Tempo, Just Adopted

[jaym1]

Took my dog home 7 weeks ago. He was racing until the middle of October this year. It's been a pretty bumpy ride getting him acclimated and sorting his health problems out. He's been battling digestive issues and a prominent case of separation anxiety (barking, no destructive behavior). I am still trying to figure out how to get him back to his racing weight, which was pretty thin to begin with (67 lbs), was 64.2 when I adopted him, and is now down to 63.6 now, which is REALLY thin. All his ribs and most of his vertebrae are visible. I've had all the standard tests (EPI, parasites, etc.) done. All show no problems, but he's had soft, pale stools since before I got him. Strangely, though he won't gain weight, and has even lost a bit, his coat, which was dull and scraggly when I got him, has become lustrous, soft, and beautiful. Anyhow, I will be posting more about his health issues in the forum shortly so I can get advice.

 

In the mean time, here he is:

 

http://vimeo.com/34292672

past life, before his existence became a series of couches, beds, and unexpected soft places to lay down on

 

day before i adopted him

 

lounging with a friend

 

favorite spot on the couch

 

smiling at a greyhound meetup

 

lounging in his crate

 

hanging out with some buffalo taffy

[Yamaha_gurl]

Congrats on the new family member. What is his racing name? Feel free to post up in Heath and Medical...but have a looksie first, cause I'm sure this topic has been covered recently

[jaym1]

Congrats on the new family member. What is his racing name? Feel free to post up in Heath and Medical...but have a looksie first, cause I'm sure this topic has been covered recently

 

yeah, he's got the standard soft stool/malabsorption deal -- it has indeed been covered many times that i've already found. sometimes it's just helpful be in the discussion first hand, though. alas, repetition is unavoidable on forums like this.

 

also, i should mention that he is a fabulous dog -- extremely sociable, evenly tempered, and incredibly responsive to tone of voice. outside of his fear of being alone, and all that comes with that, he is everything i was looking for in a greyhound.

[Jenbo]

He's gorgeous!

[silverfish]

So he's Rusty Tempo? And he won!

 

He looks a lot like my Sid in his colour and gentle face (with eyebrows!) but in build, a lot like Ranger. We ran through all the tests with Ranger too, and still don't have an answer to why he won't put on weight, and has an intermittent vomiting problem. We think it's at least partly down to stress, although you would not immediately look at him and think he would be easily stressed.

 

When you say 'soft, pale stools' it does make me wonder about malabsorbtion problems, but presumably your vet has seen them and decided this is not a factor for him.

[jaym1]

no - i think she agrees there is malabsorption going on. we just don't know why yet. an ultrasound would be the next step, i suppose. she did an initial test, and determined that there was a bit of inflammation. on the other hand, he is still definitely stressed, and we are on our third food since coming home. natural balance sweet potato and venison was diarrhea city, holistic blend (grain based) made yellow poop with undigested grains, and now taste of the wild lamb seems to have him headed in the right direction toward more solid, but still relatively pale poop. but all in all, i think being newly adopted combined with all that change in diet has probably made his system irritable, and i should wait another month without changing anything. it's still alarming, though. also, its amazing how centered my entire life is on the color and texture of dog poop. i would not have predicted this.

 

and yes, that's his name. that video is a compilation of his 11 wins (out of 75 races)

Edited December 28, 2011 by jaym1

[fsugrad]

Oh, he is so beautiful! Congratulations! I love the pic of him lying on his favorite spot on the couch and the pic of him smiling at the greyhound meetup. He is a real cutie and I hope you get to the bottom of his digestive/health issues soon.

Congrats and welcome to GT!

[jaym1]

thanks. he is always so much fun, and makes me laugh daily. he has a perfect energy level: whenever its time for a walk hes wagging his tail and waiting at the door, and can basically walk ENDLESSLY. at the same time, he will instantly transition into completely shameful laziness at a moments notice when indoors. He's gone to two big family events, and has been wonderfully behaved at both. I was worried since he has never really had experience around a table set for a big meal, with all sort of tempting things right there for the taking. he is so tall that he almost cant help but stick his face in things. But he is so responsive to voice commands, that the instant his snout gets near a table, a quick "no," or a calling his name will stop him on a dime, and he won't try anything again.

 

the separation anxiety thing is fairly standard fair, or even somewhat mild based on what ive been reading, but annoying nonetheless. some days i can leave him for a half hour just fine, and other days, like today, he'll start whining after 3 minutes. i can also leave him at night for a LONG time (relatively speaking), but if i leave him in the morning or early afternoon -- forget it. my workaround is that i spend a lot of time working in my shop in the basement, which he is fine with. so when i need to escape, i simply go down there, turn on the music loud enough for him to hear through the floor, and i sneak out the back door. he has yet to catch on, and im hoping to somehow merge his conception of my being in the basement with my being outside in a positive way. in the meantime he is in a very affordable dog daycare three days per week, and i borrow a friends greyhound for the other two days. i will continue this while i slowly build up his tolerance. at this point, though, i have been working with my vet and a behaviorist, and we are seriously considering putting him on doggie prozac during the training process to speed things up. he has already shown the ability to improve, so i know he can do it. but i just dont have the means/time to keep him in day care for 6 months or more.

Edited December 28, 2011 by jaym1

[silverfish]

we are on our third food since coming home. natural balance sweet potato and venison was diarrhea city, holistic blend (grain based) made yellow poop with undigested grains, and now taste of the wild lamb seems to have him headed in the right direction toward more solid, but still relatively pale poop. but all in all, i think being newly adopted combined with all that change in diet has probably made his system irritable, and i should wait another month without changing anything.

 

 

Three complete changes of food in seven weeks is WAY too many. Greyhounds do sometimes tend to have sensitive digestions and really, you want to aim to change over foods very slowly and keep to one for a while, if you can find one he gets along with.

 

To change from one to another, you need to swap about a quarter of a cup out of his ration of the old food for the same amount of new food, so that he's getting mostly old with a little new, and very gradually, over the course of a week, increase the new and decrease the old until he's eating all new. Also, many newly adopted dogs don't do well with the really rich, top-end-of-the-range foods. I'm not familiar with the ones you mention because I'm in England, but if I were you, I'd find out what he was fed on wherever he was before you adopted him, and get him back onto that and see what happens. Now that his system is on a hair-trigger though, you'll need to do the gradual change back over to that one, too.

 

Not saying this is all that's wrong with him, but I do know an awful lot of new greyhound owners go through this - me included, back in 1994. We actually discovered with that first dog that he was lactose intolerant as well as not doing too well on high-end food, but that's another story.

 

 

it's still alarming, though. also, its amazing how centered my entire life is on the color and texture of dog poop. i would not have predicted this.

 

 

Ha! Welcome to the world of greyhounds. We are all VERY familiar with examining poop.

[jaym1]

we are on our third food since coming home. natural balance sweet potato and venison was diarrhea city, holistic blend (grain based) made yellow poop with undigested grains, and now taste of the wild lamb seems to have him headed in the right direction toward more solid, but still relatively pale poop. but all in all, i think being newly adopted combined with all that change in diet has probably made his system irritable, and i should wait another month without changing anything.

 

 

Three complete changes of food in seven weeks is WAY too many. Greyhounds do sometimes tend to have sensitive digestions and really, you want to aim to change over foods very slowly and keep to one for a while, if you can find one he gets along with.

 

To change from one to another, you need to swap about a quarter of a cup out of his ration of the old food for the same amount of new food, so that he's getting mostly old with a little new, and very gradually, over the course of a week, increase the new and decrease the old until he's eating all new. Also, many newly adopted dogs don't do well with the really rich, top-end-of-the-range foods. I'm not familiar with the ones you mention because I'm in England, but if I were you, I'd find out what he was fed on wherever he was before you adopted him, and get him back onto that and see what happens. Now that his system is on a hair-trigger though, you'll need to do the gradual change back over to that one, too.

 

Not saying this is all that's wrong with him, but I do know an awful lot of new greyhound owners go through this - me included, back in 1994. We actually discovered with that first dog that he was lactose intolerant as well as not doing too well on high-end food, but that's another story.

 

 

it's still alarming, though. also, its amazing how centered my entire life is on the color and texture of dog poop. i would not have predicted this.

 

 

Ha! Welcome to the world of greyhounds. We are all VERY familiar with examining poop.

 

those are definitely sage words!

 

he was almost right off the track when i got him. he was being fed hills science diet at the adoption center. i had the opportunity, on many occasions, to pick up after him, and his stools were alarmingly yellow and undigested. this is why i went with the grain free option at first, and returned to the plainer, grain-based one when that was a bust. bust again, it produced those same yellow, soft, undigested stools. i really didnt want to switch again, but i felt like i had no choice. i thought about switching to a less rich, standard food like iams. but based on a few factors, including his complete inability to digest plain white rice, i felt that a different grain free option was in order if i had to switch. he is DEFINITELY doing better on his current food. the poop is smaller, slowly getting darker and (thank god) noticeably firmer. except for one situation, where he already had diarrhea to begin with, i switched foods through gradual substitution.

 

i am lucky to have a photo of him while he was racing, and he was definitely thin at that point. he's only 3 lbs and change down from that weight now (and only a few ounces below his adoption weight), so its hardly catastrophic. i just want to make sure he happily thrives, though. it is strange to me that his coat is improving so dramatically, while his weight is not.

Edited December 28, 2011 by jaym1

[greytpups]

Grade A and only 11 wins? Wow, that race was really impressive then. He may put on weight once you find the appropriate food for him. I know it can take awhile sometimes too to find a good food for him while slowly transitioning each one. Good luck and welcome to you and Rusty Tempo.

[jaym1]

 

ha! it's my good fortune that. . . he wasnt exactly the best racer, otherwise he might still be at the track. he was 11/75 in wins, and came in 2nd 13 times. looking at those videos, i cant believe im seeing the same animal that is currently asleep and drooling on the rug in my living room with his face resting on the giant squeaking snake toy i just bought, not a care in the world.

[silverfish]

 

he was almost right off the track when i got him. he was being fed hills science diet at the adoption center. i had the opportunity, on many occasions, to pick up after him, and his stools were alarmingly yellow and undigested. this is why i went with the grain free option at first, and returned to the plainer, grain-based one when that was a bust. bust again, it produced those same yellow, soft, undigested stools.

 

 

Hmm. Can you find out what he was fed at the track, and if he had those same stools? It does sound as if he's not tolerating something, doesn't it? But bear in mind that rapid changes can also produce nasty, slimy, yellow/orange stools, simply because they shoot through so fast and irritate the colon.

 

 

 

it is strange to me that his coat is improving so dramatically, while his weight is not.

 

We're finding the same with Ranger. His coat has improved dramatically, and he's now a soft, shiny black beauty, but .. .still thin! He's put some on, but like your boy, I can see too many ribs, too much spine and too much of those hip bones.

[MaryJane]

Congrats!

 

You might want to try Science Diet light - it has about 10% fiber so it tends to firm up the loose stools but, the ingredient list is not really good. I currently have a foster on it and he's also one where rich foods like the Natural Balance & Solid Gold didn't work but, Science Diet Light is working. I've had him about 4 weeks and he was very thin when he arrived and the diet has allowed the GI irritation to settle down so that he's gaining weight steadily.

[Walliered]

One of my hounds was not absorbing his food. He is on monthly B12 shots for the rest of his life.

[jaym1]

Congrats!

 

You might want to try Science Diet light - it has about 10% fiber so it tends to firm up the loose stools but, the ingredient list is not really good. I currently have a foster on it and he's also one where rich foods like the Natural Balance & Solid Gold didn't work but, Science Diet Light is working. I've had him about 4 weeks and he was very thin when he arrived and the diet has allowed the GI irritation to settle down so that he's gaining weight steadily.

 

i have to admit, i wasnt quite prepared for the level of sensitivity these dogs have to food and changes in diet. i had read all about it -- but thats not the same as experiencing it. when i brought him home, the first thing the rescue agency told me to do was to get him off the science diet food he was on at the adoption center, so i did. at this point i feel like i need to just stick with what he's on and give him a chance to adapt to it. like i mentioned, he seems to be doing better with his current food.

 

i also forgot to mention that he had quite a raging tapeworm infection when i got him. had that taken care of a week after i got him. in the last few days, though, i have seen some evidence that suggests he might still have a lingering issue there, so will deworm again tomorrow. he is flea-free, so im not sure if its a life-cycle issue, or what.

Edited December 29, 2011 by jaym1

[Guest tinams8]

Deworming again sounds like a good idea. I feed grain free, so I think you have chosen a good food for him. My greyhound had very pale, loose stools at first until I switched her.

 

He is a very handsome boy! I hope he settles in well and starts putting on weight.

[Guest wmlcml6]

Handsome!! Your boy reminds me so much of my Hope! Hope was the runt of her litter and has always been extremely narrow. No matter what we give her, and even if she eats 4 times a day, we cannot put weight or width on her. But she has no health issues to speak of (and she was thoroughly checked out by a specialist due to her out of proportion physique and her finicky eating habits). Unfortunately, she is spoiled rotten and doesn't even eat dog food, so I can't give you any guidance there except that the foods you listed are more rich than what we feed our dogs. I think many greyhounds just cannot tolerate that type of food (but many do, so it's a guessing game at first). Much to our disappointment, we found that our racers ran best off Loyall Performance formula, or Purina Hi Pro. We tried a more premium kibble that had better healthy ingredients, and they didn't have the same energy or recovery. Weird, I know, but it's truth.

 

If you live near a feed store, you might see if they carry Loyall brand. Many of our adopters use it and they rave about the low incidence of tummy issues and poop problems. Compared to premium brands, it's relatively inexpensive.

 

I would also recommend you double check that hookworms are not an issue. They are pesky blood sucking parasites, and cause diarrea and anemia.

[jaym1]

Handsome!! Your boy reminds me so much of my Hope! Hope was the runt of her litter and has always been extremely narrow. No matter what we give her, and even if she eats 4 times a day, we cannot put weight or width on her. But she has no health issues to speak of (and she was thoroughly checked out by a specialist due to her out of proportion physique and her finicky eating habits). Unfortunately, she is spoiled rotten and doesn't even eat dog food, so I can't give you any guidance there except that the foods you listed are more rich than what we feed our dogs. I think many greyhounds just cannot tolerate that type of food (but many do, so it's a guessing game at first). Much to our disappointment, we found that our racers ran best off Loyall Performance formula, or Purina Hi Pro. We tried a more premium kibble that had better healthy ingredients, and they didn't have the same energy or recovery. Weird, I know, but it's truth.

 

If you live near a feed store, you might see if they carry Loyall brand. Many of our adopters use it and they rave about the low incidence of tummy issues and poop problems. Compared to premium brands, it's relatively inexpensive.

 

I would also recommend you double check that hookworms are not an issue. They are pesky blood sucking parasites, and cause diarrea and anemia.

 

sorry to have turned this thread into one more suitable for one of the other forums, but. . . let me just ask:

 

i am definitely aware that he has had too many food changes in his two months with me. but at this point, which is worse: maintaining him on a food that may or may not be working for him, or switching him, yet again? i feel like neither of those options are great, and dont have the experience necessary to make that call. the information i have been able to gather thus far suggests its best to stick with what he's on, and i know many greyhound owners in my area whose dogs are doing great on what i'm feeding him now, and indeed, he is showing signs that he is starting to handle it. its definitely an improvement over his previous food.

 

trying to navigate through these little issues that are probably routine to more experienced owners is amazingly worrisome when its the first time. the fact that he seems and acts completely healthy and full of energy definitely makes me feel better, but i know he's not quite where he needs to be yet in terms of his digestion.

Edited December 29, 2011 by jaym1

[Guest TheDoggfather]

Tempo actually ran 107 total races with 97 of them being official (the other 10 were schooling races either at the beginning of his career or somewhere in the middle of it after he came off of a rest break). In fact, he had 16 wins over the course of his 97 race career, not the 11 mentioned earlier. In addition, he did this at arguably one of our most competitive tracks - Wheeling Downs in Wheeling, WV. He won a Stakes qualifying round in an even t he'd eventually make the Finals of (where he ran a very respectable 3rd, thank you very much!) and was even sent across the way to Tri-State in Cross Lanes, WV to participate in the WV Bred Stakes (He ran a couple stinkers in the first two rounds and needed a win to advance, but, ran 2nd and was sent back to Wheeling). On top of that, he won several Grade A races and a few top grade AA races.

 

 

he was a real nice racer - the kind any trainer would be happy to have in his/her kennel as he always gave his best effort in his races. And from your desription of him in his life as a pet, he seems like a real character - and those kinds of dogs are ALWAYS welcome and enjoyed in a kennel.

 

I hope you get his tummy issues figured out - it can be pretty stressful for all involved til something like that is sorted out. Congratulations on your new boy

[jaym1]

Tempo actually ran 107 total races with 97 of them being official (the other 10 were schooling races either at the beginning of his career or somewhere in the middle of it after he came off of a rest break). . .

 

whoa - thanks for that info! how did you find it? obviously, i am sort of a novice where looking that kind of stuff up is concerned.

[riverbosun]

I would highly recommend Dr. Bari Speilman (female) at Vescone. Expertise is GI problems. I've dealt with her with my dog and know of several others as well.

[ozgirl2]

My girl Cody had digestive issues all her life! She was apparently sensitive to soy, corn and RICE (of all things!) Once I had her off foods with rice, she did better but I always used a digestive enzyme (I used Prozyme) on her food - it sort of pre-digests it - and she did MUCH better with that. But if I (or usually someone else) gave her any treats with any of the above in them, it'd set her off for days!

 

Maybe see if your vet has one of the dig. enzymes & try that? If it works, you can get HUGE bottles much cheaper online!

 

Good luck - if he has a sensitivity, you just have to do elimination...