cramping

Hi Pete,

Unfortunately cramping can be caused by a lot of different problems, and while there are not a lot of posts on cramping on this site, a search on the site using the search function at the very top of the page on “cramping” for say the last 700 days will bring up some additional information on some of the more common reasons.

If you have had a full analytical racing blood profile done on the greyhound, and it showed that all of the blood parimeters are spot on, then the problem is likely to be undiagnosed muscle injuries in the hind legs somewhere, or problems in the lower spine affecting nerve supply to the muscles of the back legs.

Having a greyhound on an unsuitable diet, such as one that has excessively high levels of protein can after a period of time can also cause major cramping problems in some greyhounds, so a site search on “protein” may also provide some additional info.

If the blood test simply consisted of a blood spin to check the Hct it means very little, as the Hct can be around the 60% or more in a severely dehydrated greyhound with major health and blood problems.

However the things that help to alleviate cramping are a daily supplement of Magnesium, as well as Potassium to ensure that these essential electrolytes are at the optimum levels.

To get through the final an injection of 5 ml of Tridenosen, either by slow intra-venous injection or 2-1/2 ml in each back leg three days before and again the night before racing will certainly help to get through the race but wont do much to fix the underlying problem.

Cheers,
Tom