy
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Posts posted by krissy
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I'm a final year veterinary student at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. I adopted my retired racer at the beginning of my third year (so about 15 months ago now). We (my boyfriend and I) fostered one dog for a group first to appease our landlord, but it was also a great commitment free way for us to confirm that our research had not misled us. We had a wonderful experience. We fostered for 3 weeks and when our foster boy went to his new home we got the ok from our landlord and went to adopt our greyhound a few days later. We've had absolutely no problems with him. Greyhounds are just the perfect student dog in my (totally unbiased
) opinion. He sleeps 18 hours a day and is happy to just go for 3 short walks around the block during exam time, but happy to go for a 3 hour long hike when I have the time to do so. He's quiet so he doesn't disturb our landlord. He's clean and dainty. He doesn't shed much (compared to my 3 rabbits anyway).Having said that though, I would recommend either going to a group that fosters their dogs first, or adopting a bounce that the group has info on. Summit was a bounce so we knew he had no separation anxiety issues, got along with small critters, and just generally a bit about his personality. I would also consider looking at a dog that is a little older... maybe 3-4 and up. Our foster was 3 and he was great. Summit was 5.5 when we adopted him. I know some of the 2 year olds are just overgrown puppies... which is exactly what I'm looking for this summer after I graduate but it does add some stress if you're living the busy vet student life. I think it also depends on what year you are in. In first or second year I would have found it easier to handle a rambunctious 2 year old than I would have in 3rd and 4th year (especially 4th).
Good luck! Greyhounds are the very best dogs out there (again... in my totally unbiased opinion).
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Breakaway tag necklace from LongDog Leather 24/7, martingales only for walks. Our door doesn't open directly into our backyard so he wears a martingale to get walked out there (for off leash time, fetch, training, etc. since he gets leash walked 3x daily to do his business) and I usually just unclip the leash and leave the martingale on... but I'm always right there. He doesn't stay out in the yard unsupervised. He could still snag it on something running but our backyard is pretty empty so I don't worry about it. In the house he only wears his tag necklace. I want ID on him, but he's microchipped so I'd rather he be out loose with no tags than dead on a fence somewhere.
But having said that I don't worry all that much about him getting loose. ID is wonderful and I always want it on my dog, don't get me wrong, but the greatest tool at your disposal for keeping your hound safe is training. To me ID is a back up in case training fails me. Even the best trained obedience or working dog is not 100% guaranteed to obey. That's what my tags are for. They are there in the unlikely event that my dog decides to wander out a door that someone accidentally left open even though he knows he's not supposed to go out open doors. The tags are there in the event that my leash unclips from a collar during a walk (and there are a surprising number of posts about that happening) and he ignores my recall. I am 99% sure that in both those situations my dog will come back to me when I ask. The tags are for that 1% chance that he doesn't. But I'd rather only rely on my tags for a 1% chance. Tags can come off, tags can be ignored by people who want to keep a dog. To me training my dog to be reliable is far more likely to keep him safe than a tag around his neck.
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Summit had a VERY minor happy tail incident this past summer. He basically just skinned the very tip of his tail. It took about a month and a half for it to heal relatively fully (I'd say closer to 2 months for absolute resolution). We did have a set back or two because it happened right before we went on vacation up north. We were doing a lot of all day hikes (we went camping) and to keep him cool we did have to let him go swimming. I tried everything to keep the tail from getting wet. I tried holding the tail out of water (but inevitably he would shake while he was in the water and I would lose my handle on that bony whip), I even tried a hair elastic and a poop bag. If it weren't for the swimming I think it would have healed a week or two sooner.
The biggest problem I found was that it needed to be bandaged to keep blood from getting everywhere and to keep it from being retraumatized, but at the same time if it was kept bandaged (even though I changed the bandage regularly) it would be too moist and the scab never had the chance to dry. What I ended up doing since the wound was on the very tip of his tail was using a "toe bandage" (it's a little foam tube) and bandaging around that, leaving the end open to the air. The bandage caught the drips and cushioned the wounded area, but left it open enough to the air that it could dry out. Once it was no longer really dripping and a scab had formed I opted to remove the bandage completely and we just watched him like a hawk. Any time he would go to shake I would grab his tail and hold it so he couldn't bang it on anything.
Anyway, my point is that if it took a really minor wound like that over a month to heal, I would definitely give a full blown happy tail several months.
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And you have every right to disagree with me just as I have every right to disagree. Please don't put words in my mouth though. I never said 'you' or 'they' shouldn't have a dog, I said I wouldn't. It just doesn't feel right or fair to me. And I have to go by what I feel is best for my dogs, just as others do. We just have different standards. If I suddenly had a 'shift change' I would then (and have) hired a pet sitter. I cannot imagine having my dogs 'hold it' for 10, 12, 14 hours a day just as I cannot myself hold it that long so I would not subject my dogs to that. Again, we all have different standards...just don't put words in my mouth. If you scroll back you'll see *many* responses that are harsh-- but honest. As one poster put it, starting up a comment or question does open up the field for all sorts of responses, some of them being not what people want to hear. It's life.
Just because a dog is "alone" for 12 hours doesn't mean they don't get out to the bathroom. If I can help it I come back to walk my dog and then I go back to school. Others might have dog walkers, or a dog door.
I never put words in your mouth. I said others have said it to me and I don't appreciate it considering how much of my time I give them that could be spent with my dog and family. You basically said it was unfair to a dog. That basically implies we are all being unfair to our dogs and that our "standards", as you put it, are inferior to yours. Maybe that's "putting words in your mouth" because you never actually said it, but there is certainly an implication there that was intended and obviously several people took offense to that implication. It wasn't "honest" it was just mean and unnecessary... not to mention having nothing to do with the OP's real problem. But that's just my opinion, and if her concern is that the dog doesn't get a potty break for 12 hours some days fine, and to that I would say you can almost always find 5 minutes to get home to let a dog out, ask a friend to do it, hire a dog walker on long days.
Don't think because you've committed your life to other people's animals that you can't commit to your own. And don't judge her quality of life based on what other people think. Judge it based on the fact that you alone know her better than anyone else, and you alone know your schedule and abilities better than anyone else.
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I never use Hill's/Science Diet. It's junk, just awful. Full of fillers etc.
Also, the vets swear by it because they get kick backs. Don't be fooled by a vets' strong recommendation. If they wanted dog's to eat food that was good for them theyd recommend a natural or holistic food. I would NEVER feed that junk to my dogs. I'm not a food snob but I do want my dogs and cats to eat good quality food with real meat and nothing artificial or full crappy fillers.
Actually the word "holistic" has no legal definition. Anyone can call their food holistic and it can mean absolutely nothing. Pedigree or Ceasar's could start calling their foods holistic without changing anything in the food if they wanted. Hence the reason vets don't recommend feeding holistic. I mean, if you do your research and it's truly a good food that's fantastic. But just seeing the word "holistic" on a bag tells you nothing about it.
Fillers... other than the fact that greyhounds get gas and some dogs may have grain sensitivities (however, most dogs that have food allergies are allergic to the meat protein in it and not the grain, hence the reason why allergy diets use "novel" proteins like kangaroo and duck) animals need to get their energy from somewhere. And dogs are not exclusively carnivores like cats are. I'm not saying they shouldn't get any meat protein, I'm saying that personally I don't think corn is the end of the world. It's a great energy source which is why it is in the food.
As for kick backs, vets make money by marking up the price of the food. They buy it from the company for X price and sell it for X + Y price in order to make a profit on it. I don't know what other "kick backs" you think we get. Cocaine? Heroin? Votes in the next federal election? Most of the vets and vet students I know feed a veterinary diet. If it's complete crap as you suggest and vets only sell it because of kick backs, they wouldn't feed it to their own animals. I feed my dog J/D because it has scientific backing. Maybe not as much as we would all like, but certainly more than most non-veterinary diets.
I'm not saying people have to feed a veterinary diet to feed a quality diet. I'm saying really do your research and look past all the marketing gimmicks. Every time I see the Blue Buffalo ads I get angry. Blue Buffalo may be a great food, but suggesting that their food is better than all those "big name brands" because it is "holistic" is misleading and untrue. If it is really a good food, please by all means feed it to your dog. But don't think that just because they make a big hype about it being "holistic" that that makes it superior.
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Again, I would just not have a dog if I was gone 10-12 hours per day. It's just not fair to them. Period.
This is inappropriate, IMHO. You have people on this board who have already said they leave their dog for 10-12 hours a day. You are basically calling all those people bad dog owners. Myself included, and personally I'm going to take offense.
The reason I have long hours, days from hell, and on call shifts that result in my being at the clinic almost 24 hours at one stretch is because people have animals that they love and expect vets to be available at the drop of a hat 24/7. And I am happy to do that. However, I don't appreciate being called a bad dog owner or being told I don't deserve to have a dog because I willingly put so much time and effort into treating other people's pets. Emergency calls are either the most rewarding or the most frustrating for a vet. People are either SO grateful that it makes it entirely worth being called in from 3AM to 6AM and having to come back half an hour later for appointments... or so frustrating when someone expects you to live at the clinic and doesn't even say thanks, or when you say you have to go home to feed and walk your dog... that you shouldn't have a dog.
People sometimes have schedules they don't like or can't control. If someone starts with a 9-5 job and gets a dog and then 2 years later their job changes and they have to work 12 hour shifts... that's unfair to the dog so they should rehome the dog right?
We all do our best for our pets. We would have a lot more homeless animals out there if everyone without an "ideal" schedule didn't own animals. I do my best for my pets, as do all the other people on this board who work longer shifts than they would like. It's not ideal but it certainly doesn't make us bad owners.
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The way I feel about vet school is this: I will sacrifice a percentage or two in order to enjoy my pets. Why? Because why the hell am I going to be a vet if I can't even have any of my own? To me that is absolutely stupid. I decided to become a vet because I love animals, because I love looking after animals... including my own! I've had lots of people tell me I shouldn't have gotten a dog in 3rd year vet school (first year is the most time you will ever have, p.s.). My point is that I'm not going to have much more time after I graduate so why wouldn't I have pets now? I find time whenever I can. Tomorrow I get off at noon. Finishing at noon in FINAL year is an absolute luxury. I'm going to take the dog for a 2 hour walk and get the bunnies out for cuddles. Other days I'm gone from 6AM to 9PM. I get home to walk and feed somewhere in there, but I'm not legitimately home until late and I don't particularly give him attention. I'll pet him and talk to him, I'll throw a toy for him a few times. But I don't fuss over him and take him for a long walk. He's the kind of dog that can deal with that. I did my research and I got a bounced, middle aged dog that I knew had no SA and was happy as an only dog. Most people in my class have dogs, and most of them have MUCH higher maintenance dogs than I do and their dogs are still happy enough.
Consider that Ari may be feeding off YOUR anxiety. Chances are that when she first came home you were a little nervous about how she'd settle in. The first few weeks are anxious weeks to begin with anyway. My foster greyhound definitely barked and was anxious when we left for the first week. But being calm and with constant reassurance from our adoption group that it was normal and that as long as we kept up the alone training things would smooth over... he settled right in and had no anxiety. You were anxious, she was anxious. The longer she was there the more anxious you got about how she was settling in, and that made her more anxious... vicious cycle.
ETA: I really should not post when I'm writing up management recommendations for a swine herd AND watching NY Ink at the same time. The point I was trying to make was this: 4 years of vet school are very long, and yet so very short. They are tough, trying times, but also some of the best you will have. Your marks in first and second year pretty much mean squat... unless you need a scholarship to pay your tuition. And none of your marks matter if you don't want an internship. I'm not saying you scrape by. I just mean that losing one or two percent because you studied an hour less to deal with your pets... is really not a huge deal. I know that's hard to accept because in first year your brain is still so geared to "must get the highest mark possible". I also know that vet school is still somewhat competitive in the States. When I visited OSU I was totally unimpressed with how competitive and cut throat they were... even to a visitor from Canada who has no intention of competing with them for internships. That said... in first year the difference between 90% and 92% is... negligible.
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I feed Summit 50/50 J/D and Iams Lamb and Rice (because I get it free from school and brings down my food cost of the J/D). Summit really likes it and it has the added benefit of giving him the shiniest coat and firmed up his stools. I started feeding the J/D on the recommendation of our orthopedist surgeon. It has had some good clinical trials with great results (reduction in lameness etc.). I don't have the papers on my computer unfortunately.
Keep in mind that diet and chondroprotectants (glucosamine/chondroitin) are therapies that do not work for every individual and work extremely well in others. They are therapies that don't do any harm and hence the reason they are always recommended for arthritic dogs. Do they always work? No. Do they always have drastic results? No. But it doesn't hurt to try.
Personally, if this was a situation I was in... I would try the J/D for 3 or 4 months and see if there are any changes. If yes then I think you have your answer. And if no, you can revisit the issue with your vet and see what alternatives are available.
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I only want to point out that brushing teeth once a week isn't enough, it should be daily. My vet has an article about the health issues not brushing can cause in the long run, I will post once I have it.
Agreed. Teeth need to be brushed at most every 24 hours if it is going to do anything. This is because it takes plaque 24 hours to harden into tartar (which is not removed by brushing alone). If you brush less frequently than once a day then there is really no point brushing at all. It's easy to get into a routine of brushing every day though! People are in awe when I tell them I brush Summit's teeth every day, but it's a routine and it needs to be done so now it's no big deal.
Every night before bed I brush my own teeth and put on my PJs. Then I get a dehydrated duck foot, dog tooth paste, and the dog's tooth brush (and now his eye drops since he gets those once a day too). I ask him to lay down on his bed then I brush his teeth, put in his eye drops, give him his duck foot for his special treat and we all go to bed. Takes 2 minutes and if I go to bed without doing it something feels wrong.
Won't add to the advice about the growling as you've gotten lots of great advice and I would simply be repeating. Plus I have no actual experience. My dog has no space issues and you can do or take anything from him. This morning I invited him into bed to spoon with me after my BF left for work.
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Summit stepped on a stick doing zoomies with his previous owners. It is noted in his medical records that they sent me. He has split webbing there. No idea what the owners did for him though (i.e. leash walks for how long, at home treatment), so this post is really not helpful.
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Hmmmm... I have to say I'm about as confused on what to do as I was before I posted this! But thank you for all your experience and advice. I'm glad I asked, I'm just not sure what my best course of action is.
Summit hasn't had any NSAIDs for several days now and is no longer limping. The "corn" (or whatever it is) does seem to have firmed up the way I expected a corn to feel (when I first found it the pad felt essentially normal) but he still doesn't have much response to pinching. If I pinch REALLY hard he eventually tries to gently pull the foot away... but I'm pinching so hard at that point that I think if I did the same to any other toe he'd react the same. It has been significantly warmer the last week or two and I wonder if that has anything to do with the resolution of his limping. I guess I'll find out when it gets colder again.
I think for now I'll let it alone since he doesn't seem overly bothered by it. If it starts to bug him I'll try the duct tape trick.
Re: epsom salt soaks... is that just to soften it up? Does that help with hulling?
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Some days close to half of Summit's diet is treats. I do a lot of training with him so he gets a tonne of treats during those sessions. Any time I take him to greyhound runs or play dates with non-greyhound pals I always have a pouch full of treats to give him for recall practice. I always carry treats on walks so we can work on things outside of the home, especially ignoring other dogs. Any time there's a loud noise or something else that potentially startles him briefly I give a treat.
Big treats like bones and bully sticks tend to be on a "just because" basis a few times a week, but I always ask him to go to his bed and lay down before I hand it over.
Every night he gets his teeth brushed and his eye drops put in, then he gets a dehydrated duck or chicken foot.
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This PDF has a section on anesthesia: http://www.greyhoundadoptionofoh.org/Library/2010-greyhound-medical-packet.pdf
I can't imagine there's a vet out there that doesn't know about the idiosyncrasies of sighthounds with respect to anesthesia.
We learn almost nothing about greyhounds in vet school, but the one thing we DO learn is anesthesia. The one thing I know that they tend to give in higher doses than recommended by SOME greyhound vets is Acepromazine (a sedative, not an anesthetic). It's not particularly dangerous it just zonks some greyhounds out for HOURS. Dr. Couto recommends no more than 0.5 mg of Acepromazine per greyhound but I've seen normal doses used with effects that lasted no longer on a greyhound than any other dog.
Think you mean 0.05mgs of Ace?? I have never given any dog more than 0.3mls (10mgs/ml) to any dog nevermind a greyhound.
Never mind. I'm being dumb. ha ha. I didn't read further to see that I was actually right. I went on a hunt for literature thinking I'd said something silly. Doesn't take much to make a 4th year doubt themselves.
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This PDF has a section on anesthesia: http://www.greyhoundadoptionofoh.org/Library/2010-greyhound-medical-packet.pdf
I can't imagine there's a vet out there that doesn't know about the idiosyncrasies of sighthounds with respect to anesthesia.
We learn almost nothing about greyhounds in vet school, but the one thing we DO learn is anesthesia. The one thing I know that they tend to give in higher doses than recommended by SOME greyhound vets is Acepromazine (a sedative, not an anesthetic). It's not particularly dangerous it just zonks some greyhounds out for HOURS. Dr. Couto recommends no more than 0.5 mg of Acepromazine per greyhound but I've seen normal doses used with effects that lasted no longer on a greyhound than any other dog.
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Sometimes even when we don't have a long trip we end up in the car during dinner time. Sometimes we're out on an all day event with or without the dog and we don't get home until after dinner time. "Dinner time" is a very loose term. On a normal day it means "around 6 PM", but it really just means whenever I give the dog food. He knows when it's supposed to be dinner time, but he certainly isn't out of sorts if dinner is a few hours late. Just give him a Kong part way through the trip to keep him entertained and take the edge off his hunger. Feed him when you get home.
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Sorry, could you explain how the duct tape works? You put it on the pad over the corn... and then you pull it off later and the corn is easier to hull?
Also, this is interesting, but now that the corn is visible Summit is really not limping at all. No deramaxx for the last couple of days. The weather has been a bit warmer. I certainly notice the lameness is worse in the cold and after strenuous exercise. I thought corns hurt no matter what? Is it normal for a corn to hurt less once it surfaces and to hurt more in cold and after exercise?
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A few weeks back I posted about Summit's mystery lameness in his left hind leg. He had a full orthopedic exam which revealed absolutely nothing (couldn't pin point the pain at all). Checked his back. I looked for corns. He got some deramaxx and he was significantly better. We chalked it up to arthritis, though I still thought it was weird that he would be so acutely lame on a leg he has never had any sign of arthritis in.
This morning we went out to a greyhound run. We saw some blood in the snow so we all started checking our dogs' feet. Wasn't Summit, but when I was checking his left hind foot I found what appears to be a corn! Now, I can absolutely promise you it was not there a week ago which was the last time I checked him (we had an appointment back home with my vet to get a butt-load of deramaxx on Tuesday and the corn was not visible then). The wisdom of GT... someone had warned me that corns are not always visible right off the bat.
Soooo... I know a little bit about corns but never details because I never had to deal with it. I know they recur. I know they're a royal PITA. I learned how to hull corns when I was at OSU this summer. I have some questions though.
I find it weird that Summit has never had a corn before and all of a sudden he has a corn. Is that unusual? Does it tend to show up as they age? He's 6.5 now.
I know you can hull them and they tend to come back. I also remember reading on here about some "miracle" cream that someone used for several months that resolved a corn. Did that resolve it without recurrence?
To be honest aside from a few weeks back it doesn't seem to be bugging him that much right now. I wonder if it is less painful now that it has surfaced? It is not hard like the corns I saw when I was at OSU and he doesn't seem to mind me pushing and pinching and squeezing it. Is this because it is so new?
Bottom line... what is the best thing to do for him? Hull it or something else?
Thanks!
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In a thread I had started a few months back about Summit's pannus diagnosis someone (sorry, I forget who it was) mentioned I should be double sure we checked his retinas really well for signs of PRA because Summit's grandsire was Greys Statesman who is a carrier. In this thread I see all the talk is about Molotov, and honestly I only know what I remember being told so I'm not sure if GS is a carrier or not, but just thought I'd throw it out there.
Summit was cleared as just having pannus. He has some iris atrophy. No retinal atrophy (right now, fingers crossed it stays that way). He is Jimbo Scotty X AMF Curveball for anyone's interest.
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Summit is a chronic, mild grade, intermittent lameness on his left front. Recently (about a month ago) he developed a mild to moderate left hind limb lameness. Full orthopedic exam couldn't pin down the site of pain. Unfortunately many of our greyhounds are just so stoic. Summit is very much Mr. Stoic. He gives absolutely no indication of where the pain is. Possibly in the toes, but really we had no idea. Back doesn't seem to bug him. Hips and stifles are good. His limping is definitely triggered with the cold weather. I noticed it last winter when we first got him, he was fine this summer, and now he's limping again. I've got him on deramaxx and that seems to do the trick. Poor boy has arthritis.
As much as the arthritis sucks, I hope that's all it is for Argos.If you're really concerned I'd get some films done. It'll tell you nothing if he has a soft tissue injury, but it will tell you if he has arthritis or osteo... which in our greyhounds are probably the two most common causes of lameness anyway. It sucks to take them in when they're not limping because the vet can't tell you much if they don't limp, but you can still get x-rays. If it shows some arthritis you can try him on an NSAID and see if that helps. If it does you pretty much have an answer.
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I've never cleaned Summit's ears. I check them regularly but they're never dirty so I just let them be. No point fixing something that ain't broke. I do see lots of patients with some very dirty ears though, so it's important to stay on top of it.
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The only thing I will say is that I do not like laser pointers as a "toy" for dogs and cats. It is an object which they can never catch and is a point of frustration for some... even escalating to psychiatric issues. I've seen dogs and cats with "OCD", star-gazing, and fly catching type behaviours resulting from use of laser pointers. Personally I prefer something the animal can actually catch. The laser pointer may be hilarious (especially with cats) but I just don't think it's appropriate.
Fetch and obedience games are great for bonding with a new dog and earning trust (both ways). However, I can't offer much advice specifically about the growling because we have Mr. Perfect here. I can shove my hand down his throat to retrieve something if I wanted, take away a raw marrow bone, etc. Best of luck!
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My last surgery patient was a pug who ate a squeaker. A week later he finally came in because he was just about on death's door (owners didn't know he'd eaten the squeaker... though he had a history of indiscretions). That squeaker was lodged and was not going anywhere.
Thankfully greyhounds are bigger so it will hopefully pass right through. But if he starts to not be right I wouldn't try to wait it out.
Fingers crossed for the best!
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We put dogs on underwater treadmills all the time for rehab. It's literally just a treadmill in a waterproof glass box. Put the dog in, fill it with water up to their belly and then start the treadmill. Some of the dogs are initially a little confused and unsure of what is going on, but all the ones I've watched have gotten over it after a few minutes. Honestly, many of them are more concerned about the water and trying to walk ON the water. The rehab tech stands inside the box in the water with the dog. She stands with one foot on each side and holds the leash in her hands. She has an emergency stop button that she can press if she really needs to. And often the owners are there or there are students to offer treats as incentive. They've all done really well. None of them were greyhounds but greys are dogs first and greyhounds second so I see no reason why most greys couldn't do it. I probably wouldn't recommend it for a super spook though.
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I think a big secure hug is different from coddling. When I tell people not to coddle my dog when he is gun or fireworks phobic I mean don't talk to him in a baby voice and pet him. For this reason I never say "It's okay" when he's worried about something because it is almost impossible to say that phrase in a confident, reassuring way. It will inevitably come out in a baby voice. I'll say something like "What was that!?" because that I can easily say in an upbeat, happy, confident way with no coddling tone to it.
If he responds to a hug maybe he would do well with a thundershirt? Summit has one and it does just about nothing for him, but I know some dogs do respond to it.
) opinion. He sleeps 18 hours a day and is happy to just go for 3 short walks around the block during exam time, but happy to go for a 3 hour long hike when I have the time to do so. He's quiet so he doesn't disturb our landlord. He's clean and dainty. He doesn't shed much (compared to my 3 rabbits anyway).
As much as the arthritis sucks, I hope that's all it is for Argos.
A Beginning.
in Introductions & Biography
Posted
Since you'll be getting a dog that was fostered either by yourself or someone else, you should get something of an idea of personality. Although that can change over 6 months to a year, at least you'll get an idea of whether a dog might tend towards being more affectionate. I generally prefer male animals since I do find females have a tendency to be more aloof, but that's a total generalization and I know of plenty of female dogs that are very cuddly. Summit is affectionate but not a huge cuddler. He cuddles when invited up on the couch or bed with me, but he doesn't come climbing up on furniture looking for attention. He's very unassuming and polite. His most affectionate times are first thing in the morning when we get up and when I get home from school. He really shows how happy he is to be with me at those times and it makes me smile from ear to ear every time.