kjw

We no longer have use vets for cuts, lacs or even punctures unless they are very extensive. We use colloidal silver both topically on wounds - 3x/day initially, and also internally,1 tsp 2-3x/day, this has worked way better for us than antibiotics, with no side effects. Occasionally I will need to tack a laceration if it's large with superglue, but it must be well flushed out first. We also make extensive use of homeopathics, with Arnica most commonly used initially for shock, trauma, bruising and sometimes muscle strain. Also Hypericum, Ledum, and several others depending on the symptom picture presented. I've treated quite a variety of conditions at home with homeopathics, but there is a learning curve, and it's important to have the help of a good teacher. Learning how to use homeopathics has been a real godsend. This of course, is just what we do here, many others do prefer allopathic methods or using vets.

Pork neck bones are a bit dense if you've not been feeding raw for a long time, and also they do tend to cut the necks up so they have sharp edges. 99% of the time these raw bones make it through with no problems; and you will see less and less as your dog starts building up the enzymes needed to totally digest these bones. You might switch to riblets for a while, the bones are a better shape, and the riblets are usually in larger pieces and are more meaty. You do want to feed the meatiest bones you can find. One of the best taurine sources for kitties is beef heart, my guys really love it. I still have to throw it in the processor for them, they are seniors and will not rip or tear into a large piece, but they really do love beef heart, and pork heart too. Most muscle meats are a good source of taurine, actually better than chicken hearts. Red meats generally trump the beige meats around here for nutrition and taste, too. Here's a pic of chicken gizzards, which are part of the digestive tract of a chicken, and another pic of a chicken heart.

Sending lots of white light from Camp Greyhound to the handsome Flash with the beautiful ears.

What a well written thread, nicely done everyone! It's really great to see a thread on greytalk de-bunking all the myths that are floating around about raw feeding, and also great to see so many people recommending the modified prey model diet (also known as 80-10-10). I've been feeding my pets raw for 18 years, and in that time I tried many different versions of raw, the modified prey model is by far the easiest and also seems to be best for my pets.

Our bridge boy Cody ate about 2 lb. of cooked soup bones once, about 7 years ago - I was a new greyhound mom and freaked out, came on GT and was advised to give bread, watch for symptoms, and wait, just like you've been advised. He enjoyed the bread, slept happily through the night while I stayed up and watched him, very nervous. The only sign I ever saw was some chalky white poop the next day! Hope you get the same result.

Romi had his toe off last year due to cancer, and did not need any chemo or radiation afterwards. Hopefully Mercedes has the same type - it does not often metastasize, and if it does it goes to another toe, so there are worse things! Romi was better right away after the surgery, and I would never hesitate to do the same to any greyhound having toe troubles - they do very well afterwards. Just make sure they take the whole toe, and don't leave a flap or a joint, the whole thing needs to come off for a problem free recovery. Scritches to your girlie.

Looks like you've got your answer, I just wanted to compliment you and the quality of the pics - it's not easy taking a picture of a greyhound's gumline lol!

Capstar might be a safer chemical method, it works just for the first 24 hours so it will kill any fleas on your dog, and then be out of her system. For non-chemical methods, we've had success at Camp Greyhound using DE topically on the dogs. Apply carefully, you don't need a ton, and it will dry the coat out a bit. It takes time to work, but it does work. Then vacuum, vacuum, vacuum - 95% of fleas are gotten rid of in the vacuum. Needless to say, frequent bag changes are required, or if you have a deep freeze, pop the bag in a garbage bag and into the freezer overnight.

I would also inquire of a new clinic/vet how they feel about working with other practitioners, if you use them. We rely heavily on our Homeopath, and actually use her quite a bit more than the vet, but sometimes they need to work together. Same goes for the chiropractor.

As always, beautifully done intro, S! I look forward to seeing Poppy again soon!

What a wonderful girlie she was, and what a heartwarming memorial you've written about her. She's in good company at the bridge. Our sympathies on your loss.

The ones we have are awesome, a 10 minute soak and they stay cold for the day. We use them and the greys do too. I suspect the brand makes a difference.

I'll never forget that time you guys were here and you told me that just closing the door may not be enough if there's a small animal inside lol. Last year we lost so many dogs that had a place in my heart. Loca was one of them. I'm sure she's at the bridge with all our angels, getting into all sorts of trouble there, and teaching some new tricks to all the bridgekids.

Batmom's steps have saved my butt countless times, starting with Lou when he dislocated his hip, and to this day Romi is using them to get in and out of the van. They've been going for about 4 years and are still in pretty good shape! I can't say enough good things about them. I did recently end up trimming their width a bit, so they would not take up quite so much room in the vehicle. Thank you so much, Jey!

This is one handsome dog! His nose could rival Romi's!

My boy Romi had his toe off a few years back, he did have squamous cell carcinoma but there's been no more problems. He walks very well without the toe, and in fact as soon as it was off he improved. He was back to himself within a week or two. Hope it's the same situation with your girlie Misty!

I usually treat all skin tears at home, thanks to a vet who showed me how to care for wounds, and also thanks to colloidal silver. We've not had to use antibiotics in years, we just flush initially with silver, and tack with surgical glue in one or two spots if needed, and then spray with silver 4-5 times a day until it's well on it's way to healed. The tears heal up amazingly well. I used a similar protocol when my daughter cut the top of her thumb off, the antibiotics they gave her made her sick, so she used silver and Traumeel, along with a few other homeopathic remedies. Healed up beautifully!

North of Toronto, Ontario - Canada The South Simcoe Greyhound Group (SSGG), active since 2006. We meet at diamonds in between Bradford and Barrie Ontario, 5-10 minutes off the 400. This group is for people owned by retired racing greyhounds. We like to get together weekends to have fun runs and social time. Our usual baseball diamond is at Highway 89 and Highway 11, just north of Bradford, Ontario. We use others in Alcona and sometimes Queensville. Muzzles are mandatory. Timing, location and and number of runs is decided by a weekly poll, and we use Yahoo Groups to communicate. To join our group go here and apply: South Simcoe Greys

Sending many prayers for you and Biscuit.

I've lost 2 of my hounds, the first was Cody back in April of 2004. He was only 6 and it was quite a shock, he went down in the backyard and bled to death in my arms. The support I received here at GT got me through that horrible time, and spending time with the other hounds, along with the passage of time was what helped me. We recently lost Lou back in October, he was almost 12 and very ill when he passed, but it was still really hard. I still miss him and the pain is rather fresh at this point, but I know now that spending time with other greyhound lovers, along with my other hounds, will help soften the pain and time will do the rest. I hope in time that you're able to soften the pain so that you just remember your pupper with love, and not loss.

I'm sorry to hear this news, Joanne. Shadow will be missed. Run Free at the bridge, sweet boy.

Run free, sweet Pablo, with all our beautiful bridge kids.

Personally I'd remove the bandage and wait a while to see if it went down. Unless it's hot to the touch and painful, it's not infected.

Great news, about the hematoma and the new vet's billling procedures!