MerseyGrey

Thanks for this BTW. It’s an informative link

I’m going to take him to the vet next week as he’s pooped in the house again this morning, although it was a formed stool. I can ask them about stool samples when I make the appointment. DH discussed this morning if this might be down to the clocks changing recently which may have screwed with his system. Whatever it is I would like to get to the bottom of it before this becomes an established habit!

Thank you both. I don’t know why I didn’t think of the stool sample...I work in a pathology lab and it’s one of the first things that’s required with an upset tummy! On the plus side, his poops seem back to normal size and consistency and there were no deposits on the kitchen floor this morning . He is actually due for a worm in the next couple of weeks so I will speak to the vets in advance of that and make some arrangements

This wasn’t the post I was supposed to put on tonight since we were celebrating Buddy’s 9th birthday yesterday but he’s had a bit of an upset tummy for a couple of days. Does anyone here use Milbemax for worming? We have Buddy on a treatment plan whereby he takes Bravecto for flea and tick treatment and Milbemax for worms every three months but I’m never certain if the worming treatment doesn’t quite clear his infection, or if he becomes re-infected quite quickly in the cycle. I’m also not certain exactly what he poops out. A few days after his tablets he has creamy white objects in his poo that are similar in appearance and feel to butternut squash seeds. Usually about 4-6 weeks after treatment he goes on a grass eating frenzy and he will poop out something similar. I am guessing that these things are tapeworm segments, which I have seen described as being like rice grains. I’ve never seen any worms at his bottom, but we did find a tapeworm in the garden last October with something that looked like vomited meaty food (we feed kibble, so we could have been looking at rehydrated kibble). I didn’t think tapeworms lived in the upper GI tract but maybe someone could put me straight? It’s never happened since. Buddy’s worming treatment is part of a health plan whereby we pay monthly and get quarterly flea, tick and worming treatment as well as his annual boosters. He has a choice of worming treatments so I’ve stuck with Milbemax as it seems to cover more (it’s milbemycin and praziquantel), or a monthly treatment. The monthly wormer which was available would treat lungworm but not other types of worm, and since Buddy doesn’t play with slugs and snails I didn’t think it was worth it. The vet practice doesn’t seem keen on treating for worms between scheduled treatments (even though I paid for the tablets separately when I did persuade them). So. Tuesday morning-happy birthday Buddy! We woke up to a present that he gifted to us on the kitchen floor. And again this morning. However this happened two months ago and on both occasions we put it down to a bit of a disruption in his normal routine (husband working late and going to bed very late, disturbing Buddy’s beauty sleep). But this time it was messy and diarrhoea-like, and his poops on this evening’s walk were the same. I don't think it’s anything he’s eaten especially since he seems generally well (and also he sticks to me like glue when he’s sick) which makes me think it might be worms. He is very partial to eating poop - any kind will do, but the fresher the better, apparently (including his own). We supplement his kibble with Olewo carrots and this is the first time in months that his poo has been less than solid (he’s usually a 3 or 2 on the Bristol stool chart). Sorry the post is so long. What I would like to know is: would giving Buddy extra de-worming tablets between scheduled treatment be detrimental to his health? does what I have described in his poop look like anything that anyone has seen before? is there a more effective worming treatment available than the one I’ve been offered by my vet? looking forward to hearing your advice!

I’m so sorry for your loss. It is a stunning tribute and lovely to hear that you made so many happy memories

Welcome to GT! Your boy is a beauty

Cat at the window...I wouldn’t even try to correct this. The cat is safe, the dog is safe so no big deal. If we see one while out walking, or more usually, if he smells one (his back straightens and he starts to walk with purpose rather than meandering along), I shorten his lead and brace myself for the inevitable pull. It’s easier to control him now I use a harness. Then I will pull gently on his lead and encourage him to walk on. It’s harder if we see a cat as he wants to follow it but usually when he realises he can’t have it he gives up. While I don’t want to deal with the aftermath of extracting a cat from his mouth, I’ve never felt that training a dog to be cat friendly to be worthwhile for us. We don’t have cats in the house and I just make sure he’s under control while on walks. Not everyone will feel the same, but I think you will find that the term ‘cat friendly’ doesn’t always extend to all cats. Getting along with a cat that lives with your hound doesn’t necessarily translate to ignoring strange cats that your dog might see as fair game. I think it depends on the dog

Not that i’m participating from the uk but we did a secret Santa last year using a secret Santa generator https://www.drawnames.com/secret-santa-generator which was very good. It enables you to put in ideas for the people who are buying you a gift in case they don’t know you very well, and would mean you don’t need to find an independent volunteer 😊

Oh my word! What a pair of honeys 😍

😂. Trashhound!

I think I’ll probably just let him off when it’s dry in there - or at least not too wet (so probably not much at all for the next six months!). I’ve walked the field and there are no major holes or big sticks where he tends to run. The biggest threat in that field seems to be the rabbit and bird carcasses that he can smell from 50 yards off and which he gobbles down enthusiastically 🤢

Yes! Finally worked out how to post a video!

Buddy has a theme tune - Buddy Molly to the tune of ‘Buddy Holly’ by Wheezer. We’re very creative in our house

Thanks for the tip. The pudding picture was taken after Sunday lunch at a pub in Beddgelert called ‘The Saracen's Head’ during our heatwave in February. This place was very dog friendly and even served up doggie Sunday dinner (chicken, peas, carrots and gravy) and pudding for him (mashed banana with peanut butter), which he’d wolfed down when I took the photo. We then walked it off with a short trip to Gelert’s grave where he paid his usual tribute and peed on the grave.

Exactly what I was thinking! He found his perfect home

Thank you all for your thoughts.

As promised, although I’ve not worked out if I can put videos on there yet so these are all stills

You recommended food from the greyhound trust and we are going to buy a couple of bags of that next, but we already had the Royal Canin (we buy in bulk and get it delivered to the in laws who are as retired as Buddy but not quite as speedy, then pick it up when we visit). It will boil down to what works for his tummy and prevents the release of toxic gases as well as whether or not he will actually eat it. The vet recommended RC although I noticed on subsequent trips there that they also sell it themselves...suspicious I kind of hope Buddy is like this too. It’s such a joy to watch him as really does look like he’s enjoying himself

Buddy did a great job of scarifying our lawn but it was the restriction of space and unleashing of the same energy during zoomies that lead us to find somewhere a bit bigger for him to have a run. We tend not to let him off it’s too wet (we do have occasional nice days here, contrary to popular belief!) as it increases his risk of slipping, but he is a clumsy boy and trips over his own feet when he’s busy looking at what else is going on around him. I would love to post some pictures but...confession time...I’m not on any kind of social media apart from GreyTalk so the photos I have put on are attachments and generally small and not great quality. I am thinking about setting up an Instagram account in Buddy’s name so I might post a load of photos whe;I eventually get round to that. In the meantime - +

Good luck! You can get ready to enjoy the ‘welcome home!’ greeting that comes with having a pup in your house. There’s nothing quite like it 💕

The field is usually used to keep horses although they haven’t been in there for a while. I do wonder if he’s catching his feet on the longer grass, although rabbit holes could be an issue. Thanks for the link - it’s not something that I would have ever thought about, but he never runs for more than about thirty seconds. It’s all very brief with pit stops if he runs more than once.Calorie wise - we are working our way through some Royal Canin 8+ food which seems to suit his tummy and since we’ve had him on a diet we’ve trimmed his meal sizes down a little. We’ve reduced his treats too. But thanks for the advice as it’s something else I hadn’t considered.

We’ve been letting our boy off the lead in a field next to our house for a few months. We try to do it every other day at least so he can burn off any pent up energy - which he always seems to have despite how tired he appears at the end of our walk. We let him off in the field and once he works out he’s no longer on the lead he goes ballistic! It’s an absolute joy to watch as he clearly enjoys it so much. Some days we’ll just have one run, other days he’ll have two or three. However much fun it is to watch the running, he has days where he goes so fast that he loses his legs beneath him and ends up tumbling over. Sometimes he literally goes head-over-heels (which is quite scary to watch as I’m convinced every time that he’s going to snap his neck) or he’ll tumble while he’s cornering and rolls on his side. It’s a bit like watching the back end go from a motorbike. If he falls he might get up and have another run around but at a slightly slower pace, but he forgets next time and just goes hell for leather. The grass he runs on is soft but his body contorts in such a twisted mess that I worry that he might snap his twiggy legs. He never seems to hurt himself - there is occasional accompanying scream of death, but mostly he just grunts as he tumbles and picks himself up with a sheepish expression. Do other people’s hounds do this too? Would other people not allow theirs off lead if they thought he might pose a danger to themselves? I would hate to stop him from having so much fun (incidentally, he slips and trips in our garden too when he gets going and it would be almost impossible to restrict him without keeping him on a lead) but I don’t want him to break anything either. He’s a nine year old ex racer (nearly nine, just under two weeks to go!), and a little overweight although we are making good progress with his diet and his snake hips have returned 😁 This post was prompted by my husband asking when did I think we should stop letting him run free but I always thought that would be determined by Buddy himself

Straight for the beer box! Is that why she fits in so well? . Congrats on your new pup, she ‘s beautiful

Amazing photos! Buddy’s eyes are very expressive...when they’re open!