Today I am going to take a break from my regular blog post.
Once a month I am going to dedicate a post to a Greyhound-friendly product that I love.I love to shop and have tried various products for my Greyhounds.I hope that my experience will help when you are deciding on what toys, collars, beds, and other hound needs to purchase.
If you have looked at the photos on this blog you know my Greyhounds love a good ball.
Balls are fair game in our house. You leave some brand new tennis balls lying around and you are sure to come back to some slobbery fuzz-less balls.Balls are king in our house for humans and hounds alike!
You may be thinking balls are a dime a dozen and there can’t be one ball better than all the rest.Well, I disagree!
When I look for a ball I want something that can easily be held in a Greyhound’s mouth, not too heavy and has some give; Jethro likes to squeeze and pump the balls in his mouth.The ball also needs to hold up against heavy use, chewing, be able to float, and can easily be cleaned.
Hands down the best ball meeting the criteria above is the Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Orbee ball.This ball is shaped like a globe and the continents are elevated and textured which is fun for chewing.I thought those elevated continents were going to be goners but we have had this ball for about two years and the continents are still intact.This ball does have some give, comes in various sizes, and is not heavy.Orbee-Tuff toys are non-toxic and recyclable.They are made out of thermo plastic elastomer (TPE) and have Olefinic oil and Peppermint oil to soften the toy.The Peppermint oil also makes the toy and your Greyhound’s breath smell fresh.
This ball was a game changer.I use it most often for fetch, but if I need the boys to be extra good I will give one each of them and they will play and occupy themselves for extended periods of time.Darla is always extra good!
Last week I discussed why performance is historically important to the Greyhound. Without performance we would not have the Greyhound we know and love. I also discussed that coursing was where all Greyhound sport originated and explored some of the history of the breed. This week’s blog is about the recent history of the Greyhound in the U.S.
In the late 1800’s the Irish created park coursing, which used similar rules of coursing that were used in Britain; however, the size of the course was smaller. Many feel that this is when folks decided that even with shorter courses the greyhound was still exhilarating to watch. The Irish developed their coursing club in 1916.
The first mechanical lure was used in 1876. It was used in a 400-yard straight course. This was not found to be exciting and many spectators did not enjoy this type of sport. It took about 30 years for the mechanical lure to become popular.
In the meantime Greyhounds were coming into the United States. For the most part these dogs were settled out west to help with jackrabbit population control. Even General Custer was a fan of the Greyhound, using them as scouts prior to battle. You bet these Greyhounds were coursed out west!
In 1906 the National Greyhound Association (NGA) was organized. The NGA was responsible for registering Greyhounds in America and keeping up with Greyhound breedings.
In 1919 the first Greyhound track was opened in Emeryville, CA. This was designed by the entrepreneur Owen P. Smith and financed by George Sawyer. The track used a mechanical lure that was propelled by a motorized cart on the inside of a rail. The total length of the track was about 3/16th of a mile. These early races were poorly attended but Sawyer had an idea on how to fix this.
Sawyer encouraged Smith to introduce wagering and they began allowing wagering on races. While attendance increased, they were still unable to make money and the track ended up going bankrupt. Smith took his mechanical lure and went to Florida.
The World’s fastest greyhounds race at West Flagler Kennel Club, Miami, Florida from the Tichnor Brothers Collection at the Boston Public Library, Print Departmentlicensed by CC BY 2.0
Tracks were popping up throughout Florida in the 1930’s. These tracks were helpful for tax income throughout the Great Depression. More and more states allowed Greyhound racing to flourish. At Greyhound racing’s height it was the sixth most popular sport in America. However, often times when money changes hands undesirable attention comes.
There were speculations of illegal actives associated with greyhound racing. These speculations did not come to anything and did not hurt American Greyhound racing; it was at its height in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
Nightly gathering for greyhound racing, West Flagler Kennel Club, Miami, Florida from the Tichnor Brothers Collection at the Boston Public Library, Print Departmentlicensed by CC BY 2.0
In 1987 The American Greyhound Council (AGC) was created. The AGC oversees Greyhound welfare from puppyhood to retirement. The AGC inspects Greyhound farms to make sure they are within their guidelines for proper Greyhound care. Once the Greyhound arrives at the track there are state regulation in place for Greyhound welfare as well as track contracts that kennels must comply with to continue racing. The AGC follows the numbers of greyhound adoptions. They also follow the economic impact of greyhound racing.
The early 2000’s were a hard time for the racing. There were reports of mistreatment of Greyhounds throughout the news. There was also a decline in live betting. This caused multiple tracks to close their doors.
During these hard times, the people of Greyhound racing did not tuck their tails and run. They worked tirelessly with the AGC, adoption groups, and state regulatory bodies to ensure the welfare of the Greyhound and the integrity of racing. Currently 90% of all retired racing greyhound are adopted or returned to farms as pets or for breeding purposes, a much higher percentage than that of other dog adoption organizations in the U.S. The goal of AGC is to expand adoption efforts and increase that to 100%. This percentage is sure to increase as more and more people want Greyhounds as pets and more adoption organizations are willing to take on complex cases.
In addition to creating wonderful pets, Greyhound racing is important economically. It is estimated that the racing industry employs 14,000 people with an annual payroll of 194 million dollars. The racing industry also pays an estimated 86 million in taxes to federal, state, and local governments. The racing industry donates an estimated 6 million dollars to charities, including greyhound adoption groups.
Greyhound sports have always been the essential component of the Greyhound. Without coursing and racing, the dog that we love would most likely not be in existence. Continued support of athletic activities of the Greyhound is needed to promote this breed. Continued recognition of performance is essential to for us to be the best stewards of our breed. Thanks to the great work of AGC, adoption groups, and the NGA we are able to welcome these professional athletes into our homes to be wonderful companions. We all know that greyhounds give us fulfillment but we must remember that our Greyhounds need fulfillment as well. Greyhounds can find fulfillment in multiple ways but the most special is in their passion for the chase!
Pet Statistics: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Retrieved from http://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
For many years it was thought that the Greyhound originated in Egypt and the Middle East. However, there were written accounts in the 1800’s stating that the Greyhounds originated from Celtic lands. In 2004 this was proven. The paper titled “The Genetic Structure of the Purebred dog” evaluated the molecular structure and differences in 85 breeds of dog. This study proved that the Greyhound, along with the Borzoi, Irish wolfhound, and other herding breeds, were of European descent and in fact were genetically different from the African and Middle Eastern sighthounds.
There are accounts of the Greyhound noted throughout British history. In Shakespeare’s play King Henry V, Shakespeare uses the Greyhound in the King’s monologues prior to battle. Henry V said to his men, “I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start. The game’s afoot.” Shakespeare compared Henry V’s armies to Greyhounds because he knew the keenness, tenacity, and passion of the Greyhound.
The Tudor family was also fond of the Greyhound. Henry the VII’s coat of arms included both a red dragon as well as a white Greyhound. Henry the VIII had a great love of coursing, then called hunting. It is noted that he converted some of his land into a course and it was used by two coursing societies. However, that land has now been repurposed into a golf course.
From The Greyhound & the Hare
In the sixteenth century Queen Elizabeth I and Lord Norfolk developed the first coursing rules, “The laws of the leash.” These rules formalized the rules for coursing, focusing on the scoring of the Greyhound’s performance, rules for the slipper, and the handling of the hare.
Coursing focuses on the Greyhound’s greatest skill, the speediness of the chase. More points are awarded to the Greyhound for speed and ability to pass another Greyhound than actually taking-out the hare.
Throughout the Tudor reign, the Forest Laws were in effect; these laws were established in the middle ages and strictly enforced by William the Conqueror. People and dogs caught breaking these laws were mutilated and often times killed.
Coursing continued to be a sport of the nobles, waxing and waning in popularity throughout the reigns of Charles I and II. During the reign of George the III, in the eighteenth century, coursing no longer was a private sport for the nobles but a sport for gentlemen. Most of the participants coursed either Greyhounds or Whippets and made wagers on their hounds.
In 1776 The Lord of Orford in Swaffham, England created the first coursing club. The original “laws of the leash” created by Lord Norfolk were still in effect and used. Interest in coursing grew and more and more clubs originated.
From The Greyhound & the Hare
By the time of the industrial revolution, more people had free time and money to participate in hobby sports. Coursing was also much cheaper than foxhunting. Greyhounds and Greyhound coursing took off. Participants of the sport realized that if they had a winning hound there was additional income for breeding and selling puppies. While these breedings were documented within the kennels, there was not an official Greyhound stud-book until 1882.
So why is this a big deal? Coursing gave us the modern day Greyhound. The competition of coursing created a well-engineered dog that was thrilling to watch and fast. The history of our beloved Greyhound gives us more insight into why people continued to breed Greyhounds and created the Greyhound that lives with us today.
There is still more to the story. With the invention of the mechanical lure Greyhound Racing was created. I will talk about racing in part two of this series, stay tuned!
Parker, H. G., Kim, L. V., Sutter, N. B., Carlson, S., Lorentzen, T. D., Malek, T. B., … & Kruglyak, L. (2004). Genetic structure of the purebred domestic dog. science, 304(5674), 1160-1164.
A few days ago I wrote an article about what it means to adopt a Greyhound. Overall this article was well received. However, some comments I found thought provoking. I also reviewed other posts throughout social media and there continued to be a theme: what is the standard for a greyhound and why that matters to you as an owner.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) judges each breed of dog based on a written standard. You can review the AKC written standard for greyhounds below.
Head – Long and narrow, fairly wide between the ears, scarcely perceptible stop, little or no development of nasal sinuses, good length of muzzle, which should be powerful without coarseness. Teeth very strong and even in front. Ears – Small and fine in texture, thrown back and folded, except when excited, when they are semi-pricked. Eyes – Dark, bright, intelligent, indicating spirit. Neck – Long, muscular, without throatiness, slightly arched, and widening gradually into the shoulder. Shoulders – Placed as obliquely as possible, muscular without being loaded. Forelegs – Perfectly straight, set well into the shoulder, neither turned in or out, pasterns strong. Chest -Deep, and as wide as is consistent with speed, Fairly well sprung ribs. Back – Muscular and broad. Loins – Good depth of muscle, well-arched, well cut up in the flanks. Hindquarters – Long, very muscular and powerful, wide and well let down, well-bent stifles. Hocks well bent and rather close to the ground, wide but straight fore and aft. Feet – Hard and close, rather more hare than cat feet, well knuckled up with good strong claws. Tail – Long, fine and tapering with a slight upward curve. Coat – Short, smooth and firm in texture. Color – Immaterial Weight – Dogs, 65 to 70 pounds: Bitches, 60 to 65 pounds
If you are like me when you read this, it sounds very similar to what you see in a National Greyhound Association (NGA) greyhound. First, what is the difference between the AKC and NGA? Both are registering bodies; however, the NGA is special as they only register greyhounds. All American racing greyhounds are registered with the NGA. The NGA doesn’t have a written breed standard so to speak; rather, NGA greyhounds are bred to a performance standard, meaning they are judged on their ability to excel in running sports. When we look at the AKC written standard for the breed, the NGA greyhound fits the description in that standard. So why do we find ourselves disagreeing on the breed standard again and again? The answer is rather complicated. I think that show breeders thought that breeding a greyhound with exaggerated structural features was sexy and the dog would be able to compete in the group and best in show ring at dog shows. They succeeded. There is no functional purpose or advantage for the exaggerated changes we see in most greyhounds that compete in the show ring.
Actually, dogs that are exaggerated are not good for our breed and here is why. These dogs are not functional in that they are deficient in athletic ability. They are able to participate in running sports but unable to compete on the same level with coursing-bred greyhounds or racing greyhounds. If you read into the written standard above you will understand all these qualities are desirable because they improve the greyhound’s speediness and athleticism. By exaggerating the structural features called for in the written standard we are taking the functionality and the most important part of the greyhound away.
I have listened and read comments about show greyhounds and see things such as “isn’t she beautiful” or “she’s living art”. I appreciate these opinions but I want to know if they have ever seen a greyhound running after a lure or quarry. Have they ever seen true poetry in motion?
I am not sure that I will ever feel that a hound standing in a ring is more lovely than a hound doing what they were bred to do for centuries. I will never see how loping in a ring can be more beautiful than raw power on the coursing field or sand being flung all over the track by a hound that can scoot.
I understand that dog shows are a lot of fun to a lot of people. I wish we would see more functional dogs at these shows. I proudly support the breeders that are promoting functional hounds and I hope that in the future at Greyhound specialties you will not see a dog win breed in the ring that is not able to compete in the field but instead a Greyhound that can win in the ring and on the lure coursing field.
As stewards of our breed we must advocate for functionality. Our focus should not be on what can win the group and best in show ring but what can make a hare turn and break track records. We simply must focus on the raw power of our breed; after all, it’s why they are still with us.
Official Standard of the Greyhound. c/o The American Kennel Club. Retrieved December 1st, 2016 from http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/Greyhound.pdf_ga=1.268297802.576806201.1479637347
One of the best parts of greyhound ownership is the lack of grooming they require.Greyhounds are wash and wear dogs.They do not need a lot of brushing, trimming, or bathing.However, their nails do need some attention.
First things first, what is a nail?The nail is protective covering of the bones and vessels under the tip of the foot.Nails are made up of a strong fibrous protein called keratin.This protein is also found in skin and hair.Nails protect the tip of the foot from damage and help with gripping while running.
So what happens if your greyhound’s nails are too long?Well, multiple issues can occur.The most concerning issues are the changes to the gait associated with long nails.When the nail is touching the ground this puts pressure on the bones of the foot.
Remember the old saying about greyhounds? “A greyhound should be headed like a snake and necked like a drake, backed like a beam, sided like a bream, footed like a cat and tailed like a rat”.This poem should be taken to heart when thinking about the greyhound foot.When the nails of the hound are too long it creates an uneven balance of pressure in the foot.This pressure lengthens the ligaments in the foot causing the toes to appear longer and the dog to not walk properly.This can also be painful.
Pressure sores or decubitus ulcers can also occur with overgrown nails.The overgrown nails come in contact with the thin skin of the foot and can cause breakdown.This can lead to infection and can be very painful to the dog.Pressure sores are difficult to heal.The offending agent or pressure has to be removed so that the wound can heal properly.
You can see why nail care is important but what do you need to trim nails?I recommend plier-style clippers with a safety stop.I find that guillotine clippers are difficult to use.Guillotine clippers do not give you the control of the scissor clipper.It is also more difficult to see what you are doing while trimming the nails.You should also buy septic powder.This is good to have on hand in case you do nick the nail quick.Remember to hold pressure to stop the bleeding as best as you can then apply this. Septic powder works best on dry surfaces.Grinding tools are also useful tools to have in your nail bag.They can file the nail down and if you are worried about the quick there is no clipping involved.I would recommend grinding nails outside and with a mask on and eye protection.Also move the tool over the nail as it will heat up. Continued pressure in one spot will heat the nail and can be painful to the greyhound.
So you have your tools but how do you successful clip greyhound nail?I understand that nail clipping can be scary.We know all too well that there is a sensitive quick in the nail and clipping it can cause bleeding and pain for the dog.Well friends, I have news for you.If you look at your hound’s foot you can easily spot the quick even on black nails.
Once you know where the quick is you make you first cut at about 45-60 degrees.I recommend then making two additional cuts to the side of the nail to make sure you have removed all the overgrowth.Once this is completed you can file the nail with an emery board or grinding tool.A rule of thumb for nail length is that you should be able to slide a credit card under the dogs nail while standing
Most retired racers are well accustomed to nail clipping as this was a regular part of their routine. However, if your hound is not so cool with the idea of clippers coming close to their toes some positive reinforcement could help. I find that using a plastic toy stuffed with food will keep a hound busy while clipping. The clicker could also be used for this. Creating a positive association with the clipper can be helpful with a lot of dogs. Remember to channel your inner leader while nail clipping, dog can sense if you are not confident in your skills. Getting you and your hound accustom to nail clipping can take some time but well worth the effort!
I hope that this has been helpful to you and you now ready to clip you hound’s nails with confidence!
Every American Thanksgiving the American Kennel Club has its national dog show. The Best in Show (BIS) dog gets tons of advertising and often times many people throughout the country are exposed to a dog that is “beautiful”. This advertising causes an increase in desire for the BIS dog breed. This year the BIS went to Gia the greyhound. Gia is an AKC greyhound that has never competed in amateur running sports a day in her life as she was bred for the ring only. She is not the typical body type of the NGA greyhound or retired racer. She is an exaggerated form of the AKC breed standard for Greyhounds. Nonetheless, she is advertising for the greyhound breed and her handler gave serious prompts to the greyhound as a great living companion or pet.
Since Gia won BIS there have been several articles published talking about why to add a greyhound to your household, and I have taken issue with some of this; they encouraged me to write this post! None of these articles captured what adding a greyhound to your home truly means.
Many articles spoke about the traits of greyhounds and what the greyhound can and cannot do. These articles also suggested what is needed to provide one of the fastest land mammals a perfect home (I am not sure there is a perfect home).
I disagree with most of this.
These writers have completed some research or googling of the greyhound but are missing one important piece of the puzzle: they have never owned a greyhound.
While I was pondering the characteristics of a retired racing greyhound and what I would tell a potential adopter about the breed, I asked my husband, a non-dog-person but a greyhound aficionado that I would trust any greyhound decision to, what makes a retired racer special? Without a moment’s pause, he said “heart.”
Retired racers are raised to have “heart”. By “heart” I mean passion. They are raised to chase with all their “heart”, hang-out with their kennel mates with all their “heart”, and love their people/trainers with all their “heart”. Everything a greyhound does is with all their “heart”. Greyhounds are independent dogs that do not need human affirmation like many other dogs. Greyhounds choose their humans and they do it with all their “heart”.
After Gia’s win if you decide to adopt a greyhound, make sure that you know you are not just getting a thin skinned dog that doesn’t bark, but a dog that has “heart”. You’re getting a dog that has been loved by trainers, a dog that loves to chase, a dog that loves to live and lives her life to the fullest, and a dog that inspires you to be a better human. My friends, greyhounds are more than any dog, more special than anything in the world, and able to give more than their all, as they give their “heart” in all they do.
A few weeks ago I wrote an article on greyhound digestion.We learned that greyhounds rely on the crushing power of their molars to break down food, as they lack the enzymes needed to begin carbohydrate break down in their mouths.
Due to this, dogs’ teeth are important to their overall health.Greyhounds are known for their bad teeth.Today, I want to discuss the greyhound’s teeth and gums, how gingivitis occurs, and then how to get your greyhounds mouth into tip-top-shape!
If you have even been around a greyhound puppy, you know why they are called “land-sharks.”They have super fine sharp teeth that will cut through skin and bring you to your knees.Thankfully at about six months these 28 extremely sharp weapons fall out and replaced by 42 permanent adult teeth.Dogs have four types of teeth: canines, incisors, premolars, and molars.The canines are responsible for ripping or tearing flesh and the molars are responsible for crushing.These adult teeth lack in sharpness but are efficient at bringing down quarry and enable the greyhound to tear through bone and muscle.
Just as the adult teeth need to be strong to function, they also depend on strong gums for support.Gums are tissues in the mouth that are covered with oral mucosa.Gums help keep the teeth aligned and supported.If the gums are not healthy the teeth cannot be healthy either.
So why do greyhounds have such “bad” teeth?There are several hypotheses but no clear answer at this time.The national greyhound adoption program (NGAP) blames this on a raw diet fed at the kennels; however, I disagree.A raw diet with meaty bones should promote good dental care.Some feel that there is a lack of concern about teeth in the greyhound industry and point out that there is only a half page on tooth care in the greyhound bible AKA Care of the Racing Greyhound: A Guide for Trainers, Breeders, and Veterinarians. I am not sure that this is that accurate either, as tooth brushing is not difficult and could be covered quickly. The cause of bad teeth could be debated all day and a clear answer may not surface. Let move on to how tooth decay and gingivitis occur and how to prevent this.
Dogs have bacteria in their mouths, and certain bacteria are part of their normal flora (friendly bacteria).They also get bacteria in their mouths from eating, licking, chewing, and doing dog things.These bacteria stick to the teeth.If these bacteria are not removed from the teeth they cause irritation to the gums.This is called gingivitis.Most likely your hounds have gingivitis if their gums bleed with brushing.This is commonly seen early in an oral care program.Regular teeth brushing and chewing can reverse this.If these bacteria are not removed they will continue to build up on the teeth.This build-up of bacteria (tarter) will weaken the enamel of the teeth causing decay.This build-up of tarter can also affect the bone under the gum supporting the tooth if not removed.Once the bones supporting the teeth are affected the dog has periodontitis.This is not reversible and can cause tooth loss if not stopped.
The importance of the teeth and gums are paramount.Teeth not only support our nutritional needs, but if they are diseased, they create an entryway for bacterial to enter into the blood stream and potentially cause life-threatening infections.
How do we prevent this from happening to our best friends?Number one most important thing is brush their teeth.I admit that I am not the best at daily brushing, but after writing about the horrors of periodontitis I can promise you there will be daily brushing in our house!The second thing is to feed raw bones.Raw bones are irritants to built-up tarter on the teeth.The grinding of the bone helps to remove the tarter on the molars as you can see in the photo above.Please, do not feed cooked bones, as they can be extremely harmful to dogs.The cooking of bone denatures the proteins and causes splintering of the bone when chewing.Finally, encourage chewing!I love planet dog toys.The Orbee-Tuff line holds up to my aggressive chewers and the toys have a nice peppermint scent to help with bad breath.
I hope that this article is helpful to you and your hound. Below is a video of how we brush teeth. Promoting clean teeth and gums is one of the best things you can do for your greyhound!
Today I am going to discuss liver function in greyhounds as well as thyroid function.
Let’s start with the liver. The liver is an important organ in metabolism of food and drugs. There are two main blood markers that we check for liver damage: alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). ALT is found in the liver and elevated levels are directly correlated with liver damage. AST is found throughout the body in various cells. AST can be elevated in hepatic injury but also for other reasons not related to the liver.
Greyhounds have elevated ALT without associated liver damage. I was puzzled by this and could not find any data about why this would occur. A genetic change is the most reasonable explanation of the greyhounds’ LTF abnormalities. Again, selective breeding most likely caused this, and unlike the RBC changes that improve the greyhound’s athletic ability, this is just a side effect.
So if the greyhound has elevated ALT, is that why they cannot process drugs as quickly as non-greyhound dogs? This is not the case. In the livers of both humans and dogs there are enzymes called cytochrome P450 (CYP), and these are the liver’s metabolizers of drugs. There are hundreds of these enzymes, all with different numbers. Most if the information regarding this came from humans and has been used in dogs. This area of study is booming and these researchers have found differences in this system between dogs and humans as well as between breeds.
Structure of the POR protein. Based on PyMOL rendering of PDB 1amo. Credit: Emw is licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0
In particular the greyhounds CYP system is atypical from other dogs. I am sure that you know greyhounds have issues with anesthesia and the anesthesia they receive should be different than other non-greyhound dogs. This was originally thought to be from the lack of body fat in greyhounds. This was found to be less likely after a series of studies looked at drug metabolism. These studies found that if greyhounds were given a CYP inducer like phenobarbital, they could clear anesthesia agents more quickly; conversely, if a CYP inhibitor (chloramphenicol) was given prior to anesthesia, it would take longer for the drug to be cleared. This points directly to the CYP system as the cause of delayed drug clearance and not the lack of body fat in the hound.
To sum it up, the changes in the liver enzymes seen in greyhounds does not cause the issues with drug metabolism in the greyhound. However, the CPY system within the greyhound’s liver is unique and creates the changes in drug metabolism.
Now we have a better understanding of the liver function abnormalities seen in greyhounds, let’s talk about the thyroid valves.
There are four common thyroid tests completed when checking for disease in the thyroid. They are total T4, free T4, T3, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH is controlled by the pituitary gland in the brain; it controls the thyroid gland’s production of T3 and T4. Thus, when TSH is elevated it means that there is not enough T4 or T3, and when the TSH is low it means that there is too much T4 or T3. TSH and T3 play a large role in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. T3 is often more important in hyperthyroidism, as there is less of it made in the thyroid and oftentimes takes longer to become abnormal.
Greyhound’s T4 is oftentimes abnormally low; this has been well documented. It is important to note that current racers or right-off-the-track retired racers have even lower T4 then non-racing greyhounds.
This posed the question about hypothyroidism in these dogs. There was a study that gave greyhounds with low T4 synthetic thyroid stimulating hormone. In a mammal with true hypothyroidism this should have elevated the T4, but this did not occur.
This furthered the idea that greyhounds have baseline low thyroid levels and prompted an additional study. In this study a radioactive tracer was used to evaluate the thyroid function in greyhounds suspected of hypothyroidism. The uptake of the tracer was within normal limits compared against dogs with normal thyroid function. This indicated that hypothyroidism is extremely unlikely in greyhounds.
Greyhounds are different from other dogs for various reasons. These variations in their lab values should be evaluated by someone who has experience with greyhounds.
I hope this series was helpful and you are more informed about why greyhounds’ lab valves are different from non-greyhound dogs.
Court, M. H. (2013). Canine cytochrome P450 (CYP) pharmacogenetics. The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice, 43(5), 1027–1038. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2013.05.001
Zaldívar-López, S., Marín, L. M., Iazbik, M. C., Westendorf-Stingle, N., Hensley, S., & Couto, C. G. (2011). Clinical pathology of Greyhounds and other sighthounds. Veterinary Clinical Pathology / American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 40(4), 10.1111/j.1939–165X.2011.00360.x. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-165X.2011.00360.x
We discussed the differences in greyhound RBCs and non-greyhound RBCs.There are two other types of blood cells that are different in greyhounds vs. non-greyhound dogs, the White Blood Cell (WBC) and the platelet.
RBCs, WBCs, and platelets are made in the bone marrow.After they are mature they are sent into the blood stream.As discussed previously, the RBC carries oxygen to the tissues.The WBC’s job is more complex; lets look at it first.
WBCs are immune cells.They fight off viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections.This is an important job, and there are multiple cells types and they each specialize on a certain intruder.
I am going to break down WBCs cells lines as simply as possible.I want this to be easy to understand for everyone!If there are any questions please comment or email and I will be happy to address this further.
There are five main types of WBCs.Some of them are granulated and have a nucleus or control center (RBCs do not have this).These granulations are particularly important.The granules are enzymes within the cell that improve cellular function—i.e. they are the marinade on the foreign evader the WBC is going to destroy.These are the types of WBCs found in the body:
1.Neutrophils: most numerous WBC.Nucleated and have granules.Responsible for ridding the body of bacterial and fungal infections.
2.Eosinophils: nucleated with granules.Responsible for ridding the body of parasites.Assist in allergic reactions.Help destroy cancer cells.
3.Basophils: nucleated with granules.Basophils control the histamine response in inflammation.
4.Lymphocytes: Multiple subsets (T and B cells) of the lymphocyte—complex cell with very important functions.Some subsets have granules others do not.All have nuclei.Help the body rid itself of viral and bacterial invaders and also create memory cells so that when the same infection enters the body again, it will be prepared.
5.Monocytes: nucleated without granules.They have longer lives than the other WBCs.When mature they migrate to the tissues and organs and hang out there to take care of any potential bacterial evaders.
With all of this complexity it is hard to believe the immune system does not go haywire more often!
Now lets look at the differences in greyhound labs values vs. non-greyhound dogs. Lower WBC counts are often seen in greyhounds.This has been well defined and is currently not a point of concern, as it is considered a breed trait.The eosinophil of the greyhound has been widely studied.Beginning in the 1960s the greyhound was discovered to have a vacuolated eosinophil, meaning that the granules within the cell would not stain for microscopic examination (FYI staining is a method of putting a dye into cells allowing them to be better evaluated by microscope).This was odd, as non-greyhound dogs’ eosinophils will stain orange with a quick stain method.The lack of the staining was concerning, as it appeared to be a toxic cell.The concern for abnormalities prompted large work-ups looking for a source of the inflammation.Fortunately, these changes were not pathologic.This prompted more studies.In 2005, there was a study published in Veterinarian Clinical Pathology.This study looked a 49 greyhound blood smears and compared them to 200 non-greyhound dog blood smears.A more advanced staining method was used than in the 1960’s study.This study showed that structurally and chemically, the greyhound’s eosinophil was the same as the non-greyhound dogs.This suggests that there were different staining properties in the greyhound eosinophil but overall it was the same cell seen in non-greyhound dogs.The cell was deemed not pathologic.
In addition to the changes in the WBC there are also changes in the platelet counts of greyhounds.First things first, what is a platelet? Platelets are tiny blood cells that are made in the bone marrow with RBCs and WBCs.They are responsible for blood clotting.
Greyhounds are known to have low platelet levels.This is considered to be a breed trait as long as the count is not below 100,000/μL.Again, I ask why is the greyhound’s platelet different from non-greyhound dogs?Well there are multiple theories about this.The first came about in 1994 by PS Sullivan.This theory has been supported multiple times since and focuses on stem cell competition.Do you remember the RBCs we talked about a few days ago?Well, Sullivan posited that when the bone marrow begins creating the building blocks of blood, there is a competition between the cells destined to be platelets and the cells destined to be RBCs.Due to the need for more RBCs in the greyhound, the poor platelets lose this fight—leading to lower platelet counts.Another theory focuses on the mature RBCs—due to the amount of oxygen molecules on the RBC, there is a mild loss of oxygen overall when the RBCs release the oxygen into the tissues, and this mild hypoxemia causes an increase in the production of RBCs, thus causing a decreased production of platelets—remember these cells are in competition.Both of these studies show that the competition between the RBC and the platelet either in the blood or the bone marrow is most likely why greyhounds have lower platelet counts.
Naturally one would think that greyhounds would be “easy bleeders” due to their low platelet counts.Well, they are “easy bleeders” but it is not due to the lack of platelets.Actually, the time it takes for a greyhound to create a platelet plug or the “closing time” is very similar to non-greyhound dogs.This suggests that greyhounds’ platelets are more active than non-greyhound dogs.These researchers also looked at the risk for bleeding disorders in greyhounds, but this was very rare and not related to their “easy bleeding” tendencies.However, the clot strength in the greyhound was weaker than non-greyhound dogs—this most likely is the cause of the “easy bleeding” in greyhounds.
So why would the greyhound be able to clot quickly with a low platelet count but then create a substandard clot? Aging that points back to the high level of RBCs in the blood.Due to the high RBC mass in the blood, the plasma (fluid in the bloodstream after removal of RBCs, WBCs, and Platelets) has less Fibrinogen (a protein that aids in clotting).This is the confusing part; there is actually no difference in the fibrinogen levels in greyhounds vs. non-greyhounds.The mass of the RBCs within the blood is to blame for the pseudo hypofibrinogenemia.Additionally, it is thought that greyhounds have enhanced fibrinolysis (the ability to break down clots).This would keep the greyhound from clotting, as they are at risk due to the increased viscosity of blood during exercise.
Photo Credit: Cindy Frezon
To sum up the bleeding tendency of the greyhound goes something like this: greyhounds have low platelet numbers but active platelets and these platelets create clots quickly but the clots lack stability due to low levels of fibrinogen due to elevated RBCs in the blood.Furthermore, is has been theorized that greyhounds have active fibrinolysis and can break up clots quicker than non-greyhound dogs.
Whew! Now we have looked at the RBCs, WBCs, Platelets, and hemostasis in the greyhound.It has been great for be to learn more about this.I now have an understanding of why these levels are different from non-greyhound dogs and I think this adds to the undeniable coolness of the greyhound! The last series on labs will be next week and it will focus on liver and thyroid functions.Hope you check it out!
Iazbik MC, Couto CG. Morphologic characterization of specific granules in Greyhound eosinophils. Vet Clin Pathol. 2005; 34:140–143.
Feature image credit: Cindy Frezon
Sullivan PS, Evans HL, McDonald TP. Platelet concentration and hemoglobin function in greyhounds. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1994; 205:838–841. [PubMed: 7829376]
Zaldívar-López, S., Marín, L. M., Iazbik, M. C., Westendorf-Stingle, N., Hensley, S., & Couto, C. G. (2011). Clinical pathology of Greyhounds and other sighthounds. Veterinary Clinical Pathology / American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 40(4), 10.1111/j.1939–165X.2011.00360.x. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-165X.2011.00360.x
Like I have said previously, I am a nurse and a researcher.I like to figure out why things do what they do.When I got Jethro I was amazed by the difference in laboratory (lab) valves in greyhounds and non-greyhound dogs.
I searched the Internet looking for studies to show why the difference existed.I recently found a literature review that does a good job with this but it is very science driven and not accessible to most greyhound owners.
Due to the numerous differences in the greyhound and non-greyhound labs, I am going to do a lab series on the blog looking into the different abnormalities.
Today I am going to dive into the red blood cell values of the greyhound.
First, let’s talk about the red blood cell (RBC) or erythrocyte.The RCB is the most common cell in the body.It is disc-like cell that looks like a jelly doughnut with the jelly squeezed out.RBCs are important because they house hemoglobin (Hgb), which carries oxygen to the body.Hemoglobin is a protein within the RBC.The hemoglobin molecule accepts oxygen from the lungs and carries it throughout the body, bringing nutrient rich blood to our organs.The hematocrit (Hct) is a measurement of the volume of RBCs in the body—this value is needed to get an accurate hemoglobin measurement.There are two additional RBC values that are different in non-greyhounds and greyhounds.They are the Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and the Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH).The MCV measures the size of the RBC and the MCH measures the color of the cell.
Adult blood smear by scooterdmu
That is very basic RBC science.Let’s now talk about the abnormalities in the greyhound’s valves and what they could mean.Greyhounds have higher RBC counts.The higher RBC cases an increase in Hgb concentrations and Hct.These higher values allow for oxygen to reached stressed muscle cells quicker.Initially selective breeding, training, and racing were deemed the cause of these changes; however, there are additional studies looking at other possible causes.
An argument against training and racing as a cause for these changes was completed looking at Hemoglobin and Hematocrit values in 5-6 month greyhounds and 9-10 month greyhounds.This study showed that at 5-6 month the greyhound Hbg and Hct were not much different from non-greyhound dogs and much lower than the greyhounds in the 9-10 months group.They then looked at the 9-10 month group vs. 12-13 month greyhounds. The differences in Hgb and Hct at 9-10 months vs. 12-13 months were statically insignificant, suggesting that at 9-10 months greyhounds have adult lab valves.
Sashi at 6 months by Cindy Frezon
On the other hand, there are studies to suggest that selective breeding is the cause for these changes.The hemoglobin molecule in the greyhound has a higher affinity for binding to oxygen.These studies also found unique amino acids mutations on the Hgb to allow for enhanced oxygen-binding capacity.
You may be asking, how would breeders know this and know which greyhounds to breed?Most likely the early dogmen breed greyhounds to be hearty, fast, and recovery quickly to hunt again whenever new quarry was seen.This need for fast recovery influenced breeding practices, meaning that these hounds that were able to recover quickly again had higher RBC counts and more efficient hemoglobin.These factors are still considered in breeding programs today – talk to any dogman or woman and they will tell you that test-mating or selecting a breeding pair is a time-consuming task with lots of consideration.
Darla at the Christmas Cup 2015 by Cindy Frezon
Another interesting fact about greyhound RBC valves is the lives of their RBCs.In non-greyhound dogs, the life of the RBC is around 100 days.In Greyhounds the life of the RBC is about 50 days.There are multiple theories about why this is.Some believe that greyhounds trap their RBCs in their spleen; however, there is no proof to this theory.Another theory is that the greyhound’s immune system selectively rids its self of older cells, but again this needs to be studied further for more clarity.
Greyhound’s blood counts also show elevated MCV or large RBCs.This was thought to be related to elevated reticulocytes (immature RBCs) in the blood but that is not the case. The increased size is breed specific and most likely due to the higher hemoglobin content within the RBC.This would allow for more oxygen to reach the muscles and allow for continued activity.
I hope that after this review you have a better understand of the RBC and why it is different in the greyhound.As I had said before greyhounds are special dogs that do special things.I think it is fitting that their labs are special too! Check in later this week for differences in WBCs and Platelets in greyhounds.
Feature Photo Credit: Cindy Frezon
Zaldívar-López, S., Marín, L. M., Iazbik, M. C., Westendorf-Stingle, N., Hensley, S., & Couto, C. G. (2011). Clinical pathology of Greyhounds and other sighthounds. Veterinary Clinical Pathology / American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 40(4), 10.1111/j.1939–165X.2011.00360.x. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-165X.2011.00360.x
