Mr. Cool Beans

Planet Awareness Day (Greyhound Walk)

What happens when you have 100 plus greyhounds gathered together? Amazingly, no barking or growling--one can only hear the chatter of the owners...So many beautiful greys of different colors & sizes--all so regal. It was drizzling Sunday afternoon (and quite cold too)so our greys, Louie & Hanna, were wearing their raincoats.

Weekend pics (bed situation)

Hanna trying to take Louie's bed and Louie not budging. We finally got her a new bed. It took her a couple of weeks to get used to it.




Hanna got tired of her old bed (her very first) which we got from a local pet store. It has a polyloft filling which flattened after 5 months of use. This new one has shredded memory foam which hopefully, lasts longer. Now she doesn't have any excuse taking over Louie's bed!






Louie is just happy to have his bed all to himself again...

Hiatus

Got so busy with "stuff". Then husby lost all my pics for the blog, oh well...Maybe this weekend, I can come up with some pics.

Hanna's annual check-up turned well. No problems. Vaccines (lepto & bordettela) were updated. Heartworm test & fecal test are both negative. Weight is within normal. Wooohoo, we're healthy!

September 9 was Hanna's GOTCHA day (when we got her from the adoption group). She has blossomed from a skittish & very shy girl to a more confident (& sometimes such a diva!) girl.

Good news about Tabora

That was taken during Hanna's first fall season with us. We got her last September. Our friend gave her that red hat fleece coat which helped keep her warm while we waited for her own coat to arrive.

We can finally breathe easier now that Tabora is being treated as autoimmune vasculitis. After an exploratory lap, numerous biopsies and blood tests, she was determined to be cancer-free! Today is her 3rd day on prednisone and she is responding very well....whew! We will soon have our perky and very sweet Tabora back to her old self. We love her so much it hurts to even imagine her getting defeated by any illness so soon (she just turned 5 last May)...but she's a fighter and a tough girl.

Best Friends

Hanna liked Tabora the moment they were first introduced to each other way back in September. She gets so excited (big smile in her face, body & tail just wagging together) whenever she sees Tabora and her people (our nextdoor neighbors/friends). Tabora is sick and the doctors (vets) haven't figured out what's wrong with her. Husband & I are sincerely hoping (& praying) that it is something treatable/curable. She is such a good "ambassadog" for greys. Because of her, we have new good friends & neighbors and Hanna & Louie.

Hanging out with Friends

Months ago, Tabora stopped by to say HI and play with Hanna. They actually had a great time playing with each other for about 2 minutes, then they started dozing off, one after the other...they truly live up to their name--45 mph couch potatoes!

Making Friends

Sebastian is very picky with the people and creatures that he bestows his attention upon. So this pic is just a proof how the mild and gentle greys can win over even the most meek and shy cats/creatures (bunnies excluded).

Hanna at the dog park

We haven't been to the dog park recently. That was taken around February. We walk the greys within our neighborhood and near the river. Maybe this weekend, we can make a trip to the dog park so the greys can meet other dogs.

It's a boy!

That was what our friend from the greyhound adoption group said when we were on our way to pick up our foster. The arrangement was if this foster worked well with our family of 1 greyhound, 2 cats and a husband, we will adopt him. Well, in greyhound community linggo, we were a failure as foster parents because we fell in love at first sight of our foster grey and adopted him in just 2 weeks! These are Louie's first few days with us...



He is such a goofy boy! Here he is falling (literally!) asleep.




Louie had to be crated the first night and week but he liked it better outside of the crate...



Louie had to wear a muzzle for the first few days (as a precaution). But he & Hanna just clicked...



Cute...



Hanna liked him right away. She shared her couch with him. Louie was still nursing a bandaged leg (that was his IV site when he had his neutering operation, he licked it raw which necessitated suturing).



Hours after we got him, Louie found Hanna's toy and eagerly played with it.

Vet Wrap

When Hanna had her toenail injury several months ago, this vet wrap helped in keeping her wound protected, clean and dry. It sticks to itself so no pin is needed. It comes in lots of other colors too, red, pink, purple, green, blue & black. I usually use purple or red for Hanna and blue for Louie.

This weekend is the Arts Festival in our area. 400 vendors from all over the country came to sell their products. Will post more details & pics later. Hanna is not too excited about it-her usually peaceful neighborhood is now flooded with vendors' tents and people from all over...oh well.

Wanted: Cleaning Crew

Our 3 (or is it 4 already?) year old 120 gallon reef tank is in need of more cleaners. We do clean it once a month (water change & debris & algae removal) but it needs more of the cleaning crew (snails & shrimps)to take care of the day to day cleaning. Our sea cucumber is doing a great job though but he can only do as much, he needs more help.

Sick pup

Hanna's friend (our neighbor's grey) is sick. She lost her appetite and is in pain when she bends down to eat. So her owner/mom & I are at our wits' end trying to figure out what to feed her. We have tried boiled beef with rice, new kibbles, tuna, wet dog food, yogurt, and lots of treats. She's on pain meds and anti-inflammatories. We're awaiting her appointment for cervical MRI....I'll be asking around for Ensure for doggies.

The good doggy & kitty life

Husband & I (well, I don't think husband will be pleased with me if he sees Hanna with nailpolish or bows!) don't buy dog strollers, fancy coats & collars and other pet luxury items for our critters. We do get them top of the line (meaning, healthy) food (Eagle Pack Power Food for the greys and Premium Lite Senior Cat food for the kitties), good beds (foam bed for the greys and our favorite red Stickley chairs for our kitties), good Martingale cotton collars for the greys, good rain & winter coats for again, the greys (they have to go out for potty & exercise and they don't have a lot of body fat hence the protection, our cats are indoor cats so they don't need all these), occasional treats for training & their dental health, toys, and lots of love in a good home. Oh, they also get special cat grass occassionally (yup, dogs eat them too). I don't think they are complaining....

Still raving about Montana

Looking at all our Montana pics make me just want to hop into a plane (with my husband & the menagerie, of course) and return there...sometime soon maybe.

Anyway, our greys have been very good doggies while we were away. The whole house was still in one piece, our furnitures still intact, and our leather shoes in the closet--very much untouched. My old flip-flops were a different story.

Fishing Buddies

I am still suffering from Montana vacation hangover. We didn't go overseas or to some exotic place in the Caribbean but I think our 4 day visit to Montana is just awesome. Nature at its best. Great company too(our nieces and nephews, my SIL & BIL) and 2 great hunting doggies, Bella & Brownie. Bella is the 5 y/o family lab(black lab). Brownie is the neighbor's old brown lab. Brownie would walk to the dock to sit and watch husband fish. She & Bella both enjoyed a game of toss & fetch. We toss a stick into the lake and they jump in & swim to fetch it. Hanna & Louie would have enjoyed playing with both labs.

Bella

Brownie

Montana 08

Husband & I were in Montana last weekend sans the menagerie (2 cats & 2 greys). Our good friends (also grey owners) looked after Hanna & Louie and the boys (Ringo & Sebastian). Our other good friend watered our plants. Our critters were in very good hands so we were able to enjoy Montana. This is what welcomed us upon our arrival.

Shiny Coats

When we first got both greyhounds, they had very dry & flaky skin, dull & coarse coat. We heard from a fellow grey owner that extra virgin olive oil drizzled into their kibbles and an oil supplement helped with their greys' coats. So we bought DermCaps and the EVOO. The results were amazing esp. on Hanna--black silky coat and less flaky. If only that would also work in making my hair shinier ;)

Cleanliness

Keeping our house clean is very important to me. You never know what micro-organisms you bring into your house with your paws/ dirty shoes. So I have a front door doormat specially made for guests who don't have any idea what to do with dirty shoes and a carpeted floor:

And for our greys, we buy baby wipes for after walks wiping and Arthur's Doggie Paw Wipes for last walk/before bedtime wiping.

Arthur's Doggie Paw Wipes has natural ingredients so I feel ok using it on both greys. The scent (mild citrus) is not overpowering so husband is ok with it.

Ready for Summer

It is early June but midday walks (high 70's and 80's, but today will be low 90's) are getting too much for Hanna already (must be her being raised in colder states & her black coat) so she pants incessantly and that drives me nuts. Some dogs are more prone to heat stroke-I just don't want to find out if my greys are one of those so as a precaution, we'll have our long walks earlier during the day. I got both greys cooling bandanas with some sort of special gel inside that absorb water. These banadanas are supposed to their big neck veins cool during the walk.

Paw Care

My friend L, who also has a greyhound (Tabora), recommended Musher's Secret for winter care of Hanna's paws. It protects the paw skin from cracking during winter months and from salt (used to melt ice). During summer, it keeps the paw skin supple and protects it from too much heat. It's like invisible boots. It is like petroleum jelly and is made from natural waxes, unscented too. It sure kept Hanna's & Louie's paws supple this past winter! I am currently trying a different brand (cheaper) but I will probably go back to Musher's when it is the peak of summer and come winter. The new brand I am using has a minty smell which husband is not particularly thrilled of. I don't think it is as good as Musher's.

Roomba

I have heard about the Roomba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roomba). My sister bought one for around $350--I think instead of her doing the vacuuming, the Roomba patrols the house for any dirt and picks it up -too bad, it can't pick up scattered dog toys ;( or I would have gotten one myself ....Anyway, we also got our own version of the Roomba.



She is 68 lbs, with shiny & silky black coat & very food-motivated. She neatly eats her food and cleans up any spills. She even waits for messy Louie to finish so she can clean his spills....and she constantly picks up any dog biscuit crumbs that may have been left/dropped by Louie...amazing cleaning powers, huh!

Disposable boots

These disposable rubber boots were a big help when Hanna had her toenail injury last March. Before husband saw it from one of the posters in a greytalk.com forum, I had to wrap the bandaged injured toe in a Ziplock bag, duct tape it, then put the Ziplocked injured paw into her boots (prevents it from getting dirty). But her winter boots are not really made for walking in the rain so problem solved when husband found these. They are very snug so Hanna wasn't able to shake them off. These boots come in different sizes but for greyhounds, the large size is more appropriate. They kept Hanna's injured paw clean & dry during those rainy days....

Picking Up After Our Dogs

should be every dog owner's mantra. Not only is it a part of being a responsible pet owner, it is also showing respect to our neighbor's/other people's property, it prevents the spread of worm infections to dogs and kids and just keeps the environment a lot cleaner for everyone. These bags are supposedly (well, the package claims) biodegradable bags neatly rolled into individual sets like these so you can pop one into the canister and attach it to your leash or just grab one & put it in your pocket before your walk (with the dog ;) )...pretty neat, huh!

Feeling safe

and secure with your leash is very important. In the case of greyhounds (which are sighthounds), their lives depend on it. Last December, I had several unclipping incidents from a well-known leash brand (despite the leashes being relatively new ). So I attached a second clip using a plastic tie. A friend recommended a key ring instead to attach the second clip so our leashes. Note that the leashes are rather new (the leash company replaced my defective leashes but despite that, I had 2 unclipping incidents just recently). This way, I can be less worried that my dogs will just get unleashed, suddenly bolt, get lost and get into an accident.

Reality Check

Having 2 adorable pups (a 68 lb and a 73 lb) is life altering, in good terms, of course. They bring us so much unconditional love & loyalty and feel-good moments. But like anything else, dog ownership requires work & dedication and it's not all peachy all the time...


:) They are so excited to see us anytime of the day. Hanna chatters and Louie snaps with tail wagging.

:) All they have to do is look cute and all hardwork in keeping them is forgotten.

:) As long as we bring them out for their "bathroom walks" and leisure walks, we're fine. We don't have to play frisbee or drool-soaked balls all day long. Though, they appreciate fetching a ball and getting treats for it for around 5 minutes.

:) We take them for walks and people mostly admire how sleek and regal they look. Kids and people not familiar with the breed are amazed at how thin and big they are.

:0 Having to go out for walks in snow, sleet, rain, or heat or even on bad allergy day--thank God for Cetirizine!

:0 Having to pick-up poops and clean accidents.

:0 Having to wake -up at a decent hour because we have 2 wet noses poking our faces & feet.

:0 Having to smell their gassy emissions every now & then...

:0 Having to yell occassionally when they decided to make a racetrack out of our living room or decide that it's time to play with the cats.

:( Having to deal with a sick pup when their digestive systems are not doing well.

:( Having to poke Hanna's butt and express her anal glands every month or so.

:( Having to deal with injuries because I forgot to clip their nails before I allowed them to run on hard snow.

:( Almost suffering a heart attack when the leash unclipped and suddenly, my grey is running in the opposite direction.

:( Going away on trips and vacations and leaving my babies behind (with friends or sitters, of course).

Raincoats

Husband bought these really nice and very good raincoats for Hanna & Louie. There is ample coverage. The lady who made these used quality water-resistant fabrics and unlike raincoats with velcro fasteners, ours have buckles. She even added reflective strips for easy visibility during rainy nights. Louie looks like Astroboy!

I bought a cheap raincoat (before we found these new ones) from one of the online pet stores for $14 and I got my money's worth. It was a very poor quality raincoat and it really "stunked" & reeked of that vinyl smell (which is not good for our health) for months. I threw it away.

Next Post

I am thinking of writing about the "tools of the trade"--instruments/stuff that make dog caring easier. Some items you only hear from other greyhound owners, others you only see from catalogs...or eBay and Amazon. That'll be my next post. So other greyhound owners can also have an easier time caring for their 45mph couch potatoes!

Neat Collars

Husband bought cotton collars for Hanna & Louie. He read somewhere that cotton collars are more hound neck (skin)-friendly than nylon. I just think they are adorable! We got them from a lady from Washington who makes custom-made collars.

Sentinel

Our vet warned us that they've been seeing many cases of worm infections locally. I have both hounds on Sentinel. I also practice paw wiping after each walk. If I can Saran-wrap both hounds before walks, believe me I'd do it--just to protect them from all nasty bugs and worms lurking all over.

Hookworm eggs are everywhere. They thrive in moist conditions (moist soil, grass, sand) especially. So it really frustrates me when I see poops left behind by some dog owners.

Hanna's New Nail

That's Hanna's new nail, 2 months after she lost her toenail (long nails and running on ice don't go together, now we know!).

When to get a second dog/grey

They say, it is better to get a second dog as soon as the first dog/grey gets settled in so the acceptance-bonding phase for these dogs will be easier and faster. Some say, take your time, when you're ready, you'll know it...

We got our Hanna September 9th, 2007. We got our second grey February 9th, 2008. Just 5 months apart and it worked perfectly for us.

A second grey in our household was a remote idea until my dear husby asked me Christmas Day 07 what I think of a second grey since Hanna is obviously happier when she sees her good grey friend, T. I knew my husby was seriously thinking about it and it also appealed to my common (but sometimes, too practical) sense--greyhounds are pack animals, they've always been with other greys and although Hanna is happy with us, she'd be happier if she has a brother or a sister, especially when I start working again...Several minutes later, we got an update call from our friends (who were babysitting Hanna for Christmas, we went out of town to visit family out west and we can only entrust our baby to our friends who also have greys). Apparently, she was having a blast spending Christmas with her other good grey friends, C & P, and her foster parents, K & J. Talks of a second grey came and next thing I know, we were applying for fostering a straight from the track grey.

Time flew fast and by first week of February, we learned we were already "profiled" and we are fostering a boy. We specified, low energy, cat-safe, not too dominant either male or female...we were both excited for Hanna...

Fostering is a good way to get to know (and of course help the greyhounds adjust from kennel life to pet life) your potential adoptee. The adoption group worked hard to match a family with the right grey but sometimes, it just doesn't work out.

Morning of Feb 9, we waited for the adoption ladies and their 3 newly received greys...fresh from the Florida track...one of the ladies, a good friend of ours, informed us earlier that our "rent-to-own" boy is a fawn and his track name is quite long so somebody suggested naming him Louie...We really didn't care about the color or gender--as long as he/she is catsafe and Hanna will like him/her...Then we saw him, all 67 lbs (in a frame that should be weighing 75 lbs)of him--oh, I don't believe in love at first sight but--I know he is ours...He is big, nervous, hungry and tired but very handsome (George Clooney handsome)...

Welcome home, Louie!