RedHead

I use Springtime as well...the Longevity powder which has joint stuff in it already. I don't use as much as suggested on the package because it would be an insane amount of "greens" powder and they wouldn't eat it so I also use a scoop of another product called Wellytails which I really like. https://www.wellytails.com/products/cartilage-hip-joint-dog-rx-supplement-1380-grams On top of the usual joint ingredients, it also has green lipped mussels and hyaluronic acid. I also do daily omega 3. My grey is 9 and also doesn't have any signs of arthritis or stiffness yet, but I have had him on these for about 3 years as a preventative. I know a lot of people say that joint meds are a waste of money but I have seen noticeable changes in past dogs so I choose to add them in.

Hopefully the protein switch helps. Switching to raw rarely causes runny stools. I switch all my dogs over cold turkey and have almost instant firm poops. Raw can sometimes cause issues if it is introduced to a dog that is already in the middle of digestive and gut issues. If the gut bacteria is way of whack, sometimes the dog has trouble handling the bacteria in the raw (that a healthy gut would have no issues with). If that is the case, I would feed a bland chicken/rice type diet to settle things down before introducing the raw. I mix raw with kibble sometimes (that's likely similar to what your grey ate on the track) and it is absolutely fine for most dogs. You may want to try to separate them to pinpoint the problem though. Or feed all kibble one day and all raw the next to see which food is causing the problems.

Yikes! That is probably your reason for the poo problems. They are likely tapeworms if you can actually see them. A lot of generic wormers do not kill tapeworms, you need a specific med for them. I used Drontal Plus but I am sure there are others out there as well. If they are tapeworms, also check for fleas as that is where they usually come from.

Do you know what her racing weight was? It could be possible she was a tad overweight before. Most animals, like people, tend to lose weight when they cut out large amounts of carbs and eat more protein. My cat lost weight being switched to a diet like this (in a good way as she was overweight). It is okay to see some ribs, but if she has lost 2 lbs already she may also need more food. The amount you are feeding seems like a good amount, but some dogs just need more. Hard to tell without seeing her, but her racing weight can give you a better idea of what a healthy weight might be for her.

Yikes $140 is a lot for a bandage change! I am guessing the office charged the appt. fee but even so. I have never had to pay an appointment fee for a follow-up visit. If my vet did charge for a bandage change, I would expect around $20 or so. My mouth would drop open if that came on the bill for such a small procedure.

Teague is 9 (no issues yet) and I have had him on Springtime Longevity (don't recommend this if you feed dry kibble as it would be hard to mix in...but they also have a couple of joint formula tabs) plus another joint powder which I love called WellyTails. No idea if all of this stuff works, but both of these have a variety of ingredients on top of the usual glucosamine/chondroitin/msm that are supposed to be good. I figure it can't hurt. I always start adding joint supplement at around 6 or 7 years, more as a preventative. I also give omega 3 supplements daily which are great too. A bit of stiffness is normal in older dogs, but if it is painful, then the supplements won't do a lot of good...you will need a daily pain med as mentioned above. IMO a joint formula and omegas can't hurt though, I know a lot of dogs who showed a lot of improvement with them.

You could always do a lower fat homecooked diet if that works...usually dogs love it and it is easy on the digestive tract (or a low fat raw diet with extra carbs added like rice, oatmeal, potatoes, etc.). One of my previous dogs had pancreatitis and we transitioned her to raw afterwords which was actually the only food that worked wonders for her. It really depends on the dog. My vet said that diet wasn't usually the underlying cause of pancreatitis (there are many factors that can cause it), but the fat just triggers the already damaged pancreas to have an attack.

Teague is in for a dental as well today (lol so we can be anxious together! ). I do feed soft food to him... he has tiny antibiotic beads placed in some of his gum pockets so I actually can't brush or feed anything hard for at least a week. Large amounts of canned food don't really agree with his system, so I make up a batch of pureed cooked food. He normally eats ground raw so I transition to that after a few days since it is pretty soft anyways. I do everything for Teague's teeth but he has so many dental pockets that nothing helps long term. I do get a dental gel from the vet called BreathaLyser. I know there is a water additive called Healthy Mouth as well that you can get. I've also tried petstore brand gels/sprays, but personally haven't found any of them to be that effective. Teague gets big meaty bones to chew on all the time which is a big help for tartar.

I am so sorry for your loss. These things just sneak up from nowhere and in an instant everything changes. You made the right choice, and your pup was lucky enough to have a wonderful last day.

So glad you found something that (hopefully!) keeps working! Raw has saved many a digestive issue in this household too.

I am sorry, sometimes the best decision is the hardest one to make. I have an extremely timid rescue (non-grey) who reacts just like your guy when walked on any city street (tail tucked, crouched and darting around). I am lucky that I can take her on quiet nature trails and it is her favourite thing in the world (tail up, wagging, bouncing around). She is a different dog. I guess my point is that some dogs will be completely different in a new and more suitable environment Now that your adoption group knows his history, he should be placed in a "better fit" home and location. Dogs are adaptable to change, it will be tough on you all in the beginning, but in the end things will be for the best and he will be happy too.

I am not entirely opposed to the underground e-fencing (had it for my old (non-grey) dog when I lived in the country on a huge property and it allowed her amazing freedom) but I wouldn't use it on most greyhounds, or any dog that happened to have any prey or chase instinct. Greyhounds are so fast, they could run through without even feeling the correction. Also, they have very thin skin and do tend to be very sensitive compared to most other breeds. I would think even the prongs that stick into the neck on the collar might irritate their skin. I know most people say to never tether a greyhound, but I think depending on the dog (and with supervision) it can work. I have had to tie Teague up several times while camping, at the beach, etc. and he is fine. I ALWAYS tether him with a harness, not a collar and I also have him on a relatively short leash...not the long corkscrew cords that people typically have. If your grey ever bolts or runs at things though, maybe not a good idea. A lot just depends on the dog. It may be easiest just to get an x-pen (or 2 for a larger area) and let your pup chill in that while you are outside. Unfortunately, greyhounds are not really the ideal "country" off-leash dog. I know it sucks, because it really would be fun for them to run with all that room. Maybe eventually you can put up some cheap cattle type fencing, so you can have a running field

Psyllium husk powder is a great source of fibre and often recommended for humans (aka metamucil) . It is in a powder form already so no need to soak/freeze. I believe the dose is around 1/2 tsp per 10 lbs of dog and it absorbs moisture from the bowel just as well as some of the other supplements. Also, since dogs obviously can't digest raw oatmeal well, I wonder if oatmeal flour would work better since it is already broken down (??). No experience, just an idea. You could maybe make a dry mix of powdered ingredients (grind the olewo carrot pellets up to a powder too) and ask them to soak the kibble with the powder added in warm water for a few minutes before serving.

I don't do heartworm meds either (at the advice of vets). I am visiting my parents now and there is a small risk of it in this area. I never give it because the dogs are mostly indoors in AC and we aren't out exploring areas with loads of mosquitos. There is a much higher risk in areas south though. If you are going to be doing a lot of outdoor activities and camping I would probably give it just to be on the safe side. You would only have to give a couple of doses...one before and one 30 days after.

Missed seeing Ry, but how is his stiffness after being there? Hopefully not too bad.

It can depend. True hypoallergenic "vet" kibbles generally have hydrolyzed proteins (usually soy or chicken) in them which are broken down so the dog's body doesn't recognize them as allergens. They do tend to be very pricey though, and I am not a fan of the ingredient lists at all, but they generally work well for a lot of people. The other type of hypoallergenic diet is simply testing and feeding novel and limited ingredient diets to find out allergy triggers. This can be homemade or I believe there are some commercial foods (Natural Balance comes to mind) that you can buy with limited ingredients and novel proteins. Depending on what you are feeding now and how severe your dog is, sometimes a simple switch in food can solve the problem. How severe is your pup and why does the vet think it is food related?

Rice and pasta (and most other grains) are completely safe to feed,but whether you do or not, is a personal decision. I see you are in Australia where raw feeding is quite popular...your dog has probably been used to the diet they recommend so if he does well it is probably a good idea to continue if you can. My guys get mostly meat but they eat the odd table scrap with pasta, potato, oatmeal, rice, etc. and it is fine. Others here feed diets that are very high in grains and their dogs seem to do okay too. No idea about baking soda, but I am sure my guys have eaten it before at some point.

If she checked out medically and still enjoys her walks, I don't think you need to deny her those in cooler weather. Maybe just start short and see how she does. I don't know where you live, but temps have been unseasonably hot here, so this summer has been a bit extreme compared to most. Glad this post came up, because I have never heard of this before and would probably panic if it happened. Teague is 9 and we do long daily walks or jogs every day. We try to go earlier when it is cooler and he goes for a dip in the water halfway, but a good reminder of the dangers of overheating (even when it doesn't seem overly hot).

I have seen people make sort of sock "suspenders." You cut a small hole in the top of one sock, tie white elastic ribbon through (that people use to sew elastic into clothing). Then put the elastic over the dog's shoulder's/back and tie to another sock on the other foot (lol just google "sock suspenders for dogs" if this doesn't make sense) . Obviously though, this requires the dog to wear a sock on both paws unless there is a way to modify the suspender to hold up only 1 sock. An easier way might just be to vet wrap the sock on the leg section...that shouldn't hurt the skin so much as most of the vet wrap would be around the sock. It should be quite secure if you wrap a good part of the leg, not just the top. Once Teague had a little cut on his leg that he continued to lick and lick no matter what. One day I just stuck a band-aid over it (quite loose to allow a lot of air flow) and it healed right up.

Welcome!!

From my experience, daily exposure will really help to lesson excitement/prey-drive. Teague used to have a high prey drive, but I own four rabbits (and other critters) and he is exposed to other animals on our daily walks. After time, he just got used to them and now he has almost no reaction. I also adopted a Dominican street dog in March. She was obsessed with birds. She would lunge, whine and get excited over every little sparrow or flock on the trail. I basically just ignored her and kept moving past without letting her chase them. It did take a bit of time, but we have done so many long walks and runs on the trail and she has finally realized that they aren't very exciting any more. To be honest, the redirecting/treat training people recommend didn't do a thing since she was so excited...the thing that helped the most was just exposure and time. I know you put in a lot of miles with your dogs, so my guess is he will get used to things with time and the excitement period will wear off in a month or two.

I think your lifestyle and home sounds fine for a greyhound. It is great that you are home most of the day, and greyhounds are generally pretty happy to snooze away while you work all day. An hour walk is fine, although depending on the dog, you might have to gradually work up to it. It is pretty obvious when they are tired and start lagging behind so you should easily be able to tell when things are too much. I have always hiked with my greyhound...while I wouldn't say he is the best dog for hiking, he does fine with 2-3 hour hikes (with stops, swims, etc.). I also jog with mine when the weather is cool. He does 4-6 miles per day in good weather. The very first hike I took him on when he was 3 was about 20 minutes and he was exhausted...so don't be discouraged, you may have to gradually work up the endurance. As the others have said, they really can't do much in the heat, they are extremely sensitive to it. Your local adoption group should be able to help you in picking the right dog too!

Hi and welcome!!

I've been dealing with ongoing hooks in my new Dominican rescue pup...I treat and they keep coming back. ughh....I don't think the vets here are used to it because they just give me one treatment and I have to keep going back after the worms come back. I was able to spot two live worms in her poop one day. She had been eating a lot of grass and I think that it basically pulled a few out. They are extremely hard to see...what I saw was like a tiny, clear thread. I wouldn't have seen it at all if it wasn't wriggling around as it was very tiny and almost see through. Normally though I don't see any.

Ya for some positive news!