RedHead

It really depends on the dog AND the heat. They will let you know when they are tired. We do a minimum of 4 miles (6km) per day here, and now that the snow has melted we have been doing 4-5 mile runs and hikes, plus another mile or two in the morning before work. When I first got him he could only do about 15 minutes. I know when the real heat hits though, a mile or so will be max, they are VERY sensitive to it, it slows them right down.

I have no idea as to how this works as we don't have many ticks here, but I have read on hiking boards people making up their own oil/alcohol mixtures to repell ticks. The oil that is most mentioned is rose geranium. Apparently they run away from it (again, this is what I have read, I haven't tried it myself). People mix it with an alchol (like rubbing alchohol) or an oil (like olive oil) and spray it on themselves. I am sure if you google it you will find info Obviously these mixtures aren't going to kill or get rid of fleas like commercial insecticides, but if you can't do that for your health, it may be worth a try to at least reduce the number of ticks.

If you haven't seen a problem by now I wouldn't worry. You probably won't see it in the poop as they would have most likely digested it. It usually causes very firm stools so if you noticed that, it was probably the bones

If you can, a ramp might be an easier option

He'll most likely be fine. I have had a few instances of my dogs getting into cooked carcasses and I have never had a problem. I think my grandparents old dog way back had half of a diet consisting of cooked bone scraps. NOT suggesting it is safe or recommended, but just that the majority of the time things are usually fine and the bone passes. If there was a problem, you would probably notice things like not eating, not pooping, pain, wretching, etc. quite soon after. Feeding bread can help to get it through it if was mostly bone with no meat Hope everything works out, sounds like you have had a stressful week!!

I would be hesitant to suddenly add a whole bunch of really fatty foods to a diet (that can lead to other issues), but the hamburger/carb mixture you are giving sounds like a good idea. Other healthy protein sources like eggs, sardines, liver, cottage cheese, etc. might help. I don't know if it is true but I remember reading an article from an experienced grey person who swore oatmeal helped to put on weight better than any other carb. Maybe sub that in for the rice/pasta and add a bit more meat??

I also have the WWW which so far has worked the best. The wider, velvet straps are really good. Teague still has chaffing marks from it on his tummy and his chest (where the two straps cross), so I had to sew a little patch of felt over those parts. He doesn't even pull so I don't know why this happens. I am trying to find a completely padded harness for a good price, but no luck so far.

I am so sorry to read this I hope you can take some comfort in knowing you did all that you possibly could. You did the right thing to ease his comfort and pain. R.I.P. Neko.

Yep, those treats contain a lot of red dye, BHT, propylene glycol and corn syrup/sugars. But....for a one time thing I am sure it will be fine. If you don't want them you could always donate to a shelter.

For starters, keep it simple...especially if you think he may have allergies. I like to start with chicken or turkey personally, you can basically feed any part you can get in the grocery store. I like the big meaty thighs. Nothing with really big bones though like turkey thighs. You don't need to worry so much about balance right now, you don't want to start adding any organs or other things yet. Anyone who decides to feed raw long term should IMO have at least 2 or 3 good books on the subject, so if you decide to stay on the diet definitely order a few. I like Lew Olson's "Raw and Natural Nutrition" or Dr. Lonsdale books but there are quite a few out now. You could try the commercial kind for now as well, but they tend to have a lot of ingredients and personally I always find them a bit of a weird colour and smell compared to the fresh stuff I make at home.

It is common here to treat heartworm only for the warmer months (June-Oct.). Also, if I am not mistaken heartworm meds work on a retroactive basis, killing heartworm larvae from the previous 30-60 days. It can depend on your area, some start in May, but I know where I am heartworm is extremely rare.

Teague still slips sometimes. I also have runners down the floors and area rugs, but he will still not go in areas like the kitchen or bathroom. I swear the slipping is all in his head, he will be totally fine walking on the laminate, and then if he suddenly realizes he is on an area he doesn't normally walk on he will tense up and start slipping and scrambling (even though the floor is EXACTLY the same). I just kind of ignore him and he recovers and does a very awkward walk back to his "safe zones" where again he is magically fine on the same floor surface.

The only thing that works here is "real" meat as well...and it has to be fresh, he won't do the dehyrated kind for very long I tried hotdogs, cheese, dehydrated liver, etc. but then I found real success and a much higher training focus when I started using just chopped or ground meat. I often buy a whole chicken and roast or boil it (keeping the good meat/broth for me) then cut up the rest. I also buy cheap roasts and chuck and mix that in as well. Not exactly clean, but I don't find it a huge problem.

Wow...hoping the pred. works. It must be a relief that he is at least feeling better. I don't know how you deal with all of these ups and downs! Good thoughts for Neko!

I have no idea about suppliers, but in regards to the first post about tripe colour, I thought I would share this blog post I got today from my tripe supplier. They process a LOT of tripe so know all there is to know! I thought colour had to do with the food the cow ate, but I guess not.... GREEN TRIPE, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK THAT COLOUR http://www.boldraw.com/green-tripe-but-it-doesnt-look-that-colour/ "However, it is 100% true that the colour of the tripe is in direct relation to the outside appearance of the animal. Black coloured cows will product tripe with a black surface colour. Reddish coloured cattle will produce tripe with a beige/light brown colour. And brown cattle will produce brown coloured tripe. Within the same herd, from the same farm, feed the same diet, these colour variants will be seen. So there you have it. Next time you see tripe and it perhaps doesn’t have the same colouring as the last batch, one of the largest contributors is the fact that difference coloured cows have different coloured stomachs – and that few of them will ever be green "

Oh no What a roller coaster you have been through. Hoping for the best.

Crossing fingers you can finally get some answers!

In my opinion, yes it is worth it. I just signed up and it has taken a big pressure off of me knowing that if there is an emergency, I can just say "yes" to the best treatments. The BEST time to get it is when your dog is younger, new and has yet to have many accidents or vet visits (companies charge more for older dogs, and also can take prior vet visits as "pre-existing conditions" ). I did quite a bit of research, and decided on Trupanion. It seemed to be the best fit, from what I researched I am paying a slightly higher fee per month than some of the other companies, but for that fee I am getting unlimited coverage, instead of a couple of thousand per year which a lot of the other companies had for a comparable price. Premiums seem much higher here than in the U.S. I have a $500 deductible and pay around $60/month. They cover 90% of the cost.

There are several people in the Simcoe Group from Toronto. Perhaps, if you don't want to travel so far, you could still join and see if anyone could do a meet-up in T.O. Smaller play groups are probably best right now anyways

I have never owned a velcro dog. My two now have never stepped foot into the bathroom. Karma is terrified of it because the bath is in there, Teague just never bothered. He stays in the livingroom or my bedroom and for some reason never any other area of the house. Sometimes if Karma and I are upstairs he comes to join us, but usually he likes his couch, alone or with company.

I'm a little late to this post but am finding it interesting reading as Teague seems to do the same thing. If he is allowed to, he will literally spring at a new dog with his head, ears and tail up, then immediately calms down and then basically ignores them. He is around tons of dogs though and never shows aggression, he actually has very good limits with other dogs. I don't let him off leash with new dogs and he is much better if he is introduced to dogs on leash before being allowed to run, as the intial excitement of the intro is over. We always have off leash dogs run up on hikes, and this is how he normally reacts. Any other dog I would be thinking potential fight, but this has happened so many times and it seems like excitement, as he seems to want to spring and zoom around. I sometimes worry it will trigger a bad response with another dog, but so far it hasn't (as I said, he only stays like this for a few seconds). I was told greyhounds use running more in play, and running at each other is more "normal" for them, but I have no idea.

Poor guy I can't imagine how stressful this is for you to deal with. I hope they can find out what is wrong.

I was worried about that too...he had a cut on a joint on his back leg last year that took FOREVER to heal. It kept reopening, and even though it seemed like a small cut, it bled like you wouldn't believe. At least these scrapes (even though they look gross) don't seem to be deep. They are oozing a bit, but no major bleeding or anything. Updated shot...should I bandage this one up or is it better left to dry in the air?? This one is very small but I am sure we will have yet another eye scar! I can't believe a little fall on the ice did this...his skin reminds me of my pet bunny's skin. SO thin!

I would try coconut oil. It is high in vit. E plus has some other stuff in it that promotes healthy skin and hair growth. It just did amazing wonders for my mom, so I am now a believer

Well it's Sunday, doggy soup day...so he just had some homemade chicken soup (dog style)