More and more dogs are participating in sports of all sorts, and associated injuries are common. When we think of sports for dogs, we usually think of greyhounds for racing and coursing or luring, field trial dogs for hunting, or even sled dogs in the Iditarod. But within the last 10 years or so, other sports have been gaining in popularity, including agility, flyball, disk dog competitions (Frisbee catching), tracking for search and rescue, dock jumping, and earthdog den trials. With sporting dogs, just as with working dogs, preventive examinations should be as much a part of their training as the actual practice of their sport. During the examination, full general physical, orthopedic, and neurologic examinations should be performed. If a dog has previously been injured but has made a recovery after treatment, whether surgical or rehabilitative, examinations should be performed every three months for as long as the dog is competing or participating in sporting activities. By pairing a customized rehabilitation therapy program with retraining and conditioning, our patients not only recover more fully, but also stay healthy for the duration of their athletic careers. Prevention is the key to success. Injuries can be sustained to a variety of tissues, including bone (fractures), ligament and tendon (tears), the cardiovascular system (dehydration and heat stress), skin (lacerations), and many others. Types of injuries vary according to the sport a dog engages in (see Which injuries are most common in various sports?). The process begins with a sports medicine consultation to assess your canine athlete and provide an overall health assessment or a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan for those with current injuries or sports-related or working issues. In this article, I'll describe common injuries in sporting dogs. FOOT PAD INJURIES FORELIMB INJURIES HINDLIMB INJURIES Our specialists have extensive experience treating dogs with each of these conditions and can provide you with extensive treatment options — both surgical and non-surgical — to allow your canine athlete the ability to return to full function. |
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