muddgirl

I think I figured out how to share some pictures: Buffy and her little friend: Buffy's adventure at the lake Don't know how to insert this one - Buffy and Batman

Yesterday we helped our sweet girl Buffy (nearly 13 years old) across the rainbow bridge after she broke her leg due to osteosarcoma. We did not consider amputation due to her age and pre-existing rear end weakness due to arthritis. I have been kicking myself about not getting an earlier x-ray as she has been limping for a few weeks but at the time the vet did not detect any pain and we agreed it was likely due to progressing arthritis. It would not have affected the outcome but we could have spared her some pain. Buffy was the littermate of our first greyhound (Batman). Buffy raced at Tri-State in West Virginia and then in Birmingham, AL for about a year and bounced between A, B, and C grades. In early 2012 she was put up for adoption and I and thought, "Wouldn't it be so much fun to adopt Batman's littermate?" but she was quickly adopted by another family. Unfortunately this family discovered that Buffy was extremely sound-reactive and they lived very close to an ammunition test range. The family made the difficult decision to return her to the adoption agency and we could not let her pass by a second time, so we brought her home in Oct 2012. Buffy was very high energy, very high anxiety, and did not bond quickly with anybody. She spent the first six months in our house either stress-pacing or hiding in the back hallway where no one could see her. But over time she did come out of her shell and she bonded very closely with her brother, even though he was sometimes quite a bully. Unlike her brother, Buffy was rarely derpy, she never roached, and instances of extreme tongue syndrome were few and far between. However she did entertain us frequently by nosing her way into spaces she couldn't back out of, and primly sitting places that weren't meant to be sat on. After her brother passed away unexpectedly in July 2016, Buffy grew very close to my husband and I, she learned to enjoy both pets and cuddles as well as joining us on road trip adventures and hikes. She greatly enjoyed spending so much time with us during the pandemic and being able to take walks outside on quiet streets without worrying about her biggest enemies: balloons and basketballs. For the past few years she had experienced worsening health due to old age but she was always a trooper and never wanted us to worry about her. Even after her leg fracture she looked at me like she was ready to get up and walk home on two good legs if she had to. In 2017 we had the great pleasure of meeting another of Buffy's littermates, Nick (CTW Batteringram). We now have a young child so we will likely not adopt another dog for several years. I am feeling the great hole our little lady has left in our home.

Highly recommend this! Our trainer called this skill "Doggy Zen" - your pup only gets what they want, when they stop trying to get it. It can apply to so many things in the dog's life. Polite loose-leash walking is doggy zen. Waiting to go through doors is doggy zen. Greeting strangers can be doggy zen. Go to mat before dinner is definitely doggy zen. Etc. Etc.

I am so so sorry you are going through this. Call the e-vet today and ask for them to email you all the records - they may send them over to your other vet but I like to have them in hand so I can read them. I would also want the leg x-rays to be sent to your vet so they can review them. Can you call your regular vet and see if they can fit you in today? The meds could be affecting her appetite. If she normally gets kibble, a can of wet food or cooked chicken and rice could be more appetizing. But not drinking water is a bad sign. Unfortunately the kinds of symptoms she has are kind of generalized and hard for vets to pin down. We were in a similar situation a few years ago with our pup Batman. We never got a conclusive diagnosis.

We have a high anxiety girl and "taking laps" is 100% a stress-related behavior for her. She pretty much paced for 16 hours straight the first month that we had her. Then she allowed herself to nap for 20 minutes at a time If we bring her to anywhere new the pacing resumes until she gets settled. Is he panting when he does this as well? Or licking his lips/yawning? Those are also signs of anxiety. Lots of frequent trips to potty is a really good idea during housebreaking, eventually you should be able to taper down and keep him on a schedule.

We trained this on an interior door first - like the door between two rooms. The idea is that they are way too motivated to go outside that it overrides the thinking/learning part of their brain. Inside it is a lower-stakes, distraction-free environment. Also personally I have had a lot more success using hand signals with my greyhounds first, then training the word. I don't know if it is me, the dogs, the breed, or what. So for "wait" I am standing next to them facing the same direction, then sweep my hand down across their line of sight.

Greyhounds may be one of the only dog breeds to require a good "Up!" command maybe even more than a down command. First of all make sure that your pup is actually awake. Sometimes when they are sleeping or dozing they look awake (eyes are open, ears are up) but aren't. So you are calling and calling them and offering treats but they are lights out. When it is time for bed we have to call our girl a few times to get her to come to bed. Not because she is disobedient or willful, she was just asleep and didn't really hear us.

Thanks dmdsmoxie!

My pup Batman (CTW Battle Plan) passed away on July 4, 2017. Is it possible to have his Greyhound Data page updated to reflect that he has passed in case any of his littermate owners look him up? Here is his listing: http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?0=dummy&z=M1To0P&d=ctw+battleplan&x=22&y=15&gd_session=M1To0P His sister Buffy (CTW Bathsheba) is still living with us and doing well as an only dog. She misses his company but enjoys having full rein of the couch and our attention.

Thank you so much for all your kind words - you are all making me tear up at work. Batman was my first dog ever and I was so lucky to have the care of such a sweet and loving soul for 7 years.

I know it has been awhile since I posted here, and several months after Batman passed away. This has been incredibly painful for me and my husband and afterwards we turned inward into each other and are only now starting to emerge from our grief. Batman was the very definition of a velcro lovebug. Wherever you were, that's where he wanted to be, even if it was the bathroom! He even charmed my mother, the former-dog-hater. He always thought he was the big man in the household and if he wanted a spot on the couch or a dog bed, he would try to take it, even if someone was already sitting there. He loved to do obedience training, and one of my fondest memories is taking the test to get his Canine Good Citizen certificate. He was so focused and in the zone for the whole test, until the time when I had to hand his leash to a stranger and leave the room. Other dogs fretted and whined, but he promptly laid down for a nap! Batman passed away on July 4th 2017 after an illness of undetermined cause. He had just recently started a new treatment protocol and seemed to be feeling better, so we foolishly decided to continue with our vacation plans. While we were on vacation he developed pneumonia very quickly and we made the decision to put him to sleep. I will always feel guilt in my heart that we were not there with him in the end but it would have been selfish to continue his pain until we could get home. I have an album of Batman photos shared here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fc1009lxe7grkm8/AACicmNYrfY8Btzdwy6zZkwXa?dl=0 If you can't tell our pups apart, he is in the blue/purple collar and his sister Buffy is in the pink collar. Other Batman signs: He has a derp face. He is sitting on someone. I forgot to add: If anyone reading this can edit Greyhound Data, I would appreciate it if you would add a note about his passing. His racing name is CTW Battle Plan.

There may not be mosquitos in LA or AZ but there are certainly mosquitos in Yosemite, especially this time of year.

I used to wrap it in a piece of cheese.

Buffy was the same way for a long time - seemed to prefer just lying on hardwood or a thin rug, especially in her crate. We gave her plenty of options and now she seems to be enjoying the soft life like a normal dog.

Very interesting! How often are y'all applying? Once a day and keeping foot covered 24/7? I will have to check this out. With our current treatment (hyaluronic acid and Murrey Ave Apothecary Corn & Callus cream) it's taking nearly two weeks to shed the corn each time.