Greyhound Feeding & Digestion in Calgary

Stress colitis is large-intestine inflammation triggered by sudden change. Adoption transport, a new home, new food, and first-time alone time stack up fast.

Roughly 30 to 50% of newly adopted retired racers develop loose stool or full diarrhea in the first 24 to 72 hours. Symptoms include soft to liquid stool, sometimes with mucus or streaks of blood. Energy and appetite usually stay normal.

Treatment: bland diet of boiled chicken and white rice at a 1:2 ratio for 3 to 5 days. Then transition slowly back to regular food. A probiotic helps. FortiFlora is the most widely recommended brand. Keep stress low.

See a vet if: diarrhea lasts more than 5 days, has significant blood, or comes with vomiting or lethargy. The cause could be parasites, infection, or something more serious.

Greyhounds, especially retired racers coming off track diets, often need a gentle formula. Most-recommended kibbles in the Greyhound community:

• Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach (lamb + oatmeal or salmon + rice)
• Royal Canin Gastrointestinal (vet prescription, used for active flares)
• Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach
• Acana Singles (limited-ingredient)

All four are sold across Calgary at Pet Planet, Tail Blazers, Tisol, and major pet retailers.

Start with whatever the rescue was feeding for the first 1 to 2 weeks. Then switch slowly, adding 10% new food per day over 7 to 10 days. Sudden food changes are the #1 cause of new-home GI flares.

The FDA opened an investigation in 2018. Grain-free diets, especially those built on peas, lentils, and potatoes, were linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). DCM is a serious heart condition.

Research is still ongoing. Not every grain-free brand is implicated. But most veterinary cardiologists now take a conservative line: avoid grain-free in breeds without a confirmed grain allergy. Greyhounds are not a wheat-allergic breed by default.

Choose a kibble with whole grains like rice, oats, or barley. Pick a brand with a veterinary nutritionist on staff (Purina, Royal Canin, Hill's, Eukanuba).

If your dog has a confirmed grain allergy diagnosed by elimination diet, work with your vet on a grain-free option. Don't guess.

Feeding-side prevention:

1. Feed 2 to 3 smaller meals daily, not one large meal
2. No exercise 1 to 2 hours before or after meals
3. Use a slow-feeder bowl if your Greyhound gulps food
4. Keep water available but not gulped after exercise
5. Use a ground-level bowl. Newer research walks back the old “elevated bowl” advice. Elevated may actually increase bloat risk.

Active bloat is a true emergency. Signs: distended abdomen, retching without producing vomit, drooling, restlessness, pale gums, collapse.

Drive to a Calgary 24-hour emergency vet right away. Bloat is fatal in 1 to 2 hours if untreated.

Why hold off:

1. Retired racers come off bagged track diets. Switching straight to raw is a huge GI change. It often triggers stress colitis.
2. Raw food carries pathogen risk (salmonella, E. coli, listeria). Healthy adult Greyhounds usually handle this. A stressed new adoptee may not.
3. Commercial raw is pricey at $150 to $300 a month for a 70 lb Greyhound in Calgary.
4. Homemade raw without a vet nutritionist often produces calcium and phosphorus imbalances.

If you still want to switch, wait until 6 months post-adoption. Then transition over weeks under vet guidance.

For most Greyhounds, a high-quality kibble matches or beats raw on outcome metrics.

Most recommended Greyhound kibbles are sold at Calgary pet specialty stores.

• Pet Planet (Marda Loop, Country Hills, McKenzie Towne, others). Carries Pro Plan, Royal Canin, Acana, and most premium brands.
• Tail Blazers (multiple Calgary locations). Premium and limited-ingredient focus.
• Tisol, Bosley's, Pet Valu. Stock the major sensitive-stomach lines.
• Royal Canin GI prescription. Buy through your regular vet clinic. Most stock the standard prescription brands.
• Costco. Kirkland Signature kibble is a decent budget option but lacks the breed-specific sensitive formulas Greyhounds often need.

Greyhounds can reach the back of any standard kitchen counter without effort. Their nose-to-paw height is roughly 36 to 40 inches at full stretch.

Counter-surfing is opportunistic, not malicious. If there's food on the counter, it's within reach.

Prevention is environmental. Never leave food on counters when unsupervised. Push everything to the back wall. Install baby gates if needed. Supervise during cooking.

Don't bother trying to “train out” counter-surfing. Punishment doesn't work because the food reward (the steak you left out) is too valuable.

Manage the environment. Accept that an unattended Greyhound plus an unattended sandwich equals no sandwich.

A 60 to 90 lb adult Greyhound at maintenance weight eats 3 to 5 cups of quality kibble daily, split into 2 to 3 meals.

The exact amount depends on activity level, age, metabolism, and the calorie density of your food.

Greyhounds are athletic builds and should look lean. You can see the last 1 to 2 ribs. A clear waist shows when you look from above.

Many new adopters under-feed because they think the dog “looks too thin.” Greyhounds are supposed to look thinner than other breeds. If you can see the spine clearly or the hip bones are sharp, feed more. If you can't see ribs at all, feed less.

Calgary winters can raise calorie needs by 10 to 20% for outdoor-active dogs.

The 7 to 10 day gradual transition is essential for Greyhounds.