Riverhound

She was beautiful. I'm very sorry.

Ok. I haven't been through this with a dog, but with a cat when I was very, very young. I can remember the cat refusing regular food, and my mother desperately trying to get him to eat baby food and that high calorie goop in a tube. I remember the cat just laying in a box, when usually he was the center of all things. I remember him not perking up when we came by to pet him, and how sad he looked. I don't remember water consumption or potty habits -- but he did smell pretty bad. I'm sorry you're through this with Harold. It's a rough thing for them, and for us.

Owwwwww! I want to tear at those nasty staples! NGAP suggests this towel-collar. I've never used it. I'm not sure how well it'd work with a foot-wound, though. They can get at those with their heads pretty straight.

On the stuffy thing, Brees and Joe think anything fluffy should be theirs. It's easier just to put things away. Neither of mine has sleep startle. Right now, Joe is roaching on the sofa, "chasing rabbits", and I just leaned over and kissed his chin. Wouldn't do it with a new dog, and wouldn't let a kid do it, but there's a very good chance you'll be ok on that end. They don't all have sleep aggression. Now, I did step on Joe's foot once in the middle of night. That got a big, barking, bared teeth reaction out of him. Teeth came no where near me, though, and he was asleep when it happened. I apologized and petted him till he felt better. Now I make sure he's not there when I get out of bed. Watch the kids are the dog when the dog has something it regards as "his". When they first came home, my two were both inclined to growl at us if they had something good and thought we might take it. When your new dog does steal your kid's stuffies, make sure the kid knows that that getting it away from the dog is your job, not theirs. And lure the dog away, don't just take it.

Oh, good grief! I am so sorry to hear that yet another of your babies is having a health problem. I hope Sammie recovers quickly from this.

Owwwww! I hope I never have to do that.

We went to kennel looking for a little girl, but I got picked by a big, goofy, boy. (Jumped out of the crate and licked my nose. End of story.) He's my dog. Don't get me wrong, he and DH love each other, but the little girlie hound we got just before Christmas is his. If the group you're working with has enough suitable dogs for your household, let a hound pick you.

Oh, god. That's awful! I'm so sorry for you and the poor kitten.

I'm so sorry.

Joe's usual surface for walks is pavement littered with bits of broken beer bottles, so his feet should be fairly tough. He had tender feet when we brought him home two years ago, though. This dog will get hurt whenever there's something to get hurt on. He's talented! Brees's feet are fine, and she's more recently off the track. She also didn't let the freedom get to her head as much. Joe was pretty wild. ry I have an order in to a local store for some Pawz. They were out of big sizes. He refused to leave the house to potty in the yard, so I had to leash walk this morning, He pranced around like a fool for that. Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I'm at lunch, so I'll look at everything later.

Poor Joe ran the pads off three feet playing with a friend's houndies yesterday. He's Bactine'd, gauze padded, vet wrapped, and Rimadyl'd. I'm not worried about the current injuries. BUT, he had sooo much fun! How can I keep this from happening again? Therapaws seem pricey (for four feet) for a once a month romp. I'm concerned that he'd slip in baby socks. Should I I let him do it, and figure the feet will toughen eventually? Or just bite the bullet and buy fancy shoes? He's a sad sack right now, but I don't think he would trade yesterday for anything. (And his knees seem to to be a-ok. They were my real worry.)

I'm so sorry! I've been following your other thread, and just want to say how much it sucks that you and Da Vid are going through this. Hope things get easier for you both soon.

Good thoughts for your pretty lady!

We had a diabetic cat for years in my late teens/early twenties. It was really, really easy. If he started to feel "off" he'd get bossy and meow at us. We learned to really pay attention to what he was "saying" about he felt. It's good to have someone outside of your household trained to give shots, etc. just in case you ever need to be off schedule for some reason. My mom taught the neighbor-kid (he'd have been about 15, and was our regular catsitter) to do it. The cat was an adult stray when we brought him in. Probably 6 or 7 then. We had him for a good ten years, he was diabetic and healthy for most of them.

OP -- My Joe just turned six, and is fine, except that he has wonky knees. I let him run around in the yard with Brees, but we don't go to the dog park anymore, which he used to love. He gets to do plenty, he's happy, and I feel safer. I don't think there's anything wrong with limiting Vinnie's activity to things you're fairly sure are safe for him. Take him and Rocco to get an ice cream cone so he can see his buddy.

I'm so sorry.

Looking forward to pictures of Bulitt at home where he belongs!

Just sending good wishes from me, Rob, Joe and Brees. We're keeping Bullitt (and the rest of the Full House) in our thoughts.

I have the same problem with Brees. She spends all of our walking time looking for something to kill. With Brees, she'll want to chase anything little and quiet. Barking small dogs are scary. After reading your post, I feel very lucky! I would feel horrible if she hurt/killed/ate someone's little dog, but if the little one isn't on a leash, and Brees is (she always is!), I think we'd be ok legally.

Oh no! He's a young'un! I'm sorry.

My mother has used dog crates for cats recovering from surgery. It's no big deal. They don't love it, but they adjust to it. And it'll be easier for the kitten to adjust than an adult cat. If you can fit a small climbing thing/scratching post in there, so the cat can be "up", it'll probably be pretty happy. Remember, cats sleep almost as much as greyhounds!

What a helpful boy!

Just seeing this. I'll help you worry till he's out and doing fine.

Hi from ghetto-riffic Trenton!