Greyhound Blood Work

[Guest ilovemydog76]

Hi! This is my first time here and my first time owning a greyhound. I am hoping to hear some advice and/or experience with greys. I adopted Wolfie in 2006. He is now about 6 years old. I tried a new vet recently, because I heard he was more updated/thorough than my current vet. Wolfie's teeth were cleaned and some pre op blood work was done. One of his kidney levels was high, at 1.9 The vet said the highest end of the range is 1.8 He advised Hills Science KD food and more blood work in one month. He's also going to run a lyme test and a urinalysis when I go back. I think he is way too young for this. My last dog was a mutt and this happened to her, but she was about 13 years old. I did some reading online since I was freaked out. It seems like the vet should have done the urinalysis the first time to see if there actually is something wrong with his kidneys. I know blood work levels are higher for greys than other dogs, but is this number too high for a grey? Should I be worried? Does anyone know of a better vet for greys in Monmouth County NJ? Also does anyone recommend a certain diet? I've always fed him Canidae All Life Stages. Aside from the lower protein level that the vet recommended...Hill's kd doesn't appear to be healthier than Canidae. Thanks so much for all of your help! Danielle

Edited March 16, 2010 by ilovemydog76

[ahicks51]

Was it creatinine?

 

http://www.recycledracers.org/FAQ/greyhound-blood-values.html

 

http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Greyhound%20Labwork.pdf

 

If everything else is normal, slightly elevated creatinine is normal.

[Guest Mom2Shiloh]

Check GreytHealth.com for summaries of all the greyhound bloodwork numbers; you can print it from there... That's Dr. Suzanne Stack's Greyhound Health web page.

[sweetdogs]

Here is the linky from Greythealth: bloodwork and another one from OSU: it's the very 1st FAQ . (Laughing only because it's a very common question after a trip to a vet that hasn't seen many greyhounds.)

 

I'm in Bergen County so can't help you about the vet, but I'm sure others will pipe up.

 

Welcome!

[Guest LindsaySF]

Is your vet familiar with Greyhound blood values?

 

Canidae is a good food, much better than Science Diet.

[Guest ilovemydog76]

Was it creatinine?

 

http://www.recycledracers.org/FAQ/greyhound-blood-values.html

 

http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/Greyhound%20Labwork.pdf

 

If everything else is normal, slightly elevated creatinine is normal.

 

 

I think so. The vet didn't mention anything else being high. According to the websites...the creatinine levels show 1.6 being the highest level. I can't wait to get more results in a month. Maybe I will even try a holistic vet next time. I just want the best for him. Thanks so much for your help!

 

Check GreytHealth.com for summaries of all the greyhound bloodwork numbers; you can print it from there... That's Dr. Suzanne Stack's Greyhound Health web page.

 

Thank you soooo much!

[Guest ilovemydog76]

Here is the linky from Greythealth: bloodwork and another one from OSU: it's the very 1st FAQ . (Laughing only because it's a very common question after a trip to a vet that hasn't seen many greyhounds.)

 

I'm in Bergen County so can't help you about the vet, but I'm sure others will pipe up.

 

Welcome!

 

 

That gives me hope. Almost half the dogs in the study shows creatinine levels higher than the normal range for greys. The creatinine concentration in the Greyhounds was 1.6 mg/dL (median 1.6 mg/dL; range 1.2-1.9 mg/dL), and in 14 of 30 dogs the concentrations were above the reference interval established by OSU-VTH (0.6-1.6 mg/dL). Thank you so much for your warm welcome and for your help!

[Guest ilovemydog76]

Is your vet familiar with Greyhound blood values?

 

Canidae is a good food, much better than Science Diet.

 

The vet said he deals with a lot of greyhounds. He said Wolfie was bigger than the ones he deals with and that maybe he was given steroids during his racing days. He's about 80 to 85 lbs. When I adopted him ...there were a lot of greys his size. I gave the vet tech the anesthesia instructions, so she read it front of me and made enough copies. I think the jury is still out on him being a big grey vet. I will print out all of the research everyone has given me here and bring it to the vet.

 

You are right about the food. I thought the ingredients didn't look as healthy. Hopefully I can get Wolfie off of this prescription food in a month.....even if it means I have to cook for him. He will be eating better than I do. Thanks so much for your help!

[Guest gryhnd3]

We only went there once for a consultation as we lived in Sussex Cty, but you may want to try Red Bank animal hosp if you are ever looking for 2nd opinion/to switch. I know our greyhound group in NJ brings dogs there for opinions, I'm sure they have a website (the vet's office I mean), I'm guessing they have quite a few specialists there, though may not want to use for regular vet if you are on a budget as I'm guessing they may be a bit more expensive.

[Houndtime]

Depending on where you live in Monmouth County, the practice of Dr. Gale Flannagan on Rte 516 in Old Bridge is very grey knowledgeable. If it is not too far to travel for you, I also use Dr. Christine Newman of Harlingen Veterinary Clinic on Rte 202-206 in Belle Meade. I live just off of Rte 9 on the border of Middlesex and Monmouth County. I travel to Philadelphia to get my dogs teeth cleaned at the NGAP Clinic. They also do dog physicals and vaccinations, there. I got my dogs their lymes vaccine there.

[Rickiesmom]

Did your vet do urinalysis? Get a first catch of the day asap to the clinic for analysis - you want to know what the specific gravity is - a good indicator of whether the kidneys are functioning properly or not.

 

I concur with others - get a second opinion. Also, if your hound does need to be on a kidney-friendly diet, there are other options for prescription kibbles than Science Diet, including ones made by Purina and Royal Canin that many feel are better for ingredients and palatability.

 

Please keep us posted!

 

 

[Guest ilovemydog76]

We only went there once for a consultation as we lived in Sussex Cty, but you may want to try Red Bank animal hosp if you are ever looking for 2nd opinion/to switch. I know our greyhound group in NJ brings dogs there for opinions, I'm sure they have a website (the vet's office I mean), I'm guessing they have quite a few specialists there, though may not want to use for regular vet if you are on a budget as I'm guessing they may be a bit more expensive.

 

I heard Red Bank was great for 24 hr emergencies. I guess they are great for major things.....I will keep that in mind for my next panic attack. It turns out Wolfie is okay after all. Dr. Hussein in Howell is not familiar with greys. Thanks so much!!!

[Guest ilovemydog76]

Depending on where you live in Monmouth County, the practice of Dr. Gale Flannagan on Rte 516 in Old Bridge is very grey knowledgeable. If it is not too far to travel for you, I also use Dr. Christine Newman of Harlingen Veterinary Clinic on Rte 202-206 in Belle Meade. I live just off of Rte 9 on the border of Middlesex and Monmouth County. I travel to Philadelphia to get my dogs teeth cleaned at the NGAP Clinic. They also do dog physicals and vaccinations, there. I got my dogs their lymes vaccine there.

 

Thank you so much for the vet info. It seems hard to find one that really knows greys in this area. Old Bridge isn't far at all. I'm also considering trying a holistic vet. My electrologist likes Michael Dym in Cedar Brook Animal Hospital. But I did find Terri Morrison in Wood Bridge Banfield Pet Hospital and Rosemary Manziano in Colts Neck Animal Hospital (website seems expensive though). I've been reading The Nature of Animal Healing by Martin Goldstein. He believes that pets are being over- vaccinated. That they can do a yearly test to see if the last vaccine is still active in their body. Some of it makes sense, but I think other parts sound extreme. I'd like to find the middle ground. Be careful....I did read the lyme shot was the one to give your pet. And I'm sure I've done that before too. Thanks again!!!

[Guest ilovemydog76]

Did your vet do urinalysis? Get a first catch of the day asap to the clinic for analysis - you want to know what the specific gravity is - a good indicator of whether the kidneys are functioning properly or not.

 

I concur with others - get a second opinion. Also, if your hound does need to be on a kidney-friendly diet, there are other options for prescription kibbles than Science Diet, including ones made by Purina and Royal Canin that many feel are better for ingredients and palatability.

 

Please keep us posted!

 

I want to thank everyone again for all of their help!!! I really appreciate it!! Wolfie's blood work turned out normal for him. I returned for the follow up. The vet did the same blood work to see if the levels went down from being on the prescription food. The BUN was always normal...dropped from 21 to 13 from the food. The "high" createnin remained the same 1.9. So he got a urine sample from him that afternoon. He freaked me out by saying the urine looked dark and greenish. Then he left a message saying the urinalysis was normal, but abnormal. So I went to see him in person and to get copies of everything. He said the Bilirubin was abnormally high at plus 2, but maybe normal for him. He still recommended the k/d or l/d prescription food, because he can't tell if he will have kidney/liver problems in the future. The specific gravity was normal at 1.029, but I compared all of the results to the greyhound research you guys gave me. Wolfie seems normal, but I might look for another healthy food with a slightly lower protein level just in case. The senior version of Canidae was a little lower, but I'm not sure if he's old enough for that. Thank you all again for your help. I am so happy and relieved that Wolfie is normal. It overrides being annoyed at that vet for freaking me out for nothing. Thanks!!!!

[2ndChance]

Hi...I'm on the border of Ocean/Monmouth.... The vet I use is Dr. Cianci at Allenwood Animal Hospital. It's right off Rt. 34 by Manaquan/Pt. Pleasant area. I've used her since I've gotten Chance last August. Luckily I haven't seen her much, but she was recommended to me from a friend who personally knew her b/c she was the Vet Tech. She IS grey savvy.... Feel free to call and feel her out...ask questions. 732-749-1150 Good luck neighbor! Any chance you have a dog park pass?! Ocean County State Park on Rt.88 (Ocean Ave. ) in Lakewood is the best in the state! I'll meet you there!!

[Jackandgrey]

Recommending a kidney diet Rx food because he MAY have problems in the future? That is just silly. His blood work is normal which means he is healthy and his kidneys are functioning just fine. Feed him a good quality food and see a vet that actually understands greyhound blood values. Not one anxious to sell you dog food.

 

Also they don't get steroids at the track!

Edited May 2, 2010 by Jackandgrey

[Guest kydie]

My boy's weight is 80 to 85 pounds, and I think you will find lots of greys, can weigh this, steriods were never brought into the mix at vet appointments,(I find this a strange assumption) I have seen some at 90 pounds, for me the hardist thing was to learn grey hound lab work values, I printed it off, so I have it, 'cause it SURE is a lot differnt than a regular pup's labs a kidney diet has a lower protein amount I placed all my seniors over 11 on it, unless they had an issue before this age,and keep us posted on your pup

Edited May 2, 2010 by kydie

[Guest gryhnd3]

There is a lot of info out there (greytalk and other places) re: kidney issues in dogs. I just wanted to let you know that the general consensus seems to be that you need to worry more about the phosphorus level than the protein level. Just wanted to tell you that I have checked a lot of the foods and the one I have found w/ the lowest phosporus is Innova Senior (just regular senior, not senior plus or large breed). And you may not need to do anything, but just thought I'd pass this along since it does take time to research them, they don't all put it on the package so sometimes I email the manufacturer for more info.

[sweetdogs]

I'm also considering trying a holistic vet. My electrologist likes Michael Dym in Cedar Brook Animal Hospital. But I did find Terri Morrison in Wood Bridge Banfield Pet Hospital and Rosemary Manziano in Colts Neck Animal Hospital (website seems expensive though).

There's a lot of talk about holistic vets on the NJ-BARF list (it's a raw feeding list but it covers some health topics). It's a yahoo group & is pretty active.

 

Glad to hear Wolfie is normal!

 

 

[GeorgeofNE]

Get a new vet. This one clearly doesn't understand Greyhound values!!! Or much else; Greyhounds are REGULARLY urine tested at the tracks. No fool would think they could get away with steroids. And why would they bother? 80-85 pounds isn't unusually large either. Tell the vet to watch the live racing on the 'net for one hour and he'll see dogs ranging from 55 to 85 pounds racing every night!

 

There is NO reason for your dog to be on a prescription diet because his creatine is MILDLY elevated--

 

My (former!) vet insisted on my dog being tested over and over, blood AND urine. I finally got fed up and email Ohio State (Dr. Couto). He sent an email back saying it's perfectly NORMAL for a Greyhound to have abnormal creatinine as long as their urine is normal, and that there was NO REASON to keep testing my dog's blood! And my vet read the email and said, "Well, he's the expert!" and that was that.

 

George's creatine is higher than your dog's. Always is. Always will be, I assume, as it has been for the three years I've owned him!

Edited May 2, 2010 by GeorgeofNE

[CharliesDad]

Hi all,

 

I am following my vet's advice and have brought in Charlie's (10 years, 2 months, red fawn greyt) morning urine sample (taken at 10AM, delivered to animal hospital at 10:30AM -- hopefully quickly enough). She wants to ensure that everything is normal based on a urine analysis because his most recent blood test shows Creatinine at 2.1, which is outside the normal greyhound range according to

 

Dr. Stack at http://www.recycledracers.org/FAQ/greyhound-blood-values.html and

 

Dr. Coutu etc http://www.vet.osu.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/Greyhound/research/completed/2006/2006ComparisonGFR.pdf

 

I should hear back from my vet tomorrow or the next day.

 

Comments? Thank you!

[Batmom]

Hey, Charlies_Dad .... It depends on what your lab's normal range is. Dr. Stack and Dr. Couto use different labs, so one can't always directly compare values with theirs. The important thing to note is that greyhounds often have values somewhat above the normal range without there being any pathology present. For example, if the lab's normal range end is 1.8, a greyhound can have a creatinine of 2.0-2.4; as long as the BUN is normal, you wouldn't be concerned about that. If the dog always ran a 1.7-1.8 on previous blood tests and now is running a 2.4-2.5, then checking the urine concentration and protein level is a good idea.

[duncan41]

Did your vet do urinalysis? Get a first catch of the day asap to the clinic for analysis - you want to know what the specific gravity is - a good indicator of whether the kidneys are functioning properly or not.

 

I concur with others - get a second opinion. Also, if your hound does need to be on a kidney-friendly diet, there are other options for prescription kibbles than Science Diet, including ones made by Purina and Royal Canin that many feel are better for ingredients and palatability.

 

Please keep us posted!

 

 

 

The lovely Jaynie's Mom knows of what she speaks. Kidney values are comprised of many pieces. One value being out of whack doesn't necessarily mean that there's a problem. Best to do all the tests and then repeat in 30 and 60 days, unless there's a UTI or other symptoms that might point to a problem. Repeating the tests will provide a baseline. FWIW: "Normal" creatinine in one of mine is 2.5 with a normal BUN and urinalysis.

[CharliesDad]

Thank you Batmom and Duncan41 and the others who posted on this topic earlier. I will let the board know how things develop when I talk with the vet later this week!

[CharliesDad]

Thank you Batmom and Duncan41 and the others who posted on this topic earlier. I will let the board know how things develop when I talk with the vet later this week!

 

SOrry, I forgot to report back. My vet did do an analysis of first pee and those urine results confirmed that all is well re kidneys. I'm glad my vet's thorough, although it's a few more $$ to be sure. I will post on another thread now about Charlie's skin condition and allergies. Thanks all!