Whippets and thin skin......

[Amye]

Hi all,

Wondered if I could pick the brains of whippets/sighthound owners.

Our youngest whippet (4) has AGAIN run into something and sliced himself open. Almost a year to the day of his last doing. Mum had taken him for a walk, luckily it was right at the end of the walk, he was off playing with another dog, they both ran out of sight, other dog came back and then ours came back 5 minutes later hobbling along.

He'd come back with a really nasty cut at the top of his shoulder. Vet got him under almost straight away and stitched him up that night, he said the wound went all the way back almost to his back leg and was full of leaves and wood so he'd obviously run into a branch.

I know whippets are thin skinned but does anyone walk their dogs in a coat to prevent this? He walks in a coat in winter when it's cold but obviously it's getting warmer now and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations of coats that won't make him too hot?

We just think it will be better as if he does run into something, it's unlikely to pierce him and the coat or at least won't be so deep if it managed to cut him! He's very sore and sorry for himself

 

[twiggy2]

You would run the risk of him suffering from heat exposure which could be life threatening, the best thing to do is try and avoid wooded areas. Easier said than done I know, my last lurcher was a nightmare and ultimately I lost her early due to an injury she sustained running into a treetrunk, a coat would not have reduced the damage as it was blunt trauma.

 

[Amye]

Thanks for the advice. Yeah we want to avoid that, which is why i was wondering if anyone knew of anything that's lightweight. He's not an overly warm dog and has a thinner coat than our other whippet, just seeing if there's some sort of solution.

Unfortunately the only parks near us are next to a main road so he can't run there and everywhere else is wooded, so we don't have many options. He's never run into anything solid (yet) it seems to be more like little branches he probably can't see as well and he catches them as he runs past.

 

[Schollym]

Thanks for the advice. Yeah we want to avoid that, which is why i was wondering if anyone knew of anything that's lightweight. He's not an overly warm dog and has a thinner coat than our other whippet, just seeing if there's some sort of solution.

Unfortunately the only parks near us are next to a main road so he can't run there and everywhere else is wooded, so we don't have many options. He's never run into anything solid (yet) it seems to be more like little branches he probably can't see as well and he catches them as he runs past.

We had greyhounds for years, some of them had paper thin skin and required regular repairs others had thick furry coats and these were from the same litter.
I wouldn't recommend letting the dog run through trees with a coat as the can travel at speeds which means that a snagged coat could end up with a throttled dog. Saying that we had ones that galloped through a 4 strand barb wire fence after a rabbit without a scratch but then had to have the strands held apart so they could climb back through!

 

[Annette4]

I've stopped going to the vets unless she needs stitches.

She wears a ruffwear harness which seems to protect the area she gets caught the most but there's not a lot you can do really if he's off lead looning in trees.

 

[{97702}]

I've just stopped taking my 4 greyhounds to the vet unless it's really nasty! The little white one has constant cuts and grazes, the other 3 aren't quite so bad - I think of it as an occupational hazard for them. I've never used coats to prevent damage, just if it is cold

 

[Clodagh]

It is amazing how cuts can heal without stitches, i gave up taking my lurcher, nearly every week it was another cut or broken toe. Even some that looked bad healed cleanly , it does just take a bit longer.

 

[Fools Motto]

Mine is currently in the cone of shame, yet another cut on her leg. Vet confidently told me 60% of stitch up jobs were the sight hound types, yet they are far from the common breed.
Definitely an occupational hazard. I grew up helping my late grandmother, who bred whippets, stitch them up. She rarely took them to the vets.
I don't even allow her to wear a collar (bad, I know) as she has got caught up before and nearly throttled herself. So, I would be very reluctant to put her into a coat.

 

[Chiffy]

It's a definite no from me about the coat. It's the location that you need to change. Whippets need to run with a burst of speed and they take no heed of what is in the way. A coat is fine for trotting along on a lead but a whippet needs to run without inhibition, just a quick dash usually satisfies them.
Please try and find somewhere safe.

 

[planete]

It pays to be particular about where you allow sighthounds to run. Certainly not wooded areas where game abounds and you lose sight of them immediately. Running in wooded areas is asking for trouble, from impaling themselves to losing an eye. I prefer open ground and go to a lot of trouble to drive to suitable areas when I am not hiring an enclosed field. In a new area, I will also walk the ground with the dogs on leads before deciding it is safe for them (and anything alive lurking there like a stray sheep) to be lose. I just cannot afford regular vet bills for avoidable accidents with three dogs and I do not fancy dealing with mauled stock/wildlife. They are gifted enough at getting into trouble in ideal circumstances.

 

[SusieT]

sounds like he needs a harness with bumpers on.. possibly a harness lined with sheepskin to give 'bumpers'? but still letting air through

 

[ozpoz]

It's a definite no from me about the coat. It's the location that you need to change. Whippets need to run with a burst of speed and they take no heed of what is in the way. A coat is fine for trotting along on a lead but a whippet needs to run without inhibition, just a quick dash usually satisfies them.
Please try and find somewhere safe.

Yes, this. They are born to run and run more safely if they can run daily, at least. Mine has a morning and evening sprint clearing rabbits and pheasants off "his" open field.
I really hope I'm not tempting fate by writing this....

 

[Peter7917]

Nope to the coat.

Mine gets regular injuries. Most I can deal with at home. I sort most surface wounds or dew claw injuries.

Unfortunately they are somewhat accident prone! My is currently recovering from a broken leg!