Feisty49

Ahh, I like the idea of paper plates, though I'm such a minimalist that I hate carrying stuff (even a purse!). Nonetheless, in order to keep things neat and clean as possible, I'll probably try it. I doubt Annie Bella will be upset by it but my neighbors will think I'm crazy until they figure out why I'm doing it.

Annie Bella has been on the "green" Iams -- Proactive Minichunks. It was recommended by many here and it did do a good job for a few months. The first-morning poo is usually formed but real soft and is done in our backyard. One of her poos is usually done on the lawns of neighbors (when we take our first-morning walk) and I *hate* leaving behind even a little mess, so I end up by pulling up grass and sod to get all the poo.

I'd like to know if your pups consistently have what could be called normal poo. You know.. the poo that drops out, turd by turd, is dry looking and can be easily picked up either with a scooper or a bag. The type of poo that the dogs of all my friends (non-Greyhounds) have all the time. Annie Bella has never had terrifically-formed poo. I was very happy when Iams Proactive took her from mushy to formed turds, albeit not particularly hard. Well, the first poo of the day is formed but deteriorates as the day goes on (she usually has 3 poops a day). In the past couple of weeks, though, her poo has gotten less formed and mushy. (It's been checked for nasties and it is clean.) So I am at a loss and really frustrated because it is impossible to adequately pick up mushy poo. She's also not liking Iams much at all any more but I don't want to start the cycle of switching food. Been there, done that back when I adopted her. Frankly, not even a bland diet of chicken/rice to help with the diarrhea she had back then ever gave her formed poo. It was the Iams that made me satisfied. In chatting with a couple of Greyhound acquaintances, they said, separately, that their pups' poo is never firm and also gets a bit mushy as the day goes on -- and they said it as if they didn't want anybody to know. So what about your pups?

I got some free bags of the lamb from a rep at Pet Supermarket several months ago. I really liked the ingredient list and all three of my dogs loved the it, but lamb tends to give Princess terrible gas. Now that there is a salmon version I've considering switching from the Kirkland Grain Free Salmon/Potato, but my three are doing so well on it and it's such a good price. It's so easy to think something is better. I recently got caught up in "this is better, you need to try it", something I almost never do, and am regretting it (it wasn't the brand this post is about). Annie Bella's poop, which was never firm but at least was always formed, is again back to soft serve and I am kicking myself big time. I hope returning to Iams Proactive brings her back to where she was. Honestly, if your pups are doing fine on what they've got, I'd think twice before switching.

Love brindles, next to fawns as my Annie Bella is. He's a great looking dog.

Annie Bella did this 3 weeks ago. We were outside walking. She limped two steps, with no sound, and when I looked, her dew claw was hanging in half and there was a LOT of blood. I don't panic easily so when we got home I washed it, neosporined it and bandaged carefully. It was a Sunday so I called the vet the next day and took Annie Bella in to have the hanging part removed so it wouldn't catch on anything. I was surprised at the amount of blood. You would have thought it was a head wound for heaven's sake!

Annie Bella gets fed about 6:30 AM and 5 PM. In between she gets small treats (I buy little treats made for little dogs) for when we come in from walks or P&P trips and to reward her and also usually gets one large-dog Milk Bone at some point. She gets nothing before going to bed and doesn't wake up in the middle of the night.

I'm still confused. If they eat in separate rooms, how does one know what the other is getting? Am I missing something? Of course I agree about fasting and not eating in front of another dog, which seems to me to be the answer. If you can do that, why can't you give them each something different? As far as kids and giving medicine: Sorry, but life isn't fair and sometimes one kid gets a treat to get the medicine down that the other doesn't get, especially if it's going to give kid #2 diarrhea, which is what I said in my original post. I don't have 2 dogs, but if I did and had this "issue" I'd feed them totally separately, behind closed doors, and unless they can read labels on cans, how will they know what the other is getting? Besides, no matter how much we love them, they are dogs and don't need to have the foodies end of their life be even and fair.

Maybe mix it with peanut butter and offer it just to Sam? Can they be fed apart for a few days? If you have to, can you just put the smallest taste of the canned food in Silver's food? I admit to being confused as to why one dog needs to have something the other dog has. I understand Silver *wants* something interesting, but she's a dog. Can't you just say, "No"? (I liken it to children: Would I let my child eat something I knew would give him diarrhea?) My Annie Bella's digestive system is such that doing anything to upset it, including offering new food out of the blue, just isn't gonna happen for her, even if it makes her unhappy.

Even the most intelligent, practical people don't always think ahead to the costs of owning a dog when their heartstrings are being pulled, which is why so many dogs -- of any breed -- are returned. One of the things my adoption group made sure I knew was that owning a dog, and of course in this case specifically a Greyhound, was not a cheap undertaking, and they started with vet bills (annuals, vaccinations) and moved onto the cost of food (which I think is very expensive but that's another post), flea/tick meds, treats, toys, coats, leashes, collars, etc. Add all these together and you're looking at easily well over $1,000 a year for one dog. Some of these things are optional, obviously, but going to the vet is not, IMO. I can't (and don't) complain about the cost of my vet bills if I'm willing to spend (which I'm not often) $$$ on the stuff that satisfies the human in the relationship, such as fancy leashes, collars, clothes, etc. If I can afford those things, I can afford at least an annual checkup for my dog.

Words can't erase the pain of losing a much beloved member of the family, and the poem below is just words, but they touched me deeply and I hope they will help you a little. THE BEST PLACE TO BURY A DOG "There is one best place to bury a dog. "If you bury him in this spot, he will come to you when you call - come to you over the grim, dim frontier of death, and down the well-remembered path, and to your side again. "And though you call a dozen living dogs to heel, they shall not growl at him, nor resent his coming, for he belongs there. "People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall, who hear no whimper, people who may never really have had a dog. Smile at them, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth the knowing. "The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master." --- Ben Hur Lampman --- from the Portland Oregonian Sept. 11, 1925

Lots and lots of advice and opinions about insurance and the different companies we use. I know of no company that covers pre-existing conditions.

But so does everybody else have Bills to Pay. I'm not saying it's good. It still sucks as a pet owner. Even paying just cost for my vet bills for the dog at the vet I volunteered and worked for (for 4 years) I was still looking at bills over $100. And that's no exam fee, cost of bloodwork, cost of medication. So I completely sympathize. I was just trying to point out that your bills aren't exorbitant and why they are what they are. Doesn't make it easier, I know. I just thought it might help to know that if we COULD offer our services for less we would. But if we can't make money then we can't keep our doors open, and then that means nowhere for pet owners to go when their pets need help. Krissy, I don't think you have to apologize. Everything costs money, and it tends to be that the more education a profession requires the more the service will cost. People don't spend tens of thousands of dollars on education to be paid $30K a year, and don't most people want their children to go to college so they can earn a good, if not better, paycheck and have a better standard of living? You paid a huge amount of money to get your degree. You should be well compensated for the time, money and education you bring to your profession.

But so does everybody else have Bills to Pay. Which raises the question: Who goes without money, or less money, with which to live? [Playing the devil's advocate here, but in a serious manner.] I certainly would not give up my salary that, when I worked (am retired now), I needed to pay my bills so that somebody else could pay their bills. Everything goes up: gas, milk, bread, vet services, car mechanic services, etc. There's no doubt that owning an animal is expensive and though I am being urged to adopt another Greyhound, I will not adopt a second one because I am not willing to pay vet bills for more than one animal. To adopt and expect the cost to stay the same would be foolish on my part.

Remember that no matter how s/he is the first 2 days, 2 weeks and 2 months s/he will change as she settles in. Also remember, not all Greys are the same. My Annie Bella has gas only when she has a stomach thing going on (not diarrhea but upset tummy) and the only stomach issue she's had since I adopted her last July occurred this past weekend. It's gone and so is the gas. Don't be afraid to use your common sense. Very Important: No matter how small and/or slim your Grey is, she or he can pull you over if you're not prepared, and sometimes if prepared! I am not a skinny minny woman and Annie Bella pulled me over 3 times in the first 4 months I had her -- down to my knees and once flat on my face. The first snow we had, she LOVED it and took off to play in it, with me on the other end of the leash, of course. I can't run 45 MPH :lol so down I went and Annie Bella came to a screeching halt. The solution to that is she is never allowed out the full 6-feet length of her leash so the leverage is more in my favor. She/he will have diarrhea. Even if the food doesn't cause it, the stress of a new home will. Not every Grey needs or thrives on high-end, expensive food. Annie Bella does best on rather mediocre-rated Iams Proactive Health Minichunks. I tried a few high-end kibbles and she had diarrhea with them all. On the suggestion of a few people here on GT, I switched to the Iams and good poops abound! Don't be afraid to use your common sense. She/he can be taught to walk nicely and pee/poop on a leash. Sitting down is another matter.. Annie Bella won't. She's on her feet or she's laying down. Many Greys do sit. If it's not important to you, don't sweat it if your baby doesn't want to. If it is, there are a lot of suggestions how to teach it here on GT and on other sites. Don't be afraid to use your common sense. Good luck!

It's kinda like kids: Don't make a big deal out of it. Don't talk. Don't make it pleasant. Don't ask in a sweet voice, "What's the matter with my baby?" The more attention your "baby" gets (whether human or dog) the more s/he's learning it's a good thing to wake up at 2 AM! BTW, if yelling works, go for it! Maybe not the nicest thing but ya know what? Being woke up for no reason isn't nice either.

Costs of services, from vets to mechanics, vary by location. My Annie Bella went to the vet earlier this month, on April 2, for a ripped dew claw. Since her annual physical is due in April, the vet also did that, saving me a 50-mile round trip and the cost of another office visit. The total bill was $209.01, and I was very pleasantly surprised because I thought I'd be seeing a bill closer to $300. Here is the breakdown: 47.50 - Office Visit w/Annual PE 14.68 - Nail Avulsion 49.00 - Canine 4DX Test 25.00 - Bordetella (Annual) 28.00 - DA2PP Vaccination (3 Yr) 26.50 - Rabies Vaccination (3 Yr) 7.90 - Clindamycin Capsule (150 mg, 20 quantity) 9.26 - Interceptor (only one pill because their supply was short) 1.17 - NYS Sales Tax BTW, the vet is in Albany, NY, the capital of New York State, and prices of all types of services are typical of a well-populated area (as the Capital District of NYS is considered). I don't know what other vets in the area charge so I can't compare.

Awwww, what a terrific dog. I smiled and then got tears in my eyes reading your post. He must have been something else but obviously he was much loved.

99.999% of the time I agree with this but the super occasional time Annie Bella drives me nuts (just toooo much planting her feeties and staring at the sky), my raised voice, a/k/a yelling with "that" tone, gets her movin'. And no, she is not at all hurt. Actually, she gives me big time stinky eye that lets me know she is NOT to be yelled at, to which I reply, "Next time move your long-dog body when I say come." :lol

They're very friendly and approachable people. Give them a call. There's no use in any of us guessing if your older girl is insurable.

Getting up for food: Raising my hand here -- or Anna Bella's paws. My girl is so NOT food motivated that she falls into the category of not getting up for food. I can wave something under her nose and slowly walk away and she looks at it, at me, and puts her head back down. She will turn down food held in my hand if she wants it on the floor. ::shrug:: She often doesn't get treats because I won't play her game.

Yah, newbies may be told, "If you need a coat, so does your Grey," but that's advice I didn't buy as a newbie (I adopted Annie Bella last July). I'm a person who is cold when others are warm and cool when others are sweating. That's me, not my dog. It doesn't make sense to transfer my physiological properties to a dog, IMO. In mid Autumn last year, when the night temps dropped into the mid 30s and carried over into early morning, Annie Bella shivered when we went for a walk if she didn't have on a fleece coat. She got used to the weather -- or whatever -- because it didn't take many days/weeks for her to be panting at 35 degrees on a sunny day with her fleece on. Common sense says, "She doesn't need the coat!" I'd remove the coat. As winter started to wane and the sun got higher in the sky, and warmer, she'd be panting halfway through our morning walk and the temp would only be 20 degrees. I'd remove the fleece. People need to use their common sense.

Exactly. Snap on her leash and give her a cheery, "Let's go" and if she doesn't, give her a little tug and release, and put on your I Mean It voice! Ok then. This is exactly what I do (anyone who knows me knows I am definitely not shy about being in charge of the animals.) I hook her up to leash, say "outside," like always, or whatever, & she wil not move. I tug, unleash, leash, & do it again with my I Mean It Voice and nothing. I don't want to tug her too much--I heard I could damage her throat or something. But that's the only thing that works--pulling her up and dragging her off until she comes willingly. Then praise her effusively, treat her right outside the door and tell her to get busy. Seems a bit extreme, but if that's what I gotta do, okay. I too insist on being the one in charge, but she doesn't seem to get the point after doing this every night. I know she hates it cuz she gives a yelp like I'm cutting her neck off. I also have a kid as well as several cats, one which is senile and tends to be very needy thru the night. Need all the sleep I can get. Thx for the replies. To lend you support here, not relating to peeing but relating to doing what SHE wants to do: My Annie Bella is known for stopping and sky watching. I am firm. I am insistent. I am The Mom. Yah right. She will move, but I have to walk to her, take her chin in my hand, look into her eyes and say, "Annie, move.. now!" And that usually does it. Occasionally I have to give her a push on her shoulder area to get the feet unglued. I know your Grey is laying down so you can't give him a push, but I just want to let you know that I understand sometimes no matter what, our in-charge voice is not enough (and anybody with teenagers can relate ).

I chimed in above but want to add that I just got back from our morning walk (at 8:45 AM). The air temp is 37 (what a difference from 2 days ago when it hit 95!) and there is a stiff breeze, which makes it feel colder to me. I'm freezing in my short-sleeved pullover and a spring jacket but no mittens. Annie Bella's happy as a clam, prancing down the sidewalk, kicking up her feet a little because it's not hot. It is sunny, though, and halfway into our walk, she's panting from being warm but still doing a happy walk because it's not 90 degrees. The good thing for me is that when we got home I put my hands in the pits of her back legs to warm them up (I have a mild case of Raynaud's Disease and the cold hurts my hand sooo much). The good thing for her is that it turned into a long belly rub with my fingertips.

Good suggestions above. If I want Annie Bella to do something, I leash her up, have the "let's go" attitude in my demeanor and leash action, and that usually does the trick. Fortunately, Annie Bella can go 10 to 12 hours at night without peeing and sometimes the "problem" is getting her to come downstairs in the morning to do the first morning P&P. For instance, last night we got back from a walk at 6:30 PM, during which she left lots of peemail. She then zonked out on her bed, not even getting up to go upstairs with me (though sometime during the night she did 'cause she was in my bedroom this morning). At 6:10 AM, I'm up and starting coffee downstairs, and she's still snoozing. I've got a busy day, and so does she because we're visiting friends, so I called her down at 6:20, but it took 4 insistent "Annie Bella, come," before her head appeared at the top of the stairs and she trotted down, yawning.