RedHead

I would feed the meat thawed (I give occasional frozen for a treat in the summer). I feed pork ribs but they are heavy on bone content so I don't feed them daily. If I did it would have to be balanced with boneless meat. Most fish is safe to feed, however I believe it is raw salmon that is a no-no due to a parasite it can carry. I have bought the little bags of frozen smelt or sardines, but most of my dogs won't eat it. I feed canned fish 2-3 times per week, and if I ever buy salmon I bake it for them. It might be easier for you to try a raw/kibble mix. You could start by adding some ground chicken or turkey into some kibble to see if there is improvement. A lot of people find this less intimidating, especially in the beginning. Most dog's will eagerly eat their food like this.

I never ever put a coat on for potty trips to the backyard. We've even had a few days close to -40 and he still just runs out, pees, and if he is cold comes right back in. I do put coats on for our daily walks, but if it is around the freezing mark mine starts panting and I have to take it off. Your dog would have worn a racing bib all the time if he raced, but sometimes objects going over their backs can seem threatening or scary.

Err....I could try. The only thing I have is one of the old fashioned glass thermometers. Would that work? She had a good afternoon, hardly any coughing and resting peacefully. I will for sure follow up with the x-rays on the weekend if she is still feeling sick. Never ever thought about that vaccine since we really don't go around other unfamiliar dogs very often. I sure hope Teague doesn't get it now. Again...this is assuming it is kennel cough, I just don't know what else it could be at this point.

I am now wondering about that too. I just looked at several websites and watched videos of dogs with kennel cough. It is exactly what Karma is doing (dry heaving, and then a retch/gag thing at the end). It seems to be the only thing that matches her symptoms. If it is indeed kennel cough, I have NO idea how she got it. She hasn't been boarded, we don't go to the dogpark, etc.so I don't do the vaccine. The only dogs she is exposed to normally (besides Teague) are off leash dogs who always run over and sniff us on walks (which happens quite frequently in this town). Could she have gotten it from that?

My 13 year old non-grey started to feel "off" about a day or two ago (not wanting to go for walks, lying in bed, some panting/trembling). Last night she started this horrible dry coughing/retching thing. It is like dry heaves and then at the end she throws up a clear, slimy liquid. I took her to the vet this morning and everything seems to sound okay (lungs sound clear, heart good, etc.). She had a slightly elevated temperature (could be from stress at the vet?). The vet did recommend an x-ray of the lung area, but since I can't do that today (have to go into work this aft. and I have to drive to another clinic in another town for xrays) she gave me some antibiotics and a stomach/throat medicine (pepto-bismal type thing) for now. I am going to see how she does by the weekend and then take her in again if need be. She has an appetite and perks up for treats, but just isn't her usual self. Does anyone have any ideas about what this could be? Anything else I should be doing? I'm so worried about my little girl.

Welcome to you and your lovely pups!

Welcome!! And yes...pics are always a good thing.

Welcome (from an hour north of the city) to the world of greyhounds!!

I feed both, and either can work. Ground is a lot easier in that it is less mess, and often contains things in it (organs, tripe) that would normally be unavailable or nasty to handle and prep yourself. Whole meaty bones are good to have for mental/physical stimulation as well as dental benefits. I really don't like a lot of the big company "petstore" ground diets (they are insanely expensive, and most have a weird smell/colour) but there are a lot of independent and local companies now that grind really good mixes. I make my own ground mix (without bone) and supplement with some raw meaty bones for chewing. I also buy a ground mix from a local company when I can to save myself the headache. Both ways work just fine.

Thanks for the interesting link. As someone who has been raw feeding for many years, I think I have heard it all. I remember being told that feeding the two together would allow for bacteria to multiply due to kibble slowing down the raw digestion (although I never really believed it). I also have mixed a ground mix into the kibble for years, and all of my dogs do wonderful on it. Greyhounds, competitive sleddog teams and other performance dogs have eaten this for years.

If your dog seems find on walks so far, I personally wouldn't bother with booties. We walk in all kinds of weather, and I ditched the booties long ago because the dogs hate them. If your dog is limping due to salt or extremely low temps, then you may want to invest in some booties (I personally find the rubber Pawz ones the only kind that stay on). Otherwise, I wouldn't bother, my pups have walked in very cold temps, and never need booties unless salt is involved (luckily my town uses sand).

Welcome home Captain Jack!! ( I recently adopted a bunny with the same name!!) You are a handsome hound.

- raw or cooked for chicken/pork/beef? any one better than the other? You can do either, but all of my dogs have handled raw meat better than cooked. Just my own theory, but from experience I think it has to do with cooked fats. My dogs are fine with cooked lean meats, but if I ever cook fatty ground beef or pork they have major issues. I can feed the same meat raw with no problems. So...if cooking, I would especially stick to leaner meats or remove fat. - how much and how do you calculate the amount of kibble to take out? I have always read that you can feed up to half of the diet with add-ins without worrying about nutrient deficiencies, as long as the fresh food you are adding is relatively balanced. - many say veggies add no calories but are good - can dogs really absorb nutrients from teh veggies? Also cooked or raw? Dogs don't have jaws that move side to side to grind plant material. They can get nutrients from veggies, but only if the veggies are cooked very well (and ideally mashed up after), or if they are raw and pulverized in a food processor. - eggs - cooked/raw? with or without shell? I have always fed eggs raw, but you can do either. It is fine to feed the shell if they will eat it, but none of my dogs ever did. Hope that helps!

I buy a liver powder. It is 100% pure liver ground up into a powder or sprinkle. It has the same smell as the dehydrated liver treats so most dogs love it. I use a local brand, but I believe Benny Bully makes it as well as a few other companies. http://www.bennybullys.com/eng/?flavour-savour

Some dogs also feel more vulnerable and trapped in a car, so he could just be fearful. My non-grey does the same thing. I know she wouldn't bite, but the car is the only place where she will bark and growl at people who approach and want to pet her (she has a very timid and shy personality). I think she feels a "backed into a corner" type thing.

Unless it is chronic, most dogs with pancreatitis can return to their normal diet (assuming it was not too high in fat to begin with) once they recover. Of course, you will always want to be aware of fats, but really low fat diets can cause some issues in the long run as well. I had a dog with chronic pancreatitis in the past who I started on a homemade diet after kibble wasn't working. Some of the stuff I used was rice and chicken (chicken and turkey are both low in fat if you remove the skin), as well as whitefish and low fat dairy like cottage cheese and yogurt. You can also try mashing up sweet potato or other starchy foods if your dog will eat them. Coconut oil is a great fat supplement for pancreatitis because it is one of the few fats that does not require the pancreas to secrete enzymes for digestion. Some of the prescription diets use it as a fat source. Here is a great article: http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjpancreatitis.html

I agree, if the dogs seem fine, go. It has been down to -20 c (-4 F) the past few mornings with a foot of snow and the pups are just fine. The only times we have paw problems is when there is salt (luckily my city uses sand) or if it is really cold. We have to walk morning and evening every single day because I only have a tiny little yard. Teague gets so antsy if we don't go, so even if we have to make it short, we still get out. We only missed 2 days last winter, which was due to extreme cold.

The ONLY boots I have ever tried that actually stay on (keeping in mind we often hike or walk through deep snow) are the Pawz rubber balloon boots. I have tried everything to get other boots to stay on including wraps, tape, etc. with no success. The downside to Pawz is that they do tear easily, I find the long greyhound toes and nails do make holes. You can easily remedy that with some duct tape on the end though and they can be reused many times.

I have to trim nails almost weekly they seem to grow so quickly. I personally wouldn't want to pay for weekly trips. However, if your pup is having issues that are hard to handle, there is nothing wrong with taking them to a professional. Maybe a vet would be a better option than a groomer. In the meantime, since your boy has such a strong aversion, it will take quite a bit of time and patience to make it manageable. When your dog is relaxed and lying on his side, you can give him a massage and slowly go down his legs and touch his feet at the end. Once he is good with that, you can even try cutting one nail a day instead of the whole job at once. Rather than jumping straight to nail clipping, you may have to take a step back and just get him used to being comfortable with his paws being handled.

You can generally purchase meat grinders in the $100-$200 range that will grind raw meaty bones. If you google "meat grinders" you will get a ton of hits, but the brands I have always heard about from raw dog food forums are Maverick and Northern Tools (the cheaper option). That was many years ago though, there are probably more options out there now. I highly recommend DVM Karen Becker's book "Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats" if you are going to be making your own recipe. Easy to follow and simple, but also one of the few raw diet books that has a dietary analysis as well to ensure your diet is complete. (btw you do not necessarily need a meat grinder in order to make your own food)

I wouldn't worry overly much about the percentages that you have listed. Many dogs on here do well on a variety of diets (high protein, low protein) as long as you can find something that works. Greyhounds are notoriously very difficult to find the right food for. There are MANY threads on here with suggestions, but it really comes down to your dog. Out of the food you have mentioned, I have only fed the Performatrin Grain Free (I am guessing you are in Canada?). My dogs did fairly well on it. A lot of people here swear by the Iams, as it has beet pulp in it to firm up stools. It can be overwhelming sometimes with all of the food selections available now. Oh and before you do anything, I am assuming your grey has been dewormed? They often come with worms which can be difficult to get rid of completely.

I hope all goes well! I recently had my dog in for a dental and I know how nerve-wracking it can be waiting.

There is nothing wrong with having a dog sleep on the floor on a comfortable bed. I am actually very surprised that the adoption group told you that your greyhound should sleep on the bed with you. Sleep startle and/or growling on the bed is very common with new greyhounds, who have never been touched, bumped, etc. on their beds. I never let a new dog on the bed until I am sure they are showing no signs of sleep startle, anxious or "aggressive" behaviours around anything. Even with that, I have had a few sleep startle moments so I prefer mine to sleep on the floor (which he is totally fine with...he has never even attempted to get on the bed anyways ).

Dogs aren't big chewers, they are designed more for tearing, gulping and swallowing. If they get a smaller piece of meat, they normally won't chew it a lot. Usually a couple of crunches and then a swallow. If your dog isn't chewing at all though, I would definitely try freezing it, or feeding something much larger (like a turkey neck). I wouldn't really worry though, everything should digest fine. You may notice a very firm stool from the bone.

I also clicker trained my greyhound, and things started off VERY slow. I actually stopped because he just didn't seem motivated, he would just wander off and go plunk down on his bed. Eventually though, a light bulb went off and he now stays engaged for longer periods. I started by teaching him to touch a target stick with his nose. Easy to do and then you can use that to shape some other fun behaviours like spin, weave, etc. I had to use raw pieces of beef (yuck!) or pieces of roast chicken for training in the beginning because my guy is not food motivated. Karen Pryor's website has a ton of info and resources on clicker training https://www.clickertraining.com/?gclid=CLX5_rjp38ECFY-DaQodABYAdw I love NeverSayNeverGreyhounds site as was mentioned above, but it isn't based on clicker training (still some useful training videos, especially for things like sit and down which can be tricky with greys).