Jump to content

brianamac

Members
  • Posts

    294
  • Joined

Everything posted by brianamac

  1. Thanks for the quick reply Tracey. I was taken aback that they didn't run a stool test at least, considering my husband brought in the sample of the bloody stool. Maybe I'm being paranoid but I thought bloody stool and vomit would warrant some tests. She said she's seen this in a few dogs lately and that he probably picked something up on walk, however, I watch him like a hawk on walks and I know he didn't eat anything strange. They sent him home with Royal Canin Digestive wet food, Sulcrate suspension, Metronidazole, and sachets of forti-flora after he had an IV of fluid and famotidine. He was to take the Metronidazole tonight and the rest tomorrow. I tried feeding him cheese first and was going to stuff the Metro into the cheese after he took the first couple of bites, but he wouldn't take the cheese. I crushed the Metro into the Royal Canin and he did take that and has kept it down thus far, so maybe it will take. I have my fingers crossed - not sure why such a young dog would be vomiting blood and have bloody stools and refusing to eat. I wonder if we should have pushed for more tests. The vet did say to monitor him closely throughout the night and tomorrow and bring him in again if the vomiting and bloody stools continue. Please cross your fingers that he keeps some food down tonight.
  2. A couple of years ago, Boo (almost 5 years old now) had a nasty case of hookworms that took a while to resolve. During that time he would frequently skip a meal or two in a row, but would typically eat the chicken and rice we would make for him after he had passed up more than 2 meals. We eventually beat the hooks with some good meds and dosage instructions from tbhounds. We've had no eating/poop problems since. Yesterday morning he passed up his breakfast and had loud stomach gurgles (as he used to have when he wouldn't eat during his hookworm period). I had been suspecting the hooks may be back for the past couple of weeks, and have some Drontal due to arrive any day now to start treatment again. Took the food away and tried again at dinner. He passed it up again. This morning, he again wouldn't eat and seemed lethargic. Gum colour was normal and no temperature from what I could tell. He was wandering around and whining, but wouldn't go to the bathroom when I would let him outside (with no food in his stomach, I wasn't surprised he had nothing to excrete). I made him some chicken and rice and he sniffed it but wouldn't touch it. I tried hand feeding him plain boiled chicken and he wouldn't take it... he's never refused chicken in his life. I gave him a Famotidine (10mg) in a piece of cheese and he ate that somewhat reluctantly, so I gave him a couple more small cubes of cheese and he did take those. Tonight my husband tried the chicken and rice again and he still wouldn't eat. Boo went outside and finally had a bowel movement, and husband said it was very dark coloured, small and runny, with some bright bloody mucus. He came in and vomited liquid which was light red (not pink) within about 15 mintues. Husband took him to the e-vet... the e-vet said his temperature was normal and his stomach felt good and soft, so they gave him an IV for fluids and some stomach soothing meds to take home and monitor him for a day rather than running tests given his relatively young age. Husband had brought a stool sample but they didn't think it was worth running it. My question is - is this normal? I trust our vet and appreciate not spending money unnecessarily, however it seems conservative. Any thoughts or experience with this? I may take him for a second opinion elsewhere tomorrow afternoon if he doesn't consider eating again in the morning, which will be the 48 hour mark of not eating.
  3. If your dogs are okay with their boots, I wouldn't worry about snow on the ground. Boots and jackets should keep them happy down to -20 celsius (-4 F). Mine don't tolerate boots and I find once it gets lower than -20 or -25 celsius including windchill, they don't seem to enjoy themselves at all even with a warm jacket. We have a small yard so even when it's that cold, I try and take them for a quick walk up and down the block so they get a chance to have some sniffs and check out the scenery.... a 5 minute outing is enough. Then I do extra training or play games with them inside to help get any extra energy or willies out. A good chewing session helps too; bully sticks are my friend during extra cold spells. -30 or below and all bets are off... They don't even seem to want to go out and I feel it isn't fair to force them to. When it's that cold they usually curl up and sleep on the couch more than normal anyways. Not sure if it ever gets that cold in Baltimore anyways, but I think -4 F is a good yardstick to start thinking about shorter walks and indoor activities to keep them busy as a supplement.
  4. Sounds like you've gotten great advice. Just one thing I thought I would mention: Our first warning sign that Boo had hookworms (months after we adopted him) was his stomach growling often very audibly, and him refusing to eat meals that he previously would eat. You'd probably notice more soft stools if this was the case, but just in case it continues, you could always drop a stool sample at the vet to be sure.
  5. This is a long shot, but one of the dogs that came to our adoption group a year or two ago was having issues urinating with just a small stream that took him a very long time. If I remember correctly, he was tested for a UTI and no issues. He was given an x-ray and it turned out that the vet who did his neuter had stapled (rather than stitched) him back up, and had accidentally stapled his urethra in the process, which was blocking the flow of urine and not allowing him to fully empty his bladder. Anyway I'm sure it isn't something that happens often, but may be worth mentioning to the vet to look for since he is doing an x-ray.
  6. Some great responses. I would say - 1) Like others have mentioned, he's likely getting more comfortable and decided to roam and explore and realized he can get into some pretty awesome things when he does. 2) No. If he isn't chewing his crate or bed or showing other signs of anxiety being in his crate during that time, it should be fine. One of mine used to spend a maximum of two hours a day crated, but now that my husband and I work similar schedules he spends 8 hours a day in there most days and is the same as if he was in there for 2 hours... well, maybe a little more excited when he gets out. If we are out for a full 8 hours we leave a little 'hook on' water dish in the crate since he's never had housebreaking issues, along with a kong to keep him busy for awhile. A big long walk or jog before you leave should also make a difference in his likelihood to rest while you're away. If you'd prefer to leave him with some roam of the house, I fully agree that muzzle on and/or some areas (kitchen or bathrooms with garbage) be baby-gated off. The he can stretch his legs and have more limited access to trouble areas.
  7. Out of curiosity only- Boo gets cuts all over his paws and legs constantly, just from a regular romp in the backyard. I've checked the yard many times for glass, rocks, beer caps, etc. I find nothing of note. Bubba NEVER gets cuts from running in the same yard. Boo came to us with a ton of scars, I assume from play with his littermates or fellow track dogs (although I think reds/fawns show scars more than some other colours) But I wonder... do some Greyhounds just have EXTRA thin skin?
  8. I agree that I don't use any of the techniques in that article, but what does stick in my mind is... threatening your dogs with being "cinnamon sugared and eaten for breakfast" or "walked across a wet lawn"... I think of those quotes often. She is a great writer, even if her training methods aren't up to current methods. I too, would love to see a video of Gilley's dancing Greyhounds. If such a video exists, it would be great to see. I've searched high and low and can't find one.
  9. Hmmm. I know this topic comes up from time to time and people get inflamed over it. However, I always enjoy reading all the different aspects of both arguments... I do think it helps people decide for themselves. There are some people on here who let their dogs off leash, and given their experience and knowledge, I don't question their decisions. I agree that with the right dog, combined with the right owner, lots of diligence in training AND the right location, it isn't a "never" thing for some people. But how often do all those factors intersect into the perfect storm? Not too often. I will say that my group has had a few lost and found calls from people who thought their dogs were different. Or their situation was different. And it wasn't. Everyone likes to think their situation and dog are 'different'. I think you need to not only be confident in all of those factors, but also have the ($$) budget and strength of conscience to believe that in the event something bad happened, your dog truly had a better life because of the risks you chose to take. Personally, I just don't find it worth it. Even if I felt great about my dogs recall, I know I would worry the entire time they were running loose about the possibilities of what could happen. I'm an anxiety-ridden worry-wort. The closest fenced area I feel comfortable letting my dogs off leash in is a 30 minute drive away, so we only get there once a week (and only in the summer). But I would rather have a worry-free experience that I enjoy, too. Off leash simply isn't within my comfort zone.
  10. I dogsat a Greyhound like this. Her bed was a couple feet from the couch, and sometimes if I switched positions on the couch or reached for my tea she would wake and snarl and growl. It startled me a lot at first, but then I realized it was her thing and didn't fret when she did it. I did, however, always call out to wake her up before I physically got up from the couch or walked by her bed... just in case.
  11. One thing that really helped us with the mud pit our yard had become last spring was buying a few bales of straw from the garden centre and scattering them in the backyard to make a bed of straw that completely covered the yard. Boy, did it look ugly. However, our yard is small enough and the straw was cheap, so it worked to help avoid mud-monster dogs after playing/digging/running. We just raked it up once spring was over and things dried out. And ignored the judgement from the neighbours.
  12. LOVE this idea, we hope to do the same this year. I read an article in CG magazine that suggested burying some outdoor-safe toys in the sandbox to encourage digging and play in the box. I think it sounds like a great potential solution.
  13. Of course it could be sleep aggression or could be space aggression, but maybe not. We have a hound that has neither of those and just doesn't like being physically manipulated. So, we follow the advice krissn333 suggested when he's on a piece of furniture and taking too much space--just lure him off an area with treats. It works every time. He's learned to remove himself with just a verbal command, but treats always come to ensure he keeps this positive association. If Stella is allowed on the 'office' bed most times, I think that when a human wants to use it, they lure the dog off with treats, then get in. The dog can then get in and fit themselves in to your DH's sleeping position if they desire. We allow our dogs on our beds and couches freely, and we don't scold growling. However, growling on furniture is met with a consequence: OFF. They quickly learned to share space.
  14. I think if you're working on a behaviour that the dog seems to be picking up, keep on it until the dog knows it well. If you work on a behaviour that the dog isn't getting, then drop it for a bit and work on others that the dog is starting to understand. He's learning to learn, so there is no point pursuing something he doesn't 'get'. I've found the best success in training has been to mix up tricks. I don't think it needs to be linear, as in, teach one thing over and over before moving on to the next. If you mishmash what you're teaching Gambler, you may be able to keep his interest longer in training sessions, and also be able to pick up on what is easy and what needs more time. I don't think there is necessarily any 'order'; it depends so much on the dog. If he is having trouble with a certain training, step him back to something he knows to build confidence, then move on to something he finds challenging.
  15. Clarice is such a pretty pup, so happy to hear she's adapting to the M&G crowd! I think I'll always feel a special pull to her, knowing she's a Dubuque dog out of Corey's kennel (as are mine)
  16. I think that may be the Canadian norm. Anecdotally, dentals with a couple extractions and some meds seem to run around $1000+ around here. I would suspect you don't have much chance of getting around the med fee, though. Do you know anyone in the US that could help send meds? The cost plus shipping and taxes may still be lower than what you would pay here.
  17. I have a dog that sounds a little like yours--Boo had harsh injuries after being attacked 2 months after adoption, many fear aggression behaviours ensued, and he has low (try NO) tolerance for high energy and obnoxious dogs he meets. I tried searching for the threads I think may help you, but I can't find them. I really hope Giselle chimes in on this. On the thread I'm thinking of, she posts some videos of teaching 'look at that' to dogs that have reactivity issues. From what I remember of the video, it sounds like that type of training could be really helpful for Gambler.
  18. Tbhounds' answer is great (she KNOWS!). My one hound has perfect, white, impeccable teeth. He constantly gets compliments on his beautiful teeth, even from non-grey owners. My other hound has horrible teeth, breath, etc. They both had dentals, and both get the same teeth treatment at home with turkey necks/backs, bones, and occasional brushing. One dog has great teeth, the other does not. They spent the same amount of time on the track; same track, kennels feeding the same food types. Some dogs just have crummy teeth.
  19. I know so many people that apply to adopt Greys who want a dog with very few issues, and I was the same way. We got a dog 2 years ago that had (still has, haha) some pretty extreme issues. While working through those issues, they take a lot of work. But IMO, it pays off tenfold when the dog gives you behaviours that you never would have expected before. No feeling in the world like getting a cuddle from a dog who is hand shy, or space aggressive. I find it so much more rewarding than a dog who comes 'perfect'. Yay to Miami!
  20. If you're worried about him destroying things, try leaving him loose (or baby-gated) with his muzzle on for 10-20 mins. Like, leave the house and walk around the block. If there are no problems, try it again without a muzzle on. If he is having SA problems, you'll likely see it with a 10-20 minute outing.
  21. What a sweet story! What might seem like small steps can be huge. Congrats to both you and Miami!
  22. Dubuque gives great dogs! I'll be very sad if they do indeed close that track this year, as the dogs that come to us from Dubuque always seem happy and well. Plus, Corey at the Dubuque adoption kennel does SUCH a good job sending retirees to the right groups.
×
×
  • Create New...