Alibear

I think it can read a little higher in greys, but 6pts over seems a little much. I'll see what the vet says about the urine sample. He's absolutely fine in himself so I'm trying not to worry too much! I've seen a few say that ultrasounds have been ok after high readings, so am crossing my fingers.

Apparently the IMEXX isn't altered by a dog's muscle mass.

Thank you; I have a feeling they might suggest an ultrasound. I guess if there's anything wrong it's best to know now!

Hi, I haven't been on here for a while, but I've just had some routine bloods back from the vet and I'm freaking out a little! I've attached a screenshot below, but basically a few are reading a little high, in particular, the IDEXX SDMA which is at 20 - as the healthy limit is up to 14 I'm freaking out a little! I believe the Urea is the same as the BUN, which I know can read a little higher in greyhounds, but phosphorous is reading high, too... Has anyone else had similar readings? I'd be so surprised if he has kidney disease so young, but I guess you never know! The vet asked for a urine sample, which I dropped off this morning, but I'm not sure how hound-savvy they are there, so I thought I'd come here for some anecdotal comments! Thanks so much in advance. Edited to add that he has absolutely no symptoms of any illness - no peeing inside, excessive thirst, lethargy, etc... He's still his same, goofy self who loses his mind every time I pick up his lead!

Thank you, he's doing really well, his recall is really improving, which means he can have a run around a couple of local enclosed fields now :-) He loves it, even though he's tired after about three ball chases. I can't believe how anaerobic they are. I knew they were built for sprinting but he literally flops on the floor when he's had enough - I had a doberman growing up who was still raring to go after two hours of solid running!

Oh, Adam's adorable, such an inquisitive face!

Oh I know, it looks like he's wearing someone else's dentures!

Haha, my vet commented the standard "he's a little bit skinny" when I took him for his check up. Though she did say she was aware the greyhounds have less body fat. I very nearly said "have you SEEN those thighs?!"

He's mellowed out a little where the counter surfing is concerned - he now knows what "go away" means, which is useful! He had another pee inside at the weekend :-( I think we misread the signs - he was whining when I went into his food cupboard (it wasn't dinner time) so i just assumed he was excited about eating, as this is his usual behaviour. He then went into the spare room and started weeing. I managed to stop him and take him outside, where he finished the job. He doesn't really have much to do with the spare room so hopefully he just didn't know he couldn't go there - until now. We've taken a step back in his training and started giving treats when he goes in the garden again. We'll get there, I keep forgetting we've only had hm 8 weeks as he's generally settled in so well! Re the prey drive, the wheeling is a good tip. I've tried holding him close to me and walking away slowly, which is what I did when he used to freeze on walks, and treating him when he starts to walk again of his own accord. It's so lovely to have people to chat 'greyhound' with :-D

Haha! I was sitting at the dining room table doing some work, looked round, and there he was! How on earth is that comfortable?! I remember checking on him A LOT for the first couple of weeks - he'd sometimes only take a breath every 10 seconds or so! I guess that's what those big lungs are for... ...and I'm constantly in awe of those legs - they're so insanely muscly and he's not even stopped growing yet

#ThickThighsSaveLives IMG_6206 by AlisonAnn, on Flickr

I've tried so hard to research the right amount of food to give Frazer, but never find anything concrete. His rescue centre were giving him 200g of Arden Grange thinking he weighed 55lb, I weighed him at the vet a couple of weeks ago and he was 69lb! So I upped it to 220-230g of kibble and top up with veg and some meat, reducing the kibble amount if he gets more meat. He still has a little hunt around for food, even after he's eaten, but I think he's just greedy! Or getting more brave and assertive, as others have said. I think as long as the dog is in good shape, their poos are fine (and plentiful!), and the deworming is up to date we shouldn't be too worried. Easier said than done!

I use Arden Grange as it's what Frazer was fed while he was in kennels and he seems to like it. I top up with either fish or a chicken mince which I buy from the butchers, plus some veg. I like to mix it up a little for him! My vet just told me to give him a "balanced" diet, though wasn't too specific otherwise. She did say that she isn't too keen on a wholly wet diet because of the risk of bacteria in the food. I'm trying not to stress too much about what I feed him (as long as it's not toxic to him, of course!), I think as long as he seems healthy, as decent poops and is in good shape - hip bones/three back ribs visible/glossy coat etc - there's nothing to worry about. Easier said then done, though! I think the key is to not introduce anything too quickly, as you say. Could you buy another brand and mix it in with what he's currently eating?

He went for a REALLY fast run today and is now having a snooze on the sofa! It's so wonderful to see them at (almost) full speed. Annoyingly, though, he did a little pee in house on Sunday :-( He was on his own for about 15 minutes and my husband found it when he got back. He's been so good where that's concerned, so we think he must've seen something which either spooked or excited him while looking out the window. We do have the dreaded squirrels running around outside our house! We've managed to leave him for up to an hour so I don't think it was separation anxiety. It hasn't happened since (and we've left him on his own) so hopefully it's a one-off. I'll be taking him to the vet if it continues. Just feels like a little, frustrating setback!

Congrats! Like others have said, I've found this site so helpful. I don't have any stairs so can't offer advice there. I've got a pretty calm, confident boy too (he never raced and we don't think he was even trialled), but he still froze quite a bit in the first few weeks. Be prepared for him to get braver quite quickly as my Frazer became a lot more assertive, trying to steal things off counters, clothes etc. It can be quite funny but we still need to keep on top of it! If he can handle, it, I'd start to slowly introduce him to other dogs while out (without pushing him too hard, of course). Our rescue centre recommended that we go to dog socialisation classes but we're still on lockdown so they're not happening at the moment. I've found it helped me to relax as a dog owner and made him calmer while on walks. If not, do you have any greyhound owners near you? They become so happy when they see their own breed, it's lovely to see!