Please Note
Whilst we hope that all the injuries and remedies articles are of some sort of guidance for you, we MUST stress that these should only be used as a guide and a qualified Vet should be called at all times to diagnose exact problems and treatment.
Please click on a title header to view the drop down articles.
"Right hock fractures are the most common career ending injury of racing greyhounds. Certainly, more toes and metacarpals/metatarsals (“quarter bones") are broken, but their racing careers are more often salvageable. The right hock is usually the one to go, most commonly in the first turn, where the greyhound pushes off with it on the banked curve. There is perhaps one fractured left hock for every 30 fractured right hocks.
My feeling is that adoption groups should not reject these greyhounds because they lack funds to fix the hocks. It's been about 10 years since I've been around racetracks --but back then, unless an owner planned to continue the dog's racing career, a broken hock was never fixed. To heal adequately for pet purposes (though they will lack the few 1/100s of a second needed for racing), all the majority of hock fractures need is 6 -- 12 months of house or kennel rest somewhere. The 'how long' depends on how picky the adopter is -- does the gait need to be perfect before they will accept the dog? Is there an adopter who will take the greyhound if the gait never does become perfect in one of the "bad" fractures?
The reason hocks heal so well with so few repercussions is that the usual fracture is a slab fracture of a tiny (<1") bone (central tarsal bone) in a non-moving joint. Sometimes, more than one of these tiny tarsal bones is involved - there are 5 of them, plus the larger talus and calcaneus bones making up the hock joint. Since the fracture is in a non-moving joint to begin with, the arthritis that develops around the site is fairly insignificant to the dog's movement. And it takes movement to cause pain.
There are a few more disastrous hock fractures, such as when the tip of the calcaneous bone (tip of the hock) breaks off and the dog's Achilles tendon goes with it. This is a dog that really needs surgery to function right. But, the bottom line is, I still wouldn't let him die for lack of funds for an orthopedic surgery. My old lady, Jamie, is living proof that while these greyhounds are gimps (mechanically, their Achilles tendon does not work), they're not in pain for the rest of their lives.
Many kudos to the groups who do fix these fractures. And also to racing owners who will pay for surgery even when the greyhound is "all done.” But, for those groups who can't afford it - if you have a foster home that can give a hock fracture house rest (no galloping) for a long, long time, please take these greyhounds and give them a chance. Except for the big calcified bump on that hock, they will be "good as new" once healed.
That was an Excerpt from an article I was reading and its 1 I totally agree with and wanted to share it..
Intestinal Worms
Learn about the different types of worms in dogs and cats...
roundworms,tapeworms,hookworms,whipworms. Other intestinal parasites such as giardia and coccidia are displayed. Your veterinarian can check your pet's stool sample to be certain pets do not harbor intestinal parasites such as you see here.
Consult your veterinarian about routine worming of dogs. CAUTION! Intestinal parasites of dogs and cats are potential health hazards for humans, too. If hookworm larvae penetrate the skin they can cause "cutaneous larval migrans", a potentially serious and scarring inflammation results. Ascarid (roundworm) eggs if ingested can cause a disease called "visceral larval migrans" where tiny worm larvae migrate through the person's intestinal wall and into the body tissues. They then grow to larger size almost anywhere in the body. Ocular disease is a common sequel "visceral larval migrans". Children are at most serious risk especially if play behavior is in an environment where dog, cat, or raccoon feces may be present... such as in a sandbox. A single adult Toxicara canis female can shed up to 100,000 eggs a day which pass into the dog or cat's environment with the stool. Please take the worming advice of your veterinarian seriously and adhere to strict sanitation principles whenever pets and children are in close contact. Note... roundworms are not spread to people simply by close contact with dogs or cats. The individual must ingest (eat!) the infective stage of the roundworm eggs; since the eggs are primarily associated with feces, humans would somehow need to consume the egg contaminated feces for contagion to occur. If you search for "Prevention of Zoonotic Transmission of Ascarids and Hookworms of Dogs and Cats" you can see information about roundworm and hookworm hazards for humans.
Let's examine each type of worm individually:
Worms in Dogs!
Why does the veterinarian want to check a stool sample? Dogs are victims of several internal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common are the roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four only two are commonly seen in the stool with the unaided eye...roundworms and tapeworms. Look at the photo on the right and you can see that roundworms can assume different sizes. Plus when they are fresh they are whitish in appearance. The single entire tapeworm usually will not be seen externally, and all you might see in the stool or attached to the fur would be the small segments that detach from the end of the tapeworm... (See photo.) Hooks and whips are so small that they seldom are seen in the stool. A tapeworm and segments plus a number of roundworms...That's precisely why a stool sample is often required in order to discover which parasite is present; the EGGS of all these worms can be seen under the microscope and that's how their presence is detected...by looking for their eggs under the microscope! Keep in mind that it is the goal of each parasite to stay in the safety of the intestinal tract; if they come out, they'll die! They don't want to be detected!
Most worm infestations cause any or all of these symptoms: diarrhea, perhaps with blood; weight loss; dry hair; general poor appearance; and vomiting, perhaps with worms in the vomit. However, some infestations cause few or no symptoms; in fact some worm eggs or larvae can be dormant in the dog's body and activated only in times of stress, or in the case of roundworms and hookworms, until the later stages of pregnancy when they activate and infest the soon-to-be-born puppies and kittens.
Why should the vet check a stool sample?
Early diagnosis for the presence and type of intestinal parasite is very important. The stool (only about a teaspoonful is needed) is mixed with a special solution to make the microscopic eggs more visible. Depending upon which kind of worm is present a certain type of wormer may have to be used. For example, if a cat has roundworms the veterinarian will want to prescribe a certain kind of medication specific for the elimination of roundworms. If tapeworms are present, a different wormer will be used. Not all worms respond to the same treatment and no single wormer works against all kinds of parasites. And some non-prescription wormers are quite ineffective in removing worms from the dog or cat. Your veterinarian will havePet Foods and Supplies! available for you the best kinds of wormers for the particular type of parasite your pet has. Therefore, stool samples should be taken to the veterinarian for microscopic examination for the worm eggs if worms are suspected. Many veterinarians include the stool check as part of the annual health examination.
Giardia and coccidia are single celled organisms that can cause loose stool, gas production and poor health. Learn more about Giardia parasites.
Prevention.
Remove dog feces from back yards at least weekly, use the correct wormer under veterinary supervision, and have the dog's feces checked frequently in persistent cases. Do not mix wormers and do not use any wormer if your dog is currently taking any other medication, including Heartworm preventative, without consulting the veterinarian. In persistent reinfestations, some veterinarians will prescribe worming treatments on a routine basis all year long. Generally, prescription wormers will be safer and more effective (although often more expensive) than over-the-counter worm medications.
When walking the dog in a neighborhood or park, remove all feces so that the dog does not contribute to contamination of soil. Dogs and cats that are in generally good condition may not act threatened by worm infestations and may not even show signs of having worms. However, it's a good idea to keep your dog and cat as worm-free as possible so that if disease or stresses do occur, the pet has greater reserves and defenses to handle the crisis.
Tapeworm eggs do NOT show up well in routine fecal analyses! Tell your veterinarian if you spot these rice-like segments in the stool or caught in the fur under the tail.
Roundworms
A large percentage of puppies are born with microscopically small roundworm larvae in their tissues. The larvae got there via migration through the mother's tissues right into the developing pup in the mother's uterus! The worm larvae can also be transferred to the nursing pup or kitten from the mother's milk. The larvae make their way to the intestinal tract where they can grow up to five inches in length. They start shedding eggs and try desperately to keep house in the small intestine of the pup . The eggs that the adult worms pass in the stool can now reinfest the same pup or other dogs if somehow the egg-bearing stool is eaten. When the worm eggs hatch, larvae are released internally to migrate to the animal's lungs where the larvae (remember, the larvae are microscopic in size) are finally coughed up, swallowed, and finally grow up to adults in the small intestine. So you can see that repeated exposures to egg-bearing stool or stool-contaminated soil can cause additive numbers of parasites to a dogs load. Not good! NOTE: If the mother has no risk of worm infestation. intestinal parasites and no encysted larvae in her tissues...the pups will be born worm free.
Roundworms are active in the intestines of puppies, often causing a pot-bellied appearance and poor growth. The worms may be seen in vomit or stool; a severe infestation can cause death by intestinal blockage. Females can produce 200 thousand eggs in a day; eggs are protected by a hard shell and can exist in the soil for years.
Roundworms can infest adult dogs too. However, as mentioned above, the larvae can encyst in body tissue of adult dogs and cats, remain dormant for periods of time, and can activate during the last stages of pregnancy to infest the puppies. Worming the mother has no effect on the encysted larvae in the body tissues and cannot prevent the worms from infecting the newborn. Almost all wormers work only on the adult parasites in the intestinal tract.
Hookworms
These are much more common in dogs than in cats. They are very small, thin worms Whipworm and Hookworm eggs under microscopic view. that fasten to the wall of the small intestine and suck blood. Dogs get hookworms from larval migration in the uterus, from contact with the larvae in stool-contaminated soil, or from ingesting the eggs after birth. As with roundworms, the hookworm larvae can also be transferred to the nursing pup from the mother's milk.
A severe hookworm infestation can kill puppies, often making them severely anemic from the loss of blood to the hookworms' vampire-like activities! Chronic hookworm infestation is a common cause of older dogs not performing optimally, having poor feed efficiency and weight maintenance, and having poor stamina. Often the signs include bloody diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and progressive weakness. Diagnosis is made by examining the feces for eggs under a microscope.
Whipworms
This parasite is more often seen in dogs than cats. Adult whipworms, although seldom seen in the stool, look like tiny pieces of Whipworm eggs under the microscope. thread with one end enlarged. They live in the cecum, the first section of the dog's large intestine. Infestations are usually difficult to prove since the whipworms shed comparatively few eggs; so an examination of even several stool samples may not reveal the presence of whipworms. If a dog is presented with chronic weight loss and passes stool that seems to have a covering of mucous (especially the last portion of stool the dog passes), and lives in a kennel situation or an area where whipworms are prevalent, the veterinarian may prescribe a whipworm medication based upon circumstantial evidence. Repeat wormings may be necessary especially if there is a probability that the dog will become reinfested. Although they seldom cause a dog's death, whipworms are a real nuisance for the dog and can be a problem for the veterinarian to diagnose.
Tapeworms
Dried tapeworm segments are displayed in the images below...
Tapeworm segments caught in the fur under the tail.Tapeworms... Another intestinal parasite, the tapeworm, is transmitted to dogs and cats that ingest fleas (fleas think tapeworm UP close and personal with tapeworm segments.eggs are real tasty!) or that hunt and eat wildlife or rodents infested with tapeworms or fleas. If you were to see an entire tapeworm you would notice that they are arranged with a small head at one end and many tiny brick-like repeating segments making up the rest of the worm. There are generally two types that infest dogs and cats; tapeworms can reach 4 to 6 inches in length within the intestine. It is the last segments in the chain that are released from the worm that can be seen in the dog or cats' stool or as in these photos, attached to the fur under the pet's tail. An entire tapeworm may have 90 segments! Many cases are diagnosed simply by seeing these tiny terminal segments attached to the pet's fur around the anus or under the tail; they even move around a bit shortly after they are passed and before they dry up and look like little grains of rice or confetti. These segments of the tapeworm contain the eggs. Tapeworms cannot be killed by the typical generic, over-the-counter wormers; see the veterinarian for prescription-only treatment that really works.
Flea Life Cycle
Understanding the life cycle of the flea is necessary in order to control it. The flea has several stages to its life cycle. Adult fleas spend most of their time on the dog or cat - they must be dislodged to leave since they will not do so voluntarily. Despite this, when the flea population on the dog becomes excessive humans tend to be an acceptable alternative to the flea. The average life span of an adult flea is probably about 6 weeks - but fleas can live as long as a year under certain conditions. A female flea can lay 20 to 28 eggs a day. She may lay several hundred eggs over her life span. These eggs fall off the pet and develop where they land. They are small and can even develop in the cracks in wood floors or other small crevices. A larvae hatches from the flea egg. It takes as few as 9 days to as long as 200 days to go through its growth stages. At this time is forms a pupae and waits for the right time to hatch. Fleas prefer temperatures of 65 to 80 degrees and humidity of 75 to 85 per cent. This range determines the period of time that fleas are a problem in your particular area. For some areas of the country, this is all year. In others, the flea season is relatively short. It is estimated that for every adult flea found on the pet, there are about 10 developing fleas in the pet's environment.
Do you have fleas?
How do you know if fleas are causing all that itching (called pruritus)? Generally, unlike the burrowing, microscopic Demodex or Scabies Mites, fleas can be seen scurrying along the surface of the skin. Dark copper colored and about the size of the head of a pin, fleas dislike light so looking for them within furry areas and on the pet's belly and inner thighs will provide your best chances of spotting them. Look for "flea dirt", too. "Flea dirt" looks like dark specks of pepper scattered on the skin surface. If you see flea dirt, which is actually flea feces and is composed of digested blood, pick some off the pet and place on a wet paper towel. If after a few minutes the tiny specks spread out like a small blood stain... it's definitely flea dirt and your pet has fleas! Flea dirt may be your only evidence of a flea infestation but believe the evidence! If there is flea dirt there are surely fleas present. You need to begin your war on the pests.
NATURAL FLEA and TICK REPELLANTS
1) Neem products work really well. It is a herb. You can spray the pet spray directly on the dog (nontoxic if eaten), you can shampoo w/ the shampoo or add a few drops neem oil to regular shampoo, you can mix neem oil & water & spray around the house, you can attach it to the garden hose for the yard, you can even use it as a supplement for killing the fleas from inside out. You can also put neem oil on the back of the neck like you would frontline, but you have to reapply weekly.
2)Recipe for natural flea, tick, mosquito repellant.
Two lemons...slice thin w/ skin on, rosemary leaves or dried rosemary, cover with water and boil for 15 min, strain, let cool & spray on dog twice weekly.
3) You can make a tea out of eucalyptus leaves to spray the house and yard. Take a bunch of eucalyptus leaves and pour boiling water over them & cover the pot. I let them steep and cool and then strained and put in a sprayer & spray the whole house & yard.
4)You can also use diatomacous earth sprinkled inside & outside the house. It punctures the fleas shell and dehydrates them & is totally safe. Just don't inhale it when you apply it because it is a dusty substance. It is safe to let the dog on it right after you apply it. Some people even feed it to their dogs as a natural wormer.
5) Beneficial Nematodes......these can be purchased form an organic gardening store. You put them in the yard and they eat the flea larvae.
6) LymeDyp for Ticks.....For a particularly heavy infestation. The dog can be dipped in lymdyp, a natural dip made form Sulferated Lyme.
7) Most importantly, keeping your dog healthy and on a good diet will make him/her much less attractive to fleas & ticks.
Natural FLEA Dog WASH - Add 40 to 60 drops of eucalyptus oil to soapy washing water and wash dog - reputedly rids fleas.
To stop the cycle of eggs (usually in carpets) ..... Sprinkling Borax Powder over carpet area in house and dog and cat beds, shake out, and vacuum carpets within a few minutes of coating carpet. Put some Borax in the Vacuum bag also. Repeat as often as needed to stop eggs/fleas
Organic Tick, Flea and Mosquito
Ingredients are full strength oils (Important! NEVER put undiluted oils directly on yourself or your dogs):
Tea Tree Oil | Rosemary Oil | Sage Oil | Cedar wood Oil | Peppermint Oil | Sweet Orange Oil | Eucalyptus Oil | Citronella Oil | Pine Needle Oil (also heard you can add almond oil)
Shampoo:
Mix 4-6 drops each with 32 oz of any natural shampoo and you have a natural flea shampoo
Repellant:
Mix 2-3 drops each with 16 oz of (not chlorinated) water in spray bottle - shake before each use and spray lightly over entire body.
Repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, flies and makes the van smell great. Can spray on blankets, beds, too. Good for people & dogs.
Blood Work by Dr Suzanne Stack
Whilst we hope that all the injuries and remedies articles are of some sort of guidance for you, we MUST stress that these should only be used as a guide and a qualified Vet should be called at all times to diagnose exact problems and treatment.
Please click on a title header to view the drop down articles.
The Skeletal and Muscle Structure
The Spine
The most common cause of weakness and pain associated with the spine is intervertebral disc trauma or disease.
The spine is composed of a long series of bones connected through a series of ligaments with a shock absorber - the disc - between each connection. If support was the only job of the spine there would be a lot less pain associated with injuries to the disc area, probably. But the spine serves as a conduit for the spinal cord, too. This very large bundle of nerves runs through the center of the spine and the individual strands of the bundle exit between the vertebrae at whatever level is necessary to do their job. The nerves pass between the outer edges of the disc and the boney protrusion of the spine. As long as everything is in its place this arrangement works fine. When the disc bulges or is damaged and calcifies it can put pressure on the exiting nerves leading to visible clinical signs of dysfunction in the area served by those nerves. By carefully considering where weaknesses and pain are exhibited it is possible to tell which discs are likely to be damaged.
If the disc is just putting a little pressure on the nerve there may only be pain. If the disc is damaging the nerve more significantly then weakness or paralysis will occur. In the case of pain alone it limiting exercise and utilizing a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication may be all that is necessary. If there is is weakness then corticosteroids or even surgery may be necessary to alleviate the problem.
In a dog with pain and weakness in one or both rear legs there is a strong likelihood of an intervertebral disc problem. Other possible causes of problems do include the ones you listed from searching our site as well as localized injuries that sometimes mimic disc problems. When both cruciate ligaments in the knees rupture at the same time the resulting disability can strongly resemble the weakness and disability associated with disc injury. It may be possible that luxation of both patellae at the same time could also produce similar signs.
The spine is composed of a long series of bones connected through a series of ligaments with a shock absorber - the disc - between each connection. If support was the only job of the spine there would be a lot less pain associated with injuries to the disc area, probably. But the spine serves as a conduit for the spinal cord, too. This very large bundle of nerves runs through the center of the spine and the individual strands of the bundle exit between the vertebrae at whatever level is necessary to do their job. The nerves pass between the outer edges of the disc and the boney protrusion of the spine. As long as everything is in its place this arrangement works fine. When the disc bulges or is damaged and calcifies it can put pressure on the exiting nerves leading to visible clinical signs of dysfunction in the area served by those nerves. By carefully considering where weaknesses and pain are exhibited it is possible to tell which discs are likely to be damaged.
If the disc is just putting a little pressure on the nerve there may only be pain. If the disc is damaging the nerve more significantly then weakness or paralysis will occur. In the case of pain alone it limiting exercise and utilizing a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication may be all that is necessary. If there is is weakness then corticosteroids or even surgery may be necessary to alleviate the problem.
In a dog with pain and weakness in one or both rear legs there is a strong likelihood of an intervertebral disc problem. Other possible causes of problems do include the ones you listed from searching our site as well as localized injuries that sometimes mimic disc problems. When both cruciate ligaments in the knees rupture at the same time the resulting disability can strongly resemble the weakness and disability associated with disc injury. It may be possible that luxation of both patellae at the same time could also produce similar signs.
Musculoskeletal
| The musculoskeletal system consists of the bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Primary functions of the musculoskeletal system include support of the body, provision of motion, and protection of vital organs. The skeletal system serves as the main storage system for calcium and phosphorus and contains critical components of the hematopoietic system. Because many other body systems, including the nervous, vascular, and integumentary systems, are interrelated, disorders of one of these systems may also affect the musculoskeletal system and complicate diagnosis. |
| Diseases of the musculoskeletal system most often involve motion deficits or functional disorders. The degree of impairment depends on the specific problem and its severity. Skeletal and articular disorders are by far the most common; however, primary muscular diseases, neurologic deficits, toxins, endocrine aberrations, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, blood and vascular disorders, nutritional imbalances or deficits, and occasionally congenital defects are diagnosed as well. |
| Disorders of muscles that are part of another body system may induce specific aberrations such as impairment of ocular motion and control, respiratory dysfunction, bladder malfunction, lack of penile retraction, and impairment of mastication and deglutition. Complete paralysis, paresis, or ataxia may be caused by primary muscular dysfunctions of infectious, toxic, or congenital origin; however, in most instances the primary disorder can be attributed to the nervous system (eg, tetanus, rhinopneumonitis, canine distemper, protozoal myelitis), with the muscular system merely representing the effector organ. |
| The structural and functional unit of skeletal muscle is the motor unit. It consists of a ventral motor neuron with its cell body in the central horn of the spinal cord and its peripheral axon, the neuromuscular junction, and the muscle fibers innervated by the neuron. Each of these components must be functionally intact for the muscle to contract properly. The ventral motor neuron is the final common pathway conducting neural impulses from the CNS to the muscle. |
| The transmission of a nerve impulse at the neuromuscular junction involves massive release of acetylcholine from small synaptic vessels, where it is stored. The acetylcholine fills the synaptic cleft between the nerve terminal and the muscle fiber membrane, where most of it is destroyed by cholinesterase within a fraction of a second. This short period of activity is sufficient to excite the muscle fiber membrane, which results in a significant increase in membrane permeability to sodium ions and allows rapid influx of sodium into the muscle fiber. The sodium ion increases the endplate potential, which elicits electrical currents that spread to the interior of the fibers where they cause a release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The calcium ions initiate, in turn, the chemical events of the contractile process. When this occurs in all the muscle fibers innervated by each motor neuron (possibly thousands), muscle contraction results. |
| Normal muscle, comprising many motor units, is dynamic, and its function and structure can be influenced by many diseases. Disorders that affect the neuromuscular junction (eg, myasthenia gravis, hypocalcemia, hypermagnesemia) can result in muscle fatigue, weakness, and paralysis. The neuromuscular junction can also be affected by muscle-relaxing drugs (eg, curare, succinylcholine, M99), certain antibiotics, and toxins (eg, botulism, tetanus, venoms). |
| Disorders primarily of the muscle membrane and, to some extent, of the actual muscle fibers are called myopathies. Muscle membrane disorders may be hereditary (eg, myotonia congenita in goats) or acquired (eg, vitamin E and selenium deficiencies, hypothyroidism, and hypokalemia). Myopathies involving the actual muscle fiber components include muscular dystrophy, polymyositis, eosinophilic myositis, white muscle disease, and exertional rhabdomyolysis. Various laboratory tests, eg, histopathologic examination, determination of serum enzyme levels, electromyographic studies, thermography, and determinations of conduction velocity, are very useful in confirmation of a specific diagnosis. |
| Tendons act as bridging and attachment structures for the muscles; some bridge long gaps between the muscle bellies and target bone and, therefore, are prone to injury themselves, especially because they are often loaded to the extreme and are only minimally capable of elastic elongation. A prime example is the superficial flexor tendon of horses, which is frequently injured by partial tearing that leads to tendinitis. Another acquired injury of tendons involves traumatic disruptions. Due to the relatively poor blood supply of both tendons and ligaments, healing is delayed and frequently poor. Management of injuries to ligaments and tendons requires patience and prudent longterm rehabilitation. |
| Bone defects due to nutrition are caused primarily by imbalances or deficiencies in minerals, particularly the trace minerals such as copper, zinc, and magnesium. Calcium and phosphorus concentrations must also be present in the correct ratio. Osteomalacia represents the classic example of imbalanced or deficient calcium and phosphorus intake. Other nutritional disorders are caused by excessive protein intake of growing animals. Either deficiency or excess intake of certain vitamins, particularly vitamins A and D, may influence growth and development of bone. Aseptic physitis or special osteochondrotic conditions of the physes may be caused by zinc toxicity or copper deficiency. |
| Traumatic causes of bone disorders represent the vast majority of cases and include fractures, fissures, periosteal reactions as a result of trauma, sequestrum formation, and insertion desmopathies or tendinopathies, respectively. Lack of weight bearing, reduced motion, instability, pain, heat, or swelling usually accompany these disorders. Diagnostic procedures include inspection, manual palpation, diagnostic imaging (such as radiography, ultrasonography, or thermography, and increasingly scintigraphy, computed tomography, or MRI), and diagnostic anesthesia to determine the specific anatomic structure or region involved in the problem. |
| Articulations are divided into synarthroses, in which the osseous components are united by fibrous tissue or cartilage, and diarthroses, in which the opposing bone ends are covered with hyaline cartilage and are separated by a joint cavity filled with synovial fluid. Synarthroses are practically immovable and are rarely associated with joint disease other than fractures. In most cases, diarthroses are movable joints, with a variable degree of mobility depending on the anatomic location of the joint. Diarthroses are frequently involved in pathologic changes involving any of their anatomic structures: the fibrous joint capsule, synovial membrane, hyaline articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and intra-articular ligaments (and also the menisci in the stifle joint). Joint disorders may be caused by trauma (acute, sharp, or blunt), chronic inflammation, developmental factors, or infections. Acute trauma frequently results in luxation, subluxation, fracture, or distortion of a joint. Direct articular trauma may also lead to septic arthritis or rupture of a collateral ligament or the joint capsule. |
| Developmental defects include osteochondritis dissecans, equine ataxia, and lumbar disk syndrome in certain breeds of dogs. Extension of physitis into the adjacent joint and damage due to continuous abnormal weight bearing in animals with angular limb deformities are other inciting causes of joint disease. Bacterial and fungal infections involving joints and other synovial structures, such as tendon sheaths, are usually quite clearly recognizable and require immediate and aggressive treatment. |
| Chronic inflammation of joints and surrounding structures is most common in articulations associated with locomotion, although other joints, such as the temporomandibular, may occasionally be affected. Normal synovial fluid lubricates the synovial tissues in a joint through boundary lubrication, including a glycoprotein expressed from the cartilage during weight bearing. The synovial fluid also nourishes the articular cartilage. Any joint injury alters the volume and composition of the synovial fluid (as a result of an increased permeability of the inflamed synovial membrane relative to blood components) and increases the intraosseous pressure in the involved bones. The increased WBC count leads to an increased concentration of proteolytic enzymes within the synovial fluid, which leads to proteoglycan washout and eventually cartilage destruction. |
| Diagnostic procedures to determine the nature, extent, and exact location of the joint disorder include inspection, manual palpation and manipulation, diagnostic imaging techniques, local or intra-articular anesthesia, diagnostic arthroscopy, and laboratory examination of synovial fluid or biopsy of synovial membrane. |
| The diagnostic and therapeutic options for management of musculoskeletal disorders have greatly expanded during the last few years and allow a return to a useful life for most animals if done early in the disease process. |
Orthopedic
Dogs are born to run. Well, most breeds, anyway. By looking at them, Bassets, for example, don’t seem to be built for speed and Large breeds may have unique orthopedic difficultiesagility. But in their hearts they, like all dogs, have an innate drive to run, jump, play and seek out new and interesting vistas! And in the process of their quest to cover ground as fast as possible, dogs do sustain orthopedic injuries very similar to human athletic injuries. An orthopedic injury refers to damage to the skeletal system or associated muscles, joints and ligaments.
Most at risk for orthopedic injuries are the Greyhounds and Coursing dogs. Orthopedic injuries to active dogs are an inevitable outcome of the high stress demanded of the body structures. In housedogs, orthopedic problems seem most often to have two common predisposing factors… the dog being overweight and the “weekend warrior”. Any overweight dog will be excessively stressing bone, muscles, joints and ligaments while engaged in active physical exercise. Jumping over obstacles, playing Frisbee, or exuberant retrieving of far-flung tennis balls can test the limits of anatomical structures. When there is any question about a dog’s weight, opt for keeping the dog slightly thin rather than slightly heavy.
The “weekend warrior” runs a risk of orthopedic injury (even if not overweight) because of lack of conditioning in tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. Especially in middle aged and older dogs, an infrequent 4-hour bout of vigorous exercise is less desirable than 8 thirty-minute play periods. Back pain, and even intervertebral disc prolapse that has an adverse impact on spinal cord function, can result in poorly conditioned dogs that are unaccustomed to long periods of physical activity. Try to keep your dog physically fit by frequent (not necessarily long) periods of activity and you will help keep excess weight from sneaking up on your canine athlete, too!
Ligaments and Cartilage
Ligaments are bands of fibrous and slightly elastic tissue. They connect the bones of a joint and assist in stabilizing directional movement of the joint members. Collateral ligaments on the medial and lateral sides of the knee joint, for example, are rather notorious since human athletes often sustain damage to these structures. Certainly the most common serious orthopedic injury occurring in dogs is a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). There are two stabilizing ligaments that cross (hence the term cruciate) inside the knee joint that allow the joint to move only in a hinge-like fashion; but when the ACL is torn, the femur actually slides across the tibial surface and creates pain, inflammation and eventually a profound arthritis. Most ACL trauma occurs when a shearing force is exerted at the knee joint, such as when the dog attempts to stop rapidly. If the shearing force overcomes the strength of the ACL, stretching or complete tearing of the ligament results. In addition, cartilage damage can result. If at the time of an injury there are abnormal forces rotating the joint, supporting cartilage called the meniscus can be torn or loosened from its attachments. Time for surgery! (A new procedure for ACL repair is currently getting quite a bit of attention from veterinary surgeons. Called the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, the technique is actually patented! Special training is needed to perform this method of correcting a torn ACL.)
Muscle and Tendons
When muscle fibers tear, called a strained muscle, healing usually takes place within two weeks if the dog is rested. Tendons are remarkably resistant to mechanical stresses and generally an associated muscle or bony attachment will fail before a tendon will separate. But torn tendons do occur, more often due to trauma such as a laceration than to exercise overload. A torn Achilles tendon behind the hock, an injury more common in dogs that jump vigorously or pull heavy loads, can be a seriously debilitating injury. Depending upon the severity of the torn or stretched tendon either rest or surgery will be required. Tendonitis refers to inflammation and irritation of a tendon. It creates pain and commonly occurs in the shoulder joint of dogs that are raced vigorously. Tendonitis often has obscure identifying signs but with anti-inflammatory medications and rest, irritated tendons and tendon sheaths will heal well. If you expect your dog to be pulling a cart or sled, be sure to do gradual increments of resistance to insure against muscle or tendon injuries.
Back Trouble
Spinal muscles, tendons, and joint structures accept an inordinate amount of physical stress. Twisting, flexing, extending, absorbing compressive forces and yet remaining flexible in spite of these stressors places a huge demand on the spinal column’s members. Muscles of the back can suffer from strains but fortunately do heal rapidly. When an intervertebral disc is compressed,If amputation is required most dogs adapt very well. however, encroachment and inflammation of nerve roots can result in persistent and debilitating pain and mobility restrictions. Trauma or degenerative forces affect the intervertebral disc and can allow disc material to protrude into the spinal canal. If the situation progresses, spinal cord function may be compromised and partial or even complete paralysis of the hind limbs occurs.
Fractures
Most cases of fractured bones happen because of direct trauma to the structure rather than from stresses induced by muscle contraction. Broken toes and limbs often occur due to impact injuries and spiral fractures of long bones can happen when a torsion stress impacts the bone. In some lucky (!) situations where the bone fragments are stable and are aligned well, simple splinting and confinement may be all that is required for the slow process of bone healing to occur. In other injuries, internal fixation with pins, wires, plates, screws and bands may be needed to realign and stabilize the fragments. In ideal situations, even severely fractured bones can heal well within six weeks.
Physical Therapy
Unfortunately, this vital aspect of the comprehensive treatment of canine orthopedic problems has been often overlooked. In the textbook CANINE SPORTS MEDICINE AND SURGERY, by Bloomberg, Dee and Taylor, published by W. B. Saunders, 1998 edition, there is an entire chapter on physical therapy covering such modalities as heat/cold applications, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, electromagnetic therapy, cold laser, massage and exercise. Properly applied physical therapy will minimize musculoskeletal disability, shorten the healing time and assist in restoring normal function. Any patient, whether or not it is considered a canine athlete, should receive the benefits of physical therapy after an orthopedic injury.
Fortunately there are veterinary specialists in orthopedic surgery whose advanced training will come to the rescue when general practitioners encounter a complicated and challenging orthopedic problem. They are experts in getting them back on the trail!
Most at risk for orthopedic injuries are the Greyhounds and Coursing dogs. Orthopedic injuries to active dogs are an inevitable outcome of the high stress demanded of the body structures. In housedogs, orthopedic problems seem most often to have two common predisposing factors… the dog being overweight and the “weekend warrior”. Any overweight dog will be excessively stressing bone, muscles, joints and ligaments while engaged in active physical exercise. Jumping over obstacles, playing Frisbee, or exuberant retrieving of far-flung tennis balls can test the limits of anatomical structures. When there is any question about a dog’s weight, opt for keeping the dog slightly thin rather than slightly heavy.
The “weekend warrior” runs a risk of orthopedic injury (even if not overweight) because of lack of conditioning in tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. Especially in middle aged and older dogs, an infrequent 4-hour bout of vigorous exercise is less desirable than 8 thirty-minute play periods. Back pain, and even intervertebral disc prolapse that has an adverse impact on spinal cord function, can result in poorly conditioned dogs that are unaccustomed to long periods of physical activity. Try to keep your dog physically fit by frequent (not necessarily long) periods of activity and you will help keep excess weight from sneaking up on your canine athlete, too!
Ligaments and Cartilage
Ligaments are bands of fibrous and slightly elastic tissue. They connect the bones of a joint and assist in stabilizing directional movement of the joint members. Collateral ligaments on the medial and lateral sides of the knee joint, for example, are rather notorious since human athletes often sustain damage to these structures. Certainly the most common serious orthopedic injury occurring in dogs is a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). There are two stabilizing ligaments that cross (hence the term cruciate) inside the knee joint that allow the joint to move only in a hinge-like fashion; but when the ACL is torn, the femur actually slides across the tibial surface and creates pain, inflammation and eventually a profound arthritis. Most ACL trauma occurs when a shearing force is exerted at the knee joint, such as when the dog attempts to stop rapidly. If the shearing force overcomes the strength of the ACL, stretching or complete tearing of the ligament results. In addition, cartilage damage can result. If at the time of an injury there are abnormal forces rotating the joint, supporting cartilage called the meniscus can be torn or loosened from its attachments. Time for surgery! (A new procedure for ACL repair is currently getting quite a bit of attention from veterinary surgeons. Called the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, the technique is actually patented! Special training is needed to perform this method of correcting a torn ACL.)
Muscle and Tendons
When muscle fibers tear, called a strained muscle, healing usually takes place within two weeks if the dog is rested. Tendons are remarkably resistant to mechanical stresses and generally an associated muscle or bony attachment will fail before a tendon will separate. But torn tendons do occur, more often due to trauma such as a laceration than to exercise overload. A torn Achilles tendon behind the hock, an injury more common in dogs that jump vigorously or pull heavy loads, can be a seriously debilitating injury. Depending upon the severity of the torn or stretched tendon either rest or surgery will be required. Tendonitis refers to inflammation and irritation of a tendon. It creates pain and commonly occurs in the shoulder joint of dogs that are raced vigorously. Tendonitis often has obscure identifying signs but with anti-inflammatory medications and rest, irritated tendons and tendon sheaths will heal well. If you expect your dog to be pulling a cart or sled, be sure to do gradual increments of resistance to insure against muscle or tendon injuries.
Back Trouble
Spinal muscles, tendons, and joint structures accept an inordinate amount of physical stress. Twisting, flexing, extending, absorbing compressive forces and yet remaining flexible in spite of these stressors places a huge demand on the spinal column’s members. Muscles of the back can suffer from strains but fortunately do heal rapidly. When an intervertebral disc is compressed,If amputation is required most dogs adapt very well. however, encroachment and inflammation of nerve roots can result in persistent and debilitating pain and mobility restrictions. Trauma or degenerative forces affect the intervertebral disc and can allow disc material to protrude into the spinal canal. If the situation progresses, spinal cord function may be compromised and partial or even complete paralysis of the hind limbs occurs.
Fractures
Most cases of fractured bones happen because of direct trauma to the structure rather than from stresses induced by muscle contraction. Broken toes and limbs often occur due to impact injuries and spiral fractures of long bones can happen when a torsion stress impacts the bone. In some lucky (!) situations where the bone fragments are stable and are aligned well, simple splinting and confinement may be all that is required for the slow process of bone healing to occur. In other injuries, internal fixation with pins, wires, plates, screws and bands may be needed to realign and stabilize the fragments. In ideal situations, even severely fractured bones can heal well within six weeks.
Physical Therapy
Unfortunately, this vital aspect of the comprehensive treatment of canine orthopedic problems has been often overlooked. In the textbook CANINE SPORTS MEDICINE AND SURGERY, by Bloomberg, Dee and Taylor, published by W. B. Saunders, 1998 edition, there is an entire chapter on physical therapy covering such modalities as heat/cold applications, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, electromagnetic therapy, cold laser, massage and exercise. Properly applied physical therapy will minimize musculoskeletal disability, shorten the healing time and assist in restoring normal function. Any patient, whether or not it is considered a canine athlete, should receive the benefits of physical therapy after an orthopedic injury.
Fortunately there are veterinary specialists in orthopedic surgery whose advanced training will come to the rescue when general practitioners encounter a complicated and challenging orthopedic problem. They are experts in getting them back on the trail!
Care of Feet and Limbs
It has been said many times and it sounds extremely corny, and that is "a Greyhound runs on its feet"
and "no feet no Greyhound."
Corny it may be, but it is still true, and a Greyhounds feet must be maintained in good condition for
them to perform at their best.
It is the feet of the Greyhound that have to carry all of the weight and all of the driving pressure it
exerts on the track surface in the process of running.
Lets look for instance at the pressure that say the two inside toes of the right hind foot of the
Greyhound have to take as it drives around the first turn.
A 32 Kg Greyhound running around the turn would exert 32 Kg of pressure on the foot as it is placed
on the ground. Then of course the Greyhound drives off from that point on the ground, and that means
it would have to at least double the pressure on the foot to propel itself forward again.
That is 64 kg of pressure on the right hind foot plus the extra pressure placed on the foot due to the
inertia effect of going round a turn, and it is the two inside toes that take most of that pressure at some
stage of the stride.
No wonder that Greyhounds break sesamoids and damage the tendons and ligaments of the toes.
Therefore it is essential to have a good look at the feet of your Greyhounds after each and every
run.
Check the pads for cuts, cracks, uneven wear and papillomas or corns, check the webbing for splits,
lacerations or sand burns, and check around the nails for signs of injury such as splits or cracks to the
nails or infection and inflammation around the nail quick.
And while you are looking at the feet run your fingers around the toes, extend and flex the toes, and
check for ligament or tendon damage to the toe joints.
While I personally have no problems with washing a dogs feet after the run with a dilute disinfectant,
I have found that the use of a tooth brush to the nail quick will in fact cause more problems than it will
cure, and have found that using the high pressure of a hose in the wash bay after the race quite
sufficient for cleaning the sand from around the nails.
Common toe injuries
Dorsal elastic ligament sprain
Flexor tendon sprains (bowed tendons)
Sesamoid ligament sprains, and bone fractures
Dislocation
Broken nails
Collateral ligament strains (sprung toes)
Hairline fractures
Knocked up toes
Split webbing
Disorders of the feet and toes
Dry cracked pads
Infected quicks
Stone bruises
Foreign bodies in pads
Interdigital Eczema
Papillomas and corns
Grass or sand burns
Lacerations
Common front limb injuries
Metacarpal periostitis
Metacarpal fractures (hairline and complete)
Distal accessory carpal ligament sprains (wrists)
Accessory carpal bone (fractures and sprain)
Shoulder blade fractures
Common hind limb injuries
Metatarsal fractures (hairline and complete)
Hock injuries (sprains and fractures)
Cranial tibial tendon sprain
Fibula fractures
Tibia (fractures and periostitis) (tibial crest)
Sprung toes and dislocated toes
The term a "sprung" toe is broadly applied by trainers to describe damage of some kind to any of the
toe joints.
More often than not when someone describes toe joint damage as a "sprung" toe, no distinction is
made between what is a "sprung" toe joint and what is a "dislocated" toe joint.
Unfortunately there is a huge difference in both of these injuries and the type of treatment that may be
undertaken in an attempt to repair the problem.
You have raced or trialled your greyhound and he pulls up lame on one foot and on examination of the
foot you find swelling around one of the toes.
The first thing that must be done as soon as possible is to apply cold therapy, either by running cold
water from a hose over the foot or by soaking the foot in cold water with ice for 10 minutes every 6 to
8 hours for the first 48 hours.
At the end of that time you need to find out whether the toe joint has been sprung or dislocated.
Now the distinction between a sprung toe and a dislocated toe is simply the difference in, and the
extent of, the damage to the ligaments of the toe joint.
In a "sprung" toe, the dorsal elastic ligaments that normally hold the joint stable will be stretched
beyond their normal capacity, but will still be intact.
In a "dislocated" toe the dorsal elastic ligaments will be torn away on one side of the toe joint and are
therefore incapable of ever healing properly and holding the joint stable again.
To find out whether or not the joint is sprung or dislocated you need to carefully and gently check the
stability of the joint when the swelling has subsided.
A sprung toe may be treated with ultra sound therapy in cold water daily for 7 days followed by twice
daily massaging with iodised oil for a further 7 days.
While a dislocated toe will need veterinary treatment that may vary from injecting the joint with a
sclerosing agent, the insertion by microsurgery of a new section of ligament, or the removal of part or
all of the toe depending on the location of the damage.
One of the main problems experienced with toe joint damage is the ongoing pain that is experienced
by the greyhound even though the damage appears to have been repaired
When this occurs on a front foot it often translates into problems for the Greyhound in negotiating the
turns, simply because a Greyhound can only change direction when it has a front foot on the ground
and the pain in the foot makes that difficult.
Webbing problems
The other common problem experienced by many trainers is the so-called sand grazes to the right hind
foot webbing, and in particular to the underside of the third toe.
In many instances it is assumed by the trainer that it is the track sand that causes the problem and
therefore the only treatment undertaken is an attempt at toughening the webbing by applications of
tannic acid or similar substances. When in fact the problem is caused by damage to the Deep and
Superficial Flexor muscles that normally flex the toes during part of the stride.
What is supposed to happen is that the foot hits the ground, the flexor muscles tighten, and the toes of
the foot grip the track surface. What actually happens when the Superficial Flexor muscles are
damaged is that when the foot hits the ground the toes stay straight and flat and allow the underside of
the webbing to make contact with the track surface.
And when the damage is severe enough this will also cause damage to the deep digital flexor tendons.
In particular to the tendon under the third toe of the right hind foot, the end result being a split in the
webbing under the toe that opens up every time the greyhound runs.
I have seen all sorts of treatment for this particular problem that has varied from injecting the split
under the foot with a sclerosing agent, to the removal of the webbing between the third and fourth toe.
The only real cure for sand grazes is to get the deep and superficial digital flexor muscles back
functioning correctly and flexing the toes. This is done by using a TENS treatment unit or a Faradic
Current muscle contractor to strengthen the flexor muscles as well as massaging the muscles and the
flexor tendons with iodised oil and allowing some healing time.
Track leg
The other common problem that many greyhound trainers have to deal with at some time or other is
the problem of the greyhound striking the inside of the hind leg on the elbow and causing a swelling
generally known as a track leg.
The swelling is a mixture of bruising, blood clot, fluid and periostitis (inflammation of the bone
surface).
This occurs mainly to the inside of the left hind leg, due to the direction that greyhounds run in, and if
the injury problems causing the track leg are severe enough, to the inside of the right hind leg as well.
It is important to remember that track leg is caused by an unnatural gait of the greyhound due to either
the elbow not being held close enough to the body or by the hind leg being pulled inward during the
stride, and that this only occurs due to some type of muscle, ligament or bone injury.
The other thing to remember is that by the time the injury is severe enough to alter the Greyhounds
stride to the extend that it causes a track leg, quite often the damage in the muscle tissue is at the stage
where it can no longer be fully repaired.
No matter how well you machine or how hard you work on an injury, muscle tissue that has been
damaged will no longer function as well as it did prior to the injury occurring, mainly due to the fact
that any damage to the muscle fibres will cause scar tissue and adhesions
and "no feet no Greyhound."
Corny it may be, but it is still true, and a Greyhounds feet must be maintained in good condition for
them to perform at their best.
It is the feet of the Greyhound that have to carry all of the weight and all of the driving pressure it
exerts on the track surface in the process of running.
Lets look for instance at the pressure that say the two inside toes of the right hind foot of the
Greyhound have to take as it drives around the first turn.
A 32 Kg Greyhound running around the turn would exert 32 Kg of pressure on the foot as it is placed
on the ground. Then of course the Greyhound drives off from that point on the ground, and that means
it would have to at least double the pressure on the foot to propel itself forward again.
That is 64 kg of pressure on the right hind foot plus the extra pressure placed on the foot due to the
inertia effect of going round a turn, and it is the two inside toes that take most of that pressure at some
stage of the stride.
No wonder that Greyhounds break sesamoids and damage the tendons and ligaments of the toes.
Therefore it is essential to have a good look at the feet of your Greyhounds after each and every
run.
Check the pads for cuts, cracks, uneven wear and papillomas or corns, check the webbing for splits,
lacerations or sand burns, and check around the nails for signs of injury such as splits or cracks to the
nails or infection and inflammation around the nail quick.
And while you are looking at the feet run your fingers around the toes, extend and flex the toes, and
check for ligament or tendon damage to the toe joints.
While I personally have no problems with washing a dogs feet after the run with a dilute disinfectant,
I have found that the use of a tooth brush to the nail quick will in fact cause more problems than it will
cure, and have found that using the high pressure of a hose in the wash bay after the race quite
sufficient for cleaning the sand from around the nails.
Common toe injuries
Dorsal elastic ligament sprain
Flexor tendon sprains (bowed tendons)
Sesamoid ligament sprains, and bone fractures
Dislocation
Broken nails
Collateral ligament strains (sprung toes)
Hairline fractures
Knocked up toes
Split webbing
Disorders of the feet and toes
Dry cracked pads
Infected quicks
Stone bruises
Foreign bodies in pads
Interdigital Eczema
Papillomas and corns
Grass or sand burns
Lacerations
Common front limb injuries
Metacarpal periostitis
Metacarpal fractures (hairline and complete)
Distal accessory carpal ligament sprains (wrists)
Accessory carpal bone (fractures and sprain)
Shoulder blade fractures
Common hind limb injuries
Metatarsal fractures (hairline and complete)
Hock injuries (sprains and fractures)
Cranial tibial tendon sprain
Fibula fractures
Tibia (fractures and periostitis) (tibial crest)
Sprung toes and dislocated toes
The term a "sprung" toe is broadly applied by trainers to describe damage of some kind to any of the
toe joints.
More often than not when someone describes toe joint damage as a "sprung" toe, no distinction is
made between what is a "sprung" toe joint and what is a "dislocated" toe joint.
Unfortunately there is a huge difference in both of these injuries and the type of treatment that may be
undertaken in an attempt to repair the problem.
You have raced or trialled your greyhound and he pulls up lame on one foot and on examination of the
foot you find swelling around one of the toes.
The first thing that must be done as soon as possible is to apply cold therapy, either by running cold
water from a hose over the foot or by soaking the foot in cold water with ice for 10 minutes every 6 to
8 hours for the first 48 hours.
At the end of that time you need to find out whether the toe joint has been sprung or dislocated.
Now the distinction between a sprung toe and a dislocated toe is simply the difference in, and the
extent of, the damage to the ligaments of the toe joint.
In a "sprung" toe, the dorsal elastic ligaments that normally hold the joint stable will be stretched
beyond their normal capacity, but will still be intact.
In a "dislocated" toe the dorsal elastic ligaments will be torn away on one side of the toe joint and are
therefore incapable of ever healing properly and holding the joint stable again.
To find out whether or not the joint is sprung or dislocated you need to carefully and gently check the
stability of the joint when the swelling has subsided.
A sprung toe may be treated with ultra sound therapy in cold water daily for 7 days followed by twice
daily massaging with iodised oil for a further 7 days.
While a dislocated toe will need veterinary treatment that may vary from injecting the joint with a
sclerosing agent, the insertion by microsurgery of a new section of ligament, or the removal of part or
all of the toe depending on the location of the damage.
One of the main problems experienced with toe joint damage is the ongoing pain that is experienced
by the greyhound even though the damage appears to have been repaired
When this occurs on a front foot it often translates into problems for the Greyhound in negotiating the
turns, simply because a Greyhound can only change direction when it has a front foot on the ground
and the pain in the foot makes that difficult.
Webbing problems
The other common problem experienced by many trainers is the so-called sand grazes to the right hind
foot webbing, and in particular to the underside of the third toe.
In many instances it is assumed by the trainer that it is the track sand that causes the problem and
therefore the only treatment undertaken is an attempt at toughening the webbing by applications of
tannic acid or similar substances. When in fact the problem is caused by damage to the Deep and
Superficial Flexor muscles that normally flex the toes during part of the stride.
What is supposed to happen is that the foot hits the ground, the flexor muscles tighten, and the toes of
the foot grip the track surface. What actually happens when the Superficial Flexor muscles are
damaged is that when the foot hits the ground the toes stay straight and flat and allow the underside of
the webbing to make contact with the track surface.
And when the damage is severe enough this will also cause damage to the deep digital flexor tendons.
In particular to the tendon under the third toe of the right hind foot, the end result being a split in the
webbing under the toe that opens up every time the greyhound runs.
I have seen all sorts of treatment for this particular problem that has varied from injecting the split
under the foot with a sclerosing agent, to the removal of the webbing between the third and fourth toe.
The only real cure for sand grazes is to get the deep and superficial digital flexor muscles back
functioning correctly and flexing the toes. This is done by using a TENS treatment unit or a Faradic
Current muscle contractor to strengthen the flexor muscles as well as massaging the muscles and the
flexor tendons with iodised oil and allowing some healing time.
Track leg
The other common problem that many greyhound trainers have to deal with at some time or other is
the problem of the greyhound striking the inside of the hind leg on the elbow and causing a swelling
generally known as a track leg.
The swelling is a mixture of bruising, blood clot, fluid and periostitis (inflammation of the bone
surface).
This occurs mainly to the inside of the left hind leg, due to the direction that greyhounds run in, and if
the injury problems causing the track leg are severe enough, to the inside of the right hind leg as well.
It is important to remember that track leg is caused by an unnatural gait of the greyhound due to either
the elbow not being held close enough to the body or by the hind leg being pulled inward during the
stride, and that this only occurs due to some type of muscle, ligament or bone injury.
The other thing to remember is that by the time the injury is severe enough to alter the Greyhounds
stride to the extend that it causes a track leg, quite often the damage in the muscle tissue is at the stage
where it can no longer be fully repaired.
No matter how well you machine or how hard you work on an injury, muscle tissue that has been
damaged will no longer function as well as it did prior to the injury occurring, mainly due to the fact
that any damage to the muscle fibres will cause scar tissue and adhesions
Stifle (Cranial Cruciate Ligament)
Whilst we hope that any articles printed here can act as some sort of guidance for you, we MUST stress that these are merely a guide, a Qualified Vet should be spoken to at all times to diagnose exact problems and possible treatments.
Injury of the cranial cruciate ligament is a relatively common injury of the stifle (knee) of the hind limb of the dog. It can be a debilitating injury causing significant lameness.
What is the CCL?
The CCL is major stabiliser of the stifle (knee). It plays a very important role in providing stability to the joint, by preventing excessive hyperextension (straightening), internal rotation (twisting) and tibial shear force. Shear force results from loads transmitted through the stifle when weight is placed on the leg. If the shear force were unopposed this would cause the tibia to move forwards in relation to the femur (instability).
What is the consequence of CCL injury?
When the CCL fails, these movements are no longer restricted. This causes instability in the stifle, abnormal movement and overloading the structures within the joint and causing pain. The cartilage meniscus is one such structure that is frequently damaged when the CCL fails. The mensici are shock absorbing structures within the stifle.
Unfortunately CCL injury is likely to lead to relatively prompt degenerative change (osteoarthritis) within the joint. In the early stages of disease the stifle tends to be painful because of the instability and consequences of this. Progressive osteoarthritis can become important in later years.
CCL injury causes joint instability, lameness, pain, and progression of osteoarthritis.
How is the CCL injured?
CCL failure can result from sudden injury or gradual degeneration of the ligament. Sudden injury is most commonly associated with hyperextension or internal rotation of the leg, that may occur when a dog’s foot may be caught in a hole or fence. Jumping can also cause CCL rupture if forces exceed the breaking strength of the ligament.
CCL failure can more commonly occur because of degeneration. This can occur with ageing (especially in large-breed dogs), conformational abnormalities (straight rear limbs) or inflammation within the joint. With ligament degeneration , even repetitive normal activities can cause rupture of the ligament. It is these cases that we see mostly commonly at our practice.
Dogs that are overweight appear more at risk of CCL injury.
Often in the dog, ligaments weakened by degeneration are more susceptible to trauma.
How does injury of CCL effect my dog?
CCL injury causes joint instability, lameness, pain and the development of osteoarthritis.
How would i know if my dog has injured his CCL?
The diagnosis of CCL injury would be based on clinical history of the lameness and physical examination by a Veterinary with gait analysis, and radiographic investigation of the stifle joint. Additional tests may sometimes be required eg joint fluid analysis, arthroscopy, MRI etc.
What treatment would be required?
Some smaller patients, with normal anatomy, may fair well without surgical treatment. Management of these cases can involve restricted activity levels, weight management, anti-inflammatory pain relief, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy.
The vast majority of dogs with CCL injury will have ongoing progressive stifle pain, instability and lameness and require surgical treatment to improve their function.
What surgery can be required?
A variety of surgical options are available to treat CCL injury. These include options that aim to passively restrain abnormal movements in the stifle joint, eg ligament replacement techniques with tissue grafts or sutures. Alternative recent techniques are aimed at actively opposing abnormal movements and changing the way forces act through the joint (eg tibial plateau levelling osteotomy, TPLO).
A full discussion with your veterinary surgeon will allow you to understand the risks and benefits of available surgical techniques, and allow an informed decision to be made as to the option which will be most beneficial to your dog.
Post operative management?
All patients undergoing surgical treatment will require exercise restriction for 6-12 weeks. The aim is for a full return to exercise 3-4 months following surgery. Exercise restriction is most important in the first 6 weeks post surgery, when no free activity including no running, no jumping, and no climbing stairs is allowed. Lead exercise must even be enforced in the garden for toilet purposes.
It is normal for patients to be re-examined 6 weeks after surgery for assessment, and often radiographs will be taken. This allows us to document how your dog is recovering and give advice on future activity and return to function. In the majority of cases dogs can normally start to increase their activity levels after this assessment
Hock Fractures
My feeling is that adoption groups should not reject these greyhounds because they lack funds to fix the hocks. It's been about 10 years since I've been around racetracks --but back then, unless an owner planned to continue the dog's racing career, a broken hock was never fixed. To heal adequately for pet purposes (though they will lack the few 1/100s of a second needed for racing), all the majority of hock fractures need is 6 -- 12 months of house or kennel rest somewhere. The 'how long' depends on how picky the adopter is -- does the gait need to be perfect before they will accept the dog? Is there an adopter who will take the greyhound if the gait never does become perfect in one of the "bad" fractures?
The reason hocks heal so well with so few repercussions is that the usual fracture is a slab fracture of a tiny (<1") bone (central tarsal bone) in a non-moving joint. Sometimes, more than one of these tiny tarsal bones is involved - there are 5 of them, plus the larger talus and calcaneus bones making up the hock joint. Since the fracture is in a non-moving joint to begin with, the arthritis that develops around the site is fairly insignificant to the dog's movement. And it takes movement to cause pain.
There are a few more disastrous hock fractures, such as when the tip of the calcaneous bone (tip of the hock) breaks off and the dog's Achilles tendon goes with it. This is a dog that really needs surgery to function right. But, the bottom line is, I still wouldn't let him die for lack of funds for an orthopedic surgery. My old lady, Jamie, is living proof that while these greyhounds are gimps (mechanically, their Achilles tendon does not work), they're not in pain for the rest of their lives.
Many kudos to the groups who do fix these fractures. And also to racing owners who will pay for surgery even when the greyhound is "all done.” But, for those groups who can't afford it - if you have a foster home that can give a hock fracture house rest (no galloping) for a long, long time, please take these greyhounds and give them a chance. Except for the big calcified bump on that hock, they will be "good as new" once healed.
That was an Excerpt from an article I was reading and its 1 I totally agree with and wanted to share it..
Bone Plating Surgery
Accidents do happen... and bones do break! Bone fracture repair in dogs is a skill that greatly enhances the health of our pets when the unexpected trauma of a fractured bone occurs. There are various methods of repairing fractures from simple confinement and rest with no intervention to internal mechanical fixation with bone grafts. One common method, displayed on this page, is the use of stainless steel bone plating devices to hold the fracture segments together while the slow healing process takes place.
Bone plating in dogs has the distinct advantage of being secure, stable, strong and requires no external splinting or fixation hardware that would encumber normal mobility and comfort. The patient that underwent internal fixation surgery (an example of external fixation would be a simple splint or cast) in this presentation walked comfortably out the door the day after surgery and had almost no swelling or discomfort. X-rays of the healed bone six weeks later (below left) reveal good union and new bone formation.
The patient is again anesthetized, the leg is opened and the plate, screws and wire are removed. Healing after plate removal is rapid and this patient made a speedy and uneventful recovery.
Bone plating in dogs has the distinct advantage of being secure, stable, strong and requires no external splinting or fixation hardware that would encumber normal mobility and comfort. The patient that underwent internal fixation surgery (an example of external fixation would be a simple splint or cast) in this presentation walked comfortably out the door the day after surgery and had almost no swelling or discomfort. X-rays of the healed bone six weeks later (below left) reveal good union and new bone formation.
The patient is again anesthetized, the leg is opened and the plate, screws and wire are removed. Healing after plate removal is rapid and this patient made a speedy and uneventful recovery.
Kennel Cough
Kennel cough is most commonly associated with a bacterial infection caused by the organism Bordetella bronchiseptica. While it is hard to be certain in veterinary medicine when discussing statistics, it is estimated that 80 to 90% of the cases of kennel cough are due to this organism. The other 10 to 20% of cases are caused by a variety of other infectious agents, most of them viral. Kennel cough has been associated with parainfluenza virus, adenovirus and canine distemper virus as well as the Bordetella bacteria.
The incubation period from the time a dog is exposed until clinical signs appear varies depending on which infectious agent is the cause. In general it appears to be about 3 to 5 days with Bordetella. The infection tends to be mild except for a very harsh cough that often prompts owners to think that their dog "has something caught in his throat". In some dogs it can lead to pneumonia or more serious signs. Cough suppressants can be used to control the cough and antibiotics may be necessary for stubborn infections or to try to stop the spread of the bacteria in multiple dog households. It is probably a good idea to vaccinate dogs who will be exposed to large numbers of other dogs, such as at shows, obedience classes or the classic cause -- when left in kennels. The intranasal vaccine is pretty fast acting, providing some protection in as little as 5 days. The injectable version of the vaccine may provide longer immunity, though. Some vets use both to get maximum protection.
The incubation period from the time a dog is exposed until clinical signs appear varies depending on which infectious agent is the cause. In general it appears to be about 3 to 5 days with Bordetella. The infection tends to be mild except for a very harsh cough that often prompts owners to think that their dog "has something caught in his throat". In some dogs it can lead to pneumonia or more serious signs. Cough suppressants can be used to control the cough and antibiotics may be necessary for stubborn infections or to try to stop the spread of the bacteria in multiple dog households. It is probably a good idea to vaccinate dogs who will be exposed to large numbers of other dogs, such as at shows, obedience classes or the classic cause -- when left in kennels. The intranasal vaccine is pretty fast acting, providing some protection in as little as 5 days. The injectable version of the vaccine may provide longer immunity, though. Some vets use both to get maximum protection.
Greyhounds & Worms
Learn about the different types of worms in dogs and cats...
roundworms,tapeworms,hookworms,whipworms. Other intestinal parasites such as giardia and coccidia are displayed. Your veterinarian can check your pet's stool sample to be certain pets do not harbor intestinal parasites such as you see here.
Consult your veterinarian about routine worming of dogs. CAUTION! Intestinal parasites of dogs and cats are potential health hazards for humans, too. If hookworm larvae penetrate the skin they can cause "cutaneous larval migrans", a potentially serious and scarring inflammation results. Ascarid (roundworm) eggs if ingested can cause a disease called "visceral larval migrans" where tiny worm larvae migrate through the person's intestinal wall and into the body tissues. They then grow to larger size almost anywhere in the body. Ocular disease is a common sequel "visceral larval migrans". Children are at most serious risk especially if play behavior is in an environment where dog, cat, or raccoon feces may be present... such as in a sandbox. A single adult Toxicara canis female can shed up to 100,000 eggs a day which pass into the dog or cat's environment with the stool. Please take the worming advice of your veterinarian seriously and adhere to strict sanitation principles whenever pets and children are in close contact. Note... roundworms are not spread to people simply by close contact with dogs or cats. The individual must ingest (eat!) the infective stage of the roundworm eggs; since the eggs are primarily associated with feces, humans would somehow need to consume the egg contaminated feces for contagion to occur. If you search for "Prevention of Zoonotic Transmission of Ascarids and Hookworms of Dogs and Cats" you can see information about roundworm and hookworm hazards for humans.
Let's examine each type of worm individually:
Worms in Dogs!
Why does the veterinarian want to check a stool sample? Dogs are victims of several internal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common are the roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four only two are commonly seen in the stool with the unaided eye...roundworms and tapeworms. Look at the photo on the right and you can see that roundworms can assume different sizes. Plus when they are fresh they are whitish in appearance. The single entire tapeworm usually will not be seen externally, and all you might see in the stool or attached to the fur would be the small segments that detach from the end of the tapeworm... (See photo.) Hooks and whips are so small that they seldom are seen in the stool. A tapeworm and segments plus a number of roundworms...That's precisely why a stool sample is often required in order to discover which parasite is present; the EGGS of all these worms can be seen under the microscope and that's how their presence is detected...by looking for their eggs under the microscope! Keep in mind that it is the goal of each parasite to stay in the safety of the intestinal tract; if they come out, they'll die! They don't want to be detected!
Most worm infestations cause any or all of these symptoms: diarrhea, perhaps with blood; weight loss; dry hair; general poor appearance; and vomiting, perhaps with worms in the vomit. However, some infestations cause few or no symptoms; in fact some worm eggs or larvae can be dormant in the dog's body and activated only in times of stress, or in the case of roundworms and hookworms, until the later stages of pregnancy when they activate and infest the soon-to-be-born puppies and kittens.
Why should the vet check a stool sample?
Early diagnosis for the presence and type of intestinal parasite is very important. The stool (only about a teaspoonful is needed) is mixed with a special solution to make the microscopic eggs more visible. Depending upon which kind of worm is present a certain type of wormer may have to be used. For example, if a cat has roundworms the veterinarian will want to prescribe a certain kind of medication specific for the elimination of roundworms. If tapeworms are present, a different wormer will be used. Not all worms respond to the same treatment and no single wormer works against all kinds of parasites. And some non-prescription wormers are quite ineffective in removing worms from the dog or cat. Your veterinarian will havePet Foods and Supplies! available for you the best kinds of wormers for the particular type of parasite your pet has. Therefore, stool samples should be taken to the veterinarian for microscopic examination for the worm eggs if worms are suspected. Many veterinarians include the stool check as part of the annual health examination.
Giardia and coccidia are single celled organisms that can cause loose stool, gas production and poor health. Learn more about Giardia parasites.
Prevention.
Remove dog feces from back yards at least weekly, use the correct wormer under veterinary supervision, and have the dog's feces checked frequently in persistent cases. Do not mix wormers and do not use any wormer if your dog is currently taking any other medication, including Heartworm preventative, without consulting the veterinarian. In persistent reinfestations, some veterinarians will prescribe worming treatments on a routine basis all year long. Generally, prescription wormers will be safer and more effective (although often more expensive) than over-the-counter worm medications.
When walking the dog in a neighborhood or park, remove all feces so that the dog does not contribute to contamination of soil. Dogs and cats that are in generally good condition may not act threatened by worm infestations and may not even show signs of having worms. However, it's a good idea to keep your dog and cat as worm-free as possible so that if disease or stresses do occur, the pet has greater reserves and defenses to handle the crisis.
Tapeworm eggs do NOT show up well in routine fecal analyses! Tell your veterinarian if you spot these rice-like segments in the stool or caught in the fur under the tail.
Roundworms
A large percentage of puppies are born with microscopically small roundworm larvae in their tissues. The larvae got there via migration through the mother's tissues right into the developing pup in the mother's uterus! The worm larvae can also be transferred to the nursing pup or kitten from the mother's milk. The larvae make their way to the intestinal tract where they can grow up to five inches in length. They start shedding eggs and try desperately to keep house in the small intestine of the pup . The eggs that the adult worms pass in the stool can now reinfest the same pup or other dogs if somehow the egg-bearing stool is eaten. When the worm eggs hatch, larvae are released internally to migrate to the animal's lungs where the larvae (remember, the larvae are microscopic in size) are finally coughed up, swallowed, and finally grow up to adults in the small intestine. So you can see that repeated exposures to egg-bearing stool or stool-contaminated soil can cause additive numbers of parasites to a dogs load. Not good! NOTE: If the mother has no risk of worm infestation. intestinal parasites and no encysted larvae in her tissues...the pups will be born worm free.
Roundworms are active in the intestines of puppies, often causing a pot-bellied appearance and poor growth. The worms may be seen in vomit or stool; a severe infestation can cause death by intestinal blockage. Females can produce 200 thousand eggs in a day; eggs are protected by a hard shell and can exist in the soil for years.
Roundworms can infest adult dogs too. However, as mentioned above, the larvae can encyst in body tissue of adult dogs and cats, remain dormant for periods of time, and can activate during the last stages of pregnancy to infest the puppies. Worming the mother has no effect on the encysted larvae in the body tissues and cannot prevent the worms from infecting the newborn. Almost all wormers work only on the adult parasites in the intestinal tract.
Hookworms
These are much more common in dogs than in cats. They are very small, thin worms Whipworm and Hookworm eggs under microscopic view. that fasten to the wall of the small intestine and suck blood. Dogs get hookworms from larval migration in the uterus, from contact with the larvae in stool-contaminated soil, or from ingesting the eggs after birth. As with roundworms, the hookworm larvae can also be transferred to the nursing pup from the mother's milk.
A severe hookworm infestation can kill puppies, often making them severely anemic from the loss of blood to the hookworms' vampire-like activities! Chronic hookworm infestation is a common cause of older dogs not performing optimally, having poor feed efficiency and weight maintenance, and having poor stamina. Often the signs include bloody diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and progressive weakness. Diagnosis is made by examining the feces for eggs under a microscope.
Whipworms
This parasite is more often seen in dogs than cats. Adult whipworms, although seldom seen in the stool, look like tiny pieces of Whipworm eggs under the microscope. thread with one end enlarged. They live in the cecum, the first section of the dog's large intestine. Infestations are usually difficult to prove since the whipworms shed comparatively few eggs; so an examination of even several stool samples may not reveal the presence of whipworms. If a dog is presented with chronic weight loss and passes stool that seems to have a covering of mucous (especially the last portion of stool the dog passes), and lives in a kennel situation or an area where whipworms are prevalent, the veterinarian may prescribe a whipworm medication based upon circumstantial evidence. Repeat wormings may be necessary especially if there is a probability that the dog will become reinfested. Although they seldom cause a dog's death, whipworms are a real nuisance for the dog and can be a problem for the veterinarian to diagnose.
Tapeworms
Dried tapeworm segments are displayed in the images below...
Tapeworm segments caught in the fur under the tail.Tapeworms... Another intestinal parasite, the tapeworm, is transmitted to dogs and cats that ingest fleas (fleas think tapeworm UP close and personal with tapeworm segments.eggs are real tasty!) or that hunt and eat wildlife or rodents infested with tapeworms or fleas. If you were to see an entire tapeworm you would notice that they are arranged with a small head at one end and many tiny brick-like repeating segments making up the rest of the worm. There are generally two types that infest dogs and cats; tapeworms can reach 4 to 6 inches in length within the intestine. It is the last segments in the chain that are released from the worm that can be seen in the dog or cats' stool or as in these photos, attached to the fur under the pet's tail. An entire tapeworm may have 90 segments! Many cases are diagnosed simply by seeing these tiny terminal segments attached to the pet's fur around the anus or under the tail; they even move around a bit shortly after they are passed and before they dry up and look like little grains of rice or confetti. These segments of the tapeworm contain the eggs. Tapeworms cannot be killed by the typical generic, over-the-counter wormers; see the veterinarian for prescription-only treatment that really works.
Greyhounds & Fleas
Understanding the life cycle of the flea is necessary in order to control it. The flea has several stages to its life cycle. Adult fleas spend most of their time on the dog or cat - they must be dislodged to leave since they will not do so voluntarily. Despite this, when the flea population on the dog becomes excessive humans tend to be an acceptable alternative to the flea. The average life span of an adult flea is probably about 6 weeks - but fleas can live as long as a year under certain conditions. A female flea can lay 20 to 28 eggs a day. She may lay several hundred eggs over her life span. These eggs fall off the pet and develop where they land. They are small and can even develop in the cracks in wood floors or other small crevices. A larvae hatches from the flea egg. It takes as few as 9 days to as long as 200 days to go through its growth stages. At this time is forms a pupae and waits for the right time to hatch. Fleas prefer temperatures of 65 to 80 degrees and humidity of 75 to 85 per cent. This range determines the period of time that fleas are a problem in your particular area. For some areas of the country, this is all year. In others, the flea season is relatively short. It is estimated that for every adult flea found on the pet, there are about 10 developing fleas in the pet's environment.
Do you have fleas?
How do you know if fleas are causing all that itching (called pruritus)? Generally, unlike the burrowing, microscopic Demodex or Scabies Mites, fleas can be seen scurrying along the surface of the skin. Dark copper colored and about the size of the head of a pin, fleas dislike light so looking for them within furry areas and on the pet's belly and inner thighs will provide your best chances of spotting them. Look for "flea dirt", too. "Flea dirt" looks like dark specks of pepper scattered on the skin surface. If you see flea dirt, which is actually flea feces and is composed of digested blood, pick some off the pet and place on a wet paper towel. If after a few minutes the tiny specks spread out like a small blood stain... it's definitely flea dirt and your pet has fleas! Flea dirt may be your only evidence of a flea infestation but believe the evidence! If there is flea dirt there are surely fleas present. You need to begin your war on the pests.
NATURAL FLEA and TICK REPELLANTS
1) Neem products work really well. It is a herb. You can spray the pet spray directly on the dog (nontoxic if eaten), you can shampoo w/ the shampoo or add a few drops neem oil to regular shampoo, you can mix neem oil & water & spray around the house, you can attach it to the garden hose for the yard, you can even use it as a supplement for killing the fleas from inside out. You can also put neem oil on the back of the neck like you would frontline, but you have to reapply weekly.
2)Recipe for natural flea, tick, mosquito repellant.
Two lemons...slice thin w/ skin on, rosemary leaves or dried rosemary, cover with water and boil for 15 min, strain, let cool & spray on dog twice weekly.
3) You can make a tea out of eucalyptus leaves to spray the house and yard. Take a bunch of eucalyptus leaves and pour boiling water over them & cover the pot. I let them steep and cool and then strained and put in a sprayer & spray the whole house & yard.
4)You can also use diatomacous earth sprinkled inside & outside the house. It punctures the fleas shell and dehydrates them & is totally safe. Just don't inhale it when you apply it because it is a dusty substance. It is safe to let the dog on it right after you apply it. Some people even feed it to their dogs as a natural wormer.
5) Beneficial Nematodes......these can be purchased form an organic gardening store. You put them in the yard and they eat the flea larvae.
6) LymeDyp for Ticks.....For a particularly heavy infestation. The dog can be dipped in lymdyp, a natural dip made form Sulferated Lyme.
7) Most importantly, keeping your dog healthy and on a good diet will make him/her much less attractive to fleas & ticks.
Natural FLEA Dog WASH - Add 40 to 60 drops of eucalyptus oil to soapy washing water and wash dog - reputedly rids fleas.
To stop the cycle of eggs (usually in carpets) ..... Sprinkling Borax Powder over carpet area in house and dog and cat beds, shake out, and vacuum carpets within a few minutes of coating carpet. Put some Borax in the Vacuum bag also. Repeat as often as needed to stop eggs/fleas
Organic Tick, Flea and Mosquito
Ingredients are full strength oils (Important! NEVER put undiluted oils directly on yourself or your dogs):
Tea Tree Oil | Rosemary Oil | Sage Oil | Cedar wood Oil | Peppermint Oil | Sweet Orange Oil | Eucalyptus Oil | Citronella Oil | Pine Needle Oil (also heard you can add almond oil)
Shampoo:
Mix 4-6 drops each with 32 oz of any natural shampoo and you have a natural flea shampoo
Repellant:
Mix 2-3 drops each with 16 oz of (not chlorinated) water in spray bottle - shake before each use and spray lightly over entire body.
Repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, flies and makes the van smell great. Can spray on blankets, beds, too. Good for people & dogs.
When To Breed
The behavior of your female usually indicates when she is in true estrus - that part of the heat cycle when the female will allow a male to breed her.
Most females growl or snap at the male when they are not quite ready for breeding because they still may be in the proestrus phase of the cycle. The proestrus stage usually lasts from 4-9 days and includes signs of bleeding, vulvular swelling and increased urination but this stage can last up to 2-3 weeks in some animals.
Heat cycles vary from dog to dog and most of the numbers written are averages so this needs to be taken into consideration when deciding the time for breeding. Other females will exhibit this behavior when they are frightened, even if they are in true estrus. It is best to keep a log if possible of when the heat cycle starts - when bleeding and swelling is first noticed, when those signs disappear, etc. and time interval between heats if you have not already done so. This may help with determining the length of her cycle. Having your veterinarian perform cytology during the heat cycle will also help determine the optimum time for breeding. Using progesterone and lutenizing hormone testing may allow an even closer estimation of the time of ovulation.
Some females would rather be bred at home instead of being taken to the male - feeling more comfortable on familiar territory. Other females may feel more comfortable (if bringing her to the male) to bring her a week or so before the expected heat (reason for the log), boarding her at the male's home so they can see each other and allowing them to breed on "their" terms. Then there are those females that will not breed no matter what. If it is really important to have a litter from a particular female that will not breed no matter what is tried, there is always artificial insemination.
The most common mistake in breeding dogs is simply missing the time when they are receptive to the male. This can happen as early as 2 or 3 days into the estrus and can be as late as 21 days after first signs of bleeding and vulvar swelling.
Most females growl or snap at the male when they are not quite ready for breeding because they still may be in the proestrus phase of the cycle. The proestrus stage usually lasts from 4-9 days and includes signs of bleeding, vulvular swelling and increased urination but this stage can last up to 2-3 weeks in some animals.
Heat cycles vary from dog to dog and most of the numbers written are averages so this needs to be taken into consideration when deciding the time for breeding. Other females will exhibit this behavior when they are frightened, even if they are in true estrus. It is best to keep a log if possible of when the heat cycle starts - when bleeding and swelling is first noticed, when those signs disappear, etc. and time interval between heats if you have not already done so. This may help with determining the length of her cycle. Having your veterinarian perform cytology during the heat cycle will also help determine the optimum time for breeding. Using progesterone and lutenizing hormone testing may allow an even closer estimation of the time of ovulation.
Some females would rather be bred at home instead of being taken to the male - feeling more comfortable on familiar territory. Other females may feel more comfortable (if bringing her to the male) to bring her a week or so before the expected heat (reason for the log), boarding her at the male's home so they can see each other and allowing them to breed on "their" terms. Then there are those females that will not breed no matter what. If it is really important to have a litter from a particular female that will not breed no matter what is tried, there is always artificial insemination.
The most common mistake in breeding dogs is simply missing the time when they are receptive to the male. This can happen as early as 2 or 3 days into the estrus and can be as late as 21 days after first signs of bleeding and vulvar swelling.
Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination in Greyhounds: Presented on this page is an example of surgical insemination directly into the uterus of a dog. Another technique that can be used that does not involve surgery is the trans cervical insemination. This procedure allows semen to be deposited directly into the cervix without anesthesia. Special training is needed with the trans cervical technique in order to be certain that the semen is deposited within the uterus; this is done using an endoscope. Some of the obvious reasons for utilizing AI (Artificial Insemination) are the following:
Easy access to sperm from selected donors...Eliminating mating limitations..Eliminates distance limitations...Overcoming uncooperative partners...Propagating traits from deceased dogs
You and your vet will want to discuss the pros and cons of AI well before the predicted time the female will come into season. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Do lots of homework so that you know what is "out there", where you can get it, how much it costs to acquire the frozen sperm, and how it will be inseminated.
One method of insemination is to infuse the semen and associated nutrient fluids directly into the deep vaginal area of the bitch. The bitch then will have her rear quarters raised for a few minutes in an attempt to have gravity assist with the dispersal of the semen as deep into the vaginal area and as close to the cervical opening as possible. Then the bitch needs to remain confined for 6 to 8 hours after the insemination. The individual sperm cells need to pass through the cervix from the vagina and into the body of the uterus. From there, they disperse further up the two "Horns" of the uterus. The uterine horns are long hollow tubes, lined by the richly vascular endometrium, and extend from the body of the uterus upward almost to each kidney. At the end of these two tubes the ovaries are situated such that when they produce eggs, the eggs travel through a tiny opening into the far end of each uterine horn. (Just another wonder of nature!) If the eggs encounter sperm cells in their travels DOWN the uterine horns, there is a chance that the egg will be fertilized by some lucky sperm cell going UP the uterine canal and then another whole series of miracles take place that just might end up as a puppy!
Whether your veterinarian chooses to do the vaginal insemination or chooses to surgically implant the sperm directly into the body of the uterus is a matter for discussion well prior to the time a decision MUST be made. From start to finish, the surgical Artificial Insemination procedure takes only a few minutes. Light general anesthesia is required. Absolute sterile procedure is an important factor. The insemination fluid must be kept warm and implanted within the uterus as soon as possible after collection from a male who is present, or soon after shipped, frozen semen is thawed.
Easy access to sperm from selected donors...Eliminating mating limitations..Eliminates distance limitations...Overcoming uncooperative partners...Propagating traits from deceased dogs
You and your vet will want to discuss the pros and cons of AI well before the predicted time the female will come into season. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Do lots of homework so that you know what is "out there", where you can get it, how much it costs to acquire the frozen sperm, and how it will be inseminated.
One method of insemination is to infuse the semen and associated nutrient fluids directly into the deep vaginal area of the bitch. The bitch then will have her rear quarters raised for a few minutes in an attempt to have gravity assist with the dispersal of the semen as deep into the vaginal area and as close to the cervical opening as possible. Then the bitch needs to remain confined for 6 to 8 hours after the insemination. The individual sperm cells need to pass through the cervix from the vagina and into the body of the uterus. From there, they disperse further up the two "Horns" of the uterus. The uterine horns are long hollow tubes, lined by the richly vascular endometrium, and extend from the body of the uterus upward almost to each kidney. At the end of these two tubes the ovaries are situated such that when they produce eggs, the eggs travel through a tiny opening into the far end of each uterine horn. (Just another wonder of nature!) If the eggs encounter sperm cells in their travels DOWN the uterine horns, there is a chance that the egg will be fertilized by some lucky sperm cell going UP the uterine canal and then another whole series of miracles take place that just might end up as a puppy!
Whether your veterinarian chooses to do the vaginal insemination or chooses to surgically implant the sperm directly into the body of the uterus is a matter for discussion well prior to the time a decision MUST be made. From start to finish, the surgical Artificial Insemination procedure takes only a few minutes. Light general anesthesia is required. Absolute sterile procedure is an important factor. The insemination fluid must be kept warm and implanted within the uterus as soon as possible after collection from a male who is present, or soon after shipped, frozen semen is thawed.
Whelping and New Pups
Whilst we hope that any articles printed here can act as some sort of guidance for you, we MUST stress that these are merely a guide, a Qualified Vet should be spoken to at all times to diagnose exact problems and possible treatments.
Well, you've really gone and done it now, haven't you! That moment you've been waiting impatiently for is here and you have to face the facts that you are going to be a mother...of sorts. Luckily, the vast majority of bitches will have their pups without any help from you or anyone else. You may be able to just sit back and watch the entire process.
Nevertheless there certainly are times when you MUST intervene; times when the bitch and the neonates will need your assistance.
Gosh, this is a lot of work! OK...so she and the stud mated. Nice going!, there's a great chance she'll become pregnant. The sperm will fertilize the eggs and the fertile eggs will migrate down the two uterine horns looking for a favorable area to attach to the lining of the uterine wall. Attachment will occur a number of days after the breeding (that's why some anti-fertility medications can be given after the breeding. These medications make the uterine lining a hostile area for the fertilized eggs so the eggs can't find an inviting area of the uterine lining. If they do not attach to the uterine lining they eventually degenerate.)
If impregnation into the uterine lining has occurred, your veterinarian will be able to feel the swollen areas along the uterus about the twenty-second to the twenty-fourth day after the mating. A good estimate of the number of pups can be made, too, so you can start lining up all those potential buyers for your pups! The pups are usually ready to enter our world sixty-three days after conception.
What to Expect When "Its Time"
Let me suggest that you forget about using a thermometer to aid your guess as to when the pups are on the way. Some bitches' temperature will drop from a normal range (101 to 102.5 degrees) to a degree or so below their normal a few hours prior to whelping...but many don't. And if her temperature does drop and no puppies are forthcoming, are you going to rush her into surgery? Of course not. Recording the temperature, and over-estimating its importance, can cause you more turmoil and anxiety than any value taking the temperature may have as a prognosticator of labor, so don't bother with it if you don't want to.
The first sign that the new puppy-family is on the way usually is signaled by the bitch's lack of interest in food about twenty-four hours before whelping. Then you may notice she will lick at her vulva and have slight abdominal cramping. Then the abdominal contractions become more frequent...about every half hour. All of a sudden you may notice a shiny, grayish sac drooping through the vulva; it looks like a gray water balloon. The bitch may walk around with this hanging out and will often open the "water sac" and a clear fluid will run out. The pup's on the way! In most cases the pup will be delivered within an hour of this sac being presented for your viewing pleasure since now the pup is surely in the pelvic canal. The first pup often is the most difficult for the bitch to pass, and she may strain quite hard and even moan a bit. Don't panic yet. (Although, it is a good idea to call your veterinarian and announce proudly "she's havin' 'em!". Now the entire animal hospital staff will be on the alert that you will be calling every fifteen minutes with updates on her progress.) If she hasn't passed the pup within one hour of the "water sac" showing, do call your veterinarian and discuss the need for her to be seen right away to help pass the pup.
When the pup is passed through the pelvic canal and into our world it will be covered in a thin membrane that looks like plastic wrap. If the bitch does not lick and nip this membrane away from the puppy right away, and most do, you should remove it so Taking that first breath. the pup can breathe. (The pup has about six minutes of "grace period" before it must breathe, otherwise brain damage or death will occur.) Give the mother a few seconds to remove this membrane; if she doesn't, you do it.
You will notice that the pup is attached to a yucky looking mass of tissue by the umbilical cord. You can separate the pup from this blackish-green tissue, which is the afterbirth. (The afterbirth is the tissue that attaches very closely to the lining of the uterus. Through the afterbirth the pup "breathes" and acquires nourishment via the umbilical cord; now that the pup is born, though, there's no need for this equipment any more. Now it's nasty looking and yucky so throw it out.) There is no real benefit for the bitch to eat all the afterbirths so discard them if you wish. In fact, some dogs can get digestive upsets from consuming a large number of afterbirths. Those of you who for some reason want their bitch to eat the afterbirths, that's your choice.
Licking and cleaning the new pup is the bitch's first order of business now that the membrane is removed and the umbilical cord is chewed through (or separated about an inch away from the pup by you). If she ignores the pup, you can take a clean towel and rub the puppy dry; this will stimulate it to breath and it will protest a bit. Ouch...Welcome to our world! While doting over the new pup the bitch will probably start the process over and present another one...here we go again! While the new pup's brothers and sisters are yet to see the light of day, the first pup, having found a nipple, is already having breakfast. (I say breakfast because the vast majority of whelpings occur in the very early hours of predawn darkness!)
In any litter the entire process of whelping can take from two to twenty hours. In Golden Retrievers, for example, they may have three pups in the first hour, take a break Oxygen assisted in the successful arousal of this pup. for three or four hours, have a few more, take a break, have one, take a break and finish up sometime the next day. All that may be perfectly normal. However, if a bitch is really straining, with contractions coming every minute or so and no pup is presented within half an hour, get the veterinarian on the phone. Often, if the bitch seems to be doing nothing for a few hours and you are sure there are more pups to be delivered, the bitch often can be energized to have more contractions by a brisk walk outside. She may not want to leave the pups but fresh air and a short run or walk will get things started again. Have food and water available for her, too.
Sometimes the litter will be so large, either in numbers of pups or size of pups, that a problem with Uterine Inertia can occur. In these situations the bitch will fail in weak attempts to pass the pups. She may not even show any visible contractions. Here is a good example of why you should keep good records of dates and times of breeding.
If the bitch has progressed to the sixty-fifth day after breeding and still no pups are on the way, there's a problem! If the uterus has been so stretched and fatigued by a large litter or large size of the puppies, she may not be able to pass them. Uterine Inertia also is common when an older bitch has a single fetus that doesn't stimulate the uterus enough to begin contractions. Your veterinarian must be consulted. Medical intervention will be tried first, an x-ray may be taken (don't worry, a single x-ray in full term pups presents practically zero risk) and if medications do not induce labor...it's time for surgery!
Weaning Pups from Their Mother
Most breeders will not allow pups to nurse from the bitch longer than 5 weeks. They are introduced to a starter or weaning formula at about 24 days of age when the pups will be able to begin eating on their own. One of the best ways to wean puppies is to present them with a semi-liquid nourishment in a shallow pan such as a baking sheet. Gently place the pups at the edge of the food, push their little noses into the food and they will smell it and begin to lick the mixture you prepared. It's really fun to watch them light up at their first taste of puppy formula! Once they get a taste of the food they usually consume it in earnest. This process of starting on puppy weaning formula can begin at three weeks of age and within a week they will be looking for that special treat we call puppy food! Gradually thicken the formula with ground up dry puppy food or begin adding canned puppy food to their weaning mixture. By five weeks of age they should be eating four meals a day of a high quality puppy food. You can break up kibble so it is smaller than packaged or soak it a bit in warm water to soften. It is a good idea to get pups acquainted with both canned and dry food. Some suggested starter formulas will be displayed here soon.
NOTE! Always have fresh and clean water available. Introduce the pups to the water dish as you did to the puppy weaning formula.
It is much better to prepare yourself ahead of time by reading and talking to an experienced breeder if this is your first experience with dog breeding. Breeding dogs that are less than optimally healthy will take you down a very unpleasant road. Be certain that your bitch is wormed or has a negative fecal exam, be certain that the diet is Excellent... not just "good". Avoid the notion that you must supplement the diet because of the "stress" on the mother. The real stress nutritionally comes after the pregnancy when the pups are between two and four weeks of age. That's the time they are extracting the largest amounts of nutrients from the mother, and making all that milk can really tap into the bitches' nutrient reserves. Over-supplementing is a mistake. A high quality diet containing large amounts of quality protein and fat is important; high fat, high protein and low carbohydrates (grain) is best.
It is a good idea to get a small postal scale and weigh the new pups daily. After the second day they should gain steadily every day. If you notice a pup that is slower, colder, softer or whinier than the others, take special care of that one. It just may need your help to survive. Each day the pups should put on a bit of weight; one that is not may be a "poor doer" and could need veterinary care.
Minerals and Supplements
Blood Work by Dr Suzanne Stack
Blood Work by Dr. Suzanne Stack
There are two articles here. One is Reading Blood Work. The other details the differences in a greyhound's blood work from other dogs.
Reading Blood Work
When that "basic profile" comes back from the lab, what can it tell you? The highlights in greyhounds are:
The CBC (complete blood count) tells how many of each kind of blood cell is circulating. RBCs (red blood cells) contribute to the HCT or PCV (hematocrit or packed cell volume = the concentration of red blood cells in the sample). Hgb is the amount of hemoglobin in the RBCs. These numbers are normally high in greyhounds, low in anemia. MCV, MCH, and MCHC are calculations derived from RBC, PCV, and Hgb.
The WBC (white blood cell) count is a total of the different kinds of WBCs in the sample - segmented neutrophils, bands, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. The breakdown of WBCs is called the differential (diff) and by its makeup can indicate a normal dog or possible infection/inflammation. The "diff" gives the doctor clues to what process or disease might be causing an abnormal WBC. WBCs can normally run low in greyhounds.
Platelets are the last component of the CBC. Platelets are the blood cells that form a "platelet plug" to stop the bleeding when you cut your finger. Greyhounds can run under or on the low end of normal platelet counts.
The Chem Panel
The lab uses serum (what is left of whole blood once the cells are removed) to determine approximately 20 "blood chemistries." There are many other tests that can be run on serum. Most "chem panels" include:
Total Protein = the sum total of Albumin + Globulin
Albumin
- a protein made in the liver
- can be lost through damaged kidneys or intestines
Globulin
- a protein produced in response to antigenic stimulation
- increased in chronic infections and some cancers
BUN – blood urea nitrogen
- increased in dehydration or kidney disease
- decreased in liver disease
Creatine - also increased in kidney disease
- another measure of kidney function less affected by dehydration than BUN
- normally higher in greyhounds than other dogs
ALT (SGPT) - alanine transferase
- released from damaged liver cells
AST (SGOT) - aspartate transferase
- increased in liver damage, muscle damage (including intramuscular injections), or hemolysis (breakdown of RBCs). The hemolysis can be as simple as from a difficult blood draw.
ALKP (SAP) - serum alkaline phosphatase
- increased with liver disease, Cushings, steroids, some cancers & infections. Normally high in young, growing dogs.
T.Bili - total bilirubin
- pigment increased in liver disease or hemolysis which causes dog, serum, and/or urine to turn yellow (jaundice = icterus)
CPK - creatine phosphokinase
- enzyme released from damaged skeletal & heart muscle
Amylase
- digestive enzyme increased in pancreatitis, intestinal disease, or kidney failure
Lipase
- digestive enzyme which is more specific for pancreatitis
Cholesterol
- rises after eating or from pancreatitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, or glomerulonephritis.
- doesn't clog arteries in dogs.
Glucose - "blood sugar"
- rises in diabetes, pancreatitis, seizures, or severe near-death type stress
- decreased in sepsis, insulinoma tumor, baby pups who don't eat often enough, but most often from sample sitting around too long before centrifuging
Calcium
- increased in lymphoma & other cancers
- decreased in kidney failure, post-whelping seizures, & hypoparathyroidism
Phosphorus
- increased in kidney failure
The electrolytes TCO2, Cl-, K+, & Na+ show a wide variety of derangements in different diseases.
TCO2 - total carbon dioxide
Cl - chloride
K+ - potassium
Na+ - sodium
Lastly are 4 calculations:
A/G ratio - albumin/globulin ratio
- albumin should predominate over globulin in the normal dog
B/C ratio - BUN/creatinine ratio
- helps distinguish dehydration from true kidney failure
Na/K ratio - sodium/potassium ratio
- screens for Addison's disease
Anion gap = (Na + K) - (Cl + bicarbonate)
- reflects acid/base status
There are many other less important or more obscure possibilities for elevations and decreases in these parameters that were omitted for space and clarity. Many values are only something to worry about if they're either elevated or decreased, but not necessarily both. These are the basics.
Differences with a Greyhounds Blood Work
Greyhound blood work has enough differences from "other dog" blood work to sometimes make it deceivingly "normal" or "abnormal" if one isn't familiar with these differences. The salient differences are discussed below.
CBC = Complete Blood Count
RBC = Red Blood Cells
Hgb = Hemoglobin
PCV / HCT = Packed Cell Volume / Hematocrit
WBC = White Blood Cells
Platelets
NORMAL VALUES FOR:
Greyhounds Other Dogs
RBC: 7.4 - 9.0 5.5 - 8.5
Hgb: 19.0 - 21.5 12.0 - 18.0
PCV: 55 - 65 37 - 55
Greyhounds have significantly more red blood cells than other breeds. This elevates parameters for RBC, hemoglobin, and PCV / HCT, and is the reason greyhounds are so desirable as blood donors. Most veterinarians are aware of this difference. Never accept a diagnosis of polycythemia - a once-in-a-lifetime-rare diagnosis of pathologic red cell overproduction - in a greyhound.
Conversely, never interpret a greyhound PCV in the 30's - low 40's as being normal just because it is for other dogs. A greyhound with a PCV in the 30's - low 40's is an anemic greyhound. Here in Arizona, a greyhound PCV < 50 is a red flag to check for Ehrlichia.
WBC
Greyhound: 3.5 - 6.5 Other dog: 6.0 - 17.0
Other greyhound CBC changes are less well known. The greyhound's normally low WBC has caused more than one healthy greyhound to undergo a bone marrow biopsy in search of "cancer" or some other cause of the "low WBC."
Platelets
Greyhound: 80,000 - 200,000 Other dog: 150,000 - 400,000
Likewise, greyhound platelet numbers are lower on average than other breeds, which might be mistakenly interpreted as a problem. It is thought that greyhound WBCs, platelets, and total protein may be lower to physiologically "make room" in the bloodstream for the increased red cell load.
Confounding these normally low WBC and platelet numbers is the fact that Ehrlichia, a common blood parasite of greyhounds, can lower WBC and platelet counts. So if there is any doubt as to whether the WBC / platelet counts are normal, an Ehrlichia titer is always in order. The other classic changes with Ehrlichia are lowered PCV and elevated globulin and total protein. But bear in mind that every greyhound will not have every change, and Ehrlichia greyhounds can have normal CBCs.
Chem Panel
T.P. = Total Protein
Globulin
Creatinine
T4
NORMAL VALUES FOR:
T.P. Globulin
Greyhound: 4.5 - 6.2 Greyhound: 2.1 - 3.2
Other dog: 5.4 - 7.8 Other dog: 2.8 - 4.2
Greyhound total proteins tend to run on the low end of normal - T.P.s in the 5.0's and 6.0's are the norm. While the albumin fraction of T.P. is the same as other dogs, the globulin component is lower.
Creatinine
Greyhounds: .8 - 1.6 Other dogs: .0 - 1.0
Greyhound creatinines run higher than other breeds as a function of their large lean muscle mass. A study at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine found that 80% of retired greyhounds they sampled had creatinine values up to 1.6 times as high as the top of the standard reference range for "other dogs." As a lone finding, an "elevated creatinine" is not indicative of impending kidney failure. If the BUN and urinalysis are normal, so is the "elevated" creatinine.
T4
Greyhounds: .5 - 3.6 (mean 1.47+/- .63) Other dogs: 1.52 - 3.60
These figures are from a University of Florida study of thyroid function in 221 greyhounds - 97 racers, 99 broods, and 25 studs - so it included both racers and "retired." While greyhound thyroid levels are a whole chapter unto themselves, a good rule of thumb is that greyhound T4s run about half that of other breeds.
Urinalysis
And lastly, the good news - greyhound urinalysis is the same as other breeds. It is normal for males to have small to moderate amounts of bilirubin in the urine.
Reading Blood Work
When that "basic profile" comes back from the lab, what can it tell you? The highlights in greyhounds are:
The CBC (complete blood count) tells how many of each kind of blood cell is circulating. RBCs (red blood cells) contribute to the HCT or PCV (hematocrit or packed cell volume = the concentration of red blood cells in the sample). Hgb is the amount of hemoglobin in the RBCs. These numbers are normally high in greyhounds, low in anemia. MCV, MCH, and MCHC are calculations derived from RBC, PCV, and Hgb.
The WBC (white blood cell) count is a total of the different kinds of WBCs in the sample - segmented neutrophils, bands, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. The breakdown of WBCs is called the differential (diff) and by its makeup can indicate a normal dog or possible infection/inflammation. The "diff" gives the doctor clues to what process or disease might be causing an abnormal WBC. WBCs can normally run low in greyhounds.
Platelets are the last component of the CBC. Platelets are the blood cells that form a "platelet plug" to stop the bleeding when you cut your finger. Greyhounds can run under or on the low end of normal platelet counts.
The Chem Panel
The lab uses serum (what is left of whole blood once the cells are removed) to determine approximately 20 "blood chemistries." There are many other tests that can be run on serum. Most "chem panels" include:
Total Protein = the sum total of Albumin + Globulin
Albumin
- a protein made in the liver
- can be lost through damaged kidneys or intestines
Globulin
- a protein produced in response to antigenic stimulation
- increased in chronic infections and some cancers
BUN – blood urea nitrogen
- increased in dehydration or kidney disease
- decreased in liver disease
Creatine - also increased in kidney disease
- another measure of kidney function less affected by dehydration than BUN
- normally higher in greyhounds than other dogs
ALT (SGPT) - alanine transferase
- released from damaged liver cells
AST (SGOT) - aspartate transferase
- increased in liver damage, muscle damage (including intramuscular injections), or hemolysis (breakdown of RBCs). The hemolysis can be as simple as from a difficult blood draw.
ALKP (SAP) - serum alkaline phosphatase
- increased with liver disease, Cushings, steroids, some cancers & infections. Normally high in young, growing dogs.
T.Bili - total bilirubin
- pigment increased in liver disease or hemolysis which causes dog, serum, and/or urine to turn yellow (jaundice = icterus)
CPK - creatine phosphokinase
- enzyme released from damaged skeletal & heart muscle
Amylase
- digestive enzyme increased in pancreatitis, intestinal disease, or kidney failure
Lipase
- digestive enzyme which is more specific for pancreatitis
Cholesterol
- rises after eating or from pancreatitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, or glomerulonephritis.
- doesn't clog arteries in dogs.
Glucose - "blood sugar"
- rises in diabetes, pancreatitis, seizures, or severe near-death type stress
- decreased in sepsis, insulinoma tumor, baby pups who don't eat often enough, but most often from sample sitting around too long before centrifuging
Calcium
- increased in lymphoma & other cancers
- decreased in kidney failure, post-whelping seizures, & hypoparathyroidism
Phosphorus
- increased in kidney failure
The electrolytes TCO2, Cl-, K+, & Na+ show a wide variety of derangements in different diseases.
TCO2 - total carbon dioxide
Cl - chloride
K+ - potassium
Na+ - sodium
Lastly are 4 calculations:
A/G ratio - albumin/globulin ratio
- albumin should predominate over globulin in the normal dog
B/C ratio - BUN/creatinine ratio
- helps distinguish dehydration from true kidney failure
Na/K ratio - sodium/potassium ratio
- screens for Addison's disease
Anion gap = (Na + K) - (Cl + bicarbonate)
- reflects acid/base status
There are many other less important or more obscure possibilities for elevations and decreases in these parameters that were omitted for space and clarity. Many values are only something to worry about if they're either elevated or decreased, but not necessarily both. These are the basics.
Differences with a Greyhounds Blood Work
Greyhound blood work has enough differences from "other dog" blood work to sometimes make it deceivingly "normal" or "abnormal" if one isn't familiar with these differences. The salient differences are discussed below.
CBC = Complete Blood Count
RBC = Red Blood Cells
Hgb = Hemoglobin
PCV / HCT = Packed Cell Volume / Hematocrit
WBC = White Blood Cells
Platelets
NORMAL VALUES FOR:
Greyhounds Other Dogs
RBC: 7.4 - 9.0 5.5 - 8.5
Hgb: 19.0 - 21.5 12.0 - 18.0
PCV: 55 - 65 37 - 55
Greyhounds have significantly more red blood cells than other breeds. This elevates parameters for RBC, hemoglobin, and PCV / HCT, and is the reason greyhounds are so desirable as blood donors. Most veterinarians are aware of this difference. Never accept a diagnosis of polycythemia - a once-in-a-lifetime-rare diagnosis of pathologic red cell overproduction - in a greyhound.
Conversely, never interpret a greyhound PCV in the 30's - low 40's as being normal just because it is for other dogs. A greyhound with a PCV in the 30's - low 40's is an anemic greyhound. Here in Arizona, a greyhound PCV < 50 is a red flag to check for Ehrlichia.
WBC
Greyhound: 3.5 - 6.5 Other dog: 6.0 - 17.0
Other greyhound CBC changes are less well known. The greyhound's normally low WBC has caused more than one healthy greyhound to undergo a bone marrow biopsy in search of "cancer" or some other cause of the "low WBC."
Platelets
Greyhound: 80,000 - 200,000 Other dog: 150,000 - 400,000
Likewise, greyhound platelet numbers are lower on average than other breeds, which might be mistakenly interpreted as a problem. It is thought that greyhound WBCs, platelets, and total protein may be lower to physiologically "make room" in the bloodstream for the increased red cell load.
Confounding these normally low WBC and platelet numbers is the fact that Ehrlichia, a common blood parasite of greyhounds, can lower WBC and platelet counts. So if there is any doubt as to whether the WBC / platelet counts are normal, an Ehrlichia titer is always in order. The other classic changes with Ehrlichia are lowered PCV and elevated globulin and total protein. But bear in mind that every greyhound will not have every change, and Ehrlichia greyhounds can have normal CBCs.
Chem Panel
T.P. = Total Protein
Globulin
Creatinine
T4
NORMAL VALUES FOR:
T.P. Globulin
Greyhound: 4.5 - 6.2 Greyhound: 2.1 - 3.2
Other dog: 5.4 - 7.8 Other dog: 2.8 - 4.2
Greyhound total proteins tend to run on the low end of normal - T.P.s in the 5.0's and 6.0's are the norm. While the albumin fraction of T.P. is the same as other dogs, the globulin component is lower.
Creatinine
Greyhounds: .8 - 1.6 Other dogs: .0 - 1.0
Greyhound creatinines run higher than other breeds as a function of their large lean muscle mass. A study at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine found that 80% of retired greyhounds they sampled had creatinine values up to 1.6 times as high as the top of the standard reference range for "other dogs." As a lone finding, an "elevated creatinine" is not indicative of impending kidney failure. If the BUN and urinalysis are normal, so is the "elevated" creatinine.
T4
Greyhounds: .5 - 3.6 (mean 1.47+/- .63) Other dogs: 1.52 - 3.60
These figures are from a University of Florida study of thyroid function in 221 greyhounds - 97 racers, 99 broods, and 25 studs - so it included both racers and "retired." While greyhound thyroid levels are a whole chapter unto themselves, a good rule of thumb is that greyhound T4s run about half that of other breeds.
Urinalysis
And lastly, the good news - greyhound urinalysis is the same as other breeds. It is normal for males to have small to moderate amounts of bilirubin in the urine.