Greyhounds are special dogs as they are a unique breed with life saving qualities. Greyhounds  have a special physiological trait in their blood that is so unique that it serves to help save the lives of other dogs.

There are eight different blood types in dogs, but approximately 70% of Greyhounds have the type that enables them to be universal blood donors. A greyhounds blood differs from other dogs in that it has a much higher red blood cell count, lower white blood cell count and lower platelet count. This trait has made Greyhounds very important as occasional blood donors at veterinarian hospitals.

Some veterinarians will even offer a Greyhound owner free services if they allow their Greyhound dog to be a regular blood donor. Of course the dog would need to be tested to see if it has the correct type of blood and this is not done if the dog is over 6 years of age or has certain illnesses or physical issues that would make it problematic for the dog to give blood.

It should also be noted that there are many other ways the dogs can have life saving effects. Several studies have shown that dog owners may get more exercise and other health benefits than those who do not own dogs and greyhounds, while not needing as much exercise as one might think, still love their daily walks.

Among married couples,  those who owned a pet were found to have lower heart rates and blood pressure, whether at rest or when undergoing stressful tests, than those without pets. Pet owners also seemed to have milder responses and quicker recovery from stress when they were with their pets than with a spouse or friend. Studies suggest that our four-legged friends can help to improve our cardiovascular health. One study looked at over 400 adults who’d suffered heart attacks. A year later, the scientists found, dog owners were significantly more likely to still be alive than were those who did not own dogs, regardless of the severity of the heart attack.

Our dogs, no doubt, help us make more human friends too. Many studies have shown that walking with a dog leads to more conversations and helps you stay socially connected.  Those studies have clearly shown that people who have more social relationships tend to live longer and are less likely to show mental and physical declines as they grow older. “It’s hard to walk a dog and not have someone talk to you or interact with you, compared to walking alone and I’ve found out, that seems to be even more so with greyhounds.