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Man I'm so sorry about Gello.  Happy birthday Rain! I'm gonna go hug Ella...
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Oct 4, 2023 07:33
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We let Gello go this morning. She struggled awfully through the night and whe I took her for a walk today she didn't want to move. So it was time. Here are some of my favourite photos of her through the years. She was such a special, special dog I can't imagine moving on without her.          
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Oct 4, 2023 10:04
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I’m so sorry for your loss RC. It sounds like Gello had a fantastic life with you
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Oct 4, 2023 10:24
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I'm so sorry. She was beautiful.
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Oct 4, 2023 10:30
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So quick! Really unfair. (Happy birthday Rain, eat those burgs)
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Oct 4, 2023 11:46
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david_a posted:So quick! I was really hoping that the pain meds we got on Monday would help, but she'd been miserable on them - she fought very hard not to fall asleep and spent a lot of time just standing and whining. I would have loved more time with her, but never, ever at the expense of her wellbeing. Thanks for all the wishes guys, this forum really is the best. 
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Oct 4, 2023 12:44
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I'm so so sorry Radiation Cow, Gello was a treasure and I'll miss new photos and stories about her If you want I'd love to hear your favorite stories. She looks like such a lovable goofball 
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Oct 4, 2023 12:54
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I'm so sorry Radiation Cow! Gello was a wonderful dog and you gave her a wonderful life!
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Oct 4, 2023 17:53
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I'm sorry Cow, you looked like a good parent and Gello was too young.
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Oct 4, 2023 17:57
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DarkHorse posted:I'm so so sorry Radiation Cow, Gello was a treasure and I'll miss new photos and stories about her She had so many weird, weird quirks. She loved smelling people's hair and breath. And she'd get this absolutely dreamy yet intense look while sniffing very loudly. Super loving creepy dog. She wasn't too keen on most dogs, but once she made friends she made them for life. She also loved boy dogs who had their balls, and would do the most flirtatious paw dance in an attempt to play. She absolutely loved the beach, where she would run and run and run. She'd also do the typical greyhound play-bow to the ocean, like she was trying to play with it. She learned to howl quite late, and would always start howling by first warming up with some whining, then growling, then some "wow-wow"-ing before launching into full gear. She used to love sleeping on the bed next to me when I was napping, until the one time she fell over from a roach, smacked in the face with her front paws and then was horrified by what she had done. She had a super-intense prey drive unless the small fluffy creature didn't run. She made "friends" with a mole once, simply because it was waddling instead of sprinting away at full pace. Same with cats - they were an excellent target while far away, but she was very kind to them when she got in sniffing distance. She was the softest loving dog ever. Probably due to the Saluki side of her. I was the only person she asked for rubs, everyone else she would tolerate but not actively seek out. She also did this docking thing, where you could hold out your hand and she'd conveniently insert her face into it for maximum scritch. She was an enthusiastic digger, but only when she was really bored and unstimulated. And unlike other dogs that dig giant holes, she dug perfect, shoulder-width trenches. My one friend always used to call Gello "Dory" because she would repeatedly get excited about spotting her friends on a walk, like she'd forgotten they'd come along. I remember Gello's foster mom saying that she was a very special girl, and she was 100% right. Greyhounds are fantastic beasts, and Gello was a fantastic greyhound. She had a rough start to life, and we were very lucky to have her and spoil her rotten for seven and a half years. Radiation Cow fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Oct 4, 2023 |
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Oct 4, 2023 18:00
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Oh RadiationCow. Thank you for sharing your most special ding-dong dog with us. I gave my Josie an extra cuddle for you (she hated it)
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Oct 5, 2023 00:03
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yeah thanks for sharing! sounds like a wonderful companion i've found that now, more than two years after Abby died, the fact that we had so many wonderful years together keeps me from getting too sad.
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Oct 5, 2023 00:04
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Oh drat RC, poor Gello - that all happened so fast! Thanks for sharing those memories though, since she sounded like a ball to be with! (Especially 'spotting' her friends walking alongside her  ) Sounds like she had even more of a playful attitude than I expected! Always fun when they want to play in the waterAlso, Tazo has been very mopey this week. What didn't help matters was that last night the wind blew a plant as he walked past it, causing a leaf to poke him in the eye. He was thoroughly unimpressed and gave a little yelp, before I rubbed him/his face until he felt better. (I then pruned the plant back a bit more, to get even) He's been really sad though, all week. I'm not sure what I can do really, but maybe he needs a burg at the end of our walk later, or something.
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Oct 5, 2023 00:20
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Thanks so much everyone, it's been really helpful to have a forum of people who understand how this feels. Sorry to hear about Taz, Major Isoor. Leafs and winds are definitely traumatic.
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Oct 5, 2023 08:57
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I'm so sorry for your loss, RC. Gello seemed like the sweetest girl.
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Oct 5, 2023 16:33
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Katie’s footsies are healing although she’s still sore when walking on hard surfaces. Not sore enough to prevent doing insane indoor zoomies on carpet though!!! Post zoomie panting What a happy happy hound 
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Oct 6, 2023 22:55
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I’m so sorry to hear about Gello!
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Oct 7, 2023 02:13
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I am so sorry for your loss. We will miss the Gello updates here 
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Oct 7, 2023 04:16
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david_a posted:Katie’s footsies are healing although she’s still sore when walking on hard surfaces. Not sore enough to prevent doing insane indoor zoomies on carpet though!!! Yay! I'm so, so glad to hear that she's doing better, she looks so happy in that photo. Guys, I miss Gello so much. Took a few days to really hit, and now it has and it sucks and I just want her back.
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Oct 7, 2023 10:08
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Radiation Cow posted:Guys, I miss Gello so much. Took a few days to really hit, and now it has and it sucks and I just want her back. How is Boudicca doing? I’ve leaned on Katie a lot with all the loss I’ve been through. She’s not the snuggliest greyhound in the world and looks vaguely embarrassed when I hug her but she’ll occasionally put her head on me or nuzzle in close.
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Oct 7, 2023 12:55
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david_a posted:
Boudicca has been a godsend. I'd be a complete wreck if it weren't for her. She's definitely subdued but is very happy to sit and get hugged and cried upon.
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Oct 7, 2023 14:34
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Radiation Cow posted:Yay! I'm so, so glad to hear that she's doing better, she looks so happy in that photo. yeah I certainly know the feeling - no matter what you do to try cheer yourself up it doesn't work. it will get better over time, I promise.
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Oct 7, 2023 17:45
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Is a proBNP level of 1568 concerning for greyhounds? It seems like they test on the high end and my vet does not know what's normal for the breed. Some googling seems to indicate it's above average for them but I'm unclear if it's actually a problem.
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Oct 10, 2023 03:17
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All I could find from a quick google is that Greyhounds have a significantly higher proBNP than other dogs, and 46% of Grehounds had >1000. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25982692/ I can't access the full article, so I can't really interpret the quality of the study.
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Oct 10, 2023 17:13
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Yeah that's the same thing that I read. Basically, I don't want to waste a bunch of money on heart tests if it's just a one of the various things that make greyhounds different from other breeds.
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Oct 11, 2023 20:32
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I know this is stupid and I'm being stupid but you guys are the ones who will understand. Ever since Josie turned 9 this summer I just constantly think about her dying. I know it is likely to be in the next couple years. I remember how suddenly Union was gone and I keep looking at Josie with that dread in my mind. I'm always inspecting her gait and how energetic she is or isn't, if she's feeling particularly bouncy or lazy, what a tiny change of habit might mean, etc. For example this year she has not always been able to hold her potty all night anymore. I try my best but she's just getting older. I check her all over for little scabs or try to feel anomalies. If she does one of those "I scared myself so I yelped for no reason" I drop everything for a full inspection. She's not so good walking in the dark any more and has misstepped off curbs and walked into parked cars. The last month for some reason she got several pimples on her head, side, and leg?? I just have the tiny bit of gloom inside me like, aah what is going to happen, what am I going to do? Of course I do everything to keep her happy and healthy and sometimes I just look at her thinking what a good and beautiful girl she is, and that I hope she knows I adore her. Even though she hates when I give her too much loves and she absolutely won't let me lay on the floor with her or sit next to her on the sofa. 
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Oct 11, 2023 23:11
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That’s tough, but you can’t predict the future. She might live for several years with only normal aging. A technique they teach you with cognitive behavioral therapy is to try to think logically about the problem to short-circuit the feedback loop. What are you actually seeing versus what you are predicting. Do you have a good basis for those negative predictions? Isn’t it just as likely a good/neutral outcome will happen? Focus on what you can control versus worrying about things you have no impact over. You know her life will change as she ages; that’s inevitable. Try to prepare for things like needing more frequent trips outdoors to do her business, more lights when you’re out walking at night, maybe staying away from curbs, etc. I dunno, those are just my thoughts.
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Oct 11, 2023 23:31
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skoolmunkee posted:I know this is stupid and I'm being stupid but you guys are the ones who will understand. Oh yeah, man I know how you feel, so you're not alone - Tazo is less than a month from hitting double-digits, so I 100% have those same thoughts in the back of my mind. He's been his usual indestructible self so far, but that's not gonna last. Hounds aging definitely sucks! I always have the same mindset as david_a on this though, so hopefully that can help?
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Oct 12, 2023 00:14
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skoolmunkee posted:I know this is stupid and I'm being stupid but you guys are the ones who will understand. I know exactly what you mean. Rory is 11, will be 12 next May, and I think about that all of the time. It's almost like grieving a loss that hasn't even happened yet. Every time I look at pictures from even just a couple of years ago I get a little heartbroken about how much less gray she had on her face back then and how she's slowed down in the past couple of years. I guess I look at it like both david_a and Major Isoor said: you just don't know. Case in point: three years ago, my cat, who was 13 at the time and who I'd had almost my entire adult life, started vomiting and losing weight. An ultrasound showed some kind of mass in her stomach, and I thought...this is it, this is the end of our time together. But the radiologist said it could be a tumor, or it could be just a hairball, it was hard to tell other than to just wait and see. So we just watched her, and in that time, I started trying to get myself ready for the idea that I would probably have to say goodbye to her soon, and tried to picture what life would be without her. She's now 16 and currently sitting next to me on the couch, curled up and purring. I don't have an easy answer and to be honest, as someone who struggles with anxiety and PTSD, I myself can't help but catastrophize and assume the worst with every limp or yipe or even just an abnormal poo poo. But I think about all of the times that those things have happened and each time it's turned out fine, and that helps me sleep a little better at night.
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Oct 12, 2023 00:33
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I'm dealing with this now with my other dog I guess the point is: it's a natural part of life and it's okay to do some preemptive grieving, but don't let it get in the way of the time you have left. When the feeling comes over you, acknowledge it, accept it, then let it go and focus on making a new good memory together (even if it's just snoozing in the same room). That's what I've been doing with my aging pooch and while I'm still sad about her inevitable death it's not consuming my thoughts
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Oct 12, 2023 00:46
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Yeah, the whippet is 11, we Rescued this year an already 12 year old Greyhound knowing that she could just be a walking bomb of death, It's better to just slow down your thoughts, realize and remember that they are not going to be with us forever, and to make the time they are with us as good as possible.
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Oct 12, 2023 01:19
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Gosh, thanks guys.  just knowing I'm not the only one helps, and yeah of course I'm not being gloomy or obsessed about it. But just taking things as they come and trying to have a more logical and positive mindset.
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Oct 12, 2023 04:36
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skoolmunkee posted:Gosh, thanks guys. I would agree to just enjoy the good times you are having, and you had. no matter what, you will always have that wonderful experience. that's similar to what you told me when Abby died.
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Oct 12, 2023 04:42
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actionjackson posted:I would agree to just enjoy the good times you are having, and you had. no matter what, you will always have that wonderful experience. that's similar to what you told me when Abby died. Yeah, 100% agreed. I've been doing the same thing, which means Taz ends up having more adventures and treats - which he's very happy about! I'm sure Josie's been having a good time with you, too. Either way, I just hope you're doing OK, skoolmunkee!
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Oct 12, 2023 04:47
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With Gello and Boudicca, our expectations were completely reversed - we adopted Boudicca as a senior dog with skin cancer and no teeth, and fully expected to say goodbye within a year of adoption, whereas Gello was still a sprightly young-ish doggo with plenty of years in her. Any time we discussed the future, it was after Boudicca had passed and Gello was still around. Boudicca is still going extremely strong as a 12-year-old tank of a dog. The regular physio keeps her fit and active, and she's pretty much exactly the same dog now as she was when we first got her. And Gello died before turning nine. I guess my point is that worrying about the future doesn't change anything. It's completely normal to imagine life after your dogs, but as so many others have said, the main focus should be on enjoying the "now". I'm working really hard on that with Boudicca, making sure that every day is as good as I can make it (as long as it doesn't involve murderizing other dogs).
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Oct 12, 2023 09:10
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Thread title
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Oct 12, 2023 13:42
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skoolmunkee posted:Of course I do everything to keep her happy and healthy and sometimes I just look at her thinking what a good and beautiful girl she is, and that I hope she knows I adore her. Even though she hates when I give her too much loves and she absolutely won't let me lay on the floor with her or sit next to her on the sofa. Josie loves you with all her heart. You give her a warm home and a soft place to sit and all the food she needs and that's the happiest life a dog can ask for.
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Oct 12, 2023 14:19
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Me and my wife decided to test Ella a bit to see how she would react to us pretending to "hit" (over the top movements like in a cartoon) each other and man did she get mad at the one "hitting" the other. We've long joked that Ella would probably just want to get pets from a potential attacker while we're getting stabbed, but based on this I think she'd probably actually fight for us. My wife sometimes walks to work through some less safe neighborhoods, so it makes us feel a bit better about it. For some reason people are already a bit afraid of her (probably because they associate her with a Dobermann or something). Such a good dog. 
MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 08:35 on Oct 14, 2023 |
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Oct 13, 2023 18:33
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Yesterday Katie decided she wanted to explore this cul-de-sac neighborhood near us. Somebody was just going out to walk their Collie and stopped to talk (“Is that a greyhound?” etc). Katie and Snuggy the Collie sniffed each other very politely (a lot of the time Katie will preemptively growl at dogs so they don’t get in her face, but Snuggy was very chill). The lady said hi to Katie and they went on their way. On our way out of the neighborhood we met the lady again (I think her husband took the dog, she had to go inside to get something) and Katie acted like she was reunited with a long lost best friend. Katie then proceeded to whine and protest that she wasn’t allowed to follow the lady into the house.  I eventually got her to go away from the house but she refused to leave the vicinity. How could her cruel, heartless owner deny her reunification with her bestest friend in the universe??? After about half an hour of pouting I had to force her to leave and she downed her sorrow with her dinner. greyhounds MrOnBicycle posted:Me and my wife decided to test Ella a bit to see how she would react to us pretending to "hit" (over the top movements like in a cartoon) each other and man did she get mad at the one "hitting" the other. We've long joked that Ella would probably just want to get pets from a potential attacker while we're getting stabbed, but based on this I think she'd probably actually fight for us. A coworker was convinced that Katie would come to my aid if I was attacked but I maintained that she would just freeze or hide. I just don’t see her being capable of expressing any aggression towards a person.
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Oct 15, 2023 01:38
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david_a posted:
They make friends for lyfe. I've always wondered what factors into their friend-making decisions because sometimes, they're loving baffling.
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Oct 15, 2023 16:10
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