More people are having their dogs compete in locally organized dog
sport events. Although these events are both fun for man and dog, these
competitions can result in sports dog injuries, which can actually
hasten the development of dog arthritis.
Here’s a list of common sports dog injuries:
Muscular
trigger points or knots are caused by muscle fatigue or trauma. The
injury’s pain comes from palpable nodules in taut muscle bands. Trigger
points can be treated with massage or physical therapy.
Pain
in the neck or back may be caused by a slipped disc. Discs are shock
absorbing cushions found between the individual bones of a dog’s spine.
When a disc ruptures, a jellylike substance coming from the disc can
place pressure on the spinal cord or on a single nerve resulting in
pain. To treat a ruptured disc, surgery is rarely considered. A
combination of painkiller and anti-inflammatory drugs are mostly used as
treatment.
A severe form of knee injury is a
cruciate ligament tear, which causes the knee joint to be unstable.
Sporting dogs competing in sprint competitions are most prone to the
injury. A torn cruciate ligament almost always requires surgery. There
are many surgical techniques used for a torn cruciate ligament. Talking
to your vet is very important in making the right decision on which of
the available procedures will be best for your dog. Below are some
procedures, your vet will recommend:
- Extracapsular suture (or de Angelis suture or lateral fabellotibial suture) is a fast and effective procedure with a low complication rate, especially for small dogs.
- Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) is a technique that involves cutting the tibia (shin bone) so that it can be repositioned to make the knee joint more stable. It works well, especially for large dogs, but comes with a higher complication rate.
- Tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA), and triple tibial osteotomy (TTO) are the latest techniques to be developed for the treatment of cruciate ligament tear.
Prevention is always better
than cure. Proper body conditioning and supplying the right amounts of
protein, calcium, Omega-3, and vitamins E, D, and B complex will keep
your sporting dog’s muscles, bones, and joints healthy will make a
sport’ s dog muscles, bones, and joints healthy.
Again, treatments to sports dog injuries, especially a torn cruciate ligament, is effective but they are not an assurance that your dog will regain its normal mobility. Nonetheless, early treatment of injuries will greatly slow down the development of dog arthritis.
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