Facts about Feeding Rescue Greyhounds

There are lots of benefits to owning an ex-racing greyhound over other breeds of dog. They are very good tempered and although they can be large in size and fast, they use their energy in short bursts. Greyhounds are actually pretty lazy, as long as they get out for a run, they'll generally prefer to sleep all day. They're seldom boisterous or troublesome. Racing greyhounds are bred from the healthiest animals and so a rescue greyhound will generally be very healthy and not prone to congenital health issues.

Greyhounds do have sensitive stomachs, their racing diet will have been highly specialised and so their digestive systems can sometimes find it hard to adapt to a commercial pet food. You're probably getting your greyhound from a rescue centre where it will have been given a standard pet food, but as rescue centres are usually operating on limited funds, it's not likely to be of the highest quality, and it probably won't be specially formulated specifically for greyhounds.

When you get your greyhound, find out what food they have been eating and continue him on the same diet for a time. He may well be unsettled with the move, so changing their diet at the same time isn't a good idea, let them get used to one change at a time. After a couple of weeks when your new pet is settled in to his new home you can start to change his food. First choose your food. A greyhound's stomach adapts to process a particular type of food, so it's not wise to keep changing it regularly, so put some thought into the food you're going to feed him so you can stick with it. A good quality greyhound food will cost a little more than a generic dog food but it's well worth it. The dietary requirements of a greyhound are quite unique and so you can't be sure he's getting everything he needs from a food that is meant for any type of dog. Instead buy a food that has been developed just for greyhounds. Don't change his food over straight away though. Introduce the new food gradually,  first by adding just a handful to his old food and increasing the proportions of new food to old over the course of a couple of weeks. This gives his digestive system time to adapt and will greatly minimise the chances of stomach upsets.

Greyhounds often have problems with rich food, red meat should be avoided. Instead, if you want to feed them leftovers for a treat, stick to vegetables, rice and chicken. Greyhounds are slow eaters compared to other dogs, so you should always give them time to eat in peace. As they are so fast you should avoid feeding them an hour before or after you take them out as this can upset their stomachs.

Dogs and Food Allergies

Allergies to food are quite common in dogs. Like humans they are born with an intolerance for certain things, and it's up to us as owners to work out what they're allergic to and feed them a food without that particular ingredient in it. To be sure, you can simply buy a hypoallergenic dog food, such as Burgess Sensitive hypoallergenic food, that will have the absolute minimum of artificial additives and potential allergy triggers. Don't worry about feeding this food to your other dogs as it will be perfectly safe and nutritious for any dog.

So how will you know if your dog is suffering from food allergies? 

Well there are various symptoms. Some are pretty obvious such as anything to do with the digestive system. Ongoing diarrhoea or wind is a common sign that they are allergic to something in their food. Other symptoms may not be so obvious such as inflamed or itchy ears, an itchy bottom or constant feet licking. These are all signs of a food allergy.  

Breed of Dog

 

Some breeds of dogs are more prone to allergies. German Shepherds, Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels and Dachshunds are all more susceptible to allergies than most other breeds. If you have an ex-racing greyhound, these too often have food intolerances due to the diet they have been fed during their racing career. If you have any of these breeds of dog then it's wise to keep an eye on them and look out for the signs of food allergies. Even if your dog shows no sign of allergies now, it doesn't mean he won't develop an allergy in the future. This can happen with a food he has eaten happily for years, not just when you give him something new.

If your dog shows signs of being allergic to something in their food, then get them checked out at the vets to make sure that this is the problem and they don't have another illness that is giving the same symptoms as a food allergy. If your vet gives your dog an otherwise clean bill of health then it's time to change over to a hypoallergenic dog food. It's much easier to simply choose a hypoallergenic dog food rather than swapping and changing between ordinary foods to find one that they don't have a reaction to. Most ordinary dog foods will have additives of one type or another, and even if you find one they don't have a reaction to, it doesn't mean that they won't develop one further down the line. It's much safer to opt for a hypoallergenic dog food so you know you're giving your dog the best and there won't be any nasties in their food that could cause an allergic reaction.

Introduce the new food gradually and the transition shouldn't have an adverse effect on their digestive system. Hopefully on the new hypoallergenic diet you'll soon see an overall improvement in their health.