Does Anyone In This Group Have A Greyhound That Has No Health Issues?

[carronstar]

As my vets over the years have reminded me, greyhounds are dogs. Dogs, to our dismay, get sick and leave us but healthcare for them has gotten SO much better. My absolutely no-nonsense homecare vet in NYC reminded me that as many older dogs are lost to arthritis as to osteo. I didn't want to hear it at the time as my girl had osteo but it is good to know. My last girl in NYC was costly but that is because NYC is costly. When we did a full 8 hours of observation and tests at a vet at Cornell, the cost was less than $500! She had surgery to remove her spleen due to a tumor and that could happen to any breed. She also developed kidney disease but in all honesty, I probably spent more on supplements for her than on her actual medications -- the prescription food was the most expensive item.

 

This is always the forum I check first, to see how all the pups are doing health-wise, and to educate myself. There were a couple of very rough nights in the ER where (a) I was educated about what might be happening and what I needed to ask and how to advocate for her, and ( to know that I was not alone, someone else had gone through it and someone was always here to offer encouragement. Priceless and exceptionally appreciated.

 

Are they worth every single penny, absolutely! It is funny that I currently now have the dog I should have at 90...she doesn't like to walk, too much stimulation out there and is happiest on the chaise lounge in her sunbeam. Oh, well, at 90 I will be the little old lady being pulled down the block by the goofy greyhound. Works for me.

Edited November 17, 2016 by carronstar

[PatricksMom]

Yes, Henry's got a liver value that can be funky sometimes, but no health problems at all.

[tra708]

I've had 4, and the 2 that are gone were always fine until they got sick and passed away. What I mean is, they were not constantly going to the vet for this and that, and racking up big bills during their lifetime. It was just near the end, which is the case with any breed. Good luck! Hope you get a hound.

[RobinM]

My Teddy was perfectly healthy until e had a massive stroke at 11.5 which he recovered from 90%. He's almost 13 now and has had 2 more strokes but refuses to give up.

 

My others, over the years have had multiple issues. It's bound to happen with all the inbreeding.

[utopia]

I have a 6 yr old male who is perfectly healthy. And a total joy!

[Guest FordRacingRon]

Leia is 13 1/2. The most expensive thing early on was when a pitbull mauled her when she was 3 1/2. Cost a ton to put her back together. HAd nothing to do with her being a greyhound, had to do with an ignorant and loser owner of the pitbull (who did get away without having to pay my vet bills).

 

Until 10-10 1/2 she was a pretty healthy dog. Never even had a dental cleaning because we brush every day. The expense was good quality dog food, treats, toys, heartworm and flea meds.

 

At 10 or 10 1/2 she developed,,or at least show signs of IBD. It presented, to we uniformed, as a case of doggy dementia. That cost a ton of money diagnosing what was wrong with her but there was no fix except getting her on a good diet. Plus she has gotten nervous but she always was a little high strung.

 

Now at 13 1/2 the worst part is her rear end weakness. No fix again. I supposed she could do acupuncture or laser for her weak rear end but we can't afford that so her major expense now is Rimadyl (I buy online) and Tramadol (which i get from Walgreen).

 

I really do not know what will take her, or if I have to make the decision but for now I am just loving my houndy.

[Finnsliz]

Two out of 3 of my original greyhounds had no issues and lived to be 13+ and 14+. The other had corns, then osteo at age 8. My 4th has been healthy as a horse aside from his decision to eat a container of dental floss 2 weeks ago and ended up at the ER for surgery. Accidents happen and dogs do stupid things. I find greyhounds pretty healthy creatures on the whole.

 

Forgot to mention NONE of my greyhounds have required a dental.

Edited November 28, 2016 by Finnsliz

[Sundrop]

Obviously a lot of posts about this already, but I'll add my .02 also.

 

We are on greyhounds #5 and #6 right now. Our first girl, adopted in 2004 at the age of 8, had minimal health concerns until her final diagnosis (she was gone within 24 hours from cancer). She had some seizures and was on medication and she suffered a broken toe once (she was chasing a squirrel and caught it on a tree root). Very healthy, in general. She died at 13.5 years old.

 

Our #2 (boy) had a lot of heart issues - very serious murmur, high blood pressure, leaky valve, etc. We took him to a lot of specialists and he was on a few medications and required ongoing care. He was a couple months shy of 9 when he died (and he died in his sleep due to a heart attack). He was our first angel.

 

Greyhound #3 (boy) was very healthy up until the end. No health issues at all except some shoulder soreness and a corn once. We lost him within a couple weeks of his cancer diagnosis at age 10. Greyhound #4 (girl) was kind of a roller coaster - she had some major seizures, one of which caused her blindness in both eyes. She regained much of her sight, but had to be put on medication for the seizures. Within a year she started limping and quickly lost total use of her hind leg. We were told (multiple times) that it was a stroke w/ no sign of cancer (even after extensive MRIs), but in her last vet visit we were given the bone cancer diagnosis and she was gone within a week at age 8.

 

*Knock on wood* - our current 4-year-old and 3-year-old are very healthy. No issues at all except a raging foot infection when we adopted our girl that we took care of.

 

So, we've had one very expensive due to heart issues, one semi-expensive because of seizures/blindness and ultimately, bone cancer - and two that were really healthy until the end. Can't really judge the current two since they are so young.