In seven years i have had three greyhounds. Two have died. They are supposed to be healthy dogs, and for dogs considered large, long lived. Not my two boys. Captain America just past five, and Cassius eight and a half. Captain had a sudden heart attack, i was told by a veterinary doctor. Cassius was diagnosed with bone cancer, and died ten days later. Both were seemingly in perfect health, until they were not.
All three were adopted from a rescue, and suffered with different worms. The last two hounds were very thin, and Karma had discolored fur, and still has intestinal issues. Captain had no physical ailments before sudden death. Cassius had a limp for a couple of weeks, and it was getting worse. Karma had stretched something, a few times, and had pain at that shoulder joint, i thought maybe Cassius might have something similar. After a few days, Karma would be back to normal; but Cassius' pain lingered, and the limp became a hop, but he did not cry, or wince. He was getting older. I have had arthritis in the heel for many years. He might have that. I knew that the one frequent illness that greyhounds had was bone cancer, and that was in my fears. Then one night he had seizures, and was in a lot of pain. When day dawned a trip to the animal hospital. He had cancer, medicine arrested the pain for a couple of days, and then a steady, and accelerating decline. The dosage intervals were too long, and the pain and debilitation increased.
Karma is in the room with me now. She is related to Cassius. So often, i have been at home with only the hounds. What i must say, is they have a charm. With Cassius gone, i feel an emptiness. All dogs are meant to be good dogs. People are partial to some more than others. I can see why so many dogs are liked. Greyhounds are a very ancient breed. Eight thousand years ago they were in Egypt. They were carved on the monuments. They were favored by aristocracy for many centuries, millennia. They charmed.
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