I almost walked away.
The vet had just finished her exam and was already typing something into the computer.
“It’s probably just a bug. Mild dehydration, maybe. Let’s monitor.”
But my gut was screaming.
My greyhound, Juno, was not okay.
She hadn’t eaten in 24 hours. She was pacing, drooling, and her belly looked slightly… off. Not huge, but distended in a way I couldn’t explain.
Still, I trusted the vet. They’re the expert, right?
That night, Juno crashed.
By morning, she could barely stand. Her gums were pale. Her breathing was shallow.
I rushed her to the emergency vet. And this time?
“Your dog has bloat. We need to operate. Now.”
What the First Vet Missed — and Nearly Killed My Dog
It wasn’t negligence.
It wasn’t laziness.
It was the quiet, dangerous assumption that greyhounds don’t get bloat as often as deep-chested breeds like Danes.
But they do.
And it’s often harder to catch in sighthounds — because they don’t show pain the same way. They don’t yelp. They don’t panic. They just… fade. Quietly.
That’s what Juno was doing.
And I nearly let her.
So, What Is Bloat, and Why Is It So Dangerous?
Canine Bloat (Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus or GDV) is a fast-moving emergency where the stomach fills with gas and flips on itself.
Once that twist happens, blood flow is cut off, and death can occur in under 2 hours without surgery.
Here’s the nightmare part:
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It can look like nothing in the beginning
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Greyhounds don’t act like other dogs when they’re in crisis
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Some vets, especially those unfamiliar with sighthound-specific physiology, dismiss early symptoms
Here Were the Signs I Wish I’d Taken Seriously
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Mild but persistent pacing
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Refusing food, even favorite treats
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Slight drooling (not foamy, just off)
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A tummy that was firmer than usual, not obviously bloated
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Just… off energy. Something behind her eyes was dimmer.
At the time, these felt too subtle to be serious.
But in hindsight, they were screaming.
What Finally Saved Her
✅ An ER vet who knew sighthounds
✅ Immediate X-ray confirming GDV
✅ Emergency surgery within an hour of arrival
✅ Post-op care in a 24/7 ICU for 2 days
Had I waited another 4 hours, Juno wouldn’t be here.
Not an exaggeration.
Not “probably.”
That’s what the surgeon told me to my face.
The Aftermath: What I Do Differently Now
🕵️♂️ 1. Trust the Gut — Not the Clipboard
If your dog feels off, don’t let a clean temperature or heart rate override your instinct.
🩺 2. Know Greyhound-Savvy Vets
Not all vets understand the quirks of greyhounds: low body fat, unique bloodwork, quiet pain response. You need someone who sees sighthounds weekly, not once a year.
📞 3. Keep an Emergency Plan Ready
Now I have:
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My closest 24/7 ER clinic saved in my phone
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A greyhound medical cheat sheet on my fridge
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Emergency funds set aside (even $20/month helps)
🍽 4. Preventive Surgery Is Real
If your greyhound is high-risk, prophylactic gastropexy (a surgery that tacks the stomach to prevent twisting) is an option. Many people never hear about it until it’s too late.
Final Thoughts: What Juno Taught Me
She taught me that being a “good dog owner” isn’t about being chill.
It’s about being relentless when something doesn’t sit right.
Even when the expert tells you, “It’s probably nothing.”
She also taught me that greyhounds are quiet heroes — they’ll suffer in silence.
It’s our job to notice the silence… and raise hell anyway.
Because one of the hardest things to forgive is knowing:
You were right. And you didn’t act.
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