Helpful Hints

Sighthounds are different from other breeds in one very important way. YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM OFF THE LEASH. If they get out, they will probably not respond to your call. Please understand that your greyhound does not ignore you because they don’t love or trust you. This adventuresome side of them is all part of their nature. We implore you to take us seriously about this. You should restrain your hound by leash or fence at all times when outside. We do not want to hear that your greyhound is “different,” and they listen to you when they are outside. Believe us, they may very well respond to you for some period of time, but the day will come when they will take off in pursuit of something you may not even see, and their life will be in danger. We have many stories and deceased greyhounds to prove this. If you care about your greyhound, YOU MUST LEASH OR FENCE THEM WHEN OUTSIDE.

Heartworm preventative is absolutely essential for any dog. Heartworms are carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. Once your dog gets heartworms, there are only two alternatives. You must either treat them for the heartworms or put them to sleep, without treatment, they will die. The treatment itself is expensive and very hard on the dog. They will be given an almost lethal dose of arsenic in order to kill the heartworms and their recovery will be long and difficult. After treatment, they must be kept quiet with activity at a minimum for about six weeks. There are several types of preventative care, one that is given daily, one that is given monthly, and a shot given once every 6 months, just to name a few. See your local vet for these preventative treatments. It will cost approximately $50 and up for six months worth of prevention.

Greyhounds are extremely susceptible to anesthesia. Possible explanations for this are that the greyhounds lack a certain enzyme in their liver/kidneys to break down the anesthesia, and that they have virtually no body fat in which to store the anesthesia until the body can break it down to be filtered out. For these reasons, we recommend that you discuss these difficulties with your vet to make sure that he/she is familiar with the special needs of greyhounds. We also recommend that any procedures that require anesthesia be done at one time to reduce the number of times that the dog goes under. The recommended anesthesia to use on greyhounds is called isofluorane in conjunction with telazol or ketamine/Valium. Most vets now use this anesthesia, but ask to make sure.

NEVER put a flea collar on a greyhound. Flea collars work by releasing their flea-killing chemicals onto the skin of the dog, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream. Most breeds can have their livers/kidneys filter these toxins out. But a greyhound’s liver/kidneys do not work that fast – so the toxins continue to build up until they eventually harm the greyhound. For this reason, do not ever use any internal flea preventative pills on your greyhound either. When choosing a flea shampoo or dip, be sure to read the labels carefully. Some products cannot be used on a dog that is taking heartworm preventative. The best products are those that contain natural based pyrethrums or permethrins, such as Adams brand flea products. The product we recommend is Frontline, a topical medication that can be obtained through your vet, at petstores, or online. Do NOT use Harts brand topical flea medication; there have been many stories of dogs and cats becoming seriously ill from this.

Choosing an appropriate food is also important to your greyhounds’ well being. It is best to choose a food that has no or very low soy content. The reason is that soy is not easily digested and can cause loose cow-patty-like stools. Some of the suitable products include Iams, Eukanuba, Natural Life, Nutro, Purina One, Science Diet Performance (not maintenance). If you are a Costco member, they offer a good food as well called Kirkland. These aren’t the only foods you can feed your hound, just make sure to read the list of ingredients; soy is usually listed among the first five. For these foods, you’ll want to feed between four to six cups a day depending on the weight and activity level of your dog. The best way to determine if your dog is getting the correct amount is to start with a specific amount, say 5 cups, and monitor their weight. Ideally, a greyhound will have just a hint of rib showing and no prominent bones on their hips. If your dog has too much rib and hipbones showing, increase their food intake slightly.  If your dog has no rib showing, they are gaining too much weight and you should reduce their food intake slightly.

If your dog tends to get upset stomach, diarrhea, or gas, try supplementing their food with approximately ¼ c of plain vanilla yogurt daily. Dogs love this, and the ‘good’ bacteria in the yogurt helps digestion. To combat dry skin, or to enhance a shiny coat, add a couple teaspoons of safflower oil to their food. For loose stool, add canned pumpkin (start with about ½ c and increase if needed) to the food. But be sure to use the plain canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling!

Your dog will be much healthier and feel better if their teeth are clean. The biggest problem with hounds teeth is the buildup of tartar that pushes the gum line up. Once the gums start to recede, dental problems follow. After your dog’s teeth are cleaned you can keep tartar from building up by giving them large marrowbones or knucklebones. You can usually find these at Kroger labeled as “soup bones”. Never give your dog poultry / chicken bones or small bones as they can splinter and catch in the dog’s throat. We also do not recommend rawhide chews because they become soft and pliable and could become lodged in the throat. Alternatives are cow hooves, pig ears, pig snouts, or compressed rawhide bones. Make sure to supervise your dog when they chews these to make sure that they don’t pull off large pieces that they could choke on.  Your hound will probably allow you to scale his teeth and you can pull off the pieces of tartar with dental tools. You can also brush their teeth with a soft bristle brush and baking soda or use one of the specialized pet toothpastes such as Petrodex or Nolvadent with a finger brush or even an electric toothbrush meant for humans.

You can find out many interesting things about your greyhound, if they were a racer, such as where they raced and how they placed, who their original owners were, and the dog’s pedigree. The National Greyhound Association has the original owners on file and Rosnet has their racing history. Go to Rosnet if you have their racing name, if not go to NGA with the right and left ear numbers and they will tell you your dog’s racing name. You can also get a five-generation pedigree from the NGA – for a fee. You can reach both agencies via the information below:

National Greyhound Association
PO Box 543
Abilene, KS, 67410
785-263-4660
www.ngagreyhounds.com

Rosnet Racing Int’l.
6169 Jog Rd, C-5
Lake Worth, FL 33467
www.rosnet2000.com

There are good books available for potential and new adoptive parents of retired racing greyhounds. One of these books is called Adopting the Racing Greyhound by Cynthia Branigan and another is Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies by Lee Livingood. We don’t necessarily agree with everything in either of these books, but overall they both contain some good advice. You can find these books at PetsMart, book stores, and online. Amazon is also a good place to find these books.

Good Luck and have fun with your new companion. If you have any questions or problems, please call or email us, we may have a simple solution that will save you time and frustration. Also contact us from time to time and let us know if things are going well; we love to hear about the good things too!