ramonaghan

:yay

Sending good thoughts to you and Sam!

Thanks, all, for the replies! I keep a couple of pots of wheatgrass out for my cats too, and oddly enough, Sweep has never expressed much interest in those (except as a toy—like your dog, she has occasionally pulled a plant out whole; she tosses it like a stuffie but doesn't eat it!). Apparently she has very specific ideas about which grass/greens will do. That said, this: and this: are good enough reasons for me to try the powder with her—regardless of whether it resolves the outdoor grazing and its unfortunate "second tail" side effect.

Does anyone feed this to their hounds as a supplement? I drink it in orange juice daily, and I'm thinking of trying some with Sweep in hopes it will discourage her grass eating. She never throws up, but after a couple of unpleasant incidents with long blades of grass resurfacing at the back end, I am looking for a solution. I could use a muzzle with a stool guard, but I am wondering if she's actually craving greens? (Is that a crazy theory? ) She will not touch frozen green beans, and since I already have the wheatgrass powder on hand, I thought it might be worth a shot. Here's the specific product: http://amzn.com/B0038B3AGO. The company website says it's safe for pets.

Don't have anything to add to what the others have said re: loose stool, but for the gassiness a spoonful of plain, unsweetened low-fat yogurt (Greek or regular) at breakfast has worked wonders for our female. She could clear a room when we first got her, but she almost never has gas now.

And I have a 60 lb female who poops 3-4 times a day (on about 2.5 cups total of Blue Buffalo Life Protection...plus treats, of course). So, I agree that it seems to have more to do with the individual dog than any specific food. I totally understand your concern if he's not able to hold it and has accidents inside, but keep in mind that at three weeks he's also still adjusting to a new home and routine. It may work itself out in time...no pun intended.

Good luck! If it works out and you need to buy a crate, I got a good deal on Amazon (of course, eBay and Craigslist are probably good options too). Petsmart and other brick-and-mortar stores are usually much more expensive in my experience. If it helps for reference, Sweep's about 60 lbs and does just fine (i.e., can stand, turn around, and roach) in this 42" Midwest crate: http://amzn.com/B000QFT1RC. Let us know how it goes!

Another crate fan here. I have two cats who have always slept in the bed with my husband and me, and I didn't want our getting a dog to change that (not to mention, they'd scratch/meow/find ways to torture us all night if we tried to shut them out of the bedroom). With our current setup, Sweep can see us from her crate, the cats get their much-needed dog-free time, and my husband and I sleep easy knowing everyone's safe and sound. Every night after her final potty break, Sweep comes inside and immediately runs up the stairs straight to her crate, where she knows her bedtime treat awaits. We have had her six months now and she has slept through every single night; she rarely even cries to be let out in the morning. (I will admit she's a little more resistant to the crate when she suspects we are leaving home without her, but nothing major; it helps that I work from home.) The more positive a place you can make it, the better—so, as others have said, treats, comfy bedding, and perhaps a sheet or blanket over it to make it more den-like will probably all help. I understand that it's not a workable solution for all dogs, but it's definitely worth a shot in your case!

Sounds like he is adjusting beautifully. Welcome home, handsome boy! So excited for all of you!

Welcome, and congrats! He is a very handsome guy. I have a Cobblepot kid too and actually see some resemblance to my girl in Dante's eyes. I'd echo what others have said about the names—wait a bit and see what fits and/or what he responds best to. I had a list picked out for mine as well, and the poor thing remained nameless for far too long because nothing we liked seemed to fit her as well as the name she came with (racing name Sweep Thru; kennel name Sweep). Though it's not a name I would have chosen originally, she responds to it, it's certainly unique, and I've grown to like it. That said, I like Brego and Hugo!

I get it at Trader Joe's for $5.99 and the jar lasts at least a month. Costco is another good, cheap option.

Sweep (60 lbs) gets a heaping tablespoon with dinner. I didn't know I was supposed to work up to that, so I guess I am lucky she never got big D from it! I generally just dump the spoon's contents on her kibble, and then wipe the excess from the spoon with my finger, rub it between my palms, and smooth it over her fur. It's not enough to make her greasy—just makes her smell good and conditions her skin/coat a bit. People often comment on how soft she is. Gonna have to try it as toothpaste next…

Sweep does this too, right after she's groomed her, uh, nether regions. Given that, it seems olfactory related vs. excitement or aggression, and as you describe it is definitely distinct from the faster, vibration-like chattering she does when excited. This is almost like she's chewing the air.

Thanks, everyone! I will continue working on her nails—fortunately, she doesn't seem to mind the Dremel at all—and probably pick up another runner or two. I love this tip! Had not heard of it, but it makes total sense and I'll definitely be trying it.

These training treats from Blue Buffalo are working really well for us. And their sticks—Sweep loves the lamb & apple—are great too. (Incidentally, the sticks also fit perfectly into the small end of a Kong; I use half as a plug when I am filling the Kong with something messy.)

After 4.5 months here, Sweep's still wiping out occasionally on the hardwood floors. Is this normal? We have rubber-backed stair treads and area rugs in the major traffic areas, but she still slips once a week or so. It's a terrifying thing to witness and hear, but she hasn't hurt herself (knock on, er, wood) and doesn't seem traumatized by the experiences. She's never exhibited any fear or reluctance to walk on slick floors (we have both hardwood and tile), but I would have thought that at this point, she'd be fairly expert at navigating them. She's a healthy three-year-old, so I don't think there's any sort of underlying medical issue here. It happens mostly when she gets excited/gets up too fast, which is understandable and something she'll eventually figure out, I hope, but just now she calmly got off her bed, walked off the area rug onto the hardwood, and inexplicably got the crazy "ice skate legs." Any thoughts, other than installing wall-to-wall carpet (not an option)? Could nail length be a factor? We got a Dremel recently and are ever-so-slowly getting those quicks to recede, but her nails are probably still a little longer than ideal...as evidenced by the gouges she leaves in the floor during these events!

I just posted a pic in Cute and Funny that's given me some reassurance about the whole thing.

Yikes! That's a valid point and not one I'd ever have thought of. I find the occasional mystery scab on the cats but have never encountered anything like that. Glad Sammy recovered! (And now I'm off to make bubble wrap suits for all my animals…)

I don't know if Sweep hasn't discovered the litter box or just isn't that interested, but either way I am counting my blessings on that front.

This is something I've been thinking about. We have a somewhat challenging floorplan (very open) and the animals all seem to prefer the same room (our bedroom), but it's an option I'll likely explore down the road. I also have stairs, which I can probably use to my advantage, since I know the cats are faster on those even with the stair treads we've added for Sweep. All good food for thought, thanks. Love it! Indy needs to work on reading those calming signals. (Boy, wouldn't that make life easier for everyone?)

Gives me hope, thanks! And what a good-looking duo. I miss my Siamese boy every day; they're the best!

:beatheart The quintessential cat expression. All he(?) needs is a tiny Photoshopped flag between his paws to make it official that he's staked his claim.

While I haven't actually done this, I can say that I no longer worry about whether I remembered to turn off the stove, etc.—now it's always "did I lock the crate door?"

Thanks, all. Your responses have been really helpful. It's clearly an issue of one's personal comfort threshold and of risk analysis/tolerance. Maybe as a newb I also needed to be reassured that it wouldn't make me dysfunctional or paranoid if I never get to the point where I'm okay leaving them all out together. I know the crate bothers me more than it has ever bothered Sweep; she goes right in at 10 p.m. and stays quiet til 7:30 or later (lucky me!). As long as that holds, I think I'll stick to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. This is so funny to me…I can't even fathom my cats wanting to snuggle with Sweep. Olive vomited daily and lived in the top of our closet for at least two weeks after Sweep arrived, and Henry is the stink-eye master. They have come a long way in four months, but I still considered it a major victory when they got close enough to sniff her feet (Fritos!).

...did you feel safe leaving your grey(s) and cat(s) loose in the house together when you're not home, if ever? We've had Sweep for four months now, and we always crate her overnight and when we're gone. I work from home, so other than overnight, she's rarely crated for more than two or three hours at a time. When we're home during the day, she's unmuzzled and has the run of the house, and we are just super-mindful of where everyone is at any given time. (Not too difficult when we have three velcro pets!) We feed them separately and at different times and have had no issues in that area. Sweep mostly ignores the cats, but she isn't scared of them. She watches them sometimes and seems curious, but doesn't get fixated and has never lunged, chased, drooled, or given any signs of aggression. She play-bowed to the female cat once, but the cat wasn't having any of that and Sweep gave up easily. She has growled at our male cat on a few occasions: once when he got too close to *our* dinner--yummy, stinky barbecue--and I suspect she was either jealous or correcting him; once when she got too close for his comfort and he swatted her; and again just the other night when she had had her first dose of Comfortis and clearly was feeling rotten and didn't want him getting close. (Both cats generally keep their distance, but this was a tight quarters situation and the cat had to pass her to get into the room...not the typical setup but we had just had Easter company. She's not usually space-aggressive, but as I mentioned, she obviously felt crummy--was fine the next morning.) I recognize the growling for what it is and don't reprimand her other than a firm "no kitty" when appropriate, but I still worry about a situation escalating in our absence. I guess as long as she continues to crate well, I shouldn't stress about it, but I am curious if there's a light bulb moment where you realize the cats are perfectly safe (well, 99%; I know there are never any guarantees). I am definitely not there yet, but would like to think I will be in time. TIA.