sobesmom

OK, I just posted this as a suggestion for another issue - but pinched nerve? Ever have sciatica? It hurts and can cause leg weakness. A massage therapy could help and be much less expensive.

I've seen it in a dog with a pinched nerve in his neck.

I'm so sorry for your loss, and that the experience wasn't easy. Both of the greys I had to have euthanized went quickly and easily. I don't think they noticed at all, they just went to sleep. I don't know what meds were used. There was a needle, no pain, no movement, then sleep and the end. The only movement was when Diana was injected she lifted her head a bit, the vet petted her and she laid her head on my lap. She "noticed" the needle, but wasn't in pain or distress, just like a vaccination really. I'm so sorry you had a bad experience. That would've been very hard, whether the dog "knew" it or not.

I'll start off by saying - it depends on the dog, the situation, and the bone. That said, my grocery store sells "Soup bones" which are beef leg bones a.k.a. marrow bones, for cheap. They're cut in 4"-6" lengths, and the inside hole isn't more than 1 1/2" diameter (too small for a dog's jaw to fit in). They must be the lower part of the leg. Both my greys, and MANY of my fosters have enjoyed them. They provide chewing pleasure, help clean teeth, and are a nice distraction for alone training. They are a weight-bearing bone - so they're HARD. If you have an aggressive chewer, it "could" break a tooth or splinter the bone, and it won't digest. I'd never give one to an aggressive chewer. If they can chew hard enough to break a piece of a marrow bone - don't give it. The marrow - can cause stomach issues (pure fat) - so don't let them lick all the marrow out at once! Give for a bit - then take away. I threw mine in a ziplock bag in the freezer between lick/chew sessions. Perfectly fine to give back frozen. Some dogs love to chew on them, some love to lick out the marrow. Just watch and adapt. I found that once the marrow was licked out, I could use them as "Kongs". Put some peanut butter in them and give them as a distraction/treat for licking and then chewing when I left for work. My Sobe just loved to carry his around in his later years. He'd carry it, chew a bit, carry it then THUNK! Drop it. They're very loud when they drop them LOL. (Fun memory, thanks for reminding me). Another fun memory - in the spring when the snow melted, we'd find 5 or 6 in the yard that had been lost over the winter. My dogs just got used to having them, carried them around, and lost them all over.

We've never dealt with that, but we had an issue with hookworm that took FOREVER to get rid of a few years ago. One of the fosters brought it in, and it took FOREVER to get rid of. We'd get clean stool samples then 2 months later- boom - back. And yes, we tried to do everything "by the book". I actually think it was a hard winter that finally killed off the nasties.

Greys don't have anal glad issues the way a lot of smaller dogs do, but it happens occasionally, and if there are medication or other medical issues going on it could be the case. If he's going poo frequently, it could be just sensitivity from that. That said, if his poop is now very soft, it could cause anal gland impaction. The solidness of poop coming out (sorry to be crude) naturally expresses the anal glands. I'm guessing it's more "soreness" from what you posted. Dogs with impacted glands scootch on the floor, chew at their bum, etc. Desitin seems like a great idea! If it truly is "bottom soreness" you could also try cornstarch (My grandma's diaper rash remedy). I don't know if it will help, but it can't hurt. As always, give those big ole ears a rub from me! Hope he feels better soon.

Greys are quirky. You can never understand what's going on in that brain. Returns can get especially quirky IMHO. I had a dog "nest" a 128 oz. bottle of Tide. No damage, just put it in his bed. I never figured out how he carried it. Along with everything else in the house that he put in his bed in a week's span. Just wait. It'll be fine. Don't over-think it.

Be VERY careful. I had a dog that was terrified of children get cornered by one (my fault) and snapped and bit the child's hand. Not a bad bite at all - but any bite is a bad bite when a child is involved. I blame myself. Definitely do your research. This may be workable for your dog. Or not. There are a "few" greys that really are NEVER OK with toddlers. My Sobe was one of them. His stress level was through the roof with toddles around, so when my brother's kids came to visit - we completely separated them. My brother said "Oh - my kids are GREAT with our dogs" - um, not with MY dog. So - I kept my dog away from them. Try to work it out through research and training of the dog and the humans, but if you have ANY doubt - separate.

I was always a strict food person. No add-ins, no coddling. Eat it, or go hungry - then you'll eat later. I still feel that way for young, healthy dogs. My Diana changed into a "senior" at age 11. MUCH sooner than I expected. She started totally skipping breakfast, and her food needs dropped. So - I'd suggest free-feeding if you can. And, maybe consider adding some home-cooked to entice the appetite. The dietary needs definitely change as they age.

"empty PB jar" means give it to a dog. They'll lick it forever!

A couple things could be going on. She might be getting too much food, and/or stress. Both of those things can cause multiple poopings. BUT - Since she's new, and she's going OUTSIDE to poop (that's a big deal) and her poops are consistent (another big deal) - I'd leave it alone. I personally found that our fosters when they were new to the house, peed and pooped about a thousand times per day. For a while. Then it tapered off after a week, or a month, depending on the dog, with NO changes to their food. Just WAIT. I definitely wouldn't change the brand of food right now. You "might" consider cutting the volume back a SMIDGE. Honestly - I wouldn't rock the boat right now. Give it a couple months more, then consider a change. Not now.

Just wait. He's clinging to anything close to his normal. Let him go with what works. Side note - a dog that new has no business on furniture yet anyways. Save yourself the headache and wait on the couch privileges for a while. Because he WILL love cushions soon.

Well done! Good detective work! BTW - 4 Health was a BIG winner here too. I didn't mind the nice price either!

I had one experience with a foster grey with a cone and swore NEVER AGAIN. The poor thing was terrified, quickly became aggressive, and I took it off within a couple hours before I had a pack fight on my hands. All the other suggestions above are good ones, and I'd personally only use a cone as an absolute last resort. She had a shoulder injury so I put a T-shirt on her (thank you GT) and she couldn't get to it. The vets suggest cones because it's the "easy" common solution. I think sighthounds (and probably other dogs) get very disoriented when they can see all around them.

My group calls this phase "the honeymoon is over". Your dog is through his adjustment phase, feels like he's a full member of the family, and is now showing his personality and/or pushing boundaries (like a teenager). Some do this by regressing into bad "new dog" behaviors. Some do it by acting out. Some do it by just being WOW this is who I am. This is a CRUCIAL time. You may need to go back to training 101 on some stuff. That's fine, and when he's "reminded" what the expectations are he'll probably get back with the program quickly. Just remember your house rules and expectations, and remind him what they are. Don't tolerate bad behavior - correct it. If YOU remain consistent and praise or correct right off the bat, your dog will fall back in line. He WANTS guidance from you. Be the leader. Show him that the rules still apply. Image he's brand new to your house again. Start over the same way, and he'll get it quickly. Don't let him flounder now. Now is the time for leadership.

If it was a one-time thing, I wouldn't worry.

Well - IMHO - you're actually at the "lucky" end of the spectrum of reactions. Aggression is hard to deal with. This is also hard to deal with, but you don't have to worry about possible conflicts, or other "owners" bad reactions. So - slow and steady. I think introducing to dogs you trust, and giving your pup time to acclimate one-on-one is a great idea. Also - time. Your dog is VERY VERY new. Think of all he's had to absorb in 2 months! What a world change! For now - I'd just take it easy. Don't push it. Continue avoiding on walks. Just wait it out. You could have an entirely different dog on your hands in 2 or 4 months. Zep could just decide to greet every animal on a walk a month, or 2 months from now , you just don't know at this point. Don't push. Don't worry. Just wait. After 6 months, if nothing changes, then address it.

Thank you. Diana had a good life. It was tricky at the end, but we managed it as best we could for her, and every day was a good day. As far as the rate of muscle decay - Diana's was pretty quick. I "might" have not noticed the top muscle deterioration for a little while, but not nearly as long as the vet suggested it "must have been to get to this point". And when her lower cheek muscle disappeared - it happened within 2 weeks. I was WATCHING her face every day at that point. Whatever's going on with your dog - do the best you can - love your pup - and enjoy every day. I know exactly what you mean. When my Diana was first diagnosed with kidney failure I went through a horrible funk. But - it's not over TODAY. So -you have some good time. Live it. Love it. Enjoy it. The bad stuff isn't actually as bad as the anticipation of the bad stuff. Been there. Done that.

My Diana was very sensitive about her ears. She liked gentle rubbing of the base of them, but GOOD LUCK trying to un-clench them to to look inside at her tattoos, or check for cleanliness. She'd SCREAM like you were killing her, and wow - could she clench those ears shut! Of course, I assumed they were infected, or she had mites. The poor vet had to go through the screaming - trying to un-clench several times. He managed, took samples on several occasions, and she never had an infection, or mites, or any ear issue, and she had the cleanest ears through her whole life. Her ears were FINE. She just liked to keep them tucked in, and not messed with. Greys are quirky. Don't over-think it. For the record - I don't think it has anything to do with prior life at the track. I think that's an urban myth. Diana never raced but she was ear-sensitive, and I've had LOTS of racer fosters that loved their earsies messed with.

That was probably my Diana. We left it as "un-diagnosed" but something like Bell's Palsy could've been the culprit. Her entire cheek muscle withered away quickly. It could've also been a brain tumor, or spinal nerve damage, but because of Diana's progressing kidney failure, it was not worth pursuing. After that, the muscle below her cheek also withered. Very quickly. Her eye became cloudy, but she never had any loss of function from it. I'm sure that if there had been time she'd have been affected, but kidney disease took her first.

Because I'm super-anal, I read everything and actually "knew" very little when I adopted my first grey. So - I put a kennel muzzle on him for his first vet visit. It mostly scared other people, intimidated the vet, and confused my dog (he thought he was going for a run with other dogs because of the muzzle). After that first visit, I don't muzzle. I keep my dogs on a very short leash in the waiting room, and look out for people that don't. Greyhound people think muzzles are normal. OTHER people think muzzles indicate an aggressive dog. A muzzle in a vet office stereotypes your dog. I would take it with me. Just in case the waiting room is too crowded, and other people aren't wise enough to contain their pets. I never bothered to take one with my own greys once we'd been together for a while. I always carried one when I took a foster. Just in case. Of course, if you have a dog that you know will have an issue - you need to muzzle, to be responsible. Also - if your dog is having a procedure that will be painful and the vet wants a muzzle - they may not have one that will fit a grey. It's not a bad idea to have a kennel muzzle with you in that case. I had a dog (Sobe) badly injured, and the vet had to pull a surgically implanted drain out of his neck at a follow-up visit. He didn't want to sedate him, but was concerned that he might snap because it was going to hurt. They didn't have a muzzle to fit him, but I had a kennel-muzzle in the car. With that on, it was enough for the vet to do the procedure without fear. Sobe never snapped at him, but it was peace of mind for the vet, and kept my dog from being sedated when he didn't need to be.

I wouldn't get too carried away yet. Your dog is VERY VERY new. I really wouldn't take her to a class for a few months. She may regress a bit in the next couple weeks and you may have to do house-training 101 all over again. It's normal for some of them to regress once the "honeymoon" is over and they get comfortable in the house. Be ready for that. Just take it in stride, start over, and it will go well. That said - I'd do practical training now. What do you need the dog to do in your house? Not tricks, it's too early for that IMHO. Just practical stuff. Need her to wait patiently while you fill her food dish - hold up a hand in front of her face and say "Wait, wait wait", then say "OK!" "GOOD GIRL!" when you're ready for her. If she lunges for the food before you're ready, don't give it. Start over. Keep it quick, though. SMALL training on appropriate house behavior. All my fosters had to learn "back up" pretty quickly. I have a small house, and greys LOVE to follow, so they had to learn to back up so I could get out of a room they followed me into. Just examples. Do what works for YOUR house. Later on, you can work on true "training" stuff. For now, just work on acclimating.

Egg whites are better than whole eggs for dogs with kidney issues. But you can do scrambled, fried, boiled, etc egg whites. Bread is good! Toast, bagels, etc. Add no-salt butter to everything (fat is GOOD). Loss of appetite is pretty normal for the kidney-compromised. Switch up the food often. Find other brands of commercial food that are appropriate, wet and dry and switch them out every couple days. Variety is now your new spice of life. Add-ins are important now. Calories! Do a search on GT for my posts about Diana, or anything kidney-related. Tons of good info here. It's normal that something wonderful doesn't last long with a kidney dog. Rotate the add-ins.

Oh my gosh - I'm overwhelmed by all your responses - thank you! I have to be honest - I avoid this forum. I've never offered a word of compassion to another member. I just don't want to feel their grief. And now you are all reaching out to me - thank you. I didn't do the same for you. You are all bigger people than me. Again, thank you.

Diana the Huntress. Your gift looked over her.