We get more calls from adopters about dogs with medical problems than any other type of communication. While we are always glad to have people call when they have a problem and do not know what to do, we feel uncomfortable when it comes to dispensing medical advice over the phone or through emails. First, we are not veterinarians; secondly, we don’t have the dog in front of us to see what exactly is going on, and finally, if we do give advice and it’s not correct, we might be causing more harm than good.
Here are some suggestions for when it would be the best course of action to make an appointment with the vet:
Any loss of appetite that continues for a day or two.
Vomiting and/or diarrhea that continues for more than 24 hours or vomiting and diarrhea at any time in a senior dog.
Rapid shallow breathing, panting, pacing, failed attempts at vomiting, bowing and stretching, looking distressed and a painful and/or bloated abdomen.
A seizure, or continued seizures or any seizure that lasts more than three minutes.
Difficulty breathing.
Swelling anywhere on the body or face; a swollen abdomen.
Lumps on the legs, shoulders and limping.
Limping without other symptoms for more than a day or two with no improvement.
Straining during defecation with diarrhea or little production of stool.
Straining during and after urination, pee accidents in the house, pacing and looking stressed.
Any injury resulting in torn skin or bleeding that cannot be stopped after five minutes.
Collapse.
Any dog with a temperature over 104 degrees or under 100 degrees.
Draining eyes or nose or any bleeding from the nose.
Constant licking of the anal area.
Not wanting to move or walk, moving slowly, difficulty getting back up from a lying position.
Any changes in behavior (like suddenly becoming very needy, growling, etc.).
Excessive water drinking.
To us, there is one common sense approach to this problem: if your dog is not acting normally and you cannot tell what the problem might be, it’s time to call the vet. It’s worth the peace of mind to find out that there might be something simple that can be dealt with easily and if it’s serious, the right treatment can begin when it’s most important (rather than waiting until it’s an emergency).
We hope that this list will provide some information and guidance for when it would be best to seek veterinary care.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FFGR, INC.!!!!
Five years ago today (April 20, 2005), our group received our corporate charter here in Maryland. It's hard to believe that our organization has been in existence for five whole years. We could never have imagined five years ago what having this group would have been all about. We've come a long way. In that time, we have found homes for nearly 325 individual dogs. When we first started we said that we'd start off "slow" - maybe one adoption a month. But this never materialized! Thus far, we've averaged five adoptions every month over the course of the last five years!!! This is something to be very proud of as we are a small group in a relatively rural area.
Thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers who made us what we are. We appreciate the hard work, dedication, unending support, patience and understanding for what we have been trying to accomplish. Some volunteers have been with us since the very beginning. Some have come and gone. But EACH has brought something special to this group and we give them all credit for what they have given to greyhound adoption. We would not be here and doing so well had it not been for all of those people who have donated in so many ways to helping us get this far.
As we start our sixth year, we dedicate ourselves to work even harder for those greyhounds that are looking for homes. We will continue to work hard to find homes for the harder to place hounds through Craiger's List. OK, time to get back to work!!!!
Thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers who made us what we are. We appreciate the hard work, dedication, unending support, patience and understanding for what we have been trying to accomplish. Some volunteers have been with us since the very beginning. Some have come and gone. But EACH has brought something special to this group and we give them all credit for what they have given to greyhound adoption. We would not be here and doing so well had it not been for all of those people who have donated in so many ways to helping us get this far.
As we start our sixth year, we dedicate ourselves to work even harder for those greyhounds that are looking for homes. We will continue to work hard to find homes for the harder to place hounds through Craiger's List. OK, time to get back to work!!!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Why Did I Adopt A Greyhound?
by Helen Coleman:
I told myself that I did it for idealistic reasons. I was saving a life. In truth, it was my life that was saved. I was introduced to the greyhounds by friends. They had adopted one and I liked all the good things they had to say about him. I worked with the rescue group every chance I got. When they had their first reunion, we were asked to be guests. Little did I dream I was about to embark on the most bittersweet journey of my life.
We arrived at the reunion very early. As soon as we got out of the car, our friend told us that we had to see the puppies, only 8 weeks old. I walked over to the pen holding the puppies and fell in love.
There was the most beautiful little blue fawn girl I had ever seen. She was a cream color and looked like she had been misted with silver spray paint. She was almost lilac in color. I picked her up and took her to my husband, who had recently been dianosed with a life threatening illness. When I placed the puppy in his arms, his eyes filled with tears. As he nuzzled her small face against his, I walked way to sign the papers. We had our first greyhound!
Misty-Blue was the perfect greyhound. Perfect until she was five months old. At five months, she began to walk in circles. Within days she had been diagnosed with one of the first cases of a dreaded tick borne disease. It was a death sentence. There was no cure or even a name for it at that time.
we had to put her down on the day she turned six months old. Our hearts were broken.
The next week I met Chicy. She was exactly what I said I did not want. She was fawn, a female, had those doe eyes that belonged to Misty Blue. When we met, she ran over and jumped up wrapping her front paws around my waist in a huge hug. How I needed that hug! She had not been adopted out because of this behavior. Well, she needed me so, I got her. As I walked towards my husband and friends he said, "Here comes Helen and" Misty Too". Our second greyhound had a new name.
Over the next two years, Misty became a very important part of our lives. When my husband became too ill to go out, she was content to curl up next to him on the sofa and cuddle. When the burden got to be too much for me, she was there demanding to play or begging me to go out with her for a walk. Whatever either of us needed, she was there ready to give us encouragement. On the night my husband died, it was Misty who told me he needed me. I was palying cards with my daughter-in-law when Misty came into the dinning room and kept pawing at me. I thought she wanted to go out. When I walked into the living room, I realized that my husband was fading fast. When the Paramedics arrived, it was Misty that supervised their efforts ever so closely. When he yelled out in pain, she placed herself between him and the offending person just ever so slightly showing her teeth. She semed to be saying , "I know you have to do this, but I am watching you so be real careful"!. He died that night, right there with Misty and me close beside him.
I thought my world had come to an end. After being on call twenty four hours a day, I suddenly had nothing to keep me busy. Silly me ! Misty went right to work demanding to play, take walks at strange hours, or just gently nudging my hand when I was deep in thought. No depression for me, I didn't have time. Misty always had another trick up her snout to keep me going.
After nine years, it was my turn to be strong. Misty was diagnosed with bone cancer. In less than three weeks it had spread to other parts of her body and the dreaded decision had to be made. I held her in my arms, stroking her soft neck, whispering final words of love into her ear. with a wink of her eye and a deep sigh, Misty-too slipped gently into the peace she deserved. I brought her home and put her in her favorite resting place. She now has a garden full of flowers and the buttterflies she enjoyed do much.
It was a bittersweet journey. Would I do it again? YOU BET! In fact, I have three greyhounds living with me right now. None like Misty, but each very special in its own way. Yes, it is painful to lose one of our dear greyhounds. It would have been more painful to have missed the experience of knowing and loving a greyhound.
Why did I adopt a greyhound.......Because I needed one!
I told myself that I did it for idealistic reasons. I was saving a life. In truth, it was my life that was saved. I was introduced to the greyhounds by friends. They had adopted one and I liked all the good things they had to say about him. I worked with the rescue group every chance I got. When they had their first reunion, we were asked to be guests. Little did I dream I was about to embark on the most bittersweet journey of my life.
We arrived at the reunion very early. As soon as we got out of the car, our friend told us that we had to see the puppies, only 8 weeks old. I walked over to the pen holding the puppies and fell in love.
There was the most beautiful little blue fawn girl I had ever seen. She was a cream color and looked like she had been misted with silver spray paint. She was almost lilac in color. I picked her up and took her to my husband, who had recently been dianosed with a life threatening illness. When I placed the puppy in his arms, his eyes filled with tears. As he nuzzled her small face against his, I walked way to sign the papers. We had our first greyhound!
Misty-Blue was the perfect greyhound. Perfect until she was five months old. At five months, she began to walk in circles. Within days she had been diagnosed with one of the first cases of a dreaded tick borne disease. It was a death sentence. There was no cure or even a name for it at that time.
we had to put her down on the day she turned six months old. Our hearts were broken.
The next week I met Chicy. She was exactly what I said I did not want. She was fawn, a female, had those doe eyes that belonged to Misty Blue. When we met, she ran over and jumped up wrapping her front paws around my waist in a huge hug. How I needed that hug! She had not been adopted out because of this behavior. Well, she needed me so, I got her. As I walked towards my husband and friends he said, "Here comes Helen and" Misty Too". Our second greyhound had a new name.
Over the next two years, Misty became a very important part of our lives. When my husband became too ill to go out, she was content to curl up next to him on the sofa and cuddle. When the burden got to be too much for me, she was there demanding to play or begging me to go out with her for a walk. Whatever either of us needed, she was there ready to give us encouragement. On the night my husband died, it was Misty who told me he needed me. I was palying cards with my daughter-in-law when Misty came into the dinning room and kept pawing at me. I thought she wanted to go out. When I walked into the living room, I realized that my husband was fading fast. When the Paramedics arrived, it was Misty that supervised their efforts ever so closely. When he yelled out in pain, she placed herself between him and the offending person just ever so slightly showing her teeth. She semed to be saying , "I know you have to do this, but I am watching you so be real careful"!. He died that night, right there with Misty and me close beside him.
I thought my world had come to an end. After being on call twenty four hours a day, I suddenly had nothing to keep me busy. Silly me ! Misty went right to work demanding to play, take walks at strange hours, or just gently nudging my hand when I was deep in thought. No depression for me, I didn't have time. Misty always had another trick up her snout to keep me going.
After nine years, it was my turn to be strong. Misty was diagnosed with bone cancer. In less than three weeks it had spread to other parts of her body and the dreaded decision had to be made. I held her in my arms, stroking her soft neck, whispering final words of love into her ear. with a wink of her eye and a deep sigh, Misty-too slipped gently into the peace she deserved. I brought her home and put her in her favorite resting place. She now has a garden full of flowers and the buttterflies she enjoyed do much.
It was a bittersweet journey. Would I do it again? YOU BET! In fact, I have three greyhounds living with me right now. None like Misty, but each very special in its own way. Yes, it is painful to lose one of our dear greyhounds. It would have been more painful to have missed the experience of knowing and loving a greyhound.
Why did I adopt a greyhound.......Because I needed one!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Event - Greyhounds in Gettysburg
For our new adopters and those of you who don’t keep up with the various greyhound events, one large event is scheduled in our local area that you may want to attend.
Greyhounds in Gettysburg is a HUGE event held every year in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the last weekend in April. This year, the event will be held from April 23 through 25. Hundreds of greyhounds and their adopters show up at Gettysburg each year and participate in a number of greyt events. In addition, there are lots and lots of vendors who sell all kinds of greyhound-related items.
Triangle Greyhound Society is sponsoring the eleventh annual Greyhounds in Gettysburg. There is lots of free time to explore the battlefield, to get acquainted with new friends and reacquainted with old friends. Everyone should feel free to explore the battlefield and national park on your own schedule at your own pace. Tape guides, tour busses, and national park tour guides are available at reasonable prices. Make sure to take time to explore the Visitor's Center (no dogs allowed in the building) to find out more about this Historic Landmark.
Although you must register to participate in the events, no registration is necessary if you just wish to drive up and visit the vendor tents. For more information on this event, click on the title of this post.
For the second year in a row, FFGR, Inc. will be vending at this event! We will have all of our inventory there including a variety of concrete greyhound garden statues. If you would like to help by volunteering your time to work in our tent, please contact us via email.
See you there!
Spring is Here!!!!
It’s that time of year again! The weather is changing and
each day it’s getting warmer and brighter. Soon the
“dog days of summer” will be upon us. Now is the time
to be thinking of how you are going to prepare your
yards and gardens for new growth and for all those great
blooms and blossoms.
Don’t forget your greyhound(s) when you start working
in your yard and garden. Keep in mind that some lawn
care products can be hazardous to your hounds. If you
have a lawn care service, please ask them what types of
fertilizers and pest sprays they use. Most chemicals
today are safe for pets, but remember that our hounds
have much thinner skin and can get sicker faster if
subjected to strong doses of even safe chemicals. Your
hound may not ingest any chemicals directly from your
landscape, but a dog licking its paws can unwittingly
dose itself with the chemical it walked in.
Also, be aware of the types of specialized products you
are using. For instance, although some lawn fertilizers
are safe, some products used for specific garden
applications could mean a dose of poison for a
greyhound. Reports have been published recently of
greyhounds dying when they ate snail bait spread around
the base of plants in the garden.
None of us want to have to bear the loss of a pet because
we didn’t pay attention to the types of chemicals that we
used to make our yards look nice. The best advice is
ALWAYS BE AWARE.
It’s also time to bring out the heartworm preventative
and flea and tick preventative. Many people do not use
these products in the winter and may forget when spring
comes to start using them again. We recommend
strongly (and hope that you agree) that heartworm and
flea/tick preventative is worth the cost of not having to
worry about your hound’s well being.
You can get these preventatives from your vet and on
line. The heartworm preventative is not available in any
pet food or supply stores. Before you give your hound a
heartworm preventative, please make sure that he/she is
heartworm negative. You do not want to give this
medication to a hound that tests positive for
heartworms. Your hound can get a heartworm test at
your vet. You may also want to check your hound’s vet
records to determine when the last heartworm test was
done and to make sure that all other shots are up to date.
Heartworm preventative is taken once a month. You can
usually buy it in a six month supply. Your vet may carry
several brands to choose from, but some only carry one
brand. While you can shop on line for this preventative
to save money, most companies will require an “OK”
from your vet (to confirm that your hound is negative for
heartworms) before they send you the product. If your
vet objects to this, ask if he/she will be willing to price
match.
You do not need a “prescription” from your vet to shop
for flea and tick preventatives, and you can most likely
save money by comparing prices on line (remember to
add in shipping costs!). There are many different
products to choose from. However, DO NOT use a flea
collar on your hound. These items contain toxic
chemicals and your hound’s thin skin will absorb the
chemicals quickly and make him/her sick.
If you need advice on which types of preventatives to
use, please email us and we’ll try to help.
Remember, a healthy hound is a happy hound!!!
each day it’s getting warmer and brighter. Soon the
“dog days of summer” will be upon us. Now is the time
to be thinking of how you are going to prepare your
yards and gardens for new growth and for all those great
blooms and blossoms.
Don’t forget your greyhound(s) when you start working
in your yard and garden. Keep in mind that some lawn
care products can be hazardous to your hounds. If you
have a lawn care service, please ask them what types of
fertilizers and pest sprays they use. Most chemicals
today are safe for pets, but remember that our hounds
have much thinner skin and can get sicker faster if
subjected to strong doses of even safe chemicals. Your
hound may not ingest any chemicals directly from your
landscape, but a dog licking its paws can unwittingly
dose itself with the chemical it walked in.
Also, be aware of the types of specialized products you
are using. For instance, although some lawn fertilizers
are safe, some products used for specific garden
applications could mean a dose of poison for a
greyhound. Reports have been published recently of
greyhounds dying when they ate snail bait spread around
the base of plants in the garden.
None of us want to have to bear the loss of a pet because
we didn’t pay attention to the types of chemicals that we
used to make our yards look nice. The best advice is
ALWAYS BE AWARE.
It’s also time to bring out the heartworm preventative
and flea and tick preventative. Many people do not use
these products in the winter and may forget when spring
comes to start using them again. We recommend
strongly (and hope that you agree) that heartworm and
flea/tick preventative is worth the cost of not having to
worry about your hound’s well being.
You can get these preventatives from your vet and on
line. The heartworm preventative is not available in any
pet food or supply stores. Before you give your hound a
heartworm preventative, please make sure that he/she is
heartworm negative. You do not want to give this
medication to a hound that tests positive for
heartworms. Your hound can get a heartworm test at
your vet. You may also want to check your hound’s vet
records to determine when the last heartworm test was
done and to make sure that all other shots are up to date.
Heartworm preventative is taken once a month. You can
usually buy it in a six month supply. Your vet may carry
several brands to choose from, but some only carry one
brand. While you can shop on line for this preventative
to save money, most companies will require an “OK”
from your vet (to confirm that your hound is negative for
heartworms) before they send you the product. If your
vet objects to this, ask if he/she will be willing to price
match.
You do not need a “prescription” from your vet to shop
for flea and tick preventatives, and you can most likely
save money by comparing prices on line (remember to
add in shipping costs!). There are many different
products to choose from. However, DO NOT use a flea
collar on your hound. These items contain toxic
chemicals and your hound’s thin skin will absorb the
chemicals quickly and make him/her sick.
If you need advice on which types of preventatives to
use, please email us and we’ll try to help.
Remember, a healthy hound is a happy hound!!!
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