The Canine Athlete: Injury Prevention

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SERIOUS HANDLERS. SERIOUS TRAINING.

The Canine Athlete INJURY PREVENTION

By Erica C. Boling, PhD

T

he life of a canine athlete is not necessarily an easy one. No matter if they are engaged in sport or work, these high drive dogs typically undergo training and working conditions that are both physically and mentally demanding. In my mind, both sport and working dogs are the epitome of a true canine athlete. For some working canines like our police and military dogs, maintaining excellent physical condition and working at peak performance can mean the difference between life and death. Keeping our dogs in excellent physical condition can also lead to fewer injuries and a longer and more productive working career.

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When it comes to injury prevention, having a little bit of knowledge can go a long way. There are a number of things that we can do, some of them at a very basic level, that can help prevent canine injuries altogether, or at least allow us to detect them in the earliest of stages before they become more chronic or severe. Understanding some of the most common injuries that occur to our canine athletes and their causes can also inform how we train and condition our dogs.

Common Injuries

According to Carol J. Helfer, D.V.M., working and sport canines are prone to injury not because their activities are inherently dangerous but because canine athletes seldom receive the conditioning training that keeps them strong, balanced, and coordinated. In her article, “Soft Tissue Injury in the Canine Athlete,” Dr. Helfer states that soft tissue injuries are among the most common injuries seen in canine athletes.

She also states that these injuries can be the most frustrating to treat because recovery time can be extensive and re-injury is common. From my own personal experience, I often see people rushing back to regular activity without giving their dogs adequate time to heal, and then they wonder why these “mysterious” injuries keep reoccurring.

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Some of the most common injuries that we see with our canine athletes include forelimb lameness. According to Canapp and Saunders (2014), most forelimb injuries sustained by performance dogs involve the shoulder. They describe how anatomically, the “shoulder joint is one of the least stable joints in the dog, relying on soft tissue structures for stability and function” (p. 589). The shoulder withstands large forces and provides extraordinary mobility while maintaining stability that is needed. More than 25 muscles are required for shoulder motion, and “the potential for muscle injuries causing performance issues and lameness is significant” (Canapp & Saunders, 2014, p. 583).

Supraspinatus tendinopathy (ST) is frequently the cause or a component of forelimb lameness. The supraspinatus tendon is in the shoulder of the dog, and injury frequently develops because of “overuse due to chronic repetitive activity” (Canapp, 2014, p. 24). Activities such as “landing from a jump with outstretched forelimbs, quick turns, and jump-turn combinations” can put extreme stress on the shoulder joint and cause ST” (Canapp, 2014, p. 24).

Some of the most common hindlimb injuries include iliopsoas muscle strains, which are an over stretching injury that impacts the groin area of the dog, and cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries (Canapp & Saunders, 2014, p. 600). Dogs can tear or rupture the cranial cruciate ligament when the joint in the knee is rotated or overextended. Obesity, biomechanical problems, or repeated minor stresses can also take a toll on the ligament, causing harmful changes over time.

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Causes and Prevention

Some of the most obvious causes of injury to our canine athletes can result from accidents, physical impact, and trauma to the body. We don’t always have control over these factors, but there are other factors that we can sometimes influence.

Many soft tissue injuries are due to excessive stretching or stretching when the muscle is being activated (Carr & Trappler, 2015). For example, an iliopsoas strain can occur when excessive force acts on the muscles in the groin area of the dog. This can develop when a dog slips into a splaylegged position such as when sliding on a slippery surface.

It can also happen when a hind leg slips out from under them when landing from a jump, chasing a bouncing ball, slipping on wet grass, or even jumping out of a vehicle.

Other causes of injury include long-term wear and tear on muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Repetitive use injuries are frequently seen, for example, in agility dogs. Soft tissue injuries can also be a result of structural and muscular weaknesses or imbalances, poor flexibility, inadequate warmup prior to activity, and overtraining.

Although we cannot always avoid those situations that might cause injury to our dogs, there are still a number of things that we can do to help minimize the risk of injury. Here are some things that you can start implementing right away:

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Whenever possible, warm-up your dog before engaging in any high impact or strenuous activity.

Something as simple as trotting your dog in circles on leash is better than doing no warm-up at all.

Mix up your training and exercise routine to avoid repetitive use injuries and overtraining. Instead of playing fetch every day for exercise, for example, include some swimming, hiking, off leash running, or trotting alongside a bicycle. Mixing in a day of exercise on the treadmill could also help, but don’t forget about rest and recovery days when training hard.

Develop a balanced fitness program that focuses on cardio, strength, flexibility and body awareness to combat structural and muscular weaknesses or imbalances. Simple ways to integrate strength training into your regular training routine, for example, could include trotting up hills, resistance training when pulling on a harness, crawling, and jumping. These activities strengthen areas such as the hindquarters, forelimbs and core abdominal muscles.

Increase flexibility through canine massage and by doing basic dynamic stretching exercises. Dynamic stretching is where your dog willingly and actively moves into a stretch without you physically forcing a body part into position. Simple ways to do a dynamic stretch include encouraging your dog to do a play bow or spinning in slow circles to the left and right.

Other quick and easy things that you can do to minimize injury include assisting your dog when jumping in and out of high vehicles and waiting for the ball to stop rolling before sending your dog to fetch it. Chasing an unpredictable bouncing ball can be dangerous for ballcrazy, high drive dogs. From a torn CCL to spinal injuries, chasing a bouncing ball can put your dog completely out of service. (I can’t even have one or my ball-crazy dogs chase a rolling ball or he ends up doing somersaults when he reaches it.)

Developing a ‘Critical Eye’

Even when we do everything that we can to prevent injuries, they can still happen. This is where developing a “critical eye,” or excellent observational skills, can sometimes help us detect subtle signs of soreness before a more serious, debilitating injury arises. Some signs of injury are very obvious, such as limping, irregular head movement or bobbing, and yelping or whining, but there are other signs that are easier to miss. If you pay close attention and start to learn the subtle signs of soreness and pain, you can take immediate action to help resolve the problem.

Below is a list of signs that could indicate your dog is having some discomfort or pain. These signs do not always mean that your dog is injured, but make sure you don’t ignore them so that you can at least rule out the possibility of an injury.

•

Any sudden changes from what is “normal” for your dog (e.g., a change in regular gait, attitude, behavior, jumping performance, etc.)

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Unusual restlessness or pacing

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Sudden avoidance of an activity or movement

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A shortening of stride

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An arch or “roaching” of the back

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Not maintaining a “balanced” position when sitting, standing or in a down position (ex. You might notice that suddenly your dog’s back left stifle, or knee, always sticks out to the side when he is sitting.)

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Problems with quick turning to the affected side (ex. Your dog runs and turns a corner more tightly to the right compared to the left or perhaps one hind leg always slips when turning tightly in one direction but not the other.)

Many people say that our high-drive, crazy dogs don’t show pain. I argue that they do show pain. We just aren’t trained at how to recognize it. This is, however, a skill that we can learn and develop over time by learning more about canine fitness and developing our critical observation skills.

The final piece of advice that I have for you to help prevent injuries is to start paying closer attention to your dog today. Pay attention to your dog when he’s standing. Notice and pay close attention to how he normally moves, sits, and lays down. Compare how your dog moves and acts when fresh and full of energy compared to when he or she is fatigued. It’s not unusual to have fatigue accentuate some of their muscular and structural weaknesses and flaws. Don’t wait for a full-blown injury to happen before you start paying more attention to your dog’s fitness and health. Taking action today could actually prevent a future injury from occurring.

References

1. Canapp, S. (2014, February). Supraspinatus Tendinopathy.

Clean Run. 23-27.

2. Canapp, S. & Saunders, D. (2014). Common conditions and physical rehabilitation of the athletic patient. In D. Millis & D. Levine (Eds.), Canine Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy (pp.

582-608). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders.

3. Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group (VOSM).

(2015). Clinical Minute: Iliopsoas Injuries. Annapolis Junction, MD: Brittany Jean Karr, DVM & Michelle Trappler, VMD

Erica C. Boling, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Education at Rutgers University and the owner and founder of Northeast K9 Conditioning, LLC and Northeast K9 Conditioning Academy. Erica helps sport and working dog handlers create peak performance, canine athletes by teaching them how to integrate canine fitness into their training programs. Erica is a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT), Certified Canine Massage Provider, member of the United States Federation of Sleddog Sports (USFSS) and a member of their USA National Team. She is also one of the founding members of North Pocono Search, Rescue and Recovery. Currently, Erica teaches canine fitness to recruits at the Atlantic County “John Sonny Burke” K-9 Academy and also trains and competes in French Ring.

Phone: 908-227-2963 Email: info@northeastk9conditioning.com Website: northeastk9conditioning.com

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