Fishies Out Of Water

Reagan is finally able to swim again. We had to wait for the spay incision to heal. Swimming is such a good way to tire Reagan out while her dislocated toe continues to heal. And look who also came.

The last couple of times, 30 minutes has been too long of a swim session for Reagan. Its clear that she has had enough after a period of time. So I brought Katie too!

I swam Reagan first for good reason. I knew she probably would not sit still while Katie swam had Katie gone first. The plan worked perfectly and Reagan was much better than I expected.

Reagan waited very patiently and enjoyed baking in the sun while Katie had her turn. She never once moved.

Mission accomplished! Two tired hounds!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Riley and Stacker. Riley is 3 today and Stacker is 10. Here is a clip of Riley working on weave poles and then fetching and playing with a toy. Reminds me of Travis when she does laps around the ring.

Holistic Vet

So glad it is Friday.... busy week!

As you know, Reagan and I saw Dr. Julia last week. I thought Dr. Julia was a nice compromise. She was well versed in a number of holistic approaches (acupuncture, kinesiology, nutrition, Bach flowers, Chinese herbs, chiropractic, homeopathy, homotoxicology, and western herbs) and she was a veterinarian of conventional medicine. She had lots of tools to draw from.

The staff marvelled at how well behaved and sweet Reagan was. She was either relaxing on her fleece pad, squeaking her stuffy goat, or practicing sit stays. Kudos to me! I must be doing something right!

I had typed out 2 pages of history and printed out Reagan's blood work results for Dr. Julia to review. I indicated that trying a cooked diet was probably my next step. She agreed that raw food is not for every dog and Reagan may be one. However, she recommended going with a commercially prepared diet instead of cook. She also was concerned that Reagan may be headed towards a chicken allergy and a hypo-thyroid problem.

Dr. Julia suggested that I avoid poultry all together. She said Reagan was a cold energy which might make sense because Reagan is much more heat tolerant than the other greyhounds and quick to need a coat when temperatures drop. Per the holistic point of view, if you are cold energy, you should eat hot energy food. Poultry is cold energy and red meat his hot energy. I don't understand any of that and I don't believe it is based on any science. It does not mean it is wrong though.

Dr. Julia recommended a very high quality venison and buffalo kibble. I was not interested in going that exotic yet. Ideally, it would be best if Reagan did well on beef and/or lamb since that increases my choices of food and treats I can use.

I decided to start with Blue Buffalo Lamb & Rice since I had some already. I had tried feeding it to Jet, but he did awful on it.

Believe It Or Not

After two months of what appeared to be calm and effortless digestion, Reagan still looks terrible. She continues to have bald patches and thinning areas of fur on places that used to be thickly covered. She always appears to be slightly underweight despite the volume of food she consumes. Her skin is dry and her coat is brittle.

Dr. Toby strongly suggested that I try cooking what I was feeding to see if she would improve. Maybe she simply cannot break through the cell walls and absorb the nutrients in raw food. Cooking might make the nutrients more accessible.

In the past, I have cooked for older, sick dogs. It was time consuming and my primary concern was simply getting calories into failing bodies. I was not concerned with providing a balanced diet geared for long-term health. Reagan is only 2 years old, so cooking her food was going to be a huge commitment and required some education.

Balancing a raw diet seems very easy to me, but balancing a cooked diet does not. Do you cook the bones until they are soft and if so, is the calcium any good? And if you cook for so long that the bones are soft, have I changed the nutrients in the meat? Should I just forget the bones and supplement calcium? How much? My head was spinning. I decided to seek the assistance of a holistic vet hoping she could guide me through cooked diets.

Ironically, the holistic vet, Dr. Julia, suggested feeding Reagan a high quality, commercial dog food. So for the first time in a decade, I am feeding one of my greyhounds dog food. Yes, you heard that right. I am feeding Reagan kibble.

So far I am stunned with how smooth the switch to kibble and even some canned food has been. From a digestive standpoint, everything is coming out perfectly. I could not be happier. I felt a little pang when Reagan looked at me with "where's my chicken?" eyes. But she still eats her meals with lots of enthusiasm and is the only hound in our house that eats twice a day.... lucky Reagan. Only time will tell if kibble will bring Reagan back to the healthy state seen below. I am hopeful.

I will tell you more about the holistic vet in the next post.

Riley Agility Update

I apologize. This is a terrible video of Riley running agility at a Run Thru held at one of the Atlanta agility clubs. A Run Thru provides an opportunity to run an agility course at different location and around other dogs and people. We are doing the Jumpers course below.

Riley did well. Her focus was better than I expected. I jumped her at 20 inches instead of 24 inches since she had never practiced agility on mats before. She is playing it safe in the video above because she had already had the wind knocked out of her when she was not paying attention and crashed into a triple bar jump. OUCH! She was a little banged up, but nothing serious obviously.

Riley and Me

Riley and I have had a lot of alone time lately. While she probably enjoys getting me to herself, it is probably lonely traveling in the giant van with no Katie and no Reagan.

I have spent extra time on Riley's focus in distracting situations (busy park or PetsMart, for example). I ask for short bursts of attention with a front, a sit, or heel position. When I am completely ignored, I have found a good correction to be to simply walk into her or tap on her toes. She can't ignore my annoyance for long. Riley is finding out its much easier to do what I ask for 10 seconds, get a food reward, and then she is free to sniff and look around.

PetsMart is still quite overwhelming. Riley is so mesmerized by the smell and sounds of small animals. At PetsMart, I initially settle for eye contact. I want Riley to acknowledge that I do exist at the end of her leash. When she does look at me, she gets a click and a treat, and we move forward.

Another problem I have is that Riley is so darn adorable. Folks are very drawn to her and vice versus. She loves people and is so excitable. I appreciate when people ask if they can pet Riley or give her a treat. I feel bad, but I politely decline and try to explain that she is in the middle of training. I need for her to view me as the source for treats, toys, and affection and not seek it so much from her environment.

Miss Manners

Ladies keep their knees together!

Katie was never a pretty sitter, but she could sit forever. The 3 minute sit stays with the handler out of sight from the dog in Open obedience competition was never a problem for Katie.

I promise to do a Riley post soon! She and I have been busy training.

Entertainment for the Injured

I dread crate rest and long recovery periods for my hounds. Especially with sporty greyhounds, someone is always bound to get hurt and it can be very difficult to convince an abnormally active greyhound to be inactive. I do my best to provide entertainment and stimulation for my greyhound patients and try to minimize boredom. Here are a few ideas:

Sunning. Reagan especially loves to sun. 90 degrees out and she loves the sun beating down on her. As long as we are dealing with an injury (not an illness), I like for my greyhound patient to heat up and even start panting for a few minutes. Panting and having to cool down will burn a little energy. Of course, Reagan is one of the few greyhounds that handles the heat really well. She rarely pants.

Kongs. I love Kongs. I probably have 20 Kongs. A very easy Kong stuffing is to fill the Kong with kibble and then use a knife to mix in canned pumpkin, creme cheese, canned dog food, or peanut butter. For kibble eaters, I will stuff entire meals into several Kongs and turn that 30 second meal into 30 minutes of entertainment. If your dog is very food motivated or has Kong experience, pack it tight and freeze it. For Reagan, I am stuffing her Kongs with chunks of meat I am cutting off of the turkey necks, beef, rice, veggie mix, and the offal of the day.

Grooming. If your hound has hair, its a good time to get the Furminator or the grooming mitt out. With Reagan, I just go over her coat with a soft brush (I don't want to lose any more of it).

Massage. Massage is a great way to calm and relax your hound. Some people constantly touch their dogs mindlessly. Massage is a great way to make you step back and pay attention to what you are doing and to find out what your dog actually likes. Katie loves for the loose skin around her neck to be massaged.

Depending on the injury, clicker training might be an option. For example, Travis stepped on glass and it had to be surgically removed. He was bandaged, sore, and wasn't ready to run yet, but I kept him busy by teaching him to play dead.

Reagan and I have been working on sit stays, dumbbell holds, and have started some preliminary scent article work since she can do all of these from a stationary position.

Entertaining the injured can be tricky, but it is worth the effort to keep the canine patient happy.

Free Dog

Dr. Toby said that Reagan had a uterus smaller than that of a cat. I would expect nothing less from my runt of a greyhound. So yes, the spay is over! Everything went perfectly.

I requested special treatment because we are special there is something dramatic and reactive about Reagan. Unfortunately, I think she has phobic tendencies that I have not talked much about and hope that I am wrong about. In meanwhile, I do my best to manage her unpleasant experiences as you know.

Dr. Toby was very accommodating. Instead of dropping her off early that morning, we arrived at 11:30 AM. The initial sedation was given in an exam room and she knocked out like a champ (or is that like a loser).

I had Reagan spayed, micro chipped, blood drawn, and a torn piece of ear nicked off (see below). It was nice to be able to handle all of those unpleasantries all at once while Reagan was passed out. Dr. Toby also checked her toe and said it looked good. Reagan was returned to the exam room I was in to be woken up. She took her sweet time and fought less. After sitting with her for an hour and half, it was decided to send us home. We placed Reagan loose in the van on a fleece pad. As soon as I started to drive, Reagan decided "I can walk!". I pulled over and put her into a crate. Once home, Reagan quietly and calmly woke up over the next few hours. Much better than last time.

Some of you may wonder why Reagan was not spayed when I adopted her. Reagan was basically given to me and did not pass through an adoption group. Pam placed the pups into adoption groups, but since we are friends and she knows I am responsible, we skipped the middle man.

You may ask why I waited so long to spay Reagan. Studies have shown that for a performance dog, there is a slightly lower risk for certain injuries if you spay/neuter after growing is complete and the growth plates have closed. In greyhounds, I read that growth plates are closed at 15 months. After consulting with a number of experts with an equal number of opinions, I decided to spay her after she turned 2 years old. At that point, Reagan would be fully mature.

Unlike other breeds who come into season at well under a year of age, greyhounds often do not come into season for the first time until they are 2 or more years old. Reagan never had a heat cycle. There are exceptions to the rule. A friend of mine has a greyhound that came into season a few months after her first birthday. Whoops!

Hopefully we will be done overcoming life's hurdles soon and get back to jumping agility hurdles. Fingers crossed that Reagan's B12 levels are normal. However, her coat still looks terrible and it is very distressing. This is not suppose to happen with my dogs. What is wrong with her? I am seeking a holistic veterinary opinion on Tuesday. If I am not impressed, we will be headed to a dermatologist....... How does the saying go? "There is no such thing as a free dog." Hey, Pam! Thanks for the "free dog"! Just teasing. I chose Reagan myself. :-)

Sneaking Around

Since Reagan is recovering from surgery on a dislocated toe, I want to minimize her excitement and stress. Calm is the order of each day. Generally, the highlight of her day (besides dinner) is heading off to a training session for some treats and fun. Unfortunately, Reagan cannot participate until July, so Riley and I must find a way to sneak out.

If you have more than one dog, sometimes you need to be able to leave one home when he or she would normally expect to go. With Reagan (and all dogs), there are certain signals that start to alert her and thus get her excited. Examples include, changing clothes, putting on sneakers, and packing treats and water. Imagine her surprise and disappointment if she sees the familiar signals and then is left behind. So I change my signals. I pack treats early and placing them on the front porch.

Next, I put a leash outside of the back door. I might then take Riley and Reagan into the backyard to potty and then only bring Reagan back inside and into her crate. I give her a stuffed Kong and I leave through the back door, grabbing Riley from the backyard as I exit through one of our gates. Reagan does not expect me to leave through the back door so watching me walk through it does nothing to generate excitement.

Another option includes preparing to leave as I normally do and loading Riley into the van (I thought driving a giant van with only 3 greyhounds was kind of excessive. Now I am down to only one small greyhound passenger in my greyhound bus, go figure.) Okay, so Riley is loaded. I return to to the house where Reagan is showing signs of excitement (since she watched Riley leave out the front door). I mill around for a few minutes waiting for Reagan to calm down. As a reward for calming down, I take her out of the crate for a little clicker training on something stationary (holding a dumbbell, for example). After a few minutes, I return Reagan to her crate with a stuffed Kong and I leave through the front door. This departure does not generate anxiety because she sees me leave through the front door all of the time (without a dog), but the knowledge that Riley and our training things are loaded into the van have long escaped Reagan's thoughts.

A little planning can greatly reduce your dog's stress when being left home alone. Similar strategies can be employed for separation anxiety as well.

Bandaging for Greyhounds

I have noticed that my blog gets quite a few hits when "bandaging" is searched on Google. My prior bandaging posts consisted mostly of rants and complaints about my experience when vets or vet techs bandage.... those I have encountered are surprisingly bad at it, charge too much, and have even caused additional injury. Maybe I am just really anal about it.

Since I am changing Reagan's bandage every few days, I thought it would provide an excellent opportunity to do a leg bandaging tutorial for greyhounds. This is probably suitable for other breeds of dogs, but I emphasize the issues in dealing with bony legs, large nails, thin skin, and short hair. I'm sure there are other great ways to bandage, here is one way:

First start with a clean, dry leg. If I am washing a wound between bandage changes, I feel it is important for the leg to be dry especially between the toes. I have used a hair dryer on a cool, low setting to speed the process.

Place a non-stick, sterile pad against wounds. Here, I have placed the pad against the surgical site because it may still bleed slightly.

Place cotton between the toes. This is often neglected. However, if you squeeze together the toes in a bandage, the outside nails will rub against the middle toes and create a painful wound. Next, I take cotton from a cotton roll found in any first aid section and wrap the leg, but not too thick. I like just enough to provide some padding.I secure the cotton with a trip of 4 inch Vet Wrap around the leg just one time. I suggest pulling the section you need from the roll (like you see below) and then wrapping. It is one way to reduce the risk of pulling the Vet Wrap too tightly.

Next, I take 2 inch Vet Wrap (or I cut 4 inch Vet Wrap down the middle).

I wrap the 2 inch Vet Wrap diagonal across the side of the foot, underneath, and then diagonally back up the other side of the foot.I take another piece of 2 inch Vet Wrap and attach a strip to the front of the leg, bring it across the middle toes and nails, and back up the back of the leg. To finish up with Vet Wrap, I then wrap the leg with the 4 inch version to secure my 2 inch sections that cover the toes. The reason I do not wrap the leg in one long continous strip of Vet Wrap is that I do not like wrinkles. Back when I rode horses, I was taught to be very partcular about bandages and to wrap without wrinkles. It is just my way now.
I have a love/hate relationship with Elastikon. Elastikon is similar to a sticky Ace bandage. Its flexible, stretchy, and has adhesive. It is great for keeping a bandage from slipping, but it also can pull off hair when removed and damage the skin. It can be especially painful if you are having to do multiple bandage changes.
To reduce the strength of the adhesive, I cut the amount of Elastikon I need off of the roll and then I stick the strip to my shirt, a dog bed, or the carpet. I want the strip to pick up some lint, dog hair, or other fibers to make the Elastikon less sticky and easier to remove later.
I wrap the Elastikon around the top of the Vet Wrap bandage and I end the strip of Elastikon on a little bit of fur so the bandage does not slip down. In the picture below, the Elastikon strip ends on the outside of her leg. Next time, I might end it on the inside or the front or the back or higher or lower on the leg. This prevents the same section of skin and hair from being abused by Elastikon adhesive.
I also use a strip of Elastikon around the foot at the bottom of the wrap. It is not necessary to reduce the strength of the adhesive if you are just sticking it to Vet Wrap (and not fur).

Again, do not pull the bandage tightly.

Lastly, I like to spray my bandages with a product called Bitter Apple to make it taste bad. It does not work for all dogs, but it does help to reduce chewing the bandage. Other products for this purpose include Anti-Lick Strips and Lick Guard. I also saw a bandage called Pet Flex No Chew which is a bitter tasting bandage. Unfortunately, it does not come in all the cool colors that Vet Wrap does..... but if it stops a chewer, it is worth it.
All of these products and materials listed above can be purchased at KV Vet Supply.

Reagan Update

Reagan's dislocated toe is healing nicely from surgery to reconnect the collateral ligaments. The vet took the sutures out on Thursday and said it looked great. The toe was tight, but flexible and pain free. The knuckle is enlarged, but in my experience I have not had any problems with a large, "gnarly" knuckle especially in a rear leg...... knock on wood, of course.

Reagan still has to take it easy for another 4 weeks unfortunately, but is now allowed to swim until her spay surgery next Thursday. So swim she did on Friday!

My goal was to swim Reagan until she was close to drowning (just kidding), but I wanted her TIRED. She had been a good sport about resting for 1 week, but getting tempermental the 2nd week.

Reagan swam for a half hour straight with an occasional short break. It definitely did us both some good.

Jet Update Part 2

Scroll down to the last post for Part 1. Ray sent me a better picture of Jet. He really does look so much better from when I last saw him in February.
Ray says, "I don't see much of the dogs in the evenings (he works evenings), so I miss out on some stuff. Jet flops down on the feet of whoever is sitting watching TV. If they don't give his belly a toe massage, he jumps up, glares at their face, and then flops down on their feet more forcibly until they work their toes."

Jet really does look so much better (below is a picture from February). I think he will always have a bald belly and thighs, but I am so glad to see that his face and legs are filling in.

Jet Update

You may remember Ray adopting Jet back in February. I am happy to report that Jet is doing well. He had some issues with separation anxiety and is working on patience when it is not his turn for training. He sits, downs, and stays very well. He does not give Ray a lot of opportunity to practice recalls because he is always at Ray's side. The ladies of the house also enjoy Jet's company. After having mostly working border collies, they have enjoyed having a "pet" dog that chills out while you watch TV.

I thought you all would get a kick out of this video. Jet is working on jump roping with dowels. He is the first 20 seconds. His coat looks so much better too! The rest of the video is Ray's border collie and mixed breed dog. They are pretty cute and talented too!