When to take your greyhound to the vet

Participants want the best for their greyhounds, but unfortunately greyhounds cannot tell us when they need to go to a veterinarian.

Both the Greyhound Welfare Code of Practice and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act require participants to provide veterinary treatment to a greyhound when it is needed.

But sometimes it can be difficult to determine when veterinary care is needed. Some minor injuries or illnesses can be managed quite effectively at home. Deciding when you need to take a greyhound to the vet is a judgment call. Here are some things to think about in making that judgement call:

• Is the greyhound suffering? Does it need pain relief that you can’t provide? Remember that if an animal in your care is in pain, you are legally required to take steps to alleviate the pain. Are you confident that you know what the problem is?
• Remember that even if you have a lot of experience with greyhounds, you are not a veterinarian.
• What are the risks of not taking the greyhound to a veterinarian, or delaying taking it? Remember: When in doubt, it is always better to take your greyhound to a veterinarian. Your veterinarian is best placed to determine what the problem is and provide advice.

Some signs of illness or injury can be obvious, and require immediate veterinary attention. Such signs include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Lack of appetite
• Excessive water intake
• Excessive urination, or difficulty urinating
• Stiff ness and dehydration
• Fever
• Any suspected fracture or dislocation
• Lameness or leg carrying
• Significant swelling in a limb or body part
• Inability to stand, seizures or muscle tremors
• Any dog fight wound
• Significant (that is, bigger than 1 cm) wounds or lacerations.

Minor injuries and illnesses

Many injuries and illnesses need to be assessed by your usual veterinarian within 1 to 3 days of the symptoms appearing. These include:

• Coughing
• Eye discharge
• Skin conditions
• Muscle tears
• Mild swelling
• Bruising
• Mild muscle soreness
• Mild or recurrent lameness

Wounds

Most lacerations are best treated immediately to reduce the risk of infection and improve the success of surgery if the decision is made to stitch/suture the wound.

While the wound is healing, monitor your greyhound closely and look for signs of:

• Swelling
• Pain (e.g. soreness, licking or guarding the wound)
• Heat around the wound
• Pus or oozing liquid
• Fever or lethargy in your greyhound
• Ongoing bleeding

If these symptoms appear, take your greyhound to the vet.

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