Medical Facts You Need to Know About Your Greyhound
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When your veterinarian sends your greyhound’s blood to a lab he is most commonly asking the lab to run a CBC (Complete Blood Count). This common analysis covers these items:
On ocassion the veterinarian may also ask for additional information. Some of the more common tests are
If you don’t understand what your veterinarian has ordered, ask. Greyhound bloodwork has enough differences from “other dog” bloodwork to sometimes make it deceivingly “normal” or “abnormal” if one isn’t familiar with these differences. The salient differences are discussed below. Greyhounds:
Other Breeds:
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. WBC
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
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. T.P. & Globulin
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
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 above 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
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. Sources: M.R. Herron, DVM, ACVS, Clinical Pathology of the Racing Greyhound , 1991. C. Guillermo Couto, DVM, ACVIM, “Managing Thrombocytopenia in Dogs & Cats,” Veterinary Medicine, May 1999. J.Steiss, DVM, W. Brewer, DVM, E.Welles, DVM, J. Wright, DVM, “Hematologic & Serum Biochemical Reference Values in Retired Greyhounds,” Compendium on Continuing Education, March 2000. M. Bloomberg, DVM, MS, “Thyroid Function of the Racing Greyhound,” University of Florida, 1987. D. Bruyette, DVM, ACVIM, Veterinary Information Network, 2001. |
| Dr. Jean Dodds' Recommended Vaccination Schedule | ||||
| Vaccine | Initial | 1st Annual Booster | Re-Administration Interval | Comments |
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Distemper (MLV) (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy) |
9 weeks 12 weeks 16 - 20 weeks |
At 1 year MLV Distemper/
Parvovirus only |
None needed. Duration of immunity 7.5 / 15 years by studies. Probably lifetime. Longer studies pending. |
Can have numerous side effects if given too young (< 8 weeks). |
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Parvovirus (MLV) (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy) |
9 weeks 12 weeks 16 - 20 weeks |
At 1 year MLV Distemper/ Parvovirus only |
None needed. Duration of immunity 7.5 years by studies. Probably lifetime. Longer studies pending. |
At 6 weeks of age, only 30% of puppies are protected but 100% are exposed to the virus at the vet clinic. |
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Rabies (killed) |
24 weeks or older | At 1 year (give 3-4 weeks apart from Dist/Parvo booster) Killed 3 year rabies vaccine | 3 yr. vaccine given as required by law in California (follow your state/provincial requirements) | rabid animals may infect dogs. |
| Vaccines Not Recommended For Dogs | ||||
| Distemper & Parvo @ 6 weeks or younger |
Not recommended. At this age, maternal antibodies form the mothers milk (colostrum) will neutralize the vaccine and only 30% for puppies will be protected. 100% will be exposed to the virus at the vet clinic. |
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| Corona |
Not recommended. 1.) Disease only affects dogs <6 weeks of age. 2.) Rare disease: TAMU has seen only one case in seven years. 3.) Mild self-limiting disease. 4.) Efficacy of the vaccine is questionable. |
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| Leptospirosis |
Not recommended 1) There are an average of 12 cases reported annually in California. 2) Side effects common. 3) Most commonly used vaccine contains the wrong serovars. (There is no cross-protection of serovars) There is a new vaccine with 2 new serovars. Two vaccinations twice per year would be required for protection.). 4) Risk outweighs benefits. |
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| Lyme |
Not recommended 1) Low risk in California. 2) 85% of cases are in 9 New England states and Wisconsin. 3) Possible side effect of polyarthritis from whole cell bacterin. |
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Boretella (Intranasal) (killed) |
Only recommended 3 days
prior to boarding when required. Protects against 2 of the possible 8 causes of kennel cough. Duration of immunity 6 months. |
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| Giardia |
Not recommended Efficacy of vaccine unsubstantiated by independent studies |
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GREYHOUND ANESTHESIA
Suzanne Stack, DVM
Writing about greyhound anesthesia today is far changed from 5 to 10 years
ago. We have
moved into an age where just about every veterinarian has isoflurane gas
(some even use
sevoflurane) and the dreaded barbiturate induction (Surital, BioTal,
Pentothal) has been
virtually replaced by ketamine/valium or alternate injectables.
New anesthetics have been introduced -- most notably propofol, which is
rapidly eliminated and
has been a Godsend for compromised patients. Injectables like Torbugesic and
Telazol have
been incorporated into everyday anesthetic protocols. The introduction of
Yobine, which
reverses Rompun, has made its use much safer for short procedures.
Similarly, the new
Domitor is reversed by Antisedan.
Most anesthetic protocols typically incorporate 2 to 4 of these drugs.
Additionally, atropine is
widely used to prevent excessive salivation and keep the heart rate up. Your
vet may have 4-5
different combos that he uses quite routinely. For instance, he'll have his
most commonly used
standard regimen for healthy dogs, very likely the same as what he'll use on
your greyhound.
Additionally, perhaps, another for epileptics, another for aggressive
models, another for
compromised patients, and yet another for quick up-and-down procedures.
Which to use? I've seen several very different "greyhound anesthesia
protocols." The most
widely used seems to be acepromazine/atropine premed followed by ketamine/Valium
induction
and isoflurane gas, same as in the general dog population. At our clinic, we
never give more
than 1 mg of acepromazine to a greyhound. Several years back, it would have
been fair to
walk through your vet's door, protocol in hand. Nowadays, he may well have
something better
for the situation. Maybe it's a short procedure and he can get by with
putting your greyhound
out briefly with propofol or one of the new reversible combos. Maybe he's
induced seizures in a
greyhound with ketamine/Valium and prefers to replace it with Telazol or a
narcotic. Maybe
he's simply heard horror stories of greyhound anesthesia and just prefers to
"play it safe" with
propofol/isoflurane.
But, even propofol, like everything else, has its drawbacks. Occasionally, a
dog abruptly stops
breathing on induction - not to worry, so long as you're paying attention,
this can be rectified
immediately. Sometimes dogs just won't stay asleep
on propofol and the procedure takes twice
as long as it should. Some vets prefer their old tried and true to putting
up with this on a
regular basis, reserving the propofol for select cases.
Often, the safest anesthetic protocol is the one your veterinarian has the
most experience with.
I think the key is using a vet who anesthetizes lots of ( or at least some)
greyhounds. Since the
greyhound has historically been touchy with anesthetics, some of us feel
most comfortable with
what has always worked. If your vet's been anesthetizing greyhounds for
years with halothane
or Metofane and prefers it to isoflurane, I wouldn't worry. Often vets that
use these gases rely
heavily on the injectable induction agent and may use only marginal amounts
of gas.
Worthy of mention is anesthetic monitoring. Gizmos are nice – there are lots
of them. EKGs
and pulse oximeters are the most commonly used. However, these are
preferably in addition to
– not instead of – a real live technician monitoring the dog. Given a choice
between equipment
and a capable tech, I’d choose the tech in a heartbeat.
If your vet is new to sighthound anesthesia, see if he minds contacting the
adoption vet for
some suggestions. Both of you may be more comfortable when your best friend
needs
anesthesia.
