Greyhound Dog Racing Tips.
Greyhound owners- especially owners of dogs coming from adoption organizations- will face a multitude of trials during the course of their pet's lifetime. Given the extensive preparation these owners go through during the adoption process, most will cope with these during the younger years of the greyhound's lifespan. Quite often, sadly, they have difficulty with care through the later years, as the breeds specific health problems become more acute.
Noted greyhound adoption advocate, Domino Eddy, has been involved in several greyhound adoption efforts over the last twelve years, assisting in the placement of hundreds of retired racing animals and monitoring their progress over time. Intimately familiar with the challenges surrounding these animals as they get older, Eddy often counsels owners on the proper care of greyhounds afflicted with arthritis in three main areas:
Preventative Medicine
To begin, insure the dog's sleeping accommodations are both soft and warm. As any aging senior citizen will tell you, heat is the best friend to someone suffering from arthritis. These dogs are no exception; they have very little fat protecting them from the elements and are extremely susceptible to arthritis in their old age. A soft, warm bed will not only be a welcome sanctuary to these dogs, but sound medicine as well. Look for a bedding place near a heat register or radiator, yet not so close that it could burn the animal.
If the dog is suffering from arthritis, treat the condition with care. You may not wish to have them kenneled for extended periods of time at this point in their lives. Stay away from synthetic medicines that are harsh on the liver, and consider using homeopathic methods of relieving and reviving those aching joints. Antler velvet is an excellent supplement and has an extensive record of success in this area with no ill side effects.
Diet Differences
Racing greyhounds are generally fed extremely poorly. Track owners care primarily about sprint performance and have historically placed little or no value on the dog's long-term health or lifespan. The effect this has on the dog later in life is a tendency towards a sensitive stomach and a generally early degradation of the ligaments, joints, and bones.
Move away from dry foods and change to a natural diet richer in protein and higher grade calcium. Dry foods are full of fillers. When they include animal protein at all they use only the lowest grades. When you shift to a natural diet, augment it with known beneficial additives such as fish oil for a rich coat and velvet antler to assist with bone and joint issues - both, incidentally, eaten by wolves, foxes, and other wild canines the world over.
Exercise Precautions
Due to their highly specialized muscles, greyhounds as a breed, require a much longer warm-up and cool down times before they exercise. Older greyhounds can still be allowed to run in fields and parks so long as the owners walk them for around 10-15 minutes prior to letting them loose and commit to the same routine afterwards.
Regular exercise, however, must be maintained- walking no less than a mile at least four days a week- if injuries are to be avoided.
In addition to this, insure that your older animal is well-watered both before and after exercise. Eddy highly recommends carrying a squirt bottle or portable dish to avoid overheating a more delicate older dog.
In short, there is no reason the last years of your greyhounds life can't be the best. There's very little that won't be helped with just a little exercise, a better diet, some special considerations, and a pinch or two of velvet antler.
Greyhound Dog Racing.