RGT South Lakes, Cumbria Greyhound Rescue - Retired Greyhounds make great pets

GREYHOUND RESCUE
Fostering Greyhounds in the South Lake District, Cumbria

Goldie
is looking for a nice home
in her twilight years

Goldie arrived on Saturday 3rd december 2011 and is currently looking for a new home.
Telephone 015395 52394 or email if you would like to rehome Goldie
or one of the other Greyhounds who are currently looking for homes.

Goldie's arrival and a brief history
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Goldie is a small fawn ex-racing greyhound who was born in January 2001. She has a beautiful character, loves meeting people, walks nicely on the lead and travels well in the car. Quite sprightly for her age she easily, and tactfully puts much larger and younger greyhounds in their place. She is quite a matriach, and within two days of being with us was letting us know vocally when it was time to feed her or that someone was at the door. Goldie finished her racing career around the age of 7 when she hurt her back right leg, which now causes her to walk on her knuckle instead of her foot being flat on the ground. This has been like this the past 3 years and doesn't seem to bother her in any way unless she is standing in the same place on a solid surface for any length of time, then her good left leg starts to shake because it holding her weight for too long. Goldie has been with her previous owner since a puppy and was living in retirement in kennels until she had to leave, so came to us to foster until we could find her a nice home for her remaining twilight years.

Goldie's Diary

3rd December 2011
Goldie arrived here this lunch time. Her original owner whose had her since a pup brought her. She wandered around the gravelled area of the garden on the lead to do her toilet and in the kitchen she was able to say hello to all our greyhounds in her own time as they were the other side of the safety gate at the end of the kitchen. When it was time for her owner to leave he was sad to be parting with her and she watched him as he left. To take her mind of things I took her back into the kitchen and introduced her to the food cupboard. Made her a small dish of food and placed it in a raised stand for her. She loved it, once all gone I walked her in the garden on the lead and she did her toilet, then back inside in the warm.
Taking her lead off she explored everywhere then settled on the dog bed in front of the fire and slept a while as did all the other greyhounds the other side of the gate. When Stuart returned we introduced our dogs to her one at a time, and so as not to overwhelm her we only had two in the room at any one time. A little later as they came to accept her and visa versa we removed the safety gate and let them all mingle.
We let her off the lead in the garden when she was on her own so she could wander and explore. She loved this and stayed out a good fifteen minutes sniffing here and there and inspecting everything. She was so content I decided to empty the bins and when I came walking back down the drive she was standing by the back door waiting to go in. She gave me a huge tail wag when she saw me and did a little dance as she went back into the house. We've had one or two tiny accidents from her, which we put down to nerves, but we will keep an eye on
this in case it is anything else. As with all our new foster dogs we cleaned her ears, gave her worming tablets with her food and popped a Frontline on her. Just before we went to bed we rubbed a little Sudacrem on her tummy where there are a few 'black heads' and also on her back end which is a little bald and sore looking in a couple of places.
She loved all the attention she was being given, especially all the cuddles and tummy rubs. When it came to bed time she came looking for me and kept following me, so I placed a dog bed by my side of the bed and she lay on it instantly as soon as I got in to bed. Not a sound was heard from her, not even a whimper and when I shone a shaded torch near her to see if she was okay she was content and fast asleep.
4th December 2011
Last night Goldie slept on her bed by the side of my bed, wearing her bedding coat she looked like 'a bug in a rug', and didn't move all night. When the alarm went off in the morning she went out with the others to do her toilet then straight back in again to her bed. We haven't had one accident from her today, no more tiny nervous wees, but a proper empty each time she went out. She wore her bedding coat all day with an outdoor coat on top when she went for her walk. She walks lovely on the lead - you can't even feel her on the end of it she is so good. Her damaged back leg and foot that won't open flat on the ground gave her no problem when out walking. Back in the house she gave us a couple of barks asking for her tea. She loves her food, eats it all, then in the garden again to do her toilet.
This evening we went to the pub for an hour and took Indi, Sandy and Goldie this time. She jumped in the back of the car, laid down when it was going, but was a little unsure of jumping out at the other end so needed a helping hand. In the pub she was a little nervous for the first few minutes, which was understandable, and as soon as we moved away from the bar and sat at a table she soon lay on the carpet next to Indi. I think the issue at the bar may have been the hard floor and her bent foot. Watching her, she doesn't put much weight on it for longer than a few seconds, so standing still on a stone floor in the same position is not easy for her, and makes her good back leg shake as its taking all her weight. Watching her, learning and understanding what is comfortable for her and what causes her distress with regards her back leg and foot is the key to ensuring she is happy and enjoying her new life out of kennels.
What we mustn't forget is she is not only an old lady, but one with a funny leg - bless her, so we must learn her limitations and keep within them so as to avoid any unecessary discomfort, yet not make her soft and overly spoil her.
Goldie comes to you asking for her outdoor coat to be removed, will stand and wait while you towel her down where she is wet from the rain and loves being cuddled. Yes, she loves cuddles and snuggles into you if you lie on the floor next to her. She is a beautiful, loving and affectionate little girl who gets on well with all our greyhounds. I was a little worried about them bumping into her, and knocking her over as we have some quite large bouncy dogs here at present, but yesterday afternoon she put each one in it's place and now they seem to respect her. If one forgets she stands her ground and quietly reminds them with a low grumble to 'respect their elders'. She might be the oldest and smallest here at the moment, but she isn't slow in coming forward to put the others in their place when necessary.
5th December 2011
Goldie slept on the dog bed at the end of our bed last night showing she's feeling settled enough to be away from my side, albeit not far. She now knows 'her place' where her food is placed and in which order she is fed. Quick learner! She's no problem at all in the house and loves her walks. When we arrived back from our walk this afternoon our big Sandy bounced in as normal. We don't know what she said to him, but Sandy backed away from her in surprise and went off sulking to the bed in the crate where he stayed for about an hour. Wish I knew what she said to him!!
She's fast asleep at the moment on the dog bed in front of the kitchen fire wearing her posh blue fleecy bedding coat to keep her warm - she looks just so content, it's lovely to see.
7th December 2011
This afternoon Goldie went to the vet for a check-up and her second inoculation. She weighed in at 23.3k, her heart is good and strong, her back right leg was examined, but because the injury occurred over 3 years ago nothing can be done other than to monitor it and give her pain relief should she require it in the future. I wanted her nails checked on her foot with her walking on her knuckle, but the vet said they were fine, and again to keep an eye on them to ensure they don't grow too long and bother her. The vet said the Sudacrem we were applying to the area at the top of her hips was perfect and we are going to bathe the spots on her stomach with a weak

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Enjoying home comforts!
10th December 2011

. . . and again . . .

. . . and again .

Braving the cold winds
without her coat on for a
photo shoot in our garden
25th December 2011

. . . and again . . .

. . . and again .

solution of Hibiscrub as we've found in the past this cleans them and the number reduces over time. The little growth on the inside of her back leg is a 'skin flap' caused by old age and nothing to worry about, but the next time she is under an anaesthetic they will remove it. When the vet checked inside her mouth she said she would benefit from a dental, and this will be arranged shortly.
Having come out of the vets Goldie lay in the back of the car in the shopping centre while I sorted a supply of dog beds for the annual Christmas Fair, for the foster dogs and for sale to b & b guests along with people re-homing greyhounds. Goldie was as good as gold and jumped up to say hello as I climbed in the car to drive home.
Back home there was no waiting, it was tea time after all and Goldie was prompt to tell me to get everybody's ready. Tea eaten, toileting then off to her bed for a nap!
18th December 2011
Goldie has settled into our routine with ease and is enjoying life sleeping on the settee, in the armchair or on the dog bed in our bedroom, wrapped in her fleece bedding coat, which she is wearing all the time at the moment, and snuggled under a blanket with just her head peeping out - she looks so cosy and content.. She loves going for walks, is getting on well with the others and will put them in their place if need be. Will bark at the back door to be let back in and enjoys all the comings and goings of living in a busy household with lots of new things going on around her.
This evening we went for a bite to eat at the pub and took Indi, Solo and Goldie with us. Having been in a pub only a couple of times before she followed the other's example and soon lay on the carpet watching all that was going on around her. She enjoyed the biscuits the bar staff gave her, all the attention the other customers paid her and the happiness clearly showed on her face, including the three pieces of cubed steak from my pie that we gave her at the end of our meal - that she really enjoyed!
28th December 2011
This morning Goldie went to the vets for a dental and to have the little flap of funny coloured skin removed from the inside of her back leg, which the vet said they can sometimes get as they grow older. She had 13 teeth removed and the remainder polished and where the flap of skin was removed she had 2 stitches.
8th January 2012
This afternoon Goldie had the two stitches on the inside of her back leg removed.
10th January 2012
This morning we microchipped Goldie and this afternoon she visited the vets for a check up following her dental. The vet was very pleased with how well they had healed and at how well she was looking.

If you can give Goldie a nice home in her twilight years please contact us - details above