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Meet & Greet CalendarYour Story .www.gpa.mn.orgBorders Bookshop - Calhoun SquareJuly 5 Saturday 12 - 3 PM(Neil & Sylvia)Petco - Brooklyn ParkNancy Perlich and TwinklesNancy adopted Twinkles from GPA MN.Twinkles is 8 as of 4.1.03. We have enjoyed every day for the last4yr. since we adopted her. We started to foster about a year and ahalf ago and at first Twinks wasn't too keen not being the only pup.We got a lot of that dejected look. But she has to say that she nowlooks forward to the short stays with pups of her own kind as long asmom buys the foster a stuffie of its own.June 6 Friday 5 - 8 PMTwinkles Favorites: Stuffies, Greenies, and a chance to climb on ourbed when we are not looking or home.Petco - Coon RapidsI had met a couple of greyhounds about 7 years ago in the parking lotof our eye doctor. So regal but sweet. Then after we lost our lab/mixat 17 yr old, I knew my daughter and I both wanted another dog but Ididn't want to go through puppyhood again. My husband wasn't keenon the idea of any more animals, yet he was the one who told meabout the Greyhounds at Petco. Of course I had to go and see whatthey were all about. My first meet and greet!June 14 Saturday 12 - 3 PMJuly 12 Saturday 12 - 3 PMPetco - FridleyJune 21 Saturday 11 - 1 PMJuly 19 Saturday 11 - 1 PMPet Expo - MankatoMay 18 Sunday 1 - 4 PMJune 15 Sunday 1 - 4 PMJuly 20 Sunday 1 - 4 PMPetco - RichfieldJune 14 Saturday 12 - 3 PMI was very amazed at such a large mellow dog yet when they want tomove.boy. Most importantly these pups needed a home or who knowswhat would become of them.We were all prepared for a dog who would kennel and most likely loveits kennel. Boy were we surprised when Twinkles wouldn't go anywhere near her kennel. Even more surprised to find her (out) of herkennel after a short stay on her own. We worked long and hard withMartha and tried every technique until I was worn-out. Finally we putTwinkles bed in the corner where her kennel had been, and surpriseshe was an angel. Well most of the time. there was that one daythat she got into the Amish bread dough batte r.but that's anotherstory. We love doing Meet and Greets together. Come and join us atPetco - St. CloudEden Prairie Petco for a M&G some time. Twinkles loves to G O inthe C A R anywhere. Twinkels loves to G O for a long W A L K everymorning at about 5:30. Twinkles also loves to go up north to the cabinand when it is hot up at the cabin she loves to walk in the lake andsometimes chase waves.June 14 Saturday 11 - 1 PMBEST: The greyhound look- those eyes. Clean short haired dog.July 12 Saturday 12 - 3 PMBring your hound & helpeducate the public aboutthe joys of Greyhounds!The silly ways they have of tossing their stuffies. The nice prancethey have when you go for a walk. The way our fosters have of petting themselves on me, my husband, the sofa, the bed.MYTHS: That they are aggressive mean dogs. Or they must be madbecause their ears are laying flat against their head.ADVICE: Don't be surprised when that sweet pupper you adoptedstarts to show a bit more personality after a few months at his/hernew home.6

anything, Deerhounds tend to run a bit lighter in weightthan a similarly sized Greyhound. Their standard givesboth height and weight ratios. Bitches start at 28" talland up (there's no upper limit given on female height),and weigh from 75 to 95 pounds. Males run from 30 to32 inches tall and run from 85 to 110 pounds. Thesesound like reasonable height/weight correspondences.How Do I Measure My Hound?Stacy ProberIn case anyone actually wants to measure their dog accurately, here's a brief guide:Find a level place - indoors on a floor is best (not on carpet- thick carpeting can throw off the measurement). SetYou can get carpenter's levels and metal measuringup the dog so that he is standing square - this is basicallythe same as a "show stack". If the dog's front and rear are tapes at the dollar store, btw. Accurately measuringyour dog is not an expensive or high-tech endeavor.set up under the dog rather than in the proper position, itchanges the measurement significantly. The hocks shouldbe perpendicular to the ground, and the front legs will beFlea and Tick Treatmentscoming straight down from the dog (not wider apart or narStacy Proberrower than they are at elbow).Asking if a drug or flea treatment is safe for grey You'll need a carpenter's level, a yardstick or metal meashounds, I think, misses the point in most cases. Mosturing tape, a wall, and a pencil. You'll also need to knowof the chemicals we consider not safe for greyhoundswhat part of a dog the 'withers' are. There's a good chartare often not safe (or at least LESS safe) for otherand instructions on measuring a dog on a Great Pyreneesdogs as well. For example, the high-dose permethrinsite: http://www.sonic.net/ cdlcruz/GPCC/library/products like BioSpot have a high rate of unacceptablemeasure.htm reactions in dogs generally - it's not just a "greyhoundThe dog should be looking straight ahead in a natural posithing".tion (neither stretched upward nor looking down) whileSafety is also a relative term. I'm big on looking atyou're measuring. Different neck positions can influencerisk/benefit ratios and alternatives when assessingthe height at withers at that moment.risk.From the site above:For example, looking up Permethrin (an ingredient of"Place the carpenter’s level across the withers, letting itFarnam's BioSpot and the new Bayer Advantix) in somerest on the bone, one end at the wall. Move the ends ofof the chemical hazard databases, you can see that it'sthe level until the bubble is exactly in the center of thea suspected carcinogen, endocrine toxicant, gastroin level indicator, then use your pencil to mark the wall under- testinal or liver toxicant, and reproductive toxicant.neath the level where it touches the wall. Move your dogBut permethrin's major danger is that some dogs un away from the wall and measure the distance from thepredictably seizure from it and some die from normalmark to the floor. If you have been careful - and honest exposure (not overdoses.)you now have an accurate measurement of your dog’sFipronil, the active ingredient in Frontline, also killsheight. Other methods, such as running a tape measureticks. It's a reproductive toxicant and suspected carfrom the shoulder to the floor, or measuring without thecinogen - but dogs don't keel over from normal doses ofuse of a level, give rise to some of the bizarre claims forit. In short, it's not totally safe, but it's safer thangiant Pyrs."permethrin.I've had one big one. My dear Cody was over 90 pounds.I don't know of any totally safe tick poisons. Ticks areMost pet Greyhound owners and quite a few show dog peojust plain hard to kill. The risk of fipronil may be worthple commented on his size. But even so, he was nowheretaking if you're in an area where dogs tend to pick up anear 34" tall - he was closer to 30". I don't think I'velot of ticks. If not, you can use Bayer's Advantageever seen a Greyhound that was much over 32", and that's(NOT Advantix!). That formula doesn't contain permeonly been two or three times. All of those extremely tallthrin and is very effective on fleas. It has little or nodogs were over 100 pounds when at a healthy weight (noteffect on ticks, however.fat).For a point of comparison, the Scottish Deerhound is simi lar in form and height/weight ratio to the Greyhound. If7

Camping with Greyhounds, Tips andTraps (Continued from page 5)The leash should not be tight when you put your foot onit, so you are NOT holding his head to the ground. He canonly move forward so far, the leash will tighten and he willback up.all over the first day.He cannot jump up, period. He will learn to greet everyone in a more mannerly fashion, if he thinks or knowsyour foot is in the middle of his leash. This will cause himno discomfort and the two of you will make no enemiesfor Greyhounds.9. Make sure you take along a goodly supply of hisnormal food, plus extra. Designer dog food is notavailable in most out-of-the-way places. If you don'tplan for extra, and your basic cache gets eaten bybears, rained on, or lost, you will be up a creek without a poodle.14. Remember you are in the public eye. You are a walking billboard advertising Greyhound adoption, whetheryou want to be or not. Carry some brochures.10. MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN UP ALL STOOLSMADE BY YOUR GREY!!! If you are in the wilderBehave both yourselves. You are responsible for everyness, bury them, just as you would your own. Stools thing he does and he cannot do what you have not taughtof most animals are not as biodegradable as onehim. Happy camping!would think. Out west, in the arid climates, they dryinto adobe-like concrete material. Dog stools becomeeven more durable than old cow pies. The anti-dog/pet people have already gotten all trails in NationalParks put off limits to dogs just because ignorant, inconsiderate people would not scoop. Always carrypoop baggies with you, especially in the campgrounds!!!11. READ the SIGNS! If is says No Dogs, it includesGreyhounds, whether you think Greyhounds are"dogs" or not. Obey the rules.12. Do not let your Greyhound approach other campers or hikers without asking them first. Your vacationis not a standard Meet and Greet.I ask, "Have you ever met a Greyhound before?Would you like to pet one and see how warm and softthey are?"13. If your Grey is inclined to either rush towardstrangers or jump on people, put a loop in your leashthat reaches the ground, then put your foot on theleash.Four hounds on a rock! Chey, Wayki, Chubby and Sweet.Taken in Wyoming by Gil Gilley.Sept. 5 - 7, 2003:National GreyhoundAdoption Conference!Gotcha’ Day!Congratulations to these folks andhounds on their one year adoptionanniversary!Tawny to Ron and JoAnn PetersonBoone to Barb LundDisco to Christine FleischmanThis conference is sponsored by GreyhoundPets of America and will be held this year inBirmingham, Alabama.GPA-N.AL of Birmingham, AL will be the hostthis year. For more information please seethe conference website:http://www.gpaconvention.org8

GREYHOUND PETS OF AMERICA/MN GIVES A RESOUNDING“THANK YOU!”TO OUR PETCO SPONSORS.WITH THEIR HELP MANY RETIRED RACERS HAVE FOUND AND WILL CONTINUE TO FIND LOVINGHOMES AND LIVE LONG AND HAPPY LIVES!Participating Petco Stores:Apple Valley PetcoBrooklyn Park PetcoCoon Rapids PetcoEden Prairie PetcoFridley Petco (Central)Highland PetcoMaplewood PetcoOakdale PetcoRichfield PetcoRidgedale PetcoRoseville PetcoSt. Cloud PetcoW. St. Paul PetcoThe Petco Stores in Minnesota have supported our organization in ‘EVERY’ way possible. Their helpfinancially through their various fundraising efforts has been invaluable to our organization.Petco’s continued support over the years has done SO MUCH toward allowingGreyhound Pets of America/Minnesota to continue their work with the hounds we all love.GPA/MN THANKS THE PETCO STORES A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!Our Greyhound Guardian Angels!9

Greyhound Bloodworkthan other breeds, which might be mistakenly interpreted asa problem. It is thought that greyhound WBC’s, platelets,and total protein may be lower to physiologically “makeBy Suzanne Stack, DVM*room” in the blood stream for the increased red cell load.Greyhound bloodwork has enough differences from “other Confounding these normally low WBC and platelet numdog” bloodwork to sometimes make it deceivingly “normal” bers is the fact that Ehrlichia, a common blood parasite ofor “abnormal” if one isn’t familiar with these differences. greyhounds, can lower WBC and platelet counts. So ifThe salient differences are discussed below.there is any doubt as to whether the WBC/platelet countsare normal, an Ehrlichia titer is always in order. The otherCBC Complete Blood Countclassic changes with Ehrlichia are lowered PCV and eleRBC Red Blood Cellsvated total protein. But bear in mind that every greyhoundHgb Hemoglobinwill not have every change, and Ehrlichia greyhounds canhave normal CBC’s.PCV/HCT Packed Cell Volume/ HermatocritWBCT.P.PlateletsGreyhound: 4.5 - 6.2 Greyhound: 2.1 - 3.2Chem PanelOther dog: 5.4 - 7.8 Other dog: 2.8 - 4.2T.P. Total ProteinCreatinineGreyhound total proteins tend to run on the low end of normal - T.P.s in the 50’s and 6.0’s are the norm. While thealbumin fraction of T.P. is the same as other dogs, theglobulin component is lower.T4CreatinineGlobulinGreyhoundsOther Dogs7.4 - 9.05.5 - 8.5RBC:GlobulinGreyhounds: .8 - 1.6Other dogs:.0 - 1.0Greyhound creatinines run higher than other breeds as afunction of their large lean muscle mass. A study at thePCV:55 - 6537 - 55Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine foundGreyhounds have significantly more red blood cells thanthat 80% of retired greyhounds that they sampled hadother breeds. This elevates parameters for RBC, hemoglocreatinine values above the standard reference range forbin, and PCV / HCT, and is the reason greyhounds are so“other dogs”. As a lone finding, an “elevated creatinine” isdesirable as blood donors. Most veterinarians are aware ofnot indicative of impending kidney failure. If the BUN andthis difference. Never accept a diagnosis of polycythermia - urinalysis are normal, so is the “elevated” creatinine.a once-in-a-lifetime-rare diagnosis of pathologic red cellT4over production - in a greyhound. Conversely, never inGreyhounds: .5 - 3.6 (mean 1.47 /- .63)terpret a greyhound PCV in the 30’s - 40’s as being normal just because it is for other dogs. A greyhound with aOther dogs: 1.52 - 3.60PCV in the 30’s - 40’s is an anemic greyhound. Here inThese figures are from a University of Florida study of thyArizona, a greyhound PCV 50 is a red flag to check forroid function in 221 greyhounds - 97 racers, 99 broods,Ehrlichia.and 25 studs - so it included both racers and “retired”.WBCWhile greyhound thyroid levels are a whole chapter untothemselves, a good rule of thumb is that greyhound T4’sGreyhound: 3.5 - 6.5run about half that of other breeds.Other dog: 6.0 - 17.0UrinalysisOther greyhound CBC changes are less well known. TheAnd lastly, the good news - greyhound urinalysis is thegreyhound’s normally low WBC has caused more than onesame as other breeds. It is normal for males to have smallhealthy greyhound to undergo a bone marrow biopsy in thesearch of “cancer” or some other cause of the “low WBC”. to moderate amounts of bilirubin in the urine.Hgb:19.0 - 21.512.0 - 18.0*Suzanne Stack is well known and highly regarded in greyhound medical circles. She has been treating greyhoundsfor many years, and has been an invaluable source of information for AAG. We thank her for her contribution.PlateletsGreyhound: 80,000 - 200,000Other dog: 150,000 - 400,000Likewise, greyhound platelet numbers are lower on average10

Fostering is an important part of agreyhound’s transition into their newpermanent homes.Fencesand Gates!!!Please Help Us Help the hounds weare working to help by becoming afoster home.This is the time of year we begin to get a lot morereports of loose and lost Greyhounds. We appreciate your reporting to us when you have a hound onthe loose and will do whatever we can to help yourecover your Greyhound safely.Some very important reminders - this is the season of gates left accidentally in the OPEN position!!! Most of the hounds that get loose are froman individual leaving a gate open. Whether it is themeter reader, a neighborhood child taking a shortcut through your yard or retrieving a toy - it doesn’tmatter HOW it got open only that your hound seesits opportunity to expand its horizons and takes it!This can often lead to a very tragic ending of a veryloving relationship between a hound and its human.PLEASE.PLEASE!.take a couple of minutesto make sure your fences and gates are securebefore turning your hound out into the yard.Secure your gates with locks so that others can’topen them without your knowledge and forget toclose it.Please keep some kind of Identification on yourdog. To some people the jingle of dog tags is mostirritating. But ask yourself if it is more irritating thannever seeing your dog again if it should escape. Inthe past couple of years Retired Racers adoptedfrom GPA-MN were provided with an IdentificationTag - yet the lost hounds we have picked up - mostoften have not one single piece of identification onthem. Greyhounds are generally friendly dogs thatrun for a few blocks and then stop to investigatethe next person they meet. People, upon finding alost Greyhound, DO call the phone number on thetag to reunite the hound with its owner! In thesecases the hound and owner are usually reunitedwithin a few hours!PLEASE THINK for your hound, itcounts on YOU to keep it safe !763.785.4000Thank youTso much for your help!Fosteringhis volunteer opportunity is a very important partof the life of a Greyhound up for adoption.Whether coming from homes, shelters, or off the track,retired racing Greyhounds benefit greatly from goinginto a foster home. This can be a difficult job, but onethat is also VERY rewarding. Foster homes are anarea that any animal adoption organization is weakin. The needs are great, but there are specific requirements involved in becoming a GPA-MN foster home.If you feel you can open your home and your heart tohelp ready a hound for adoption please contact thefoster coordinator at GPA-MN, Teri Petrin.petrin@worldnet.att.net OR 651.702.8952Foster Families—Many thanks to all of you whoARE fostering now or have in the past. Yourhelp has been what keeps retired racing greyhounds moving from the race tracks to thecouches!GPA-Minnesota VeterinariansMany thanks to the veterinarians and their staff whosupport our group by allowing the dogs we adopt outto have marvelous medical care at a charitable rate.Maplewood Pet CareAlta VeterinaryBrooklyn Park Animal HospitalChanhassen VeterinaryCottage Grove Animal HospitalIf you think YOUR veterinarian would make a greatGPA-MN vet, please let us know.11

Greyhound Pets of America – MinnesotaP.O. Box 49183Minneapolis, MN 55449Phone 763.85.4000www.gpa.mn.orgAddress Service Requested0302stefyreGs’NM!eArPeGIs He!disnIsliaDet

Petco - many thanks as they are also helping by spon-soring our Greyfest! Fast Jack - Greyt wearables for humans! Silk Roads - Greyt wearables for hounds! . Come Join the fun at Our Greyhound Pets of America - MN Annual Greyfest! When: Saturday, June 7th, 2003 11:00 AM- 4:00 PM