Bizeebee

I'm not sure there's a "right" answer to how many runs per week at a given age, but there definitely is a right amount of "hot time" - and it's not a lot. If you're going to let her go full bore at a dog park it should only be early in the morning or later at night, when it is not hot (or humid). Depending on where you are, there may be times of the year where it's best to only do walks, because it's too hot even in the middle of the night. These pups are not to be trusted to self-regulate when it comes to heat, I know we're going to have to keep a careful eye on our black boy who LOVES to lay in the sun. You might also get a cooling vest/shirt to put on her when you are out and about in the heat. As far as the little cough/breathing - you're right it definitely could be seasonal allergies. But I'd also just keep an eye on it and maybe mention if it seems to continue to appear. If she's overweight or has any cardiac concern I'd just be mindful; exercise intolerance and the issues that arise from it can come on without a lot of warning and, unlike us, dogs don't know when to quit.

Oh man, 7 lbs since the weekend?? Poor dude. Hopefully they'll give him an iv with fluids/nutrition once you're there, and ask about the dog version of like pedialyte/gatorade - I think something like that exists. I'd definitely try to grab a urine and stool sample to take with you. Let us (me) know what they say at the vet

Ugh, I know how that sucks, for you and for him. I'm no vet (or expert) but if there is pee in the equation my first thought is to do a urinalysis and maybe urine culture (since they'll have the sample anyway). Don't let anyone tell you that boy dogs don't get UTIs, because they do. It may not be as common as with girls but it most definitely happens. Checking kidney/bladder stuff would top my list, followed up by a fecal now that it has switched to diarrhea. I know a lot of people recommend fasting them for 24hrs when diarrhea occurs, but I'd defer to your vet on that. The downside there is that he'll likely drink more to fill his tummy during that time, but he could probably use the hydration. Hopefully you can get in at the vet today

Only four days at your house? Don't read too much into it. She's still nervous/excited/full of emotions over the giant change in her life. A month from now and she's still doing it? Then maybe make sure she's ok, medically.

It obviously depends on your work hours and his exercise/bladder needs, but a lot of hounds can go a normal work day without a midday outing. I think if it was me, and I was paying someone to come into my house and work with my dog, I'd rather pay a bit more and have someone who I knew for certain was familiar with dog behavior and training. Every time a human is interacting with a dog, especially a new one, it's an opportunity for training - how to walk nicely on the leash, how to stay focused on task and not on the neighborhood rabbits/dogs, how to politely approach other humans we encounter, etc. I want someone who knows how to do that the right way, but I also live in a larger metro area where someone like that would be an option.

I'm not sure how your group handles bringing a grey into a home with an existing dog, but ours would definitely want the two of them to meet beforehand and see how they interact. Did your old guy meet your new guy? How did they seem then? It's certainly not something that the internet can tell you (an in-person behaviorist is more appropriate) but, despite what we read a lot about needing to be in a "pack" some greys do need to be only dogs, or can't be with other non-greys, no matter the size. It will take time and work to figure out if that is the case.

Firstly, I'd try to get away from the idea that growling=aggression. That's an oversimplification of the situation, and thinking that way can lead you down a bad path. More accurately, growling=communication. He's telling the dog walker something by growling, maybe it's "don't sneak up on me" - especially if he's sound asleep right up until the time she approaches the crate ~ aka his safe space. Maybe it's "don't approach me head on, making unblinking eye contact," again, to him that can be seen as an aggressive approach to his safe space. Maybe it's "ugh, why are you here to make me go outside, I was having a nice nap!" Can you see in detail how they are interacting when she arrives? She may not even be aware that her body language is different than the first few weeks and now making him uneasy. Does she still open the crate and walk him? If so, how does he behave? I'm not trying to put down your dog walker, but is it possible that they had an interaction out on a walk (away from the camera) that has made him less comfortable with her? These are sensitive dogs and need a bit different training/discipline techniques than your average dog, and if she doesn't know that, she may have done something that's normal with her other clients that has now made him wary of her.

Did you ever switch to a GI prescription diet after/during bouts of the colitis/gastro issues the first time around? If this does not turn out to be some sort of intestinal bug (any variety of parasites, but they could also do a stool culture), then that's really the only way to determine a food sensitivity. Once the gut has been damaged in some way, she's going to seem intolerant to almost anything, but that doesn't mean she truly is. The only way to find out is to let the gut heal first and then go from there, maybe ask your vet if you should be making a switch to a prescription diet for a little while? Additionally, if she really does have a chicken sensitivity, then a prescription food is the only way to guarantee a non-contaminated bag of whatever food you are buying. Commercial (over the counter) brands are all manufactured on the same line at whatever plant is making them, and they are not compelled in any way to make sure that the previous batch of one protein type doesn't "contaminate" the next batch of a different protein type.

Fasting would probably be preferable at this point Secondary to that, Amazon prime yourself some Olewo carrots. And the stool sample results will more than likely have your answer. What sort of testing are they doing on it? Worry about food intolerances once you know more, there are too many variables to make that assessment right now. And I'd say let your (hopefully greyhound savvy) vet worry about her med dosages. By all means ask, but greyhounds often can't just be dosed by weight because of their special bodily make up. They tend to be more sensitive to most drugs because they don't have the fat of the average dog. And if it's a variety of worms or pancreatitis met isn't going to have helped anyway. I know it sucks right now, but if you're confident in her hydration levels and general demeanor is still good, then you unfortunately probably just have to wait for results. If she takes a turn, demeanor-wise then weekend/e-vet might be in order, but if she's acting normal besides the poop, they may not do a whole lot.

Our guy is almost as food motivated as your girl, though, fortunately, less so with food that is not his. What has worked out really nicely for us is using that strong motivation to our advantage with training. I'd highly recommend attending a training class, or doing a private session, because (unless you are a dog trainer by trade) you don't really know when/what she's learning. It doesn't take too long to figure out that a lot of dog training is not intuitive to humans; paying a professional trainer (in whatever capacity) is like 90% teaching the human, 10% teaching the dog. That'll help set you up for success with the other, very valuable strategies already mentioned: patience and time.

Then by all means stop looking for a greyhound puppy. A greyhound puppy will be the complete and total opposite of this. Our group had a dog come in pregnant and would only adopt out the puppies to people with considerable greyhound experience and a fenced in yard, because of the level of energy that they must be able to get out. This requirement obviously isn't everywhere, but they don't call them land sharks for nothing. Greyhounds become big lazy dogs largely as a result of their training environment, and most retired racers can easily be brought into a family with kids the age of yours, or even younger. Check out "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" it's recommended reading by our adoption group and will help a lot in figuring out if they are the right breed for your family (they probably are).

Just because there's nothing new that you see, doesn't mean there isn't anything new out there. You may not have met them, but there could be new dogs walking your route, or regular dogs who picked up a bug, or even wild animals moving through the area carrying who knows what. Whether it's hooks or another bug, you never know what is out in the dirt, on their paws, getting eaten, licked or sniffed when they are out there, or when they come back in. If I had to guess, she probably just picked up something in the environment and a course of met will do the trick. We also use Olewo carrots in these kinds of situations, combined with whatever bland food you're doing, it definitely helps our guy more than pumpkin.

If you're looking to make a change, check out the posts on this part of the forum about DCM, and if you're interested there is a good science-based group over on facebook - Taurine-Deficient (Nutritional) Dilated Cardiomyopathy that dives deeper in some new issues that have popped up with the explosion of dog food brands/varieties. Just food for thought

Awesome! Thank you so much!

We have actually been working on that in the training class we're in, fortunately our guy isn't a jumper, but we're in a class full of puppies who definitely are. When the dog is on the leash they taught us to keep your free hand on the leash, closer to where it connects with the dog, so that you are able to hold the leash down at a level where the dog isn't able to jump. You don't want to have to pull on him, but holding it just creates kind of a ceiling where he can't jump up. If he doesn't quite have these manners down, then you might stick the leash on him at home when you know people are coming over, just to work on it. If you know the people he's jumping on, instruct them to turn their body away from the dog while he jumps, so he's not getting attention or anything of what he wants when jumping. Since he sounds like he usually isn't jumping, you have lots of chances to reward polite greeting behavior. These guys definitely need to be taught what's right and wrong to do in those situations. The fact that he's doing it infrequently makes me wonder if the three people had something he couldn't resist? If these ladies were each holding a giant turkey leg or something, then the situation is a little different.

Kudos to your commitment Here's a decent powerpoint about the process (not dog specific) https://www.nwvetstanwood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Fecal-Examination-for-Parasites_2015_ppt-1.pdf This is a nice, simple how-to video of the process - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe7v-xjiPww Some of the explanations/videos talk about using a centrifuge, which I'm guessing no one has laying around, or really wants to buy. I think without one you just have to take your time dissolving the solution and waiting for things to float up. So, there's obviously a few additional supplies you'll need, gloves, mixing container, sampler tool, straining cloth, and the slides for the microscope. One thing I noticed when I was looking was to make sure that the microscope you are choosing comes with slides, or you know the right ones to purchase in addition if it doesn't. With this style of sample/slide, you'll definitely need a microscope that lights from below. And, from my reading reviews when I was considering it, you definitely get what you pay for in microscopes - you don't have to break the bank, but if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Since, microscopically speaking, these eggs are large you don't need a scope with the strongest possible magnification, but if you're willing to pay a little more a lot of them will hook up to a computer and you can see the images a lot better than through the eye piece. The other big thing you'll have to source is going to be the solution material, and since having the right specific gravity is important it's probably better to buy commercially made produce rather than mix your own. This is just a google of 'fecal float solution' https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=fecal+float+solution I'm guessing some sources don't sell to consumers that aren't vets, but this link is showing it a WalMart online, so I think you definitely can find it. Here's a nice list of how the different eggs/organisms look under the microscope - http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/fecal-float.html Apologies if you're already familiar with using a microscope, but if you aren't I just wanted to say that (I think) it does take a bit to get used to it. I always had a heck of a time using one in school, getting my eyes to adjust looking into this teeny tiny hole and then having to search for or count things...it was tough. So, if you do take this plunge, try not to get discouraged

Yaaa, that's what I decided also.

Hi Jeff, I'm searching "corns" in Health and Medical. I'm guessing that a good chunk of the results I've previously seen would be gone, but I wouldn't think they'd all be that old? I'm still getting the same "still indexing" message and no results. Thanks for all the work you're doing!

Any estimate on when indexing will finish? I've been trying to replicate a search from before the upgrade but results are still indexing and nothing comes up. Or is there a different way I should be searching for old posts?

Interesting, that's good to know. Weird that a fecal float doesn't detect adults - but your float definitely could have just missed seeing eggs. At least that means the Drontal should be worth it. As far as wishing for a cheaper test, there is a way, but it involves some investment up front and your time. I looked into it but didn't end up pulling the trigger, but you can get a decent microscope on Amazon and run your own floats as often as you want. It's kind of an involved process (a lot of steps) and pretty gross (first step is to make poop water), but can definitely be done. I know I had found pretty good instructions for doing so on the web, back when I was thinking about it.

Just spitballing biology here (I'm not a vet, but maybe a couple will weigh in) - if he's negative for eggs, then by process of elimination isn't he probably also negative for adult worms? As far as I understand, Drontal only kills adult worms. Honest question - does your vet feel it's advisable to keep treating with Drontal if it seems like the things Drontal kills aren't there? Whereas, the Advocate/Advantage Multi kills the eggs/larva that hide in the tissue, which obviously must still be there for the antigen test to come up positive. Do you, or your vet (or anyone) know how long it takes for the body to show a negative antigen test after an infection? I'm not sure of a good place to find Advocate (sorry), but we switched to a new drug (just moxidectin) called Coraxis so that we can do flea and tick prevention without doubling up on drugs. You might see if you can source that one cheaper than Advocate/Advantage Multi.

Excellent to hear that he is improved already! And so fortunate that dairy seems to be the main culprit - of all the ingredients to try to avoid in food, that one should be relatively easy. Once you're ready to choose a new permanent kibble, definitely check out the DCM thread on this forum as well - you're already deep in the dog food rabbit hole (I know it well), you might as well acquaint yourself with the resources over there as well.

So long as he's pottying appropriately and not becoming destructive from lack of exercise, then there should be no specific amount of walking he needs to be doing. Of course, some greys are higher energy and need to burn it off, but from what you've described he doesn't sound like one of them - is this not the case? I guess I'm a little confused as to why having a hard time walking him a specific distance equates to not being able to manage him? That said, it hasn't been nearly long enough for you to really know how he's going to be once he's settled in. Setting a predictable routine (that should probably only include places/distances he's comfortable walking and no road-crossing) is crucial to getting him more comfortable in his new life. I think you may need to reset your expectations on how fast this will go; small victories are awesome, but real progress will more than likely be too slow to notice. It could take weeks for desensitization training to kick in, and sometimes months for (even non-spook) rescue dogs to feel settled in a new home. It doesn't always take that long, but it sounds like you need to prepare yourselves for the possibility that it could.

Congrats on your new boy! Try to give yourselves a break It's still very early days for him, how they act the first few days is often very different than what comes later. In our beginner class one of the first things was the 'name game' where you say their name, and once they look at you they get a treat and a "good boy." Super basic but that's one way to teach them their name. Try right before dinner time to maximize the incentive of food. Beyond that, if any training, I'd just focus on 'capturing' (that's what they call it in our training) where you give consistent verbal signals/names for different behaviors as and right after they are doing them. At first ours would always flop himself down kind of hard on the floor, I'd jokingly say "dead" when he'd do it and 7 months later "dead" is a command that means lie all the way down on your side You aren't asking him for anything, you're just giving a name to what he's already doing. Ask yourself - is he doing ok with potty training? Is he eating well? Is he exhibiting any concerning behavior - separation anxiety, destructive tendencies, health issues etc? If he's ok on these fronts, then you just have to be patient with his settling in process. At this point there's no hard and fast rule about him having to take x walks a day, for x minutes. He only makes it to the end of the culdesac? That's far enough. There will probably come a point where he's ok going farther. Maybe you try being the one to end the walk (before his usual stopping point) and that'll get him into the thinking that you are the boss of the walk. On the other hand, have there been any changes you might not have thought about the could correspond with his reluctance? Weather shift? Neighbor undertaking a loud renovation? New dog on your street? You could try driving somewhere else and see how he does in a new walking environment as well. You might also challenge his not-food-motivated behavior by making sure you have just the best treats ever. Cheese, pieces of hot dog, etc. If food really doesn't do it, is he more motivated by toys/squeakers? Does he eat his dinner pretty well? Ours downright refused to get in the car at first, wouldn't even go into the garage. Even with delicious treats - which he normally loves. Then we fed him his dinner in the car a couple times, and bam! Now we love the car. Depending on your situation and neighborhood, maybe you carry his bowl full of kibble on your walk to that point on the culdesac, get him thinking "hey this is a pretty nice place." Generally just try some baby steps - like having him wear his walking collar inside the house to disconnect it with the walk experience. Same with the leash when it's safe for him to drag it around, or be attached to you. OTC calming supplements are pretty hit and miss, and it doesn't actually sound like he has anxiety (but maybe you've left out more details specific to that) so I'm not sure how well they'd work anyway. He just sounds like one of the more aloof ones. It could take a long time before he wants to cuddle or watch TV with you, but that doesn't mean anything is wrong with you or him.

I'm hoping you've landed on the idea that you're looking at allergies based on something more than your dog being a picky eater? Loosing weight? Poor stool quality? Itching/skin issues? If your vet hasn't found anything medical of concern, picky eating on it's own isn't necessarily something that needs to be fixed. We teach dogs to be picky eaters, just like we teach toddlers. If you are seeing physical symptoms (beyond the questionable allergy test results), a hydrolyzed/prescription diet is probably going to be the best place to start in ruling out what is really causing the issues. Fortunately, there are many choices where you should not have to worry about DCM/taurine concerns.