Adopting a retired racing greyhound is a great way to save a wonderful dog while gaining a lifelong companion. Families who are planning to adopt an ex-racer frequently have a lot of questions, including what type of food to feed their new companions. Fortunately, keeping a greyhound in tip-top shape is not difficult -- or expensive.
Food considerations
The good news is that retired racing greyhounds do not require special diets or expensive foods. In fact, greyhounds will thrive on a good dry food, and that food does not have to be expensive. Greyhound adoption organizations recommend that greyhounds be fed a diet of dry food, and not more costly canned food, once they have left the track and settled into life as a pampered pet.
That is because the nutrient-dense soft food greyhounds eat during their racing career can be very hard on their teeth. Switching the retired greyhound to a crunchy dry food will help mitigate the damage and prevent further erosion of the tooth enamel.
Which brand is best
Every dog owner has his or her favorite brand of food. If you already have a dog that is thriving on the dry food of your choice, chances are your new family member will do just as well. An ongoing survey of greyhound owners at Greytalk.com found that food choices were all over the board. The food choices listed on the survey ranged from the most inexpensive store brands to the most costly specialty brands. This survey began in October 2005, but new greyhound owners continue to weigh in on their favorite brands of dog food. These survey results seem to bear out the idea that retired racing greyhounds adapt quite well to their new dry food diet. Greyhound lovers who want to keep track of the ongoing survey results can check them out at http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showtopic=202031.
Although no one brand had an overwhelming majority, a good number of greyhound owners reported feeding their dogs Kirkland brand food, followed closely by the specialty Canidae brand. Other popular choices among greyhound owners included Nutro, Purina ProPlan and Iams.
Other considerations
Although the majority of retired racing greyhounds do quite well on traditional dry foods, some dogs have special digestive needs. Retired racers can sometimes be a bit nervous until they settle in to their new surroundings, and that nervousness may manifest itself in digestive problems. Dogs with sensitive stomachs may benefit from diet dog foods and food designed for senior dogs. These specialty foods are lower in fat and higher in fiber than traditional dog food formulas, making them a good choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Fit and Trim, Nutro Weight Control and Iams Senior are all good choices.
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