Besides being the second most popular spectator sport, Greyhound racing in the UK is a significant vehicle for gambling. Drugs, including legitimate medication, can affect a dog’s performance. Although the distinction between legitimate therapy and unacceptable drug administration may be a fine one, to preserve the perceived integrity of the sport as a gambling medium it is necessary that the competing dogs should be seen to be ‘drug free’.

National Greyhound Racing Club regulations
Drug use in racing Greyhounds is controlled by the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC), currently the regulatory body for most Greyhound racing in the UK. The NGRC’s ‘Rules of Racing’ do not specifically prohibit the use of particular substances. However, they do prohibit the administration to a Greyhound, for any improper use, any quantity of any substance which by its nature could affect the performance or prejudice the wellbeing of the Greyhound, the origin of which substance cannot be traced to normal and ordinary feeding or care. There are some veterinary medicinal products (VMPs), which can be administered to racing Greyhounds in any circumstances. Rule 217 of the NGRC’s ‘Rules of Racing’ permits the use of:

• ‘medicinal products which have been authorized by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for the suppression of a bitch’s season, prescribed by a veterinary surgeon’
• ‘medicinal products which have been authorized by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate as anti-parasitic drugs (for internal/external) parasites or as vaccines.’

Apart from these few notable exceptions, Rule 217 requires that:

• ‘Any tonics, medicaments or other substances administered or applied to a Greyhound by a trainer or veterinary surgeon shall be duly recorded in the trainer’s Greyhound treatment book, and that that Greyhound must not race or trial for seven days thereafter.’

The NGRC also advises that:

• ‘Although most prohibited substances will clear the Greyhound’s system within seven days, some products may still be detectable more than seven days after administration. However, it is the responsibility of owners and trainers to satisfy themselves in every case that a Greyhound complies with Rule 217 when taking part in a race or trial.’

Therefore, it is incumbent upon the prescribing veterinary surgeon to advise the owner and/or trainer of a Greyhound under their care accurately as to how long that Greyhound must be withheld from trialling and racing.

• A particular problem arises with the use of depot or other long-acting injectable medicines. It is not always possible to give guidance on the excretion times of specific medicines as, since this information is not legally required to be furnished by the manufacturer as part of an application for a marketing authorization, it may simply be unknown. The NGRC’s advisory note on this subject states: ‘the decision to administer such a preparation should be carefully considered as it may result in either a positive drug test or a prolonged lay-off time.’
• Delayed absorption and excretion may occur following intramuscular injection. Since absorption depends on vascularity and lipid solubility, inadvertent injection into fatty tissue or between fascial planes may result in prolonged excretion.
• Lipid-soluble substances, such as corticosteroids and local anaesthetics, may be well absorbed following, for example, intra-articular injection and may be detectable in urine. Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be absorbed through the intact skin, leaving detectable residues in urine.

Generally, the amount of a substance found in a sample of urine or blood taken from a competing Greyhound is irrelevant in determining whether or not there has been a breach of the ‘Rules of Racing’, the detection of a prohibited substance in any quantity being likely to initiate a Stewards’ Inquiry.

Summary
In summary, when prescribing for racing Greyhounds, the attending veterinary surgeon should:

• Adhere strictly to datasheet recommendations as far as possible
• Follow the prescribing cascade if this is not possible
• Advise owners and trainers not to race dogs for at least 7 days after treatment, or longer if deemed necessary.