Greyhound Illnesses

[BootsyCollins]

The problem with this whole subject is that it is completely subjective, based entirely on each persons own experiences and prejudices.

 

 

 

This DISCUSSION might be bringing in a lot of subjectivity and anecdotal "evidence," but the topic itself is certainly not completely subjective. Science actually is not subjective at all. Genetic testing, studies, etc., result in evidence, not opinion.

[Guest kar]

correct

[cometdust1]

I have owned 4 greys. 3 have passed. ages 4(hemangiosarcoma),7( ehrlichiosis), and 9( siezures, high temps, blood problems following hospitalization for foreign body ingestion). I'm not having much luck either. All my other dogs have lived into their teens. My current grey is now 7 years old. I just look at him every day and wonder when the next tragedy will happen. Makes it hard to enjoy him. Definitely need a break from this hurt. Don't blame the OP for feeling as she does.

[GeorgeofNE]

No.

 

We have had dogs my entire life, my parents' entire lives, their parents' entire lives...and almost NONE of our dogs have died of "old age."

 

I would say that besides bone cancer, Greyhounds are probably LESS prone to illness than other breeds.

 

 

[Guest kar]

it is hard to have a dog just waiting for something else to happen.

[Guest fastcasper]

I am on my 5th grey. My first lived to 13 (put to sleep because of cancer), my second died at 9(tumor reputed near his spleen & had a heart attack), my third died at 6.5 (I got him at 4 months old. Died of either acute kidney failure or high blood pressure or vise versa), my fourth lived to 10 yrs 3 months (bone caner), currently on my fifth who is 8.5 right now. I haven't had much luck either but I try not to get in that mode and wonder what her demise will be. It's like waiting for the second shoe to fall and that's not fair to you or your grey. But it seems with all this genetic info going around my take home message is they have good genes until 5-9 yrs old then they are genetically flawed and vulnerable to many diseases. I tell my friends how much I love the breed but they are not built to last.

[Guest roweboy]

This thread is very difficult for me to read. We just adopted our first greyhound barely 3 weeks ago and we are already head over heels in love with him.

 

I've had dogs all my life, most were rescues and some were purebred. My childhood mini poodle (10lbs) lived beyond 16. A terrier mix I adopted at 3 mos only lived to be 5.5 and died of an aneurism. My Aussie/heeler/ ? mix (40lbs) lived to just about 10 & died from complications of diabetes, mini schnauzer #1 came to me after my dad died and she was breeder-bought but I think she went into a deep depression after my dad died and she only made it to about 10 yrs. Next was a full sized dachshund we rescued when he was elderly but he lived to 15 or 16. Adopted an 8 month old deaf Tibetan terrier who lived to be about 15, mini schnauzer #2 lived to be about 14-15. My last dog, a 17 lb Yorkie mix, died in October having gone blind, deaf & lost his sense of smell. He was 14 or 15.

 

I don't know what's in store for us with our new guy. He's two now - his birthday is in May. He seems quite robust. You never know how long a pet will live. I've had cats live to be 17.5 and some only made it to 5. You love a pet as long as you're lucky enough to have it. Whatever happens to it as far as illness goes is better in your loving care than what it's life would have been without you. Some of mine were pains in the ass, some were amazing. I loved them all and will love my new grey as long as I'm allowed.

[Charlies_Dad]

 

I don't know what's in store for us with our new guy. He's two now - his birthday is in May. He seems quite robust. You never know how long a pet will live. I've had cats live to be 17.5 and some only made it to 5. You love a pet as long as you're lucky enough to have it. Whatever happens to it as far as illness goes is better in your loving care than what it's life would have been without you. Some of mine were pains in the ass, some were amazing. I loved them all and will love my new grey as long as I'm allowed.

 

That is exactly correct. No matter the time you have with your Grey or other breed, they're lives are shorter than ours and something unfortunately will take them from us. Some humans are dealt a bad hand as well and only live to their 20's, 30's or 40's when the majority live full lives until they're 70's. Life has no guarantees.

 

Congrats on your new Grey by they way, you will love him and he will steal your heart.

[Guest tinams8]

But... all dogs are bred based on their health in their first 2-4 years because that's the age dogs are bred at, right? That's not unique to greyhounds. The only difference I can think of is if people are line breeding and notice grandma dog had some genetic issue later on and make breeding decisions based on that. But in reality, I doubt many breeders are keeping that close tabs on where their dogs end up. And so many diseases are not definitively genetic.

 

I only have one greyhound, she is seven, and her only problem is scraping up her lower legs on sticks/snow/whatever from running around like a maniac. So I have no anecdotal evidence yet. I can say the rescue group I work with gets lots of returned dogs and there's no shortage of 12-14 year olds.

[Guest fastcasper]

Congrats on your new and first greyhound. They are thieves of the heart (in a good way)

[dmdsmoxie]

I know of no breeder that breeds specifically for 4 to 6 years of age.

 

Molotov died at 12, Dodgem By Design at 10 1/2, Gable Dodge at 12, HB's Commander just under 8 of an aneurism, Flying Penske at 10 of a heart attack, Lonesome Cry is 13 and still alive, Real Huntsman died at 8 in a fire, Westy Whizzer died at 15.

 

I am not a genetics expert, but it seems like greyhound farmers are getting a bad rap.

[Hubcitypam]

I'm with Dick on the age thing. Targeting breeding between 2 and 4 doesn't make sense in a lot of ways.
If it is greyhounds and are any good they will still be racing - unless it is a brood held back for breeding.

If it a backyard breeder they'll often breed the dogs over and and over for years.

If it an AKC show dog it's going to be out there earning as many points as possible to make it in higher demand when it does breed.

I just looked up all my bridgekid's pedigrees. There was a wide and varied group of well known sires in their collective lineages - Grey's Statesman, HB's Commander, TNT Star Wars, Black Streaker, Molotov, P's Raising Cain, Unruly. Only one, Bella, had the same sire famous sire on both halves of her pedigree. Dutch Bahama and he was 3 and 4 generations.

I just don't know. It is a crap shoot, but in my limited experience greyhounds have proven to be the most expensive dogs that I've had in vet costs. Harley and Buck were the only ones that I didn't spend thousands on.

[Houndtime]

Also, you can't compare apples to oranges. Don't try to match a greyhound, year for year, with a smaller dog. Larger dogs, in general do not live as long as the tiny ones. Our largest dog before greyhounds was full size, very large collie. He lived to be 13 with severe arthritis. Perhaps we should have ended his pain a little earlier. One day, he just no longer got up.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Houndtime

[dmdsmoxie]

As far as the gene pool it is the AKC greyhound that was in trouble, not the NGA greyhound. In the January 2014 Greyhound Review there were 130 different sires used.Now some of them were only one breeding and a dog like Djays Octane lead the list with 28 breedings.

[BatterseaBrindl]

" I know of no breeder that breeds specifically for 4 to 6 years of age.

Molotov died at 12, Dodgem By Design at 10 1/2, Gable Dodge at 12, HB's Commander just under 8 of an aneurism, Flying Penske at 10 of a heart attack, Lonesome Cry is 13 and still alive, Real Huntsman died at 8 in a fire, Westy Whizzer died at 15.

I am not a genetics expert, but it seems like greyhound farmers are getting a bad rap"

 

Thanks Dick!

 

 

"You love a pet as long as you're lucky enough to have it. Whatever happens to it as far as illness goes is better in your loving care than what it's life would have been without you. Some of mine were pains in the ass, some were amazing. I loved them all and will love my new grey as long as I'm allowed"

 

Couldn't agree more.

Congrats on your first greyhound

 

 

"Also, you can't compare apples to oranges. Don't try to match a greyhound, year for year, with a smaller dog. Larger dogs, in general do not live as little as the tiny ones"

 

 

 

And there is no guarantee that any dog...purebred or mutt, big or small ... will love a long and healthy life.

And that goes for humans as well. There are no guarantees.....

My father dropped dead at age 54. My mom is still alive and kicking at 85.

[Guest kar]

regardless even though i love the breed i do not feel they are a healthy breed - and certainly anyone who knows me always says - hey whats up with greyhounds why are your dogs always sick

[BootsyCollins]

Let's not forget that greyhound owners are a bit touched in the head...so while the dogs may seem like they are allergic, sick, whatever, it's could also be the owner making a mountain out of a molehill

[Hubcitypam]

Christie -
Last time I was at the vet he told me a friend of his had asked for suggestions for a larger amiable low energy dog. He suggested great dane or greyhound - with the warning he suggested greys only if she promised not to turn into a crazy greyhound lady. So far she has three....

 

[KF_in_Georgia]

One issue to consider: how much of our vet bills go to "hurt" vs "sick".

 

Greyhounds get hurt often: they stub toes, run into trees, and for all their grace, they exhibit a general klutziness that is truly astounding. (I've never had a greyhound who paid the slightest attention to where he was planting his back feet.) Two items contribute to higher vet bills for greyhounds here: thin skin and high speed. It's not breeding that's the issue, it's the breed itself, and in large part it's the stuff that draws us to greyhounds--that super soft, easy-care coat, and that blazing athletic speed coupled with general looniness. You're not ever going to have a Pekingese ripping its side open as it races past a low hanging branch, or fracturing its toe trying to take three stairs with one leap. Shorthaired sighthounds are going to be prone to these injuries; those of us who generally manage to avoid the injuries are the ones with no fenced backyards for our dogs to run in (although we still get dogs dinged at parks, walking on the street, chasing plastic bags through a field, or just practicing zoomies in the living room). Our dogs are athletes, and athletes get hurt.

 

Also consider: how much of our "sick" bills are for something that happens just as frequently to other breeds.

 

Bloat, pancreatitis, liver failure, cancer. All those things happen in dogs "fortunate" enough to live long enough for diseases to catch up to them. Osteosarcoma rates are high in all the long-boned breeds; one site estimates that large dogs like Great Danes and Scottish Deerhounds may be as much as 200 times more likely to develop osteosarcoma than toy and small breeds (who have their own special ailments). Other breeds get other cancers. Golden retrievers get hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma. One site says, "Cancer rates are nearly twice the rate of cancers in all other breeds and studies show that 60%-72% of golden deaths are due to cancer." Hemangiosarcoma is a common cancer in all dogs that live longer than middle age. On this forum, we see horrible and too-frequent diagnoses of fatal cancers in our dogs, but other breed forums--and general dog forums not dedicated to purebreds--see many cancers, too. An article on Nature discusses the specific health problems of purebred dogs; greyhounds, of course, make the osteosarcoma list--with six other breeds.

 

Back issues? Skin allergies? Eye problems? Those are common ailments in Pekingese. Jack Russells have eye problems. Miniature Schnauzers have eye problems, pancreatitis, and skin problems. And for an example of where breeding has gone wrong, check out what can happen when merle dogs (of any breed) are bred to other merle dogs.

 

Breeders who breed for a certain look can cause all kinds of problems in their breeds. But greyhounds have been bred to be healthy runners, and I think that has limited the breeding missteps--that, and the ability of breeders to track a dog's ancestry back for dozens of generations. A Woman's Day article on the 10 healthiest dog breeds included Greyhounds at #9 on the list.

[BatterseaBrindl]

One issue to consider: how much of our vet bills go to "hurt" vs "sick".

 

Greyhounds get hurt often: they stub toes, run into trees, and for all their grace, they exhibit a general klutziness that is truly astounding. (I've never had a greyhound who paid the slightest attention to where he was planting his back feet.) Two items contribute to higher vet bills for greyhounds here: thin skin and high speed. It's not breeding that's the issue, it's the breed itself, and in large part it's the stuff that draws us to greyhounds--that super soft, easy-care coat, and that blazing athletic speed coupled with general looniness. You're not ever going to have a Pekingese ripping its side open as it races past a low hanging branch, or fracturing its toe trying to take three stairs with one leap. Shorthaired sighthounds are going to be prone to these injuries; those of us who generally manage to avoid the injuries are the ones with no fenced backyards for our dogs to run in (although we still get dogs dinged at parks, walking on the street, chasing plastic bags through a field, or just practicing zoomies in the living room). Our dogs are athletes, and athletes get hurt.

 

Also consider: how much of our "sick" bills are for something that happens just as frequently to other breeds.

 

Bloat, pancreatitis, liver failure, cancer. All those things happen in dogs "fortunate" enough to live long enough for diseases to catch up to them. Osteosarcoma rates are high in all the long-boned breeds; one site estimates that large dogs like Great Danes and Scottish Deerhounds may be as much as 200 times more likely to develop osteosarcoma than toy and small breeds (who have their own special ailments). Other breeds get other cancers. Golden retrievers get hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma. One site says, "Cancer rates are nearly twice the rate of cancers in all other breeds and studies show that 60%-72% of golden deaths are due to cancer." Hemangiosarcoma is a common cancer in all dogs that live longer than middle age. On this forum, we see horrible and too-frequent diagnoses of fatal cancers in our dogs, but other breed forums--and general dog forums not dedicated to purebreds--see many cancers, too. An article on Nature discusses the specific health problems of purebred dogs; greyhounds, of course, make the osteosarcoma list--with six other breeds.

 

Back issues? Skin allergies? Eye problems? Those are common ailments in Pekingese. Jack Russells have eye problems. Miniature Schnauzers have eye problems, pancreatitis, and skin problems. And for an example of where breeding has gone wrong, check out what can happen when merle dogs (of any breed) are bred to other merle dogs.

 

Breeders who breed for a certain look can cause all kinds of problems in their breeds. But greyhounds have been bred to be healthy runners, and I think that has limited the breeding missteps--that, and the ability of breeders to track a dog's ancestry back for dozens of generations. A Woman's Day article on the 10 healthiest dog breeds included Greyhounds at #9 on the list.

[Guest kar]

I realize this I did research myself but its hard to account for four greyhounds - four serious illness in young dogs 9 months, 5 years, 4 years and the oldest eight years two of which have already passed if it had been one of the four I feel more understandable but four of four having something serious health wise I find harder to believe.

[forevergrey]

I am paranoid about my greyhounds so I think I am right there with these of you who are very concerned with genetic predisposition to scary, life ending illnesses. I am also somewhat hopeful reading some of the posts from folks who had greyhounds live into old age. My own personal experience is I lost my first greyhound at age 9 to hemangiosarcoma. I lost another at age 8 to osteo. I had my Irish bred boy live to be almost 15 and my second greyhound (from K's Flack lines) live to 14. I currently have two males, ages 5 and 3 (they will turn 6 and 4 this summer). So out of 4 who passed away two died at a young age from cancer and two lived into their mid teens. Time will tell how things will go with my two current boys. I do know that every little thing that seems "off" gives me an anxiety attack. I am not rich by any means and these dogs can be expensive. But what are the alternatives? I love the breed. Although I am interested in Spanish Galgos as an alternative but have to do more research. At the end I think we all just have to go with the flow so to speak. Take care of your dogs to the best of your ability, give them a good life, enjoy them, take pride in them and remember that there are no guarantees in life.

 

Carronstar: I am in NYC too! Would love to get in touch.

[4My2Greys]

Beanie died 4 months shy of 12 of lymphoma and I just lost Nadir this week 4 months shy of his 13th birthday. He had several health issues that he was being seen about and on medication for. I still haven't gotten over Beanie's passing and I'm still reeling over the sudden unexpected loss of Nadir. That said it would never enter my mind to not adopt another greyhound. Looking back on their lives I see the unmeasurable love and devotion they gave me and not all the extra work I had to do when they did develop health problems.

[galgrey]

Unfortunately cancer is rampant in many breeds of dogs (as it is in humans). And if you look into health risks (other than cancer for various breeds of dogs you will find many. This is, of course, from 2009 and greyhounds and osteo isn't mentioned for greyhounds, but there is a mention of hemangiosarcoma. I lost my 11 year old Chloe to hemangiosarcoma in 2005.

 

Just thought I'd post this for a little perspective.

 

 

Canine Cancer: High Risk Breeds

Posted on February 10, 2009 By mmantor DOGS, HEALTH

By Dr. Mark Silberman, Southwest Animal Clinic

Cancer is a common canine ailment. It is a killer in dogs, just as it is in humans. There are predisposing factors that have been identified such as exposure to substances like metals, dust, chemicals or pesticides. Diet plays a role in the development of cancer, as does exposure to UV light. Most dogs with cancer are middle-aged to older animals, but the effect of an animal’s age on cancer is not well understood. Cancer is found in all breeds of dogs even though some have a greater predilection. This article will concentrate on some of the common breeds and their predispositions to cancer.

In a 1997 Swedish study involving 222,000 dogs, the proportional mortality rate for cancer was 18.6 percent of the recorded deaths in 1993. These high-risk breeds (more than 10 percent dying of cancer) are: Boxer (36.9 percent), Giant Schnauzer (36.9 percent), Bernese Mountain Dog (32.7 percent), Irish Wolfhound (24.8 percent), Cocker Spaniel (22.2 percent), Doberman Pinscher (22.2 percent), Pomeranian (19.0 percent), Newfoundland (16.8 percent), German Shepherd Dog (14.8 percent), Saint Bernard (13.1 percent), Great Dane (12.3 percent), Greyhound (12.3 percent) and Basset Hound (percentage unknown, but the breed does have a genetic predisposition to lymphomas).

The most prevalent tumor location in dogs is the skin with 20 – 30% of these being malignant. Mast cell tumors, Histiocytomas, Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Melanomas are the most common.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor of dogs. Size rather than breed is considered more of a risk factor. However, there is a genetic predisposition in St. Bernards, Great Danes, Irish Setters, Dobermans, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers.

Gender also plays a role. The most common tumor type in the female is a mammary gland tumor. In an intact male it would be the testicular tumor (neutering a male dog will eliminate the cancer risk). But there does not appear to be a breed predisposition to mammary gland tumors.

Lymphoma, a tumor arising from the hematopoietic tissue, is becoming more prevalent in certain breeds and at a younger age.

What follows is a partial list of some popular breeds and their predilections for cancer. It is interesting to note that there are some breeds with no predilection.

Airedale – Melanoma, Lymphosarcoma, Pancreatic carcinoma

Alaskan malamute – Sebaceous gland tumor, Anal sac adenocarcinoma

Australian Shepherd – None

Basset Hound – Mast cell tumor, Cutaneous haemangioma, Lymphosarcoma

Beagle – Mast cell tumor, Sebaceous gland tumor, Haemangiopericytoma, Perianal gland adenoma, Lymphosarcoma

Bichon Frise – Basal cell tumor

Border collie – None

Boston terrier – Mast cell tumor, Melanoma, Fibroma, Primary brain tumor

Boxer – Mast cell tumor, Melanoma, Cutaneous haemangioma, Histiocytoma, Sq. cell carcinoma, Fibroma, Thyroid neoplasia, Insulinoma, Osteosarcoma, Primary brain tumor, Lymphosarcoma.

Briard – None

Brittany spaniel – Liposarcoma (Lipoma)

Bull dog (English) – Mast cell tumor, Lymphosarcoma

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – None

Chihuahua – Melanoma, Testicular neoplasia

Chow – Melanoma, Lymphosarcoma

Cocker Spaniel - Basal cell tumor, Sweat gland tumor, Trichoepithelioma, Cutaneous papilloma, Sebaceous gland tumor, Plasmacytoma, Histiocytoma, Fibrosarcoma, Perianal gland adenoma, Anal sac adenocarcinoma, Melanoma, Lipoma,

Collie – Sweat gland tumor, Histiocytoma, Haemangiopericytoma, Nasal cavity tumors, Colorectal neoplasia

Dachshund – Anal sac adenocarcinoma, Lipoma, Mast cell tumor, Sq.cell carcinoma, Histiocytoma, Ocular melanoma

Dalmatian – Actinic keratosis, Cutaneous haemangioma

Doberman – Melanoma, Lipoma, Histiocytoma, Fibroma, Myxoma, Primary brain tumor

Fox Terrier – Mast cell tumor, Fibroma, Haemangiopericytoma, Schwannoma, Insulinoma

German Shepherd – Sweat gland tumor, Trichoepithelioma, Anal sac adenocarcinoma, Cutaneous haemangioma, Lymphoma, Myxoma, Nasal cavity tumors, Colorectal neoplasia, Insulinoma, Limbal melanoma, Testicular neoplasia, Thymoma

Golden Retriever – Mast cell tumor, Sweat gland tumor, Trichoepithelioma, Melanoma, Haemangioma, Histiocytoma, Fibroma, Lymphosarcoma, Nasal cavity tumors, Thyroid neoplasia, Insulinoma, Primary brain tumor, Fibrosarcoma

Great Dane – Histiocytoma, Osteosarcoma

Greyhound – None..although beginning to see haemangiosarcoma

Havanese – None

Irish setter – Trichoepithelioma, Sebaceous gland tumor, Haemangiopericytoma, Lymphoma, Melanoma, Insulinoma

Jack Russell – Pituitary tumor

Labrador retriever – Mast cell tumor, Cutaneous histiocytoma, Sq. cell carcinoma, Nasal cavity tumors, Insulinoma, Lymphosarcoma, Limbal melanoma, Oral Fibrosarcoma, Thymoma

Lhasa Apso – Sebaceous gland tumor, Keratocanthoma, Perianal gland adenoma

Maltese – None

Miniature Pinscher – None

Pekingese – Sq. cell carcinoma

Pointers – Mast cell tumor, Haemangioma, Nasal cavity tumors

Poodle – Basal cell tumor, Trichoepithelioma, Sebaceous gland tumor, Sq. cell carcinoma, Insulinoma, Pituitary tumor, Adrenalcortical tumor, Lymphosarcoma, Limbal melanoma, Oral melanoma, Testicular neoplasia,

Pug – Oral melanoma, Mast cell tumor

Rottweiler – Sq. cell carcinoma, Histiocytoma, Osteosarcoma

Schnauzer – Trichoepithelioma, Sebaceous gland tumor, Melanoma, Lipoma, Histiocytoma, Sq. cell carcinoma, Testicular neoplasia, Limbal melanoma,

Scottish terrier – Mast cell tumor, Melanoma, Histiocytoma, Sq. cell carcinoma, Lymphoma, Primary brain tumor

Shar Pei – Histiocytoma, Mast cell tumor

Sheltie – Histiocytoma, Basal cell tumor, Lipoma, Nasal cavity tumors, Testicular neoplasia

Shih Tsu – Sebaceous gland tumor, Perianal gland adenomas

Siberian Husky – Basal cell tumor, Sebaceous gland tumor, Haemangiopericytoma, Perianal gland adenoma, Testicular neoplasia

Springer Spaniel – Trichoepithelioma, Histiocytoma, Melanoma, Anal sac adenocarcinoma,

Weimaraner – Mast cell tumor, Lipoma

Welsh Corgi – None

Westie – Histiocytoma

Yorkshire terrier – Keratocanthoma, Pituitary tumor, Testicular neoplasia

Cancer prevention is not well understood. In its simplest sense, cancer is a failure of the immune system to check uncontrolled growth of certain cells. As these cells multiply unchecked, they form tumors. If the tumors are unchecked, they metastasize. They send cancer cells all over the body to form more tumors.

There is ongoing research at several universities looking for better treatment options. Newer strategies include gene therapy, drugs that inhibit the metastasis process and chemotherapy-impregnated implants that release drugs in a slow, steady manner.

Edited March 15, 2014 by galgrey

[dmdsmoxie]

I think everyone focuses on whatever breed of dog/animal they have. Small dogs live longer, but it doesn't mean that a terrier that lived to 17 was the picture of health until 17 and then didn't wake up one morning.

 

Everyone reading this already knows what I am about to say, if a greyhounds average life span is 11 then some dogs die before 11 and other after. We are looking at such a small sample here on GT that greyhounds can look to die young, but really don't.

 

Counting 2012 I went back 11 years and there were 177,782 pups whelped. Since we are required to report stillborn pups some of those pups never took a breath on earth. Then you factor in the natural attrition of any breed, lets say it is 10%, and the pups that are either on the farm or at the track and you probably have 100,000 or so pet greyhounds. So to look at a small sample doesn't give a true picture.

 

To the OP it is very unfortunate that you have had no luck with greyhounds, but that is all it really is, is bad luck.