my vet is very greyhound savvy, which is one of the reasons why we see her. having said that, i think it's ok to have vet that is open minded and willing to take your concerns seriously, as well as do research when necessary.
it's very important. when my vet diagnosed phene with arthritis, i still had my doubts. turned out her had babesia. i hate to think what the consequences may have been if i didn't get that second opinion.
that's how phoenix was given him imizol. there was some limping afterwards and improvement within several days of the first injection. he was markedly symptomatic prior to the first injection.
my understanding is that there is a brand of chip you can purchase in north america that will work in europe but can only be scanned in north america by the newest scanners. i know because that is the kind of chip phoenix has. unfortunately i don't know the manufacturer.