GreytNut
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Posts posted by GreytNut
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In moderation they're fine (going overboard will cause diarrhea). I give my crew blueberries as little treats sometimes. They love strawberries too.
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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!
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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."
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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.
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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?
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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.
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While I agree it's possible, it doesn't always happen. I had a relationship with a guy for awhile, Bu seemed to really like the guy. Sailor, who doesn't like strangers petting him, let this guy pet him quicker than usual. That night the guy attempted to rape me. Bu slept through it. Sailor jumped on the bed and stood between us between us the second there was space. But, neither gave me any warning about this guy.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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There is an auto-immune disease that can cause this. Maybe Sheshe will see your post and fill you in.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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You know, Raven is much more blase about falls than I am. I have a coronary when she tumbles. She finds her feet again, shakes herself off and proceeds with her business.
Raven weighs about 53 lbs. soaking wet right now. She has always been a skinny little noodle of a dog with a fickle appetite. She's been cavalier about the need to eat lately (this comes and goes in cycles and always has... I don't think she's sick). I am a bit nervous about giving her drugs that might depress her already not-so-great enthusiasm toward food but we'll see what happens.
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Raven is due to go in for her exam soon and I'll ask if the vet thinks Gabapentin or a combo of drugs might help her. I didn't think that it was pain that was the problem. I thought that it was just feebleness.
FWIW, I agree with Susan that exercise is important to helping her keep what butt muscles she has. It's why I still let her run around in the yard, even though I cover my eyes every time she rounds a corner. Lately it's been so bitter, nasty cold that neither of the hounds have wanted to leave the house, even wrapped up. Today was the first reasonable day we've had in a while, and I made a point of taking Miss Raven out for zoomies. She mostly just puttered around the yard sniffing things, but she did get up and go a few times. It was nice to see. There is a dog next door that loves to race up and down the fenceline with her, and when he's out in the yard he can really get her going.
It sounds like there's quite a lot of us dealing with similar difficulties.
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Raven is 13 now and in generally good health, but she's getting wobbly. Most of her issues are with her hind end. She can't stand for very long without her hind end shaking. Lifting one of her front paws to do toenail duty or put her arm through her jammies is enough to almost sit her down. She still likes to run in the yard, but sometimes her hind end gives out altogether and she wipes out. It takes a monumental effort for her to get up from a lying down position.
Is there anything that can be done for hind end weakness, or is that just one of the inevitable consequences of being an old doggie?
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I have been using Taste of the Wild High Prairie, which is their bison and venison formula. They do very well on it, they like it and I can feed them less of it than any other food I've tried. Therefore we have a lot less poop, and it works out to be very economical as well. I get sticker shock every time I buy a bag - it works out to almost $50 after tax for a 33-lb. bag - but remind myself that it lasts a lot longer than foods with a lower purchase price.
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When Riley smiles he's relaxed and happy. Usually he's leaning against my legs and wagging his tail. He wiggles and prances. He'll show most of his teeth. It's obvious from his body language that he's smiling and not snarling.
When he bares his teeth he shows just his fangs. He is stiff and the look in his eyes is not nice. At that point I have about 2 seconds to stop what I'm doing or I'll get bitten. This usually happens during nail trimming time and it's why I muzzle him now.
How To Manage A 30 Lb. Block Of Frozen Turkey Necks
in Food and dietary discussion
Posted · Edited by GreytNut
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!