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registered charity in england and wales no.1069438 registered office 33 high street wraysbury middlesex tw19 5da uk patrons jilly cooper obe alexandra bastedo tel +44 01784-483206 fa x +44 01784-482501 email info@greyhoundsinneed.co.uk website www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk february 2012 dear thank you for your enquiry about adopting a galgo spanish bred greyhound please read through this information and when you feel ready kindly complete the questionnaire attached at page 2 and return it to us and then we will be able to start the adoption process by arranging a home visit please do not complete the homing agreement attached at page 3 ­ this is for your information only at this stage please note that all the galgos we rescue are tested for diseases that occur in mediterranean countries and that are not commonly known or endemic in the uk although the galgos brought to the uk test negative for these diseases it is interesting to know about them and details can be found on our website www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk the four main diseases are leishmaniasis babesiosis heartworm and ehrlichiosis we enclose a technical paper which could be of interest to your veterinary surgeon we feel it is fair to point out that in line with other welfare groups who do similar work we would appreciate a donation of at least £125 on adoption of one of our galgos to enable us to continue to take in maintain and prepare for adoption with vaccination dental cleaning sterilisation etc more dogs in need with best wishes the trustees of greyhounds in need founded by anne and arthur finch trustees carl boyde mrcvs terrance dickens martin humphery liz mason general manager carolyn davenport gin shop bournemouth sue north trustee/treasurer geoffrey levy fca gin shop brighton christine page webmaster leigh dworkin 1

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to complete and send to us please greyhounds in need please do not be offended by this questionnaire we are anxious that the galgos should go to homes where they will be understood happy and cared for they have served well as sporting animals and now deserve a loving secure and comfortable life we try to match the dog to the home please see below do you want a male or female what other pets do you have at home are all the members of the family equally keen to have a galgo have you owned a dog before what happened to it do you have children what are their ages do you live in a house other flat which floor will the dog live inside as a family pet do you have a private garden is it securely fenced how many metres/feet in height are you sure that you can spare the time to exercise your dog where would the dog sleep at night where would the dog live during the day if you work how many hours would your dog be left alone during a working day if you work all day can you get home at lunch time to give the dog a toilet break what will you do with your dog when you are on holiday do you know a local veterinarian do you understand that it is your responsibility to take out reasonable pet insurance can you afford the following care annual booster £50 approx regular worming £15 approx dental cleaning £300 approx name address home telephone number mobile number email i am over 21 years of age and have read and understood the information contained in the greyhounds in need homing pack post code daytime telephone number fax number signature greyhounds in need 33 high street wraysbury middlesex tw19 5da date if you are interested in adopting one of our galgos please complete return this questionnaire to us as soon as possible 2

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registered charity in england and wales no 1069438 33 high street wraysbury for information only middlesex tw19 5da uk tel +44 0 1784 483206 fax +44 0 1784 482501 email info@greyhoundsinneed.co.uk website www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk in respect of the following galgo pet name `greyhounds in need gin homing agreement microchip number d.o.b colour sex last vaccination date origin trainer date of neutering last season thank you for giving a home to this galgo the dog may have been rescued from abandonment may have suffered cruelty or become unwanted due to domestic upheaval strenuous exercise may exacerbate old injuries most of these dogs have never been in a home before as we do not know their entire history we can give no assurance on any aspect of their temperament or long-term physical condition please refer to our guidance notes for greyhound owners 1 i am the new owner of the dog whose details appear at the head of this agreement 2 i acknowledge that i have received a copy of gin s guidance notes for greyhound owners and that this will be my guide in assuring a long and healthy life for my dog 3 i have made a donation to gin minimum £125 on adopting this dog as my contribution to the costs of sterilisation and other expenses i accept full responsibility for all regular and emergency veterinary treatment 4.i agree to consult gin if i need further help or guidance and that if necessary for this purpose i will allow a representative of gin to inspect the dog should the dog go missing i will inform the council dog warden the police and gin 5.i understand that in the event of my being unable to meet essential veterinary expenses,gin will on application by me give consideration to financial assistance any such assistance and its amount will be at the absolute discretion of the trustees of gin and will be affected by my having reasonable pet insurance in place 6.i will take good care of the dog as a respected family pet inside my home it will not be raced bred used for blood donation or sold in the event of my being unable to continue to give the dog a home i will consult gin regarding the dog s future 7.it is a legal requirement that the dog shall wear an identity disc carrying his/her address at all times signed name please print address please print telephone signed on behalf of greyhounds in need email date date white copy new owner green copy homing officer 3 pink copy head office

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the galgos breed name galgo español are spanish bred greyhounds used widely by hunters in the rural areas of spain for coursing the hare with betting but the season is only 4 months after which time they are abandoned or brutally killed many have not been handled kindly some have suffered victimisation in overcrowded shelters in spain making them wary of other dogs and some need gentle socialisation and a lot of reassurance that they are never going to be hungry or hurt again they were rescued in the first place by volunteers who themselves suffer the hostility of their own countrymen for showing such concern and care galgos for homing in the uk a question often asked is how does the adoption process work on receipt of a completed questionnaire our homing officer will contact you and arrange for a home check to take place it is only after a successful home check that would be adopters are told which dogs are still available once a dog is chosen and reserved there is nothing more for the adopter to do until the galgo arrives in the uk and our homing officer contacts them with news of their reserved galgo throughout the time from initial contact to adoption many questions are asked and advice sought especially by first timers some of the points raised are toilet training dogs straight from kennels are not toilet trained but it shouldn t really take long if handled with sensitivity they want to get it right but when they first arrive home they don t know where the back door is and might have a few accidents while learning living with other pets many galgos will accept cats and other small animals with no problem at all many others will accept and adapt to living with cats etc quickly once they have learned their boundaries it is usually down to careful introduction initially and owners carefully supervising dog and cat together time this is one of the reasons why when you collect your new dog you are given a muzzle in addition to a collar and lead living with babies and children there is no reason why dogs and babies should not co-exist happily and safely if you are expecting a new baby start training your dog to stay out of any no go areas of the house as early as possible introduce new items such as cots car seats prams etc as early as possible in order to get the dog used to them it also helps if you can get a recording of baby sounds so that when the baby arrives the dog will not find it strange never leave a baby alone with a dog however much you think you can trust the dog always praise and reward your dog when it behaves well around the baby so it will accept the baby is nice to have around as children grow they should be taught to respect the dog never touch it suddenly especially if it is asleep not to pull it s tail or poke little fingers in eyes and always to allow it to have it s own space galgos often become a child s best friend generally a greyhound collar should be put on high up the neck at the narrowest point and fit snugly it is a good idea to have a house collar which remains on at all times inside and outside complete with id tag which has your name address and telephone number it is a legal requirement for an id tag to be worn at all times for nervous and/or strong dogs a harness should be used in the early days after adoption of course you have to leave your dog at home while you go to work go shopping or other places that a dog cannot go when your dog is new to the family routine he needs to learn that when you go out you do come back so try not to leave him too long at first try going out and returning after about 5 minutes at first then 10 minutes and then longer most will learn quickly but do remember that they will need a toilet break and cannot last all day give your dog proper care and you will have a friend for life sometimes helps to have two potential diseases in dogs there are three major infections affecting dogs in the uk today ­ parvovirus hepatitis and leptospirosis all should be controlled by vaccination all our galgos are vaccinated before leaving spain -these must be kept up to date please consult your veterinary surgeon worming adult dogs should be wormed every six months 2011 4

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for the information of your veterinary surgeon when you adopt your galgo from spain it is previously tested for diseases that occur in mediterranean countries and that are not commonly known or endemic in the uk although the galgos brought to the uk test negative for these diseases it is interesting to know about them the four main diseases are leishmaniasis babesiosis heart worm and ehrlichiosis the aim of this report is not to make you worry about these diseases but only to make you aware of the existence of these diseases leishmaniasis causing agent small protozoa called leishmania infantum although there are many other species of leishmania that can infect other animal species geographical distribution in europe leishmania infantum can be found in spain in the mediterranean coast south coast and some central regions like madrid in most of the parts of italy being more predominant in the southern regions and sardinia and in mediterranean coast of france transmission the leishmania parasite is transmitted to the dog by the bite of the sandfly when feeding on the dogs blood the most common time of the year for the sandfly to feed on the dog is from april until late september sandflies are weather dependent and are more predominant near water sources like rivers the incubation period can take from 3 months to several years leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease this means it can be transmitted to humans by the sandfly as a vector so the dog can act as a reservoir for the parasite this transmission can happen in countries in southern europe where the sandfly is present however the clinical signs would not be like the dog s clinical signs clinical signs leishmaniasis can have many different clinical signs like dermal lesions dermatitis abnormal nails growth decreased appetite and weight loss exercise intolerance and lethargy vomiting and blood found in the stools however the most common ones are epistaxis nose bleeds ocular abnormalities and renal kidney failure on clinical examination enlarged lymph nodes and spleen can be observed renal failure due to immune-complex glomerulonephritis eventually develops and is believed to be the main cause of death in dogs diagnosis by blood test to detect leishmania antibodies elisa test more complex tests for identification can be done like a pcr test treatment and prevention if the dog shows any of the clinical signs found above and it has been in an endemic area it should be taken to the veterinarian and let the veterinarian know in which country the dog has been to the main drugs used for the treatment of leishmaniasis are the pentavalent antimony meglumine antimoniate glucantime® and allopurinol 5

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miltefosine milteforan® is a relatively new anti-leishmanial drug that can be used for the first month of treatment in combination with allopurinol instead of meglumine antimoniate amphotericin b is also used but it is highly nephrotoxic toxic for the kidneys these treatments are often designed to improve the dog s condition temporarily but sometimes the disease can reoccur the treatment does not eliminate the parasite keeping infected dogs where the sandfly is present needs to be thought about as a treated dog is considered as a carrier and can transmit the parasite via the sandfly to other dogs and people in endemic countries dogs are given topical insecticides in deltamethrin-impregnated collars or spot-on drops to reduce the number of sandfly bites in brazil a new vaccine has been approved that is currently been evaluated in some countries in europe babesiosis or redwater causing agent the babesia species a protozoa organism that parasites the erythrocytes the most common species that causes canine babesiosis are the babesia canis and the babesia gibsoni geographical distribution present worldwide including in some parts of the uk and in europe particularly in southern france transmission between animals by ticks when feeding on the dog s blood the longer the tick feeds the higher the chances of passing the babesia to the dog and by contaminated instruments and needles clinical signs the clinical findings and the severity of these can vary the most common symptoms are pale tongue gums and nose due to low number of red blood cells fever loss of appetite lethargy red or orange urine enlarged lymph nodes the most severe infections are called peracute infections and show typical symptoms of a hypotensive shock pale membranes tachycardia weak pulse and depression this associated with organ dysfunction leads to coma and death acute infections signs are fever anaemia jaundice inappetance weakness and sometimes death diagnosis by blood test directly seeing the parasite using a stain or by using the serological ifat test that detects antibodies in the blood serum treatment and prevention the dog should be taken to the veterinarian to get a correct diagnose and treatment there are several drugs that can be used to treat the dog after been correctly diagnosed these are imidocarb phenamidine and diminazineaceturate if the dog has a severe anaemia blood transfusion should be considered in order to prevent tick bites the dog and the dog kennels should be treated with an appropriate acaricide a vaccine that protects the dog for 6 months has been recently developed and it is used in europe 6

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heart worm disease or canine heartworm causing agent dirofilaria immitis is a filarial worm that as an adult lives in the cardiovascular system in the right ventricle right atrium pulmonary artery and posterior vena cava the final host are dogs wild canids and sometimes cats and ferrets geographical distribution warn-temperature countries and tropical zones in europe countries like spain and france there have been some cases in the uk of animals who have travelled abroad transmission transmitted by mosquitoes of the genera aedes anopheles and culex the female mosquito bites taking blood from an infected animal after two weeks the mosquito carries the larvae in the mouth parts and bites another animal the larvae develop in the host system and migrate to the heart vessels clinical signs clinical signs start when there are a high number of worms obstructing the blood flow this causes endocarditis and dead worms in the system can cause pulmonary embolism heavily infected dogs suffer from loss of condition and exercise intolerance it is common to observe a chronic cough and breathlessness diagnosis the dog should be taken to the veterinarian where it will have a blood test or an x-ray done there are elisa kits that will detect heartworm antibodies or more sophisticated techniques such as pcr treatment and prevention once the dog is diagnosed before dealing with the parasite the dog may need to be treated for cardiac insufficiency then the dog will get two injections of either thiacetarsamide or melarsamide over the period of two days to kill the adult worms the activity of the dog should be restricted for the following 2-6 weeks to avoid risk of pulmonary embolism as a result of the dead worms in the system six weeks after the initial treatment drugs to kill the remaining microfilaria will be given the treatment period can go up to two weeks depending on the drug administered the most common drugs used orally are dithiazanine iodide and levamisole to prevent heartworm infection can be done in two ways preventing the mosquitoes biting the dog this can be hard to do because of the pet habits or giving the dog oral preventative tablets ask your veterinarian for advice of the drug to use and the frequency of administration 7

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ehrlichiosis causing agent a bacterium from the rickettsiaceae family called ehrlichia canis this bacterium infects dogs but other ehrlichia species can infect humans and other animal species geographic distribution worldwide distributed transmission by rhipicephalus sanguineous tick or brown dog tick the tick larvae and nymph feeds on an infected dog and when adults feed on a new dog transmitting the disease clinical signs the clinical signs vary depending on the stage of the infection in the acute phase the clinical sings can vary the signs can be depression lethargy anorexia and pyrexia and weight loss specific signs are enlarged lymph nodes and spleen occasional epistaxis nose bleed and petecchia blood spots in the skin in the chronic severe form the symptoms will be the same as in the acute form but more severe systemic signs can be haemorrhage shock and multi-organ failure diagnosis by clinical presentation pathological findings e canis invades mononuclear cells there is an increase on platelet number mild leucopenia and anaemia and serology through a blood test using elisa or ifat test treatment and prevention once the disease has been diagnosed there are several drugs that can be used such as doxycycline tetracyclyine hydrochloride oxytetracyclin and chloramphenicol the dose and time of treatment depends on the drug used there is no vaccine therefore the best way to prevent the disease is by using acaricides that will prevent the tick from feeding on the dog please remember that the galgos have been negatively tested for these diseases however if you travel to an endemic country or you think that your galgo has any of the clinical signs shown above take the galgo to the veterinarian as soon as possible 8

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