drug testing

[sadieandco]

Just a poll to see what the thoughts are after all the talk on corruption!!

 

[paul bywater]

is there a problem wuth drugs in whippet racing?

 

[Terry Smith]

is there a problem with drugs in whippet racing?

Sounds like there's a mega problem with drug Testing . I agree with what one poster wrote earlier. Let the people who start the rumours put a few quid up (say £200) & make the allegations themselves. Deposit forfeited if the allegations are unfounded.

Ped racing has had scandals like this not drugs but rumours of outbreeding. The people who start the rumours off rarely stand up & go public with it.

 

[JoJess]

The powers that be have not had any trouble with banned substances for a few years now........everyone knows that giving chocolate etc before a big race might show up, so we do not give it simple as that........

 

[sadieandco]

The thing is if theres young children in the house hold and they have chocolate it is hard to tell a young not to feed the dogs and dogs and children do have to live together in some families!!

Another thing is if your dog walks round and picks something up when off the lead this cannot be helped either!!

The only thing that can be done is have your pet muzzled whilst out and in the house if theres young uns or dog live outside!!

If this happens and you get banned over chocolate you get called a CHEAT but please tell me how are you a cheat if thats the case???

This makes having a pet racing whippet a mockery if they cant be a family pet for fear of eating the wrong things or living in the house!!!

 

[sadieandco]

O and before anyone starts on at me im not sayin that chocolate will deffo show up!!

i dont know i aint a vet!!

im just stating that people have said chocolate would!!

 

[JoJess]

can anyone tell us for sure whether a bit of choc will show up in a sample ??? mine have choc now and again ??? but they are never given any three days before a race :w but i can see your point sadie and co, when there are children and whippets in the same house there is bound to be mishaps..... :c

 

[Vicky]

can anyone tell us for sure whether a bit of choc will show up in a sample  mine have choc now and again  but they are never given any three days before a race  but i can see your point sadie and co,  when there are children and whippets in the same house there is bound to be mishaps..... 

This is me (hated moderator so i'm told!!!) stating what i know, it's my OWN opinion & there'll be a few people who won't agree but it's information i have taken the time to read & then made my own mind up what i think, i don't claim to know it all but i know 100% more than what i did a couple of weeks ago!!

Mark has a lot of information (more than anyone else in whippet racing could have on the subject) that's why i asked to see it - he also has a lot of figures for testing on Methyl-Xanthines from HFL, varoius vets & greyhound racing boards, whether people believe what he says is by the by but it's in your own interest to find out as much as you can about these (proven) non performance enhancing substances that you can all too easily prove positive on!

Tests in America (nothing to do with mark pettitt) show that 1 chocolate drop can show a greyhound after 4hours 45mins as having :

Caffeine - Trace

Theophylline - 0.6ug/ml

Theobromine - 14.0ug/ml

and after just 1 1/2 hrs the dog would have enough theobromine in to be stripped of it's title by bwra/nwrf, i believe it only takes theobromine 20 minutes to show in a test!!

There's lots of information on the internet on such substances if you don't want to ask for the information i have - i can understand that people don't want to get the facts as they might be seen as siding with Mark which apparently is what i'm said to be doing.

 

[Vicky]

PS. If i'm being really naive & people have different information on the subject can they please let me know!

 

[Tony Taylor]

I have a letter from the Horse Racing Forensic labaoratory Ltd ( HFL) that states the screening analysis as requested by the BWRA was tested for methyxanthines and non steroidal anti-flammatory drugs (NSAID) but that`s all. I find it hard to believe that we have spent all this money and had all this trouble and yet we are not even testing for the more serious and widely used drugs for cheating or does anyone know different?

 

[tony warren]

tony i find it hard to belive that that body told you what they were testing for as you trust them too keep that info between them and there clients the bwra as and im not saying that your lying i find it odd that it personal info in other words if you phoned my bank would they tell you how much was in my account they might say put some in his overdrawn lol but i do feel that testing should be done. :c : :b

 

[RealMadYid]

Drug testing has to be able to catch out cheats, but not to condemn the innocents...About a week ago whilst free-running my dog he found a half eaten Kit-Kat, would he come back? Would he hell as like! And when I did catch him I got a nasty bite as I tried to get it off him...git! I have never knowningly given him human grade chocolate as I've been told it's bad for some dogs...but how do you stop things like that when above all it's a pet you have....

Paul

 

[Tony Taylor]

Tony Warren,

The HFL has a web site and lists 2 types of intial screening for dogs, ie

Core Screen - an entry level service

NSAIDs, analgesics, sedatives, barbiturates, tranquillisers, local anaesthetics, stimulants, narcotics, anti-histamines, bronchodilators, anti-depressants, B blockers

Gold Screen

As above plus diuretics, new generation NSAIDs (COX-2 inhibitors), muscle relaxants, anti-ulcerative, anabolic steroids, additional stimulants, anorexics, corticosteroids

Their price list indicates £100 for core screen and £200 for the anabloic steroid screen alone but there is no price for the gold screen as such but if the Gold screen is anywhere near £300 then the BWRA accounts don`t add up correctly.

My original question was based on a letter from the HFL to the BWRA in which it states, I quote,

"Screening Analysis,

Firstly we performed a screening analysis in which the sample was tested for methylxanthines and non -steroidal anti-flammatory drugs."

There is no mention of other drugs in this statement which started me wondering exactly what is being tested for.

It is quite easy to dope a dog to improve performance and not be detected by urine tests at all. If I know this (and there is a problem in horse racing and greyhounds) then so will others. No doubt others know what is being tested for by the HFL and can dope with impunity if they know which test is being used.

 

[jade scott]

This is Peter on line not Jade. We should stop testing until the Fed and BWRA have a clear and precise list of all substances that will lead to a ban. They also need to let the members know of all everyday food stuffs that could contain any of these products. So that no one innocently gets banned for something that they unknowingly gave to their dogs. We need to do this as soon as poss to remove the fear factor that is in our sport, the fear that any one of us could be banned and we would not know how it happend! this cannot be right. However testing should be used if we are sure we have a sound and fool proof testing procedure that will hold up to close inspection from the legal side of things. at present I do not think this is the case. I end thinking how would I or any other racer feel if we were baned when we knew nothing as to how this sustance got into our dog, I know how I would feel.

 

[Vicky]

I've heard of the possibilities of meat (from van men on dog tracks & abbatiors) being contaminated with some substances that could lead to positive drug tests too.

If you don't get butchers meat beware.

 

[alsh]

yes vicky this can be possible for 7 years i was a farm worker some cattle we used to send to the slaughter house could contain anti biotics or steroids though there are goverment guide lines in place to try to stop this happening.

 

[Tony Taylor]

The HFL also offer a testing service for animal feed stuffs. One of the 6, using their words "CONTAMINANTS" they test for is theobromine.

It would appear that contamination of animal feeds by this substance has been recognised as a problem. Why else test for it?

 

[tony warren]

yes vickey you are right there beware of meat from other sources other then the buthers i have heard of a greyhound kennel earlier this year loseing 6 dog through contamiated meat and yes your right you do not know what could be in it that could get you in trouble and now for peter as for drawing up a list where do you start i,e tea choc theres a whole host of things i do think it is a very grey area but as whippeters who know that at some stage we will be tested we should think and if not sure ask your {reg rep} or go to the top and ask advice. :c

 

[michelle]

Well........*apparently* someone has failed a drug test at the bwra champs.

 

[Vicky]

:0 Oooooh is that right?