Italian Greyhound
Care Tips
NEW PUPPY: HOW TO HOUSEBREAK AND FEED
This is where your puppy came from.
Your puppy is used to being in an enclosure. He has access to the outside via a dog door. He has an indoor potty pad in case of bad weather, darkness, etc. He has a comfy bed, food and water. You can set up a similar environment with a 36 inch exercise pen, potty pads on the floor, a comfy bed, water and food. With an 8 panel exercise pen you can vary the size and shape of it to fit your room. Get one that is at least 36 inches tall.
Why not a crate?
Crates are too small. If the puppy goes potty, especially poop, he will be distressed and cannot get away from it. Then he steps in it and things go from bad to worse. Now he is dirty!! Now the whole crate is dirty!
Ig puppies and even adults cannot "hold it". They are small with rapid metabolism and when they have to go, its going to happen. In an expen, they can go potty and then get well away from it and go back to their clean bed. Your ig likes being clean and is used to it.
HOUSEBREAKING
Your IG puppy can be confined in his pen and after going potty either on his pad or outside, he can be loose in the house for a while. This is the start of housebreaking. you can leave his pen open for him to go in to eat, drink and potty. Its a safe place to leave him if you need to go out. They do enjoy a big stuffed bed that is very comfy and if your ig hates being alone, it helps to set up a heating pad on low under your puppy's bed to simulate the warmth the puppy got from his littermates. Be careful to protect the electric cord.
Puppies have to pee when they first wake up and poo before and after meals and throughout the day.
As he gets older he will develop a regular schedule and you can try to stay ahead of this routine and get him outside around that time. Make sure he has gone potty before letting him back in. If you didn't see him do it, he may be holding it until he can get back in the house, so be patient. Its just time consuming the first week or two. If you come up with a potty word, use the word when you see him go, and then give quiet praise and a food treat, you will soon have him at least peeing on command. If you set an exercise pen up outside, your puppy will quickly learn that he can go potty in there and then go right back in the house. This is especially useful if you dont have a fenced-in yard.
WHAT I FEED
I feed Biljac left out all the time for snacking and for meals I feed Purina Proplan Puppy Chow
softened with broth and my own cooked dog food on top or mixed in. In addition to the BilJac I feed 2 meals a day. Of course water should be available at all times. I add kitchen scraps and bones, pan drippings, meat fat, and anything you are eating with a few exceptions like onions or raisins. I feed all bones including chicken bones and it doesnt matter whether they are raw or cooked. This may not be safe for all breeds, but italian greyhounds are careful chewers and I have never had a problem. Bones are important for calcium, bone strength and teeth. Organ meat is good for them, and there are many excellent raw meat products available if you want to go that route. Farmer's dog does not have enough calories. These dogs need high calorie food, so the kibble I feed is 30% protein and 20% fat.
Pork rinds are great dog treats, get a low salt original flavor kind like they sell at Sams Club. A big jar costs about $6 and you can eat it too. I also feed real cooked meat for special training treats. My dog's favorite is cooked chicken breast.
For dog treats any single ingredient treat is fine, like freeze dried liver. Dont feed sweet potatoes, blueberries, collagen, and treats that look like bacon and smell like play dough. Dried chicken strips are okay but only if they are the real thing.
For training treats I use real food. My favorite is chicken breast, cooked of course. Its easy to pull off 🚒 strips and I dont mind putting it in my mouth.
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A MALE
HOUSEBREAKING MALES-BELLY BANDS
BOYS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN! THEY ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THEIR OWNERS AND VERY BIDDABLE = TRAINABLE.
BOYS CAN WEAR BELLY BANDS FOR EASE IN HOUSEBREAKING, AND CONFIDENCE IN TAKING THEM PLACES.
NEUTERING MALES (RECOMMENDED AT 5 + MONTHS) IS LESS EXPENSIVE AND LESS RISKY THAN SPAYING FEMALES, AND IMMEDIATELY MAKES A GENTLEMAN OUT OF YOUR BOY.
DOGS NEED TO BE NEUTERED WHEN:
1. THEY FAIL TO MAINTAIN A REASONABLE AND HEALTHY WEIGHT
2. THEY CANNOT STAY FOCUSED WHEN OTHER DOGS ARE AROUND
3. THEY MARK AND WANT TO HUMP EVERYTHING, OTHER DOGS, ETC.
WHY MARCHWIND FEMALES MAKE GREAT PETS TOO
- FEMALES ARE USUALLY SMALLER THAN MALES SO EASIER TO PICK UP AND CARRY.
- FEMALES HAVE THESE ADORABLE SMOOTH BELLIES FOR PETTING.
- FEMALES PEE UNDERNEATH THEMSELVES SO POTTY PADS ARE EASIER FOR THEM.
- FEMALES ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN SEX ONCE FOR A FEW WEEKS EVERY 6 TO 10 MONTHS. BOYS ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN SEX--NO SEASON FOR THEM!
- OF COURSE ONCE NEUTERED, BOYS =GIRLS!
- FEMALES ARE FOR THE MOST PART LESS ROWDY, LESS LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN A REAL DOG FIGHT, AND MORE COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER DOGS.
- ITALIAN GREYHOUNDS ARE JUST AS DEVOTED TO THEIR OWNERS WHATEVER SEX THEY ARE.
LOVE THAT SMOOTH BELLY!
BEAUTIFUL CLEAN UNDERLINE
THE BEST WAY TO RESTRAIN YOUR ITALIAN GREYHOUND WHILE BRUSHING TEETH
Most people are afraid to brush their dog's teeth because they don't know how to hold the dog without hurting or scaring him. Here is a safe and secure way of holding the dog for the procedure. I recommend you start with two people; one to hold the dog while the second person does the procedure.
I rest the dog's head in the crook of one elbow wrapping my arm around the neck. Then with the other arm I come up under the dog and secure the rear end so that the dog can't back away. Then I firmly hug the dog against my body making him feel loved and secure.
For more details watch my video on youtube >>> https://youtu.be/xWdysIJp7LI
TEETH CARE
Many toy dogs have gum disease. It often starts as early as a year old, or may not be a problem until they are 5 or older. Similar to human beings, it occurs from not keeping their teeth clean, there may be a hereditary factor, and it may be contagious from dog to dog!
Bad breath is a first sign.
Look particularly at the little upper front teeth. If there is redness, soreness, odor, and if the gums are receding from the teeth. You are in trouble.
Tooth Care Regimen
1. THIS IS NEW INFORMATION: I attribute this information to Dr. Sylvia King who is a pediatric dentist.
She brushes her dog's teeth every day and I have to admit that it does make a difference.
2. She uses C.E.T. enzymatic dog toothpaste made by Virbac and available on Amazon and maybe other sites. It seems to be helping with dissolution of tartar buildup and keeping the teeth cleaner.
3. This is followed by application of VetOne ChloraZinc Rinse, just a squirt along the front and side teeth into the mouth. It doesnt take much.
4. 1 to 3 X a week for tooth care. Daily is best.
5. Bones, Chewers, and more Bones. I like rawhide for igs.
6. If a tooth looks bad, breath has gotten worse, or there is some swelling in the soft tissues near a tooth, I suggest an antibiotic for a couple of days until problem has improved or resolved. My favorite is clindamycin 150mg once a day, but amoxicillin 250 mg once a day may also work. You may have some lying around the house but they do require a prescription and they are also human use drugs.
7. If a tooth is really flopping around loose, it can be pulled with a small hemostat. If you get a good hold of it, it pops out with little or no bleeding. Many of these loose teeth come out on their own. Avoid the back teeth because the roots are a lot longer than you expect and if you can't get the tooth out in one quick pull, anesthesia may be necessary.
8. Teeth are important spacers in a dog's mouth and without them, the mandible actually dissolves away over time. I leave loose teeth in as long as possible, especially if I can keep the inflammation and infection under control with topical medication. The dog will eventually shed really loose teeth. the others should stay where they are!!! DO NOT LET YOUR VET PULL ANY LOOSE TEETH JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOSE!
WITHOUT TEETH THE DOG'S TONGUE WILL HANG OUT THE SIDE OF HIS MOUTH AND HE WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY EATING AND SWALLOWING. HIS BOTTOM JAW WILL SLOWLY DISAPPEAR.
Brushing Teeth
When brushing hold the mouth closed.
It is only necessary to clean the outside surfaces of the teeth.
For the tiny front teeth, especially when they are inflamed or loose, I use a small artist's paintbrush dipped in warm coconut oil to clean between the teeth and this is less painful and better tolerated.
The products I am using now look like they are giving me better results than what I had been using.
This includes VirBac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste
(other enzymatic toothpastes may also work) followed by a healthy squirt of VetOne ChloraZinc
Rinse which has great reviews on Chatgpt.
Scaling
Scaling teeth is tricky business. If you pinch the dog with the scaler, you are done for the day. Some dogs tolerate this better than others and if you are not able to scale teeth that have thick built up calculus, then you may have to call in a person who does this, or take your dog to the vet for a dental under anesthesia. Instruct him not to pull just any loose teeth or none at all. Insist that he monitor your dog's oxygen level during the procedure and remind him that even small doses of narcotics and sedatives can cause respiratory arrest in this breed.
Best way to hold the dog for dental scraping.
Scraping the back teeth.
Favorite Tools: Sturdy, Sharp Dental Hooks
These were made for dogs. I found these at dog shows and the dental tools made for humans do not work on dogs.
It is common for dogs to accumulate debris from lint to dead grass at the base of the upper front teeth. Try to get this out if you can. I found that a moderately stiff artist's brush works well and is better tolerated by the dog for getting small debris out from between front teeth. See what you can find at stores that sell artist brushes.
Daily brushing and use of the products described will improve any mouth.
Best Drugs:
Clindamycin 150mg give one each day - Most effective for gum disease. often just 1 to 3 days dosing is all that is needed to improve gum disease.
Dont forget the daily application of ChloraZinc Rinse . There may be other products out there that work. Please let me know if you find something!!
You will be surprised at what your dog will tolerate if you are kind and don't hurt him.
The enzymatic toothpaste is poultry flavored and dogs like it.
You will notice that one side of the mouth is usually cleaner than the other. This is because your dog is right or left mouthed and is similar to being right or left handed in humans.
You don't need to start using daily tooth brushing until you see tartar or inflammation of the gums. sometimes they have great teeth for 2 years but some start deteriorating as early as 8 months old. Stay on top of this and I have found that early treatment will arrest the disease. Often it only involves the front 4 teeth and once the two middle teeth are gone, the inflammation subsides.
This is not enamel hypoplasia which is entirely different and may not involve the gingiva. At this time there is no DNA test for early gingivitis. However bigger dogs tend to have less trouble than smaller dogs, and broader muzzles do better than narrow ones.
RECIPE FOR MY HOMEMADE DOG FOOD
I USE THIS FOOD AS A TOPICAL SUPPLEMENT ON THEIR KIBBLE TO MAKE IT MORE TASTY AND ALSO TO WEAN PUPPIES TO SOLID FOOD.
THIS FOOD IS COOKED AND THEN FED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. IT CAN BE THINNED WITH CHICKEN BROTH OR MILK TO MAKE IT MORE LIKE GRAVY OR USED THICK TO BE MORE LIKE CANNED FOOD.
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE:
10 LBS OF RAW CHICKEN QUARTERS
2 CUPS ORANGE VEGETABLE usually sweet potatoes blenderized
2 CUPS GREEN VEGETABLE something from my garden like kale or collard greens blenderized
2 CUPS CHICKEN LIVER WHOLE OR ANY ORGAN MEAT
3 TO 4 CUPS WHITE RICE
10TO 20 EGGS, SHELLED AND STIRRED
2 CUPS BEEF FAT cubed
1/3 CUP POWDERED EGG SHELLS (bake til well dehydrated then blenderize into powder)
FIRST COOK THE CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES, BEEF FAT AND LIVERS UNTIL DONE. REMOVE SOME CHICKEN BROTH FOR LATER USE.
THEN ADD THE RICE AND THE STIRRED EGGS, WATER IF NEEDED.
COOK ABOUT 1 MORE HOUR ON LOW HEAT UNTIL RICE IS MUSHY.
I INCLUDE AND FEED ALL THE BONES AS WELL AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM RELATED TO A CHICKEN BONE IN 30 YEARS.
VEGETABLE CHOICES INCLUDE AN ORANGE VEGETABLE LIKE SWEET POTATOES, CARROTS, PUMPKIN
A GREEN VEGETABLE LIKE GREEN BEANS. BROCCOLI AND CABBAGE FAMILY VEGETABLES TEND TO SMELL STRONGLY SO I AVOID THEM BUT THEY ARE HEALTHY.
IN ADVANCE I PREPARE THE VEGETABLES BY BLENDERIZING THEM AND THEN FREEZING THEM IN CONTAINERS TO MAKE THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS LESS TIME CONSUMING.
I HAVE MY OWN CHICKENS SO LARGE QUANTITIES OF EGGS ARE USUALLY AVAILABLE AND EGGS ARE AN EXCELLENT PROTEIN.
RICE: I USE WHITE RICE FOR ECONOMY. BROWN RICE IS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE AND TAKES LONGER TO COOK.
OTHER GRAINS MAY BE INCLUDED LIKE BREAD, OATMEAL, YOU NAME IT. MORE GRAINS MAKES IT THICKER. MORE WATER MAKES IT THINNER.
HINT: AFTER I COOK THE CHICKEN THERE IS A LOT OF RICH CHICKEN BROTH. I SCOOP OUT ABOUT 2 QUARTS OF THIS BROTH TO THIN THE MIXTURE LATER.
THIS RECIPE MAKES ABOUT 40 LBS OF FOOD. YOU MAY WANT TO SCALE IT DOWN.
Heartworm Prevention
Heartworm prevention is necessary all year long, especially in the south. Your vet will sell you wonderful products that include flea and tick repellants, as well as all purpose wormers, for BIG dollars. It is really expensive when you have several dogs.
Want to save some $$$$$$$$$? Let me tell you what I do...
What I use for heartworm and general worming prevention for all of my dogs is Ivermectin 1.87%. It is a Horse Paste Wormer (my favorite is the paste). It is an excellent and cheap alternative to the vet's products. One tube is around $10 and it will last your dog all year. It has several brand names so just be sure to look that it is the only active ingredient on the label.
Your vet may tell you that it is not safe or that it is not mixed consistently. The TRUTH is that it is perfectly safe if given the proper dosage, and it is thoroughly mixed when manufactured.
Ivermectin will not kill external parasites such as fleas, ticks and mosquitos.
HOW TO ADMINISTER IVERMECTIN TO A DOG:
NOTE: A whole tube of horse paste is a enough to treat a 1250 lb. horse!!! On the tube plunger (pictured left below), there are notches and doses marked in 250 lb increments. Each notch is enough for 100 lbs of dog (amount pictured on end of yellow below), so you can imagine how little you will need for an IG! However, 1 notch will not hurt an IG.
STEPS TO ADMINISTER IVERMECTIN PASTE or GEL:
1. Push 1/2 a notch out of end of tube.
2. Put the dab on your finger.
3. Open dog's mouth and wipe it on the roof of mouth.
4. Hold mouth closed for a few seconds so none gets spit out.
5. Mark on your calendar the date given and when next dose is due, given once a month.
Do your homework to find the right flea and tick prevention for your dog, but avoid any of these products if possible. I just use Adam's flea and tick spray and a flea comb should I see a flea or tick on any dogs.
TREAT YOUR ITALIAN GREYHOUND ONCE A MONTH FOR HEARTWORM!
Diarrhea In Dogs and Puppies
Veterinarians like to tell owners that their dog has a sensitive stomach and needs special food that is hypoallergenic, grain free, etc. Maybe it makes a difference, maybe not.
The REAL TRUTH is...
- Food allergy is actually very rare in dogs.
- Dogs eat and drink unspeakable things such as dirty water, feces, rotting dead morsels, etc.
- This is a good way to contaminate the gut with Cocci, one celled parasites like Giardia, and worms. This results in diarrhea, which may be one or a combination of abnormal stools that may have a very foul odor, yellowish color, watery, slimy and some blood may be present. Vomiting may also present during this period of illness.
- Dogs become asymptomatic (show no signs of illness) carriers of these parasites, and become symptomatic when stressed, during wet weather, traveling, at dog shows, etc. REMEMBER, STRESS IS ANY CHANGE IN ROUTINE.
- It may not be possible to clear the gut of these parasites. There is a Giardia vaccine, but it did not impress me.
- There are simple and inexpensive antibiotics available with a prescription from YOUR PHARMACY that will control the symptoms of diarrhea pronto. These include any sulfa drug like Bactrim and Metronidazole. For tiny puppies, Albon is a veterinary antibiotic that comes in a pleasant tasting liquid that can be dosed more flexibly. Albon requires a veterinary prescription but can be obtained through vet catalogs.
- Resistance to these antibiotics over time is possible. However, if you persist, it will eventually work. AN ADEQUATE DOSE IS NECESSARY. Veterinarians notoriously under dose with these drugs, resulting in delayed or unsuccessful results. I would not hesitate to treat a 5 lb. puppy to a 30 lb. adult with 250 mg once a day for 5 days with Metronidazole (Flagyl). A combination with fenbendazole (panacur) is good for resistance/persistence.
- RESISTANT COCCIDIA is showing up in kennels, There are some effective horse products available without a prescription. These include Marquis and Tolturazil. Look on websites selling horse products to purchase them then ask chatGPT about dosing.
DEHUMIDIFIER:
I found that keeping one of these in the kennel and bringing humidity down to around 55% seems to improve diarrhea in puppies. A moist environment favors the parasites.
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH:
Marcy Caton feeds this powder to her dogs. Estimated dose 1/4 teaspoon over the puppies food once a day. She thinks this helps control diarrhea by eliminating one celled parasites and worms. According to the literature, this should work as insects and worms find diatomaceous earth both irritating and deadly. The tiny sharp particles that make up this powder desiccate and abrade the cuticles of insects and kill them. The effective dose is unknown. I have not been impressed with results, and I like quick, visible benefits.
CLEANLINESS:
Is of course key. Remove feces and loose stools immediately from the dog's environment.
Please make an appointment before visiting by call, text or email:
TEXT or CALL:
229-699-0290
EMAIL: marchwindigs@yahoo.com
Marchwind Kennel
3665 Hwy 215
Vienna, GA 31092