Healthy Hound

Heat Exhaustion.  Every summer brings with it statistics involving greyhounds that have fallen prey to the effects of heat and exercise conditions they cannot tolerate. One of the most common causes of heat exhaustion and stroke is leaving an animal in a car. Even on an 80º day, the temperature inside a car can get up to 130 degrees within a few minutes, and leaving a window partially opened does not prevent heat build-up. Any situation in which the dog is panting rapidly, accompanied by obvious pain and/or weakness, requires immediate veterinary attention. Muscle pain along the back or in the legs (particularly the hind legs) is an indication of serious injury from heat exhaustion. Occasionally, the dog will exhibit distress by acting confused and appear to have difficulty lying down. Swift response to these symptoms can mean the difference between life and death.  As quickly as possible, the dog should be transported to a veterinarian. Steps should be taken to cool the dog with whatever means are available while awaiting transportation. Move the dog to the shade or an air conditioned home or car; place cold, wet blankets or towels draped over the body and changed frequently, ice or cold water on the feet, shade – any or all of the above will improve your dog’s chances for survival. Cold therapy should be discontinued when the body temperature returns to normal (102.5 degrees).

Hypothyroidism is one of the most over-diagnosed conditions in greyhounds.  The thyroid test normally done in a blood panel is the thyroid hormone T4.  Normal T4 levels run lower in greyhounds than in other breeds.  In addition, several factors can lower T4 levels – sickness, anorexia, some drugs (including steroids and seizure medications), and, perhaps, stress.  Greyhounds with low thyroid levels in the absence of clinical signs or symptoms (dry coat and other skin problems, lethargy, weight gain, mental dullness, etc) probably do not need treatment with thyroid medication.  In the presence of clinical signs, a thyroid panel, consisting of T4, free T4, and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) should be run.  The values of all 3 hormones should be considered before making a diagnosis of hypothyroidism.

Pannus is a chronic, immune-mediated, progressive, non painful, non-contagious inflammatory disease of the cornea. It is most common in German Shepherds, but greyhounds are also affected.

Pannus is characterized by deposits of pigmentation and granulation tissue, as well as blood vessel development, on the cornea; the dog appears to have a greyish film covering part of the eye(s). The deposits usually start on the lower outside surface of the eye. Both eyes are affected, though the extent of the deposits may not be equal in the two eyes. As the disease progresses, blindness can develop, so prompt attention is important.  Treatment usually consists of eye drop containing corticosteroids, cyclosporin, or tacrolimus, and LIFE LONG therapy is necessary. Because UV (ultraviolet) radiation plays an important role as a trigger and propagating factor, it is also suggested that the dog’s eyes be protected from the sun and that the dog be kept out of intense sunlight whenever possible.  For more information, go to www.eyecareforanimals.com/animal-eye-conditions/canine/271-pannus-chronic-superficial-keratitis.html.

Teeth and Gums.  Tired of stinky breath and expensive teeth-cleaning veterinary bills? The best prevention is brushing your dog’s teeth, preferably daily, but at least several times a week. CET toothpaste and rinse contain an antibacterial that helps to control gingivitis.

Raw marrow bones, knuckle bones, or other dental chews can help keep tarter from building up.  Additives to the water bowl such as Oxyfresh, may also help. Don’t give rawhides or other chewies unsupervised; dogs can swallow large pieces and choke. For information on causes and prevention of greyhound gingivitis, check out http://pets.thenest.com/greyhounds-gingivitis-5738.html.

Periodontal Disease and the Porphyromonas Vaccine

Greyhounds frequently have dental problems, including severe periodontal disease.  In 2006, Pfizer launched a vaccine against the 3 main types of anaerobic bacteria (the Porphyromonas) that can cause canine periodontal disease.  It was hoped that this vaccine would help prevent chronic dental infection and tooth loss.  This vaccine was not meant to substitute for routine brushing and checkups, but was to be an adjunct to it.  When launched, the vaccine was given a provisional license because its utility (efficacy) was based on studies in mice; efficacy had not been proven in dogs.  As of August, 2008, the veterinary college at UC Davis, the Greyhound Health and Wellness Program at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and a local vet specializing in canine dentistry were not recommending it because of insufficient information regarding efficacy in older dogs, especially in greyhounds.  Although a couple of our adopters have reported that the vaccine has helped in their dogs, these reports should be balanced by adverse effects reported by many dog owners who have tried the vaccine.

Painful Pads. Is your greyhound limping? Before you panic and think of bone cancer, be aware that Greyhounds seem to be particularly susceptible and sensitive to corns (keratomas). The cause of these growths, which cause pain and lameness when they occur in the paw pad, is uncertain, but may be due to a virus or to embedded glass, sand, or other foreign material. There is no sure cure, but some greyhounds have responded to one or another method, such as hulling, placing a small piece of duct tape over the corn and replacing it every 3-5 days until the corn falls out, using a corn treatment regime from Murray Apothecary in Pittsburg, PA, or using a corn removal liquid.  

In severe cases, removal of the toe may be necessary.  For information on corns and treatment options, visit http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corns.htm or email Barbara at bajudson@gmail.com.

Wobbly Seniors.  Do you have an older dog who is getting wobbly in his or her rear end?  Lumbo‑sacral disease is fairly common in greyhounds. If your dog is weak, wobbly, and/or painful in the rear end, it may be due to lumbosacral stenosis (LS), a narrowing of the last part of the spinal canal, which causes compression of the nerve roots. Signs are rear end pain, lameness, weakness, “shuffling,” knuckling over, foot dragging, and muscle wasting. Dr. Stack has found that many dogs respond to injections of Depo-Medrol. Go to www.greythealth.org and click on the “Lumbosacral Stenosis” icon for more information.

Tick-bourne Diseases and Valley Fever

Greyhound Friends for Life routinely tests all incoming dogs for heartworm and for Babesia, Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and, if the dog has been bred or raced in the Southwest or comes from a shelter in California’s central valley, Valley Fever.  Shelter dogs are also generally tested for Lyme Disease.

What are Titers?

The laboratory results for these tests come back as a “titer”, expressed as 1:xxx (some number).  Titering the blood allows the lab to estimate the amount of antibodies present in the blood.  The titer gives information about the potential level of the infecting parasite and how well the dog is fighting the infection by producing antibodies against it.  A titer is established by taking a known amount of blood, then diluting it more and more.  All of the dilutions are tested, and the largest dilution that still has detectible antibody is reported.  The amount of diluent (the solution used for making dilutions) is doubled with each dilution, so titers are reported as 1:1 (no dilution), 1:2. 1:4. 1:8, 1:32, 1:64, 1:128, 1:156, or, if the first dilution is ten-fold, as is the case for Babesia titers, 1:10, 1:20, 1:40, 1:160, 1:320, 1:640, 1:1280, etc.  See the September note for why we retest dogs with positive Babesia titers.

Babesia.  So what exactly is Babesia? Babesia is a protozoan parasite transmitted via ticks or from an infected bitch to her pups. In any given group of greyhounds that we get, 40 to 50% have a detectable antibody titer to Babesia. The dogs we see are rarely symptomatic, but GFFL believes in treating all dogs with a relatively higher titer (1:320 or higher) in order to reduce the likelihood of future health problems. Greyhounds with a titer lower than 1:320 should be retested in 6‑months to 1 year. If the titer has increased by 2 dilutions, the greyhound should be treated. For more information, go to www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/advice/hemotropic.html.

Other Tick Diseases.  What other diseases are caused by ticks?  Ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) are caused by organisms called rickettsia—parasites that are classified between bacteria and viruses, that can cause very serious disease. Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.  In dogs chronically infected with these organisms, there may be vague signs such as lameness, lethargy, fever, anorexia, and weight loss, or more severe symptoms such as bleeding, bone marrow suppression, neurologic signs, enlarged lymph nodes, or kidney disease. Bloodwork may show anemia, low white blood cell counts, low platelets, increased protein, and increased liver enzymes. When a dog has a positive titer, regardless of the level, GFFL recommends treating with doxycycline for 1-2 months. For more information about Ehrlichia, visit www.greythealth.org and click on the “Ehrlichia, Why All the Concern?” icon; for RMSF, visit http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/rsms.html.  For information on Lyme disease in dogs, go to http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_dg_lyme_disease.

Valley Fever.  Do ticks also carry Valley Fever?  No, Valley Fever is a fungal disease (coccidiodomycosis) contracted when a dog (or human) breathes in spores that can be present in the dirt in the western and southwestern US. This disease is not contagious from dog to dog or dog to human. In most cases, the symptomatic greyhound presents with bone involvement, lung involvement (cough), or nonspecific illness/weight loss. A particular concern with greyhounds is that the bone lesions seen with Valley Fever resemble bone cancer (osteosarcoma) on x-rays. GFFL treats all dogs with any titer of Valley Fever with fluconazole and we have generally had good results except in older dogs who are already symptomatic.  For more information, go to www.greythealth.org and click on the “Coccidiodomycosis” icon.  Another source of information is the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona (https://www.vfce.arizona.edu/ValleyFeverInPets/VFID-treatment.aspx).  A recent treatment recommendation is that dogs may need to take fluconazole life-long.  What we are recommending is that dogs start with administration of fluconazole twice daily until the antibody titer remains low (1:2) or negative for two successive blood draws about 3 months apart.  This may take 6 months to a year.  At that point, the dose can be reduced to once daily, with monitoring to make sure that the antibody titer does not increase.  Eventually, some dogs may be able to go to an every other day regime or even less frequent.  The problem is that none of the anti-fungal drugs actually kills the fungus; the drugs keep the fungus at a low level so that the dog’s immune system can keep it in check.

Repeat Testing for Babesia and Other Tick-Borne Diseases

Approximately 40% of our greyhounds have antibodies to Babesia.  Far fewer are positive for Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), Valley Fever, or Ehrlichia.  All dogs with positive titers for Lyme, RMSF, Ehrlichia, or Valley Fever (VF) are treated.  A retest for Lyme, RMSF, or Valley Fever antibodies should be done about 2 months after the last treatment dose.  Retesting of Ehrlichia-positive dogs is not recommended because the titer is very slow to respond to treatment.

Greyhounds with low Babesia titers are not treated because the treatment itself has risks.  However, we ask adopters of these greyhounds to retest their dogs in 6-12 months.  Why?  In almost all cases, the titer will be the same or lower, indicating a resolution of the infection.  However, if the dog was recently infected, the titer may continue to rise, and if it has gone up by 2 dilutions (eg, 1:80 to 1:320), the dog should be treated.  It’s very important to send the blood sample to the same lab that did the initial testing because different labs use different methods and the results are not comparable between labs.

Funky Toenails

Does your greyhound have funky toenails? The most common reason for multiple nail loss from multiple feet in greyhounds is symmetrical lupoid onchodystrophy (SLO). In SLO, the nails separate at the base and come off. You may see normal looking nails and more blood upon losing a nail in newer cases and less blood and “funky nails” in more chronic cases. The nails that regrow are stumpy, crumbly, and misshapen. This condition can be treated. 

For more information and photos, visit www.greythealth.com and click on the icon on the left side of the screen entitled “Toenails Falling Off”, or visit the Grassmere Animal Hospital website at www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/SLO.htm.  Another source of information is in “Care of the Racing & Retired Greyhound”, by LL Blythe, JR Gannon, AM Craig, DP Fegan.  Treatment generally consists of a course of fish oil, specifically Omega 3 EPA, niacinamide, chlorpheniramine, and Vitamin E.  Antibiotics (doxycycline or tetracycline) and foot soaks in diluted betadine are often used to avoid or treat nail bed infections.

Just as you need to be an informed medical consumer and your own best advocate for your own healthcare, you need to be an informed greyhound health consumer for the sake of your greyhound.  Especially if your veterinarian does not see many greyhounds in her/his practice, you need to be informed about medical issues specific for the greyhound breed.  There are several great sources for this information:  www.greythealth.com, written by Suzanne Stack, DVM; the Greyhound Quarterly Newsletter from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (www.vet.osu.edu/GHWPnews.htm), “Care of the Racing & Retired Greyhound”, by LL Blythe, JR Gannon, AM Craig, DP Fegan.  Published by the American Greyhound Council, Inc., 2007. This book can be purchased through Greythounds of Eastern Michigan (www.gemgreyhounds.org/gem_store/books&stuff.htm) or Greyhound Greetings (www.shop.greyhoundgreetings.com).

The National Greyhound Adoption Program’s website also has lots of great articles on greyhound medical issues and general health:

http://www.ngap.org/greyhound-health-z213.html

Laryngeal Paralysis, by Tracey Sterling

Laryngeal paralysis is a condition that prevents cartilage flaps in a dog’s larynx (throat) from functioning properly. Nerves and muscles normally required to open these flaps for breathing, and close flaps for eating can progressively stop functioning, becoming paralyzed. LP is often seen in large or medium sized, adult dogs. Nerve damage in some dogs may eventually extend to hind-end weakness.

Signs of Laryngeal Paralysis (from MSU link):

• Increased noisy breathing from throat (stridor), sometimes called “roaring”, most noticeable when the dog is panting
• Distressed breathing, especially in hot weather, humidity, and when excited or stressed
• Unable to exercise, may sit or even collapse.
• Bark Change – hoarse bark
• When severe, gums may be pale or blue-colored (not normal pink)
• Throat-clearing, hacking, or coughing
• Gagging with or without regurgitation (may or may not be associated with eating or drinking)
• Hind-end weakness and an unsteady gait
• Loss of muscle tone

If your greyhound shows any of the symptoms, please alert your veterinarian. Mild cases of LP may be managed. Surgery is an option. Here are some tips on managing LP:

• Keep dog in a cool, calm, stress-free environment
• Limit dog’s excessive activity (e.g., avoid running)
• Avoid walking dog in warm temperatures (early morning is coolest time of day)
• Moisten dry kibble with a little water before serving
• Be careful to not overfeed dog (A healthy pet Greyhound weight is being able to see the last two ribs)
• Leash walk an LP dog with a harness instead of a collar (to eliminate pressure on the dog’s larynx)

Excessive exercise that increases heavy panting increases swelling of the throat, which could result in a breathing crisis in a dog with advanced LP. A breathing crisis requires immediate veterinary treatment with oxygen to prevent dog from suffocating to death.

For additional information, please check out the following links:

http://www.acvim.org/PetOwners/AnimalEducation/FactSheets/Neurology/LaryngealParalysis.aspx

http://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/clinical-research/golpp-study-group/living-with-golpp