Naked butt!

Does your hound have a naked butt, belly and/or neck? Our blue boy Dax has been the most naked hound I have ever seen since we brought him home. A combination of his hairless-ness and skittish behaviors,  we believed he had a thyroid problem. He was tested by our vet and we consulted the best of the best in the greyhound community with the results. No problem. Dax was perfectly healthy, except we still had a super squirrely dog with lots of baldness. Things stayed the same for about 2 years. We just kind of accepted the fact that he was never going to have much hair in those places and that we would always have trouble taking him on walks or out in public, as he was "afraid" and startled by so many things.

Then, one day I stumbled upon a post on greytalk where someone had before and after photos of their dog's butt after just a few weeks of melatonin. The results were amazing. I started doing a little research and began to wonder if maybe this would work for Dax, not only for the hair growth, but to calm some of his behavior issues as well. I spoke to both Lesley and our Vet about it, and both agreed it was worth a shot.

Dax has now been taking 3mg of melatonin twice a day for a few months now and we are very pleased! Not only does he have fur all over the place where he did not before and is very "fluffy", but it has also made him better in social situations. He is a lot calmer in public. He still walks away from small bouncy children, but he will let MANY more people pet him than ever before. He also does not dart away from inanimate objects too close to the sidewalk on our walks. He also tends to be less snappy with our other greyhounds and the fosters.

This is not a magic bullet for everyone. We have seen results from different people who have tried it with their dogs. It does not work quickly and you have to be consistent. It took about 6 weeks before we started seeing any hair-growth. It started on his neck. He still has moments when the other dogs agitate him, but they are much fewer than before. Overall, it has been a good thing for Dax. So if your hound has a naked butt, you might give it a shot. It's just a few bucks in the vitamin section of your local big box store, and for us, it's money well-spent!

Here are some before an after pictures of Dax:
Dax before:

Dax after a few months:

Foster # 13 - Fox

Once again, I am way behind. I may post a few separate blogs tonight. I hate to mix too many topics in one post. Too complicated when you look back on it that way.

So, we had foster #13 for about two weeks. His name is Lago Fox aka Fox, and he is Dax's brother. He and another greyhound were returned by their previous owner due to a change in circumstances. No details coming from me. It really doesn't matter. He's safe and we will find him another home.

He is sweet, handsome, quiet, well-behaved, playful, doesn't get on the furniture (not that it matters to us), just an all-around greyt greyhound. This handsome boy would have no trouble finding a home, except for one little thing., he has SLO. If you don't know about SLO, you can find an article about it here. He is fine, except he sometimes loses toenails. He is not on any medication, just supplements. He has been doing well for a while now.

I really enjoyed having Fox around. He is such a love. A lot like his brother. We all kept saying that he is a blue dog in a black dog's body. If we only had two, he could have stayed. We "traded" Fox for another foster on Sunday night (11/8). He is doing well in his new foster home as well. Hopefully he will have a forever home before we need to move him again. Love you Foxy.

Here is Fox:

Dax update #3, this weekend, and a photo

Last night, Dax and I did not sleep. Some how Tim slept through the pacing. Dax's wrap had come off, and I don't know if he was just freaked out by the stitches, they itched, or hurt when they touched stuff or what, but he would not stop pacing. No panting, just pacing. I ended up wrapping it after I let him go potty, and that settled him some. Ugh, what a long night.

Stitches were removed this morning. That was relatively uneventful. We did get to see our vet this time. She took them out and said his tail looked good. Hopefull, we are on our way to recovery!

We get foster #11 tomorrow. We are not sure who it will be yet, as some one is coming to look at the two possibilities as I type, but someone is coming tomorrow. We are meeting Lesley at the Howerton's. They are fostering a brother to their dog Rita, and we get whoever the other person does not chose.

Lastly, a photo. A little while back, we had a photo made of Dax and his 3 brothers for the GPA-LA/MS 2010 Calendar. It was quite a shoot. Sorry I missed blogging about it. A lot was going on at the time. Anywho, the shoot was chaotic, but went well and we all got some good shots. All I was worried about was a picture of all 4, and that's what I got. So, without further ado, the "Lago' boys! From left to right: Dax (Lago Dave), Andrew (Lago Andrew), Fox (Lago Fox) and Bud (Lago Bud).

Dax Update #2

Dax is handling life with a shorter tail pretty well. On Monday afternoon, I took him in to have his bandage changed. They took him to the back and changed it. I returned the e-collar, as we never put it on him. The vet who did the surgery complimented us on the condition of his bandage. It looked just as it did when they put it on. We made sure he left it alone by muzzling him with his poo-guard muzzle whenever he was unsupervised. He really has not even noticed it.

Then tonight happened. We had to go help our neighbor set-up her new computer. When Tim came back to grab something from the house, he let the dogs out. He said that as Dax went out the back door, he whimpered and then the wrap fell of. He did not hit it on anything, it pretty much just slid off. He watched him outside, then brought him back in, muzzled him and came back to tell me what happened. Tim then went back to the house to watch him until I came home. I came home and we decided to wrap it again, as Dax began to be interested in it, wanting to lick it and such. I did get to take a look at his tail. The stitches look okay. They only shaved about 2 inches. It is a little crusty, but everything was dry.

Now he is a little fidgety, like he was when he was in pain. I don't think he is in any pain. I think he is just re-aware of his wound and more cautious of it now. I think Tim is going to take him in first thing tomorrow morning and make the vet wrap it again, since they did not use the same tape this time and it obviously did not work as it should have. We kept the other wrap on for 7 days with no issues at all. This one, with a different kind of tape, barely lasted 24 hours.

Now he lays down for a minute and then paces some. I think I am about to give him a Benedryl just to relax him some. Hopefully he calms down soon...

Dax update

We were able to stop Dax's pain meds by Wednesday. He probably did not need them Tuesday night, but we gave him one last pill just to be safe. Since Wednesday he has become more and more his usual, goofy, silly self. He is pretty much back to normal now. His tail is still wrapped. After a little confusion over instructions, we were told to not take the wrap off. We have to bring him in on Monday so they can change it and look at it. The Vet who did his surgery thinks Dax chewed on his tail and that's how it got so bad, except for the fact he was muzzled any time we were not around once we started wrapping the tail. I could go on, but I am frustrated by the whole thing in that respect. Anyway, that's why we think they want us to keep it wrapped. Whatever. It's still wrapped. I just worry about keeping it dry, as it is rainy today. We will do our best.

So, Monday I will be able to update again, since we will have seen what we are dealing with then. Hopefully, it will be all good.

Dax is home

Dax's surgery happened a little before 3 p.m. CST. The vet's office called just around 3:45 p.m. to say all had gone well and he could still come home about 4:30 p.m. I left work and went to pick him up.

He was remarkably not groggy when they brought him to me. He seemed glad to see a familiar face. We went home.

I got him home and he seems okay. He's still pacing and panting some, but I think it's more nervousness now than pain. He doesn't get anymore meds until tomorrow. They did a full blood panel, gave him fluids (he was a little dehydrated), and gave him some antibiotics and pain meds during and after the surgery. They had given him a heavy sedative and a local anesthetic. I expected him to be more loopy than he is. I think he will lay down once we let him in the bedroom in a bit.

We gave him a small dinner, which he ate with no issue. He is peeing a lot, due to all the fluids he was given. The tail is wrapped nicely. Overall, I think everything is definitely better than yesterday and surely will continue to improve. I'll be sure to post his progress on here. I do have some pics of when we got home to share now.

Oh, and thanks again to everyone who has been concerned about our boy and wishing him well! We really appreciate it!

Dax's Surgery

Dax's surgery is scheduled for 2 p.m. I dropped him off around 9:30 a.m. They will call when he is done. We asked them to only take off about 6-8 inches. Just to make sure we got all the infection. I'll update once the surgery is over.

Dax's Tail

As usual, it has been way too long since my last post, but I have an excuse for at least some of the delay... Dax's tail.

So, like 2 weeks or so ago Dax got a case of "happy tail". As far as I can tell, he hit it on the brick wall outside in the back. I washed it with water and put some neosporin on it and we moved on. It seemed just fine. Life went on.

Well, Thursday before last, Tim came home early to what looked like a crime scene. Dax has knocked his tail open. We rinsed it and wrapped it. The next day, he got the wrap off while we were away and did it again. We re-wrapped it. At this point, it seemed a little tender, but we didn't think much of it, knowing he had hit it on something.

Saturday comes. We wrap it up before we head to New Orleans. My Mom came over to feed the hounds and Dax got the bandage off. Mom muzzles him and tries to re-wrap it with mild success and much attitude from him. It's obviously starting to hurt more. We give him some baby aspirin when we get home and wrap it again.

The next few days are just on and off wrapping, letting it dry out, and so on. Last Wednesday, we take him to the vet. We tell her what's going on and everything we had done. She said we were doing basically what she would have suggested, but it looks infected and obviously hurts him. She gives him some antibiotic and pain pills and tells us to try to let it dry out.

Over the next two days (Thursday and Friday) we talk to different people, including the vet again and start doing some wet to dry wraps where you mix up 8 parts water to 1 part vinegar and soak a gauze pad in the solution, put it on with a dry pad on the outside and wrap it up for a few hours. You also do a 10 minute "soak" where you put a washcloth in the solution and put it on the wound for that time period. These things lead to a change in the tail, but we aren't sure if it's better or worse.

Saturday morning we decide we need to see the vet again, so we do. She is mixed about it being better or worse. It is drier and not draining, but there was a fluid build-up above the wound. We also indicated the pain is still pretty good and she prescribed him more pain meds.

Saturday night was a disaster. Before bed, we gave Dax some Benedryl to calm him a little, as the vet said we could, and we did an Epsom Salts soak, also as suggested by the vet. This went okay. We decide to leave the wound open to let it dry some over night. This was fine until about 2 a.m. when Dax began to pace the room. He paced for about an hour. Tim took him out to see if he had to potty, and he did poo and pee. He came back in and still paced. I tried bringing him into the living room, we tried more dog beds in our bedroom, nothing worked. Finally, close to 4 a.m. we decide to try a wet to dry wrap again, as it seems to calm him some. That worked and within 30 minutes, he was asleep and slept until 8:30 a.m.

Once we got up, he went out, ate, got his meds and then just paced. When he finally laid down, we did another Epsom Salts soak, which was okay until the last 2 minutes when he started getting fussy about it. After that, he just paced and paced and paced and panted and whined (which he has done more and more and more). He finally laid down again after I gave him another dose of Benedryl. He licked it a little at that point and that was when the matted mess that was his tail was moved about to expose raw flesh. It's not pretty. I e-mailed the vet, and I think we are at the point where we will be amputating part of his tail. He is just in too much pain and the infection is not subsiding. The vet brought this up as a potential occurrence when we first brought him in, and we think we are there. We have sought the advice of all our greyhound "family" and everyone agrees it's the right thing to do now.

So, now we wait on the vet to contact us so we can set up a time to do the docking. I will miss his long tail, but I want him to feel better and in the end, it's just cosmetic. We are also going to have the vet do a culture of the wound to see what is going on with it really, partially just to be sure he is okay otherwise.

I apologize for not posting anything while this was going on, but no offense to anyone, but we were getting enough advice and this was a decision we needed to make and I didn't want too many people involved. Now that we are making a move, I am ready to talk about it. I just want my big blue boy to feel better and if this is what it takes, so be in.

I have some pictures of his tail, but I don't want to post them. They are kind of graphic.

I'll post again once we have a date and time. For now, I think he is finally a little settled again. There is no whining at the moment and I think he is napping. It's time to feed and for him to get more meds, Fingers crossed for a good evening.

Take care of your tails.

Heat Stroke in Greyhounds

This was passed on to me through one of my greyhound groups recently. It's VERY hot this time of year, particularly down South right now. We have been in the mid-90's with no rain for weeks now. We have to keep a close eye on our hounds and make sure they stay safe and don't over-heat. Keep your hounds safe and cool this summer!

"Heatstroke in Greyhounds: What You Need to Know"
By Judy Kody Paulsen, Founder
(Excerpt from Spring/Summer 2007 issue of GCNM News)

"I am grateful for the help of Suzanne Stack, DVM, in preparing this article. Dr. Stack is a 1985 Ohio State graduate currently practicing near her home in Yuma, Arizona. Previously, she served as a State Racing Board Veterinarian in Wisconsin and as a track vet in Texas at Valley Greyhound Park. Dr. Stack worked closely with Arizona Adopt a Greyhound (AAGI) for a number of years and still volunteers with that group.

The relative lack of information on canine heat-related and exertional ailments is alarming, considering how common the occurrence is among dogs of all breeds, particularly greyhounds. Not surprisingly, there is contradictory information on how to handle these sometimes fatal catastrophes.

Racing greyhounds are finely-tuned athletes and are usually conditioned by professional trainers. A racer’s performance while training and racing is (or should be) closely monitored. The onset of heatstroke or another debilitating and potentially life-threatening muscle disorder called hyperacute exertional rhabdomyolysis (HER) are two things no trainer wants to see.

Varying degrees of heat/exertional illness require specific treatment approaches to avoid permanent damage to muscle fibers, kidneys, and other organs. An experienced greyhound trainer has the expertise to recognize when a greyhound has been afflicted with one of these medical crises and knows the urgency in administering appropriate treatment.

Once the greyhound has left the racing environment and is lucky enough to be adopted, there are still numerous perils to which the dog may be exposed. One of the most common, yet least considered dangers, is that of over-exertion.

Well-meaning adopters want to give their greyhounds freedom to run and exercise, but it must be understood that unlike humans, dogs do not possess the ability to gauge their fitness and adjust their level of effort accordingly. Retired racers, depending on how long they’ve been off the track and how compromised their physical health might be, are at serious risk for experiencing critical problems when allowed to over-exert themselves.

Both hyperacute exertional rhabdomyolysis and heatstroke can kill a greyhound, particularly an unfit one. Physical effects can vary, but these two urgent conditions can show similar signs, including heavy panting; generalized muscle pain as evidenced by showing sensitivity to touch; muscle tremors; cardiac arrhythmia; a tendency to drag the hind legs or collapse; and extreme difficulty in changing position from standing to lying or vice versa. Treatment for both these maladies is basically the same, but the key is to administer it quickly.

Immediate, appropriate therapy is vital to the dog’s recovery. The body temperature must be brought down as quickly as possible. Rapid cooling can be accomplished with hosing down the dog, applying cool wet towels over the body, and exposure to a fan or air conditioning in house or car. Try to avoid producing a shivering response as this can create more heat in the body.

Transport the dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible and be sure to inform the vet’s office you are on the way with a dog in severe distress from apparent heatstroke. They can then prepare the necessary items for treatment.

The possibility of resulting bleeding disorders will require appropriate medications and, if available, frozen plasma. Not all vet’s offices will have plasma, although an emergency vet clinic is more likely to have this on hand.

IV fluids should be administered as soon as possible to prevent the onset of shock and to aid in flushing the kidneys of harmful byproducts leaking from damaged muscles. In researching this article, it is evident there is some disagreement over what solution is best for the IV. Some veterinarians feel .9% sodium chloride (normal saline) is adequate, while others feel it is prudent to use an electrolyte combination solution.

The effects of heatstroke or HER are not corrected in one day at the vet’s office. In-patient care is necessary for proper treatment and recovery. Several weeks of rest at home may be required for convalescence. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication should help reduce muscle inflammation and subdue the pain. Antibiotics may be recommended by your veterinarian to prevent secondary infection.

Given the greyhound’s purpose as a performance dog and the conditions under which they are trained, raced, confined, and transported, it is safe to assume many racers have experienced one or more episodes of heat/exertional ailments. These dogs may then have a predisposition for future episodes of similar illnesses and likely will have compromised kidneys and other organs. Consequently, great care should be taken to protect them from over-exertion and heat-related illness.

The following are some of the risk factors for heatstroke published in The 5-minute Veterinary Consult by Larry Tilley, DVM and Francis W.K. Smith, Jr., DVM: Previous history of heat-related disease; age extremes; heat intolerance due to poor acclimatization; obesity; poor cardiopulmonary conditioning; hyperthyroidism; underlying cardiopulmonary disease; dehydration.

Anecdotal reports from adopters whose greyhounds have experienced heat- or exertion-related episodes suggest that adopters need to be better informed of the dangers of allowing their retired racers free reign to run, particularly in hot, humid conditions. Obese greyhounds will be especially susceptible to the effects of over-exertion. Even on cold days, given the right conditions, a greyhound can collapse from over-exertion.

Extreme excitability in greyhounds, even while on a leash or in a fenced yard, can produce a combination of life-threatening factors which require immediate intervention by at least cooling the dog down and eliminating the stimulus (think high-prey-drive greyhound on a leash as a rabbit runs by!).

People who report coming home to a dead or dying dog should take into consideration the environment when evaluating the cause. Broken air conditioners on hot days, lack of shade outdoors, excessive excitement or exertion (possibly running the fence line with another dog), absence of water to drink – these factors can kill a dog or take them to the brink of death. Hot, humid conditions are by far the most deadly.

The frequency with which adopters report greyhounds “dropped dead from a heart attack,” when no previous indications of heart problems existed, suggests that death by heatstroke or HER may not be so uncommon. Only necropsy can identify the likely cause of death.

Close supervision of retired racing greyhounds’ exercise routines, particularly those new to their homes, should be recommended to all adopters. Greyhounds who appear to tire quickly, pant excessively, and/or appear to be reluctant to move after exercise, should be limited to mild or moderate exercise and then, only under supervision.

Close attention to heat and humidity in the environment is paramount in protecting a vulnerable greyhound from heatstroke or HER. A conditioning program similar to that of a human athlete (gradual increase in intensity of workouts) should be implemented before allowing retired racers to engage in physical activities which substantially increase heart rate and respiration.

Greyhounds lucky enough to have been placed in a loving adoptive home deserve to have more than food, shelter, and attention. Responsible guardianship of retired racers includes being armed with the knowledge to protect them from the hidden dangers that await these athletes once they leave the tracks and training farms. A few precautions and observations can save your greyhound’s life."

Blood Level Averages

Here is some interesting info pulled from "Platelete Concentration and Hemoglobin Function in Greyhounds", Patrick Sullivan, DVM.

This research paper dealt with a comparison of blood level average s between greyhounds and non greyhounds. Here are the averages for the 36 greyhounds that they pulled blood on. All of these greyhounds were free from any tick diseases. These can be compared to the results that are found in a CBC (Complete Blood Count) run by your Vet).

Value Average

HGB 19.86 +/1.56
Hemoglobin

PCV 53.6 +/- 3.8
Packed Cell Volume

RBC 6.66 +/-0.4
Red Blood Cells

Protein Totals 6.2 +/0.4

MCV 81.2 +/-8.2
Mean Corpuscular Volume

MCH 30.03 +/3.09
Mean Cellular Hemoglobin

MCHC 37.10 +/1.51
Mean Cellular Hemoglobin Concentration

WBC 7,886 +/-2,285
White Blood Cells

Segmented Neutrophils 5,867 +/-2,285

Band Neutrophils 22 +/51

Lymphocytes 1,735 +/836

Monocytes 194 +/-147

Eosinophils 74 +/-93

Basophils 5 +/-19

Platelet Count 154 +/43

MPV 8.81 +/1.46
Mean Platelet Volume

Reverse Sneezing

I am not sure where Julie got this information from, but I am re-posting it here...

"The exact reasons for these episodes are unknown but may be related to allergies, nasal irritants or nasal inflammation. A reverse sneeze may look disturbing - many people fear that their dog is not breathing during these episodes - but it is not a harmful condition and there are no ill effects.

Reverse sneezing attacks are generally quite brief and not life threatening. An episode can be stopped if the dog is stimulated to swallow by either massaging the throat or briefly pinching off the nasal openings. Some dogs have reverse sneezing episodes so frequently that various medications may be needed to reduce the number of episodes.

Reverse sneeze syndrome is characterized by a series of rapid, loud, forced inhalations through the nostrils, lasting anywhere from 10 seconds to 2 minutes. Attacks occur on a sporadic, unpredictable basis. Dogs usually have the head extended forward and stand still during the episode with elbows turned out and sometimes with the back arched. Affected dogs appear completely normal before and after the attack. There is no loss of consciousness or collapse, though some times the appearance of the dog and the noise is upsetting to owners.

Many dogs have these attacks throughout their lives. The exact cause of reverse sneezing is unknown, but it may be associated with sinusitis, incomplete closure of naso-pharynx, and other upper respiratory disorders. Whatever, the cause, the condition is usually not serious.

Treatment is not necessary when episodes occur infrequently or on a random basis. To help your dog you may wish to try any of the following ideas: holding off both nostrils so the dog takes a breath through the mouth, blowing in the nose, or massaging the throat. All of these techniques are designed to stimulate a swallow reflex, which will help to stop the episode."

Trust

I've often intended for this blog to serve as more than a place for me to write about my dogs. I also wanted it to be a place to share information with others about greyhounds. A resource of sorts. Because of this, every once in a while, I am going to try to post some valuable information about greys here. Something people can use. Nothing has happened to prompt this particular post, but it's something that goes around in the greyhound world. It has come around to me again recently and it's important. This is why I am posting it here.

On a side note, Dax's Birthday was Sunday. I have pics to post and stuff to write, but I'll do that when I have some more time - this will be a quick post.

"Trust - A Deadly Disease", by Sharon Mathers

There is a deadly disease stalking your dog. A hideous, stealthy thing just waiting its chance to steal your beloved friend. It is not a new disease, or one for which there inoculations. The disease is called trust.
You knew before you ever took your Greyhound home that it could not be trusted. The people who provided you with this precious animal warned you, drummed it into your head. A newly rescued racer may steal off counters, destroy something expensive, chase cats, and must never be allowed off his lead!
When the big day finally arrived, heeding the sage advice, you escorted your dog to his new home, properly collared and tagged, the lead held tightly in your hand. At home the house was "doggie proofed." Everything of value was stored in the spare bedroom, garbage stowed on top of the refrigerator, cats separated, and a gate placed across the door to the living room. All windows and doors had been properly secured and signs placed in strategic points reminding all to "CLOSE THE DOOR"
Soon it becomes second nature to make sure the door closes a second after it was opened and that it really latched. "DON'T LET THE DOG OUT" is your second most verbalized expression. (The first is NO!) You worry and fuss constantly, terrified that your darling will get out and a disaster will surely follow. Your friends comment about who you love most, your family or the dog. You know that to relax your vigil for a moment might lose him to you forever.
And so the weeks and months pass, with your Greyhound becoming more civilized every day, and the seeds of trust are planted. It seems that each new day brings less mischief, less breakage. Almost before you know it your racer has turned into an elegant, dignified friend.
Now that he is a more reliable, sedate companion, you take him more places. No longer does he chew the steering wheel when left in the car. And darned if that cake wasn't still on the counter this morning. And, oh yes, wasn't that the cat he was sleeping with so cozily on your pillow last night? At this point you are beginning to become infected, the disease is spreading its roots deep into your mind.
And then one of your friends suggests obedience. You shake your head and remind her that your dog might run away if allowed off the lead, but you are reassured when she promises the events are held in a fenced area. And, wonder of wonders, he did not run away, but came every time you called him!
All winter long you go to weekly obedience classes. After a time you even let him run loose from the car to the house when you get home. Why not, he always runs straight to the door, dancing a frenzy of joy and waits to be let in. Remember, he comes every time he is called. You know he is the exception that proves the rule. (And sometimes, late at night, you even let him slip out the front door to go potty and then right back in.) At this point the disease has taken hold, waiting only for the right time and place to rear its ugly head.
Years pass--it is hard to remember why you ever worried so much when he was new. He would never think of running out the door left open while you bring in the packages from the car. It would be beneath his dignity to jump out the window of the car while you run into the convenience store. And when you take him for those wonderful long walks at dawn, it only takes one whistle to send him racing back to you in a burst of speed when the walk comes too close to the highway. (He still gets into the garbage, but nobody is perfect.)
This is the time the disease has waited for so patiently. Sometimes it only has to wait a year or two, but often it takes much longer.
He spies the neighbor dog across the street, and suddenly forgets everything he ever knew about not slipping outdoors, jumping out windows, or coming when called due to traffic. Perhaps it was only a paper fluttering in the breeze, or even just the sheer joy of running--
Stopped in an instant. Stilled forever--your heart is broken at the sight of his still beautiful body. The disease is trust. The final outcome, hit by a car.
Every morning my dog Shah bounced around off his lead exploring. Every morning for seven years he came back when he was called. He was perfectly obedient, perfectly trustworthy. He died fourteen hours after being hit by a car.
Please do not risk your friend and your heart. Save the trust for things that do not matter.

WAY BEHIND!

I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post. Just been busy and haven't spent much time on front of the computer. Oh well, I'll fill in the gaps.

On Jan. 11th, we were brought foster #7, Be Ending, who goes by Bender. He is a tiny, shy black boy. He has done well. We crated him while we weren't home. He actually seems to like the crate. He feels safe there and I can't blame him, since he is so shy. We've had him a few weeks now and he has improved dramatically since we got him. The last 3 days he has even started to venture into our bed for what verge on snuggles. He will only come in the morning when we are waking up, but it's a step in the right direction. He has not tried to get on any other furniture. He comes up for loves. He is a sweet, sweet boy, just shy. He does get excited, hop and bark when it's time to eat. He's happy, just not confident. He'll do well in a quiet home with a patient owner who does not expect immediate affection. He is starting to bond with me, so it's time to move him. It's hard to say that, but he's getting too attached and he can't stay here. He needs to get a home ASAP. The right one just hasn't come yet. He may be moving to a new foster home this evening, but we are waiting on arrangements to be made. If we do pass Bender on, we are getting Dax's brother Andrew! I'll get into that if it happens. To foster a sibling would be such a cool thing!

Berry White has been doing well. No issues since the last episode and he even played VERY hard Friday night with some friends and his soccer ball and he was just fine the next day.

We, for the most part, solved Anna's eating issues. We switched foods to Beneful Healthy Radiance, which all hounds now approve of and we started giving Anna a little milk with her food. After gaining 10 pounds in a month, we are cutting the milk back. She is eating regualrly, except when schedules get screwy on the weekends. Then she gives us some trouble sometimes.

I talked about everyone else, so I'll say Dax is doing just fine as usual. He's just Dax. My big, blue, snuggle boy.

Yesterday was the LSU Vet School Open house. We went. We brought Bender and Anna. Bender, adn two other greyhounds, were meeting a potential owner there. We think he will adopt one of the girls, but we won't find out until later today probably. Hopefully, someone will get a home out of this. We had a good time though. We participated in the Parade of Breeds, which wasn't much, but we got to show off the hounds to quite a crowd, so that was good.

I think that's all for now. If I forgot anything, I'll post it next time, which will hopefully be sooner rather than so much later. Sorry again for the big delay. I'll try to be better.

Berry's on the up-swing

Berry seems to be feeling better again. No meds since Saturday. Kudos on that. Let's hope it stays this way for a while....

Berry White, the saga continues

Berry White seemed to do well on the Rimadyl yesterday, but by last night, the pain had returned and he woke us up with yelps several times in the night. We gave him another dose of Rimadyl this morning, and that seems to have helped again. If this goes on all week, he'll see the vet next weekend, as she suggested several days of pain in a row prompt further investigation. Some reading and advice from Greytalk leaves me a little more paranoid of other potential problems, but I'd rather know what I should be looking for and worry about it than be blind and have no clue what to look out for.

When I spoke to our Vet she said we would start where we are and just deal with flare-ups and if the flare-ups became consistent, we would do some more investigating and add meds. Yeah, meds. I don't like the idea of a med regiment, but we will do what we have to do. She also mentioned the potential of sending him to LSU for an MRI and more tests, and this is where a big problem would come up. I LOVE my dogs and would do everything I can for any of them, but it will cost over $1000 to have tests done at LSU. I'm not going to have this internal debate outloud and I don't want to think about it.... or the choices we sometimes have to make for them.... not yet....

To end on a good note, he had a nice bow about 15 minutes ago, which usually means he is in less pain, so the Rimadyl must be working at the moment. Yeah for the small victories!

Berry White - Round 2

So Berry White had another neck/pain episode this morning. He seemed fine when I let him out and fed him. T put them all back in the bedroom with me when he left for work (I have one more day off) and then when I got up I noticed Berry seemed to be holding his neck funny like he had before - just outstretched forward. I had trouble getting him to look up at me and he would not jump up on me, which he usually readily does. I sat down with him and he put his head in my lap and I decided to try and turn his head as the vet had done to see if he reacted, and a turn to the right yielded a scream. So, we had some Rimadyl I had gotten from the vet before Christmas for Dax's reoccurring limp on his broken hock leg, so I gave him one and then went and talked to the vet. I was already going there to get more Heartguard, so I just talked to her then. She said just give him the Rimadyl as needed for now and if he has several bad days in a row we may move towards a daily regiment and add other medications as necessary. So, right now he, as well as Anna and Dax, is sleeping on the floor with me in the office. I hope the medication works and that he is fine tomorrow. Everyone keep their fingers crossed for the goof-ball. I know this is something we are likely to continue to face with him, but I just hope that we don't have to put him on a daily medication anytime soon.

Another quickie

1-GPA Christmas party was a blast. We came away with a coffee cup and a martingale.

2-We brought Hero to the party and he went home with another family who are fostering with intent. We should know this weekend if their intentions are true.

3-We got Anna to eat consistently with water in her food. Whatever works.

4-Berry White started giving us trouble, turning his nose up at his food. He would eat bread and such we put in his food as well as sour cream and peanut butter mixed in. He got to the point where he would remove the liquid and leave the kibble. At the advice of L, we decided to try Beneful Healthy Radiance. Berry White loves it! This morning he even picked it out and left the Nutro (we are mixing the food for now). Anna likes it too. Dax has not tried it yet, as he gives us no trouble eating and will eat just about anything! I am just glad Berry White is eating normally again.

a quick note on Anna

Well, it is the usual up and down with her. Breakfast was drawn out, but eaten this morning. This evening, she just stood there for a while. When Berry finished, I added water to her food and she ate it all. Kudos to her for that. So, I guess, at least at dinner for now, we will try water. I looked her teeth and everything looked fine. Someone suggested picky-ness could be a sign of a kidney problem. Not sure what to make of that. For now, we will just battle on.... take it a day at a time....

many things....

First, we had a nice Thanksgiving. Relatively quiet. We visited my parents and ate there. Friday, we had some friends over for Greek food. It was nice. I have started some Christmas decorating. I put lights on the column in the house and hung the stockings.

Next, I want to express my condolences to a friend who lost a very young greyhound yesterday. It's tough to lose one, but I would think tougher so young. No details here, but I will say he will be sorely missed.

We still have Hero. He is doing well. He has been a perfect house guest. He will be a fine greyhound for someone. He has a few quirky traits, as they all do, but overall he is a good boy.

Berry White thinks he has to talk to us all the time now. He has always been vocal, but it seems like the last 2 months or so have lead to him talking more. It seems like he just fusses a lot. He wants out, he wants to be petted, he wants in the room you're in, and so on. He just barks, roos, and whines on. Goofy boy.

Dax is just Dax. He is still funny about certain things, but that's just him. I have not had time to work on training him to do things as I had hoped. Hopefully, after the holidays.

And then there's Anna. She is still giving us a hard time eating. I've explained what she does before, but I'll brief it again. She just walks to her food and walks away. Sometimes, she stands over it and will eat some. Other times, she just eats. She will eat any treat with no issue. We have changed them to another flavor of Nutro, with the plan of switching every couple of bags back and forth between the 3 or 4 available flavors. We changed the first time recently and she ate with no hesitation for about 5 days and then went back to her old habits. Sometimes she tries to eat Berry's food, which has water added. We had done that for Anna before, but then she started her eating issues and was wasting food. Water peaks her interest some but not all of the time, so I won't do it. I am not wasting food. We talked about switching to the Sam's Member's choice I think it is, but we are too far away from any Sam's and would have to make trips out just for that, whereas now we have close access to a small local pet store and Tractor Supply which carry the Nutro. It seems like the Nutro is the best we can afford. We go through so much food, it would be a financial strain to switch to anything more costly. I'd consider doing it just for her food, if she would eat it, but I'm not sure that anything would keep her interest for more than a few days. I also will not add cheese or anything like that to her food. I have done it before but the boredom thing persists after a few days no matter what we have tried. Sometimes, if she does not eat her breakfast, about 20-30 minutes later she will scope out all the bowls like she is looking for food, but I can't just leave her food out, especially since during the week we are on such a tight schedule in the mornings and any unattended food for any amount of time will be eaten by Dax, who is the opposite of Anna, as he is ALWAYS hungry. I am just getting tired of fighting her to eat. Nearly every meal is a battle. I just don't know what to do with her or if anything could be wrong. I'm getting my Mom to bring me a scale today. I'm going to start monitoring her weight..... I may post this on greytalk to seek more advice....

Dax has hurt himself, again....

Last night, we come in from handing out candy and take the dogs out back. They ran around a little bit, but nothing too crazy. We come back in and all 5 of us head into the office. We hang out in there for 30-45 minutes. Dax gets up to leave the room and he is limping on his back right leg, holding it up. That is his broken hock leg. I figured he just maybe twisted it playing. So, I get him to lay back down in the office and he is licking his foot pretty good. When he finally lets me see, I notice it's bleeding and it looks like it is between his toes. So, I pull his toes apart a little and he has totally split the webbing between the two middle toes! This is the second foot he has done this on! 6-8 months ago he did this on his front left foot between the inside and next toe. And he split is all the way too! Nothing left between the toes! We have no tree in our yard, or any of the neighbors for that matter, so there are no sticks or anything that he could be stepping on. Neither of the other two have had any foot problems in our yard. I just don't know what to make of it and it just seems too ironic that he has done this twice!

So, I put some neosporin on some gauze, put it between his toes, vet wrapped his foot, then put a sock over it and vet wrapped that to his leg. He slept muzzled because he would not leave it alone. This morning, I put neosporin between his toes and re-wrapped the foot. No sock this time. Poor baby....