Results of a web-based health survey of retired racing Greyhounds.
BACKGROUND
Adoption of retired racing Greyhounds has become increasingly popular during the past decade. To date, research has focused on the physiologic and clinicopathologic peculiarities of Greyhounds but there is little published information on disease prevalence in the breed.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of disease in retired racing Greyhounds.


METHODS
In this study, 747 Greyhounds were used.


METHODS
A standardized survey method was used, and survey responses were collected by an Internet survey. Owners could answer a survey for every Greyhound that they had owned since January 1, 2005.


RESULTS
Of the 692 eligible participants, 441 (63.7% response rate) completed surveys for 747 Greyhounds. The mortality rate for Greyhounds within the 2-year period was 15% (113 of 747 died). The most common cause of death reported was cancer (66 dogs, 58%), and the most common type of cancer listed as the cause of death was osteosarcoma (28 dogs, 25%). The most commonly reported groups of diseases or disorders were skeletal (232 dogs, 33%), skin (197 dogs, 28%), digestive (132 dogs, 18%), cancer (94 dogs, 13%), and endocrine (85 dogs, 11.9%). Forty-five percent of Greyhounds diagnosed with cancer and 6% of the overall population had osteosarcoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study can be used by veterinary researchers to continue to investigate the most common diseases in this population. As more retired racing Greyhounds enter the pet population, the results of this study will help educate veterinarians and owners about the most prevalent diseases in the breed.
Lord
Linda K
LK
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Road, A100N Sisson Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. lord.19@osu.edu
Yaissle
Jill E
JE
Marin
Liliana
L
Couto
C Guillermo
CG
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D020407:Internet; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology