Download Greyhound Frequently Asked Questions

Greyhound Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does a high creatinine really mean that my Greyhound is in
kidney failure?
Greyhounds have creatinine concentrations that can be higher than those in
other dogs (higher than the normal ranges listed for other breeds of dogs).
If the BUN and urine concentration are normal, the high creatinine
concentration is not indicative of kidney failure. For more information,
please read the following articles:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/bloodBank/CreatGreytsOSU.pdf
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Kidney%20Failure.pdf
2. My Greyhound has a heart murmur; does this mean he has
heart disease?
Greyhounds are known to have “normal” athletic or physiologic flow murmurs.
These murmurs are mild in nature (grade 1 or 2 out of 6) and are heard best
over the left base of the heart (high in the armpit). Thoracic radiographs
(X-rays) and/or echocardiography (ultrasound) will help determine the actual
status of the heart. For more information, please read the following article:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/bloodBank/MurmurGreytPaper.pdf
3. My Greyhound had an enlarged heart on x-rays; does this
mean he has heart disease?
Greyhounds have larger hearts than non-Greyhound dogs. This can often be
misinterpreted as a sign of heart disease (particularly because they also
frequently have a heart murmur). If there is any concern as to whether or
not the heart enlargement is clinically relevant, an echocardiogram
(ultrasound of the heart) should be performed by a cardiologist. This test
will determine if the heart is normal or truly diseased. By the way, heart
disease is not very common in Greyhounds…
4. My Greyhound was diagnosed as being hypothyroid; does he
really need to take a thyroid supplement?
Greyhounds have lower thyroid hormone concentrations (T4 and free T4)
than other breeds of dog (well below normal values listed for other breeds).
A Greyhound should never be diagnosed as hypothyroid based solely on a low
T4 or free T4 level.
Many Greyhounds are inactive (lazy), cold intolerant, and have bald thighs.
These “traits” are common in Greyhounds and are not typically associated
with hypothyroidism. Improvement in hair loss following thyroid
supplementation does not confirm a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, as thyroid
supplementation can cause hair growth in animals with normal thyroid
function. High cholesterol concentration and thyroid stimulating hormone
(TSH) concentrations are often associated with true hypothyroidism
(although there are many other causes of high cholesterol).
A full thyroid panel (that includes TSH) should be performed prior to the
diagnosis of hypothyroidism in Greyhounds. The diagnostic center for
population and animal health (http://www.animalhealth.msu.edu) performs a
thyroid panel and interpretation from an endocrinologist can be requested to
aid in diagnosis. For more information, please read the following article:
http://home.comcast.net/~greyhndz/hypothyroid.htm
5. Is it true that Greyhounds cannot tolerate anesthesia of any
kind?
No. It is true that Greyhounds may take longer to metabolize certain
anesthetics, such as injectable barbiturates, but there are many safe
anesthetic drugs for Greyhounds. For more information, please consult the
following article:
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Demystifying%20Anesthesia.pdf
6. My dog had an episode of malignant hyperthermia, should I
ever have him anesthetized in the future?
The first thing to do is to try to determine if your Greyhound truly had
“malignant hyperthermia”. Please consult the following article:
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Anesthetic%20Malignant%20Hyp
erthermia.pdf
7. My Greyhound was diagnosed with a corn. What is the best
way to treat them?
There are lots of reported ways to treat corns. Everything from application
of duct tape to the corn to toe amputation have been reported. We
currently use the combination of a hulling technique followed by the
application of the anti-wart medication Aldara or Abreva. The hulling
procedure will need to be repeated as often as every 3 weeks although we
have had some corns fail to regrow following several treatments. Please
consult the following articles for more information on corns and hulling:
http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corns.htm
http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corn_hulling.htm
8. A friend of mine had a dental performed on her hound without
anesthesia. Is this a good idea?
As appealing as an “anesthetic free” dental may be, it may be a disservice to
the patient. A complete oral examination or cleaning simply cannot be done
in an awake animal, no matter how cooperative he/she is. Furthermore, the
most significant tartar is not what you see grossly on the teeth, but what
lies underneath the gingiva (gums). An anesthetic-free dental cleaning
accomplishes little more than a cosmetic cleaning (like a teeth whitening
procedure in a human) and leaves the most significant tartar and periodontal
disease unaddressed. Not only may the cleaning not help the animal but it
may fool the owner into believing that their animal’s oral health is being
addressed, when in fact it is not. Please consult the following article for the
American Veterinary Dental College’s position statement regarding
anesthetic free dental cleanings:
http://www.avdc.org/position-statements.html#cadswa
9. I was told my Greyhound has a very rare condition called
polycythemia. What should I do about it?
Greyhounds have significantly higher red blood cell (RBC) count than any
other breed of dog. Red blood cell counts are often measured in a
percentage called a packed cell volume (PCV) or hematocrit (Hct). Normal
values for non-Greyhounds are rarely above 55%. Normal values for
Greyhounds can extend up to 70%. A PCV of lower than 50% likely indicates
some degree of anemia (low RBC count) although it will be within the
laboratory’s normal range for non-Greyhounds. For more information, please
read the following articles:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2098.htm
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Greyhound%20Labwork.pdf
http://home.comcast.net/~greyhndz/blood.htm
10.I was told that my Greyhound has a low platelet count
(thrombocytopenia) and needs extensive testing. Is this
something that you recommend?
Greyhounds normally have lower platelet counts than non-Greyhounds. A
platelet count as low as 80,000/µL can be completely normal in a Greyhound.
A pathologic cause of low platelet counts in Greyhounds can also be a tick
borne disease (TBD) or immune-mediated diseases. A complete physical
examination and additional lab work recommended by your family
veterinarian should yield additional information on whether your dog had a
disease that causes low platelet counts. For more information, please read
the following articles:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2098.htm
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Greyhound%20Labwork.pdf
http://home.comcast.net/~greyhndz/blood.htm
11.I was told that my Greyhound has a low white blood count
and needed extensive testing. Is this something that you
recommend?
Greyhounds normally have lower white blood cell (WBC) counts than nonGreyhounds. A WBC count as low as 3,000 can be completely normal in a
healthy Greyhound. A complete physical examination and additional lab work
recommended by your family veterinarian should yield additional information
on whether your dog had a disease that causes low WBC counts. For more
information, please read the following articles:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2098.htm
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Greyhound%20Labwork.pdf
http://home.comcast.net/~greyhndz/blood.htm
12.Could my Greyhound possibly have a tick borne disease (TBD)
even though we don’t have them in our area?
Yes! Most Greyhounds have trained or raced in areas where TBDs are
endemic. Some TBDs can lay dormant for years before causing illness.
Although you may not have TBDs in your area, your Greyhound may have been
infected prior to adoption. For more information, please read the following
article:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2099.htm
13.Someone told me to just treat with doxycycline instead of
testing for tick borne diseases (TBDs) in my Greyhound. Is
this a good idea?
No. Not all TBDs are responsive to doxycycline, so you may be giving a
medication that will not help at all. Starting doxycycline while waiting for
results of tick titers may be warranted in a sick dog with signs (symptoms)
compatible with TBD, but it should not be used instead of testing. For more
information, please read the following article:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2099.htm
14.If my Greyhound has a positive titer for a TBD, will he
eventually get sick?
Not necessarily. “Tick titers” only measure the body’s response to the
disease (antibodies) and are not always diagnostic for infection. If a dog is
exposed to a TBD, they will mount an antibody titer in response to the
organism (much like a vaccine). If the dog’s body is able to clear the TBD,
they will still have a positive titer from the exposure but will never be sick.
These positive titers may last for years, particularly in dogs infected with
Ehrlichia canis. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is available for many
TBDs, and it may help determine if a titer is significant and the patient is
really infected. For more information, please read the following article:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2099.htm
15.I had a TBD titer performed on my Greyhound and he turned
up positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). I was
told that he could have been carrying this for months. How
should we treat him?
Some tick borne diseases (such as Ehrlichiosis and Babesiosis) can lay
dormant for years before causing disease. RMSF does not lay dormant for
months without causing disease. Non-pathogenic strains of Rickettsial
organisms can cause false positive test results to RMSF. A healthy dog with
normal bloodwork that has a positive RMSF titer is unlikely to have true
RMSF. Your family veterinarian may recheck the titers in 2 to 4 weeks; if
they are higher than on the baseline (first) test, your hound probably has
silent rickettsial infection, and you may consider doxycycline treatment.
16.My Greyhound keeps losing nails on different feet. My vet
thinks it may be a fungal infection. Have you heard of
anything like this?
The most common cause of multiple toe nail loss on multiple feet is a
condition known as symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy (SLO). A toe
amputation is required for definitive diagnosis but is rarely warranted.
Treatments include appropriate antibiotic and antifungal medications to
control secondary infections, high doses of fatty acids (180mg of EPA/10
lbs. of body weight) and a combination of tetracycline and niacinamide.
Some cases may require short courses of immunosuppressive drugs such as
prednisone. Hypoallergenic diets are also of benefit in some cases. For
more information, please read the following article:
http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/SLO.htm
17.My female Greyhound was diagnosed as a hermaphrodite
following a physical examination. What should I do about
this?
Many female Greyhounds have a condition known as clitoral hypertrophy,
which is caused by testosterone injections given at the racetrack to prevent
cycling. This condition is usually benign and does not require treatment;
however, in some hounds it is associated with lower urinary tract problems
(frequent, painful urination; straining to urinate; recurrent urinary tract
infections) and it may require surgical correction.
18.I was told my Greyhound needed thyroid supplementation
because he was very shy even though his thyroid tested
normal. Is this appropriate?
There is no medical reason to give an animal with normal thyroid function
thyroid supplementation. Oversupplementation of thyroid hormone can
result in hypertension (high blood pressure) and other health problems.
Anxiety medication (if warranted) and behavior modification should be used
to work on the shy behavior.
19.My Greyhound destroys my house when I leave. Is there
anything that I can do?
Separation anxiety (SA) is relatively common in retired racing Greyhounds.
Anti-anxiety drugs such as clomipramine, amitryptilline, fluoxetine, or Dog
Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) may be of benefit to some dogs and they can be
prescribed by your family veterinarian. Behavior modification is the single
most crucial aspect of correcting separation anxiety. Please consult the
following article for more information on SA:
http://www.VeterinaryPartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1502
20.My Greyhound has cancer, isn’t chemotherapy as hard on
animals as it is on people?
Less than 20% of dogs undergoing chemotherapy experience clinically
relevant adverse effects (most commonly vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of
appetite). These adverse effects can typically be managed with medications,
drug dose reduction, or changing to a different chemotherapeutic agent.
21.Can my Greyhound really get around on 3 legs?
YES!!! Most Greyhounds get around very well after amputation. You will
need to consult with your family veterinarian to determine if other diseases
may affect your dog’s prognosis after surgery (e.g. previous orthopedic or
neurologic injuries). Please visit the following link to see “Bosha” in action:
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2108.htm
22.My Greyhound was diagnosed with hip dysplasia following a
physical examination. Is this common?
No. Hip dysplasia is not common in Greyhounds and the diagnosis of hip
dysplasia should only be made by radiograph (x-ray). Lumbosacral stenosis
(LS) is something that can cause rear leg weakness and other problems that
have been misinterpreted as hip dysplasia. Please consult the following
articles for more information on LS:
http://home.comcast.net/~greyhndz/lumbosacral.htm
http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/cauda_equina.htm
23.Do you believe that the best way to care for my Greyhound’s
teeth is to have an annual cleaning?
While annual cleanings are necessary in some dogs, homecare is a critical
component of oral health. There is a saying in veterinary dentistry: “It is
good to chew, it is better to rinse, it is best to brush.” Without question
daily brushing is the single best thing you can do for your dog’s teeth. If
daily brushing is not possible, there are several veterinary rinses that can be
used that can be beneficial (e.g. CET rinse by Virbac). If daily rinsing is not
possible, there are several dental chews that are available which can help to
keep your pet’s teeth clean. Chews ideally should have the Veterinary Oral
Healthcare (VOHC) seal of acceptance (this shows the product has met preset standards of plaque and calculus reduction).
Other treatment options to aid in oral healthcare include diet (e.g. Royal
Canin Dental DD 20 or DS 23, Hill’s Science Diet T/D, Eukanuba brand
foods, etc.), water additives (e.g. Aquadent, Oxyfresh, Breathalyzer, etc.)
and the Oravet Healthcare System. Please consult the following article for
more information on Oravet and other advancements in dental care:
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/CG%20Advancements%20in%20
Dental%20Care.pdf
24.My Greyhound was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Do you
have any additional information on this disease?
http://home.comcast.net/~greyhndz/osteo.htm
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2096.htm
http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Osteosarcoma.pdf