Bruising !!!! Has Yours Ever Had It ?(Update @ post 6 )

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to ask the above Question.

Does your Greyhound bruise very easily?

Had you heard this?

Reason for Question....

On Saturday afternoon my Greyhound Niamh collasped suddenly, one minute she was fine the next, she was not.

She couldn't stand unaided, and was visably shaking. She wouldn't let you touch her anywhere without yelping, on inspection I found a large lump on her side. She was panting very heavily and wouldn't or couldn't lay down. I immediately phoned the vets who advised monitoring her and if nothing changed bring her straight in.

Nothing did change really, so we had a very sleepless night. When we got up Sunday morning Niamh was in great distress, the lump that had been on her side had moved to her lower belly and her entire underneath was very very red/deep purple. We rushed Niamh too the emergency Vets on call, they examined her and drew off a file of liquid from her belly. The conclusion they gave was somehow she had hit something or landed on her side heavily and had bruised herself very badly. "Apparantly Greyhounds are very susceptable to doing this" Even turning over and coming down heavy on their sides could cause this to happen.

The Vet gave her an injection to calm her and some anti inflamatories to help ease the bruising and swelling.

This morning she had picked up a little, but I have to take her to my vets tomorrow and get them to check her over again, their is still very heavy swelling to her belly and if it warrants they will refer me to the local vet hospital to check her over in greater detail.

I have had a very stressful weekend to say the least.

I know that Wheaton Terriers can get bruises.. I suppose greys can because they have thin skin..

Kyiro has had a couple of bruises and each time he licked and licked at them causing the skin to break down into a sore. They took a good couple of months to heal.
I did speak to the vet about it but he didn't seem overly concerned.
Greyhounds skin is paper thin though and very taught.

I remember some 'thug' kicking Molly whilst out for a walk in our local park. She is normally very good off lead, but on this occasion decided to go over to a group of youths from our local school, just to say 'hello'.

One of them then raised his foot and kicked her away lifting her into the air!!!!

Obviously, there was quite a lot of verbal expletives from me!

She suffered bruising to her tummy for a good few weeks, where she would wince trying to get up onto the sofa for a cuddle. My mum always swore by boiling up red cabbage and bathing bruising. (An old wives tale), but I tried it anyway!!

I would be very concerned that she has a bleeding disorder. This does not sound like run of the mill bruising to me. Greyhounds can have clotting disorders like Von Willibrands. Has she had any blood tests. What concerns me if the swelling in her abdomen. If she is bleeding under her skin, she could be bleeding internally as well. Is she still weak? What color are her gums? Let us know how she is.

Since Niamh was rushed to the emergency vets last Sunday, we have seen a total of 3 different vets all offering a different diagnosis. Niamh is on stronger tablets and she is still suffering. She takes upto an hour to lay down and yelps when she does, she stuggles to get up and is wobby when she does. She has this huge lump on her side(nearly the size of a rugby ball) and she has pockets of fluid dangling from her chest.

I have only had Niamh for a month, the first 3 weeks were fantastic and she was starting to show glimpses of her fun nature, but this last week has seen her go totally the other way.

Oh and the vets, they all say it's nothing to worry about and should clear itself in 2 to 4 weeks, Yet they can't see the pain she is in.

I also don't have an endless supply of money to throw at the problem.

The large lump on her side has come up since we came back from a greyhound specialist vet.

I don't know what to do anymore or who to see, I just want to see her get better. Seeing her in pain is tearing me up...

Andy

I`m sorry your girl (and you) are suffering. I hope it is as the vets say, and will clear up soon.
Did they not give you a diagnosis?

How awful for you and your lovely grey.

What do they think is causing the problem?

Is your lovely girl a rescue? It sounds a bit like she is from what you say, in which case what a rotten start to her new life with you.

I do hope that you manage to sort whatever this is out, but it doesn't help when each vet you see gives you a different diagnosis does it.

The Greyhound vet has said is a condition usually only found in race horses and is rare in dogs although as she has raced....

It's where the muscles are used to racing then have to adapt to a slower pace of life, during this adjustment period the muscle fibres can break down and release plasma. This is what is colllecting and forming along Niamh's underbelly, leaving "sacs" of fluid that just hang down.

She is now on Tramadol to help ease the pain.

This morning her left front paw has swollen to twice the size of her right, I will monitor her and take her back to the vets on Tuesday.