Greyhounds are 40 mph couch potatoes. One walk a day and one run per day are (should be) sufficient for their needs.

They are sighthounds which rely on 40/40 vision – well that’s one way of describing “super-vision”). Combine that with enthusiasm and the excitement of a delayed run leads to red mist which is another trait.

So it was that he raced after his thrown ball and he collided with a cage protecting a young tree from either squirrels or rabbits. A yelp sounded, but he appeared unhurt.

Wrong, he was licking a hidden wound I discovered and persistent licking ensued which enlarged the damage. Tried to get him to stop, to no avail, so Sandie’s unused Damart winter vest came into its own. Ventilation to heal but no direct access. Combine that with the anti-feather-pecking spray for chickens and we are slowly on the recovery track.

The other issue for greyhounds is their thin skin. The issue for many dogs is that wound cleaning with anti-bacteria laden lick is nature’s way, but nature didn’t install an off switch.