Greyhound Health: Teeth, Nails, and Life After Racing
UK vet records from 2016 show 39% of greyhounds had gum disease in a single year. Nails, wounds and arthritis follow. What adopters should know.
Written by thecanineledger
In a single year of UK vet records, 39% of greyhounds were recorded with gum disease. The authors of the study call it “by far the most prevalent fine-level disorder in the current study, with 39% of greyhounds affected during the single year of the study.” (O’Neill et al., Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2019). For a large dog, that is unusual. Dental disease is usually linked to small breeds, “which makes the exceptionally high prevalence in greyhounds all the more surprising.”
While greyhounds were bred for speed rather than looks, they still have health problems of their own. Teeth and nails top the list.
1. The study
The dogs. Researchers used VetCompass, a database of anonymised UK primary-care records. “Greyhounds comprised 5419/ 905,544 (0.60%) dogs under veterinary care during 2016 from 626 clinics.” The team reviewed the records of a random half, 2,715 dogs, in detail.
Older than most breeds studied. The average age was 7.6 years. The authors explain why: “many were retired racers not presented to a primary-care practice during their earlier racing career.” Racing dogs are often cared for by track vets, so their early years are largely missing from these records.
Where they came from. “Most of the UK greyhound population were bred and raised in Ireland and were imported whilst racing.”
Funding. The Kennel Club Charitable Trust supported one author during part of the study. Another author had received earlier funding from the RSPCA for greyhound research.
2. The most common diagnoses
| Disorder | Share of greyhounds in 2016 |
|---|---|
| Periodontal (gum) disease | 39.0% |
| Overgrown nails | 11.1% |
| Wound | 6.2% |
| Osteoarthritis | 4.6% |
| Claw injury | 4.2% |
Teeth. The authors suggest two causes. Greyhounds may be prone to gum disease by breed. Retired racers may also have had little dental care during their racing years.
Our note: A dental check soon after adopting a retired racer is our suggestion, not the paper’s.
Nails. Overgrown nails and claw injuries were both more common than the all-breed figures the authors compare them with. They suggest old racing injuries may make some dogs less active, or reluctant to walk on hard ground, so the nails wear down less.
→ Dental Disease in Dogs: What Brushing Can and Can’t Do · → Nail Trimming: Which Dogs Need It Most, and Why So Many Hate It
3. How long greyhounds lived
Median age at death: 11.4 years, based on 474 deaths. Females lived longer, at 11.8 years against 11.2 for males.
Causes of death. The most common were cancer (21.5%), collapse (14.3%) and joint, bone or muscle disease (7.8%).
Cancer may be undercounted. The authors note that “It is possible that the current study underestimated the total mortality from neoplasia”. Another 5.7% of deaths were put down to a lump or mass, and many of these may have been cancer.
A much higher US figure. In a US online survey of owners of retired racers, 113 of 747 dogs died over two years. “The most common cause of death reported was cancer (66 dogs, 58%)”, and bone cancer was the most common type (Lord et al., Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2007). We could read only the abstract. An owner survey is a different kind of evidence from vet records.
Our note: The paper doesn’t explain what “collapse” as a cause of death covers.
→ Osteosarcoma: The Amputation Decision
4. What the study can’t tell you
The racing years. Track vets treat much of the injury and illness in racing dogs, so these records say little about racing careers.
One year only. Most figures describe what was recorded in 2016, not over a lifetime.
A small mismatch. The abstract says 77.5% of the detailed sample had ”> 1” disorder recorded; the results say “at least one”. The page uses “at least one”.
Our note: The paper notes reported predispositions to other disorders, including a type of stroke linked to high blood pressure and an eye condition (pannus). We could read only the abstracts of its sources. In a US study of 21 greyhounds with stroke, high blood pressure was found in 6 of the 14 tested (Kent et al., Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2014). A US study of hospital records found greyhounds among the breeds “disproportionately affected” by pannus (Chavkin et al., Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 1994). Neither tells us how common these problems are in pet greyhounds.
5. If you have, or want, a greyhound
- Ask about teeth at the first vet visit, and start tooth care early.
- Check the nails often, especially if your dog walks mostly on soft ground.
- Ask about old injuries. A retired racer’s history may explain stiffness or a limp.
- Watch for lameness, and see your vet if it doesn’t settle.
Our note: These points are ours, not the study’s. Have lameness in a greyhound checked promptly.
→ Choosing a Breed or a Mix: The Health Data Breeders Don’t Lead With
6. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Greyhounds are healthy because they were bred for function” | Not the whole picture. 77.5% of the dogs studied had at least one disorder recorded in a year. |
| “Only small dogs get bad teeth” | No. Gum disease was the most common problem in greyhounds. |
| “Most greyhounds die of bone cancer” | Not shown here. Cancer caused 21.5% of recorded deaths, though this may be an undercount. |
Sources
- O’Neill DG, Rooney NJ, Brock C, Church DB, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C. Greyhounds under general veterinary care in the UK during 2016: demography and common disorders. Canine Genet Epidemiol 2019: VetCompass study, 5,419 greyhounds, 2016. One author supported by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.