Sickness isn't forcing dog tracks to cough up profits, yet

bigdoglover · 06-22-2006, 06:56 AM

Tampa Bay Business Journal

by Lee S. Ettleman

A few dogs sick with kennel cough will mean some lost revenue for Derby Lane, but the greyhound track doesn't expect to have to close its doors, director of media relations Vera Filipelli said.

St. Petersburg Kennel Club Inc., popularly known as Derby Lane, began a quarantine Tuesday night, which means dogs cannot be transferred to another track, Filipelli said. Only a few dogs have shown symptoms, but some others have been given medication as a precautionary measure.

Because state rules say dogs cannot race while under any medication - even prescription drugs - the track is now running only 12 races a day, down two from its usual 14.

Most of the club's customers come with a set monetary amount to bet, so they will still spend about the same amount of money, just divided over fewer races, Filipelli said. Overall the track's losses should be slim.

"Any time you change your format there is the risk of revenue loss," she said. "We'll be down a little."

Tampa Greyhound Track houses its dogs at the Derby Lane kennel facility, but the Tampa track's season does not start until July 1.

The disease is not generally dangerous unless it weakens the dog's immune system and the dog catches a secondary infection, Filipelli said.

Technically called tracheobronchitis, kennel cough is an airborne disease and can strike domestic dogs as well as racing greyhounds, said Jennifer Underwood, hospital manager at Temple Terrace Animal and Bird Hospital.

It can be caused by a virus or by bacteria, and even though most dogs are vaccinated, the vaccine currently on the market is not strong enough to help dogs, such as racing greyhounds, who are kept in close quarters, said Brad Fenwick, a professor of veterinary medicine at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., who is developing an improved kennel cough vaccine.

Kennel cough has struck tracks around Florida and has led to several greyhound deaths in June in Naples. Fenwick said those deaths could have been prevented had the symptoms been spotted sooner, and according to Filipelli, this year's outbreak is less severe than one in the late '90s, during which tracks around the nation were shut down as dogs died of secondary infections.

jcsperson · 07-09-2006, 07:30 AM

Left unnoted was the fact that Greyhound racing is funding Dr. Fenwick's research of kennel cough vaccines.

06-22-2006, 06:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
bigdoglover Giant Schnauzers Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West-Central Illinois Posts: 3,624 Rep Power: 177	Sickness isn't forcing dog tracks to cough up profits, yet Tampa Bay Business Journal by Lee S. Ettleman A few dogs sick with kennel cough will mean some lost revenue for Derby Lane, but the greyhound track doesn't expect to have to close its doors, director of media relations Vera Filipelli said. St. Petersburg Kennel Club Inc., popularly known as Derby Lane, began a quarantine Tuesday night, which means dogs cannot be transferred to another track, Filipelli said. Only a few dogs have shown symptoms, but some others have been given medication as a precautionary measure. Because state rules say dogs cannot race while under any medication - even prescription drugs - the track is now running only 12 races a day, down two from its usual 14. Most of the club's customers come with a set monetary amount to bet, so they will still spend about the same amount of money, just divided over fewer races, Filipelli said. Overall the track's losses should be slim. "Any time you change your format there is the risk of revenue loss," she said. "We'll be down a little." Tampa Greyhound Track houses its dogs at the Derby Lane kennel facility, but the Tampa track's season does not start until July 1. The disease is not generally dangerous unless it weakens the dog's immune system and the dog catches a secondary infection, Filipelli said. Technically called tracheobronchitis, kennel cough is an airborne disease and can strike domestic dogs as well as racing greyhounds, said Jennifer Underwood, hospital manager at Temple Terrace Animal and Bird Hospital. It can be caused by a virus or by bacteria, and even though most dogs are vaccinated, the vaccine currently on the market is not strong enough to help dogs, such as racing greyhounds, who are kept in close quarters, said Brad Fenwick, a professor of veterinary medicine at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., who is developing an improved kennel cough vaccine. Kennel cough has struck tracks around Florida and has led to several greyhound deaths in June in Naples. Fenwick said those deaths could have been prevented had the symptoms been spotted sooner, and according to Filipelli, this year's outbreak is less severe than one in the late '90s, during which tracks around the nation were shut down as dogs died of secondary infections.
	__________________ Glory and Greed will destroy the breed.

07-09-2006, 07:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
jcsperson Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 120 Rep Power: 65	Left unnoted was the fact that Greyhound racing is funding Dr. Fenwick's research of kennel cough vaccines.
jcsperson Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 120 Rep Power: 65

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