Are you a Greyhound, Whippet or Lurcher owner? Come and have a seat on the newest Pointy Hounds cushion!

[TheCunnyFuntIsAGrittersWife]

Pointy hounds include-
Greyhounds (Grunds)
Whippets (Whippys)
Lurchers
Italian Greyhounds (Iggys)
Salukis
Afghans
And any others I have forgotten. If you are a new pointy hound owner, an old and experienced owner or looking into getting one of these fabulous creatures, come and have a seat (that's not taken up with a hound).

Share advice, stories and shopping tips!
AK Creations
GRWE shop
Our very own Scuttle's Milgi coats
Silver Peacock

Jake
I didn?t really want you,
I wasn?t really sure,
And I?ll admit I had my doubts,
When you first came through that door.

Not small, or cute, or fluffy,
With big, soft puppy eyes,
But tall, and thin, and bony,
With bald, pink, bulging thighs.

You weren?t the kind I had in mind,
Not in any way,
?Perhaps it would be better if I took you back today,
Before we know each other,
It really won?t be kind,
To keep you here for one more day,
And then to change my mind.?

But against my better judgement, I decided you could stay,
And quickly I discovered you were kind in every way,
Your gentleness and patience, they really stole the show,
?Why these dogs are wonderful, I must let others know!?

For you?re my gentle giant,
Who just needed the chance,
To show us all what you could be,
To wipe away that history,
And dispel our preconceptions, which put us all to shame,
And so we come to know and love,
What lies beneath that frame.

And now I?ve come to understand,
What I missed right at the start,
That greyhounds need that great deep chest,
To house their great big hearts!
By Denise Dubarbier
:)

I would see what the vet says but seriously consider something like that to help his joints if he is 8 and has been active.

We use some stuff for Jessie from Vet's Kitchen called something like, "Active Joints". It contains glucosamine chondroitin and a number of other things, you just add a teaspoon or so over their food. It seems to help her (and she can be very creaky!).

My two lurchers (10 & 7) had their boosters yesterday and a once over by the vet. She is suggesting dental cleaning for both in a few months due to tarter build up. One also has a small lump (vet thinks just a cyst) that could be removed at the same time.

I can't decide whether to have the lump removed at all on the younger dog. It's small, doesn't hurt and he doesn't chew it and it's hardly noticeable.

Also I feel a bit reluctant about the dental at all in the older dog. Any advice would be very welcome.

Ours are on Synoquin which is a vet formulation of glucosamine/chondritin.

VJG - is there a particular reason you are worried about the dental? Your vet wouldn't recommend it if they were concerned about the GA. Left untreated, teeth bacteria multipy and can spread/cause damage to heart and kidneys. Also, poor teeth/gum disease can be painful and ultimately even stop dogs eating. One of ours came into us with appalling teeth, had to have a load removed, and now only has four. The worst thing was that the infection in her mouth had got so bad it had affected her throat, her lymph glands etc and she was literally starving because she couldn't eat the hard kibble she was being given.

All of our dogs are middle aged or elderly and I'd expect them to be having dentals if necessary until the end of their lives or until our vet says otherwise. Funnily enough, a friend came round this afternoon, also a foster carer, and one of hers needs a dental but vet is reluctant because he is elderly and has a known heart condition - that's obviously a different kettle of fish. GA has been ruled out for the dear boy unless it is a life or death situation.

I think the eldest of ours to have a dental was 13 - at the time, he was in otherwise excellent health. Generally, I'd expect a dental to be needed probably every three or four years or so. Obviously that might vary a bit depending on what you feed and if you do any teeth cleaning between.

I know, I'm just being a bit overprotective especially about the older dog who is nearly 11 but in good shape. . The vet says he will need pre GA blood tests because of his age.

WWYD about the little lump on the front left shoulder?

Vets are usually very careful about anaesthetics with hounds and other potentially sensitive breeds.

My Soft Coated Wheaten used to have a blood test beforehand and then they used a different type of anaesthetic for her as a precaution, but the last time she went in (this was 2009/10) they told me that anaesthetics are safer in general these days (as opposed to when she was a pup in the mid 90's), but we could pay extra for the 'safer' one if we wanted to - which we did.

She had a few GAs as an old lady (she had a slow growing oral bone tumour that had to be debulked) and was always fine.

As for the lump. I'd say if he's going under anyway I can see the sense in getting it removed at the same time, as you don't know if it will grow and/or has the potential to become a problem in the future.

Thanks for all the advice re glucosamin/chondroitin everyone. I was wrong about his appointment. Dh couldn't get one for tonight, so it's tomorrow morning. I'm rapidly building up a list of questions for the vet between this and the lungworm preventative.

It's completely understandable to be worried when they are having a GA - I turn into a pacing, gibbering loon, once they are dropped off and before I get the phone call. Personally, I think if they are going to have a GA, you should have as much done as possible, and I would def have lump/cyst removed - in agreement with Moose on that. Modern anaesthetics seem to be a lot lighter and I notice our dogs generally make an excellent recovery. We always pay extra for the IV fluids when offered too.

Nothing wrong with having the blood tests and seeing what the results indicate.

Thanks moosemama and scuttlebutter, I will book them in after the Summer.

Vet thinks he probably pulled a muscle/something when he fell on the standing water - as he appear sto be fine now. Dh went instead of me though and forgot to ask about the glucosamine/chondroitin and the lungworm treatments.

vjg13, I am just the same when any of mine go in for inpatient treatment, let alone a GA. As Scuttlebutter said, I am a gibbering mess that hangs around by the phone and can't settle until they are safely back home again. It's totally understandable that you are worried.

I think it's also because when they have had a GA in the past, it's because they have had an injury which needs stitches etc so totally out of my control. I don't like the feeling of choosing it for them IYKWIM.

I know deep down it will improve their general health long term.

vjg, I just remembered this thread and article from Lurcher Link about anaesthetic protocols for Greyhounds. Thought it might help if you could read it through, so you know what questions to ask your vet.

Doh - just tried the link to the article and it doesn't work anymore. Sorry.

A couple of different links:

Demystifying Greyhound Anaesthesia

Animal Hospital advice re Greyhounds and anaesthesia.

Greyhound anaesthesia.

Oops forgot one:

Greyhound anaesthesia protocol.

We went racing again at the weekend. Our normally quiet, relaxed dog changes completely and becomes a tense, quivering with excitement, yittering dog that can't wait to go. She doesn't notice that she has her muzzle on. The last race she did she was happily racing along in 3rd but decided to wait for the dog in 4th so that they could have a bit of a barge/ jostle in the fun way they do when they're out roaring around. I think she gets more exhausted from the adrenalin rush than she does from the running which, although flat out, isn't really that far. She sleeps very well after racing.

Hi all.

Any advice for me re. our pair of lovely, VERY early rising dogs? Roxy's nuzzling up to me at 4.30am at the moment. Then Billy gets up and demands a toilet visit. 4.30AM!!!!

They're put out for their last wees etc at around 10.

The little tyke darling is currently on her back, all 4 legs in the air next to the radiator. With her tongue lolling out.

She's no lady.

Sounds daft I know, but do you have a blackout blind? My dogs have always woken earlier after the clocks change, but since we started closing the kitchen blind when we go to bed they have started sleeping later.

Goodness, I get very reproachful looks when I dare go into the kitchen at 7am and rouse my boy! I have kept and eye on him and he will happily stay in my bed until 10am until he decides 12 hours is long enough to go without a wee.

Anyway sorry, I am mostly awol at the moment due to an unprecedented three weeks of full time work (first time I've done three full weeks since I was pregnant with my nearly 11 DS2 ) which has coincided nicely with my end of module maths exam. waaaaahhhhh. Have been offered a puppy for later on in the year though, so I will keep you posted (I am ridiculously excited!) I am still keeping an eye on the rescues etc, I think we will end up with about 5 at this rate.

Nothing wrong with 5 whippys, Lost (did I mention that Dp has started referring to me as 'the mad whippet woman'?).

I do like a mad whippet woman.

Our previous dog got me up at 3.30 / 4 am every morning for 6 months when we got her - then decided that she wasn't going anywhere so needn't worry and stayed in bed until significantly later...

Hi all!
Newbie here! Currently have a very excited household (especially 3 dd) as we are getting a 3 year old black retired greyhound in 2 weeks!! It would be sooner but we have to go on holiday this Saturday for a week. We were (and probably still are) really looking forward to the holiday but now all we can talk about is when our new addition is arriving. It has even got hubby in the garden to make it 'greyhound proof'. I will probably be back a lot for advice from you lovely, knowledgable lot :)

Has he come for a visit?

We are shortly going up to Northumberland with our lurcher - to the same cottages that we stayed in with my parents and their two collie crosses (who were almost as much mine) just before we got our previous dog. We didn't take that one there - although we did have a holiday in the county last year with her. It will be great going for a romp on the beaches with her (plenty of dead fish and part seabirds washed up to roll in... must remember to pack the shampoo!)

Hello, Ana, make yourself comfy and welcome!

I'm just thinking it is funny how many households on here now have morphed into multi-dog houses/soon-to-be multi dog houses. It just shows what they say about one never being enough.

I am home more than usual at the moment due to my leg injury so I've moved back to feeding our two raw food (cheaper and better for them IMO). They had green tripe this morning and consequently I have moved up to demi-god status in the eyes of the dogs who both follow me around religiously .

Hello Ana, I'm new here too. I can imagine the excitement in your house, as we are only thinking/planning about getting a new addition in a few months and it's all we can think/talk about.

Magrat - green tripe (that's not an envious green face by the way). I just can't do it. I used to feed it to my first ever dog, but it really does make me feel decidedly sick. I struggle enough with feeding raw, having been a veggie for 30 years, but tripe is just a step too far for me, so my poor dogs have been deprived. Daft thing is, I won't let meat eating friends and relatives eat meat in my house, but I'll allow it for my dogs.

Welcome Ana!

Magrat, you are braver than me. DH was doing the order on the weekend for our next delivery of frozen raw food. We are trying out a new supplier this time a bit closer to us. We ummed and ahhed and have chosen some venison, some rabbit, some chicken and tripe mix, but he asked me if I wanted to add some green tripe to the order and I chickened out. I'm OK with bones, with raw wibbly bits, but it's the smell with tripe.

Moose, it's impressive that you feed raw being a veggie yourself.

I agree entirely about the benefits of being a multi hound home - have been an advocate for a while.