Guest MadDog Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Hi there everyone. I'm hoping you can help. My 6 yr old male greyhound is showing signs of distress after running off lead. I took him to the vet and he has checked his heart with ECG, bloods etc and all normal. My boy is physically well, of good fitness generally and has no other problems. Here's what happens. He runs off-lead about once a week in an enclosed field and at our greyhound playgroup. He runs for about 1 minute and then is panting very heavily and has to lie down to recover, he sometimes shows signs of distress by digging a little hole to lie in. He takes a few minutes to regain is breath and cannot stand during this time. It's like his back legs buckle under him. His tongue and gums go a little dark in colour. Once he recovers and gets up he is absolutely fine. At greyhound playgroup he runs with older much more unfit dogs who cope fine with this level of exercise so it makes no sense. The vet is stumped as his heart, lungs etc are all fine, bloods are all fine and he looks in great shape. We now no longer let him run with other dogs at playgroup as he always overdoes it. But even running on his own he has this problem. Help! Any suggestions? Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WarmheartedPups Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 My daughters dog has the same thing....it does have a name and the vet knew what it was...I cant remember what it is called....but they need to keep the dog from exercising that hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest minzenon Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Prepare your dog before you take him for a run, during and after. Electrolytes, beta-k tablets and a bucket with water for him to stand in to cool him down. www.vetproductsdirect.com go to performance products then to electrolytes etc may also need a blood boost such as Hi Octane or similar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lizmego Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Friends of mine had this problem after their dog was lure coursing. I'll have them come here and tell their story..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeara Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 could he possibly have LP? Quote "To err is human, to forgive, canine" Audrey, Nova, Cosmo and Holden in NY - Darius and Asia you are both irreplaceable and will be forever in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 There's something called exercise induced collapse in labrador retrievers, but I don't know if it happens in greyhounds. Has he been to a cardiologist? Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 He may have a history of exertional rhabdomyolosis. Does he get tender about the neck and saddle area? Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lizmego Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Here is what Vicki (my friends' greyhound) passed away from (they were lure coursing Vicki and Milton and after one of the events, Vicki experienced this and passed away) - None of the three vets that we went to were certain of a diagnosis. But Jenni and I are pretty sure that she had “Exercise-Induced Malignant Hyperthermia” Below is the text from a book of ours called “The Ultimate Greyhound” EXERCISE-INDUCED MALIGNANT HYPERTHEMIA: Abnormal elevation of body temperature during exercise, leading to severe muscle cramping and distress. Signs: Acute symptoms of heat stress with a very high temperature, rapid panting and severe muscle cramping within a few minutes after racing. Affected Greyhounds stagger from the catching area and may develop acute stiffness, soreness and knotting in the shoulder, back and hindlimb muscles. Cause: Although a relatively uncommon condition, it may be inherited, as some bloodlines of Greyhounds with a nervous, active disposition have a higher incidence. These Greyhounds are likely to develop severe overheating, may collapse and die. In other Greyhounds, it is considered to be a complex form of muscle cramping, resulting from a high temperature and peak muscle lactic acid levels after all-out galloping, especially under hot, humid conditions. Nervy, hyperactive Greyhounds that ‘run their race before the start’, overachievers or unfit Greyhounds are more prone to this condition. Management: The affected Greyhound should be carried off the track, and rapidly cooled by immersing in a tub or bath of cold water for 30-45 seconds. The muscle cramping should be managed as for Exertional Rhabdomyolysis under veterinary supervision. Where the inherited form is suspected in a bloodline of Greyhounds, line breeding should be curtailed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MorganKonaAlex Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I think there was an article in Celebrating Greyhounds about Exercise-Induced Malignant Hyperthermia a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MadDog Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Thanks guys I've looked into these on-line and I reckon they might be possibilities. I'm going to go armed with this info to my vet. I'm interested in LP - when I looked that up it seemed to ring true as my boy has problems swallowing dry foods and gags/gulps a lot. We always joke that he would choke on his own woof. Last year he had to have endoscopy as he kept coughing and couldn't breathe in afterwards, the vets couldn't work out what it was but it never came back (and we stopped feeding him dry at that time too - which I think was a big problem for him). Hey - maybe I should change my vet..... reading this he doesn't sound too good does he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tenderhearts Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Hey - maybe I should change my vet..... reading this he doesn't sound too good does he? I think a second opinion with a more grey savvy vet just might be in order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MadDog Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 we're off to the vets again this week so I'll see what he says when I mention these conditions. Thanks again everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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