RhodyGreys

Bull passed quietly and safely to the Bridge tonight, surrounded by people who loved him, looking into my eyes, free forever from the horrible pain of bone cancer. I will love and miss by Bull, my Wooly-Bully, my Boo-dog forever. The First Time I Loved Forever - A Slide Tribute for Bull

I'm so sorry. I too had a diagnosis of a possible soft tissue injury/partial CCL tear. We didn't do x-rays 4 weeks ago, and in just 4 weeks, Bull's bone is almost hollow. His is in the right rear leg in the lower femur. I hope you get many more days to enjoy Tarmac. When I got home tonight it has become obvious to me that Bull is in pain. So quickly -- just a day or two ago he was still trying to chase squirrels. Now he's struggling to get comfortable lying down. I will up his tramadol dose and I have set our final appointment for 4:30 EST Friday. Please know that you are in my thoughts. It's never easy. Bull's 9th Birthday would be Saturday. I got him when he was 4, almost 5, so just over 4 years together. Still not enough. I'm grateful to have had the four years, though. The more you love, the bigger your heart gets, even if you lose a few pieces along the way.

Well, it appears to have been Nico. Most of the foil has come up or out... he's not blocked and after tossing his proverbial cookies very early this morning and leaving an extremely shiny pile, seems to be feeling just fine. No stomach tenderness, no unusual behavior now. So, I am going to keep an eye on him, but I think the worst is over. I am not, however, going to lay out the foil to check and see how much has been "reassembled". It's all in very tiny pieces. Thanks for your responses, everyone, and your concern.

My vet gave me advice to use Preparation H on Ringo's pads when he took the skin off all four feet on his 1 mile escape run back in 2002. It worked wonders, as it is numbing and apparently has properties that help with granulation. Won't hurt him to lick a little but I did keep Ringo's feet covered in baby socks with a non-stick gauze pad in the bottom of the foot so that the goo wouldn't soak into the sock and dry up right away. Instead of tape or velcro, I used a narrow piece of vet wrap at the top of the sock to hold it in place.

I don't know who. Could have been any one or more than one of five greyhounds. I baked a steak in a 7x11 pan Thursday and used a piece of foil below and one above. Hounds have never opened the trash before (it has a closed top and is stuck behind a table and chairs, where I thought they couldn't get it - ha!). I came home after 2+ hours out today and found the trash tipped over, coffee grounds everywhere, and one of the two pieces of foil gone. The one not eaten was the top piece which had little grease on it. The bottom piece was full of grease (as my floor and their bed will attest). I suspect that whoever ate it took their time and chewed it into tiny pieces, based on the large, greasy wet spot on the dog bed. It could also have been several someones. I don't really think I should bring them all to the vet at this stage, although some of the things I've heard about aluminum foil consumption make me worry. In total, the flat sheet would have been about 8 inches by 13 or 14 inches. Just watch them? Feed them bread? Call the vet? I will know not to put smelly things like that in the indoor trash anymore. I know it was tempting, didn't even think about it, honestly.

Have to tell you, my newest, Nico (Nicholas), apparently has had issues with skin infections before and does the same looking like something bit him, looking into the air, snapping at imaginary flies routine. They look SO much alike. I really have to wonder if there's something hereditary going on, although I haven't had him long enough to know if he loses hair when he has skin issues... I will watch your information, it might be really helpful to me too! Good luck to Fallon.

So, we have a guest this week - Heath - who belongs to another GTer. Five dogs has been, umm, interesting but mostly manageable. This morning Heath was helping me put the food in the dog bowls, and was very interested in the canned food I was adding. So was Nico. Nico approached and Heath turned on him without warning. Thankfully I was able to use the Voice of God and get them separated. I didn't see anything at first, and definitely nothing on Heath, but poor Nico showed up in the kitchen 5 minutes later with a big blood spot on his upper lip. Yeah, you guessed it, bite mark.. and it went all the way through the lip. I have antibiotics on hand, and it has stopped bleeding (it didn't bleed much, but it did bleed). I cleaned it with a mild betadine solution. It's one puncture, and not swelling so far: not sure what a vet could do that I haven't/can't. Any suggestions I haven't thought of? <sigh> I feel like the Patriots here: everybody's hurt. Well, not everybody, but last night I noticed that Heath had a little scab right in the front corner of his right eye. I'm pretty sure that it came from: a. a branch outside or b. someone's toenail, since all FIVE have taken to sleeping in the study behind me. Sort of like peas in a pod. He's not squinting, but he has worried it (rubbing his face on a blanket): what can I use that close to an eye? Any ointment? Again, have cleaned it with mild betadine. I post the least here in H&M, but here I am. Thankfully, nothing dreadful.

Rhode Island (20 mins. south of Providence) No small furries here, and fenced yard. I do work 9-5, but sometimes have help with a turnout mid-day and am trying to make that more regular. I have 3 of of my own: Ringo, 11; Chickie, 9; and Bull, 8. Willing to take up to 3, length of time negotiable. Would be very interested in some type of trade, as well, as I have a few days/possibly a long weekend before the end of the year when I'll be away. PM me with any questions.

Bonnie -- Even after amputation for osteo, our Stretch did develop edema in his remaining rear leg as a sign of the osteo progression. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. We had two greyhounds with osteo, on in 2000 (Lucky) and one in 2004 (Stretch). Both times we chose to amputate, so I can't even imagine how hard it is to manage with the affected leg still present. Remember, Coby knows how much you love him: that's never in doubt. Big hugs here from southern RI.

Thank you for showing Warrior his forever home, and love. Whether it's two months or 6 years, it's never enough.

Geordie had a stroke this morning, possibly with some other underlying issues. But, he could not walk, could not focus his eyes, and was terrified. It was time to let him run at the Bridge. He was a true prince, my gentleman, a loving soul, a champion. I will miss his quiet presence, but I couldn't ask him to go on under those circumstances. He went on his own terms, front end sitting up, head propped on my arm, with a caring vet who has a greyhound of his own. The vet kept saying over and over "It's ok, brave boy." And it is, indeed, ok. It was a peaceful passing. I miss you my King. Long live the King in my heart.

You know, I was going to post something just like this earlier today. I am going through the same thing (well, not quite the same, but the same basic issue) with Geordie, my beloved King of Greytalk. The move took so much out of him. He has never been plump, but he has clearly lost weight, and despite high-dose glucosamine & MSM, he seems to be wasting away. His teeth are atrocious, but he has a significant heart murmur, and at his age (14) it is a catch 22 as to whether I take the risk to anesthetize him or take the risk of his teeth being bad. Right now we're trying antibiotic pulse therapy with him (1 week on, 2 weeks off) but he won't eat anything "extra" this week, other than hard treats, so I can't start the next cycle of antibiotics. Just over a month ago, right after the move, I posted about his birthday, thrilled that he was in such good shape. He had a real major setback this week when the fat balls I made to put some weight on him (and Ringo, who at 11 just seems to have gotten "old dog skinny" after the move) made him sick to his stomach. He refused a meal for the first time in years. Now, when he walks, it's almost like he's stumbling (drunk?) a little. He turns up his nose at many tasty morsels (even cheese!). He's not depressed and can still get up, but I feel like I am seeing a concentration camp victim. I will have the vet run a blood panel, as I am highly suspicious of some kidney disease. I also can't tell whether he might be limping just a little on one back leg. He just moves so slowly, plodding almost. Two weeks ago he ran in the yard. Now he's just slow. He's back to eating just fine, but it seems to me he's just going through the motions. He's not incontinent, he gets up, he eats. But I don't see much joy. It breaks my heart. Know that I am thinking of all of you going through the same thing... and please hope that I have the wisdom to know when it's one day too soon. I don't want to wait until one day too late, but I don't want to send an old dog who is not sick to the Bridge.

Thirteen years should be a good long time. It feels like just a moment, a blink of an eye. Shae-Leigh, I remember when you were called Dee Dee, and when we first met you at the adoption kennel. You were pressed against the back of your crate, and then my step-daughter, age three, crawled right in with you and you kissed her and stepped out, looking hesitantly at me. You were shiny and black and ran with your back feet up in the air like a jackrabbit, and you quietly fit right in. You were always a little scared though, my darling, after what your first adopters did to you (turned you out of the house in the middle of a snowstorm so that you had to crawl under a neighbor's porch for days for shelter). Michelle's 11 now, and she will miss you terribly. Shae (short for Shadow, Leigh to rhyme with Dee) was never a crowd hound and relied on the boy hounds in our house to protect her. The only complaint we ever heard from her was on the day we brought Ringo and Geordie home and she snapped and snarled. Otherwise she was sweet, and cute, and a chow hound, and the dawdler who wanted to stay out in the back of the yard until the last moment. She had fur like a bunny, but thick, thick and soft, until the months near the end. We watched her face go from mostly black to thin and frail and white. We watched her feet knuckle under from arthritis. We watched her dignity disappear. Today, at 12:40 p.m., Shae went to join her brothers Lucky, Cooper, Dustin, and Stretch at the Bridge. It was a very easy passing, and Shae didn't even get up when my vet walked into the room. My my vet consoled me: it was more than likely kidney failure, or cancer, and Shae had most definitely left behind any good days at all. I miss my baby, my marshmallow girl who was scared of everything. Yet, I don't feel at all guilty anymore: it was the right thing to do, neither a day too soon nor a day too late. Eternal Sleep for Shae-Leigh, December 18, 2007 On your last day, you laid your head On the softest blanket, and I said She's ready to tread where the angels tread Though I want to keep her here instead. On your last day, you met my eyes Told me you were ready to say goodbye Without fuss or fight or the smallest cry Your spirit went soaring into the sky. On your last day, you ate a meal You ate with gusto, you ate with zeal Big brown eyes turned on me to steal My heart again, in a moment so real... On your last day, you took a stroll I could see how the years had taken a toll Through the coat you shivered, my only goal Became your comfort, though it tore my soul. You sniffed the wind, you ate your food You did everything you thought you should But nothing more, then you lay down to sleep Your sleep was peaceful, your sleep was deep... I saw your legs twitch while you snoozed in the sun And I knew all you wanted to do was run From your failing body, to soar with the stars: What a gift were those last moments of ours. You gave us the sweetest, most loving years: I will miss being able to stroke your ears I will miss being able to calm your fears I will miss being able to dry my tears. I will miss every day that we do not share, But I know that someday, I will meet you there At the Rainbow Bridge, at heaven's gate. No matter the years that you have to wait. Don't worry dear girl, I will keep you safe Here in my heart, in a sheltered place. © 2007 m.e. holderbaum

We'll get some pictures, I promise, but we've been very busy. I guess I better let all the little needlenoses get a word in, or else they're going to take over the computer altogether... Geordie: I do most greatly enjoy my blanket, and the Trudy's treats were incomparable. My thanks, kind lady. Shae Leigh: Oh my, we do thank you. The fleece is suitable for the royal person. A lady of my age is also entitled to fabulous sweets. Ringo: Stuffee! Treet! Stuffee! Treet! Wow. Wow. Mom smells good two. Thankee, thankee, I lub my stuffees! An my treets! Bull: Smells gud, ebberyting smells gud. I will sleep wit da stufees an' protect 'em. I habz eeten all da treets all reddy. Nits an' roos!

We just got our notice from the post offfice that both our secret santa packages await (they won't leave them at the mailbox)... I will be sending my husband-elf by tomorrow to pick up the packages!

An Ode to Santa (composed by Mr. Geordie G. Mann Holderbaum) We were sleeping and resting, and resting and sleeping The beds and the couches, from escape we were keeping. When what to our wondering eyes should appear But a slip from the postman: your package is here! My sister and I, we were off like a shot, Then we came to the door: well, shucks, I forgot. Mom or Dad has to drive to retrieve our first gift So appealing, and soulful, our eyes we did lift. "Yes Geordie, yes Shae-Leigh" Mom said with a smile We're headed there now, we'll be back in a while. Great joy was shared, I heard Shae cry "Leapin' Lizards!" Thanks, Santa, for the Simply Treats, especially those with gizzards!

Ahh, an Evil Elf, all to myself: Chances are the answers are all below, but ask again if there's more you need to know! What is your very favorite color of toe nail polish? Dark red Have either of the boys ever caught a squirrel? Bull has caught a squirrel, Ringo has helped catch a rabbit but once he figured out it was living, he backed off! I need you to post NAKED pictures of both Bull & Ringo here! Ringo Bull What are the boys favorite treats - Does Bull really eat Bully Bones? Both are VERY food motivated and will eat just about anything (except Ringo won't eat the BARF diet, tho we've tried!) Bull *will* eat Bully sticks (so will Ringo). Bull LOVES popcorn, and veggies and fruit too. Ringo's more a "standard treat" kind of dog, though he adores pizza. Are Collars and Man Jewelry Ok - or are they both more the Manly Bandana Types? Collars and man-jewelry are fine! They are very secure in their dog-hood hounds. What are your favorite Hobbies? Online gaming (World of Warcraft currently); reading; writing; just got into biking; crafts and decorative painting; all things Welsh. Does Ringo play the drums? We have never let him try but I am sure he'd be all too happy to! How long are Bull's ears? Not really long, sadly. Are you a coffee or tea drinker (and do you spike them in cold weather?) Coffee for me, tea for hubby, and I will spike my coffee at night, in particular. We've also been known to spike hot chocolate. Which Pup has the better sense of humor? Ringo has a much better sense of humor. Bull is a little too paranoid. Do you like BIG purses? Unfortunately, no, I am trying to keep my purses small. Big purses seem to be the curse of women in my family. Stuffies ... Squeekers or Grunters? Grunters get far more attention around here! Do the boys have nicknames & what are they? Oh, my, yes, quite a variety. Ringo is Thing1 and Bull is Thing2. Or "It" and It2", because if we use any variety of either name when talking about them, they will hear and they will come running. Ringo is also Thingo; Ring-a-ding-a-ding-dog; Ring-a-ling; Dingo; BbbRrrrrrringo (like the old fashioned phone ring?) oh and slut-dog, as he's 'roached 50% of the time. Bull is Bull-o-nee; Bull-it; Bully; and Bull-dude. and last - but not least .... Do you have a Belly Button ring? No. It took me until I was 20 to get my ears pierced the first time, and 24 the second. No other piercings, but I do have a greyhound tattoo!

Yes, I have a wierd allergy. Eggplant. Please no eggplant souffle, Santa.

What is your favourite:- Colour Periwinkle or cornflower blue Savoury food Sushi, anything thai (peanut sauce in particular), anything with squash, pumpkin, carrot Chocolate Minstrels, galaxy, or, in the good old USA, chocolate covered cherries or raspberry filled Cookie pecan sandies...chocolate chip...anything home-made Stuff to put in the bath I hardly ever use the tub, I don't have time :-/ Anything anti-dry skin Stuff to use in the shower Gels -- honeysuckle, jasmine, rose Smell After a rainstorm, rain, grass Scented candle Apple pie, rainstorm, coffee, sunflowers, rose Photograph of your dog(s)? Type of jewellery I love beaded necklaces, really have found myself with larger pieces. Need earrings to match. Love seasonal jewelry too. Style of ornament Old-fashioned or whimsical, my tree is a hodge podge of ornaments that mean something, or are from somewhere specific (like Boston, Providence, the Smithsonian, etc.) Style of festive decoration Lots of lights, outside decorations more than inside Television programme (present) Dr. Who, Torchwood, Eureka, Ghost Hunters, Dirty Jobs, Heroes, Stargate:Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica Television programme (past) Stargate, Forever Knight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Type of reading material (inc authors if appropriate) Eclectic and wide ranging -- John Connolly, Susan Cooper, Ursula LeGuin, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Karin Slaughter, Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Douglas Adams, Charlotte & Emily Bronte, Shakespeare, Owen Wister, Stephen King, C.S. Lewis

Welcome! Croeso! I spent a semester in Wales at Trinity College in Carmarthen, and have always wanted to go back. I hope you enjoy Greytalk and am always happy to meet someone else who has fallen in love with greyhounds!

There are QUITE a few Gable Dodge pups out there: Bull is one of them (Deco Bullahead). He doesn't look a whole lot like his dad, but more like several of his grandsires. Bull sends his condolences.

Fighting Shadows by m.e. holderbaum He is mine. I will shine the light of faith and hope On the shadow of death, Creeping now in the twilight at the edge of sight. On indrawn breath, I count the measured beat of this brave heart, Knowing that someday we will have to part, But not tonight! Am I selfish to chase away the dark? His face seems angular in dusky tones, Yet I am not prepared to walk alone... Or, not alone, with others by my side The stinging touch of grief is not as far As I might like. No flowers grow in dusty patterns here: Please grant me one more day, a month, a year. Am I asking for too much? What happens when he isn't there to touch, To lift his muzzle to the sky And sing, and sing, a hollow, hallowed cry? He is mine. Just for now. Just in this time. We cannot choose except to say Today. Today is dark with tears, But free of pain, companion, Will you rise and walk with me again? In moonlight valleys touched by stars and flowers, We beg for months, for days, or even hours. Then free, they spring like lightening to the arc: Chasing the shadows far beyond the pale. So when we mourn, we find that in its course The night sky thunders forth, "You did not fail. Your love has conquered shadows. He is yours." In memory of Stretch, when he wasn't quite ready to go yet (Ranch Stretch, 3/21/1995 - 10/7/2004 - osteosarcoma)

Welcome, Cris -- I'm glad I could refer you here to Greytalk, and sorry about the circumstances under which we had to meet. I feel like the best possible matchmaker getting you and Heather to chat about Head Knocker (Duncan)! For reference, here's Duncan, as taken from Greyhound Data: Head Knocker's Greyhound Data

I can't believe it has been five years since I lay on the floor next to you and stroked your face and knew it was time. Five years since you looked up at me in fear when you saw the needle, then acceptance as it entered your vein. Five years since I told you I was sorry that I couldn't afford more extreme measures, but it was cancer, and you were hurting, and I couldn't fix you. Five years since I lost my wonder puppy, my bounce-back, my angel. We were fated to be together, you and I. Five years ago today, I let go of my handsome Char Super, my Cooper Dog. My goofy boy, my Crown Prince/Clown Prince. I still miss him every day. Memoriam Veritas As you slip beyond the clouds of memory, Know this final gift has cost my heart. No greater loss, no misery, no tragedy Could pierce my soul with depth no words can chart. You lived to love, and gave us pure devotion, No less devotion can I then return Though thinking of you now brings mixed emotions, And causes tears of grief to form and burn. My prince, my true companion in adventures, I set you free to soar on winds of change. I cannot hold you back, nor can I censure The pain that carves a scar which will remain. Forever, love, run free of pain and sorrow, I'll dream of you each night for all my years. And if my end should come next year, tomorrow I'll run to meet you, blinded by my tears. As you slip beyond the clouds of memory, Look back once so that you may remember me... ©2001 m.e. holderbaum Thank you, Xan, for the portrait...

It has been 4.5 years since my Cooper, my heart hound, went to the Bridge: almost 5 years since we lost Lucky, 8 years since we lost Heidi, 4 years since we lost Dustin, and 1.5 years since we lost Stretch. I've written two, maybe three, poems for Cooper. I still find it hard to write things for him, but it's almost as if I could still reach out and touch the grief. So, I find myself posting this poem: I wrote it this morning. If it helps just one other person, just a little, it has done its job. At the End of the World It feels like my world has ended: Stopped spinning, standing so still. They tell me my heart will be mended, But I'm not so sure that it will... It feels like my life is a desert: Dry and barren and shimmering with heat. The loss that I suffered, unmeasured, Flows like water, just out of my reach. It feels like I'll never know laughter Without bearing the guilt for my smiles. Today, and in all the days after, I only seek peace, not denial. I could never forget the sweet pleasure Of my hands passing over your head: Like velvet, but now and forever I hold tight to the memories instead. In this house, even shadows remind me And I sleep where your warm form once curled, With your collar and blanket beside me: Yes, tonight it's the end of the world. The only saving grace I see, Which helps to guide me through: Is the fact that you belonged to me And I belonged to you. © 2006 M.E. Holderbaum