Sighthounds4me

Good to know about the chlorhexadine. I had thought about trying that, but didn't know what it would do. I meant to ask the vet that oo, but also forgot (I need to start writing these things down!). Do you just buy the stuff for dental rinse? We probably want to take a couple beasties somewhere for socializing today, so I could pick some up then. If it won't hurt, I may as well try it.

But at least the surgery might finally put an end to all this. For a couple years now, on and off, Naples has had infections of her vagina. Not uncommon, from what I understand. Her vulva is very folded under, which keeps it moist and prone to infections. So, she went to the vet again today, and we found that yet again, she has another infection. So she will be on two weeks of cephalexin, and I think I will call Monday to see what they want to do. It totally slipped my mind to ask the proper procedure when I was there today. DUH! But the surgery will involve "straightening things out," so things will stay dry and healthy. Maybe the boys will leave her alone now... We really don't have the money for this, but I guess if it's for her health... Grumble.

I haven't posted yet, but I will.And Naples is a girl - not that I am upset, but it is integral to the story!

I think double-coated actually means *less* shedding--or, at least, it stays on the dog better! Nope! Not on my double-coated beasties, anyway! We just have LONGER hairs all over...

I'm guessing seasonal. I have a Greyhound who should be bald, and three Borzoi in the house right now. All shedding like mad (although, I think Cooper is almost done, and he does feel bald! I've never seen him with so little coat!). I think what makes such a big difference is our climate. No, Greyhounds are not double-coated, but they do grow more hair in winter, I don't care what others say! Naples has a very thick coat for a Grey, which also means she has thicker skin, though! And when she blows coat, she goes NUTS! *ETA: By the way, there is lots of anectotal evidence to suggest that white Greys shed more! And if you are interested in a good skin/coat supplement, check out Hair of the Dog, link in my siggy!

Aww, hun, I know what you mean about the money. Seems like things crash down all at once, doesn't it? Been there done that, added to it this morning, and now Naples is going to need surgery, most likely. I feel your pain! Best of luck, and I hope hugs and prayers will help!

When we had Gunnar on Deramaxx for his arthritis, we were able to work him down to half a dose per day, and it still worked as well. It took time; we had to give him the full dose for a couple weeks, then we halved his dose. He still got tummy upsets, so we took him off the Deramaxx for a few days, and gave Pepcid to calm his stomach. He did fine after that, and we had him on Deramaxx for several more months, until his cancer diagnosis, when we switched meds.

What I have found with Naples is that she typicall sheds her butt and belly hair in summer. I don't know if it's related to the weather, thus seasonal, or if it has more to do with the hormones associated with running (she runs more in summer). But we get pretty hot here in summer, so it could be seasonal. My thought is that it has more to do with a seasonal shed than food...

Yugurt may work well, because it has probiotics. However, some dogs are lactose intolerant, so yogurt would then make your problems worse. You can seek out a probiotic pill that has the same bacteria in it (human pills work fine!). You can also try canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling). Try adding about a tablespoon's worth, then go from there.

I like neem. It's a natural oil, and really works well. My picks for neem shampoos would include Nature's Specialties Quick Relief shampoo and the Neem "Protect" shampoo by Ark Naturals (can't find a link). Neem is greyt for relieving many skin conditions, and actually soes kill fleas and ticks (though the manufacturers cannot claim that, since it is not approved by the FDA). The Nature's Specialties shampoo is highly concentrated, so you can dilute the ever-loving HECK out of it, and it becomes very inexpensive. It's hard to find, though. It's also greyt for deodorizing stinky dogs, and I have used it on skunked dogs with success (if followed by a skunk spray neutralizer). I have not used the Ark Naturals in years, but I do recall it's a greyt product. I don't remember details about concentration. I do use the spray on myself all the time, though, and it's greyt.

Interesting that your adoption group did not explain that to you! It's a very common thing in sighthounds. When we do home visits, we always explain it, so the new adopters do not get worried!

I remember reading about this when reading one of my favorite books, My Friend Flicka...

I doubt she is. But my boys' breeder, a vet, admits that this is a good "in-between" thing. He does it on his dogs, too. But, he also makes sure to point out that a good, thorough cleaning (under the gumline and everything) is best. My vet (another guy) says the same thing.

I would definitely say a vet visit is in order. And make sure not to clean the ears before the visit! I did that once when I worked as a bather for a groomer: I cleaned too well, and the vet couldn't get anything to culture! But at least I knew I did the job well...

Insane. But when I was a kid, we had a neighbor who neutered their dog another "old-fashioned" way: wrapped a rubber band around them till the blood supply was cut off, and let 'em fall aff. No lie. Even at my young age, I was APALLED, and really felt like saying something. But I think I was about 8...

Petz Life products might be worth looking into... We've used them with success.

He's shedding his track coat. When Greys race, they are fed a diet that builds muscle. But it is not good for the coat, so it leads to a fuzzy, dry coat. As the dog gets on better all-around nutrition after retirement, the coat is shed, and replaced by a sleeker, smoother, shinier coat. To speed this process, there are things you can do: daily brushing with a hound glove, shedding blade, or Zoom Groom. Do this outside, if possible, because then all that hair will stay out there! You can look into a supplement. I really like Hair of the Dog. You can find the link in my signature. The stuff is amazing!! It improves the coat from the inside out, starting with the skin. It takes time to notice a difference, but it improves the overall health of the dog, which reflects in the quality of the coat. Second, it could be seasonal. It is said that Greys don't shed, but that is false. While Greyhounds do not have a double coat like a husky, their coats often thicken in winter, especially in cold climates. Therefore in spring/summer, the coat will be shed. Third, what food are you feeding? The better the food, the better the coat. And, if you just changed foods, that could be causing the shedding. For example, we adopted a cat in April. He had been fed Felidae (the cat equivilant of Canidae), which is a very good food. So we bought some, thinking he'd be fine. But he was having trouble digesting it, and vomited a lot. He lost a lot of weight. So we bought Fromm Salmon A La Veg - he's gained weight back, and is doing GREYT. But he's shedding like a fiend, presumably because his food was changed, and his body is now replacing his Felidae coat.

Well, according to knowlegable people I have talked to, it can be in family lines, but is not certain that it will be passed along. You might see it crop up from time to time, but the fact that Radar has it is probably not a death sentence for Isis, KWIM? That's what makes it so tough to eradicate - there is no way to predict it. But it might not hurt to contact Dr. Couto for his opinion. Maybe he's seen something?

Commercial douche is nothing more than vinegar and water...

Tomato juice only works if you let it dry on the dog, then wash it off - but then you will have a pink dog, if he's light-colored! Same with the Nature's Miracle skunk odor remover - but you don't wash it off. For the eyes, the best thing I can recommend is LOTS of saline. Flush like crazy. Otherwise, call your vet tomorrow, and ask what their recommendation would be.

Oh HECK no! But he does have a litter-brother and two cousins who need homes!

Not a branch or anything - he's crated when we are not home. It was not there when he came in the house from his morning constitutional (unless DH is truly that unobservant. I would not put it past him! ). He's got scars, don't worry! The first day we were in our current house, he ran face first into the fence! He was around the corner of the house, but we heard him scream! Neighbors must've thought we were abusers! He ripped open a spot on the top of his muzzle. It was not huge, but since we had just moved in, and had nothing unpacked, muche less organized, I had to run to the pharmacy to buy supplies to treat him. He's still got a little dent-like scar where it happened...

When we adopted him, we did not like his name. He didn't know it anyway. So we tossed around a few name ideas, and discovered that he really likes playing with plastic bags (don't worry, I have discussed this little penchant with him. We now hide plastic bags). So, DH had come up with Raven (the cat is black), and I came up Ziploc. Neither of us would budge. We asked a friend to mediate, and she preferred Ziploc. So, there ya have it!

I got home from work today, to find that Cooper has a cut above his eye. No clue how that happened - it was not there when DH let him out this morning. It looks good. Nice and pink, healthy looking. I applied triple antibiotic, and will keep an eye on it... This is the clumsiest sighthound I have ever met!

I've always had a hard time finding Elasticon in a "regular" pharmacy. But athletic tape is usually very easy to find, and works well, too. We used it when Naples had her dew claws removed, and WOULD NOT leave the wound alone. She had a hard time getting it off, but I didn't! Came off easily with a bandage scissors. By the way, I've been able to find good bandage scissors at our nearby dollar store, for (*gasp*) $1!