Sighthounds4me

I like this idea. And to add another idea - you can turn on the water, and lay a length of the hose on the sun for 30 minutes to an hour, and the water will be quite warm. You can use that to rinse!

Most heartworm preventatives also work against many intestinal worms, so you shouldn't have to do anything special, if you are using a preventative that does this.

Well, it is Monday...

Yeah, when Manero went to the evet a couple years ago, I was dumbe enough not to look at the bill before I paid it. Won't do that again. But at least they didn't try to send me home with an e-collar. I would have told them no. But they were already pissed at me because I refused the blood clotting test. Um, well, simply not being neutered, and having never had surgeries before was not a good reason for me. He had a severed artery. It's not gonna stop bleeding without help! And I know his family: no one has a clotting issue, and his breed is not prone to them...I can't think of a good reason to spend the extra $$. But they did overcharge on a few things. That was the least of my worries, though, after the way we'd been treated all day!

Even so, it's also important to remember that hooks burrow in through the skin. So simply walking across infected ground can re-infect a dog (or infect a barefoot human). So you may not even know where the hooks came from; could have been the soil at your vet's office, or outside your favorite pet store, for example.

Yup - we had a (non-Grey) foster several years ago that had hooks. You do have to get aggressive like this, and repeat treatment every three weeks, three times. Then re-test. The other thing to remember is that hooks stay in your soil for a few yeaes. So if you don't already have your dogs on Interceptor for regular heartworm prevention, you'll want to do that. And, you'll want to give them the preventive year-round, rather than just in the summer months.

If you have a stool cup, you could also place that, and then place tape in the areas where the stool cup does not cover. We've done that before...

Our dogs' vet is in a different city, about 40 miles away. We LOVE them, and they are not only fantastic vets (and staff), but they are very, very knowlegable. We take our cat to a vet who's closer geographically, because he gets nervous in the car, so we don't want to drive him long distances. The vet is a good friend of ours, and knows sighthounds/performance dogs (he's a vet for a long-distance sled-dog race in Michigan, and has been on the staff for the Iditirod in the past). He's a greyt guy, and I'd have no problem taking my dogs to him. The only reason we didn't when we first started in dogs is because we did not know him then - we met him later. He also likes natural treatments whenever possible (I like that a lot!), and is fantastic in dealing with pets - they all love him! Anyway, his prices are similar, and he's a lot closer, so we'd save money in gas. And we all know how important that is. Cooper still needs his annual this year, so I am thinking of scheduling him with our friend/vet, and writing a letter to our current vet. I will explain that we have never been disappointed in our service, the way we have been treated, or the way our dogs have been treated. We like these folks a lot, and will continue to highly recommend this vet to people who live in/near this city, if asked. What do you all think?

My emotional answer is pets are far more than property. I can't fathom how anyone would see them as otherwise. But the logical answer is, they are property. Though they are living things, like humans, they are NOT humans, and should not have the same rights. Laws are in place to make sure pets' welfare is protected, but animals are not the same as humans, so they do not have the same rights. I do think that laws alloow too much for gray area in a lot of realms (like what is truly considered "shelter" for a pet? We all agree that our pets should live inside our homes with us, but other folks don't see it that way, so shelter could be defined as many things). I feel that since we humans domesticated these animals, we should also be responsible for their emotional and mental well-being, through socialization and training. But that is not something that can be defined by any law, and shouldn't be. And even if it is to be defined by law, who's to say which of us are actually providing those needs? And isn't it something that varies by animal? Just more food for thought...

There is a reason, but I'd rather not get into it here... Long story. I figured that about PH6, but the whips are probably out of our soil by now. It's been a couple years, and the cycle has not been continued (at least, not once we figured out the problem. It was only with the foster dog, and he was cured). But I figure, better safe than sorry, and I'd rather order the Interceptor, than get the Heartgard from the vet. They understand, of course... I will continue to wrap the pills in cheese if necessary, and pray that he doesn't get wise to me. If he does, I will figure something out, and make sure he gets what he needs, period! He's my heart-dog, and I sure as heck don't want to lose him to something so preventable!

A late entry to this thread, but I didn't want to open a new one entirely... I have a dog that does not like the flavor of Interceptor (the heartworm prevention we use). I have not tried other meds, but we have had whipworms in our yard, so I like the extra protection Interceptor offers. Anyway, I have wrapped his pills in cheese, but what happens if I find that no longer works, say, months down the line? Are there other options, or should I look into something like Proheart 6? thanks!

We had to do Batmom's suggestion when Naples tore her dew claw. We decided to just have them off, since one was torn and dislocated. She WOULD NOT leave the bandages alone. I knew better than to try bitter apple because she thinks it's a condiment. So I went and bought some athletic tape (same as Elasticon), and taped the bandages a the top. We also placed her kennel muzzle with stool guard on her. She still managed to get them off!!! But she had to work a lot harder, and we could notice the "damage" to the bandages before they were totally off, so we could replace them. We went through a lot of vet wrap and tape in those two weeks!

Though they are not Greyhounds, my boys are litter-brothers. They were separated when they were about a year old (around the same time as racing Grey pups would be separated). Manero went to a home (and was later returned to the breeder), and Cooper stayed with the breeder for a couple more months, till he came to us. They were reunited when Manero came to us just a week after turning 2. They did not seem to recognize each other, but got along fine, even though their personalities are quite different. But it really depends on how well the dogs are with each other. It's not automatic that they will get along just because they are from the same litter. But if they raced from the same kennel, and knew each other before, it's a good possibility.

We had a similar scare with Manero a while back. I had gotten him onto the grooming table, to brush him out before a bath on a show weekend. He had what looked like dirt on the end of his penis. When I bathed him, the "dirt" washed right off, unlike blood that's usually more difficult to remove. So we went to the show the next day. After we got out of the ring, I was chatting with a friend, who noticed drops of blood on the floor. I thought it was a toenail right away, having quicked him the day before. I checked, and the nails were fine. So we went to our grooming area,, and I got him up on the table to look him over, and it was his penis. Oh good. I called a vet friend of mine, who suggested I flush the sheath, and use a syringe without needle to inject a triple antibiotic. He assumed it was a sheath infection or a UTI. I took him home, and used his suggestions. I also caught some urine, to look at the color. It looked normal for him. The next day, he felt fine, and we went to the show. I took him to the vet the next week, and she looked him over thoroughly, and did a urinalysis. His urine came back with a few bacteria, so we did a short course of abx. She couldn't find much physically - the shaft itself looked fine, and she found what looked like a healing wound on the sheath. We assumed he scratched the sheath while lifting his leg on brush. He's fine now!!

We've done extremely well with Hair of the Dog. It's loaded with Omega fatty acids, which help condition the skin, and grow hair. You can also try a moiturizing spray for topical application. It'll help prevent itching associated woth dry skin. I have used one by Vet's Best and Miracle Coat, both available at big box stores. But I really like Quicker Slicker by Nature's Specialties. It's tough to find, but works amazingly well!! I even use it on my own hair!!

I will never forget how hard that day was. On all of us. It made such an impression, in so many ways. Rest easy, Iberia. You were, and are still loved!

Try an intact male with long hair...d--- licking happens all the time!

I agree - watch for infection, keep it covered for a while (with antibiotic ointment), and leash-walk to prevent running. You can also get EMT Gel or spray to help facilitate healing. This stuff is amazing! It's available at any farm supply store, and often at pets supply stores, too.

We've used cephalexin many times. Usually for dentals, but most recently for a minor UTI. We saw no problems, other than some tummy issues. Giving with food helps, and if you need to, you can give famotadine (Pepcid AC) as well.

Did she have bloodwork done prior to the anesthesia? If not, it's something to consider the next time you have a dog to be put under. It'll help detenct heart, liver, and kidney issues, before they become a problem under anesthetic. I'm not saying that was the problem here, but it may have been a contributor. I'm so sorry to hear this!

I wouldn't think there whould be any problem. Call the evet if you have questions, though.

Oh, they'll be back once I get this dragon thing out of my system! The plus side is that the thing had not embedded yet. I think he either picked it up in our backyard, or when we went to a state park for social time yesterday. Poor guy thought I was angry at him though! I jumped up so fast, doing the heebie-jeebie dance and yelling. LOL I had to reassure him I was in no way upset at him, and I still love him!

I know, 'tis the season and all that. But still...EW! I invited Manero up to share the couch with me. I was cuddling with him, and felt something in the hair on this cheek. Pulled it out, thinking "PLEASE don't be a tick!" it was! EW! I jumped up so fast, and threw the thing into the sink. I had just washed dishes, so there was water all over in the sink. Tick got mired in a drop of water as I flew to the bathroom to grab the rubbing alcohol. Poured some alcohol into a well-sealing plastic container, transferred tick into it, and sealed it up. Tick is swimming now, and dogs are Frontlined... EW!

Oh yeah, I forgot to menton that - I Frontlined Manero right after the squirrel-catching incident. AND, the following week, I saw an albino squirrel in the neighborhood. I told Manero that all other squirrels were fair game, but the albino one was off-limits!

Manero caught a squirrel last April (right before a show, wouldn't ya know it?), He ended up with a cut right above his nose, I think from the squirrel's claws. We rinsed it with saline, and applied EMT gel. He healed fine, with no ill effects, other than a scar I had to touch up for the show ring...