MerseyGrey

I think you can see from the previous posts that opinions are mixed and there is plenty of variation based on human and dog schedules. Volvulus occurs in humans too - although usually in the sigmoid colon rather than the stomach - and is thought to be related to two main factors: a large quantity of food being eaten in a single sitting and/or affected individuals having a long sigmoid mesentery. The mesentery is the fat around the bowel which contains blood vessels and lymphatic amongst other things. If the mesentery is long, it is more prone to twisting, which causes blockage of the blood vessels, resulting ultimately in the death of the part of the organ supplied by those vessels. I cannot believe that bloat in dogs can be caused ‘rhythmic nature of walking’ causing the stomach to flip. The abdominal cavities of mammals are very tightly packed and generally speaking, there is no room for swaying during walking, certainly not to the extreme of causing the stomach to twist. It is in my opinion (opinion again) that this is more likely to be caused by excessive peristalsis required to move a large volume of food through the digestive tract. Ive also read that allowing your dog to feed from bowls on the floor contributes to the development of bloat...whereas another article suggested allowing your dog to eat from raised bowls causes bloat. I gather from that (and the fact that I could only really find two scientific papers about it) that nobody really knows So, have you considered giving your hound a small breakfast before your morning walk...maybe half her normal quantity if she needs to eat before she poops? Our practice is to give food after the walk, but we have varied that with no ill effects when I’ve had to walk our boy later than normal for example, when it’s been too hot to go out in the afternoon. In addition, Buddy frequently eats his tea and then decides to have a mad zoomie straight after...although I don’t encourage it there’s not much I can do to stop that, and he’s been fine. Clear as mud? Just do what suits you and your dawg

Happy birthday beautiful girl! You still look young at heart

This is essentially what I have going around my head all day long... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tGep11hxCFo

Sorry Dave_P, but you made the best (although it was hard) decision

Mischievous little imp 🥰

Is the crumple fairy related to the same sprite that moves Buddy’s bed into the middle of the living room during the night, disturbing his beauty sleep?

He looks so noble! 😍

I have no idea about the answer to your question other than...it’s witchcraft!* But we started Buddy on these Olewo carrots about a week ago and can confirm it works. After just over a year of running home from walks to wash hands vigorously whilst trying not to scratch our noses, Buddy now has fully formed, pickupable poops. Even the ones in the long grass! It’s a miracle! I wish I’d tried them sooner but we couldn’t get hold of them easily. I’m stocking up before Brexit happens and we all turn feral. *it’s probably not really witchcraft, more likely something to do with science - I’m going for high fibre content or the fact that they are dehydrated. Even though you rehydrate them, maybe they require more liquid to digest and consequently that fluid is used rather than passing through and creating the hated super soft poop. That’s where my money is.

Hi Amystella, I'm still finding my way as a first time greyhound owner - we’ve had our boy for just over a year. I can’t help much with the growling /barking issue, but I did pick up on the info about approaching cyclists and joggers - I remember reading early on in our mutual ownership that telling your dog ‘it’s ok’ or ‘good dog’ when they’re in stressful situations kind of reinforces the behaviour - you are petting and talking to them to calm them down, while they see it as ‘oh, she does this when I’m being good, so it must be alright’. It’s so hard and against all your instincts as a caring doggy mummy as all you want is to provide them comfort, but the advice I read was to ignore that behaviour- stick your nose in the air and keep walking and your dog will get over it. There are plenty of people with tons more experience here than me so they can confirm or refute that advice, and hopefully help you with the other behaviour. Good luck!

I have just been slapped in the face by an arc of thick saliva coming off Buddy’s tongue as he licked the toothpaste around his mouth. I’m so glad I had my mouth closed. Something to look forward to, NeelaGrey!

I see...

Found another dam! Not my dog - Buddy is from Pilot and Rose. http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?d=Sucker+punch+&sex=&color=&birthyear=&birthland=AU I was looking at this dog, originally from Australia that has been rescued in China, who has Pilot as a sire and a dam called Fleece. However her birth date is given as 1860 something while Pilot is 1820. So I’m not sure how accurate this is - someone mentioned artificial insemination in an earlier post. While it’s highly likely that this could have been used, it’s surely less likely that it would have been possible to preserve the sperm over that duration of time.

I try daily but we occasionally forget before he’s fallen asleep so then I leave it. I use a soft bristle brush with a larger and smaller head (the smaller head is meant to be for the back teeth but I’ve never used it). Toothpaste: beaphar, which is easy to get on amazon and which Buddy really likes the taste of - I give him a bit extra between the sides of his mouth as a treat. I also use the beaphar tooth gel in the mornings, which you spread on his teeth at the junction with his gums, and which he licks around his teeth. Buddy’s teeth were pretty bad when we got them but they seem to be improving. And finally...dental sticks with eucalyptus which he loves but which are gone in about five seconds!

Our groomer mostly does it too, but when I have done it, I’ve caught the quick a couple of times too. I think that the nail feels a bit more ‘spongy’ where the quick is but you will only know this when you put a bit of pressure on it. Dudu is a good indicator too, as he is generally very good at having his nails clipped, but he pulls away if it’s uncomfortable. I think that most greyhounds who have been racing dogs are probably used to having their nails clipped as their trainers will want to keep them trimmed. You can gat styptic pencils to stem any blood flow but flour works just as well at stopping it.

Dan the Man has just reminded me about Barkshop.com which has a selection of toys. There is a Donald Trump stuffie on there for your dog to cherish/destroy* *delete as appropriate

He’s such a handsome boy. It’s so hard to let let them go even when you know it’s the kindest thing to do. Hopefully your other pups will help ease the sorrow

It’s certainly more pleasant than the other end 💨

My favourite is doing ‘big spoon, little spoon’ with Buddy. I get to breathe in his lovely doggy smell and stroke his ears too. He’s not a sofa dog - he’s never even tried to get on the furniture (except once, when I put his bed on the sofa to hoover the floor. So he tried to climb on his bed on the sofa. I wish I had a camera for that)

Hi Hawthorn! i have a friend in Hitchin and might have to pay a visit if I’m down that way with Buddy. I can’t resist the temptation to stroke other people’s dogs. I am a crazy greyhound lady. i went to Oregon years and years ago and visited a place on the coats called Astoria. It’s been in lots of films but it was special for me as Goonies was filmed there and I love that film! We also visited a beautiful lighthouse...Yaquina Head or Yaquina Bay. I’m not sure which one but it was spooky! That’s my only contribution I’m afraid. I think you might be too late in the year for whale watching but maybe someone more local can put you straight. Have a fab holiday!

Hi Lulah62, I can’t recommend a life jacket, although have you asked the company that you are boating with? It’s a long shot but they might supply one. I’m assuming you’re in the UK? We recently took Buddy on a day barge trip on the Llangollen canal and we learnt two things: our dog is a landlubber. He hated every second of it (although this was not helped by our navigators frequently steering into the banks. It’s easy for me to criticise as I opted out of the steering in order to quaff prosecco). We ended up walking him half way back to the wharf over this landmark https://www.pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk/ thank heavens for all that prosecco. Second lesson: our canals are a breeding ground for nasties! I swear that he didn’t go near the water or even get splashed but he picked up a skin infection - within three days he had a dozen blister-like things which quickly turned scabby. I never found out exactly what the infection was but I was £120 lighter leaving the vet with a week’s worth of antibiotics and some medicated shampoo. That’s more than his adoption fee! Hopefully Ghillie has better sea-legs than Buddy, and a stronger constitution (to put things in perspective, Buddy won’t climb on his raised bed because it’s not stable enough), so don’t let my comments put you off, just beware that your trip might end up a bit more expensive than you planned. Sorry that I can’t actually help you with the question you asked!

Gorgeous girls! Welcome to GT!

Buddy wants to join the party!

Hello and welcome! Looking forward to seeing more photos of your handsome beast!

I think you’ll find it depends on the individual dog. Greys that are raised in racing kennels are generally thought to get on better with other greys as this is what they are used to but it doesn’t mean that they won’t get along with other breeds. Some dog personalities are stronger and they rule the roost while others are much more laid back, a bit like some people! You’d be encouraged to take your current canine buddy along for a meet and greet, which I’m sure you’re already planning to do. It might take a few meetings to work out if they are going to get along and suss out the dynamics of the relationship but there is no reason why you should be able to find your perfect match in a greyhound. Good luck! In my (limited) experience, I have found that my grey gets along better with other greys and will even engage in a little mutual bum sniffing with them. He ‘tolerates’ most other dogs but there are some that he will just not accept, and it doesn’t seem to be breed dependent, and more to do with their personalities (Buddy is a bit of a grumpy old man. What I will say is: beware! If this is your first greyhound, you might find yourself hooked and may never want another breed. They’re addictive!

Hi BlissfulSandy, welcome to the wonderful and unpredictable world of owning a greyhound! No two days are ever the same - except for the snoozing, dozing, napping and sleeping. If you google dog food transition you’ll find plenty of info on how to transition your food. Most people will recommend that you take at least a week to completely change foods, but if your dog has a sensitive tummy you might want to take it a bit more slowly. When we switched food, we took a bit longer and just mixed the new food into the old in the bag, gradually topping up the old bag with the new food. When that bad was empty we switched to the new food lock stock. Give it a try for a while if you’re not sure if it suits your dog - you don’t want to change the food too regularly otherwise your pooch’s digestive tract will never settle. Ours is on Royal Canin which he seems to enjoy, although we are mixing it with a wet food gravy with added bran which he absolutely loves. Our vet also recommended Hills but he is less keen on this, so RC it is! good luck with your new grey!