Most greyhound adopters struggle with getting diarrhea under control in their greyhounds at some time. Diarrhea can have several causes. At the track, the dogs become infected with intestinal worms because of poor hygiene conditions and fleas. Hookworms seem to be the hardest to eradicate, and several rounds of treatment with Panacur or other vet‑prescribed wormer may be necessary. The problem is that wormers kill the adult worms, but new generations of hookworms are present as cysts in the intestinal wall, just waiting to emerge. Until all of the encysted hookworms are gone, hookworm-caused diarrhea can recur.
Another cause of diarrhea is the change between the track diet (raw meat) and the adoption facility (kibble). For persistent diarrhea, vets often prescribe the gastrointestinal diets, but these have a high percentage of corn and other grains, which most greyhounds don’t tolerate well. A meat-based diet is more likely to produce a firm stool.
A third cause of diarrhea is stress. Greyhounds are particularly sensitive to changes in their routine or their environment. Because changes are inevitable, be sure to give your greyhounds lots of attention and reassurance during these times.