It is time to talk about looking after our whippies and other sighthounds. Now this whippet mama knows that they can look fragile – how can such fine legs not get snapped like twigs? – but actually hounds are pretty robust really. That does not mean that they won’t act like they are dying if you accidentally step on their paw or otherwise offend their sense of world order!
Sighthounds (mostly) have a few things in common:
- long skinny legs that can be less than graceful at times;
- thin coats that don’t protect them from the cold;
- big eyes that have amazing peripheral vision but often fail to see things right under their noses;
- Ears that have their own sense of direction and signify all sorts of things;
- Noses that can appear cute or ridiculously huge depending on the angle of the viewer and which are surprisingly bendy;
- Nails that always seem too long and make our hounds sound like tap dancers; and
- Skinny tails that may curl up or down depending on mood and confidence.
So what is “normal” and what should a whippet mama be concerned about? Let’s look at each unique aspect in turn.
Legs Eleven
The legs of a whippet or lurcher are built to propel them at speed so they are very flexible, backed up by powerful butt muscles that the Kardiashian’s would die for (if only they would…). Whippets can tuck all their legs up to make a “paw bouquet” as the beautiful Millie so ably demonstrates below even including her snoz for added effect:
Given how fast whippets and other sighthounds move, it is surprising that they don’t break their legs more often (except poor racing greyhounds, of course, made to race on unforgiving circular tracks – but the less said about racing the better).
Hounds may have issues with their feet and particularly their claws which can get caught while playing or running or (like Miss Millie) when trying to burrow a hole into Mama’s bed! Breeders often cut the dew claws off to prevent them catching and breaking repeatedly, but dew claws have a function, which is to stabilise hounds when turning during a run or other activity. (FYI, dew claws are on the inside of the leg, just above the paw). See picture of Millie’s paws below – can you spot the dew claw?
When this Mama adopted whippet Lawson, his dew claws had been removed, whereas Millie was dumped by her breeder at 8 weeks old so still had hers. She has broken them several times but they heal quickly and she does not seem overly concerned. It is probably best to check with the vet if you are concerned about these.
The other thing that greyhounds and whippets (in particular) are prone to is cancer of the leg bones or osteosarcoma. This may lead to partial or full amputation of the limb, creating our beloved “tripods” of the hound world. Most hounds can live full, normal lives sans leg but it does depend on their age and whether it is a front or back leg amongst other things. This Mama hopes such ailments never visit the sighthound that you love.
Thin skinned for reals
Sighthounds have pretty thin skin and little fur to cover it up (not all of course, shout out to our wolfhound, deerhound and staghound friends!). This leads to two issues. First the ability of hounds to get all sorts of nicks and cuts with alarming ease while zooming around like the crazy wild kids they are. The second is their tendency to feel the cold more than other, “tough” breeds like kelpies, collies and German Shepherds.
Don’t freak out if you see small cuts on your furry friend’s skin after playtime. Most dogs will use their own saliva to clean it and it will heal up quick smart. If it looks a bit bigger than usual, clean it out with salt water and get thee to a vet. Millie got a chunk taken out of her by a dog at the local park once and I didn’t notice until later because it was winter and so dark at 5pm. By the time I got to the vet the next day, he said it was too late to stitch it because the skin wouldn’t close. It healed okay but Millie has a bald patch the size of a 50 cent piece on her rump that she is a little embarrassed about. Fortunately being half staghound, her fur has helped to conceal this blemish on her magnificence.
Sometimes our hounds will cut open their paw pads by, for example, running over something sharp. If this happens, the wound will bleed a lot and freak everyone out but it is not fatal – just impressive.
Keep the area clean and either bandage it up when out and about to prevent dirt getting into the wound or embarrass your pup by making them wear little booties. This whippet mama managed to keep Lawson’s bandage on for about an hour before looking so sad and dejected that it got taken off. Don’t be like this whippet mama – be strong!
Keeping a hound warm in winter, or even other seasons, can be a challenge – getting up during the night to make sure they haven’t left their blankie on the lawn for example. However, it is also an excuse to spend a ridiculous amount of money on pyjamas, coats and even snoods! Miss Millie does not wear coats because she does not like anything covering up her natural beauty but other hounds are happy to oblige (or just put up with) their fashionista mamas and papas.
Of course this may also be why the field of pet psychiatry is taking off………
Next time in Hound Health we will look at eyes and ears and try to answer the all important question – If they are called sighthounds, why can they not see what is right in front of them?!
Whippet Mama 