Hello all, Having recently acquired an ex-racer, I have noticed that he hasn't yet done a 'solid' poo. I thought that nerves might be to blame, but apparently he was like this in his rescue kennel and we were told that 'he's a bit sensitive in that department' and the suggestion was that this might be a longterm / permanent thing, which is not good news for the living room floor! He is still eating his food from the kennels but we have bought him some Burns dog food which we intend to switch him to gradually. He also eats Pedigree Chum which seems to yield a more solid poo. Does anyone have any advice re. feeding for a loose-bowelled greyhound? Does he need to go to the vet? Any advice appreciated, Maz
Pharaoh also has a very sensitive tummy in that respect and would get the runs at the drop of a hat... too many treats, nerves, fireworks, change of food... All sorts of things set him off... Previously I fed James Wellbeloved and Butchers tripe mixed in. He did Ok on this, mostly good days, some bad days... I recently changed over to Skinners Salmon and rice and Gelert tripe... I have to admit, it's been a miracle! Pharaoh has been a normal doggy ever since, not a single poo puddle since the change, even on the day we changed over completely... The Gelert tripe has less oil and fat than butchers and more water (Pharaoh is terrible for not drinking enough, so I tend to classify added water as a good thing) The Skinners kibble seems better all round. I'm converted
If all of his movements are runny I would pop him to the vet just in case, but it may well be stress. How long have you had him now? I second the Skinners suggestion, Jobie has Skinners Ruff & Ready and his poos are very nice
Thanks very much guys. We've only had him 6 days. All things considered, he's settled in nicely, apart from the pooing. I checked out the Skinners website and it looks like good stuff - no additives and cheaper than Burns. I wouldn't mind trying it if I can find somewhere that sells it, or else buy online I suppose. It's interesting that you mention too many treats as a factor in runny poo, Magpye - guilty as charged! ;-) Are there benefits to tripe? I have to admit I'm a little squeamish about this idea!
Hi - tbh i think its the crap food they feed them when they are kennelled - we were advised to give weetabix and milk for breakfast and they advised Beta greyhound fed soaked. 1. Milk and weetabix - a no no for my dog anyway - i read somewhere that milk is not good with dogs, plus weetabix is fibre 2. Beta greyhound has a high protien content which is unnecessary for retired greys. Feeding soaked food is terrible for teeth which is why you will find most greyhounds have appalling teeth. I now feed CSJ lamb and Rice sensitive (dry not soaked) and some tinned Chappie which is supposed to be good for sensitive tums. Pedigree Chum upsets my dog, she used to have runny poo and really atrocious wind but since i changed she has nice solid poos and virtually no wind (yay!) I know Burns is supposed to be a good food but i've never tried it, its a bit too pricey for me. I pay £20 for 15kgs and thats delivered to my door. I think as well that many people who have tried Burns say that their dogs lose weight on it. Not sure if its ok to post links on here so sorry if you are not supposed to - www.csjk9.com
Thanks greyhoundk. Now that you mention it, Bones has been parping a fair bit. I'll give Chappie a go instead and see if it agrees with him. I too have heard about the alleged weightloss on Burns. He is already slightly underweight (guess that's the chronic diarrhoea) so I need to be careful. It's quite low protein - about 18% I think - so I thought that it might be people with more substantial, active breeds are the ones who have said this perhaps. Thanks for the CSJ link - I think I will have to phase out the Burns from a cost point of view anyway, and now I have a couple of suggestions to experiment with. It's great to get advice from experienced greyhound owners! I don't even know anyone else who owns one so this is great!
I get my Skinners from Pets at Home though if you have an animal feed store near you they might stock it, it's a working dog food so you don't have to pat VAT on it too. now that greyhoundk mentions it, I have a friend with a jrt who has a dodgy tummy and bad skin, and the only thing she can tolerate is chappie. Jobie also lost weight on Burns, though it was pretty good otherwise. pleased to help!! heres to a happy, diahorrea free retirement for him
Haha, I certainly hope so Reisu! Bones has flaky skin also - we're too scared to give him any evening primrose oil incase it over-lubricates things!! There is a Pets at Home near me - brilliant. I'm worried about the Burns now as Jobie is obviously a greyhound and if he lost weight then perhaps Bones will get even more bony on it. Boy am I glad I found this forum. Whilst I'm at it, know where I can ask about enclosed parks / paddocks in my area to let him have a sprint?
Try giving him sardines for his coat about twice a week - when he's not having sardines give him a teaspoon of olive oil in his food - it works for my dog, and the sardines don't upset her stomach. Also, when you brush him put a little oil in your hands and rub it through his coat, you haven't had him long - when they come from kennels they have kennel coat which will come out in handfuls and eventually a lovely fine shiny coat will emerge Yep small tin of sardines or pilchards - theres usually around three in a tin i think but they are only small - sardines in sunflower oil or mine likes them in tomato sauce !
My two (both ex-racers) arrived with me in the same condition, under weight and runny... After lots of trial and error they are both fit, healthy and solid (most of the time). I found that any food with colourants in (i.e. bakers) was a no no, as was anything to high in protein or fat, milk is definetely off the list to. They now eat Burgess Greyhound and lurcher, which as the name suggests is specifically designed for these sensitive creatures - we love it as it's easy and not too expensive, with a tin of sardines in tomato sauce split between them a couple of times a week (or tuna if there is some spare), also pasta and rice if left over and fresh from our human dinners! Small treats of cooked meat and cheese are also good (I don't feed raw meat, not because of any concerns but one of them has physcological issues about raw meat...:? ) Although saying all that there are times when excited they will poo and poo until it is coming out runny, just something about the breed I guess Good luck!
have you wormed him since you got him? Chances are he wasnt done in the racing kennels! As others have said greyhounds can be quite sensitive...you are right to change his diet. Also, stress can give a dog the runs. Not saying he is unhappy i am sure he loves his new home but it is probably very different to what he had before. Is he housetrained properly as you said about your carpet...try going back to basics like he is a pup Good luck and want pics
hi mazhound just wondered how you where getting onwith your loose bowel greyhound? we have 2 greyhounds and have been having the same problem with one of them,she is currently being treated by the vet but we don t seem to be getting far, we have had her for 4 years and she has never been that solid which we have always put down to the fact that she only has 3 teeth and tends to swallow her food whole but over the last 3 months things have got worse,hope you have got over your problems and your greyhound has settled down ok ,they really do make great pets
It took me a while to find the right food for my two greyhounds but now i have found what works for them i stick to it as it seems to be a winning formula for them. Arden Grange dry food can be reasonably priced if you shop around that is then mixed with something to make it more interesting like sardines, chicken, tripe or nature diet wet food. I find sticking to the same kibble to make sure they get a balanced diet and then adding to it keeps their poops really firm! Bones can also help too, my butcher gives them to me at no cost. Also too many treats can trigger a runny tummy and because he is so new he will take a while to settle. They can be fed an awful diet in kennels so he is lucky that you are taking the time to find out what food suits him best. A quick "mot" by the vet may be good idea also incase their is an under-lying problem. By the way we need to see pics......
thanks for the pointer afraid bones are out due to lack of teeth as i said she is being seen by a vet at the moment but we don t seem to be getting anywhere i ve had her on the same food for the last 3 weeks to try and stablise her diet and the only treats she gets are charcoal bonio to try and keep her wind down(how to lose friends have a windy dog) -----photos on the way
yes romford, although jo jo is irish ,we would nt be without them and encourage people to go along and see them if we know they are looking for a dog, they really are so restful and how people can ill treat them i will never know
Hi again - my bitch Kym is Irish bred too, i got her from Sittingbourne RGT. Not sure if you know but you can look up their pedigree and racing history if you know their racing names on Greyhound-data.com, its quite interesting.
Excellent advise Kennel coat - urggg dont you just hate it but boy they look fab when its all gone. Now my lot like their fish - well spotty tolerates it - but I did try doing some tuna cake and found that it gave Ness the runs finally figured out that it was not the fish as she's fine when mixed with her food but the flour so probably a wheat thing which also might be considered. Great pic Gazza
