We are so lucky to have Renegade as part of The Hydrant crew!
I always love rescues.
One of my clients, recently adopted Renegade, a beautiful 2 year old fawn greyhound. He’s staying with us for a few days.
He’s so beautiful (and a bit taller than Logan!) and makes me want a greyhound even more.
He’s affectionate, and such a happy boy. His tail whips around like crazy!
PS. Renegade is adopted through GRA Adoption – check them out online here.
RIP Thisbe, who peacefully passed away at noon. I am so lucky to have had you in my life. She was a very special doggie client.
She had a wonderful 11.5yrs, full of adventures and lots of love. xo
We will all miss you very much, my leggy little greyhound beauty.
I will never forget your sweet face, and your fur that felt like velvet.
We are testing out our new camera and the initial results from Christmas night are quite impressive. Here is Declan hanging out waiting for Christmas dinner!
Jax visited us for the day, he had lots of fun hanging out with the other dogs!
Up close and personal with Rocky! He will be staying with us for the next few days.
Logan is his usual spot on the couch, relaxing on Christmas day.
Charlie V dreaming of the amazing holiday feast to come…
Preparations for the dogs are under way…
Rocky is excited, he knows something special is happening.
Everyone is ready to be served.
As you can see, everyone was well behaved and enjoyed their meals!
Jax is ready for a nap after dinner…
Now time for the real turkey dinner with all the trimmings!
And an amazing homemade trifle for dessert…
My Family Trifle — This is the traditional dessert I grew up on at Christmas. Now that I”m celebrating on my own, I make it. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it.
Rocky, its his first night away from home!
Yoshi & Logan, old friends!
Olive, Yoshi & Rocky, the small dog crew!
Thisbe was also hanging out with us at the park!
Big smile from Yoshi!
Rocky is doing great on his first night at The Hydrant!
Greyhounds walk with their handlers before competing at the Caliente racetrack in Tijuana February 18, 2012. All the dogs have been imported from the United States where only seven states still operate dog tracks. Circuit rules demand that all race dogs retire at the age of five, though some run well into their sixth year. Fast Friends, a greyhound adoption group based outside Los Angeles, United States, is committed to finding homes for retired greyhounds from the Caliente racetrack. Every few months, volunteers orchestrate an event called “Retirement Day” where older, slower dogs or dogs that have been weakened from frequent leg injuries officially leave their racing days behind and are given up for adoption. Picture taken February 18, 2012.
Greyhounds compete at the Caliente racetrack in Tijuana.
Greyhounds stand together in a kennel at the Caliente racetrack.
Greyhounds look on from behind a fence in a kennel at the Caliente racetrack.
Greyhounds stand at a fence in a kennel at the Caliente racetrack.
A load of 13 greyhounds arrive onboard a Hound Hauler in Los Angeles for Retirement Day on February 11, 2012.
Fast Friends founder Joyce McRorie helps Bowtie Man the greyhound out of the Hound Hauler.
Greyhound Dave tries to sit on the lap of a volunteer.
Greyhounds have their feet dipped into containers filled with flea bath at Retirement Day.
A greyhound is towel dried by volunteers.
Greyhound Dreamboat, also known as U.S.S. Dreamboat, is given a bath by volunteers.
Courtney Williams (L) introduces her cat Kinko to Robin the greyhound, next to Fast Friends founder Joyce McRorie, as part of a test to determine Robin’s foster placements in Los Angeles.
A girl hugs a greyhound that will be placed in temporary foster care at her home in Los Angeles.
Marcia Hall (L), who has adopted two greyhounds, and Fast Friends founder Joyce McRorie sit in the waiting room of a veterinarian with their dogs.
Urns holding the ashes of deceased greyhounds are seen in the living room of Fast Friends founders Joyce and Tom McRorie.
Two adopted greyhounds relax in their new home in Whittier, California February 21, 2012.
A recent study has revealed that greyhound racing is going downhill fairly quickly in America.
According to a recent estimate, the number of greyhound racing tracks in the country have halved, compared to a decade ago. Ten years ago, one would be able to find 50 greyhound race tracks in the country, which were dotted over a total of 15 states.
However, the statistics which are presently available on the greyhound racing industry of the country have sent a wave of disappointment among its few remaining fans. Currently, there are only 25 greyhound racing tracks left. Some of the states that previously hosted greyhound race events have now totally closed down their operations. As of now, there are only seven states that still feature greyhound racing events in their few remaining race tracks.
Another decline that the greyhound racing industry has seen over the years is related to greyhound farms. Back in the 1980s, there were a significant number of farms (750) where professional greyhounds were bred and nurtured. However, that figure has now dropped down to 300. This fact was revealed by the executive director of the National Greyhound Association, Gary Guccione.
There are several factors that can account for the decline of the greyhound racing industry in the States.
For the majority of its history, the sport has faced harsh criticism with respect to its treatment of greyhounds. According to welfare activists, the living conditions of the greyhounds are far from tolerable.The activists claim that the animals are made to live in small cages where they are kept all the time except when nature calls.
Additionally, the food that is given to these professional dogs is of a poor quality. When race events draw near, the greyhounds are injected with steroids in efforts to improve their performance and make them more competitive.
Another factor that is playing a more immediate role in the steep decline that the greyhound racing industry is experiencing is the fact that slot machines have taken a major chunk of gamblers away from betting on the greyhounds.
In the minds of some people, the dismal condition in which the greyhound racing industry finds itself could well mean the end of it.
ScienceDaily (Sep. 13, 2011) — The “white-coat effect” is not reserved for only the human patients who see their blood pressure rise in response to the stress of a doctor visit.
In a new study, researchers have determined that anxiety associated with being in a veterinary hospital elevates the blood pressure in retired racing greyhounds — a breed known for having higher-than-average blood pressure in the first place.
The average systolic arterial pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading — in the dogs was about 30 points higher in a veterinary clinic when compared to blood pressure recorded at home.
The environment seemed to make all the difference. Blood pressure readings recorded in a home were similar when taken by either a veterinary student or the dog’s owner. In general, normal blood pressure in dogs, as in humans, is 120 over 80.
Some animals’ blood pressure readings normalize after they’ve had time to acclimate to the hospital setting, but in these greyhounds, that trend is less common. According to the researchers, this study suggests that the presence of the dog owner might have a more calming effect than the passage of time in the clinic.
“We see a lot of greyhounds and they are very high-strung dogs,” said Guillermo Couto, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State University and senior author of the study. “Some greyhounds come in here with blood pressure above what an instrument can read — that is 300 systolic. We know this could not really be their blood pressure because these dogs would be dead. But we also almost never get blood pressure under 150 or 160 for systolic.
“In the study, their blood pressure was nearly normal at home, independently of whether the researcher or the owner checked the pressure. To my knowledge, nobody has documented that white-coat effect in dogs with hard data before.”
Most of the estimated 200,000 pet greyhounds in the United States are former racers that have been adopted at the end of their careers. Couto and colleagues recommend that retired racing greyhounds’ blood pressure be recorded in the home if possible to provide a more accurate measure.
The study is published in the current issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
The scientists performed the study with 22 retired racing greyhounds that are enrolled in a blood donor program at Ohio State’s Veterinary Medical Center. The average age of the dogs was 7 ½ years. Twelve were male and 10 were female.
Blood pressure measurements were taken in three different ways: in the veterinary medical center by a veterinary student wearing scrubs; in the dog’s home by that same student, again wearing scrubs; and in the home by the dog’s owner.
In-home blood pressure readings were taken between seven and 28 days after the hospital measurements to avoid any effects of the dogs’ blood donations during their hospital stays. The owners then followed the student’s in-home reading 24 hours later.
The student used a specialized machine and instructed each owner on how to use it, providing reading material and offering a demonstration. The machine costs about $1,500, but Couto said manufacturers are currently working on developing a less expensive and more user-friendly device that could be used by dog owners in a home setting.
The researchers recorded systolic pressure, diastolic pressure — the lower number in a blood pressure reading, mean arterial pressure and heart rate.
The systolic and mean arterial pressures, as well as heart rate readings, taken in the hospital were significantly higher than all of those same measures taken in the home environment. The average hind-limb systolic pressure was 165, compared to at-home measures of 131 and 133 when taken by the researcher and the owner, respectively.
“This study emphasizes the need to consider the environment in which the blood pressure is measured before diagnosing or eliminating hypertension,” Couto said.
Unlike the blood pressure readings, heart-rate levels, while still higher than in the home, were lower in the clinic among “veteran” greyhounds that had frequently visited the hospital before the study. According to the researchers, this finding suggested that acclimation to the clinical environment did affect this particular stress response.
The researchers also found that the limb used to measure blood pressure affected the results. Measures were taken in both forelimbs and hind limbs. Measures tended to be higher in the back legs, but the reasons for this were not determined by the study.
Couto and his colleagues are now exploring whether retired racing greyhounds’ hypertension resulting from this white-coat effect causes any damage to their kidneys or other organs.
Couto, an oncologist, is leading a number of studies on these animals to gauge the effects of racing on their health, as well as likely genetic contributions to their high risk for bone cancer. Since he adopted his first retired racing greyhound 20 years ago, he has been committed to investigating their physiologic idiosyncrasies.
“They’re hypertensive and yet they don’t have target organ lesions that people with hypertension get. They have strokes, unlike most dogs, but the strokes they have are different from strokes in hypertensive humans. Their kidneys and eyes don’t take a beating from the high blood pressure,” he said. “So my thinking is that greyhounds are ‘Type-A personality’ dogs. They are raised in a racing environment, but they are pack animals, so this stresses them out. And then once they retire, they are couch potatoes. We’re trying to put all of this together, and it’s all aimed at promoting wellness in these dogs.”
This research was supported by the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Summer Student Research Fellowship Program and Ohio State’s Greyhound Health and Wellness Development Funds.
Co-authors include fourth-year student Christina Marino, clinical instructor Richard Cober and Maria Iazbik, managing director of the Animal Blood Bank, all of Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
