Assistance Harness for Greyhounds

As adopters of senior greyhounds exclusively (almost!), Jerry and I have often wished for a harness that would allow us to help our old kids get up from a lying position, or up a few steps, or to go outside without the physical invasion of trying to cram a towel beneath their frail and uncomfortable old bodies.

When Diana was seen at a specialty hospital in the SF Bay Area, the physical therapist put a "4 Paws Car Harness" on her which was very helpful- the soft padding of lambs wool beneath her chest allowed her to wear it all the time- those harnesses are available at Petco Stores should you have an emergency need.

Though helpful, it wasn't made for a greyhound's long body and we wished for something more- something along the same lines, but better!

Our wish was fulfilled by Carol Becker who created this custom fitted harness for our Alice, just when we needed it most. Alice was one of those flighty little girls who vehemently resisted any sort of treatment or help, so her last week with us would have been even more traumatic had it not been for this comfortable harness that allowed us to lift/steer/assist her by using the top strap and without seeming to invade her personal space. If only we'd had one for all our osteo-dogs....

We were so impressed that we suggested adding her harness to our website so senior-lovers everywhere would know where to find one when it was needed. Not only is Carol a wizard at sewing, but she also contributes all her earnings to greyhounds in need.

To order, just email Carol and she'll describe the measurements she needs to create a custom harness for your greyhound. Or, NOW you can visit Carol's Etsy Store!

Thunder Shirt (our personal miracle!)

Fireworks Phobic Katie has had a hard time of it. She began her frenzy on July 1st during pre-4th experimentation, and the first night Jerry and I were able to go to bed before 2AM was July12th. Fireworks being long over, Katie seemed to imagine her own in the nighttime silence. We’ve had to use an x-pen in the greyt room and crate in the bedroom to keep her from crashing out the dog door a dozen times a night to bark and yelp, taking 6 other greyhounds with her.

Upon recommendation from email friends, we’ve ordered and tried Rescue Remedy, Acepromazine, L-Theanine, Calm-Plex (L-Theanine w/GABA), Blackwing Aftermath, Composure treats, DAP collar and diffuser, Valerian Root, and Xanax. The Xanax worked, but made Katie a stumbling drunk, crisscrossing her legs as she walked. Smiling, wagging and running, at least she was a happy stumbling drunk!

And then the Thunder Shirt arrived, overnighted to us by Merrie from the GEM (Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan) Store. We’ve had two nights of restful sleep, with Katie happily ensconced on the bed between us of her own volition (usually, she has to be coaxed to join us). What a strange effect this shirt has!

It’s a miracle! We’ll be glad to have it when our rural neighbors play with guns on occasional evenings. If you have a thunder-phobic dog, we strongly recommend you START with a Thunder Shirt before buying all the rest of the stuff we did. Best is that there’s no preparation needed and no drugs- the first time Katie ran out the door, we called her in and put the shirt on - and Katie settled in with us to sleep. All night long!

Get Up & Go Supplements

Claudia Presto, of The Greyhound Gang, writes, " In 1995, I founded the Greyhound Gang - to rescue, rehabilitate and adopt out greyhounds no longer wanted by the racing industry. Rehabilitation is an ongoing concern, as racing greyhounds spend upwards of 23 hours a day in crates, and their joints and bones have been pounded with running from a young age.

In 1999, I was working for ANF, Inc. who provided supplements for humans. The company's owner, gave me Glucosamine to give to the greyhounds in my care, and the change in their ability to move was astounding! Bouncing around, doing 360's, jumping up on furniture with ease - the glucosamine gave their joints and cartilage what was needed to feel better and healthy.

"Get Up & Go" was born, when this supportive owner lent me the money to buy the first kilos of white powder, and the venture grew and supported itself from the start as individual owners marveled at the same results I saw.

Purchasing Get Up & Go supplements is a win-win-win situation, because it's a high quality product at the lowest cost and because it WORKS! All dogs, and greyhounds in particular, need supplements to help their joints stay healthy and pain free.

These particular products, produced for humans, have been a double help to the hundreds of greyhounds passing through the Greyhound Gang: it not only helps them return to and maintain good health, but earnings assist the Gang in finding them good homes, too."

Sarafina Dreams

OK, so this has nothing at all to do with greyhounds. But that's the benefit of having one's own website- I can share with you highly admired resources of my own choosing!

Call me old fashioned, but I do not sleep in t-shirts. I've been buying from the only company who made long/full gowns for 30 years. But their quality has diminished for each of those years, so I was overjoyed to find Janie at Sarafina Dreams!

Janie dyes her own fabrics by hand and sews these gowns herself - each item is a custom order, created just for me! or YOU! And oh - the luxury of having so much silky softness to wrap around oneself under the covers is enough to make one feel like a princess- or a bride again!

I know our NCG customers and all the luxury and comfort you provide your greyhounds- you deserve a little luxury of your own!

Alternative Dog Door!

Wishing you had a dog door but don't want to enter construction-mode? Here's a greyt alternative!

These clear plastic flaps are sized for your individual needs. Ours happened to be for our dog-door-window set in at floor level. You can order them sized for your kitchen door, or for hanging above part or the full length of your sliding door. You cannot imagine the savings in our heating bill last winter after we covered our always-open window-door!

Made by DEMAC Equipment, Inc. in California, contact Dana McNamar directly so he can help design for your own particular needs.