Foxy (AKA hopalong) embarked on a great adventure in the snow last Saturday when she left kennels for the first time after racing and injuring her leg then being lovingly cared for by Celia and Jimmy and their amazing GRF volunteers. On veterinary advice she had to be confined for 3 months and had a special 'cabin' in GRF HQ, where she was at the heart of goings-on and never wanted for attention.
Now she needs measured exercise and has come to stay with the best greyhound/lurcher/jack russell family in the world (only slightly biased) to work on strengthening her leg and getting her socialised and fighting fit again.
What can I say? - this wee girl who has never lived in a home has been spotlessly clean (except when I chose to believe she didn't need to go out in the rain!), she has seamlessly joined a home of 2 male greyhounds and and a grumpy-but-adorable blind male lurcher. Relations with Charlie the JR need working on but tails are wagging - she's trained to chase after all.
She had her first real walk with the other dogs today and she was in her element - so many new things to see and smell - very tired now though (bed in my office).
This is the first time I've had a greyhound to stay that hasn't been rehomed before. Fox is, of course, exceptional (!) but I'm blown away by her willingness to learn and blend with the pack.
Her leg needs to strengthen in terms of calcification of an old break, as well as tendon and muscle repair, so we'll keep in touch with progress reports - but so far so good! She sends her love to C&J and all at GRF.

Hi, Im sure with your tlc Foxy will come on a treat. Its really nice to hear that as I met Foxy in her space at the kennels.

Good luck with her

Esther

Just re-read my first post and wanted to re-assure Celia that Foxy's 'first real walk' with the other dogs was a short one, in case you thought I'd taken her miles! Until then she and I just went up the drive (150yds) and back 3 times a day, but it was a bit boring for her (except when she saw a black cat in the field) and I sensed she could handle a little more so we went down the farm track with the others, then she had a rest with Mike (who also had a sore leg) while I took the rest on to the beach.
She was up with the larks this morning and raring to go, so we all went in the car and had a short walk on the driving range then I popped in to the leisure club for a swim, hoping that she wouldn't be in 'chew mode' in the car. When I got back she was behind the wheel - you didn't tell me about that skill, Celia! - but no damage done. What a good girl!

Sorry folks, the posts will get fewer as time goes on but things move so fast in the beginning. Fox has the same strong chase instinct as Bryn but he seems to have become her 'big brother' and stays calm to show her a good example - he's a bit jealous but such a good lad.
Foxy (racing name Fairyhill Vixen) now has 4 beds that she uses in rotation, and is only in her cage when she wants to lie in the dark (or when JR Charlie is charging around). She keeps eyeing up the sofa and armchairs but the others are guarding them and tell her it's not good for her leg to get up there! Of course stairs are out of the question and she gets quite cross if I go upstairs for long during the daytime.
She's having all her joint supplements and also has a little milk and yogurt in the morning, as well as cheese at lunch time to keep up the calcium levels.
She has discovered the joys of puffed jerky and loves chews. She's also joined the family tooth brushing routine followed by a small treat of cold sausage, which makes practically anything worth enduring!
She is my constant office companion but is up in an instant if she hears postie or someone at the door. She just adores being out and about so I hope I can get her strong enough to enjoy normal lead exercise. She also loves the car (because it takes her exciting places) and I have to put her lead on to coax her out when we get home.
I'm having such fun with her - this fostering stuff is great (mind you, I ended up adopting the last one!).

Thanks for the good wishes Esther, Foxy's a darling. Picking up on your other post - how did Molly get on today? Hope all's well.

One week in and Fox is doing great - I think she's walking more strongly now but still breaks in to hopalong mode when she wants to speed up.
She has, of course, worked out how to get up on the furniture so we have competition - 4 dogs, 2 armchairs, one sofa (which nobody wants to share!).
I'm convinced her injury is an old one as the greyhound data site only has race data to 2008, although she was retired in 2010. She is also well used to compensating for her leg and has very strong shoulders that do a lot of the work of moving her around.
We've had a couple of minor 'chew incidents' where things have been close to her bed (a couple of computer textbooks and the corner of a wooden wine rack, but all still readable/useable).
She and Charlie are now officially friends!! and we just have to be ready to curtail play for the sake of her leg.
Will post some pics when we work out how.

Marion has asked me to post these pictures of Foxy for her along with the following update.

Aw gee Marion. You've got her looking wonderful. Thank you very much indeed.
Celia and Jimmy.

She is beautiful. Uncannily looks VERY like my big boy Brionnach - he's also a black/brown brindle, hence his name
Looks like you're doing a fabulous job of her recuperation

Another week on and Fox is still doing great - pretty much house trained now and only one chewing incident -a cork mat left carelessly on a coffee table, and SO satisfying to crumble up and scatter on the floor - but fortunately she didn't attempt to eat it. We have discovered Webbox porky hide twisted sticks, which all the dogs love, even Dylan, who isn't interested in normal cow hide chews. Her teeth are lovely!
Her leg is getting stronger every day and she's completely irrepressable first thing in the morning - such enthusiasm for life! By the end of the day, she is sometimes limping a little or tending to carry her damaged leg, and I give her half a Rimadyl as required. It's a delicate balance between giving enough exercise and stopping before she has a little too much.
So, I reckon she might be ready to try some hydrotherapy and I took her to my vet for a check-up just for my own peace of mind. Celia's vet is kindly going to liaise with him over her X-ray reports and then we should be good to go. If she doesn't take to it, acupuncture is another option my vet suggested, so we'll keep you posted. At the moment she is my 'sleepy secretary' in the office bed and oblivious to all that lies ahead - bless!

Marion. Foxy is looking great. Well done to you. So nice to see her coming through a difficult time. I am sure all at Baltree are overjoyed at her continued recovery.

Kaz, Pat and Ace

Thanks Karen,
We are now 3 weeks in (can't believe it's that long!) and Fox is very much at home. Her leg seems to get stronger day by day and I've decided to start hydrotherapy next weekend if Pauline has a slot available. She is very confident in her foster family and I've sent a few more pictures for George to post (thank you George!) so you can all see how she's getting on.
She still doesn't attempt stairs indoors but hops up steps outdoors without a second thought, so I'm guessing it won't be long....
She greets each day as if it's the best of her life, which is SO endearing, and an example to us all.

Hi Marion,
You are doing one fantastic job, bless you.
Thanks for being there for the little girl.
Celia and Jimmy.

As Marion said in her last post.
Here are the pictures of Foxy. ( 3 weeks in to her Rehabilitation )



Foxy Fed And Ready For Bed.



Foxy Using Her Bad Leg.



Foxy And Her Foster Family.



Foxy and Co.

Keep watching this thread for updates and pictures of Foxy!


Marion, thank you so much for helping Foxy in her recovery to fitness and for the great pictures of her enjoying life again.

George, Morag, Billy & Lassie

Thanks for posting the last lot of photos George. We didn't manage to start hydrotherapy last weekend as lots of other dogs were booked in to Doggie Paddles, but Fox continues to gain strength in her leg by regular walking, and she can even trot on all four legs now. If she sees something that interests her (like a squirrel) she 'forgets' to be lame, which is a good sign - but only because she isn't allowed to do what she wants and give chase. Bryn has taken on 'big brother' role and, although his ears reach for the sky and he 'focuses' really hard, there's none of the excitement that used to follow a squirrel sighting.
Fox has an endearing habit of helping me after a walk in the rain as she licks the other dogs dry while I towel them dry... a proper girl greyhound!

Aw bless little Foxy she is such a beautiful girl!! And Marion you are just working wonders with her it is great to hear!! Love the photos she just looks wonderful!! x

Thanks Joan,
We have another slight hitch regarding hydrotherapy as Fox decided to come in season on Wednesday. This is fun with 3 'done' boy hounds in an open-plan house, and an 'entire' visiting Jack Russell. Only Bryn is resistant to her charms so far - blind lurcher Dylan (a virgin as far as I know) seems very well versed in courtship - I guess his sense of smell is enhanced to make up for the lack of sight - but fortunately he's happy to just snuggle up to her in the back of the car. 9-year-old Kim was next to succumb but just tends to pant and dribble a bit,(bless!) or bark at her. JR Charlie is inconsolable but very sweet.
At the moment Fox is confused by all the attention and I was feeling sorry for her until she stole a newly defrosted chicken breast from the back of the kitchen unit while my back was turned for a moment (take note right hind leg had NO bother getting her up there!) - I caught her in the act and consider myself lucky that I saved the other five!
She's not called Foxy for nothing!

Well, that's day 12 of Foxy's season over with no disasters. Blind-but-besotted eunuch lurcher Dylan has gone off to spend a few days with love-sick stud Jack Russell Charlie (my boyfriend Mike's dog). Funnily enough, the two boy greyhounds aren't much phased. Mike and I are missing each other, though!
I'm hoping that we can start hydrotherapy this w/e, although Pauline has apparently caught a 'bug' so that could be yet another delay. Sorry for all these 'anti-climaxes' folks - Fox came to stay on 8th January and I fully intended to start swimming a couple of weeks later.
Progress-wise, she's adorable and doing fine, though walks have been dictated by avoiding other dogs recently. Her right hind paw is still quite tight and 'bunched up', and she still limps a bit when she has been lying still for a while but she can walk and trot normally. AND...... today, she climbed the stairs for the first time and explored the bedrooms (and the spare bed). She also managed to get down again, much to my relief as she's quite a solid girl!
I hope to have some hydrotherapy updates for you soon.

Finally! ..... Fox took to the water this morning for her maiden voyage. A short one to get her used to the idea, and she was fine for the first 5 minutes, using her legs to propel herself, then realised she wasn't going to sink and just floated and let us steer her around. The water was quite warm so we're going to try a slightly cooler swim on Friday. She was very good but it's a bit traumatic for a greyhound to begin with, so we'll just have to see how it goes. She is currrently snuggled up in her secretary bed by the radiator and all is right with her world again.
This must be 'season time' for GRF ladies, as Fox and Jazz and 5 GRF residents are all currently 'available'
My two greyhounds were fine with Fox, but blind lucher Dylan was a real Cassanova (and very sweet and hilarious with it) and we just had to segregate Jack Rusell Charlie completely for the sake of his sanity (and Mike's). Fox is nearly over it now so we're looking forward to getting back to normal family life.
I shall keep you posted on swimming and try to get a few pics to post soon. Sadly we'll miss the Dunfermline walk but hope to make the next one.

Fox had her second swim on Monday (Pauline judged the water TOO cold on the Friday). She did the same as before - swam well for about 5 minutes then just stopped moving her legs. We get her out at this point to save stressing her. She's quite happy to go back again so we'll keep it up for another few weeks to see how it goes.
She has taken to every other aspect of human life and trips up and down stairs and on and off furniture as if she was born to it. She also has a very healthy appetite and is not above stealing from us (or the birds - she had the bird table over and scoffed several fat balls the other day while my back was turned - no repercussions except rather strange-coloured poo!). We are working on this.
She is as clean as a whistle in the house-training department - good girl! She also has a talent for finding the squeak in toys we had thought were long-silenced.
She's an all-round lovely dog. I'm not sure if she'll ever be strong enough in her right back leg to run on it again but I'm sure she'll be able to go for normal walks for many years to come, and nothing makes her happier.

Fox 'swam' again yesterday but she still tends to give up after a few lengths so hydrotherapy may not be the answer for her - good girl for trying though, and we'll do another couple of weeks.
On a more positive note, she did manage the greyhound version of a 'canter' for the first time using her bad leg (she normally just 'carries' it if she gets beyond a trot).
We're planning to bring her to the St Andrews walk so, if anyone has been smitten by her foster log, this is the time to come along and meet her and, of course, she can catch up with Celia and Jimmy and some of her old friends. Her leg is well able to cope with West Sands now!

Oops! Don't know how I got it into my head the walk was in St Andrews on 3rd April but we will try to make it to Kirkaldy with Foxy instead. She adores being out and about and is already looking foward to it (she might even see some squirrels in the park - huge excitement!).
I can't believe it will be nearly 3 months we've had her with us (well, sometimes I can!!) and I'm sure Celia and Jimmy must be wondering if they're ever going to see her again - I hope you'll be happy with her walking progress, as her leg seems really strong now and she only lifts it if she's been lying down for a while or sometimes if the ground is hard or rough. We have another couple of swims planned but I think she's pretty much fit for normal exercise.
She's a bit of a superdog!

Hi Marion,
We look forward very much to seeing you both at the Kirkcaldy walk.
We cannot thank you enough for the kindness that you have shown to little Foxy.
Very well done indeed.
Celia, Jimmy and everyone at GRF.

We look forward to seeing you all again too (hope the weather stays like this!). Fox had her 4th swim today and I think she's getting more used to it now, but she tends to depend on her powerful shoulder muscles to propel her rather than her back legs. She's always happy to go swimming, and it's hopefully doing some good.
If she wants to do something (like investigate the shopping on the kitchen work surface) she has no bother at all, and she charges up and down stairs with abandon. She can hop into the car easily but she sometimes likes a little 'punt up'.
She has a love of cupboards and wardrobes and all things inside. If a door gets left open a fraction and you leave for a while, she'll investigate and pull things out - Dyson attachments, pillows (no damage, just 'housekeeping').
A less attractive habit is a fondness for rabbit droppings (all my greys do this until the spring grass comes through) so it's probably temporary.
She'll probably be fine with other dog breeds after a bit of socialising.
Healthwise, she has a glossy coat, bright eyes, wax-free ears, lovely teeth, and a very happy nature. She loves her food, which she converts (very) efficiently but always in the right place - she's only had 2 minor accidents in week 1 of 3 months.
One day, she may even be able to run again, but it will be important to take things slowly and involve the vet so as not to jeopardise the recovery process.
Now that would make her one very happy girl!
We haven't used her cage since she ended her season - if we bring it with us on the 3rd April, will you have room to take it back to Baltree? If not, don't worry, it'll be a good excuse for a visit!
Best wishes to all,
Marion

Hi Marion,
Delighted to hear that you are coming.
We look forward very much to seeing Miss Fox.
We'll squeeze the cage in the back of the car.
Tell Miss Fox that there is a nice pond in the park where she can show us her technique.
Celia and Jimmy.

Believe me, if there are ducks on the pond, you'd see more technique than she ever demonstrates in the hydrotherapy pool!!! And her partner in crime, Bryn, would be right up there with her. Control will prevail, however.
She's in disgrace right now, as she had my new bird table over, trying to unhook the 'fat cake with raisins' - she already wrecked the old one which was, in fairness, a bit rotten in places. I do feed her - honest!! See you a week on Sunday.

Excuse us Marion. We can just imagine.
You're magic with the little girl.
Celia and Jimmy.

Fox had her last swim yesterday as we have decided that swimming is not going to benefit her any more. She's cute enough to know that, if she just stops using her legs, we'll give up and fish her out, so that's what she does, and we get the message. The post-swim shampooing has made her coat lovely and fluffy and shiny.
We tried to get some swimming pics but the lens steamed up in the pool. We did get some nice photos afterwards in the garden and later on the beach, and George is going to add them to the thread for me (thank you George).
In the meantime I can report an alternative skill - gardening! She dug all the cyclamen corms out of a basket container while waiting to be let in this morning after breakfast. (Didn't touch the bird table!) BUT wait for the good bit, the compost was full of vine weevil grubs, so she clearly needed to alert me to the danger - or maybe she just got bored!
I hope you like the pictures, she's looking beautiful.
Quoting from her greyhound data pedigree site, she's 'a great wee bitch'!

As Marion Said in her previous post here are the latest pictures of Foxy.



This is such fun.



AKA 'Diama the Huntress'



Charlie- "How much longer do I have to sit here"



I see the rabbit!



Kim joins the party!



Foxy posing in the sun

Thanks Marion for the fantastic pictures and it is great to see Foxy doing so well and sharing her progress with all her followers.

George, Morag, Billy & Lassie

Fabulous photos Marion.
Thank you for sending them in.
What a magnificent difference in the little girl.
Celia and Jimmy.

Dear all,
Fox and I would like to say thank you for the interest in her postings, she's very proud to have the 'hot red flame' on her foster log.
She'll be strutting her stuff at Beveridge Park on Sunday so do come along and see her - she'll be delighted to meet you (and don't forget to bring plenty of raffle ticket money for GRF!).
See you Sunday (Woof, woof!) - half-bark/half-howl, it's the 'Fox on the Run' call!