IW Foundation Health Library:
Drugs/Pharmacology
Certain classes of drugs, especially anesthesia, should be dosed differently for sighthounds. Ordinarily dosage is based simply on weight, but with their conformation (high surface-area-to-volume ratio) that would result in too much medication. Fortunately most veterinarians these days are aware of this distinction and use anesthesia protocols that are safe for sighthounds. Nevertheless, any time your hound is anesthetized there is always a risk of complications.
Always remember to tell your veterinarian about all medications and supplements your hound receives. Interactions can range from making one medication inactive to making it much more active to causing side effects, none of which is desirable.
Further Reading
- Anesthesia in Sighthounds
- Breed-Specific Anesthesia (2012 article)
- Breed-Specific Anesthesia Considerations (2014 article)
- Drug Interaction Checker (drugs.com)
- Mar Vista Animal Pharmacy Center (scroll down for pharmacy library)
- Multi-drug Interaction Checker (medscape.com; includes supplements)
- RX List (index of prescription and OTC drugs)
- Chronic Pain Management
Links provided here provide Irish Wolfhound-specific, sighthound, and/or general canine information relevant to Irish Wolfhounds.
Disclaimer: The Irish Wolfhound Foundation provides the information on this website for the education of its readers. No information on this website should be used for veterinary medical purposes, diagnostically, therapeutically, or otherwise. Consult a veterinarian before attempting to medically treat your dog or changing your dog's medical treatment.
Note: Links to content outside iwfoundation.org may become inactive over time.