RedHead
-
Posts
1,886 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Store
Articles
Posts posted by RedHead
-
-
Lots of greyhounds can jog if you build them up to it. I started with my guy when he was 3 (he is the type of greyhound who gets very antsy/anxious without exercise). He still jogs almost daily with me (he turns 10 in a few weeks) and does anywhere from 5-10 km (3-6 miles) usually. One word of caution though is to pay attention to heat...even minor heat is really hard for them to handle compared to other breeds. So be careful in the summer. I often have to cancel our runs or go really early in the morning now (plus he gets to take a dip in the lake twice along the way to cool off).
-
I use goat's cheese. Dogs go nuts for it and it is firm enough to easily mould around a pill.
-
Dogs will sometimes vomit up larger bone bits in bile, especially when they are first getting used to digesting them. My greyhound has occasionally done this if I give him ribs or larger turkey bones. I have never had a problem with it (I know lots of other people who occasionally have this happen as well with no ill effects). The poops could be off just because of the varied foods your pup is eating (like the eggs, sweet potato, etc.). Boneless meals can sometimes cause looser stools. I wouldn't be too concerned unless he seems sick or doesn't want to eat. Keep things very simple for the first week or so (1 or 2 things) and see how things progress. If you can feed slightly smaller bones, that might help.
-
The lady who makes my raw said the tripe colour is actually related to the skin/pigmentation of the animal it comes from. Green, brownish, beige, yellowish are all okay
-
Teague eats just over 1 and a half pounds per day. Normally, I would also say the premade ground mixes are extremely expensive (and sometimes lacking in quality), however, there are lots of local companies popping up everywhere who actually have really good product for a decent price. I get a ground mixture from a few different companies and I pay just over $2/lb which is very cheap for meat here (cheaper than if I bought it at the grocery store..and it is good quality, human grade meat with no antibiotics or hormones). If it is making a mess, you can just take it out of the package and put it into another glass or plastic container.
You can thaw the food and refreeze, but try to do it as quickly as you can...I sometimes thaw it just until I can cut it and then refreeze.
You can always supplement with raw for a bit if you still want to include some variety and fresh food in your pup's diet, but don't want to commit 100%. For example, you can do one kibble meal and then one raw meal each day.
-
Thanks for this! I can't wait to watch the video. Can you tell me how you make the turmeric paste and how you give it?I've just started giving it. You just mix 1 cup water with 1/2 cup turmeric and simmer it until it makes a paste. Then remove from heat and add 1/2-1/3 cup coconut oil and a tsp or so of ground pepper. I feed a tbsp or so twice a day with each meal. He eats a ground raw so I just stir it in and he doesn't notice it.
lol I am a visual person, so here is the video I followed from a Facebook group I am in.
-
Bone Broth is great! Full of minerals and also has a lot of joint support if you use certain bones. I just save bones in a bag in the freezer (chicken carcasses, rib bones, marrow/knuckle, etc.) and once a month make up a big batch. If you can add things hocks or chicken feet you will get extra joint support (it will actually turn into a jelly, not a liquid when it cools). I just throw it in the crockpot with some water and a few tbsp of apple cider vinegar. I cook it for about 36 hours and freeze in icecubes to pop on the food each day. I make a golden paste with tumeric and give that separately each day too.
No idea if it works, but my guy is going to be 10 very shortly and the vet said he has no stiffness or any signs of arthritis. He goes on runs daily, up to 10km and isn't stiff at all afterwards. No idea if it is the supplements or not but I figure they can't hurt, plus the dogs love them
-
I fed my very first dog on raw because she had pancreatitis and wasn't thriving too well on the low fat kibble (dry skin and fur, sensitive tummy, weekly vomiting, etc.). She did amazing on it...it literally changed her health around 100% and we never had another food issue for the rest of her life. It just seemed to be way more digestible for her.
Usually, the diets recommended for pancreatitis have a higher amount of veggie and starch content in them. The diet we used was about 50% meat (bones, organs, included), 25% veggie, and 25% starch (usually sweet potato or barley). Once she was used to it, we did increase the meat content. Obviously stick with lean meats, and remove skin from chicken, etc. (raw does not have to be any higher in fat than other diets!!)
I wouldn't recommend raw for a dog who is just recovering from a bad attack, but since your dog is now recovered, it may be fine.
-
lf you haven't already, check out the "Phytoplankton" post below. Some people claim fish oils are bad, however I think there are a lot of factors such as the type of fish and how it was processed. Most of the studies on the major brands have shown that they contain very low, to zero levels of mercury (much less than eating whole fish).
I don't feed coconut oil a lot but many people do. I believe it is supposed to be different from other (animal based) saturated fats because it has medium chain triglycerides (MCT). The theory is that they are able to be processed right away by the body and used for energy, rather than being processed or stored as fat. Again though...there are still opinions on both sides depending on who you listen to. I personally think it is okay to add once in a while but I don't use every single day. I doubt coconut oil would cause liver damage unless you fed a lot of it.
-
Teague sometimes carries those in on his feet. They get stuck way up in his toes outside and then fall off around the house.
-
Nice video! My guys don't eat kibble...I mainly do raw, but also like to cook things for them once or twice a week. I weirdly enjoy food prep for all of my animals (11 and all on homemade diets
). -
Teague dislocated a toe a few years ago when I took him to run off leash. I popped it back in, but it popped out a couple more times before I got home. It was the outer toe, but I wrapped his whole foot up for 3-4 days and did no off leash running for a few weeks to allow it to heal. I stuck some cotton pads between his toes (to avoid chafing) and wrapped with vet wrap. Thankfully, the toe hasn't come out since. The tendons need a little bit of time to heal, if not, they tend to get stretched and toe will keep dislocating.
-
But ... all the greys I've had have loved to sprint and really stretch their legs, at least a few times a week. So no opportunity to do flat out running might not be the best quality of life for most Greyhounds.This is my thoughts exactly.
I also have a very small yard, but luckily have a few friends with larger fenced in yards. Teague is just SO happy to run off leash, and he is almost 10. I wouldn't say he "needs" it as we walk and even jog quite far every single day and he is fine...but nothing makes him happier than a good off leash zoom a few times per week. It is the only thing that sets him into his hyper/play mode.
On the flip side, a few greyhounds I know do nothing if let off leash and have no interest in running. So I think it really depends on the dog. I personally would go for something older than 2-3 years, but there are always greyhounds to fit the right lifestyle if you search and work with adoption groups
-
Do you know if she sells the product anywhere here (or what it is called)? I wouldn't mind trying (if it isn't too expensive!!)
-
Someone just shared an article on this in the raw group I am in (http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/fish-oil-omega-3-dogs-safe/) . Just looking into it, but when I researched a lot of stuff came out about good vs. bad brands. If it is from the ocean it is most likely highly contaminated with pollutants. I also read the liquid is better than powder, etc. Confusing!! Something I am going to look into more though!
-
Thanks for this. Sweep HATES the Joint Health and Fresh Factors pills, so I have to crush them with a rolling pin and add them to her kibble (and still she avoids or spits out any large-ish chunks). I was considering trying the Longevity for the sake of convenience, but sounds like that'll be a no go...
Nope, probably wouldn't work unless you added it to some canned food or ground meat as a topper (the company even advertises it for wet diets, not dry). I actually don't use as much as they recommend (only 1 scoop) and it turns the food completely green. Teague is picky, but he doesn't have a problem eating it at all when I stir it into his ground raw. Awesome stuff though and supposed to be their most "potent" formula.
-
I use their Longevity powder as it is more of an "all-in-one" that combines the Fresh Factors and Joint Health (plus additional ingredients). Wouldn't recommend it for a dry food diet though as you really have to mix it into the food. Unless your dog will just eat really smelly greens powder
-
There are now vitamin powders which you can add to rice and meat to make balanced meals. BalanceIT is run by veterinary nutritionists (also does homemade vet diets for health conditions) and has recipe plans that are pretty simple (basically a carb/meat/oil plus the vitamin powder) . I know someone who feeds it and basically cooks rice and chicken + an omega oil and the supplement powder.
Not sure on costs, etc. as I have never tried it.
https://secure.balanceit.com/info/videos_usage.php?m=cooking
-
I think the biggest problem with turkey necks are when people feed small ones and dogs try to swallow them whole and then have to hack them back up. If your dog is used to eating meaty bones, they usually learn to probably chew and I think the risks are as minimal as any other chew.
-
Try to have multiple items around that your dog can chew on (if you don't already). You can even stuff and freeze a kong if you can't be there to supervise. Chewing is a way for dogs to release energy and/or anxiety, and it is a natural thing that some dogs just seem to like more than others. You kind of have to work with it, instead of trying to eliminate the behaviour.
-
I think there is some evidence coming out (especially with cats) that dry diets can lead to issues with kidneys, urinary, etc. The canned diets still have the protein, it is just with higher moisture which would put less strain on the kidneys, urinary tract, etc.
In terms of protein restriction, a lot of the newer studies I have seen actually show that higher protein benefits senior dogs. Purina Vet Diets recently came out with this as well as a couple of other studies (I have links). I don't believe restricting protein is necessary for seniors (unless they have health issues) but like MaryJane mentioned, the protein has to be good quality....the higher the biologic value of the protein, the less waste and work the kidneys have to do. I do personally believe that a lower quality dry food or very high amounts of protein with minimal moisture is probably more taxing on the organs over time.
-
That mix looks pretty good. I would stick to that for a few weeks just to see how your pup does (I have switched several dogs over cold turkey and they have all loved it and had firm poops right away...also if your pup is a retired racer he is probably used to raw meat).
I don't believe veggies are essential, but you can add them if you want...either occasional leftovers from your meal or pureed (whole or shredded raw veggies will not be digested). I would add an omega for sure...either fish oil or tinned fish (I like sardines in spring water). I do a herring oil and give sardines 2-3 times per week (as well as eggs).
Most raw diets are slightly deficient in iodine as they don't contain all of the organs and glands of an actual prey animal. A lot of people add a bit of kelp or iodized salt (do NOT overdue it though as that can be just as bad). 1/4 tsp per day is max for a large dog.
Other than the omega and kelp, I don't think you have to add anything else, depending on your pup and how fancy you want to get...lol.
Here's my pup's meals tonight...only a dog would love this, but your pup will be in heaven.
-
I know you walk a lot on trails as we do and avoiding other dogs is nearly impossible unless you hide under a rock. Teague used to be the exact same way, either he would overreact (growl at a dog for basically nothing) or do nothing when another dog would be a little too exuberant and I could tell he was uncomfortable. When I see that I step in right away, and just snap my fingers or whatever and tell the other dog to go. Part of it was he just wasn't used anything other than greyhounds, so some of the behaviours were strange to him.
We are around other dogs daily and he has learned to read them very well. I rarely have to intervene now. But yes...if you see your pup a bit uncomfortable, definitely intervene, but also don't overreact to everything as I am sure you already know. Most of my problems are not from "aggressive" dogs (never had a fight or bite), but from overly playful/jumpy dogs. Teague hates dogs jumping on him, I think because of his sensitive skin, but most dog owners are clueless to this. Their dogs are all running around, jumping up, wrestling, etc. and they don't get that greyhounds are pretty sensitive. Usually they have enough sense to grab their dog if they see me intervening. If not, I sometimes just have to ask them to.
It sounds like Honor likes other dogs, I wouldn't deprive him of seeing them, maybe just try to pick and choose where you go to try to avoid something too overwhelming for him in the beginning.
-
I have fed a bit of freeze dried before, and it has absolutely NONE of the smell, colour, or appearance of my frozen/fresh raw mix. There must be something different they do to it.
Brand New Boy - Elevated Sdma
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted · Edited by RedHead
My guy also just had bloodwork done for a dental and I received a call today from the vet saying he has early kidney disease (creatinine around 1.6, BUN 33 and SDMA 15). I am not panicking yet however, until he has his urine checked.
I am no expert, but your creatinine levels and (pretty sure) your BUN levels are pretty normal for a greyhound (creatinine would be high for other breeds if your vet is not aware). I am in Canada, so not sure if SDMA uses the same units but the high range here is 14. SDMA is not supposed to be influenced by breed, body type, muscle etc like the creatinine, however greyhounds are the one breed who can run a bit high (15 or 16 can be normal).
I would say the most important thing right now is to test the urine (first pee in the morning) for specific gravity (if your vet didn't already recommend this I would look for a second opinion as that is pretty standard before diagnosing kidney disease). That will tell you if the kidneys aren't functioning properly vs. your dog just has normal "higher" greyhound numbers.
Good luck, I know how you feel as I am in the same anxious situation waiting for urine results.