They are truly sweet, wonderful dogs. There are some caveats to owning them. Some of them are NOT good with cats or other small pets as they see them as "prey." However, since most greyhounds come from rescue groups that take them off the track, this will be determined before you bring your new pet home.
The neat thing about these dogs is that they are great apartment dogs. This cannot be said of many dogs the same size. They are not high energy dogs that need to be run hours each day.
Greyhounds make great blood donors for other dogs too as they tend to have a higher red blood cell count than many breeds. At Purdue we had them as blood donors that some of the students got to adopt after a period of time.
The primary things I see medically with these guys are:
1. Dental disease - while most large breed dogs have pretty good teeth and gums throughout their life, greyhounds WILL need regular teeth cleaning and often, extractions.
2. Osteosarcoma - bone cancer.
3. Foot pad corns - these can be taken out but often recur, sometimes causing discomfort. A cause or cure has not been found. We can remove them using a dental root elevator.
4. Anesthesia concerns by their owners. These dogs are sensitive to some anesthesias. However, the drugs we use these days are extremely safe for ALL dogs. Veterinarians are trained in how to handle dogs, no matter the breed. And it's more than the breed that plays into what is best used, including age and other medical conditions as well as the procedure to be performed. If you don't trust your vet, seek another one.
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