GROSS AND MICROSCOPIC LESIONS OF 230 KANSAS GREYHOUNDS

Two hundred thirty greyhounds from Kansas were submitted to Kansas Sta te University for necropsy to identify and document their diseases. Se x distribution was 124 females (1 spayed) and 106 males (1 castrated). Age range was 5 days-1 50 months. The mean body, heart, and liver wei ghts for adult dogs (> 12 months) were 30 kg, 367 g, and 1,019 g, resp ectively. Greyhounds were divided into six groups by histories: skelet al injuries, 24 (10%); nonskeletal injuries, 23 (10%); old age (xBAR = 89 months), 25 (11%); poor performers, 83 (36%); sick, 68 (30%); and no history, 7 (3%). Gross lesions by system were as follows. skin, 85 (37%); lung, 13 (6%); skeletal, 36 (16%); gastrointestinal, 55 (23.9%) ; central nervous system, 3 (1%)., thyroid, 5 (2%); cardiovascular and hemopoietic, 36 (16%); spleen, 30 (13%); male reproductive, 13 (12%); kidney, 9 (4%); liver, 7 (3%); and no gross lesions, 23 (10%). Correl ation of the histories to the gross lesions showed that poor performer s had the largest number with no gross lesions, the skeletal injury an d sick groups had more gastrointestinal changes, and the nonskeletal i njury and sick groups had most of the male reproductive abnormalities. Microscopic lesions of the 6 tissues examined were as follows: lung, 21 (9%); small intestine, 15 (6.5%); brain, 6 (3%); heart, 9 (4%); kid ney, 57 (24.3%); liver, 26 (11.3%); and no microscopic lesions, 131 (5 7%). Correlation of the histories to microscopic lesions showed that p oor performers had the largest number with no microscopic lesions, the sick group had the largest number of lesions of the lungs, small inte stine, brain, heart, kidney, and liver, however, the old group had ren al lesions almost as often as the sick group.