Breed health spotlight: Saluki

March 16, 7:40 AMDenver Pet Health ExaminerMaria Devore

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Saluki; photo from WikiMedia

Salukis are sighthounds, a group that includes Greyhounds, Afghans, and Borzois. Please read the Denver Dynamic Dogs Examiner’s column of 16 March for a breed profile of the Saluki.

Salukis generally live for 10 to 12 years and are an overall healthy breed. Some bloodlines are predisposed to eye disorders, heart disease, and hypothyroidism; vonWillebrands disease is also known to occur. Pharmacology, including drugs and anesthesia, is the major concern for this breed.

These dogs are particularly sensitive to anesthesia and certain drugs because of their anatomy and physiology, especially their quick metabolism. Sight hounds have a very low percentage of body fat compared to other dogs so they metabolize drugs differently, especially fat-soluble drugs such as thiopental, pentobarbital, and halothane (anesthetics). In general, these drugs are absorbed by fat stores, so the blood concentration is decreased and eventually eliminated. In sighthounds, with a small amount of fat, these drugs remain in high blood concentrations, increasing sedation and recovery time. Most drugs are metabolized by the liver, with some being processed by the kidneys. Although the mechanisms are not completely understood, sighthounds’ livers metabolize these drugs differently.

The two most harmful anesthetics for sighthounds, thiopental and pentobarbital, have been replaced by safer, short-acting injectable drugs. Propofol, which is a combination of diazepam and ketamine, is a good substitute for stedation and anesthesia in Salukis and other sighthounds. Halothane, an older gas anesthetic that is very fat-soluble and metabolized by the liver has been generally replaced by isoflurane and sevoflurane, which are quickly eliminated from the body. As with any drug or anesthetic procedure, discuss your concerns thoroughly with your veterinarian ahead of time.

You might also be interested in my other breed health spotlight articles:

Boxer

Chinese Shar-pei

Sussex Spaniel