MerseyGrey

Abu looks like he’s giving as good as he gets! Great photos

When I’ve looked for prescription stuff like worming tablets online, they are much cheaper to buy but many you can’t get without a vet prescription first, and ours charge £15 a prescription. pets-megastore.com.au is a good site to look at, and this is where we got our Droncit (our vet will only let him have them every six months, but the pack states you can give it every three, so we bought extra for the in between months.

You’re not a bad owner, you’re just learning as you go along, which is what most people have to do! If what you’ve seen doesn’t look like any of the pictures you’ve found online, just keep your original appointment and discuss with your vet then. I’d advise you make a list of things you want to ask - our vet in Runcorn is not letting owners into the clinic still and handover can be a bit hit and miss. Ask them if they have a monthly plan which covers worming and annual vaccinations (I think ours is called the Pet Health Club and costs us £16.99 a month. It also (apparently!) reduces the cost of some bills although it never bloody feels like it!). As Time4ANap suggests, if you want a baseline ask for a stool analysis. We had this done recently due to ongoing diarrhoea, and it cost us £130 (the same as his adoption fee!) but it will put your mind at ease. If you want to hold off, take photos of his poop if you see this stuff again and show it to the vet at your appointment. Most places don’t think that OTC worming remedies are worth the money so I’ve never tried any. We use nexguard spectra monthly, and Droncit for tapeworm every 3-6 months, but what you use will depend on your vet practice. Good luck!

It’s possible that if he previously had worms that his infection hasn’t been cleared by his last dose, and yes, it’s also possible that he’s been reinfected since his last worming. Could he have eaten something to infect him - dead animal, poo (his own or another animals’)? I’m not familiar with those medications, so it’s worthwhile looking up which types of worm they treat. Also, how frequently do you treat him - monthly or quarterly? Again, depending on his habits you might want to discuss changing worming regimens with your vet. Our Buddy is a determined poop eater and I’m much happier how that we treat him monthly, but really, we have only ever seen a worm once (a tapeworm, about a foot long). Every other time it has been segments or eggs (which to me, look like butternut squash seeds and risotto rice respectively). Him having parasites could fit with your last post about farts. Keep an eye on his poop and carry a phone - no one will think you’re weird if you get caught photographing your dog’s poop 😆 but you will have something to show your vet if he still has these things in his poo. And just to be sure, is there nothing else in his diet that could account for the appearance of these things in his stool?

Gorgeous boy, and he already looks like he’s right at home 😍

Wonderful! A perfect emblem for your BOH2

Silly suggestion maybe, but you haven’t mentioned if your houndie has a coat. A thick one with a snood attached might be the thing if you haven’t. There are also cave-type beds you can get that she can burrow into, since whatever blankets you have may fall off her during the night. Both options are probably safer than a heater or heated blanket.

Happy birthday Katie, what a grand age!

In addition to all this I would say that depending what you put in his Kong, that could be adding to his upset tummy and diarrhoea. If it’s too fatty it could cause this. As already stated, time, patience and positive reinforcement are the best combination. You will get there!

You’re definitely not the only person who has ever had their dog growl at them. Growling is one of the few ways your dog can let you know how he feels, because his options are limited. He’s being good and warning you that he doesn’t like what you’re doing. If you think about how painful ear infections are for you, it’s not surprising that he is warning you off from touching his sore ears. You have to consider if you’d rather have him growl as a warning or simply snap at you. I know which I’d prefer! Cant help you with his health issues or personality but I hope whatever he has clears up soon.

I would recommend trying the cheaper options suggested above. I was having similar issues with my dog so I bought a new car to accommodate him and it turns out that he doesn’t enjoy it (admittedly, mine is an SUV which you’ve already said you don’t want) and I don’t particularly enjoy driving it either. if you really are set on a new car, look at Volvo - our other car (which Buddy loves going in) is a V90 but I think that the smaller V60 would have been adequate for him. They are not cheap cars but the ride is comfortable and I think they’re quite economical with fuel.

Ok, that’s something else I can try. Thanks

I’m pleased to report that it is working in the house but I haven’t had to try it while we’re out and about yet. We’ve also tried him with cheese and even that has been successful

yes! We started giving Buddy Olewo carrots which helped to firm up his stool and had the added bonus of reducing his toxic emissions but he can still clear a room with one guff. They are eye-watering at times. We have tried all sorts for him, including probiotics, but he still has spells of pure stinkiness. He farted once while we were watching The Madalorian. It coincided with a space ship door opening, which on Star Wars is often accompanied by the sound of gas being released so I didn’t notice until I sat up into his fart cloud 🤢. His tummy might still be settling from the upheaval of moving to a new home so give it a couple of weeks to settle. If his stool stays firm, I would be tempted to stick with the food he’s on and put up with the farts.

Yes he probably is tired. Although he was walked at the kennels you adopted him from they won’t have taken him out for too long. When we adopted Buddy we took him for a walk from the kennels with a carer and were only out for 20 minutes tops. We walk him for a bit longer now but you will have to build him up slowly. How old is Rumble? Buddy will often slow down in the second half of his walk, but usually when it’s a bit warmer. I don’t think it’s that cold here at the minute - I walked Buddy in a t-shirt and jumper this evening. But that could be my age 😬🥵 And Buddy also has little pink circles on his pads but definitely doesn’t have corns. I’ve never been certain about using paw balm regularly since I don’t really want his pads to be too soft. I want him to be able to walk on the pavement as about half of his walks are like this, rather than on grass or soil. As long as they are not too cracked I don’t worry but I’m not absolutely certain this is the correct approach.

Sorry for your loss. I’m so glad Cletus found a happy home for the last year or so, he clearly settled in well there, I’m going to miss your stories and pictures but also know you’re wagging your tail over the bridge.

I just saw Cletus’s name on the list of bridge angels for November, and the update at the start of this thread......has Cletus gone to torment chickens over the rainbow?

Most of Buddy’s collars have come from Noddy and Sweets or Izzy and Finn’s Hound Boutique. They both have a wide selection of fabrics and I think they offer collars in 1 1/2 and 2 inch widths, and some from Izzy and Finn’s also give donations to greyhound charities. Although not British based, 4Guaus on Etsy posts to the UK with prices very similar to those above. And they include a free tag (not engraved)

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. He did indeed have a greyt day with lots of treats. Next stop - Rocket’s Spoil Your Hound Day! just a couple more videos from his birthday as he loved his new toys - he even dropped the standard issue hedgehog for one of them which was most unexpected!

These fireworks are a nuisance. Not sure where in the UK you but it hasn’t got cold enough for Buddy to need more than a snood or very thin coat for his walks yet. And when it’s a bit on the chilly side he walks faster rather than standing still. We tend to have shorter walks when it’s warmer rather than in the colder weather, as the exercise will warm him up. But we’ve only had Buddy for two years and we haven’t had a severe winter in that time. I’ve not got much experience with statuing but when Buddy has done it, it’s been through fear and so we change direction. That’s usually enough of a distraction for us to continue our walk. If possible, try to walk your hound while it’s still light as there will be fewer fireworks going off then. In a few days they won’t be going off and then you can walk him and work on building his trust in you. It sounds like you maybe haven’t had him for long and if that’s the case, he hasn’t worked out yet that you’re his protector and he can trust you. Just don’t force him to walk, he will recover from the fireworks shock more quickly if he’s allowed to do it at his own pace. Good luck!

Everyone’s a Cletus fan! Sending happy thoughts over to you campers, one and all

Buddy has turned 10 today. He’s currently reclining at my feet after a busy morning of present opening and eating, although he’s ready to pounce in case the cake comes back out of the fridge. Thanks in advance for taking a look Buddy when we first adopted him, and one taken recently. A few people say that he has gotten greyer since we first had him (not surprising with me as his mum!) but I can’t really see it...maybe a bit more under the eyes New snood! Forage borl. He clearly didn’t fancy the kibble I put in there and spat it our in favour of a sweet potato and cranberry treat Birthday cake with doggy breath biscuit garnish. it’s human friendly food so we joined in with Buds when he had a slice. Happy to share the recipe if anyone wants it, it was the easiest cake I’ve ever made! He’s got a couple more gifts for him when his dad has a few minutes to join in with us but they are toys and clothes instead of food so I doubt they will get the same response as the cake. Unfortunately it’s Guy Fawkes’ Night tonight so there will be lots of fireworks going off, but he generally doesn’t respond to them, so we are very lucky in that respect. Our plans for the rest of the day are a nice walk and lots of cuddles

I can’t help you with the sofa stuff because ours has never really been interested in being on a sofa, he seems to be quite happy with his beds. re: reaction to other dogs. We used the short book ‘Feisty Fido’ by Patricia McConnell. Basically you have a treat to hand, and get him to look at you when another dog approaches, and then reward him. With ours, we are at the point that he looks at us for a treat if he walks past another dog without snarking at them. On most occasions he can also have some interaction with the other dog and then he has his treat. It took a few weeks to master, and he is still overwhelmed if there is more than one dog, or if the dog runs at him, but it’s a vast improvement on how he was before. This is definitely true! It does get easier, you will relax more and the reward for your hard work is a quirky and loving companion who provides almost endless entertainment, from running in his sleep to tossing toys in the air. Enjoy!

I need another greyhound

Take him to antenatal classes and watch birthing videos..? 😁 seriously though I would agree with HeyRunDog. I imagine he will be curious about the new, smelly, squeaky thing that is getting so much attention, but that thing will become a part of the fixtures and fittings by the time he or she can crawl, and your dog will probably accept him/her as part of the pack. He probably won’t consider that the new pack member will grow up to be one of those bigger smelly noisy things that scares him on his walk. I think that when your sprog gets to the crawling age is when it will become more challenging, but it’s just a case of teaching the child to be respectful of the dog. I think it’s a great way to start instilling responsibility in a child too as they can be involved in the dog’s care. And now the only thing to say is...LOCKDOWN BABY!