Warm Ups

I mentioned recently that I have started warming up and cooling down the hounds more thoroughly since Riley's hock fracture.  I have created a bit of a routine doing pivots, backing up, nose-to-tail stretches, and rear crosses on the flat.  

Then we finish up with some running and a few practice jumps before training or trialing.  I am trying to maintain the same routine for training and trialing.

Brat

As you know, Reagan is my extremely talented, very fast, fully trained agility greyhound that I retired just after her 3rd birthday. Remember how freakin awesome she was...

... always makes me want to poke my eyes out.  It was very disappointing to retire Reagan, but she  developed noise phobias to common, unavoidable things and worst of all became terrified of riding in a vehicle (especially my van).  This made daily training and traveling to trials nearly impossible. I tried everything (and you can read all about it by clicking on Reagan Fears if you wish to), but it continued to spiral out of control.  The bright side is that Seven has worked out well as Reagan's agility replacement.... I would not have adopted Seven if Reagan had not retired.

Well, we are having some crazy winter weather this year.  Temperatures have been very warm and we have had several thunderstorms.  Due to Reagan's propensity towards developing noise phobias, we have always counter conditioned thunderstorms.  Thunder = Treats.  This has worked well and we employ this strategy with all of our younger greyhounds since it is common enough in greyhounds and usually takes a few years to develop.  The downside is that it is labor intensive.  An evening of thunderstorms can have you tossing treats periodically for hours. 

So as an alternative, the first clap of thunder equals everyone going to their crates for frozen, stuffed Kongs and bully sticks for the duration of the storm.  Well, Miss Reagan, although patient, still thinks she deserves a treat.

Spoiled brat!

Bandaging For Greyhounds

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 very important and often neglected. Without cotton, the toes will be squeezed together inside the 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.  Obviously, it did not stop Seven...

 OMG... this is so tasty!

All of these products and materials listed above can be purchased at on Amazon.

Pearly Whites

Reagan's teeth - 4 years old, never cleaned

Greyhound people know that greyhounds are notorious for their bad teeth. They often have gross tartar build up. Receding, puffy, bleeding gums. Bad breath. And need expensive, annual dental cleanings that often result in at least one rotten tooth pulled. I have had eleven greyhounds since 1993 so I have had my fair share of greyhound dental issues.

BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY! 

Reagan's teeth

Yes, feeding a raw food diet can help with teeth significantly, but I have not found it to be the ultimate solution for greyhounds.  Generally, eating raw meaty bones like chicken backs and turkey necks will help keep the back molars clean, but does not keep the canine or front teeth clean.

The only thing I have found to consistently work well is DAILY BRUSHING.  We have adopted daily brushing into our routine and it has made a huge difference.  We very rarely, if ever, do dental cleanings.  Both Katie and Travis passed away with healthy mouths and all of their teeth.  Their only teeth cleanings were prior to adoption.  Reagan is four years old (we adopted her at 10 months), does not eat raw food (remember it does not agree with her and she is our kibble eater), has never had her teeth cleaned, and her teeth are perfect.  Riley had her teeth cleaned over three years ago, but I am sure she will never need another dental cleaning as her mouth is very healthy.

Riley's Teeth - 5 years old, cleaned over 3 years ago

Brushing is very easy and should take no more than one minute.  It does not matter when you brush during the day.  Just pick a time that is easiest for you to remember.  I tend to brush dog teeth after work when the hounds are coming into the house after being turned out and they are all confined to the dog room.

We use a soft bristle toothbrush for humans and we change it out ever few months.  And we use Petrodex dog toothpaste.  It must be toothpaste for dogs as it has to be safe to swallow.

You only have to brush the outside of the teeth.  I add a generous amount of toothpaste to the brush and brush one side of the dog's mouth.  Then I add another strip to the toothbrush and brush the other side of the mouth.  See video below.

If your greyhound resists the brushing, be gentle, use lots of tasty toothpaste, keep the session less than a minute, and end on a good note (don't let your dog struggle free and then stop there, get him to relax and accept and reward by stopping there).  It is best if you start with clean, pain free teeth.  If your dog fiercely resists, it could mean he a bad tooth that needs to be pulled.

I wish more vets would stress the importance of DAILY brushing.  Dental cleanings are such a poor substitute for daily care.

I think Katie was 10 years old when I took the photo above, but this is how her teeth looked at 12 years of age also.  Her only dental cleaning was at 2 years of age. She did not stink, she was pain free, had all of her teeth, and just look at how healthy her mouth was.  Brush! Brush!

Face Jail

Recently, Riley was sentenced to face jail.  When it comes to wounds, Riley is notorious for making them worse with licking.  She can turn a small infraction of a wound into a felony in just a few minutes.  In this case, Riley sliced her webbing between two toes.

I am a big fan of keeping wound treatment as simple as possible with cold hosing and air.  Cold hosing is a gentle way to clean a wound.  It flushes it out and cools any inflammation.  I will wash with a gentle soap if necessary, but mostly I allow the cool water to flow over the wound.

Once cold hosing is completed, I dry the wound using a hair dryer on a LOW, COOL SETTING.  When dealing with an area such as between toes, it is especially important to thoroughly dry the wound and to make sure it gets plenty of air. 

If at all possible, I try not to bandage as it often delays healing.  This means you have to protect the wound from the dog in another way.  Some dogs are great and leave their wounds alone (Katie and Reagan) and others are serial lickers (Riley).  One of the many great features about racing greyhounds is that they are accustomed to wearing a basket muzzle without being offended.  So using a muzzle for a few days is a great way to protect a wound.

Sprayer

I love how easy it is to wet down a greyhound or similar coated breed on a hot day. As a bonus, they dry quickly. I find that a half gallon pump sprayer found in the garden section of a Home Depot or Wal-Mart is a great way to cool your dogs in a pinch. By pumping the sprayer at the top, you can create a continuous spray with one hand for a short period of time. Use your other hand to rub the water down to the skin so heat is dissipated as the water evaporates. If you allow the water to pool on top of the fur, you could trap heat below. Also, focus on areas thinly covered by hair such as the belly and inner thighs. You can fill the sprayer with ice water or keep it in your refrigerator or cooler to maximize its cooling capabilities. I am never without my sprayer on a warm day with the dogs.

Pepper Spray

Unfortunately, two greyhounds adopted from Southeastern Greyhound Adoption were killed by 2 pitbulls right after Christmas. It is very sad news on all accounts because the entire incident was cause by a careless pet sitter who did not adhere to the owner's instructions. She allowed both pitbulls to accompany her off leash as she took out the trash. Pure stupidity. My heart goes out to the greyhound adopter. I hope the happy memories overwhelm the last one very soon.

The pitbulls' owner handled the incident as gracefully as one can in a terrible situation. He compensated the adopter for the emergency vet expenses, adoption fees, repaced her stained car seats, and euthanized his dogs. Very sad that one stupid pet sitter can kill 4 dogs with one stupid decision.

Often when an incident like this happens, people suggest that banning pitbulls is the solution. I strongly disagree. Lots of responsible folks love and own wonderful pitbulls. Banning their favorite breed infringes on the rights of good people and bad people can always disregard the rules or create another powerful breed. Eventually, the breed ban list could be so long, it might be easier to ban all dogs over 50 pounds (including labs, collies, and greyhounds). Don't think it can't happen 10, 20, or 30 years down the road. Government can do scary, unreasonable things.

In my opinion, owners need to be held responsible. "I did not know" is not an acceptable answer if you own a breed that makes headlines. You need to be better than Joe Average dog owner in your ability to socialize, train, and manage dogs if you choose to own powerful breeds. And if you do a bad job of it and your dog does something terrible, you need to be held liable. Get a beagle if don't want that kind of responsibility.
I am finally to the point of my post - pepper spray. Nothing makes my heart drop to my stomach like the sight of a loose dog charging me and my greyhounds. I usually carry a stick for protection, but recently, I grabbed pepper spray instead of my stick for one of Katie's walks. Not 5 minutes into our stroll, a large, red boxer/ridgeback/pitbull type mix breed started to charge. His body language carried all of the red flags. I quickly grabbed my pepper spray, leaned forward as he drew close, and sprayed him in the face. He stopped immediately with a sour look on his face and ran home. The pepper spray worked perfectly. It was so much easier to use than a stick. It allowed me to stop him before he made contact. If there had been 2 dogs, I think it would have been easier to hit both with pepper spray than with a stick. I plan to continue to carry pepper spray and use it as my first line of defense. If you do the same, make sure you replace it periodically as pepper spray does expire.

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.

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.