GreytNut

I don't leave the cats and dogs together unsupervised at all. When we're not able to supervise, the cats stay in the bedroom. Then we don't have to worry. We probably could have left the cats unsupervised with Argus and Raven, and possibly with Tiny. But accidents happen and I prefer to err on the side of caution. I would never in a million years leave the cats unsupervised with Riley. He is fine with the cats when we are around and watchful. He would not be fine with them if there were no humans to keep him in check. We also have a dog door, which is a game changer. A dog that is cat safe indoors is not necessarily cat safe outdoors (Argus was a big example) and my kitties would find their way out the door and into the yard in no time flat.

Raven likes to have us in sight at all times but she's not really all that touchy feely. She just needs to keep tabs on us. Riley likes to make physical contact a lot. He follows us around and occasionally does the leaning/rubbing like a cat routine. He is particularly attentive when one of is in the Magic Food Room, a.k.a. the kitchen. Raven gets really wigged out when we're home but she can't see us. Riley is more self-assured and is OK as long as we aren't out of sight too long. Both of them will run to the window and look out when we leave the house. Every hound I've ever had has thought that the bathroom was trying to eat us and couldn't bear to be shut out of it for a private moment.

Many dogs will growl if disturbed during sleep. If he's knocked out he's forgotten that it's you he's snuggling with. He just feels someone moving him or touching him during sleep. Riley does this a lot with Raven. He'll let her crawl into his bed and snuggle with him, and then when he's deeply asleep he'll snarl at her if he feels her move. She just gets up and scoots away from him. He might not be ready for couch snuggling yet.

That looks like a dog fight waiting to happen. Hester looks like he's about 2 seconds away from tearing into that Vizsla. I know you aren't worried about Hester getting away from you off leash, but you might strongly consider not letting him off leash around other dogs since he doesn't play well with others. Since you are aware of the potential problem it would seem prudent to nip it in the bud. Riley is the same way. He exhibits exactly the same reactive posture around unfamiliar dogs and has zero tolerance for bad manners. For that reason I don't consider him dog park material. He would likely end up in a fight. He has a small group of dogs that he knows and plays well with, and other than that I try to keep him away from other dogs. He's too tightly wound and I don't want to risk injury to him or to someone else's dog. A neighbor's dog did once try to hump him and he tore off part of its ear. The other dog was behaving badly and could arguably have been asking for it but I don't want a repeat. You can still take Hester places and have fun with him, I just wouldn't advise allowing interactions with strange dogs... especially off leash where you can't quickly or safely intervene if things go sour.

Have used regular table sugar and it works very well. I have used raw honey too and it also does a great job.

I did a lot of comparison shopping to try to find the best deal online. There are not very many places to choose from. Mypetcarnivore.com had the best prices, both on the product and on the shipping because they were closer. There was a wholesaler with killer prices on organic turkey necks but they don't sell to individuals, only retailers. There was also a place out of Texas that looked really good, but they were more expensive. Not so much on the product but the shipping was really high. That was reelrawdog.com. Looks like really nice stuff and depending on where in the country someone is located Reel Raw's prices might be competitive with My Pet Carnivore. ETA: In the Austin, TX area Reel Raw will deliver orders to a customer's door for free. Wow!

In moderation they're fine (going overboard will cause diarrhea). I give my crew blueberries as little treats sometimes. They love strawberries too.

Hydrogen peroxide poured right down the gullet will make a dog vomit red white and blue. But it sounds like you were correct in this instance in just having your mom take him to the vet ASAP considering he swallowed a large object. Please let us know how it works out!

Wow, big success! The necks were partially thawed after 14 hours. I started prying them apart with a butter knife and stashing them into gallon Ziploc freezer bags, all neatly corralled in a freezer basket. DH was doubtful, but I'm glad we got a really huge chest freezer so we can store stuff like that. I gave Riley a whole neck, one of the smaller ones. He'd never had one before, but he sure knew what to do with it. I made him eat it on a towel. He put that sucker away in less than 10 minutes. First he licked it like a popsicle and then he chowed down, happily crunching and slurping. I looked at his teeth afterwards, and about half of the plaque that had started to form on his back molars where it's hard to reach was gone. After just 1 turkey neck! Of course, then he pestered me while I was prying and packaging the rest of the necks, graciously offering to "help."

OK, I bought a giant Rubbermaid tote and will stick the bag in there to partially thaw. I could do it gradually over several days in the garage as it rarely gets a whole lot above freezing in there in the winter, but I'm impatient and am going to stick the tote in the bathtub. I will have to try the PVC pipe cutter idea. I was wondering if one of those things was too much at a time. I'm sure Riley wouldn't think it was a problem, but those necks are about a pound each. Alas, poor little Raven will have to be content with a soft squishy treat of some kind, on account of only having a few teeth left and those being slated for removal. We are hoping that regular feeding of these turkey necks will help Riley avoid her fate.

I've been wanting to give Riley turkey necks, but haven't been able to find any in South Dakota. I finally broke down and ordered a 30 lb. box of them from My Pet Carnivore.com. For the most part I was pleased with the service. The package got here when it was supposed to, everything was still frozen, and the necks are absolutely huge. But... it apparently didn't occur to them to individually wrap the necks. I have a 30 lb. solid block of turkey necks, all wrapped around each other into an impenetrable mass. What is the easiest way to separate them? Do I really have to thaw the whole lot? Gahhhhhh! P.S. - Is it best to feed them frozen, partially frozen or thawed?

My dogs have never gone over the 4 ft chain link, but other neighborhood dogs have jumped into my yard. This could have ended badly but fortunately there were no fights... they were familiar and just came to play with my dogs.

Talk about system failure! So I guess we humans shouldn't always bet our safety on a dog's Spidey senses, even if they are often right. They make mistakes just like people do. I wonder if maybe your bad guy came into the house without nasty intentions but changed his mind later. I can see how they might be able to judge a person based on scent, appearance and body language. But I'm still stumped as to how they would do it from behind a closed door. It does seem almost like a sixth sense.

Riley loves it when people come to the door. It doesn't matter who it is. If the doorbell rings that dog is all gleeful, wriggling exuberance. He can't wait to see who it is and offer himself for petting. He has never met anyone he didn't love. Except for today. The doorbell rang and Riley scrambled up and ran for the door as usual. But then he stopped about six feet from the door and stood still. The hackles went up on his back. He curled his lips back in a snarl and let out the ugliest growl I've ever heard. It made my blood run cold. He stood staring fixedly at the door, alternately barking and growling. I decided not to open the door. Eventually the person went away. But I was scared and jumpy for the rest of the day. So this makes me wonder.... Can dogs really tell if someone is a "bad" person? I mentioned it to a neighbor and she said that "When dogs hate a person it means they have a defect of the soul." That was a more poetic version of what I was thinking. But how the heck would they be able to tell if a person was bad news from behind a closed door? Then again, maybe Riley just had a bad day and scared the bejeebers out of an unfortunate Girl Scout.

Years ago I was a die-hard Canidae fanatic. I fed it to my hounds and fed Felidae to my cats. Thought it was the best food in the world. First they sharply raised their prices while cutting the bag size by 10 pounds over the course of several months... in 2 pound increments, so that hopefully we wouldn't notice the Incredible Shrinking Bag trick. Then they changed their formula to add more grains, i.e. millet. The dogs were hungry all the time, they had soft orange poo and Tiny turned into a poop eater. I left Canidae and never looked back. Things may have changed since then, but I'm done with Canidae.

I gave Riley a split elk antler and he went bonkers over it. He took it to his bed for a marathon chewing session and did a surprising amount of damage to it. The hard outer shell is intact but some of the "marrow" is gone. Still, I think it will last a few months now that he's gotten over it a bit and only works on it for about half an hour at a time. Today I got him another elk antler, but this one is not split so the innards will be harder for him to get out. I plan to alternate the two for variety. The kind we get is a fat 6 to 8 inch piece with the rough edges sanded off for safety. It runs about $16 but I think it's worth the investment. We easily spend twice that for a month's supply of CET chews and these will last longer.

Mine occasionally eat dirt. They have been known to murder defenseless potted houseplants for their soil. They prefer the bagged stuff over what's in the yard.

There was no option for "slightly underweight," so I went with starving. But she isn't starving it all... she really only needs a few pounds to be in perfect condition. You don't want to go too far the other way. A fat greyhound is an uncomfortable greyhound.

Bring your questions to your adoption rep so they can either put your mind at ease about the hound they've selected or match you with a different dog. If they know exactly what you're looking for they can make the best match. They want both you and the hound to be happy with each other. FWIW, greyhounds have been the easiest breed I've ever owned. I grew up with Labs, German Shepherds, Shelties and terrier mixes. Compared to all of the above greyhounds are quiet, clean, mellow, laid-back and low maintenance. They do have individual quirks like any animal, and can have behavioral issues like any animal. You only read about the problems on the Training and Behavior forum because the people who aren't having problems aren't posting about not having problems. Greyhounds are no less loving than other breeds, but they do have a different and more low-key way of showing it. They don't usually jump all over you and lick you to death. They don't smother you. They just like to be where you are. They come over for petting and snuggling every so often, but most of the time they're content to watch their person and see what you're doing. Many of them will follow you around the house. Some like to curl up on the couch with you (my big boy Tiny tried to be a lap dog and failed miserably, but never gave up trying). Some are content to be on their bed across the room, keeping a watchful eye to make sure you don't get eaten by the couch cushions. If you're used to being knocked over and slobbered on by a hyperactive Labrador it might seem that they don't love you. They do... they're just more polite about it. All of my hounds have been easy to train. They are eager to please. Most of them aren't on the same level as a Border Collie, but they are pretty smart and they figure out what you want from them as long as you are clear and consistent about what you expect of them. Make sure your hound has at least been cat-tested, and preferably lived with a cat in a foster home. I always supervise interactions between cats and dogs and put the cats in my bedroom when I am not around, but I am of the opinion that safe is better than sorry with ANY larger breed of dog. 3 out of 4 of my hounds have been so cat safe that a cat could do a tap dance on their heads and they wouldn't flinch. My newest addition is what you would call cat correctable more than cat safe, so I am more vigilant with him.

You might consider adding fish oil and see if that helps too. Riley is a young whippersnapper but already has arthritis in his hips from an injury. He is also on Dasuquin, but he gets a 1,000 mg salmon oil softgel twice a day as well (I drop them into his food and he gobbles them up). I get human fish oil from Sam's Club, checking the label to make sure that it has been distilled to remove mercury. If you choose salmon oil, you also want the label to specify wild caught. It makes a big difference. Farmed salmon is bad stuff. I have noticed an improvement since adding the fish oil as opposed giving Dasuquin alone. It also has done wonders for his coat. The Dasuquin (like most joint supplements) can take several weeks to really make a difference. It has to build up in his system. Make sure you are giving the loading dose shown on the bottle. Once the loading period is over you can cut down to the regular maintenance dose.

Lymphocytic plasmacytic gingivitis stomatitis, or LPGS. I had a cat with that condition. It caused her gums to become red and inflamed even when there was no visible tartar. Her gums launched a reaction to even the slightest bit of food residue on her teeth. The only cure was to have all of her teeth pulled. That might sound barbaric, but she was so much happier without her teeth and got along just fine without them. It's worth mentioning to the vet to have LPGS ruled out if new anti-bees and topical treatments don't work.

Nope, teeth on the cat is not okay. He clearly doesn't intend to hurt him but it doesn't take much for exactly that to happen. Likewise, games of chase can turn deadly serious without any warning at all. Also consider that as your Meezer gets older and heavier, that scruffing is really going to hurt. Scruffing is for lightweight kittens, not for adult cats. If you try to pick up an adult cat by the scruff of the neck with no support from the bottom it will scream in pain. Nip it in the bud. Clear boundaries will help keep both of your boys happy, safe and enjoying each other's company.

I am fond of the High Prairie formula with bison and venison. The dogs look their best on it and are able to eat less of it than the other flavors and still maintain their weight. I didn't like the look of their coats on the waterfowl flavor and they did so-so on the salmon flavor. Haven't tried the Rocky Mountain. Our experience has been that the dogs are healthy and happy on TOTW, they enjoy the taste, it doesn't bother Raven's grain allergies (Riley could eat roadkill and be fine, but Raven not so much) and I find that we feed a lot less of it than we do with less nutrient-dense foods. Less to pick up in the yard, too.

If she's an older dog, I'd think it was hind end weakness associated with aging. Raven is struggling with that now. If she's a young dog, I would be suspicious that it might be something like Wobbler's Syndrome and would suggest getting her to the vet for testing.

She was tremendously lucky to have been loved by all of you, and you were tremendously lucky to have been loved by Hailey. I had to laugh at your description of her running for office and torpedoing unsuspecting guests. I could picture her perfectly. Wish you could have had many more years together. There were a lot more good times to be had. She sounds like a cross between canine rock star and the Dalai Lama. I said this about Tiny when he died, and it sounds like it's true for Hailey. She achieved perfection, and maybe that's why she had to go.