Brandiandwe

That's gotta be the funniest thing I've read on here today!!!! Seriously? DH and I don't make the surface inhospitable, it just makes things more cosy because there's more human to love up to, snuggle into and give cuddles to...... But like the others, consistency is good although we've not managed to keep our dogs off our bed or the couch, and nor do we want to. They do get down when we tell them to and the only times we have problems are when its cold and Brandi wants to snuggle in between us. Or when it's time to get up.

FWIW, I find this message board to be, for the most part, very supportive and respectful, even about emotive issues (like dog parks or what to feed your dog or whatever). You haven't received the endorsement and support for your position on dog parks that you might have been hoping for here. That's perhaps to be expected - your dog provoked a fight by not accepting a correction from another dog. So people are suggesting that you find other ways to harness your dog's energy and build a better sense of self-control and a bit more socialised into your dog before taking him back to a situation where another fight is possible. That might not be the message you want to hear, but becoming defensive when everyone is coming from a position of concern for you and your dog isn't all that productive. As for dog parks, I do them only when we are there by ourselves or with a couple of other greys. it's just too hard otherwise. My two young ones need an hour's brisk walk in the morning and half an hour in the evening with a little bit of playing as well. We'll be getting back to obedience classes soon as well. Good luck!

He's gorgeous! So glad you've made a decision that you're both happy with. I agree that 2 year olds are a whole different ball of wax to older hounds - we have two and they can be full on. But as time goes on I can see them mellowing. Snuggles to Django.

Final update: urine culture clear. So we're waiting a couple of weeks then taking another sample just to be absolutely sure. The vet doesn't seem too worried about the crystals though I'll be trying to increase the acidity of her urine and we'll go from there. Thanks for all the support!

Yeah. Really really not nice. And no predictor about which dogs will survive and which won't. We specialize in nasty things that cause unpleasant deaths here.

Fortnightly? This means every two weeks, right? It's not applied every two weeks -- it's a monthly thing. Not here in Australia. For fleas and some ticks, yes monthly. For paralysis tick it's effective only fortnightly (2 weekly). We have a different brand here so perhaps it is different?

We don't have kids and suspect both of our two had limited interactions with children before coming to us. Both have shown themselves to be remarkably tolerant and friendly towards all children. Paige is more reticent and doesn't deal well with swarms of kids but Brandi loves it and gets in there. Paige is fabulous with more timid children.

We're switching to this for tick season. I don't like that it needs to be applied fortnightly and I'm going to have to see how it goes with Paige who tends to be sensitive. But better than paralysis tick....

Fortunately my two shoot out the door for the walks as soon as it opens. Sadly for them, by the time they realize it's raining, I'm put too, the door is shut and we're walking cheerfully down the street.

My two eat grass when they don't feel good. It's a very reliable indicator that something is wrong and I can look forward to a mess later.

I agree with always using names. It took my two a little time, but now the one being disciplined knows it, and the other one gets an annoyingly smug look on her face.

No stones!!!!! Ultrasound clear, everything normal and groovy, although the neck of her bladder is in her pelvis which might cause some issues later on in terms of bladder capacity and incontinence. Which is to be expected in some older dogs anyhow. So, urine culture to come back early next week, but we're hoping it's just the crystals to deal with, which is going to be increasing the acidity of her urine. Phew!!! Weight off my mind! (And my bank balance. Ouch!)

She settled down yesterday and we kept an eye on her. She's in today for an ultrasound and urine culture so hopefully by this afternoon we'll have a clearer idea about what's going on. She was fasted for 48 hours which settled her stomach and she's on chicken and rice which seems to be working, although both dogs seem to prefer whatever is in the other bowl. So fingers crossed all goes well today and we get our goofy, silly Boo back with us.

We adopted 2 20 month old girls, one with prey drive issues and one who was a spook. It was tough, and still is now when they're 2.5. I've not returned either of my two BUT always keep in mind what my riding coach told me about buying a horse (relevant I promise). There is no such thing as a perfect horse or a horse without issues. Instead, you need to find the horse with the issues you can deal with. I believe greys are the same. None have no issues but you need to find the grey with the issues you can deal with. To me, that means something different to you. Write a list of non- negotiables (older/ calmer, no space issues, love bug, cat safe, whatever) and then think about what you can work with (will only eat when facing north balancing on three legs, prefers linen to cotton sheets, whatever) and look at Django. If he can't be happy with you then you may need to give him up in order for him to find the house that's right for him. And then you can find the member of the family who's waiting for you. You will love them just as much. Good luck with your decision.

I have two females. And TBH I don't think it would matter which one you get - I've got the two most perfect greys in the whole wide world so anyone you get is bound to be a disappointment. Seriously? I have one snuggly girl who has messed in the house fairly regularly - better now but she's also gotten quite sick so accidents have started now. The other is a much more aloof young lady who really has staff rather than owners. Friends who have boys adore them and they certainly seem much less intense than one of my girls. Meet a few and see which one picks you.

Brandi is worse today. Blood in stools after a 24 fast. Back to vet after the locksmith has been.

She's been off the antibiotics since Monday morning, so I'd have thought it would have passed through her system by now. Right now they're both lying on my bed. Brandi looks a bit worried but at least she's resting.

Something that might work, similar to a tenic ball would be to put a length of fairly substantial chain in her dish that she can't lift out. But you might a lot try feeding her in a kong ro with a Nina Ottoson game where she has to work for her food. That might slow her down a bit.

Hi everyone. Thanks for all of the previous information, and your help here. I'm trying to process a lot of stuff and my head is spinning (I'm better at postmodernism, so this is all a steep learning curve). I think I get everything, but I'm trying to balance that with what my vet is saying which is effectively, if it's stones, she'll need to be on one of the above diets for life, which horrifies me. So I'm trying to work out if worse comes to worse, whether I can bounce ideas back at him. I think he's quite receptive to my own research, especially because I've been the one educating him a bit about various greyhound things (like corns vs warts), but I need to be relatively well prepared. The urine sample I (Brandi) provided was collected half an hour before analysis before I loaded her into the car. Brandi is not very well today at all. Not her usual bouncy self. She has had no more accidents in the house, but her urine is still dark and she seems to be uncomfortable urinating. Poops are normal. This morning she was chasing grass to eat on her walk, and there was a lot of gut activity and noise. She ate some breakfast but reluctantly (not like her, she is a food hound), and then I found vomit. I think it was after she was walked but before breakfast - bile and a treat with some grass. She's also been pacing and unable to settle. Rang the vet. He says to fast her and keep an eye, especially for bloat. If she worsens, straight to the vet and she'll get straight in to see him. If not, fast till tomorrow morning and see what happens. Bloody diarrhea or mucous means a vet trip. Paige is also anxious,which isn't good. :-(

You do know that neither you nor the dog will shrink OR melt in the rain, right? Lots of info about statuing throughout here, but neither of mine love the rain. Both get walked in it because they get about an hour in the morning and 30 minutes - an hour in the evening. Even if it's raining. And I live in Sydney so welcome to the world of semi-tropical rainstorms, high humidity and bushfires. Obviously you adapt to the climate but seriously, buy a raincoat and get out in it. Get up earlier and get into it. Before we had raincoats, I had to towel dry the girls. They LOVE the towel.

So Brandi has just finished a ten day course of antibiotics for a suspected UTI. We went back for a check yesterday and, although the white and red blood cells are down in her urine, the struvite crystals are still there. So this means either a different sort of UTI or bladder stones. We are going back to the vet on Thursday or Friday for an ultrasound and for them to do a urine culture for a final diagnosis. Obviously I'm hoping for a UTI that is relatively easily fixed. If, however, it is stones, apparently the way I need to treat her is through a prescription diet for the rest of her life. The ones recommended are either Hills or Royal Canin. I'm unhappy about both of these foods. Hills prescription diet ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken Liver Flavor, Lactic Acid, Calcium Sulfate, Soybean Oil, Flaxseed, Iodized Salt, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Potassium Chloride, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols & Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract. Royal Canin Urinary S/O ingredients rice, maize flour, animal fats, dehydrated poultry meat, maize gluten, minerals, hydrolysed animal proteins, vegetable fibres, egg powder, soya oil, fish oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, marigold extract (source of lutein). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 11500 IU, Vitamin D3: 1000 IU, E1 (Iron): 45 mg, E2 (Iodine): 3.5 mg, E4 (Copper): 10 mg, E5 (Manganese): 59 mg, E6 (Zinc): 195 mg, E8 (Selenium): 0.06 mg - Preservatives - Antioxidants. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 18% - Fat content: 17% - Crude ash: 6.6% - Crude fibres: 2.2% - Calcium: 0.5% - Phosphorus: 0.5% - Sodium: 1.2% - Chloride: 2.26% - Potassium: 0.8% - Magnesium: 0.05% - Sulphur: 0.3% - Urine acidifying substances: calcium sulphate (0.55%), DL-methionine The girls are currently on TOTW Pacific Stream which is great for them both and doesn't make Paige's tummy react. However, I've read that foods high in salmon can cause struvite crystals (not sure its true or not - anyone?): if so, I'll have to find something else. But I don't want to move Brandi onto one of the the above to diets for life, which is what I'm told I might need to do. Does anyone have any suggestions or alternatives? Obviously until I get a firm diagnosis (not till Thursday) no decisions can be made, but I'd like to start researching.

It's still early, but I'm glad you're having some good results. Go Roxy! FWIW I think most of the times something has gone wrong with my dogs, it's because of something Im doing or not doing. It's usually been a case of working backwards from what I've done differently. Or checking to see if there's a medical reason for the change. But this sounds like a relatively simple fix. Hurrah!

Hopefully if she doesn't need to go and she's on a routine, she won't go in the house. But I'd have her collared and if she starts, say no, take her outside and praise when she does. I'm guessing you've already checked for UTIs already? Basic housebreaking 101 needs to be implemented. As for the tiredness, I'm not a morning person but I'm up every morning between 6 and 7 and walking 1 to 1.5 hours with my girls. I've become better and working in the morning and my day seems more productive. Good luck!

You might also need to walk her further in the morning. One of mine needs a nice brisk walk for 15 - 20 minutes before things start moving. Given you're up at 6 anyhow, is there any reason that you don't just stay up and take her out for 45 minutes or so for a longer walk in the morning? She might empty out completely then (mine usually take 2 - 3 poops and some marking before I know they're empty) and you might eliminate the problem.

My flabber is officially gasted here! Seriously, the 'owner' cannot afford to feed the dog. He can't afford to get her spayed. He can't keep her. Why on earth does he have ANY say in what home the dog goes to as long as it's a good one? Wanders away muttering angrily under breath.....