granthale

Hi Everyone! When I picked up Greyson, he had a ton of flakes on his fur. I asked the adoption rep if he had a skin condition and she told me that he flakes a bit when he's nervous but that it would go away once he calmed down (I adopted him shortly after his last race and he was in a foster home before me). It's since not gone anywhere, and it seems to be flaking off constantly. I can't even brush him in the room because there's so much of it. We went to the vet and she let me know that he has a slight yeast infection. He's been so itchy and scratchy, and the vet gave me some antimicrobial shampoo and told me to bathe him 2-3 times/week for a month. In addition to that, it's confirmed that he has hookworm and prescribed panacur and heartgard, and told me that I can get the advantage multi in exchange for the heartgard. He's also got a pill to take 2x/day for a week to help with diarrhea, and since he's come back it seems to be the worst it's ever been. What have you all done if you've experienced this? Bathing him 3 times a week for a month seems insane, but he's had two so far and he's pretty good so long as there's PB on the wall for him to lick! I'm just becoming increasingly frustrated that the adoption rep seems to have not told me anything about him, and I just shelled out $700 in vet costs for things that were never brought up in the adoption process & that I didn't expect to incur so early on. Thanks!

Thanks for your reply! I adopted him from Forever Home Greyhound Adoption in NY. The rep that met with me when we picked him up told me to give 10mL 3 days in a row for three weeks, and then three days in a row once a month, but they didn't mention how I should be giving it to him or if I should expect any side effects. He's been lethargic all day since coming home from our morning walk at 6:30, and I just took him out and his stool was very mucus-y and several colors. Brown, red, and yellow (but I don't know if it was blood or just the coloring of the mucus). I chatted into the vet again and asked about it, and they suggested I go to the vet today to be checked out since it could potentially be blood, but my family is saying I should wait until the next "passing" to see if it was just a one-off occurrence. I'm really not sure what to do here since my insurance isn't effective until 5/1 and I have an appointment scheduled on 5/6.

My Greyson also started eating at the grass yesterday. I initially thought it was just because he's in a new place and getting to know the area, but this morning he had a very grumbly and gurgly tummy (lasted about an hour, uninterrupted) and he seems to be lethargic. He's been on his bed the entire morning, and he didn't so much as move his head when I came in the room with food on my plate. I did feed him at 8 and the gurgling has stopped, but that's when he decided he didn't want to move anymore. I chatted in with an online vet and they let me know that it's likely because of the change in diet (he was adopted on Sunday) coupled with the anxiety and stress of a new environment. His stool was much harder this morning than I've seen it so far, so I'm taking that as a relatively good sign. Time will tell if it was an oddity when I take him out later this afternoon. They also advised I hold off on the Pyrantel until he's seen by a vet to determine proper dose, but that's not until May 6th. I know I likely don't have much to worry about, but I'm so nervous that something is wrong!

Hi Everyone! To get right to the point, I picked up my retired racer yesterday and was told by the adoption rep that I should buy pyrantel pamoate on Amazon because of hookworms. I've never heard of this and didn't know what it was until she briefly explained it to me, and I want to make sure I start to address it right away since it sounds like it can take the better part of a year to (hopefully) treat. I have a vet appointment scheduled for the 6th of May (earliest I could get it). I was told by the adoption group to give him 10mL/day for 3 days in a row, for three weeks. After that, move to one dose a month. But, I've seen wildly different amounts and timeframes online and want to hear from you if this has been successful or not in getting your doggos healthy. Not to mention, she didn't tell me how to give this to him -- over food or straight into his mouth? What are the adverse reactions that I can expect? Any help or advise is appreciated!

Thanks, everyone, for the tips! He's already eaten breakfast so I'll try the mealtime in the crate this evening, as well as the Kong with PB. He seems to love his toys that squeak, but I'm nervous about putting them in there with him overnight in case he rips it open and swallows the squeaker -- at least for now while we're still settling in. I may try and move my bedroom around as well if the crying doesn't seem to stop after a few days. I don't mind where he sleeps as long as he's sleeping, ha! So if this will do the trick, I'm all for a bit of rearrangement. How do you know when the right time to open up the room is? So far, he seems to stay away from wires and anything on the tables and my work desk, but I'd hate to hear a crash in the middle of the night and see my tables flipped LOL

New here! Grant from Connecticut

Hi Everyone! I'm so excited to be able to finally post a picture of my adopted retired racer, Greyson Frankie! Greyson turned four in January and comes from Florida by way of Albany, NY. Last night was the first night in the house and it went better than expected. He cried a bit when we went to bed (crate is in the living room because there's not much space in the bedroom with me), and although I had a hard time with it, he calmed down after a little while and seems to have slept through the night. I woke up and made a point to brush my teeth and get ready for the day a little bit before letting him out and he cried a little, but we had a great walk and he didn't soil the crate overnight! He's already making himself at home, albeit a bit slowly. Still getting used to the idea of laying on his dog bed, and he's yet to experience the magic of the couch. He does love his squeaker toys and blankets, though! If anyone has any tips on how I should be introducing the crate each day to hopefully end the crying at night, that would be great!

Thank you, all, for your words of encouragement! I did end up choosing to go through my employer -- the lifetime price guarantee is too good to pass up, and as some of you mentioned, putting the additional money that I would've spent on the policy without the discount into an emergency fund is a great idea. It sounds so simple now that you all have said it, ha! About to head out and make the 3-hour drive to Albany to pick up the doggo -- feeling very nervous and excited! Will definitely keep everyone updated!

Hi Everyone! This is my first post on the forum and I'm excited to be picking up my retired racer (Don, to be renamed Greyson Frankie) on Sunday! Among everything else that's got me anxious lately, I wanted to get some opinions on pet insurance and your experiences with vet visits in the past to make sure I'm properly set up for anything that may come up and require attention. I work for a company that partners with Nationwide and provides a great discount on their complete insurance package, at just under $90 per month with a 90% reimbursement. The caveat to this is that the annual limit is $7,500. Should I choose not to go through my employer and purchase the insurance on my own, the cost for the same coverage increases to $150 per month -- however, there's no annual limit. Choosing not to go through my employer means that with each passing year the premium increases (it was quoted at $265 per month at age 9, for example), whereas the discount means the cost is the same for as long as doggo is mine (even if I leave the company). I've never had a dog before aside from my parents' when I was growing up, so I don't know if that $7,500 is considered "a lot" or if I should instead skip the employer discount and pay more per month if it's expected that I could easily surpass the limit. I'd, of course, prefer to save money where I can and the lifetime price guarantee is a huge perk, but I'd never forgive myself if something happens and I can't afford the costs beyond the $7,500. Any input is appreciated and looking forward to hearing from some of you on your past experiences. I'm so excited to bring Greyson home and becoming more active on the forum!