GreytNut

She'll be just fine... but now you have a cookie monster on your hands. You'll never again eat an Oreo in peace.

Raven has had the same issue for a couple of years now and DES has kept it managed. She gets it twice weekly and has had no accidents since. The vet said DES is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than Proin, but that if it's given more than twice weekly it can increase the risk of cancers such as osteosarcoma. Fortunately we haven't needed a higher dose, and it's made everyone happier here.

He wants to try Rimadyl on him for the arthritis in his hips. He didn't mention Wobbler's Syndrome causing nerve pain, although it makes sense that it might. Riley really doesn't seem to be in pain except for some stiffness in his hind end and flinching when his hips were manipulated. He seems happy and bouncy... and clumsy. The vet didn't mention a diagnostic MRI, he just stated that Riley's symptoms were "classic Wobbler's." I don't know if there is a veterinary MRI machine available in this area. We might have to go to a specialist out of state for that.

I've noticed something not quite right about Riley almost from day one. When he runs and plays in the yard his back end is stiff almost like an older dog with arthritis in its hips. Aside from that, he's really clumsy. His legs fly everywhere when he runs and he sometimes falls down when he tries to make a turn. He's only 3, and he retired at 18 months without ever having officially raced. I mentioned this to the vet today when he went in for his annual exam. The vet determined that he did have arthritis in his hips, most likely from an old injury sustained in training. We'll see if Rimadyl helps with that. If it does he'll be on that indefinitely. But the clumsiness/falling down is due to Wobbler's Syndrome. He says Riley has a very mild case of it, and that it may never progress beyond that unless he suffers a spinal injury at some point which exacerbates it. At that point he would treat the symptoms with steroids but there's no real cure for Wobbler's. Usually it affects Dobermans, but he has seen a couple of greyhounds with it. Does anyone else have a dog with Wobbler's Syndrome? What are your thoughts and experiences?

If your dog is food-motivated, try this: Get a turnout muzzle with a poop cup. Smear creamy peanut butter all over the inside of the cup. Then Dremel or clip while your dog lies on his bed happily licking peanut butter out of the muzzle. It will keep him occupied and it will keep you from getting bitten. This is the method I use with Riley. He is baaaaaad about having his nails done.

Wow, I'm sorry! I was beginning to hope Charlie would defy the odds and go on to live to the ripe old age of 17, the way he bounced around happily on three legs like he hadn't a care in the world. He kept on doing just that long after the odds said he should have succumbed. He was a tough cookie and a real inspiration.

1/2 of a large milkbone (1st ingredient wheat) is around 65 calories. A piece of bread is usually 70 - 100. A slice of any bread I've seen is less than 125 calories which would be a whole milkbone. I'm remembering Tiny, who came from the prison dog program at 125 lbs. and was so fat that he couldn't walk without gasping. The culprit was waaaay too much bread. The inmates found out that he loved it, and they smuggled it to him at every opportunity. He was a classic example of "don't overdo it."

I don't think bread offers any particular nutritional benefit to dogs and some dogs are allergic to wheat (like Raven), but it's OK to occasionally feed a little bit as a treat or to hide a pill as long as your dog tolerates it. But... if you feed them too much of it they get fat very, very fast.

It could be that your dog has an allergy to something besides just chicken in his food. The most common culprits are wheat, barley, soy and to a lesser extent corn. Can your vet perform an allergy test to aid you in finding a food that will agree with him?

I use the double-ended tooth scaler from Drs. Foster & Smith. I think it was under $10. It has blunt edges so it shouldn't be as apt to scratch the enamel as a sharper tool, but you still want to use a gentle touch.

Another vote for charley horse. Argus scared the poo out of me and DH one night when he came out of a dead sleep shrieking and crying. He limped around for a couple of minutes, then he was fine and went back to sleep.

Dogs do not require grains to be healthy. Raven has a violent allergy to wheat. It makes her projectile vomit. So we'd been feeding wheat-free for years. About a year ago we tried Taste of the Wild, which is completely grain-free, just to see how they did on it. They loved it and thrived on it. In fact Raven has been able to go off her joint supplements. I suspect that she had a low-grade allergy to grains other than just wheat, and that they were causing inflammation in her joints. She's 12 years old and has no arthritis whatsoever, whereas a year ago she moved like a stiff old lady. FWIW, Raven's dramatic results inspired me to go grain-free as well. And I'll be danged if my own joint inflammation didn't go away. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

I have never fed my seniors (either dogs or cats) differently than my younger guys. If necessary I add supplements. Currently my 12 year old girl is eating a high quality kibble with fish oil, same as my 3 year old boy. She is pickier in her old age so I add in stuff like spoonfuls of canned food to entice her to eat. No additional supplementation. I did give her a joint supplement, but since we switched to a grain-free kibble she has been moving easier and I was able to stop that. She's doing great and her coat is soft and shiny. She still does mad zoomies in the yard, too!

The first time he counter surfed was probably just curiosity. Then he got rewarded for his efforts. Now he's a food-seeking missile. To give you an idea of how determined they can be, Tiny was able to steal a loaf of bread from the top of the refrigerator. I have no idea how. I just came in to see him dragging the loaf across the floor toward his bed. The only real fix is to put all food, dishes, wrappers, etc. where they are completely inaccessible. You may have to hide stuff in the microwave, or put child locks on your cabinets (even the upper ones, if you have a real hardhead). And if you have a genius like my first hound Argus, you may find it necessary to bungee-cord the refrigerator door. I now have a fridge with recessed handles which are nearly impossible for a mouth to grasp and pull, as well as a locking trash can.

We avoid close encounters with other dogs that we don't know well. You really never know what's going to happen. Riley has a low BS tolerance, and I don't want him hurting a dog (or getting hurt). Another dog once tried to mount him and he responded by ripping off part of its ear. Now we just steer clear. It sounds like your guy may not be safe with little dogs. I'd certainly be cautious.

My guess is that it has to do with her vision. She already doesn't see well, and when the light begins to diminish her sight becomes that much worse. After a while she adjusts to the change and relaxes again.

You made the right choice. As hard as it was and is to let her go, you must put your kids and your other hound first, and also consider the future of this dog. If she is aggressive with kids and other dogs, placing her in a house with kids and other dogs is setting her up for failure. The right home for her is out there and she will find it. It's hard.... I had to return a hound when it became clear that she was unhappy in my house and that my other dog absolutely hated her. But she went to a home where she was the only spoiled princess, and we found another hound who was a perfect match. Your perfect match is out there too.

I would explain that you're worried that your dog may harm their cat, and suggest that they put the cat in a safe room during your visit. It is not rude. I always put my kitties in the bedroom when someone brings their dogs over. Even a dog that's safe with a familiar cat might not be safe with strange cats... especially those like Evita, who is a yowler and has a tendency to make quick darting movements. She's irresistible to any dog with an ounce of prey drive (I even have to watch Riley closely around her). Putting the cats in their room is not a big bother and it keeps them safe.

I tried it after Raven went on another of her hunger strikes and it's got her eating again. She vacuums up her food like a little Hoover. Her weight is improving and her coat looks great after about a week of using it. Just a teaspoon does the trick. Riley loves it too, though he doesn't need any extra enticement to eat.

I have to recommend coconut oil now. I had some in the cupboard and threw a teaspoon into my super-picky eater Raven's food. She cleaned her bowl. Next meal we tried it again, and she cleaned her bowl once more. She's starting to gain weight again after one of her hunger strikes and looks great.

Nope, all of the grass is deader than a doornail right now. I don't think he ate anything in the yard.

Riley and Raven played in the yard for a bit this afternoon. A few zoomies, nothing too extreme. On the way back in I noticed Riley was giving a dry, hacking coughing sound every few minutes. This has persisted for about 20 minutes so far... just occasional hack here and there. He's never exhibited this problem after playtime, even after running harder than he did today. What causes this?

Canned cat food, the stinkier the better. Also hot dogs, all beef and with as few additives as possible. When Argus had osteo hot dogs were the last thing he would still eat.

The prickly mats with the plastic nubs are called X Mats. Those might also be worth looking into, if you're wary of using an electrical deterrent (especially near a wet area such as a sink). I don't think people were picking on you about your housekeeping skills. The point is that if one leaves anything within reach--whether it's dishes, defrosting meat, a loaf of bread or whatever--it is likely to be too tempting for a food-motivated dog to ignore. Once they've gotten something they'll keep looking for more since they've been previously rewarded for their efforts. It's known as a "self-rewarding behavior" and it can be difficult to stop even with deterrents. I've learned through hard experience to be fanatical about keeping the sink and counters cleared of anything I don't want to lose... alas. Riley is my current counter-surfer, though Tiny was so accomplished that he could get things from the top of the refrigerator.

Mine don't mount. It's something I would discourage, though. Some dogs react very badly to being mounted. The lurcher down the street once tried to mount Riley, and Riley responded by tearing off part of his ear.