Greyhound Hygiene & Health Care.
Bathing Your Greyhound.
One of the nicest features of your Greyhound is that they are virtually "permanently pressed". Grooming needs are minimal.
Greyhounds have very little oil in their skin thus have very little "doggie odor". They do not need frequent baths, usually a bath every 6 months is more than sufficient to keep your Greyhound clean. When you do bathe your Greyhound, be sure to only use luke warm to medium warm water. If you use very warm to hot water, your Greyhound will eventually faint and slide down the shower wall. It can be helpful to have a second person help you when you bathe your Greyhound. The second person can help keep the dog from jumping out of the bathtub or shower stall and also prop up your Greyhound when/if he starts to get wobbly in the knees.
It is also important to never use cold outside tap water to bathe a Greyhound, even in the summer. Greyhounds do not have enough body fat to regulate their body temperature very well in hot or cold water, so be careful not to over heat or chill your Greyhound.
Never use human shampoo on a Greyhound (or any animal) the PH level is not good for their skin and they will end up with very dry and flaky skin if you do. Use a gentle conditioning dog shampoo, gently place a dry cotton ball in each ear to keep water out and remember to rinse, rinse and when you think you have rinsed enough, then rinse him one more time. Even the soapy residue of dog shampoo can be very irritating to your Greyhound's skin. And always dry your Greyhound completely so they do not get chilled.
Cleaning Their Ears.
Clean their ears once a month with a cotton ball with a little baby oil on it or buy an ear cleaning solution for dogs from a pet supply store. Never use cotton swabs in a dogs ear, as you can injure the ear drum or canal. If your Greyhound's ears have a very bad smell and black crust inside, it could be ear mites. Take your Greyhound to the vet for diagnosis and treatment.
Trimming Their Nails.
Most Greyhounds are used to having their nails trimmed while they stand. Bend each foot backwards, so that you can see the underside of the nail and trim off a little bit at a time.
I personally have great success trimming my Greyhound's nails while they are lying on their side. Also many of our adopters report that using a hand-held Dremmel grinding tool is the most pain free way to keep their Greyhound's nails short and smooth. If you use a Dremmel to grind your Greyhound's nails down, just be aware that holding the grinding tool down on a section of toe nail for too long a time can cause a lot of heat to build up from the friction.
Whatever method you use, be sure to trim a little bit off your Greyhound's nail tips every month, then you don't have to worry about over grown nails or causing the dog to bleed the next time you trim. Ask your vet or local dog groomer to show you how much to trim and what method works best. Have some styptic powder like Kwik Stop, or just have handy a bit of corn starch when you trim their nails, to stop any minor bleeding, just in case.
Beware of Chemicals & Pesticides!
Never use a flea collar on a Greyhound! Some of the chemicals commonly found in flea collars and commercial flea preventatives can in a Greyhound, cause nausea, convulsions and death. Many pets are very allergic to the derivatives from chrysanthemum flowers. These may not be the safest choices for your greyhound. Please check with your veterinarian for further information regarding products such as: Bio Spot, On the Spot and Spot On. These are made to mimic the safer once a month topical applications like Frontline and Advantage but are much, much cheaper.
The following products are considered "safe" for use on Greyhounds:
Program - is a once a month flea reproduction inhibitor.
Advantage & Advantage Multi - is a once a month topical insecticide that kills fleas on contact. Advantage is available over the counter but Advantage Multi may be prescription only. Please check with your veterinarian for more information on availability.
Frontline - is a one application every three months, topical insecticide that kills both fleas and ticks.
Droncit - use this in tablet form (rather than injection if possible to spare your dog some pain) to treat tapeworms (a byproduct of having fleas).
Pancur also called Safeguard - is best for treating hookworm, roundworm and whipworm.
Dewormers are toxic and should only be used if a fecal sample has been microscopically examined by a veterinarian and found to contain parasites.
Keep Vaccinations Updated.
Prior to your adoption your Greyhound was spayed or neutered, received a vet check-up and had its teeth cleaned, vaccinations updated, as well as receiving the Rabies inoculation. The health sheet from Recycled Racers will give you the exact dates of this care.
Annual check-ups and vaccinations should be scheduled near the anniversary of your Greyhound's adoption.
Find a Greyhound Savvy Vet.
Before allowing your Greyhound to be anesthetized or tranquilized for any reason, please be sure your veterinarian is experienced or at least familiar with the safe procedures and dosages appropriate for a Greyhound. If he/she is not or does not seem interested in the topic or your concern, then find a vet with experience with Greyhounds and the Sight Hound group. It could make the difference between life and death for your Greyhound!
Your vet should also be knowledgeable of the differences in a Greyhound's blood work test values. Please read our 'Greyhound Blood Values' web page and print this important info out and give it to your vet.
If possible, read, Adopting the Racing Greyhound (3rd edition) - by Cynthia A. Branigan. This fully updated 3rd edition (published July 2003) features ground breaking veterinary information not available anywhere else. It provides newly updated information on medical conditions in Greyhounds and the latest in tests, treatments and specific anesthesias which are safer than others for Greyhounds. Have your vet read it too!
Exercising Your Greyhound.
How Much Do They Need?
In the home environment your Greyhound, an outstanding athlete on the race track, may become a regular "couch potato". Like any dog, however, they need regular exercise to maintain their good health. A completely fenced back yard makes a nice playpen for your Greyhound, and a nice brisk walk on lead a couple times a week is much enjoyed and highly recommended.
Greyhounds love to play with their new family members, although it may take a little while for your Greyhound to show his silly side. Greyhounds seem to have a penchant for soft stuffed animals (with buttons, eyes or anything that could be swallowed by your hound removed) and fleece dog toys with squeakers. They will often "adopt" their own so we suggest giving your Greyhound one of each. You will find your Greyhound either snuggling up with his fuzzy friend or throwing it up in the air. Playing with your Greyhound is fun for both of you and great exercise too. Take your cues from your Greyhound, and when you see the classic "play bow" with his bottom up and front end down pose bouncing in front of you, you'll know it is time to play!
Always Keep Them on Leash when Outside!
Exercising your dog off leash in an area that is not entirely fenced in, could cost your Greyhound his life. Your Greyhound may be entirely devoted to you and never leave your side at home, but you must remember that this breed is the product of 4000 years of breeding to produce a 45 mph hunter with exceptional eye sight. It may be something as simple as a leaf blowing by or a small animal or piece of trash rolling down the road, and your always loyal Greyhound is off and running as fast as a horse at full gallop! They are not street wise and no car or bus could stop in time! Your Greyhound's life is not a risk worth taking.
Be patient and Consistent.
All They Need is Love?
Actually your Greyhound needs more than just love, he needs you to be very patient, very consistent with his schedule and your demands, and gentle but firm with his training. Use positive reinforcement and lots of praise when he's good. When mistakes are made, correct him only when you actually witness it happening, and praise him when he modifies his behavior.
A Word About Advice.
Undoubtedly you will get a lot of advice - good and bad - from other Greyhound adopters! Read and research as much as you can to prepare yourself. Understand that sometimes you may need to try more than one approach to a problem because every Greyhound is an individual. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Our goal is to make sure these dogs never have to be uprooted again, so we are interested in helping you troubleshoot any problems - the sooner the better before they become big problems that threaten the placement!
Most of all, be prepared to give and receive more love and affection than you ever thought possible!!
Thanks to RecycledRacers.org for the preceding information.
Greyhound Care Manual compiled & written by Marnie Grosz of Recycled Racers Inc - © Copyright 2003
