Thats right. Our first is 10 years old as of November. She is a graceful lady. Slightly more grey around her face, but still fast and agile and just as quick to the gate. She is the guardian of the house, always the first to warn of any unusual sounds or Magpies in the yard...




After hot summer we now have a mild winter. They like to spend to spend time outside as it has sunny and lovely for the most part. In the evening it cools down and the house gets cold. They love to lay in the living room when the fire is going. They all like to almost be on the fire, but Tula only lasts for a few minutes and goes to cool down, Nubis likes to bake all evening. Hubbell likes to be slightly further away, but close enough to still feel the radiating heat. Here they are:






Earlier in the morning after they have their breakfast they bake in the sun, now low enough to shine in through the living room. They will all stand in the middle looking at me, making noise if needed, waiting for me to move their mats/pillows in to position so they can lay comfortably in the sun. Whom am I to argue? Their wish is my command...

Yesterday during out walk I was walking past a yard where there is two German Shepherds. Normally this is not an issue and the owner have them well trained and they obey him immediately.

This time however. The gate was open and he was not home. As a result, one of the dogs came running out and was very aggressive towards us. It would not stay away and they all ended up in a big fight. All three of them went for this dog and Tula was the most vicious of them. Not easy to pul back 90 kg's of adrenalin filled muscle...

I did manage though, nearly broke my pinky in the process which is now blue and swollen. They all appeared fine after. Tula had a small scratch and seemed very happy with herself. I checked the others and did not see anything.

Today I noticed that Hubbell kept licking on sane spot. I could not see anything before I went over and moved the fur around a bit and noticed a tear mark in his skin. Going to the vet now just to be certain. It is large enough to where he could need stitches. Regardless he will probably need antibiotics for a week. For the moment I have only rinsed it with wound wash.

That must have been frightening. It could've been a lot worse though.

A friend of mine damaged her finger when the dog she was holding pulled away suddenly. Her finger's never been right since. Make sure yours is ok!

Lovely photos of your hound family!

Well, Hubbell was very brave, sort of... He is very wary of tall men and the vet is tall Dutch man... I am sure he's had a bad experience with a man in the past. He was running circles around me as the vet tried to get close. In the end I lifted him up on the table and held in a hugy grip. He ended up getting 4 staples and he jumped a little for every one. But as soon he was back on the floor he was ok and all seemed forgotten. We did a walk in the forest before heading home. Next is a week with antibiotics...

So for now all is well. Staples come out in two weeks.

Clearly their favourite spots after breakfast.

Was cleaning the Van the other week and Nubis and Hubbell kept jumping in and getting in the way. After I was done, they settled in and refused to come out. They even resisted when I tried to lead them out by the collar.

So I decided to leave them be. Left the doors open and went back in to the house. They staid in for about 10 min before coming out. When I went out to close the doors, they jumped back in...

They like their rides, although Hubbell tends to get a little car sick.

She likes her rest in the window.

What a stunning photo of Tula

Hope all well with you all,
Susan, Mo & Bootsie xxx

.... more great photos!

Have NEVER come across such a stubborn breed as the greyhound

S,M&B xxx

Poor Tula.

At age ten, she is no spring chicken anymore, although she still gets to the gate first when she suspect a potential intruder.

Had her at the vet today for her annual checkup and vaccinations. We have noticed that she seems a little stiffer than she used to, especially when getting up after laying down. I asked the vet about it and he checked her legs thoroughly. I am of course worried about a more serious condition, but the vet did not seem to think that was the case. He suspects a mild case of Arthritis, or the start of it and gave me a product called COSEQUIN to stimulate her joints etc. Hope it works, or we will have to look at other more serious medications...

Her teeth are a right mess. She has had teeth removed on two occasions in the past. I hope we don't have to remove any more, but if it is necessary, then so be it. She has an inflammation of the root of both her canines, which has to be felt with urgently, or it could get worse, damage the nose bone and cals a sore all the way through.

We are not having that. On Friday she will be put under to have her teeth taken care of. Even if he has to remove some, she will be in good condition.

You all know how worried we are about putting her under given what happened to her brother, but I am reassured by the vet. He uses a compound that I know have been used on Tula before and also in the form of gas rather than an injection which he says is much safer.

However, still not looking forward to Friday...

Here is Tula in her basket earlier today:



Cosequin;
Does anyone know it?

Hi, great to hear from you. Many people on here have used Yumove for their dogs when they have mobility problems and everyone that has used it rates it. I recommended my mum try it with her grey and she is amazed at the improvement it has made.

Hope Tulas dental goes well. I think most grey owners get worried when their dogs have to go under anaesthetic - I certainly do,and you have more cause than most to be concerned. I'm sure she'll be fine, and doubtless the rest of the pack will great her like a hero when you get her back from the vets!

Thanks for that Steve.

A friend of mine in Glasgow with a Lurcher just told me about Yumove last night as well. We used to walk our dogs together almost every day in Glasgow Green. You may remember I wrote about the name Sleet in some of my earlier posts. She says he is like a new dog. :)

I looked at the ingredient lists of both products and they are very similar. Quite a difference in price though as Cosequin was 60Euros for 120 tablets, but also a difference in how it is given. Cosequin is 3 tablets a day for 40 days, then nothing for 40 days and then again three a day for another 40 days and so on. Thats what the vet said anyway.

Regardless, as you know, only the best is good enough for the Lady of the Manor... Whichever product that may be.

The other days when I took her to the vet and left the other two behind, Greg told me they were howling for the better part of the time i was away...

Hello,
Commiserations to Tula, arthritis is a horrible thing but she sounds like she's in the early stages so you just need to limit further joint damage.
I have just lost my greyhound, Kim, to arthritis, at nearly 15 years of age, after several years of gradual deterioration. We tried Yumove and it may have helped a bit. You probably need Yumove Extra for maximum potential benefit. Several greyhound owners have testified to its efficacy.
My vet put Kim on Synoquin:
Glucosamine HCl 99% 475mg
Chondroitin Sulphate 95% 200mg
Dexahan (purified krill extract) 200mg
Ascorbic Acid 50mg
Zinc Sulphate 30mg

It sounds similar to your Cosequin and I do think it helped but he eventually couldn't do stairs (just 3 easy steps) at all, struggled to stand unassisted for any length of time and needed ongoing pain relief. He was a good bit older than Tula, though, and you've started treating early, so she should be fine for years yet. One other suggestion w/b to keep her weight down to minimise pressure on her joints, but I'm sure the vet has already mentioned this.
We send our best wishes.

Our poor baby Tula at the vet just prior to the anaesthetic.

She is not happy. When preparing to put in the IV needle, she started howling as soon as she saw the clipper to shave her fur at the spot. What a wimp... Guess she knew it meant getting a needle poked in to her.

After we lifted her up on the table, they gave her the first stage of sedation and then inserted the gas tube down her throat. She started to gag continuously. Looked awful. I asked if she new that she was gagging and was told " No, she is gone". That was a relief.
They should be finished in about two hours or so.
Naturally we are worried as her brother passed away due to wrongly administered anaesthetics. Different vet of course, never to get near our dogs again...

Just received word that she is finished and doing well. What a relief...

He had to remove two of the large molars in the back, and now has sutures there, and most of her upper and lower front teeth.

No food today I was told. She likes her food and will not be happy... Although usually after a surgery she doesn't have much of an appetite anyway...




After:

Tula "flew out from the Vet when we were leaving, but then slowed down, still affected by the anaesthetics. She needed a little help to get back in the car, but after we got home she had no trouble getting up to her own bed, or ours which is higher than the van.

She was bleeding a bit from her gums, but it now seems to have almost stopped. She stays mostly in the bedroom, but comes through now and then and of course we are always in there checking on her.
She is constantly whimpering quietly. I was not sure if she was in pain, or hungry, or both, but the vet told me that she had a 24 hour painkiller treatment so should not be in pain. Thats good. He also told me that the whimpering was also an affect of the anaesthetics which I never knew. Good to know.

As soon as we got home, bot Nubis and hubbell was along her side and sniffing her nose and gums. They were a little quieter than their normal excitement when one of us arrives home. They knew she was not well.

After we got inside, Tula went straight to the bedroom and laid down in her bed. Nubis laid down right behind her and refused to leave. He staid with her until I walking and feeding time. It was touching to see.


Back in the van to go home.



Nubis protecting Tula after surgery.

Good to hear she's got through the anaesthetic with no problems. Whenever one of ours has had to go to the vet on their own the others know and show their concern. As you say, it's lovely to see them doing that.

Get well soon Tula. She reminds me of my lovely Maisie Dug who has recently had teeth removed. She flew out of the vets too clearing the tables with her tail on the way out. It's amazing how fast they recover. She was allowed soft food for a few days then the kibble was introduced slowly. Her teeth look great now.

Good morning.

It is strange about the food thing. We had wet food on the ready, thinking thats what she needs to have after having teeth removed. Thats what we were told the last time (right after we got her) and the vet took out 6 teeth...

This time the vet told us to give her dry food only from today on which was a surprise. The reason man sense though. He said that wet food can get stuck in the sores and holes left after having the large molars removed and this was not the case with dry food. She never chew her food anyway...

She is back to her normal self today, almost... She did did not finish all of her breakfast. Most of it, but not all... And she certainly munched down a peace of ham after with her antibiotic and inflammatory tablet in it... And of course she is back to protecting the realm of Casa de Moore from a potential intruder she can hear from the other side of the neighbourhood, not to mention the dangerous Magpies...

She even carries her ball around. Picked up first thing as soon as was out of bed. That was a surprise. She wanted to play I think, but wrestling the ball out of her mouth was not an option... So I gave her a good scratch instead which she loves and she stretched her neck out and enjoyed this before bowing down on her front legs with but up in true Greyhound style. When she does this while being scratched, it means she wants her whole back done in long strokes all the way up and down. At least both hands, preferably a second pair...
She will stay down like this for as long as you scratch her.

I can get her to stand up by moving down on the side and under the belly. She will then berry her head under your arm saying: "Keep scratching, and do include belly and sides as well as all the way along my spine"...

She knows all the tricks. By now I am running out of hands, but she is happy and thats all that matters...

Hello again everyone.
It has been nearly three years ago now since my last post on this thread. Just though I'd give an update for those of you still interested in Tula (and the others).

Firstly and most importantly, Tula is still with us. Her spirit is strong, but she is now an old Lady at 13 and a half years with some old age issues.

She has now a heart condition. After an ultrasound she was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. We started her on on hear medication and this has helped. After another visit to the vet last month, they said she seemed younger. For the heart anyway.

She has a slightly displaced hip on one side.

She is a a bit stiff, especially in her hind legs and struggles a bit to Get up at times. Especially if she is on our bed with a soft and thick mattress. However, if she hears a dog outside, or there is food, she has no problem... She still runs to the gate to defend the territory, albeit not as fast as before.

We had her urine and blood checked as she has started to drink a lot more, but they were all normal.

The important thing is that she is still happy and we are looking after her and spoiling her. She gets short walks by herself now, which I think she likes.

~right now she is sleeping next to me on her floor mattress and is content after having outside and had her dental stick.

Hubbell and Nubis are doing just fine. They do not like it when I take only Tula out. Nubis especially is very attached to and protective of Tula.

Here are some pics from yesterday and recent.

And she has the most penetrating look when she wants a treat or a pet and it's not happening immediately...
:heart_eyes:

How lovely to hear from you all, and Doesn't Tula look great for her 13+ years! Nubis and Hubbell look in great form too.
Everything you say chimes with me as my Foxy is 13 this year and is getting arthritis in the leg she broke while racing. She can't comfortably manage the hill up from the beach any more so she gets her own walk on the level. She is still the matriarch and both the boys (Foggy - 8 today, and Eagle - 6) treat her with respect (when they remember to!). She can also compel you with a gaze, and is not above shouting when it comes to rituals like pre-dinner crisps from Mike or post-dinner chew sticks from me.
Tula is one very lucky greyhound to have such a wonderful life with you. She is one of GRF's legends so please keep posting now and then.

It's lovely to see so many fabulous photos of your gorgeous dogs again!

Yes Tula is the same. Definitively not above making noise either when her treats are not forthcoming at her desire... She tends to take up the pose in front of our chair, nudging our hands, tail wagging at an ever increasing speed and noise getting progressively louder. There is no chance of forgetting a reward after she has taking herself outside for sniff and and a pee, or for just allowing us to open the door for her so she can have a peak outside, tongue already moving around the nose...

Today at dinner time she pulled another stunt. We mix a can of high quality wet food in with their dry food. It is two brands we discoverd about 6 months ago, and they love it. Usually anyway...

Nubis and Hubbell munched their down as usual, but Tula was not even remotely interested. One sniff, nose in the air off she walked. I changed it to a different flavour, only to get the same reaction.

Greg said it was because she wanted the freshly grilled chicken, still hot, that we had just brought home, sitting on the counter...

We did not give it to her, and she just went into the living room and laid down. We ate about two thirds of the chicken and after we gave a few bites to the three of them. As there was plenty of chicken left, I broke it up in smaller peaces and mixed it with her dry food and guess what...

Yep you got it. Munched down, with big mouthful scoops. Her cheekiness has certainly not dwindled with time and age... :upside_down_face:

Forgot to mention, that they all love Tulas medicine time. On two of the pics above, you will see them all swarming around a tray of liver. We grilled chicken liver and put her medicine in it and of course the other two get some as well...

Lovely to hear from you glad you and doggys doing fine we still have willow she was 9 past 1 January there scary where time goes take care hope to hear from you soon gill john willow ccxxx

Hello.

This month is Tula's 14th birthday. Her and Booker were born in November 2005. Four years and tree months later (Feb 2010) they came to live with us.
Tula is now a happy old Lady. She spends most of her time sleeping, although if she hears a Magpie she is ready for the chase.

However. Old age comes with its own issues. Her back legs are noticeably weaker and stiffer. The main thing is that she is happy and feisty.

Saturday she got a bad case of diarrhoea that was still persistent on Sunday, so we took her to the vet. They said she was a bit dehydrated and also low on potassium and they wanted to keep her for observation and hydration for the night. Needless to say she was not happy. I picked her up this morning and was told she was better. She has been drinking a lot of water today and eating a little, but she is picky. We let her get away with since nourishment now is important.

Here spirit is good and she has been her usual self today, albeit a little more tired that usual, which is to expected after a night away from home

Here are some pics from the other day from one and all on a walk. We walk her by herself now as she is quite slow. She does enjoy her walks and has to sniff everything. Ever since we got her, that nose has been like a mine sweeper.

As adorable as ever.








With Nubis

I'm so sorry you have been unwell Tula, but hope you are feeling much better now. I also wish you a very happy birthday this month. :birthday:

Tula says thank you.

She is better today, but still a bit quieter than normal.

And what a grand old duchess she is! 14 is a mighty fine age for a greyhound and she still looks so well and happy.
I'm not sure if her leg stiffness is due to osteoarthritis or not but my Foxy (mentioned in a post above) has just turned 13 and has been prescribed Galliprant, a recent targeted medication for osteoarthritis. She has been on it for 2-3 weeks now with no side effects and a notable improvement in her mobility and general enthusiasm for exercise. I was delighted by the difference it made.
Best wishes to you all.