White Coat Syndrome

[Guest buttonwillow]

Greyhounds who have retired from racing may show a blood pressure spike while at the vet's office, a study finds

 

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-greyhound-blood-pressure-20110909,0,366844.story?track=rss

 

Sadly somewhat uninformed "The dogs, which are often adopted when their racing career ends, are known to be more...how shall we say this...high strung compared with some other breeds." :lol :lol :lol but maybe worth being aware of.

[JAJ2010]

Lol I just read that to the bf and he just laughed and looked at a sleeping Sunshine! And she's the hyper naughty one!

[macoduck]

The original article was written by Dr Couto and recently published.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I often have to cover Sam's eyes at the vets so the vet can check Sam's heart and his breathing. Sam knows there are other dogs behind doors, he knows doors open and fun people come in, he knows there are treats back there in the mysterious back room. The poor vet is trying to get Sam's pulse or check his respiration, and Sam is so hyped--especially when he sees the feet going by when he's looking under the crack in the door.

 

 

Sam never raced. Not so much as one maiden race. And he's been going to this vet--quite happily--for nearly nine years. I'm sure Sam's blood pressure spikes, but it has nothing to do with vets or a racing background; it has everything to do with how my high-prey boy reacts to external stimuli. Even when he's an 11-year-old high-prey couch potato who never once--in nine years--got anywhere close to eating another dog at the vet's.

 

But he can dream, can't he?

[seeh2o]

Ugh, I just posted a response to it.

 

High strung? Maybe in a parallel universe, but not the one we currently reside in!

 

The original article was written by Dr Couto and recently published.

What, What, What???? Why would he say that???

[seeh2o]

Here is a different version of the story. I'm still really puzzled by Dr. Couto's statement, calling them "high strung". In the paragraph below, maybe he considers them high strung when they are living with each other at the track???

 

“They’re hypertensive and yet they don’t have target organ lesions that people with hypertension get. They have strokes, unlike most dogs, but the strokes they have are different from strokes in hypertensive humans. their kidneys and eyes don’t take a beating from the high blood pressure,” he said. “So my thinking is that greyhounds are ‘Type-A personality’ dogs. They are raised in a racing environment, but they are pack animals, so this stresses them out. And then once they retire, they are couch potatoes. We’re trying to put all of this together, and it’s all aimed at promoting wellness in these dogs.”

 

When Carl goes to the vet he seems to think he's at a meet and greet, after he's gotten everyone to pet him he wanders around the vet's office until he finds her stash of treats. Claire, she shakes and is scared, but she does that whenever she's away from home in a different environment.

Edited September 10, 2011 by seeh2o

[Guest TheDoggfather]

Here is a different version of the story. I'm still really puzzled by Dr. Couto's statement, calling them "high strung". In the paragraph below, maybe he considers them high strung when they are living with each other at the track???

 

“They’re hypertensive and yet they don’t have target organ lesions that people with hypertension get. They have strokes, unlike most dogs, but the strokes they have are different from strokes in hypertensive humans. their kidneys and eyes don’t take a beating from the high blood pressure,” he said. “So my thinking is that greyhounds are ‘Type-A personality’ dogs. They are raised in a racing environment, but they are pack animals, so this stresses them out. And then once they retire, they are couch potatoes. We’re trying to put all of this together, and it’s all aimed at promoting wellness in these dogs.”

 

 

I'm having trouble understanding where he's coming from here. Or if he even knows what he's talking about at all. Most here on GT have learned that being raised and growing up "in a racing environment" means they've grown up with their mom... with their littermates... FAR longer than any other breed. It's precisely the way in which they're raised that MAKES them pack animals. If he's implying that their daily lives in a racing kennel stresses them out, well, I beg to differ. There aren't many more places more secure and stable in a greyhounds life than their crate and kennel - everything about it is controlled and the dog knows what s/he can expect ona day to day basis. A wise friend once told me and recently reiterated: "dogs thrive on routine and punctuality---- that is, the known and the predictable."

 

I'd take his word over someone who claims to understand these dogs and mutters things like he did.

[Guest RICHandJUDE]

Not to get off the greyhound subject, but this 'white coat syndrome' reminds me of myself. I get nervous while getting my BP taken (it is good). One time I got my BP taken by a sit-down machine in the drug store. I squirmed so much that the machine tilted and told me to 'sit still'.

[Batmom]

White coat syndrome isn't unique to greyhounds -- can happen to any dog, as it can happen to any person. Some dogs are nervous, frightened, or excitied (kitties to chase, other dogs to sniff up, people to pet them) at the vet, and those things can send the blood pressure up. IIRC normal greyhound bp can run a bit higher than other breeds. My vet takes that somewhat higher number and allows for a reasonable "white coat" elevation when testing.

[JAJ2010]

Not to get off the greyhound subject, but this 'white coat syndrome' reminds me of myself. I get nervous while getting my BP taken (it is good). One time I got my BP taken by a sit-down machine in the drug store. I squirmed so much that the machine tilted and told me to 'sit still'.

 

 

You too? I think the tightening of the cuff makes me a bit claustrophobic which of course raises the bp! Lol

[kudzu]

She walks calmly on a loose leash through the garage while someone passing us has a hyper Beagle drag him over to us & the Beagle proceeds to give my girl a careful inspection *from underneath her* while she is still walking. Venus just hops over the rude creature & keeps going. "Wow. Your dog is so easy going," so the dork on the other end of the Beagle's leash. We stand in the elevator waiting for our floor. Someone else says, "I wish my dog were that calm. He'd freak out in an elevator." It's like that everywhere we go, except...

 

At the vet's office she might appear calm to many simply because she isn't obviously freaking out. However, when a tech does something like touch her on the side to position her she is apt to launch herself up & a few feet forward while spinning in midair as though trying to simultaneously put get some distance from & catch a glimpse of the monster attacking her. She has startled many a vet or tech this way or with some other jumpy, jittery antic. There was the time a tech took her into the back for a quick xray. In no time at all I heard a knock at the exam room door. Knocking to come in? I opened the door to see a very relieved Venus zoom into the room with a very embarrassed tech tailing her. Apparently Venus had stood, shivering & bug eyed in the radiology area. While the tech was reaching for films V used the opportunity to pop out of the slip lead, open the door & bolt from the room, expertly retracing her path back to me.

 

One could certainly forgive her vet staff for considering her high strung.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Here is a different version of the story. I'm still really puzzled by Dr. Couto's statement, calling them "high strung". In the paragraph below, maybe he considers them high strung when they are living with each other at the track???

 

“They’re hypertensive and yet they don’t have target organ lesions that people with hypertension get. They have strokes, unlike most dogs, but the strokes they have are different from strokes in hypertensive humans. their kidneys and eyes don’t take a beating from the high blood pressure,” he said. “So my thinking is that greyhounds are ‘Type-A personality’ dogs. They are raised in a racing environment, but they are pack animals, so this stresses them out. And then once they retire, they are couch potatoes. We’re trying to put all of this together, and it’s all aimed at promoting wellness in these dogs.”

 

 

I'm having trouble understanding where he's coming from here. Or if he even knows what he's talking about at all. Most here on GT have learned that being raised and growing up "in a racing environment" means they've grown up with their mom... with their littermates... FAR longer than any other breed. It's precisely the way in which they're raised that MAKES them pack animals. If he's implying that their daily lives in a racing kennel stresses them out, well, I beg to differ. There aren't many more places more secure and stable in a greyhounds life than their crate and kennel - everything about it is controlled and the dog knows what s/he can expect ona day to day basis. A wise friend once told me and recently reiterated: "dogs thrive on routine and punctuality---- that is, the known and the predictable."

 

I'd take his word over someone who claims to understand these dogs and mutters things like he did.

 

 

That snippet sounds like it was written by someone with no knowledge of greyhounds at all. I don't idolize Dr. Couto as the fanatics do and I'm on record as disagreeing with his claims about the prevalence of osteo in greyhounds, but the above even made me scratch my head. - what nonsense.

 

As for white coat syndrome, it's mind over matter. It's stressful for a whole host of reasons,, but can be overcome with time and conditioning.

[Feisty49]

Hell's bells - It's a known fact that the blood pressure of most human beings rises when going to the doctor. We "suffer" from white coat syndrome. Why wouldn't other animals?

[BauersMom]

She walks calmly on a loose leash through the garage while someone passing us has a hyper Beagle drag him over to us & the Beagle proceeds to give my girl a careful inspection *from underneath her* while she is still walking. Venus just hops over the rude creature & keeps going. "Wow. Your dog is so easy going," so the dork on the other end of the Beagle's leash. We stand in the elevator waiting for our floor. Someone else says, "I wish my dog were that calm. He'd freak out in an elevator." It's like that everywhere we go, except...

 

At the vet's office she might appear calm to many simply because she isn't obviously freaking out. However, when a tech does something like touch her on the side to position her she is apt to launch herself up & a few feet forward while spinning in midair as though trying to simultaneously put get some distance from & catch a glimpse of the monster attacking her. She has startled many a vet or tech this way or with some other jumpy, jittery antic. There was the time a tech took her into the back for a quick xray. In no time at all I heard a knock at the exam room door. Knocking to come in? I opened the door to see a very relieved Venus zoom into the room with a very embarrassed tech tailing her. Apparently Venus had stood, shivering & bug eyed in the radiology area. While the tech was reaching for films V used the opportunity to pop out of the slip lead, open the door & bolt from the room, expertly retracing her path back to me.

 

One could certainly forgive her vet staff for considering her high strung.

 

Yep.

 

All of my guys have some level of anxious behavior at the vet. Princess would SCREAM the GSOD if anyone touched her "wrong". Berkeley spends the entire time panting, shaking and whining non-stop. Ivy does the bug-eyed thing, totally wigged out.

 

I would have no problem calling them all "high strung" in the vet environment. That doesn't mean they are high-strung at home, though, or in general as a breed, for sure.

 

We're working through the vet anxiety, but it's a slow process. The association with the vet is a strong one, and not easy to overcome, particularly if they've had traumatic experiences at the vet.

[FiveRoooooers]

My sweet LadyBug: "Ware iz mah doktur?"

 

 

All of mine love going to see their vet, except for Sorella who is a total homebody and doesn't really like to go anywhere.

[Guest avadogner]

Wow. That just seems off to me. Any person or animal is open to white coat syndrome. I wouldn't think the breed would make a difference. I find his comment on how incresed BP and stroke activity affecting the sensitive eye and kidney tissue differently interesting.

 

I would expect retired racers to be well accustomed to vet care and humans handling them better than the average dog. Being raised in a pack instead of being being riped away from their moms at 2 months would create a better adjusted dog. When I watch Animal Planet and see shows about bad dog behavior, lack of pack leadership or inability to recognize other dog behavioral cue are usually the issue.

 

My Ava is an spastic, anxious mess at the vet and she never passed Maiden class training. Augie raced until age 6 and he LOVES the vet.His Ortho prised how easy to cast he was. The vet tech were in love with him and he developed a big fan club over the course of his hock brak recovery. He only gets upset if EVERY person doesn't pet him. So I would say the opposite of the article. I think each dog is as different as people's reaction to Dr offices can be.

 

I spend endless hours being poked and prodded and waiting hours to be seen and never get stressed. My DH is very healthy but spikes his BP a the Dr. As soon as he leaves it goes back to normal. Go figure.

[PatricksMom]

I'd believe it. Patrick adores his vet, but even so he sheds like crazy as soon as we walk in the door and keeps it up the whole time.

 

Is checking the blood pressure a standard part of the exam? I don't think I've seen my vet do that, or do they do it differently than a person?

[seeh2o]

I confess, I have definitely white coat syndrome. The sad thing is, I work in a medical clinic...I'm around this stuff all the time. Whenever I even do my own b/p I can feel it rising!