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The following information
sheet is one of three currently being compiled from daily discussions on the
greyhound-l listserv. These three info sheets (GH Medical, GH General Info, and
GH Resources/Supplies) are unofficial compilations - in other words, these are
my *pet projects* as opposed to official FAQ files. I maintain and update these
info sheets as new information crosses my e-mail account. I accept any and all updates, comments,
corrections, and additions to these info sheets: please send mail to greyhoundadmin@abap.org All data is provided as
**information only**. The Greyhound-L
list server is made up of a large group of Greyhound owners some with limited
experience, and some with EXTENSIVE experience - who meet on a computer forum
to discuss Greyhounds and Greyhound related topics. I try to collect
interesting data on various topics, and reflect a group consensus or varied
cross sections of thought on those topics. All of the data in these
infosheets is Copyright to the Original author on the Greyhound-L. I have been given permission to compile and
publish this data by the authors. This infosheet can be reproduced *in full*,
and distributed. If you wish to use any one part of this info sheet (i.e., a
newsletter), you must contact me for author permission. Thank you - Lynda Adame, Cody and
Tara (and Tice who is with us in spirit) greyhounadmin@abap.org +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GREYHOUND MEDICAL INFORMATION ================================= Last Update 2/5/99 BLOAT: Symptoms: Repeated,
unproductive vomiting, only a little foam. Distended stomach, restless pacing.
Believe me once you've seen it you will know it with out a doubt the next time. Bloat is a very serious affliction and can kill a
dog quickly. Please refer to the Greyhound breed FAQ for more info on bloat. You can view this FAQ file at: http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/ If you are a member of the
Greyhound-L, you can request this FAQ from: listserv@apple.ease.lsoft.com In the text say: Get GH.FAQ HYGROMA: This is common in large dogs
especially over bony prominences like elbows.
It is usually seen in dogs housed on hard flooring. A hygroma is a fluid-filled bursa which
forms to protect the skin from pressure necrosis from the bone underneath.
These can get inflamed or even ulcerate. BALD THIGHS: Many Greyhounds experience
bald-thigh syndrome while at the track.
This hair loss can be caused by thyroid insufficiency, stress, micro
nutrient deficiency, laying on harsh surfaces, flea allergy, or genetics. Most
cases clear themselves up within 6 to 8 months of retirement. Dynamite Showdown, Clovite, and vitamin
supplements are all recommended as a way to start hair growth if the thyroid
level tests normal in a bald thigh Greyhound. DIARRHEA: (Bruce Skinner) Many greyhounds experience
anxiety induced colitis, or diarrhea when they are first brought home. Many times their stomachs just need time to
adjust to the new type of dog food that they will be eating. If the diarrhea
cannot be controlled using the following 'intestine resetting' instructions, please do not
hesitate to take your dog to the Vet for a thorough examination. The following
was passed on from a Vet: 1) ONLY clear fluids for 24 hours.
This includes: water, broth, Jell-O (yum) and Gatorade. 2) Supplement the clear fluids with several tablespoons of NONFAT
plain yogurt. The active cultures help re-populate the intestinal flora. 3) Imodium tablets to stem the flow. 1/2 tablet twice a day...you can also use Keopectate. 4) After 24 hours feed plain
noodles. Rice is NOT recommended as it
can sometimes be too irritating to the colon.
If the diarrhea returns go back to the fluids. 5) If the noodles do stay in,
the next day mix 1/2 noodles and ˝ regular dry food. 6) Over the next couple of days
increase the amount of dry food until your greyhound is back to the regular
routine. HOT SPOTS: First check with your Vet to
see if there is a medical reason for the hot spot, such as a staph
infection. If not, then your dog may be
chewing from boredom or anxiety. The pain of their chewing or licking releases
endorphins and other comforting neurochemicals into their blood stream, and
this calms the dog. Spraying the hot spot with a numbing agent like Lidocaine
should break the cycle. Ora-jel spread
around the hotspot is another way to break the cycle. TAIL BREAKS: (Stacy Pober) Greyhounds are known for
exuberant tail wagging which can cause breaks.
Here is my advice from years of Greyhound tail breaks. Normally I don't
take them to the Vets as I have found most of them over-treat a broken tail and
make things much worse. Assuming the
tail is still in basically a straight line, and the broken end is not at an odd
angle to the rest of the tail...AND assuming that there wasn't a lot of
crushing pressure on the tail that has seriously affected the blood supply,
then... - Take either a pencil or a
chopstick and some appropriate bandaging tape. - Lay the
chopstick/pencil so that it extends about 3 inches past the break in both
directions. - Tape the tail to the
chopstick. - If the dog is a chewer or
licker, spray the bandage with
antichewing spray. I personally
find the ones designed for horses, to make them stop cribbing are
more effective than the ones designed for dogs. That's it. No big splint...no cast. IF you let your Vet
put a big heavy splint or a cast on the tail, I can almost guarantee you will
lose the end of the tail. The bigger
the splint/cast, the more adversely it affects the blood supply, and the more
it will make the dog feel that something weird is on its tail that it needs to
get off. WORMS: Here is a sample of some of
the varied information collected regarding wormers and Greyhounds. Always check
with your Vet before self medicating ANY animal. -
Wormers that work on hooks and roundworms and are safe
for Greyhounds are those with pyrantel pamoate as the active ingredient. Brands
that contain this include: Nemex, Nemex 2, Evict, and the prescription wormer
StrongidT. The big difference between
Strongid and the others is that you have to give a LOT more of the
over_the_counter brands to worm an adult dog. The Strongid-T has a greater
amount of active ingredient per ml. -
Some people who know that their dogs are exposed to hook
frequently (because, for example, they've picked it up in the park before) worm
regularly with a gentle product, such as one of the pyrantelbased wormers,
without first testing the dogs. -
Another safe (though terrifically expensive) wormer is
Panacur. It's one of the few wormers that also works on whipworms. For
tapeworm, I recommend the *oral* form of Droncit. (The injectable works, but
the dogs find the injections VERY painful, more so than a normal inoculation.) - Interceptor actually
kills the hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm adults. Since the Interceptor is given only once monthly, it does not prevent a
dog from becoming reinfected in between doses. Any new worm infestations are again
eliminated once the tablet is given the following month. Thus the interceptor controls the worm
infestation. Interceptor is often given to dogs once a month to prevent heartworm
infections. FLEAS: (Lynda Adame) I moved into a home with a very bad flea infestation. I read Cynthia Brannigans book
"Adopting the Racing Greyhound" but was still confused as to what
chemicals were safe to use. I put out a
request to the members of Greyhound-L to mail me their own personal flea
fighting techniques. Who better to ask than the people with Greyhounds living
in their homes. I was delighted with
all of the good information I got. First and foremost is a great
resource: Cindy Tittle Moores Flea and Tick FAQ. There is good info on flea life cycles in this FAQ, as well as
some information on the different types of chemicals available and their strengths
and weaknesses. There are a number of ways you can access this resource: - Anonymous FTP to rtfm.mit.edu Get the file fleas-ticks in
the /pub/ usenet/news.answers/pets directory. - Send email to mail- server@rtfm.mit.edu Use no subject line, and in the
body of the message say: send usenet/news.answers/pets/fleas-ticks - Mosaic or Netscape
browsers can access it at http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/ - People with access to the news groups can
find it in rec.pets.dogs.info · Vacuum your home as often as possible. Include all furniture,
bedding (both human and
animal), drapery, carpeting. Burn the bag or submerse it in
soapy water to destroy the fleas trapped inside. Some people claim success in placing cut-up
flea collars inside their vacuum bags, others use mothballs or flea powder. · Shampoo the dog often, always keeping in mind the fact that
fleas love dry skin. Pert Plus was recommended as a good flea killing shampoo to use. Avon Skin-So-Soft was another recommended shampoo. ·
Diatomaceous Earth was a recommended product, although there were equal
groups for and against its use.
D-earth is essentially crushed fossilized Diatoms, that are ground into
a fine white powder. When
spread around your yard or home, they desiccate or rupture the fleas hard outer shell and the flea dies. I was warned by many
people to be very careful with this product. Make sure you buy it at a gardening store and that it
is of food grade, and not the kind used in pools.
The claim is that the crushed Diatoms are akin to tiny shards of glass and can cause problems if inhaled, or if they get into the
mucous membrane or eyes of human or animal. · Flea traps. These are essentially glue boards with a
Night light built in. The light
attracts fleas who stick. I used this and recommend that people give it
a try. · Flea comb. Use every night, and drown the fleas in a
Solution of water & dish soap, or a light mixture of water
& ammonia. · Program. Most of us already know about this pill that
you can get under a Vets prescription. It renders fleas, that bite the dog, sterile. No
owners reported any problems with Greyhounds on the Program. For this to work, all animals in the home must be on Program. · Advantage. This fluid,
applied once a month kills fleas.
Period. It is not a known carcinogenic and is used extensively on pet Greyhounds. · Frontline. Kills both
fleas AND ticks for up to three months, this fluid is used by many sighthound owners. It
contains known carcinogenics. Collars recommended: - Ovitrol flea egg collar (recommended by NGAP) -
Preventic collar (There was a case were one pup was
poisoned by eating his Preventic collar. The antidote
used to save this dog was Yobine). Sprays recommended: - Ultraban - Fenoxycarb
and an IGR (Inter Growth Regulator) - Adams Flea and Tick Mist (what the track kennels use) - - Torus - an IGR that
does not break down in sunlight - Ovitrol Spray - Permectrin Spray or 5% Sevin dust for the yard - Zodiac Pyrethrin Spray - BioHalt Spray - beneficial nematodes which eat flea
larvae. Other things I learned. Pyrethrins tend to break down
in direct sun light. When you do an initial spray indoors as well as outdoors,
it is recommended to wait two to four weeks and spray again. Unless you use
Advantage or Frontline, flea killing is a multi-step process, and you need to
treat the dog, the home, and the backyard.
The flea larvae live off the waste of the adults , so vacuuming often,
and flea combing the blood/ waste off of the dog is good to do. Flea eggs can
remain dormant a LONG time, and are resistant to cold weather. Heat can kill
them, so throw all bedding into the dryer (on hot) at least once a week. Two
fleas can produce 2000 eggs. Call your rescue group when in doubt TICK REMOVAL: (Lynda Adame) Smother the tick in Vaseline,
and as it suffocates it will pull out of the dogs skin. Heat a paperclip or tweezers
and hold the heated end against the ticks body, which will cause the tick to
pull out. Most people prefer these
methods to squeezing and pulling the tick off of the dog, as the squeezing of
the tick can cause it to leak more of the lyme bacteria or any other bacteria
into the dog. After the tick has pulled out of the dogs skin, flush the area
with water, then sterilize the area with alcohol or Betadine, and apply a
topical antibacterial like Bacitracin/Polysporin. At the first sign of
infection (reddening or oozing ) contact your Vet. "Tick Nipper " is
available for purchase. The Tick Nipper is a plastic
plier type of device that will not cut or squeeze the tick. There is a 20x lens
mounted on the handle also. They can be ordered for $5.99 each, plus $2.00
S&H for each order from, "Rehabilitation Programs Inc., P.O. Box 2468,
Poughkeepsie , NY, 12603. Beside s getting a great tool, you will be helping
out a nonprofit organization for the disabled. ALABAMA ROT: Alabama Rot has long been a
"mystery" disease among racing greyhounds. It was originally thought
to be contagious. Racing greyhounds with the disease were found with open,
weeping sores. In some dogs the sores healed on their own; in others , there
was liver involvement and the dogs died in a matter of days. Researchers at Kansas State
University have done a study to try and determine the cause of Alabama Rot.
After eliminating several possibilities, they took healthy dogs and fed them 4D
Meat in an attempt to duplicate the symptoms of Alabama Rot. The study
concluded that the Bacteria E. coli, which is found in 4D Meat is the cause of
Alabama Rot. 4D (meaning Dead, Dying, Diseased or Disabled) meat can come from
cattle , sheep, poultry, goats, horses , roadkill or even bodies of cats and
dogs euthanized at animal shelters. 4D meat is apparently widely fed to racing
greyhounds because it is high in protein and it is cheap (approx. 40 cents per
pound) . Contact Lynda Adame at greyhoundadmin@abap.org for more info. JOINT
& BONE INFORMATION: (Paul Byther) ORTHOPEDIC
GREYHOUND VETS: For a questions regarding orthopedic problems
with your Greyhound, you might have your vet contact Dr. Gerry Gregory at the
Gregory Veterinary Clinic in Tampa, Fl. or Dr. James Dee at the Dee Clinic,
Hollywood Animal Hospital, Hollywood Fl. Both these vets have extensive
experience with greyhounds. Dee is the best greyhound "orthopedic
man" on the planet, he knows them in general health cases as well. Dr. Jim
Radcliffe of Town and Country Animal Hospital, Wheeling, WV is another highly
recommended orthopedic Vet. Tips to get out of state phone numbers : If you know the area code, but want the phone#, dial
1area code 555 1212. If you just know the name, dial 1 800 for info. HIP
DYSPLAS IA: (Kathy Miritello) There are very few Greyhounds that have hip dysplasia,
but the number is not zero. It is just very rare, much rarer than in most other
medium sized or large breeds. A list member found an article in a magazine
called Outdoor Life (Jan 1996), which discussed treating hip dysplasia with
megadoses of Vitamin C. - Many reports
of improvements with Vitamin C regimens were noted, ranging from one Vet who
used it in bitches and pups to prevent hip dysplasia, to others who reported
positive results in the treatment of arthritic dogs and horses. - A Vet in
California (Dr. Bob Cathcart) recommends giving Vitamin C for a variety of
joint ailments and illnesses. He administers the vitamin in large doses, determined
by the dog's own tolerance levels. The "bowel tolerance" marker is
established by increasing the Vitmain C until the dog's stools loosen, then
reducing the dose by a half a gram at a time until the stools become firm
again. "EsterC " is supposed to be a better form of the vitamin and
can be found in health food stores. The vitamin is molecularly locked" to
calcium and therefore less likely to cause the stomach upset that ascorbic acid
(the common form of C) can produce. EsterC is also supposed to be more easily
metabolized so that more of it reaches the cells and less is passed through the
urine. Theories as to why it works include the following: a) it lubricates the
joint so the dog feels less pain; b) the metabolites of Vitamin C consist of
substances essential to the processes involved in rebuilding the diseased joint
tissue ; c) it maintains the integrity
of collagen and other connective tissue s; d) it mobilizes white cells in the
immune system while deactivating free radicals that may damage cell membranes. - There is some
controversy as to whether the Vitamin C regimen actually helps. A 1994 double
blind crossover study indicated that the best result s were shown when dogs
were given 2000 mg of EsterC daily. Other studies are largely anecdotal, and
even this study has some faults . IMO. - What is
interesting is that xray images of the affected joints following Vitamin C
therapy still indicate signs of joint deformity. It is theorized that the
improvement doesn't come from any change s in the hard, bony portion of the
joint, but from change s in the soft tissue s (cartilage and synovial
membranes, for instance) that also help to form the joint. I though t this information might be
useful to owners of Greyhounds with Arthritis or other joint injuries. Yucca
tablets, Alfalfa tablets and a product Called GlycoF lex600 are all recommended
for joint problems as well. BLOWN
TOES: (Paul Byther) - I spoke to a
friend of mine who is a vet specializing in emergency/ critical care, with a
background in surgery and canine sports medicine. Fusing a joint is a surgical
process. It would seem impossible for a substance to selective calcify and seal
all of the cartilaginous material within a specific joint without affecting the
remainder of the body. Her guess, and mine, is that the trainer in AZ was
referring to sclerosing agents used to speed the development of scar tissue .
If the issue was a torn ligament, sclerosing agents could be used to harden the
ligament. That sounds like an odd way to go about it to me, as that would mean
the toe would have little flexibility and a tendency to break. I'd investigate just removing the entire toe. Losing an
inner front can be a problem to run on, but the surgery required to rebuild the toe might be
more trouble than it's worth. - For those having questions regarding sprung or
dislocated toes, I can tell you it is more common in Greyhounds that run on
grass surfaces than sand...but we do see it in track dogs too. What you are
dealing with is collateral ligament damage <these ligaments hold the bones
of the toe in place>. They can become chronic, each healing adding more
fibrous material, compounding to a very enlarged joint after awhile. First of all... no cortisone! Cortis one will give the
appearance of healing, but actually it retards the kind of healing process
necessary to avoid a recurrence.. . I prefer ethanolamine injected into the
joint in the zone of the ligaments cotton between the toes, then wrapped. The
ethanolamine causes the ligaments to "heal" faster , and
tougher...the wrapping is to keep the area from flexing. The injections are
done every three to five days, the bandaging should be on for about 21 days
<you do have to regularly redo the bandage>. It's a six week period
before you can run the greyhound hard on the toe. If you are more interested in
this method , I can write the whole procedure out for your vet... amounts,
needle sizes, etc. I've had a 75% success rate. I prefer it to surgery, at
least it's an easier first try. Amputation being the usual alternative. (To get
in contact with Paul Byther , the Greyhound trainer that gave the above advice
, contact greyhoundadmin@abap.org) Paul later wrote: From what I understand,
50% or less success in repairing the joint with ethanolamine <most commonly used
sclerosing agent>, I have had better averages...more like 75%. Amputation is
the other route most trainers opt for. We are speaking about the middle toes,
which most often are the affected ones. The bone is removed, the pad and web
left. Additionally you might want to consult a very thorough book called :
called "Care of the Racing Greyhound" by Blythe , Gannon , and Craig,
available through the National Greyhound Association Abilene , Kansas . To get
back to ethanolamine , inject 0.5ml added to 0.5ml of local anesthetic in the
area of the collateral ligament of the affected toe with a 25 gauge needle.
Afterwards you bandage the toes in a natural straight line, cotton wool padding
between the toes. The whole foot is then covered with cotton wool, then cotton
bandage. It takes three injection procedures three to five days apart, same
injection method and wrapping. Trimming back the nail and keeping the hound
from flexing the joints is very important for the ethanolamine to work. The
foot should be kept immobilized with the bandage/wrap for 21 days.. Putting the
dog on a supplementary vitamin A and C routine is also helpful with
strengthening the joint. Once the bandage is removed, massaging the joint with
liniment, trimming back the nail, and elastoplasting the affected toe to the
good toe next to it for two weeks helps the unbandaged foot to work to work in
slowly . Six weeks total recovery is a good shot to give the
joint the best recovery chance before the hound really runs hard. As a sidebar,
some success has been had by transplanting the flexor tendon from a dew claw
<removing the whole dew claw is required> this however is a pretty
expensive way to go for a pet owner that won't recover the outlay from racing
....I prefer to first try ethanolamine , then amputation if it's not
successful. For ethanolamine to work, the bandaging is import ant,
and not free running the dog is essential. Immobilization is the key. I hope
this info is helpful. You realize of course I am a licensed greyhound trainer,
NOT a veterinarian . You might contact either of the Doctors Dee in
Hollywood, Florida. They are the premiere orthopedic greyhound specialists in
this country, in my opinion, for more perhaps qualified suggestions on other
treatments by transplant. Article on this topic which may be of interest:
Fractures and dislocations associated with the racing greyhound.
(1985) . Small Animal Orthopedics II, pp. 467477 . JF Dee, LG Dee. ANESTHESIA: The following information can be passed on to your Vet:
Greyhounds do not tolerate anesthetics or sedation well. They have relatively
little body fat and are thus unable to absorb lipid soluble thiobarbiturates
therefore remain systematically active for a greater period of time.
Consequently , Greyhounds are especially susceptible to hypothermia and
hypotension while anaesthetized with thiobarbituates. The following suggestions are taken from "Greyhound
Pets Quarterly": *Greyhounds must have fluids during ALL surgical
procedures. *NEVER use thiobarbiturates, including Biotal, Surital,
or Pentothol. *An EXCELLENT choice for anesthetic for use on
Greyhounds is a synthetic narcotic human drug known generically as Oxymorphone.
It is supplied in 1.5mg/ ml in 10cc vials and is marketed by the Endo Drug
Company under the name of Numorphan. It is almost fully reversible through the
use of narcotic reversing agents such as Nalline or Levallophan. *A gas
anaesthetic, such as Methophane is not necessary if the patient has achieved a
level of deep depression. The following procedures are recommended for the
surgical anesthetizing of Greyhounds: ALL Greyhounds receiving atropine sulfate prior to
anesthesia and intravenous fluids during general anesthesia. 0.05mg /lb. of
Oximorphone is combined in a single syringe with 0.1ml/ 10 lbs. of Acepromazine
(3.0 mg Oximorphone and .6cc Acepromazine for a 60lb dog). This combination is
injected intravenously over a 1520 second period ; faster injection can result
in a brief excitement phase. Apprehensive dogs can receive as much as 0.075m
g/lb. of Oxymorphone. Within 5 minutes the dog can be intubated with very
little manual restraint. Many animals will respond excessively to noise at this
stage. Depending upon the procedure, as well as the level of depression the
patient has achieved, one may or may not incorporate the use of Metophan, a gas
anaesthetic. Upon completion of the surgery, Nalline is injected
intravenously at a dosage equivalent to the induction dosage of the
Oxymorphone. Further information on the subject of the use of
anesthesia in Greyhounds can be obtained by contacting the Small Animal
Teaching Hospital of Colorado State University at Fort Collins, Colorado (303/4
849154 ). Because Greyhounds are slow in recovering from the effects of
sedation and anesthesia, it is recommended that you leave your pet under
observation by your vet the night following any surgery which is performed
under general anesthesia. Another method of anesthetizing a Greyhound is found in
Dr. Nina Beyer, DVMs article written for the National Greyhound Adoption
Program in 1993. She recommends using a 1:2 ketamine:diazepam mixture at 1
mL/610 lbs. given slowly to effect . The effect I look for is different from
what we see when inducing a non-sighthound with thiamylal or other barbiturates
; the dogs do not reach total muscular
relaxation and the eyes remain central with a strong blink reflex . Intubation
is moderately easy but the jaw is not totally relaxed so we use a mouth gag. In
other words, the dog looks awake and has muscle tone but is not struggling. I
then maintain the dog on 5% isoflourine until the eyes roll down and the heart
rate just begins to decrease; usually 1 1/2 2 1/2 isoflourine is enough to
finish from that point. Since I began using this protocol, no dogs have vomited
and they have recovered as smoothly and as quickly as the average non
sighthound spay given thiamylal and isoflorine. Greyhounds are listed as one of
the breeds known to develop malignant hypothermia . Dantrolene is the treatment
of choice. BLOOD
LEVEL AVERAGES: Here is some interesting info pulled from
"Platelete Concentration and Hemoglobin Function in Greyhounds", Patrick
Sullivan, DVM. This research paper dealt with a comparison of blood
level average s between greyhounds and non greyhounds. Here are the averages
for the 36 greyhounds that they pulled blood on. All of these greyhounds were
free from any tick diseases. These can be compared to the results that are
found in a CBC (Complete Blood Count) run by your Vet). Value Average HGB 19.86 +/1.56 Hemoglobin PCV 53.6 +/- 3.8 Packed Cell Volume RBC 6.66 +/-0.4 Red Blood Cells Protein Totals 6.2 +/0.4 MCV 81.2 +/-8.2 Mean Corpuscular Volume MCH 30.03 +/3.09 Mean Cellular Hemoglobin MCHC 37.10 +/1.51 Mean Cellular Hemoglobin Concentration WBC 7,886 +/-2,285 White Blood Cells Segmented Neutrophils 5,867 +/-2,285 Band Neutrophils
22 +/51 Lymphocytes 1,735 +/836 Monocytes 194 +/-147 Eosinophils 74 +/-93 Basophils 5 +/-19 Platelet Count 154 +/43 MPV 8.81 +/1.46 Mean Platelet Volume TICK
BORNE DISEASES: (Sue Tomasello) DATE: 3/12 /95 This post is for all of you out there that are placing
former racing Greyhounds into homes or to anyone that has adopted one of these wonderful
animals: I have been involved in Greyhound Rescue for almost 4
years. Two years ago one of my 3 GH's became ill with symptoms that were vague
and could have been any number of things. Jenny, as it turned out had
Ehrlichia, a tick disease . She died because we discovered too late what she
had. This disease , if caught early is very treatable with antibiotics. But, if
not treated, symptoms can go away and the disease goes 'dormant' for years
sometimes. But it does not go away, it comes back with a vengeance and often
after damage to the immune system has occurred. Our group has been seeing an
INCREASING number of Greyhounds coming from the racetrack that are testing
positive for both Ehrlichia and another tick disease called Babesiosis. Just
this week, a friend had her dog tested after another Vet diagnosed 'an auto
immune disease ' and prescribed steroids. The test came back positive for
Ehrlichia. I don't want to start a
panic, but this is VERY SERIOUS . Our rescue group now gives antibiotics
routinely to all the GHs we get, as they come from the TICK INFECTED kennels of
Arizona and Mexico. If I had a former racing Greyhound and did not know if it
had been prophylactically treated for these two tick disease s I would: 1)
Consider spending the money and having it tested now, 2) Give the GH a course
of the prescribed antibiotic, or 3) Be very aware of any suspicious symptoms
and think of these 2 diseases if any occur (trouble is, symptoms are very
varied) - From "Care of the Racing Greyhound" by Blythe,
Gannon, & Craig (two of them vets, two of them profess ors of Vet. Med).
ISBN 0 96414560-X (hard) and 09641456-1-8 (soft). I've included description
& clinical signs for all three. I've not include d the paragraphs on
treatment. BABESIOSIS:
Babesiosis is a tickborne protozoal disease of the blood of Greyhounds and
other canines that results in anemia. The parasite, Babesia canis, has
worldwide distribution, but is most prevalent in the tropical and subtropical
regions such as northeastern Australia and southeastern United States.
Literature reports for percent ages of infected Greyhounds range from 55%
(southeastern United States) to 46% (Florida) (Taboada et al., 1992). In the
latter study, Greyhounds had a much higher infection rate (46%) than pet dogs
(0%) from the same area. All Greyhounds that were actively racing tested
negative , while the highest number of positive tests coupled with clinical
signs of disease was in the pups. Clinical Signs: Babesiosis can result in anemia with
pale gums, fever, yellowish color to the mucous membranes of the mouth, eye and
vagina (in females ), weakness, depression and a reluctance to eat. Many
infections with Babesia in Greyhounds are not obvious to the owner. Heavy tick
and Babesia infestation can cause shock and death. Stress may cause an
apparently normal but chronic ally infected Greyhound to develop clinical
signs. A blood test will detect the degree of anemia as well as the presence of
the parasite itself in the red blood cells (Figure 510 on Plate VII). In some
cases, measurement of antibodies to the parasite in the blood sample is needed
to make a confirmatory diagnosis. HEPATOZOONOSIS:
Hepatozoonosis is another tickborne disease in dogs in southeast Asia,
Africa, Middle East, Europe, Brazil, and the Gulf Coast region of Texas in the
United States. The parasite is Hepatozoon canis which apparently causes
clinical signs of disease only dogs that are either very young (less than 4
months of age), infected with another parasite such as Babesia canis, or immuno
suppressed. Clinic al Signs: Intermittent of continuous fever and loss of
weight in spite of a good appetite are the most common signs. Some dogs may
show pain to muscle palpation, reluctance to move, diarrhea, and anemia . The
white blood cell count is elevated with counts ranging from 20,000 to 200,00 0.
Diagnosis is made upon visualizing the parasite in the white blood cells
(neutrophils or moncytes) or by measurement of serum antibodies. EHRLICHIOSIS:
Ehrlichia canis or Ehrlichia equi are rickettsial organisms (similar to but not
exactly like a bacteria type organism) that are transmitted to Greyhounds from
a tick bite. The problem occurs in temperate, tropical and subtropical
countries where the brown tick (Rhipicephal us sanguineus) occurs except for
Australia. Clinical Signs: Fever, reluctance to eat, discharges
from the eyes and nose, a tendency to bruise or bleed easily , enlargement of
the lymph nodes, anemia , and difficulty in breathing are the clinical signs of
recent infection. Most Greyhounds will recover after 1 to 2 weeks, even without
treatment, but some will develop a chronic form of the disease 1 to 6 months
later. The clinic al signs of the chronic form include chronic weight loss,
poor appetite, pale mucous membranes (gums) due to anemia , weakness and
depression. Increased bruise s over the body occur due to internal hemorrhage
because of a decreased number of platelets. Some Greyhounds may be infected,
but not show any clinical signs until stressed. Diagnosis is by a blood test for the presence of the
abnormalities in the RBCs, WBCs and platelets, the visualization of the parasite
itself in the WBCs, or the presence of antibodies in the serum of infected
dogs. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, another canine tickborne disease in the
western United States , my have similar clinical signs, but will also be
eliminated with the tetracycline therapy suggested below. **Please check out
these sites on Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis : http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.orgadvice/health.html http://www.abap.org/webx/ (Tick-L archives) There is also a tick disease mailing list that you may
join to learn more about these diseases and how they affect Greyhounds. Contact
Lynda Adame at: greyhoundadmin@abap.org CANCER
RESEARCH: Last
year The Greyhound Project set up a designated fund with the Morris Animal Foundation and agreed to match
individual contributions up to a total of $2500. We did a lot of research and
decided that the kind of studies that Morris funded were the kind that everyone
could support. Specifically, the subjects in their studies have naturally
occuring conditions.
They do not try to cause the illness to then try to find a way to treat it. And
there have been useful contributions to the veterinary arsenal of treatments
that have come out of the studies funded by the Foundation. The research on
diet and cancer was done under a
project funded by them, and they are supporting studied on half body radiation,
pain mangement and other areas that have the potential to help canine cancer
patients. We
expected that the fund could raise $5000, more or less, between individual
contributions and the matching money we would contribute. DRUM ROLL, Please! Well,
we got the final accounting from the Foundation for the last year's contributions
and we have managed to raise a total (including the Project's matching money)
of more than $7000. The whole thing sort of blew the socks off the folks at the
Foundation. They are much more use to getting contributions of that size from
wealthy individuals and large established foundations. The fact that people
whose only connection was their individual interest in adopted greyhounds could
produce such an impressive result was clearly a new experience for them. It
was such a terrific success that the Project decided at the last meeting to
continue the fund for 1999 and we have upped the amount we will match to a
total of $3000. For
folks who have lost a greyhound to cancer or know of someone who has, this is a
way to honor the memory of the dogs we have lost and contribute to eventually
finding effective treatments and hopefully a cure. Here's
all you have to do - Send your check to Morris Animal Foundation and specify
that your donation is to go to canine cancer, The Greyhound Project account.
They will notify us and we'll then match your donation. The address is: Morris
Animal Foundation Canine Cancer - The Greyhound Project Account 45 Inverness
Drive East Englewood CO 80112. FIRST
AID KIT: Here is a list of items offered up by the Greyhound-L
members for use in a Greyhound first aid kit. ===== First Aid Kit Supply List ====== ACE bandage activated charcoal for accidental poisonings alcohol for
sterilizing object only Alleve (naproxyn sodium) 220 mg (the OTC dose) is a
little strong aspirin safely used in small doses Ascriptin(R) preferred by some Vets due to Maalox
coating bandanas Benadryl - for insect bites/stings Betadine - see description below Bickmores Gall Salve - horse product that is great for
burned pads Bristle brush (medium hardness) for cleaning nail beds
in Sandy areas bulb syringe - for washing out eyes cauterizing wand (surgical type) to stop bleeding in
nails and nicks cotton tip applicators gauze pads (3"x3" ) gauze roll (3") Furacin see description below hemostat (curved) hemostat
(straight) Hibicleanse - soap and wound cleaning agent hydrogen
peroxide 1% solution only instant ice pack
iodine tincture 7% spray KY jelly Muzzle Nail clipper Oral dose syringe Pad protection ointment povidone/iodine ointment saline solution Splint material Sterile water Styptic powder Surgical scissors Syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting Terramycin ophthalmic ointment thermometer Vetwrap (2") ====================================
============ =========== - Aspirin WARNING: When giving a dog aspirin always check the dogs stool.
Look for black stools which can indicate occult bleeding, and then discontinue
aspirin immediately (use a buffered aspirin instead). The coated aspirins are
not readily digestible by canines, and are often passed through with little but
the coating having been digested. - WHAT TO PUT IT ALL IN? The bag I use is a diaper bag.
The compartments are wide and shallow; there are small zippered compartments on
the side for scissors, bandages, Qtips, etc; and bottle compartments on either
end for my most commonly needed bottles. -Also, keep in mind to NOT wash out a wound that needs
stitches with anything more harsh than distilled water. If you can't sew or
staple, let a vet do the job. You'll Make the job easier, and the healing
faster for your vet And the hound if you don't burn the tissue that will be
stitched over with alcohol or peroxide. -Hydrogen Peroxide is considered caustic, and will
inhibit healing. -Furicin or Nirtrofuazone (same stuff just common vs.
real name!). This comes as a powder
that can be added to petroleum jelly to make a paste. It will turn a very, very angry orange to reddish color when
exposed to sunlight. My vet assured me
it doesn't hurt the dog at all it just makes the wound look real nasty, even
dangerous. -Betadine is brown in color, and is easiest to use in
liquid form. I use Betadine to wash wounds, but don't leave it on, as it is
related to iodine and can cause irritation or a rash. It also
makes a great disinfectant soak. If one of my guys gets a line cut on their
foot I usually wash it in straight betadine then prepare a soak of 2
Tablespoons to a cup of water to soak the foot. I use it for soaking nail bed
infections also. I only use the Furicin
ointment for injuries I want to keep moist (some boo boos are made worse if
they are kept moist), I use the powder for all other boo boos. -
HOMEOPATHIC FIRST AID KIT: Homeopathy works on the
principle of stimulating the bodies own powers of healing. You give a very tiny
amount of a substance, which mimics the complaint if taken in larger doses. The
theory is that this stimulates the bodies own natural response to heal the
complaint. The remedies are very gentle. We don't use them in place of
appropriate trips to the vet. Consul t a book titled "Dogs: Homeopathic
Remedies" by George Macleod. It's published by C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd., 1
Church Path, Saffron Walden , Essex CB10 1JP, England. Some remedies used by
Greyhound-L members include: -
Arnica montana: for sore and bruised muscles, shock and
to help control bleeding. Rhus tox:
relieves stiff ness of muscles and joints and chilling or over heating. CalcPhos:
strengthen musculoskeletal system. Causticum:
Antidote for lead poisoning and for muscle weakness. Hypericum:
for lacerations and open wounds. - All homeopathic remedies are extremely dilute amounts
of the natural substance. They can not cause the affects of the whole plant.
They are considered so safe that there is no overdose amount of any homeopathic
remedy. Interestingly a large scale study of homeopathy was recently undertaken
in England. Lab tests of homeopathic tinctures could not detect the remedy in
the dilution chemically the remedies were just alcohol. But in a double blind
clinic al test of over 1000 patients, the same remedies were 30% more
effective than placebos. Mind over matter? Any way we use them and they seem to
work on us and our guys. CANINE-L FIRST AID KIT LIST: There is an excellent first
aid list on a ftp site. It was put together by Nancy Rogers from canine-l and
is on an FTP site provided by a Marc Gemis. It is a combination of two minimum
first aids from two different books. The ftp address is bietel.uia.ac.be in the directory/pub/Dogs (use the capital
D). VITAMIN E: When
using vitamin E purchased from a drug store BE SURE to buy all natural Vitamin
E (NOT synthetic). If you have a question about which one is all natural, ask
your pharmacist. Wheat germ is the richest natural source of Vitamin E. Vitamin
E can also be found in food such as carrots, egg yolks, cereal , nuts, and
vegetable oils. Vitamin E can be destroyed by rancid fats and inorganic irons.
Liquid tonics of vitamins and minerals mixed together could be a cause for the
breakdown of Vitamin E. Vitamin E is essential for muscular health . It also
helps utilize fat and prevents Vitamin A, Linoletic acid, and other nutrients
from destruction by oxygen in the body. Vitamin E also performs several other
important functions within the body: -It permit s the diameter of the blood vessels to
increase, thereby improving the blood flow to the tissues. It improves the
blood supply to injured areas and stimulates healing. -Dissolves and or prevents the formation of blood clots
but does not interfere with the bodies normal blood clotting mechanism. - It prevents excessive scar tissue format ion. It
promotes urinary excretion. It increases the power and efficiency of muscle
tissue and has a very beneficial effect on a tired heart muscle . Dosage : daily dose of 50 i.u. be given. This can and
will depend on your dog. Always check with your Vet before starting something
new. The dosage may need to be higher if you are locate d in a region with a
high exposure to sunlight. When the body is exposed to sunlight for a long
period of time, the body produces Vitamin D...an excess of these D vitamins can
cause the destruction of Vitamin E in the muscles and a shortening of the
muscle fibers . Overexposure to Ultraviolet rays WILL cause the complete
destruction of muscle fiber. If your dog is an athlete, be sure to start the
administration of Vitamin E (if elected) approx. 1-2 months prior to
competition (lure coursing, agility, etc.). The body needs time to adjust . At
first the dog may become lethargic, but energy and vitality will soon follow .
This is natures way of adapting to the beneficial change in metabolism. We have
had great success in the use of Vitamin E both in our lure coursers as well as
in the aid of injured dogs (in the process of healing). HYPOTH
YROIDISM: Hypothyroidism is yet another controversial subject
debated upon by greyhound-L members. There are two strains of thought on
greyhound-L regarding hypothyroidism: 1) Low/normal thyroid test results from a Vet do not
unequivocally mean that your Greyhound is hypothyroid. Your hound should actually exhibit some of
the symptoms of Hypothyroidism before he is medicated. Once medicated, your hounds natural ability
to produce thyroid is inhibited. Most
Greyhounds are quite normal and still test low/normal for thyroid. 2) Greyhounds have a higher than average incidence of
hypothyroidism, which is easily treatable by constant, albeit cheap,
medication. Low/normal test results mean your Greyhound is hyperthyroid. The
following are some ideas and comments regarding hypothyroidism: - Wheezing (reverse sneezing, gagging, etc.) CAN be a
symptom of hyperthyroidism, as well as hair loss (on
butt & neck usually), darkening or thickening of the skin, and lethargy. Untreated hyperthyroidism can lead to serious, long term
problems. There is a higher than average incidence of
hypothyroidism in ex-racers and it is a condition that is easily treated by a
Veterinarian. A Greyhound that tests in
the low/normal range for "generic dogs" is not normal for a Greyhound
and should be started on a course of treatment right away. SPECIFIC
CLINICAL STUDIES: One thing is physiological breed differences. There are definite physiological differences
between breeds of dogs that are sometimes not recognized by the mainstream of
veterinary thought. An example
of this is the sensitivity of sighthounds and some other breeds to the traditional anesthetic regimens used for many
years. Now it seems to be common knowledge in the veterinary community but I
can remember back to a time (one that wasn't very long ago, BTW) where many
veterinarians pooh poohed the notion that a particular breed would have a
unusually high proportion of adverse reactions to the ultra-fast acting
barbiturate s commonly used as preanesthetic agents. Mind you, many sighthound
breeders and fanciers were *acutely* aware of this danger because of the
abundant anecdotal evidence of dogs dying or having serious adverse reactions to
anesthesia for routine procedures. In fact, some sighthound breeders and owners would bring articles
from sighthound magazines about this phenomenon to their vets to try to alert them
about this. And sometimes it worked and sometimes the vets would dismiss the
information contemptuously because it did not come from traditional veterinary
science journal s. Since that time, mainstream research has been done on this
and there have been veterinary articles published on the unusual reactions of
Greyhounds to barbiturates. And now you are unlikely to get into an argument
with your vet if you bring the subject up. In the last few years, I have heard a number of
sighthound breeder s (not just Greyhound breeder s but those from other
sighthound breeds as well) discuss the fact that they suspect that the
"normal " range of values for thyroid function in other breeds may
not be the same for sighthounds. In particular, there seem to be a lot of
sighthounds who routinely test out as low normal (meaning their thyroid values
are considered normal but are in the bottom third of the 'normal ' range).
These dogs tend to be asymptotic when judged against most typical symptom s of
classic hypothyroidism . Their coats are not dry, their energy levels are
appropriate for their breed and age, and (ex-track Greyhounds aside) they don't
have bald patches . Racing Greyhounds have certain feature s of their living
conditions and diet that are not similar to most other sighthounds. They live
in crate kennels (where they are crated for a much larger proportion of the day
than would be the average pet or show dog who is crated) . They weight is kept on
the low side. The females are given mibolerone (Cheque ) or testosterone, and
these are hormone s that affect both reproduction and other hormonal systems in
the body. I also would consider a Greyhound racing kennel to be a more
stressful environment than many others. Any one or a combination of these
feature (and others that I haven't
listed) could be factors in both the much discussed bald patches that are often
seen on the upper back of their thighs and in a (possibly transient) low or low
normal thyroid reading. I also wonder what the California vet who is finding 50%
of the dogs hypothyroid is using as her guideline. Is she using the same guidelines of a T4 reading of 1-4 that is
seen as 'normal ' by the majority of vets, or is she counting low normal dogs
as being in the group of hypothyroid dogs? The fact that a dog coming off the track may have a low
normal thyroid reading would not be that significant to me unless there were
symptom s that needed to be treated . By that I mean symptom s aside from a
bald butt. I don't believe in treating a lab result, I believe in
treating a whole animal. As I and others have previously noted, there are many
dogs with 'bald butts' and normal thyroid readings. There are also many low
thyroid dogs in the world without bare butts. (The alopecia caused by severe hypothyroidism tends to be
more extensive than that, so that there is hair loss in many areas.) There is
an old scientific adage: "Correlation is not causation." so just
seeing dogs with bare butts who are hypothyroid also does not prove that the
hypothyroidism caused the alopecia. They both may be caused by a single separate cause
entirely, or they might even be unrelated. I did a search of Biological Abstracts, Medline , and
Life Science s Collect ion on canine thyroid problems and breed differences.
One study did find that racing Greyhounds had lower thyroid levels. I've gotten
the full survey on another which mentioned breeds with higher frequency of
hypothyroidism but did not list Greyhounds or any other sighthound breed among
them. I'm including some of the citations in case anyone is interested. SPECIFICS OF ENDOCRINAL PATHOLOGY IN RACING GREYHOUNDS
BLOOMBERG M-S UNIV. FLA., COLL. VET. MED., GAINESVILLE, FLA. 326100126, USA.
RECL MED VET EC ALFORT 167 (78). 1991. 787793. CODEN: RMVEA Full Journal Title:
Recueil de Medecine Veterinaire de l'Ecole d'Alfor t Language: FRENCH Among the
endocrinal particularities to be found in racing greyhounds can be counted: an
increased frequency in hypothyroid problems; -the existence of a specific
syndrome called insipid effort related diabetes; the use and/or abuse of
anabolising steroids. The author reviews the clinical aspects concerning these
three elements. Descriptors/Keywords: STEROID ABUSE HYPOTHYROID PROBLEM INSIPID
EFFORT RELATED DIABETES Hypothyroidism in dogs: 66 cases (198719 92) Pancier a D
L Dep. Med. Sci., Sch. Vet. Med., Univ. Wis., 2015 Linden Drive West, Madison ,
WI 53706, USA Journal of the America n Veterinary Medical Association 204 (5).
1994. 761767. Full Journal Title: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical
Association ISSN: 00031488 Language: ENGLISH Print Number:
Biological Abstracts Vol. 097 Iss. 009 Ref. 122309 Sixty six dogs with
hypothyroidism were identified from dogs examined over a 5 year period.
Hypothyroidism was diagnosed only if the dog had a low, resting serum thyroxine
concentration and serum thyroxine concentration was not higher than the lower
limits of the reference range 6 hours after IV administration of bovine
thyrotropin. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 0.2%. Neutering was
determined to be the most significant gender associated risk factor for
development of hypothyroidism . Neutered male and spayed female dogs had a
higher relative risk of developing hypothyroidism than did sexually intact
females . Sexually intact females had a lower relative risk. Breeds with a
significantl y increased risk, compared with other breeds , were the Doberman
Pinscher and Golden Retriever. The most common clinical findings were obesity (41%),
seborrhea (39%), alopecia (26%), weakness (21%), lethargy (20%), bradycardia
(14%), and pyoderma (11%). Low voltage R waves were found on 58% of ECG. Clinic
opathologic abnormalities included hypercholesterolemia (73%), nonregenerative
anemia (32%), high serum alkaline phosphatase activity (30%), and high serum creatine kinase activity (18%). Serum total
triiodothyronine concentrations were within reference ranges in 15% of the
hypothyroid dogs. Response to treatment was good in most dogs, but those with
severe concurrent disease or neurologic abnormalities were less likely to
respond with complete resolution Of clinical signs. GREAT DANE IRISH SETTER OLD ENGLISH SHEEP DOG THYROTROPIN HORMONE DRUG THYROXINE HYPOTHYROIDISM NONTHYROIDAL ENDOCRINE DISEASE BACTERIAL SKIN DISEASE FAMILIAL TENDENCY THE PHASE OF HAIR GROWTH IN HYPOTHYROIDISM IN THE DOG ARSLAN S H; MACKENZIE C P; BROWN R; BAXTER J T DEP. OF MED., SURG. AND OBSTETRICS, COLL. OF VET. MED., UNIV. OF MOSUL, MOSUL, IRAQ. VET RES COMMUN 6 (1). 1983. 5158. CODEN: VRCOD Full Journal Title: Veterinary Research Communications Language: ENGLISH The stage of hair growth which predominated in dogs not affected with hypothyroidism appeared to be breed dependent. For example, in boxers , Labradors and collies, the resting stage (telogen) predominated , whereas in West Highland White terriers and cairn terriers the active stage (anagen) predominated . However, even in pet dogs kept mainly indoors, the proportion of hairs in anagen tended to increase during the winter months . In dogs affected with hypothyroidism, the proportion of hairs in anagen or telogen in members of a particular breed was the same as in the normal dogs of the breed. Breed apparently was more influential than hypothyroidism in determining the predominant phase of hair growth . Descriptors/ Keywords: BOXER LABRADOR COLLIE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER CAIRN TERRIER BREED DEPENDENCE EPIDEMIOLOGIC FEATURES OF CANINE HYPOTHYROIDISM MILNE K L; HAYES H M JR NATIONAL CANCER INSTI TUTE, ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY BRANCH, 3C07 LANDOW BUILDING, BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20205 . CORNE LL VET 71 (1). 1981. 314. CODEN : COVEA Full Journal Title : Cornell Veterinarian Language: ENGLISH The epidemiologic features of 3206 dogs diagnosed with hypothyroidism (including myxedema) from 1.1 million dogs seen at 15 veterinary teaching hospitals between March , 1964 and June, 1978 were studied. Nine breeds at high risk for hypothyroidism were golden retrievers , Doberman pinschers, dachshunds, Shetland sheepdogs, Irish setters, Pomeranians, miniatur |