Our Story
The authors have devoted their veterinary careers to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the many complex injuries that occur with racing greyhounds.
Without doubt, hock fracture continues to be the most common and serious injury leading to premature retirement from racing.
We are driven to share our collective experience to prevent this injury, by educating trainers and veterinarians.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr Peter Yore BVSc, IVAS
Belmont Veterinary Hospital, NSW
Peter gained significant experience after training with Dr Jim Gannon at Sandown Veterinary clinic. In the mid 1980’s, he moved to Belmont Veterinary hospital to gain insight from another experienced mentor, Dr John Newell.
Yore established himself as a greyhound guru when he presented on innovative surgical techniques at the 1989 Greyhound Medicine and Surgery Course at the University of Sydney (Veterinary Post-grad Society).
Now-days, Yore is a trusted on-track veterinarian and services 100% greyhound clientele due to his expertise in musculoskeletal examination and pioneered torsional testing, a tool used to diagnose laxity in the outer capsular sleeve of the carpus and tarsus.
Dr John Katakasi BVSc (Hons), CVA, CVCHM
Adelaide Plains Veterinary Surgery, SA.
John is currently based in South Australia and services a multitude of orthopedic cases, aided by his insider perspective as a trainer of greyhounds and horses.
As an innovative industry professional, Katakasi regularly presents at Australian Greyhound Working and Sporting Dog Veterinarian (AGWSDV) conferences to share his cutting-edge techniques and insider knowledge.
At his workplace of Adelaide Plains Veterinary Surgery, he likely has the highest CT imaging rate in the world for tarsal and carpal investigations of racing greyhounds. This CT library and collaboration with Dr Larratt was the catalyst for the development of the new approach to radiographic guidelines presented in: The Brutal Reality of Hock Fractures (Larratt, 2023) and Save Your Dog’s Hock (Yore et al., 2023)
Dr David Larratt BVSc, IVAS
The Lake Veterinary Hospitals, NSW
Early in his veterinary career, David found his spark for sports medicine while working alongside two well-respected industry mentors, Dr Peter Yore and Dr Jon Newell. It was during these 15 years that he developed a passion and unequivocal understanding for musculoskeletal conditions and mobility related treatments.
In 2012, as the new owner of Wallsend Veterinary Hospital, he assisted Friends of the Hound - Greyhound Rescue and Adoption Group to surgically repair injured greyhounds who were otherwise destined for euthanasia, allowing countless hounds to find homes as well-loved pets.
In 2018, Larratt presented at the Australian Greyhound Working and Sporting Dog Veterinarian (AGWSDV) conference on Hock Surgery and Examination of Spine and Shoulders, sharing his knowledge and expertise. Following this, he was invited to present on Tarsal Imaging at the 2024 Conference of the Australasian Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (AAVDI).
David now carries 22 years of experience as a well known and esteemed on-track vet in NSW. His caseload of daily orthopedic and musculoskeletal surgical repairs drives his pursuit for preventative injury management for racing greyhounds.