In the CARE section you will find Health related articles, advice on introducing your greyhound to other dogs, vacation check list for your greyhound, how to find a lost greyhound and other important recommendations.
Greyhound puppy care
Read this article if you are thinking about adopting a greyhound puppy!
Greyhound Adoption League of Texas , Inc. www.greyhoundadoptiontx.org/adoptpuppy.shtml
What to expect when Adopting
a Greyhound Puppy
Greyhound puppies are nothing like retired racing greyhounds. I have had 3 retired racers and 3 greyhound puppies over the last 18 years. I had the wonderful opportunity to adopt my current two puppies from the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT). This is the best greyhound adoption organization that I have had the pleasure of working with. They do amazing things for greyhounds and are a group of remarkable people.
Puppies need constant attention and supervision. You also need to continually puppy-proof your house. As the puppy grows and gets taller they can reach new heights (literally). You will want to limit the area in which the puppy has access to. This helps keep track of what they are doing and helps them feel secure. Baby gates are great for blocking hallways, stairs and other rooms. We use baby gates to keep the puppies in our living room – where we spend most of our time. This way we can see them at all times and be able to correct any bad behavior (like chewing on furniture) as it happens.
The puppies might need to learn how to walk up and down stairs. If you have another greyhound or dog to help them learn from it actually happens really quickly – the puppy always wants to go where the big dogs go. If it’s just you and your puppy, just take it slowly and remember – start with going up first –it’s a lot less scary than going down.
You need to always put things out of reach and in closets out of sight (examples: shoes, pens, paper, food, computer cords, coffee tables, furniture, window ledge, etc). Anything the puppy can get their teeth on they will chew and eat. It does not matter if it has a smell or not and it also does not matter if they have ever seemed interested in it before – they will at some point. The term land shark is not an exaggeration – they chew everything.
Our two puppies enjoy chewing on tennis balls, stuffed toys, rawhides, and kongs. Supervision is always necessary when puppies are chewing and teething. They will rip open and eat the stuffing inside stuffed toys, eat pieces of anything they chew on that they can get off, and eat anything they can get their mouths on.
Puppies have incredible amounts of energy. They need to get lots of exercise. A tired puppy is a good puppy. Puppy greyhounds are also extremely fast. They will need a fenced in area to run. Never let any greyhound off leash unless they are in a secure fenced in area. This is the number one rule of all. Just because they did not go through race training does not mean they do not have a prey drive or the speed to run. They are amazing when they run – little speed demons. The puppy will also need to be leash trained. A martingale collar is needed to help keep your puppy greyhound secure and to not be able to wiggle out of their collar.
Everything is new to a puppy. They are very curious about everything. They need your guidance and help so they do not get hurt. I have a spray bottle filled with water that is used when the puppies do something they are not supposed to (like chew on furniture). This is a great help in training your puppy. After spraying the puppies with water a couple of times, now when I pick up the bottle the puppies stop what they are doing.
Using a crate when not at home helps keep your home and puppy safe. I give our puppies a kong filled with puppy food, puppy bones on top of that packed in (our puppy bones are made by Old Mother Hubbard) and then top it with some peanut butter. When I leave I just say “kennel” and the two puppies run into their kennels, lay down and wait for their treat. This takes the focus off of me leaving and gives them a treat to work on while you are away. It helps reduce separation anxiety.
Since adopting two puppies over 9 months ago I only get 5-6 hours average of sleep per night – even on weekends. Puppies do not know time or days of the week. They do eventually nap occasionally, but don’t count on it. It is comparable to having a newborn. If you need a lot of sleep – I would not recommend a puppy.
Puppies have very small bladders. They need to go outside a lot during potty training. I highly recommend keeping a “potty journal”. It really helped me keep track of when the puppies last went out to potty and be able to determine when they would need to go out again. It is very important that you try to get the puppy used to going outside and not have too many accidents so they understand where they need to go potty. Always take the same route when you take the puppy outside to go potty – this helps them know where to go. A routine helps in potty training your puppy. Watch for signs from your puppy – very quickly they will get used to the routine and give you a sign right before they start to potty. To give you an example, our puppies had to potty 18 times per day when we got them home. They also need to go out to potty in the middle of the night. They cannot hold it through the night until they get older. Be prepared to make a potty trip once or twice a night between 1-3am. It is also very critical not to scold the puppy when potty training – instead reward them and praise them when they potty outside. I give the puppies a little piece of a puppy bone treat when they pee and when they poop outside. This makes them want to repeat this behavior. The majority of the accidents will be human error – I would forget that it had been a while since they were outside and was reminded by the sound of pee on the floor. Be prepared to clean up accidents – they will happen.
There are essential times when puppies need to potty – when they wake up, about 20-30 minutes after they eat or drink, and after they play. These have all been proven to be factual with our puppies.
Two books that have some helpful tips are Puppies for Dummies and Puppy Raising & Training Diary for Dummies.
Expect little cute devils that will tear everything apart, chew everything up, eat items they should not, have potty accidents and have more energy than ever thought possible. Then and only then will you be prepared and possibly ready for a greyhound puppy. They are truly a handful and then some. Puppy obedience classes can help with bonding, training and meeting others with puppies. Having puppy play get-togethers could help in tiring out your puppy.
I will always say that there is nothing like a greyhound puppy. Our two puppies have the pleasure of growing up with two retired racers. All four of our boys get a long very well and I am hoping that the puppies will hopefully learn to nap more from the older boys. My two puppies are my babies and I would not trade them for anything in the world. There have been some rough times, late nights, early mornings and trying times, but it is really worth it if you have the time, energy and patience. I cherish every minute I share with my puppies. And yes, they do grow way too fast.
If you adopt a greyhound puppy please take lots of pictures and laugh instead of cry. Puppies grow so fast and they will be full grown in the blink of an eye. GALT is a wonderful organization and those that adopt a puppy can be put in touch with those of us that have greyhound puppies too. The best support comes from those who have gone through it and can share experiences. Best wishes and good luck.
Written by Austin and Biscuit’s mom, Tammie
The 333 rule
Here is a great guide for people thinking about adopting a rescue hound.
Of course this does not apply to all rescues, but keep it in mind if its taking your hound longer to adjust then you anticipated. GFFL is here to help with transition concerns. Reach out!
Greyhound Bleeding Disorder
Greyhound Bleeding Disorder
Among the many unique greyhound health issues is an uncontrolled bleeding disorder that can occur up to 1-5 days following an injury, a dental, or a surgery. The dog’s blood starts to clot normally, but then the clots start to fall apart, leading to the bruising.
Dr. Couto, formerly the head of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Greyhound Wellness Program, published an article about this several years ago. He reported that a drug called Amicar, or aminocaproic acid, would, in most cases, stop this uncontrolled bleeding. It is impossible to predict which dog may develop this bleeding disorder and it is unrelated to the severity of the surgery. We have seen this after dentals, routine spays, neuters, and amputations. One incident doesn’t necessarily predict bleeding after another surgery. This disorder is also seen in deerhounds and in Irish Wolfhounds.
https://www.iwclubofamerica.org/post-operative-bleeding
It is important that you talk with your vet, both your normal vet, and your emergency veterinary clinic, about this bleeding disorder and make sure that they know where they can quickly access aminocaproic acid. Many vets who have a large greyhound practice keep this on hand, but most do not, and many have not heard of this disorder or the drug.
Here is a link to an article about this disorder and treatment. Please print this and give a copy to your vet and your emergency vet hospital: http://www.coutovetconsultants.com/for-veterinarians/eacaprospective.pdf.
This is a prescription drug and it is less expensive if you can get it through a compounding pharmacy. Barbara (510-506-6225, bajudson@gmail.com) tries to have a supply on hand in case of emergencies, so if you have an emergency and can’t get this drug quickly, give her a call or send an email and she will try and get it to you. If you have a scheduled surgery, many vets recommend starting the drug either the day before surgery, or the day of surgery and continuing it for a total of 5 days. The normal dose is 500 mg every 8 hours for a dog under 75 pounds, 750 mg every 8 hours for dogs over 75 pounds.
Greyhound Socialization and Behavior Issues
Sleeping Dogs. “Let sleeping dogs lie”… There’s a serious reason for this old saying. Many dogs, including greyhounds, can snap when startled from sleep or bothered while in their bed. Don’t become a dog‑bite statistic—make sure that your greyhound is awake before getting too close or touching him while he’s relaxed on his bed. “Eyes open” doesn’t necessarily mean “awake”!
Dog Parks. Do you take your dog to a dog park? Every year we get several calls from adopters that their greyhound was bitten at a dog park, sometimes badly. Or we find out that a greyhound has bitten another dog. While dog parks can be a great place to socialize and exercise your dog, they can be dangerous places. First, many of our greyhounds are not safe with tiny dogs and, unfortunately, many dog parks don’t have separate areas for large and small dogs. Second, many people bring aggressive dogs to dog parks and many people don’t pay attention to what their dog is doing. If you do decide to go to a dog park, please use caution; check out the scene carefully before letting your dog off leash. If a dog or dogs start playing aggressively, take your dog home. Know what to look for when play starts to turn to a fight.
Flexible or other Long Leads. What’s so bad about flexible leads and why do we strongly recommend against using them? If something occurs when your dog is 16 feet away from you, you have no control over the dog and you cannot intervene quickly. Also, at least one greyhound has died from a broken neck when it took off and reached the end of the lead at 40 mph. Please don’t use flexible leads or other long leads and encourage friends that use them to discard them, regardless of the kind of dog they have.
Scary Foods
Did you know that as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic or even fatal to your dog? Raisins and grapes can cause renal failure; symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, shaking, or convulsions. The ASPCA website (www.aspca.org) has information on plants, foods, and other substances that are potentially toxic to your greyhound.
All About Ticks
All About Ticks
Ticks are a common parasite of both dogs and people. Tick species are found worldwide and may infest dogs in very large numbers, especially during certain times of the year. Ticks as well as fleas and mosquitoes act as vectors of disease. Three stages of the tick (larvae, nymph and adult) parasitize animals and humans. When a tick feeds, it cuts an opening in the skin of the host with the teeth on its chelicera and then pushes its hypostome (feeding tube) into the hole. At the same time, the tick secretes a “cement-like” substance in and around the opening. The barbs on the hypostome and the cement anchor the tick to the skin. While feeding, ticks inject saliva-containing anticoagulant into the blood. The saliva may also contain disease organisms. Ticks may carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, several types of ehrlichiosis, Babesia, and other potentially deadly diseases. Prevalence of these diseases may be quite high in certain regions, making tick control a definite medical concern for veterinarians and dog owners.
Tick-borne Diseases: Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, tularemia
Risk for biting ticks is increased if:
- Tick-borne diseases have been diagnosed in your region.
- You take your dog camping, hiking or hunting where ticks are found.
- You have removed a tick from your dog in the last few months.
- Your dog is exposed to wildlife that are tick hosts (deer, rodents, raccoons, etc.).
- Your yard has dense shrubs, tall grass or leaf litter – common tick habitats.
- You take your dog to wooded areas or grassy meadows.
Greyhound Bloodwork
Did you know that not all dog breeds have the same normal ranges for bloodwork? Greyhounds have different normal ranges for several tests in the blood panel. For example, the normal ranges for white blood cells, platelets, and thyroid are lower in greyhounds than other breeds. The normal ranges for red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, and creatinine are higher in greyhounds than other breeds. Print out the “Greyhound Bloodwork” page from www.greythealth.com and take a copy to your vet.
(from www.greythealth.com)
Suzanne Stack, DVM
Greyhound bloodwork has enough differences from “other dog” bloodwork to sometimes make it deceivingly “normal” or “abnormal” if one isn’t familiar with these differences. The salient differences are discussed below.
CBC = Complete Blood Count
RBC = Red Blood Cells
Hgb = Hemoglobin
PCV / HCT = Packed Cell Volume / Hematocrit
WBC = White Blood Cells
Platelets
NORMAL VALUES FOR:
Greyhounds Other Dogs
RBC: 7.4 – 9.0 5.5 – 8.5
Hgb: 19.0 – 21.5 12.0 – 18.0
PCV: 55 – 65 37 – 55
Greyhounds have significantly more red blood cells than other breeds. This elevates parameters for RBC, hemoglobin, and PCV / HCT, and is the reason greyhounds are so desirable as blood donors. Most veterinarians are aware of this difference. Never accept a diagnosis of polycythemia – a once-in-a-lifetime-rare diagnosis of pathologic red cell overproduction – in a greyhound.
Conversely, never interpret a greyhound PCV in the 30’s – low 40’s as being normal just because it is for other dogs. A greyhound with a PCV in the 30’s – low 40’s is an anemic greyhound. Here in Arizona, a greyhound PCV < 50 is a red flag to check for Ehrlichia.
WBC
Greyhound: 3.5 – 6.5
Other dog: 6.0 – 17.0
Other greyhound CBC changes are less well known. The greyhound’s normally low WBC has caused more than one healthy greyhound to undergo a bone marrow biopsy in search of “cancer” or some other cause of the “low WBC.”
Platelets
Greyhound: 80,000 – 200,000
Other dog: 150,000 – 400,000
Likewise, greyhound platelet numbers are lower on average than other breeds, which might be mistakenly interpreted as a problem. It is thought that greyhound WBCs, platelets, and total protein may be lower to physiologically “make room” in the bloodstream for the increased red cell load.
Confounding these normally low WBC and platelet numbers is the fact that Ehrlichia, a common blood parasite of greyhounds, can lower WBC and platelet counts. So if there is any doubt as to whether the WBC / platelet counts are normal, an Ehrlichia titer is always in order. The other classic changes with Ehrlichia are lowered PCV and elevated globulin and total protein. But bear in mind that every greyhound will not have every change, and Ehrlichia greyhounds can have normal CBCs.
Chem Panel
T.P. = Total Protein
Globulin
Creatinine
T4
NORMAL VALUES FOR:
T.P. Globulin
Greyhound: 4.5 – 6.2 Greyhound: 2.1 – 3.2
Other dog: 5.4 – 7.8 Other dog: 2.8 – 4.2
Greyhound total proteins tend to run on the low end of normal – T.P.s in the 5.0’s and 6.0’s are the norm. While the albumin fraction of T.P. is the same as other dogs, the globulin component is lower.
Creatinine
Greyhounds: 0.8 – 1.6
Other dogs: .0 – 1.0
Greyhound creatinines run higher than other breeds as a function of their large lean muscle mass. A study at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine found that 80% of retired greyhounds they sampled had creatinine values up to 1.6 times as high as the top of the standard reference range for “other dogs.” As a lone finding, an “elevated creatinine” is not indicative of impending kidney failure. If the BUN and urinalysis are normal, so is the “elevated” creatinine.
T4
Greyhounds: 0.5 – 3.6 (mean 1.47+/- 0.63)
Other dogs: 1.52 – 3.60
These figures are from a University of Florida study of thyroid function in 221 greyhounds – 97 racers, 99 broods, and 25 studs – so it included both racers and “retired.” While greyhound thyroid levels are a whole chapter unto themselves, a good rule of thumb is that greyhound T4s run about half that of other breeds.
Urinalysis
And lastly, the good news – greyhound urinalysis is the same as other breeds. It is normal for males to have small to moderate amounts of bilirubin in the urine.
Sources
M.R. Herron, DVM, ACVS, Clinical Pathology of the Racing Greyhound , 1991
C. Guillermo Couto, DVM, ACVIM, “Managing Thrombocytopenia in Dogs & Cats,”Veterinary Medicine, May 1999
J.Steiss, DVM, W. Brewer, DVM, E.Welles, DVM, J. Wright, DVM, “Hematologic & Serum Biochemical Reference Values in Retired Greyhounds,” Compendium on Continuing Education, March 2000
M. Bloomberg, DVM, MS, “Thyroid Function of the Racing Greyhound,” University of Florida, 1987
D. Bruyette, DVM, ACVIM, Veterinary Information Network, 2001
Home Health Care
Because greyhounds are such sensitive creatures, it’s a good idea to bring them home from the hospital as soon as possible after a surgery, but only if you can be there for several days to keep an eagle eye on them. This is to make sure that there is no internal or external bleeding, no signs of infection, and no licking or biting of the incision or sutures. Greyhounds don’t do well wearing Elizabethan collars, so where possible, use short or long-sleeve t-shirts, tube tops, etc to cover wounds and prevent licking and nibbling at sutures. Different sizes of tubular bandages can also be used to cover leg wounds. If your greyhound needs to be confined during recovery, an ex-pen will be a more comfortable option than a crate.
Bleeding Disorders
Some greyhounds may have excessive bleeding following trauma or surgery. The cause for the bleeding is not known; blood clotting parameters are normal and the Von Willebrand’s Factor (a clotting abnormality) is negative in most of these dogs. This bleeding may occur up to 4 days post surgery, so it is important to monitor your greyhound carefully following a surgery (including dentals) or trauma. Make sure that your veterinarian is aware of this and has a drug called Amicar (aminocaproic acid) available following surgery. Even dentals with extractions can trigger this disorder.