Should We Adopt This Dog?

[Guest johnlovesgreys]

Background: My wife and I just lost our second greyhound Sol about two weeks ago to a massive stroke or brain bleed of some sort. He was a perfectly healthy 6 yo male. Before that we adopted a 5 yr old mixed breed greyhound that had been abused, shot at, chained, and god knows what else. It took a lot to get him to trust us, but he eventually did, then promptly developed untreatable cancer and had to be put down. Most recently we adopted a 4 mo puppy and she's been healthy for the most part over the last 1 1/2 years. We want to get another hound soon because they're just so much happier when they're not alone. Not to mention the void left in our lives from the loss of Sol, he was really really special to me. I know we'll never be able to replace him, and I've tried to adjust my expectations accordingly.

 

Last weekend we went to a meet-and-greet and found a 5 yo female we really like that got along well with our 1 1/2 yo. We began the adoption process knowing she had a corn on her pad and that it would be treated before we got her. That in itself doesn't bother me. When we saw her, she was missing a few teeth, but not so much that it was a concern. In prepping her for her new home she had a dental and they subsequently pulled all her teeth from the canines back. Now I'm having second thoughts. My heart just can't take another sick hound.

 

That was a long back story, but I guess my question is, how much is this going to affect her in the coming years? I know several hounds that are missing teeth; it seems to be a common problem among this breed, but I'm very concerned about potential problems with this new dog. This feels selfish to say because I love and want to adopt all the dogs, but I just can't take another sick dog at this point. Am I worrying about nothing? I just want to make sure we're not making a mistake when we could wait a few months and maybe get a dog with fewer problems that we like.

 

My wife is mad at me for thinking about backing out on this adoption, but I'm still really hurting from Sol's death and not thinking totally clearly. I fear that she might be in the same state and rushing into getting another dog in an attempt to fill the void left by Sol.

 

Please help me gain some insight into this.

 

Thanks.

[Houndtime]

The simplest way to say this is; there are not guarantees in life. Your Sol was a perfect example. He was very young when he died. People have adopted seniors and only expected to have them a very short time and they lived many years more than were anticipated.

My Paulie is losing teeth every few months. He had a slight limp when we adopted him at 4-1/2 years of age. He is now 8 years old and a joy to have in our home. Go with your heart. Don't listen to your head.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Houndtime

[JAJ2010]

Personally focusing on a new family member helps me not dwell on my loss. My family went 6 years w/o a dog since it was too painful for my Mom to even think about getting another one. Once they brought another home, they learned to regret that decision. There are so many dogs out there that need homes. No one will replace your Sol but maybe a new dog will help you in the healing process? They always seem to have those weird powers about them.

 

But everyone is different, so I can't tell you what to do!

 

Maybe her teeth were bad form a track diet and you can work on them? Bad teeth are not anywhere in the league of osteo....

[GeorgeofNE]

I understand completely.

 

My last dog was a mixed breed dog from the shelter who was thrown from a moving car, starved and sick. I had been told all my life that "mutts are healthier than purebreds" so when I was looking to adopt a dog, I picked a mutt. I had him for 15 years, but in those 15 years, we endured probably $15,000 of vet bills.

 

My ONLY request when I told my adoption group was that the hound I get be male, and healthy. I know there are no guarantees, but I at least wanted to START with a healthy one. So I know where you're coming from.

 

I think that the notion that a "track diet" causes the problems in greyhounds is a myth. There are certain breeds that are just prone to bad teeth--in the cat world, Siamese cats are famous for this. Because it's believe to be a genetic thing, it makes sense that NGA hounds would be passing this problem around. My vet warned me before I adopted--greyhounds are famous for their bad teeth.

 

Having said that, it's likely that she will be just fine! Now that the teeth are gone, the problem is resolved. You can ask GreyTalk username "Marc." One of his hounds has only got 4 teeth I think. She is perfectly healthy--she just had the bad roll of the dice and got dental disease in her gene pool.

 

My dog lived in a track kennel for 3 years, and apparently he liked to chew on the kennel, cause many of his teeth are broken--however, his gums are the very picture of health!

 

If you aren't ready to adopt yet, by all means don't. But if you are otherwise happy with this hound, I wouldn't let a dental issue that's already been treated stop me!

 

Good luck. I'm sorry about Sol.

Edited January 7, 2010 by GeorgeofNE

[Guest Grhndad]

Have never delt with corns but 9 years ago we adopted a brood mom that was toothless. She was 8 1/2 yr old at the time. The only medical problem she had was that we lost her at age 13 unexpectedly to hemangiosarcoma. So don't let the missing teeth worry you.

[Jiffer]

Long snout = bad teeth. There's nothing that can be done about it.

 

Orion had most of his major teeth removed in 2007 (he desperately needed it since he's one of those "lucky" ones with bad teeth). He will be 11 in July and is in perfect health. He eats kibble, treats, rawhides, hard chews... everything that the others can eat. He just takes a longer time to eat them

 

I wouldn't think much on it, frankly, but can certainly understand your hesitation. One can't tell from the outside if the dog will always be healthy.

 

Edited to add: Atlas has had two corns since we adopted him 6 years ago. He has had no problems with them, as long as I hull them out every couple weeks.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Jiffer

[Guest larock]

We adopted a sickly 8 yo male greyhound (Wardy) that required extensive on-going medical care for the entire 3 wonderful years we had him. We knew he was not well when we adopted him but no-one knew at the time how extensive it would become. That said, would I do it again? In a heartbeat. The payback was awesome. Somehow he packed a whole lifetime into those three years and he is the one greyhound I will never forget.

 

I agree with the other posters. Don't think about it too much, just go with what your heart is telling you.

Edited January 7, 2010 by larock

[Batmom]

Realistically, corn can be a pain in the butt but generally not costly and certainly not life-threatening . The teeth? I'd look at it this way: They're DONE and you'll only have a few left to worry about in future.

 

Really sounds to me like she is good to go.

 

[Jackandgrey]

I know you want to protect your heart from more hurt. That is completely understandable. Your head knows there is absolutely no guarantee in this life to health and longevity. But that doesn't matter right now. So I will just reaffirm what others have said, poor teeth are not a major health problem unless they are not dealt with. If you plan to take care of and address dental issues as they arise in this hounds future, then you will be performing the preventative health care that should help ensure a long and healthy life for your dog - as much as anyone can do. It is bad teeth left untreated that cause health problems. So you see you can DO something about this.

[Guest RWM]

Adopting a hound is a big responsibility and a big commitment. If you have any doubts or reservations, don't do it. If you adopt, and your worst fears are realized, you will beat yourself up and both you and your hound will be the worse for it.

 

Several months ago, before I adopted my second hound, Snowy, I was looking at a spook by the name of Scoopy. I spent a fair amount of time with Scoopy. I wasn't sure I had the tools to bring her out. I decided, after much vacillation, not to adopt her. Shortly thereafter, I adopted Snowy and someone else with more experience with spooks adopted Scoopy. It was the right decision.

 

There are others out there who will not have problems with this dog. Let them adopt her. She will find her forever home with someone else who won't dwell on her handicaps, be they real or imagined.

Edited January 7, 2010 by RWM

[SAVED2]

We have always adopted the sick ones , some did'nt live long but they died knowing the good life , our Maggie now 12 lost all her teeth 2 years ago and is in perfect health now you just have to wet the dry kibble.

[Guest johnlovesgreys]

Thanks folks. I think that's exactly what I needed to hear. I know there are no guarantees but I wanted to get a feel for how serious this was. It sounds now like it's not a big deal at all.

 

Any special diets necessary for toothfew (not toothless!) hounds?

[Guest mountain4greys]

I don't see one single reason not to.

[Remolacha]

As others have said, the only real health problem would have been if those teeth hadn't been pulled! Once her mouth heals, she should be able to eat just about anything any other dog would. I have no experience with corns, but many on this board do, and it doesn't usually seem to be a big deal.

[Houndtime]

Thanks folks. I think that's exactly what I needed to hear. I know there are no guarantees but I wanted to get a feel for how serious this was. It sounds now like it's not a big deal at all.

 

Any special diets necessary for toothfew (not toothless!) hounds?

 

 

 

 

Paulie, with only 9 teeth, eats exactly the same dinner as the others. The only thing he can't eat is raw bones. So, I give him a beef jerky when they are chewing turkey necks.

[Guest MyBoys]

We have lost 7 of our boys over the years and grieved with each and every one, but the joy they bring outweighs everything else. One of our boys was only 4 years old and another one was only 6, who would have ever guessed we would lose them to cancer. One of the things I have learned to deal with in the almost 20 years of adopting greys is that you know some where along the line your heart will be broken, you never really get over the loss you just move on. This little girl's issues are not major, one of my boys had all but 6 teeth pulled and lived to the ripe old age of 15. Like someone else said, there are no guarantees but we continue to open our hearts to these beautiful gentle creatures and I for one would never be willing to give that up.

[greytpups]

Bailey lost most of her teeth when we adopted her at 6 years old. She had 4 canines a couple in the front and one molar. I called her (lovingly) Hoover. Wh bought soft treats for her, but she could chow down on a bulley stick. It just took her a lot longer I would adopt a toothless dog in a heartbeat.

[krissn333]

Missing teeth are no problem...especially since they've taken care of getting rid of those nasty teeth already! Just be sure to care for the remaining teeth

 

I know some toothless greyhounds that eat kibble DRY. That is, after their little mouths have healed. Wetting kibble would be just fine though. They adapt really fast!

 

As for the corn...that's more of a bother than an actual health problem...that can be dealt with. There are several ppl here that have dealt with corns with no problems.

 

If the teeth are your worry, I wouldn't worry at all!

[greysmom]

Many greyhounds don't chew their food - whether they have teeth or not! And they do just fine with few or no teeth. The only special diet they require is one they can eat. You can soak her kibble for 10 minutes prior to feeding. You can crush her kibble in a blender or food processor to make kibble porridge. You can feed only canned food. Find out what she's eating and how she's eating now and think about continuing this regimin.

 

You will probably need to be vigilant with her dental care from now on. Teeth brushing at home, maybe an oral rinse or tooth sealer, extra attention when you go in for vet check-ups. But that's all minor stuff and easily handled during regular daily routines.

 

I say, if she's the right grey for you, there isn't a medical reason to not adopt.

[Guest bigorangedog]

Others have covered everything I would have said, but wanted to add that we have a greyhound (Chester) with ONE tooth. He had all the others extracted at about 6 years old (he is 9 now). He's much better off without them, and has no other health problems. He was eating regular kibble a week after the oral surgery. He's actually a little bit...fat! So toothlessness is a non-issue as far as we are concerned.

[Guest tammymacb]

My Hannah has lost teeth like a maple tree in October. I say she's got summer teeth, ( summer here and summer there ) but not many. She's also had corns since she was about 5. Corns suck, because they cause discomfort and I try to help her out with those. However, she's going on 11 and going strong.

 

There are far worse problems to have.

 

Good luck!

Edited January 7, 2010 by tammymacb

[Guest brandi007]

I wouldn't worry too much and go with the adoption. Life throws curve balls at you, and most of the time you can't see them coming.

 

I had a sickly cat that was supposed to pass before his 4th birthday and we just lost him this past year at the ripe old age of 17.

 

Foxy Promise, my 2nd greyhound was perfectly healthy and happy and we lost him 6 months after the adoption to a tragic accident.

 

I wouldn't go back and change either situation knowing the outcome. Even if I knew Foxy's time with us was going to be so short, it was so worth it and it had such a huge and positive impact on my life despite the tears that still flow from time to time. It hurts so much to lose them because we love them so much - love isn't a bad thing even if it short lived, it lasts a lifetime.

[RobinM]

When I adopted my beloved Polli at 8.5 years old, she had the worst teeth. At her very first dental, she had to have 17 teeth removed.

 

That never slowed her down.

 

It was the osteo that did her in, but the tooth issue was a non issue. I did brush every day which I suggest you do too. There are bones and or chicken necks to give her to help try and keep the teeth she does have in good shape.

 

Good luck to you.

 

I am so sorry about your losses.

[Guest JillT]

I think a lot of hounds don't actually chew their kibble anyhow (I know I have one like that), so being "toothfew" probably won't even require much, if anything, in the way of special diet.

[MP_the4pack]

My Topaz had all her teeth. They were gorgeous. She died at age 5 to liver disease.

Brindle had all her teeth. Just as gorgeous. She died at age 8 to hemangiosarcoma.

Onyx has half her teeth, she's 14.

Diamond lost most her teeth, she's 12. She has OS, an amputation and is going strong.

Pearl has beautiful teeth. Heart disease. Hypertension. But feels fine and happy at age 12. (I take her to a cardiologist regularly and she's on 20 pills a day, 8 different meds)

 

There is absolutely no way to know if a hound is going to live long or not. NONE!