New Greyhound Owner Questions

[greydad92]

Hi All,

 

Remember me? The "potential greyhound owner"? I'm also the guy who posted "should I return my greyhound". Anyway, on a different note, I adopted this guy from the track. He's a 4 year old brindle male. I'd say he weighs around 80 lbs. I've got some questions for you:

 

1.) Food: The woman from the adoption area at the track just told me to feed him a real quality kibble. I don't know what they were feeding him at the track. So, this food is totally new to him, hence the diarrhea....I'll get to that later.

 

-For kibble, I'm feeding him Castor & Pollux Natural Ultra Mix Adult. You can check out their website at www.castorpolluxpet.com. It's a very high quality "holistic" pet food. I mix in a small amount of canned Castor & Pollux Natural Ultra mix for taste, yuk. Is this ok?

 

-The woman at the adoption area told me to feed him 4 cups at night. I disagree and am feeding him 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups late afternoon. Is this a good amount?

 

2.) Vitamins: I have some left over Pet-Tabs from my last dog. I got them from my vet, they are made by Pfizer Animal Health. They are under a year old. Should I give him one multi vitamin? Or go with separate vitamins? Fish oil, yes or no?

 

-Plenty of water

 

-He took an instant liking to biscuits, but now won't touch 'em. They are Old Mother Hubbard brand, high quality.

 

3.) Diarrhea: His first poop was fine, the next after that - soft serve ice cream and now very liquid. I'm positive it's from the quick transition of food. I was going to give him chicken, brown rice and kibble tonight. Good idea? Poor thing, thank god he hasn't gone diarrhea in the house yet, but Im expecting it when I leave him alone for his first 4 hours.

 

4.) Leaving him alone: I got him Friday morning and started create training Saturday morning. I was leaving him in there for just 15 minutes with classical music playing while I went down the the basement. He didn't like like that, whining, carrying on, etc. I baby gated my bedroom and left him there for fifteen minutes, again with classical music playing. He was whining and carrying on again. I read that TV is the most popular with greyhounds so I tried that. I left him alone for fifteen minutes with the TV on and he did fine.......go figure. I went up to 1/2 hour and 1 hour, which he also did fine. This morning I left him in there for 2 hours while I went to breakfast, supper market, etc. He did fine, but immediately wanted to go out to pee and diarrhea. Now I'm trying another 2 hours. I'm in the basement. On Tuesday when I go back to work it will be 4 hours, so that's why I'm trying to train him this way. Of course I'm giving him plenty of love & exercise in between "sessions".

 

5.) Bed - I bought him a really nice LL Bean 52" round bed. Initially he slept on that, but has taken a liking to my bed. I don't mind it, but he doesn't use the LL Bean one anymore.

 

This website has been a wonderful resource for me. I appreciate all your help, advice and friendship.

 

Sincerely,

Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Jennifer4719]

Sounds like things are going fairly well. As for the transition on food, I think the Big D is quite normal. Hopefully it will subside soon, but if not you may have to switch until you find something else that agrees with him. Maybe hold off on the canned food until he gets used to the new kibble food. Take it one item at a time. I am not familiar with the brand of food you are feeding. I have been fortunate that my grey has an iron stomach. I also feed twice a day.

 

As for the bed, my grey uses her beds, my bed, my couch and the floor. Just depends on her mood!

[greydad92]

Oh yea, the dry kibble is about 1/4 inch in diameter. Should I be feeding him something larger?

[Gryffenne]

1) Food~ I wish the woman at the track would have told you what he was eating there. To make yo switch a dog that fast seems a little strange. Try calling them back and asking exactly what he was being fed so you can get that as well and transition him slowly to the new food. Even a drastic chang ein drinking water can cause diarrhea. Going from well water or hard water to ultra treated, soft, etc... Sammi had the big D for a long time when I first got her. She was on the same food as she had at her foster home. Nothing i could do, not Imodium, not pumpkin, not bland... nothing was killing that soft serve. My mother finally pointed out that I am sensitive to water when traveling, maybe that's her problem. Hence why I either avoid tap water or drink only bottled water on trips. I thought, "What the heck, might as well try it" and I went and bought one of those 3 gal. bottled waters from the store. After a day... I saw it was firming up! So for 2 weeks she was on straight bottled water (spoiled much? ) and I slowly started transitioning her to the water here. Worked like a charm. Whether it was nerves/stress or the water, I'll never know for sure. (But I do give her bottled water in hotels or on trips to be on the safe side. She had the big D the first night of a 4 day vacation in a hotel and I immediately started her back on bottled w/ me )

 

I also agree with Jennifer about cutting out the canned for now. it's pretty rich.

 

2) Vitamins~ As long as they aren't expired, those should be fine. I personally don't use fish oil with Sammi (causes the big D) but instead use olive oil, PB or an egg once a day. Her coat is like satin and only in the very middle of winter is her skin flaky... then again, so is mine at that same time.

 

3) The Big D~ Have you been told to try canned pumpkin yet? (NOT the "mix", has to be plain canned pumpkin) A scoop of that can firm things up sometimes. Imodium can also help. Besides the new food, it's also a new home with new people. Nerves/Stress could also be causing the diarrhea. A tip tho, to help with picking it up that I was told about here on GT when I first brought Sammi home.... take a piece of old newspaper or a page from a magazine with you when it's time for the poop walk. Soon as he goes to squat, put it under him on the ground. When he's done, pick it up by the 4 corners and bag it Easy clean up! (Also great for when you need to take a stool sample to the vet )

 

4) Alone time~ Sounds like you are doing a great job so far. Guess he doesn't like classical. If the TV works, go with it The big D can't be helped, really. it's good that as soon as you got home, he wanted to go out and do #1 & #2, but when you got to work Tuesday, if it's still soft serving, be prepared for a possible accident. Can only hold that pain in for so long When Sammi was still having her big D episodes, i remember a time where she came intot he bathroom crying at me while I was in the shower. I hurried as fast as i could to get the shampoo outta my hair, dive into a robe and to the door. As I was slipping my sandals on, I heard THE most pitiful cry from her and turned as she had an accident. She had tried to tell me, I tried to hurry, she held as long as she could... but accidents happen.

 

5) Beds~ Yeah, Sammi prefers to sleep on my bed as well. Maybe use it in the living room for a place to relax? or your office, kitchen, etc...? I ended up a while ago taking Sammi's bed to my parent's house. We visit there a lot and my dad doesn't want her up on the leather sofas. Don't know your family dynamics, if this is something you could do later on if the bed truly goes unused in your home. Otherwise, got a nice bed for traveling

 

Good luck! and welcome tot he Greyhound Cult

Edited February 15, 2009 by Gryffenne

[duncan41]

Congrats, Tony and welcome to the wonderful world of greyt dogs! Don't have anything to add to the previous posts, just take heart and proceed slowly especially with the food. Best thing you can do right now is find out what food was being fed at the track and start the transtion process again........slowly. p.s. Castor & Pollux is a very good food, but keep in mind that just because it's very good doesn't mean it will agree with every dog. p.p.s. What his name and do you have pics?

[Guest cynsamjar1]

Where exactly is Metro West MA?

[Guest GreyLoverGirl]

I use Castor & Pollux brand - the Organix adult dog variety. I found that after 3 or 4 different kinds over the last 2 years. At first during a transition, the new food should be introduced slowly. I agree with others that the canned is not neccessary and it may lead to the big D or gassiness. I add a little water to Nibs' kibble. It slows him down when eating and he doesn't choke on the dry kibble. I have been happy with this food as it tends to agree to his stomach and he really likes it! Some other brands, he tended to tire of them, then refused to eat. I feed my boy (72 lbs and moderately active lifestyle) about 2-1/2 to 3 cups in the morning and the same at night. I have read that a 2 x day feeding is better so they don't get bloated.

My boy has sleep space defensiveness (not as much anymore), so I did not encourage him to get in my bed or on furniture. He is very happy with his bedding. His bed is located right next to my bed.

Sounds like you are doing great. It is a transition, but when you both learn the ropes, it is so rewarding.

 

Good luck!

 

 

[PatricksMom]

A couple things, the vitamins shouldn't be necessary if he's eating a good food. Fish oil can't hurt, but it's best to get human grade stuff--better and usually cheaper.

 

The dog bed, I found LLBean's dog beds not to be great--granted I bought mine 7 years ago, but I ended up having to buy another insert and stuff it in there too to make it thick enough to be comfortable.

[Guest Cris_M]

It really sounds like things are going quite well for the two of you.

 

Big D is a pretty common consequence of being in a new home -- with or without a change of food. Finding out what food was used is nice, but isn't always available. (Duncan came straight off the track, and what they used there wasn't available to us.) Like others have said, drop the canned and the vitamins for now. Let him adjust to one new thing on his stomach at a time.

 

My other suggestion is that you cut down on the amount of food you are giving. Too much food for a greyhound almost always results in the Big D. The food gets pushed through the gut so fast that it doesn't have a chance to dry out. I'm not saying that you should starve your dog. Just drop the amount for now, and move back up if your dog needs it. There is no reason to be paying for good food that doesn't even get absorbed into your pup's body.

 

BTW, feeding twice was a good call on your part. That keeps the gut from having a huge load dropped on it at once.

 

As far as the bed, sounds like you have a smart dog who is already quite fond of you. Your smell on the bed is probably as enticing and comforting as the bed itself is. Put the dog bed in another room where you spend a lot of time. If there isn't a comfy chair there or he's not allowed on the furniture, the bed will eventually get some use.

 

Your alone time training sounds like you have a wonderful hand on it. Good for you.

 

Glad to have you join us nutty greyhound folks!

[Guest IrskasMom]

 

 

Yeah Tony .... Things are looking up for you both . Greys are also called Velcro-Dogs. Mine hangs around my Heels

constantly . Though don't be surprised if your Dog follows you everywhere. He wants to be with you. The Food ,I think

is greyt to be split in two Sessions , Breakfast and Supper . You doing great.

[riverbosun]

Tony, I would fast him and then chicken and rice for a few days and quiet everything down. Then I'd introduce the kibble VERY slowly over a 2-3 weeks. Also make sure there are no worms. He may have been wormed once at the kennel but it's a vicious cycle with new dogs coming into the kennel. Skip the supplements and canned for now so that if you get into trouble you can have a better idea of what he reacted to.

[GeorgeofNE]

I think Barbara (Riverbosun) hit the nail on the head--exactly what I'd do, except I'd give him some Kaopectate too.

 

You do not need to feed a dog vitamins if you're feeding him quality food. He might need fish oil if he has a flaky coat; but if he doesn't, he doesn't need that either!

 

If you can, invest in a dog walker until the diarrhea has passed. If you try to leave a dog with the runs alone all day while you're at work, you're BOTH going to be miserable at the end of the day. He can't help it!

 

Also, you should have a "well dog" vet visit scheduled already. If you haven't done so, you should take him in, have his stool checked for parasites, and allow the vet to just meet him, etc. The vet can advise you on his current condition and anything he feels might be necessary!

 

Good luck!

[Guest SoulsMom]

RE~the bed thing. Soul has four beds: two in the living room, one in the study, and one in my bedroom. In the living room he alternates between his beds and the chair and the couch. Usually if I'm on the couch he prefers to be there with me. At night he sleeps in my bed with me. The first night I brought him home it was only because the kennel was full, I didn't think he was staying. He slept on his bed for half the night, but in the middle on the night he hopped up into my bed to sleep with me.

 

RE~feeding schedule. Soul gets fed twice a day, 2cups in the morning and 2cups in the evening. I can't imagine why she told you to feed him four cups once per day

 

RE~the crate. Some dogs just don't like it and feel much better if they aren't confined. Soul is one of them. He was a bounce due to SA, but I don't think he had SA at all. I think his former family kept him crated often, which he hates. He would carry on and tear up the bedding, etc. I left him out of the crate and no problems at all!

 

 

[MaryJane]

Everyone covered the other items nicely and the only other thing that I might suggest is that if there is still the slightest possibility that you will be returning your dog (as noted in your other post), then please do not let him up on your furniture or bed. These habits can be very hard to break (and confusing) once a dog acquires them and other adopters might not appreciate them.

 

I do hope that this greyhound works out because it sounds like you are doing so much "right" for the guy and are obviously very concerned about him.

[Guest lynne893]

Good suggestions here, so I just wanted to post a note of support.

 

I've been there with all of the dogs I've ever had. The first two weeks are tough and you DO wonder if it'll ever get better, then... it does. Before you even know it. Pretty soon you'll be forgetting all of these stressors and joking and playing around with your hound.

 

Hang in there!

[Guest LoveMyJoseyBean]

Hi Tony. Welcome. I am happy to see your Rubber Band Man. He's gorgeous. I just wanted to write a post of support. It looks as though you are doing everything fine, the food thing will get better. I promise. Maybe try white rice instead of brown. It seems to be a bit more binding in my opinion. When I have used brown rice, it seems to go right though Jo and can be clearly identified upon elimination.

 

As for his bed, see if he prefers it in a different place. As of right now, I have one dog bed for Josey, and her crate. While she will sleep in her crate while I am home, I do sometimes move her bed around so that she can lay in it an still be close to me. Costco has some great dog beds that are under $20, and greyhound sized.

 

And above all don't worry about having doubts. I know that you lost your heart dog. I am so sorry. Give your new boy a chance to begin a new chapter in your life with you. He might take a bit of time to get adjusted, as will you. When I got Josey, I spent a few weeks wonder what the heck I was thinking. Now I absolutely cannot imagine life without her.

 

I am hoping to read much more about the two of you getting to know each other! Best wishes...we all care, and are here to help.

 

Camille

[Jackandgrey]

Just a note about the alone training or crate training. He knows you are in the house even when you are in the basement so he is likely to whine and cry. You really have to be gone for him to learn to settle and be "alone".

[dbullwinkel]

Hi Tony and welcome. Sounds like you are very committed to helping your new friend!

You have been given many excellent suggestions...I have one regarding D..slippery elm powder helps my guys. But as said before, make sure worms are ruled out..it is a powder that tea is made out of. I add ( I think) 1/2 tsp. to the food and the dogs just eat it along with their meal. It really seems to help. I purchased it in the health food store. Good luck!

Donna