Clean Run Magazine - February 2008 - 39

© SPORTHORSEPHOTOGRAPHY.NET Sports Retraining for Agility Athletes By Chris Zink, DVM, PhD and Debra Canapp, DVM, CCRT What is canine sports retraining? Essentially, sports retraining is the process of training the canine athlete to go from being functional to being competitive. A human athlete might have a physical therapist help him recover after an injury or surgery, but will need the help of a sports medicine specialist to decide which exercises, how many, and completion in what order should be used to get back into condition for competition. Likewise, for example, an agility dog that has had surgery for a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament, will engage in a period of rehabilitation to strengthen the leg muscles and regain full flexion and extension of the knee joint. At that point, a sports retrainer can provide at-home exercises and sport-specific training advice to help the dog regain his competitive physical condition and train on the appropriate obstacles in the appropriate order to continue the strengthening process and prevent re-injury. • Injuries that can occur in the canine athlete, such as cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency, iliopsoas strain, medial shoulder instability, and so on • Various surgical techniques that are used for repair, such as the comparative risks and benefits of TPLO, TTA, and extracapsular techniques for repair of cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency • Principles of canine rehabilitation for developmental conditions, injuries and surgical repair in the canine athlete • Drugs that can affect a dog’s performance • The sports in which dogs compete: It is particularly important that the sports retrainer be actively competing in canine sports and be familiar with current training techniques since they can affect your dog’s return to competition or the potential for later re-injury. In addition, the sports retrainer should be very familiar with the muscles that are used for different aspects of the various canine sports. How long is the sports retraining period? This depends on many factors, including: The dog’s age: Older dogs take a little longer to regain their competition condition. The dog’s level of fitness when first entering rehabilitation: Canine athletes have an edge over the average pet dog because they usually are in better muscular condition. This is a significant advantage in rehabilitation and this advantage generally shortens the sports retraining period. The nature of the injury/surgery/illness: For example, a dog that has just been diagnosed with Addison’s disease might see a canine sports retrainer to get a plan for training and competing in agility that will help minimize stress while maximizing muscle strength and overall fitness. This dog may be able to compete within a few weeks of diagnosis. In contrast, a dog that has had surgery for medial shoulder instability will require very specific, progressive exercises to gradually increase weight-bearing and loading of the shoulder joint in the context of the specific sport(s) in which the dog competes to protect the shoulder from re-injury. The sports retraining period for this dog would be two to three months (in addition to a threemonth post surgical recovery period) or longer depending on progress. What does a canine sports retrainer need to know? It is essential that a canine sports retrainer be knowledgeable about and have significant experience with: • Exercise physiology and nutrition for the canine athlete • Developmental conditions that affect a dog’s performance, such as hip or elbow dysplasia, osteochondrosis, and so on February 08 | Clean Run Which dogs need sports retraining? Any dog that has recovered from an injury/surgery/illness that has resulted in deterioration of his physical condition will benefit from a sports retrainer’s assistance. This will help move the dog to the next level of fitness in preparation for training for his sport(s). 39
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Clean Run Magazine - February 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - February 2008
