Feisty49

Love this! Congratulations to both of you.

Photos: If you have a FB account, you can copy from there and paste here.

They are very cute!

Annie started licking her vulva area more than a general cleaning worth three days before her annual check-up, which was convenient. The vet said Annie's vulva was irritated and said to wipe it once a day with Seventh Generation Baby Wipes because they have no perfumes or additives to irritate and then put a bit of Desitin on the area. It worked.

Pictures! And welcome from Upstate New York.

So sad. I'm sorry.

Awwwww, this is nice. Giving her a break is a good idea. An additional thought: What she won't or can't (?) learn now, she may go for later on. As I said, I'm not into tricks, but at the age of almost 9 years old, Annie is still learning skills that relate to keeping her safe. It was about a year ago that she learned the word "inside" used on our walks means she has to move from the road side of me to the grass side (I live in suburbs; no sidewalks). Not that she's way into the road (she heels well and I don't allow her to wander), but I don't trust drivers, and always put myself between a car and Annie. This past spring when she was diagnosed with an issue with her vulva, she immediately stops licking it when I say, "Eh Eh." Of course, maybe it's the tone of my voice, but whatever it is, she learned it. I continue to be happily surprised at what they know and how smart they are. They don't always choose to use that smartness.

Welcome from Upstate New York. Your boy is beautiful.

I tried clicker training with Annie about 2 months after adoption (about 5 years ago) but honestly, found it a pain to do and actually soon realized I didn't care how she learned as long as she learned when I wanted her to know. Being I'm not into tricks, my expectations were not demanding. Having said that, if it's a noise that you feel is necessary to train her, try something less harsh such as snapping your fingers or even gently slapping one arm with the other hand. I don't see that it matters what noise is used.

As I posted in a previous thread (http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/318155-sileo-worked-for-annie/), Sileo worked well for Annie the first night I tried it, July 2. I didn't have enough to do the whole weekend, so I didn't give her any on July 3, wanting to save the final dose for July 4. Long story short, it worked only OK on July 4; not as well as it did on July 2. The fireworks were closer to my house than on the 2nd, and they started at 5:30 so she hadn't had a dose yet. I don't know if the fireworks being closer to my house -- 2 doors away -- or her getting upset before the first dose of Sileo had anything to do with her reaction, but an hour after administering the Sileo, Annie was still anxious, though not as anxious as if I had done nothing. It was a bad evening for noise and Annie continued to show some anxiety, even after a second dose of Sileo, but not as much as without the drug. I think the close proximity of the noise made it much worse for her and that nothing would have done the trick to make her calm.

Yes, my vet, Albany County Veterinary Hospital, was able to order it about 2 months ago, shortly after it was available. Now they have it in stock. I would think your vet could get it too.

A few weeks ago I started a thread about Sileo, which is a treatment for dogs who have noise aversion. Unfortunately, I've had to use it this weekend and it worked!!! Last night about 6:30, neighbors on the street behind me started setting off firecrackers. Just one or two at first, so I quickly administered the Sileo to Annie, who was already up, panting and leaning into me as if I could save her. Thankfully, no more were set off for about 20 minutes and in that time, the Sileo took effect and Annie, who had settled back down in her bed, only raised her head with interest, as if I had dropped something on the floor, and then put her head down and laid there, with no reaction at all The fireworks were not continuous. A few would be set off then nothing for 20 minutes or so, which is just terrible for a dog because they think it's all over and then BAM. I could not believe how well it worked. I watched Annie closely and her demeanor was as it usually is in the evening: sort of sleeping but not solidly because she keeps an eyes on me. When I settled down in the chair to read, she then went to sleep, as is normal. I administered the Sileo about 6:40 and it lasted about 3-1/2 hours, at which time we were headed to bed and for some reason, the firecrackers had stopped. Pro: It works for Annie with no side affects. Pro (at least for me): Annie always takes meds easily and this was no exception. It was easy to insert the syringe between her gum and cheek and easy to depress the plunger. Con: It almost takes a degree in engineering to get the syringe to work. LOL I admit I'm not good at putting things together/setting up, but there were written instructions as well as pictures -- and I'm a word person, pictures don't do it for me -- so I got it eventually. This was a con for me, but it's also a pro because it's impossible to squirt out the gel until the syringe is set up for use, at which point the syringe locks and it has to be set up again for use. Con: For a large dog, there's only about 2-1/2 to 3 doses. With this being a three-day weekend, I don't have enough. If I had known it would work, I would have bought two syringes. Con: It's expensive if you're buying for a lot of dogs. The syringe cost me $32, which is affordable for me because I have just one dog. Con: Once activated, the contents has to be used within two weeks, at which point anything left must be tossed. Back to pro: IT WORKED for Annie. All the cons don't mean a thing to me because it worked for my precious girl. It was such a relief to see her be her normal self.

Annie, who will be 9 in a few months, does like heat at all. She's happy walking when the temp is no higher than 40, and if it's a sunny day with a high dew point, even 40 is too hot for her. She's most happy when the temp is 20 or lower. We used to walk 1.5 to 2 miles every morning starting about 8:30. Since the beginning of May, with the exception of a few "chilly days," we walk at the most a mile and we start our morning walks no later than 7:15. She acts like she wants to go more because she plants herself in front of the driveway and won't move, but with her tongue hanging out and her stopping every 50 feet or so to lean against me, I know it's too hot for her and it's not going to happen. About 5 PM, we walk again so she'll do her afternoon poo (which she will not do in the fenced backyard at that time of the day), but we only do half a mile. I love warm weather but I'll be glad to see autumn and cool temps so we can return to our schedule of good walking. I just hope that her aging body, which is in good health, returns to the long walks.

He's marking. No big deal. Boys and girls do it. They sniff another dog's pee, walk a few inches or a foot, or maybe not, and pee a little bit. My girl would do it a lot also on our walks if I didn't put a limit on how many times I let her stop. Remember: the last one to pee wins!

I picked up Sileo from my vet yesterday. Annie falls apart at fireworks so I want to have it on hand. It's a liquid in a syringe with pre-marked dosages and a stopper so only the amount needed comes out. The liquid is squirted between the gums and cheek. It doesn't take much. It's to be given 30 to 60 minutes before it's needed. It lasts about 2 hours. Once the syringe is opened, it is good for 2 weeks. After that, it must be tossed. I paid $30 + change for it. I expect to have to toss most of it but I don't care. I'd spend twice as much. Annie was so bad last year -- the first year that it was legal in New York State to have personal up-in-the-air fireworks -- I almost took her to the e-vet. Here's the other thread that I started last month. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/317843-sileo-new-drug-for-noise-anxiety/

Drs. Foster and Smith sell something that supposedly takes care of urine burn and restores grass (Spot Gone Repair & Recover). The thing is, it has to be applied immediately after urination and then soaked with water. I've given up. It's my back yard and I don't care about yellow spots. They remind me of crop circles and I consider them Annie's artwork.

Sounds like he had to pee and pee before eating. Had it been a while since he'd been out?

She is beautiful and sooo relaxed. I love her smile.

Greyhounds often can focus for only a few minutes. Also, it's not uncommon for them (and maybe any dog?) to stop doing what they already know. It's as though they think, "I already know how to sit, so why are we continuing to do it?" From your post, it seems obvious that she is not into training right now. If it were me, I'd back off for a while. I also think it's counter productive to try to make training fun but yet keep her tethered.

Karen, this is so worrisome. I don't have any advice so can offer only sympathy and along with the rest of us, an ear to listen. A question: Ruby was boarded for a week (?) when you were on vacation. Do you think that could have something to do with it? Has she shown different behavior when she's been boarded before? They do continue to change, but this is obviously more dramatic than liking a new stuffie. I'll be following this to see what info comes through.

Welcome from Upstate New York. Let me be the first to suggest reading the book "Greyhounds for Dummies," and other books and web sites about Greyhounds. A warning: You will fall in love and become part of a cult that adores our houndies.

If possible, keep to your weekday schedule on weekends. I know that weekends are supposed to be relaxed, but if it keeps her from P&Ping, it would be worth it.

No doubt she's testing you and if it's important to you that she be crated, then you've got good tips here. My girl Annie, who I adopted almost 5 years ago, hated her crate and by day #2, I didn't use it, but left it up with door open in case she changed her mind. She didn't. By the end of the week it was down cellar. I never used a baby gate either. She had complete run of the house. I admit, though, that Annie has never been "bad" in the sense she's never gone in the garbage, never cruised counters, never bothered the cat, never tore down curtains (I fostered a wild boy once who ripped down the dining room curtains), etc. Maybe your girl can be trusted?

This is so frustrating and not knowing why makes it more so. For the first three years after I adopted Annie, nothing fazed her. Not thunder storms or fireworks or loud trucks, etc. Then things changed, and I don't know why. She gets anxious about T-storms but fireworks are the worst. Last year's fireworks almost drive her crazy, so much that I was on the verge of taking her to the emergency vet. Good luck!

This isn't the product about which I've been posting. Well, it is in that it has the same chemicals. I'm not a chemist or anything medical, but if you go to the link at the bottom of this post, it explains what it is and how it's administered. The paragraphs immediately below are copied and pasted from the site. As the first one states, it's administered in such a way (orally) that it limits the amount of drug entering the dog's body, thus not acting as a sedative. Is it totally safe for any dog, especially Greyhounds? ::shrug:: Is anything safe for everything living? No. I'm not pushing its use. I just tossed it out here so people would know there is another product that *may* alleviate short-term anxiety related to noise, such as fireworks. "SILEO is an oromucosal gel formulation of dexmedetomidine, a highly selective alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist that blocks norepinephrine release, a chemical in the brain that is involved with the development of fear and anxiety. SILEO is administered via oral transmucosal absorption, limiting the amount of dexmedetomidine available in the body at any given time after administration and thereby providing a calming effect without sedating. This allows dogs with noise aversion to remain calm yet fully functional. In addition, SILEO has a rapid speed of onset that can be tailored to the timing and duration of noise events. It works on its own without any other treatments or training. "Veterinarians prescribe SILEO in a 3mL high-density polyethylene syringe, equipped with a dosing ring and end cap and packaged in a cardboard box. The dosage is 125 mcg/m2. It is administered by placing the gel between the dog’s cheek and gum and allowing for oral transmucosal absorption. In a usability study, over 90 percent of pet owners assessed the usability of the syringe to be “easy” or “very easy” to eject the correct volume of gel. "SILEO typically takes effect within 30–60 minutes after application. The first dose can be given as soon as the dog shows signs of anxiety and fear, or approximately 30–60 minutes before a known anxiety- or fear-causing noise stimulus, such as fireworks. Each dose will last between two to three hours. SILEO can be re-dosed as needed every two hours, up to five times during each noise event. The pre-filled applicator has between one and 12 doses, depending on the size of the dog. "SILEO has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in two randomized, double-blinded clinical field studies. SILEO had a good or excellent effect in 75 percent of the dogs which was significantly different from the placebo at p<0.0001. Adverse reaction rate to SILEO was low, and all reactions were mild." http://news.zoetis.com/press-release/companion-animals/zoetis-announces-launch-sileo-treatment-noise-aversion-dogs