Update on Hammer the Foster Greyhound
March 24th, 2010
It has been just over two weeks since we welcomed Hammer the Foster Dog into our home, and I thought it was time for an update.
Hammer is a medical foster – he was found to be thrombocytopenic on his first exam and pre-op bloodwork (the day he was to have his teeth cleaned, microchipped and neutered), so all of that had to wait. Two fairly common diseases in retired racing Greyhounds are Babesia and Ehrlichia, and both diseases are often treated with an antibiotic called doxycycline, which Hammer was started on.
Bloodwork Recheck
Hammer’s bloodwork was rechecked on Tuesday the 16th, after about two weeks of medication. Thankfully, everything looked great and he was able to have his teeth cleaned, and get neutered, heartworm-checked and microchipped. Good on all counts.
Dental Cleaning
Hammer is only two, but as is typical for Greyhounds, his teeth were badly in need of a dental cleaning.
Here is the “before” photo:
Here is the “after” photo:
Sparkling clean pearly whites!
Neuter surgery
Alas, I did not take before-and-after photos of his neuter surgery, but if you are so inclined, step into the operating room to see a dog neuter surgery up close. I am happy to report that Hammer did great and his incision has healed up nicely.
Fostering update
Hammer has done very well fitting into our home and collection of pets. He could care less about the cats, even those times when Barnie has taken a swipe at him from behind his Attack Cat Shield. Unfortunately for Hammer, this has happened more than once. I hear a “yelp” and run to the scene. Hammer has run off and Barnie is staring at me ever-so-innocently.
We have had to work a little on housebreaking. Hammer is lavishly praised when he voids outside, and we have creatively made our house smaller with lots of baby gates until he knows the boundaries. He has shown to be fond of chewing up a sock or two. So far no sock ingestions that I am aware of, but we have stepped up sock patrol to be extra safe.
At first Argos, our adopted Greyhound, had his nose a little bent out of shape. I really think he was afraid that his status of being adopted was at stake. No fear. No worries. All is good. Lots of reassurance on that front.
There was a little snarl-fest one of those first mornings between the hounds. Not about food or toys or the new bed. No, it was over who got petted first during the morning wake up time. (Sophie, assured of her status, took no part in this.) So on went the Greyhound muzzles for both inside and outside wear. Hammer could care less, but Argos was a bit of a baby about it, rubbing up on the fence, the couch, the cupboards, and me at every opportunity to let me know of his displeasure. We worked on good behaviors and now only using the muzzles for outside play (they can get excited, and Greyhound skin is thin) and when needed inside the house.
I have taken Hammer to the clinic, my friend’s dog supply store, the city park, and for the Petco meet-and-greet. He has done awesome in all situations, and has taken a special shine to toddler-aged kids. He will be the most awesome family pet!
So far, so good on fostering. I do worry about the amount of time we have him though… the longer it is, the harder it will be to say ‘goodbye’ as he moves into his forever home. Since I wrote the first part of this story introducing Hammer, many people have said/emailed/commented that they are looking at fostering in a new way and may even consider it in the future. That makes me 
.
April 22, 2010 Update: Hammer Finds His Forever Home
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Tags: adoption and rescue, foster dog, hammer
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4 Responses to “Update on Hammer the Foster Greyhound”
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Janet Tobiassen Crosby DVM never planned to be a writer. She wanted to be a veterinarian from the moment she learned such a job existed - sometime during the first grade, when she accompanied her mom to the vet with a sick cat. Janet "adopted" all the neighborhood cats, and at age 11 she started training her first dog, a newly adopted rescue Collie. At age 12, she joined a dog obedience 4-H club and was active through high school as a member and as a junior leader.
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[...] Hammer the Foster Dog into our home, and I thought it was time for an update. I wrote about where we are today on my blog at VetMedConnect. Barnie just had to be part of the [...]
Great story, and fab dental cleaning! I love people who foster dogs and cats!
Sounds like Hammer is doing very well, are you sure he’s just a foster!?
LOL Kerri. I just keep thinking… foster-foster-foster! But admittedly, it gets a little harder each day he is with us.
He is sooo easy-going and mellow. A little bit of a velcro-dog, but so was Argos at first. Retired racers have to adjust to the “non-scheduled” (and non-kenneled) life of being in a home. Once Argos realized that this was his life now, he stopped being such a velcro dog.
I just know Hammer will make such a wonderful pet – hopefully in a house with kids – he loves them!