Like any dog, an Irish Wolfhound can fall ill with anything that affects other breeds. But there are a handful of conditions the breed tends towards, and knowing the signs early can make all the difference. Below are the six we watch for most closely: bloat, heart disease, bone cancer, lymphoma, pneumonia, and the particular demands of anaesthesia in a sighthound.
Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus, GDV)
Bloat – properly called gastric dilatation, often together with a twisting of the stomach known as volvulus (the two together, GDV) – is one of the true emergencies of the giant breeds. Gas accumulates in the stomach and the abdomen swells; tap the side gently and it sounds like a drum. The dog tries to vomit but cannot, producing a retching sound often described as a "ga-a-ack". As the stomach expands it presses on the diaphragm and on the veins carrying blood to the heart, sending the dog into shock.
This is a true emergency – call your vet immediately. GDV deteriorates rapidly, and mortality is high if care is delayed, though prompt emergency treatment has much improved survival in recent years. Feeding two smaller meals a day rather than one large one, and keeping your hound quiet around mealtimes, both help reduce the risk.
Heart disease
The most common heart irregularity in the breed is an arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. In older hounds it may be of little clinical importance on its own, but it can progress to congestive heart failure and should be monitored with regular chest X-rays and ECGs. In younger dogs it can develop into cardiomyopathy. The earliest signs are often no more than a light cough and reduced tolerance for exercise – which is exactly why routine ECGs, even in a young hound, are so valuable: they catch heart disease when it is most treatable.
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)
An aggressive cancer that generally affects the leg bones, causing pain and sometimes fracture. The first sign is almost always limping, sometimes with swelling and heat in the bone. Insist on an X-ray, even if it seems likely to be nothing more than a sprain; if the result is inconclusive and the limp continues, ask for a repeat X-ray within two weeks. Early detection is key. Treatment options are limited and invasive, and the long-term prognosis is poor, but modern pain control can still give a hound a good quality of life.
Lymphoma
A cancer of the lymph nodes that generally strikes middle-aged dogs. The signs can be vague – being off-colour, a loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss – or dramatic, with lymph nodes suddenly and visibly enlarged. Diagnosis requires a biopsy and staging. With modern chemotherapy, some dogs go on to live comfortably for up to two years.
Pneumonia
Most often caused by aspiration – inhaling food, water or vomit – and it can take hold very fast. A hound that seems perfectly healthy in the morning may be running a high fever and struggling to breathe by evening, often standing with head and neck extended. It must be treated aggressively, and for long enough – sometimes two or three months – or it will recur. It is also worth knowing that many Wolfhounds naturally run a lower white-cell count than other breeds, so a "normal" laboratory count may in fact be elevated for a Wolfhound.
Anaesthesia
Wolfhounds are sighthounds, but unlike leaner sighthounds they carry more body fat, which gives a greater margin of safety under anaesthetic. Modern agents such as propofol have long since replaced the old barbiturates that once made sighthound surgery a riskier proposition. In our experience, Wolfhounds often need only one-half to two-thirds of the calculated dose for their weight; a vet who keeps this in mind faces no greater risk with a Wolfhound than with any other patient.