Veterinary Hospital IV

Greyhounds are dogs. But Greyhounds are not "just dogs." They--and their sight hound cousins--are in a class by themselves. They are works of art in muscle and bone, with a very thin layer of skin. It's a joy to see them draped across a cushion or a sofa. The sight of a Greyhound in full stride lifts the heart.

But there is a price to be paid for all that lean beauty. Their streamlined design leaves very little margin for error, and for the Greyhound's guardian, that fact becomes all too real during trips to the vet. In a Greyhound, wounds that would heal by themselves in some breeds require stitches and, sometimes, drains.

And general anesthesia that most dogs tolerate with no problem would kill a Greyhound.

Obviously, one chooses a veterinarian for a Greyhound with care.

Yesterday I had reason to be grateful not just for the professional skill, but particularly, for the quality of insight of our veterinarian, Dr. Dorota Pearson.

Magic needed to have her teeth cleaned. A simple, routine procedure for most dogs. However. Teeth cleaning requires general anesthesia, and general anesthesia is never "routine" for a sight hound. Add to that, the fact that Magic is emotionally reactive--even for a breed that is on the high end of emotional reactivity, and you have potential for serious complications.

Dr. Pearson recognized all of this without needing any prompting from me. She minimized the time that Magic had to be in the treatment area before anesthesia, and exercised extraordinary precaution to minimize Magic's distress during recovery.

Today, Magic is not as peppy as she usually is, but she is making an excellent recovery.

Thank you, Dr. Pearson!