Vetsearch | Making Champions

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There's always something new to learn about performance animals - in this case, the greyhound.

Elite State, current star of the track and grandson of the immortal Flying Amy, is a highly valued commodity. Elite State’s owner refused a recent bid of one million dollars for the champion dog.

When considering supplements for greyhounds, use only products designed for use in this species. If you ignore this advice, results could be disappointing, at least – disastrous at most. For example, horse electrolyte products contain high levels of sodium. Horses are herbivores (eat plant material) and they sweat. Greyhounds are carnivores (meat eaters) and they don’t sweat and so they do not require the same high sodium levels as the horse. Trainers should consider and electrolyte such as Beta-Cel specifically made for greyhounds, which has a low sodium content but higher levels of potassium, which are needed by the breed.

It is common for dogs to lose large quantities of fluid and electrolytes during transportation, exercise and stressful conditions. Unless these losses are replaced rapidly, chronic dehydration, muscle cramping, loss of performance and nervousness can occur. A product called Recharge will help as it is specifically designed to keep greyhounds at their peek. Recharge restores, refreshes, repairs, replenishes and aids recovery. Recharge, the original sports drink . . . only for greyhounds.

The Vetsearch Company manufactures a range of products specifically for greyhounds, which are safe for racing. Products such as Neutradex, Feramo, Beta-Cel, Beta-K, Recharge, Calci-D, White E, Methnine, Blood Food Tablets, Ironcyclen and Rebound Tablets are safe to use and contain no substance, which contravenes the rules of racing. After almost 30 years in the market place trainers can use Vetsearch products with confidence.

The disturbing news earlier this year about the recall of products manufactured by the Pan Pharmaceutical Company caused concern for many Australians, including those in the Greyhound world. Fortunately, the recall did not apply to products made by the Vetsearch Company, who manufacture their own products under strict control conditions in their own, state of the art facility. These stringent systems give the greyhound fraternity confidence that supplements produced by this company are of the highest standard.

Man requires about 45 nutrients for good general health and well being. The greyhound requires similar amounts. These include major or macro minerals and trace or micro minerals, which are needed in smaller quantities. Nevertheless, it is important they are all supplied in quantities for the maintenance of good health. Shortages of the smallest amounts of a trace mineral can influence the well being of the animal. In other words, whatever the requirement, these nutrients work together for best results

The Australian Greyhound Veterinary Association (AGVA) is a special interest group (SIG) of Veterinarians whose principal interest is the greyhound. Australian Greyhound Veterinarians are recognised as world leaders in the care and concern for the athletic equine.

Greyhounds leave the boxes with explosive energy and quickly reach their top speed of up to 76 kilometres per hour. Greyhounds in Australia, as a general rule, race over distances from 275 metres to 800 metres. At the end of a 500-metre race between a greyhound and a thoroughbred race horse there would be little difference between them.

Newcastle Veterinarian, John Newell, is a human dynamo, a specialist and recognised world authority in artificial insemination and the collection and storage of frozen semen. His services are keenly sought after and in September 2003 John is an invited speaker at The World Greyhound Racing Conference in Cork, Ireland.

Supplements are important if the best performance is expected from the racing greyhound. The physical and mental stresses of hard training and racing make supplementation with “extras” mandatory for an animal to run to its potential. The veterinary world agrees and in the current edition of the Index of Veterinary Specialties there are about 140 pages in nine categories of supplements in one form or another.

Nervous and excitable dogs are a perennial problem for trainers. Dogs with an excel of nerves and excitement in their make-up invariable leave their best runs in the kennel. However, something can be done for these nervous types and the Vetsearch Company has a formulation for excitable dogs, incorporating Recharge, which helps many of these nervous canines.

For general health and vitality trainers cannot go past Feramo-Greyhound as their foundation supplement. Feramo is a concentrated formulation of all the essential vitamins, minerals and trace minerals required to maximise growth, performance, breeding activity and good health. Feramo is a foundation supplement to which other specific supplements can be added according to your dogs needs. Feramo – Greyhound, you can’t beat it.

Go easy with the electrolytes. Many trainers go overboard with electrolytes and inadvertently double dose. This may be harmful to the greyhound as its system works overtime to get rid of the excess. The best advice is to stick to the electrolyte of choice (Beta-Cel) and use as directed. This way your animal has the best chance of running to its potential.

Wagering on greyhound racing in Australia ranks second to thoroughbred horse racing. In 2003 money wagered on greyhound racing amounted to 123.7 million dollars.

Greyhounds are an ancient breed and the only breed mentioned in the Bible. They were known from biblical times in Egypt, Greece and the Middle East. The early Romans took greyhounds to Britain; William the Conqueror had greyhounds and Captain Cook brought two greyhounds to Australia on the First Fleet in 1770. Another well know greyhound enthusiast was General George Custer of Little Big Horn fame (1876). He had 40 of them.

There are presently 80 greyhound tracks in Australia. This does not include training tracks.

The numbers of greyhounds racing at any on time in the world is estimated to be in excess of 150,000 (dogs between 15 months and four years of age). The number of brood bitches, growing puppies and stud dogs is about the same.

It is estimated there are over 40,000 retired greyhounds living in luxury as household pets in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

A sedentary 30 kg greyhound is estimated to require 3,570 mags of calcium for optimum skeletal strength. A greyhound in full training is estimated to need 6,000 mg to 8.000 mg daily. It also requires 20% more vitamin D than NRC recommendations. Trainers should consider a product such as Calci D to bring calcium levels up to scratch. Calci D is a bone-building supplement designed to go with meat-based diets, which are often low or imbalanced in calcium and phosphorus. Adequate calcium is vital to maintain the strength and maturation of bone in a racing greyhound and to enable remodelling of bones in the young greyhound galloped on circular tracks.

The estimated requirements for racing greyhounds for most other minerals and trace minerals are 2-3 times higher than a resting dog. A vitamin and mineral supplement such as Feramo Greyhound or Blood Food Tablets will be a valuable addition to the diet.

Iron deficiency is the thief of performance and potential will never be realised unless deficiencies are corrected. After dealing with the problems that cause the deficiency, two products which stand out as blood building supplements are (A) Ironcyclen, a tried and true formulation containing three organic forms of iron together with other blood building co-factors, essential for red blood cell and haemoglobin production, and (B) Blood Food Tablets, a first rate, short term blood booster with vitamins and minerals for the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency in dogs.