Clean Run Magazine - August 2007 - 46

do not exhibit pain, making diagnosis more difficult. When a diagnosis has been made (involving the specifics of which muscle, tendon, or ligament and if it is a sprain, strain, tear, and so on), a treatment plan is developed to help the injury heal. Many plans recommend limited activity, medication to reduce inflammation, and acupuncture to relieve pain, along with a careful combination of therapeutic modalities such as laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, shock wave therapy, range of motion exercises, and stretching, massage, and aquatic therapy (swimming, underwater treadmill, and whirlpools.) In extreme cases, surgery may also be a treatment option. Exercise and conditioning is incorporated as well, to help strengthen and support the affected area and reduce the risk of re-injury. When a diagnosis has been made and the inflammation has been reduced, Dr. Helfer describes the treatment and healing process as consisting of two stages. The first, which can last as long as six weeks, is the repair phase, in which “new collagen is being laid down to heal the injured area. The collagen fibers are laid down in a random and disordered manner.”7 The second phase, according to Dr. Helfer, is the remodeling phase (lasting up to a year) in which “the new tissue gains strength and integrity. The orientation of the collagen fibers changes in this phase so that they are parallel to one another, and therefore, stronger and more elastic.”8 During these phases, treatment needs to be carefully monitored and applied to provide just the right amount of stress to the injured tissue: too much stress will result in re-injury, while not enough stress will not maximize tissue repair. To find any underlying soft-tissue injuries, I took Rebound to see Dr. John Sherman of Vethab, a canine sports medicine and rehab facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. After a review of Rebound’s medical and behavioral history, Dr. Sherman used gait analysis and palpation to diagnose a chronic injury that was somewhat unusual: a sprain of the lateral glenohumeral ligament in his left shoulder. The injury was unique because lameness in that area is more commonly found in the medial glenohumeral ligament—in fact, Dr. Sherman told me he’d never encountered Rebound’s injury before. Because it was such an unusual injury, he felt it was probably not caused by repetitive use, but rather started as an acute injury caused by a traumatic 46 behavioral history if needed. Steve Soberski, owner of Standard Poodle Yukon, saw trends in his training log that led him to start exploring medical issues. Steve says, “I didn’t realize how important that training log would turn out to be. Now I make a point of writing down a lot of additional info about our training. How Yukon was acting; comments about his energy level; was he excited to train; did he play and tug normally while working—anything I can think of that might be useful later.” © CRAIG LIZOTTE / CL PHOTOGRAPHY event (such as a car accident that happened just before the earliest signs were noticed). Because the injury had been unnoticed and untreated, it developed into a chronic injury. Also, the ligament in question is critical to performing the weave poles, so it made perfect sense that the first obstacle performance to deteriorate was the weave poles. Now that I had a diagnosis, I took Rebound to Lin McGonigle, a canine physical therapist, who implemented a treatment plan using limited activity, therapeutic ultrasound, massage, range of motion exercises, chiropractic, acupuncture, and underwater treadmill work. After approximately 12 weeks, she eliminated the ultrasound, gradually allowed more activity, and began to build a conditioning program for him. She taught me how to do many of the exercises so that I could continue the treatment at home on days he was not scheduled to see her. After approximately four months, she noted enough improvement to allow him to start with some very basic, low-impact agility work. I gradually added more and more agility work back to his training, leaving the A-frame and the weave poles until we thought he was ready to handle them. Rebound returned to the competition ring eight months after the diagnosis and has been running well. At home, he is once again an active, playful dog. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions or dig deeper. Vets, physical therapists, and other professionals are extremely knowledgeable and are willing to look for underlying causes. The Internet has a wealth of information; simple searches can turn up tons of information that is very helpful in learning about signs, understanding illnesses and injuries, and finding specialist professionals who can help find answers. D References Aronson L.P. and Dodds W.J. The Effect of Hypothyroid Function on Canine Behavior. Proc. Int. Vet. Beh. Med, 2005 Dodds W.J. Canine Hypothyroidism. Hemopet, Santa Monica, CA. Margulies P. Addison’s Disease: The Facts You Need to Know. Cornell University Medical College. www.medhelp.org Dunn, T.J. What Is Lyme Disease In Dogs? The Pet Center, 2005. www.thepetcenter.com Helfer, CJ. Soft Tissue Injuries in the Canine Athlete. Portland, OR, 2007 Bockino, Krimer et al. An Overview of Canine Ehrlichiosis. Ross Univ. Sch. Of Vet. Med, 2003 Websites Addison’s Disease (Hypoadrenocorticism) www.marvistavet.com Lyme Disease: A Lyme Disease Primer www.marvistavet.com Orthopedic Disorders of Dogs www.vetinfo4dogs.com Addison’s Disease. Pet Health Topics. www.vetmed.wsu.edu 1 “Canine Hypothyroidism” Dr. W. Jean Dodds, DVM www.hemopet.org 2 Ibid 3 “The Effect of Hypothyroid Function on Canine Behavior” L.P. Aronson and W.J. Dodds 4 Ibid 5 “What is Lyme Disease in Dogs?” Dr. T.J. Dunn, Jr., DVM, The Pet Center.com www.thepetcenter.com 6 “Soft Tissue Injuries in the Canine Athlete” Carol J. Helfer, DVM, Canine Peak Performance Sports Medicine and Physical Rehabilitation (can be found at www.insideflyball.com) 7 Ibid 8 Ibid Little Things You Can Do Any agility enthusiast needs to prepare for the possibility of behavior changes caused by an underlying illness or injury. A quick diagnosis is valuable, and you can play a leading role in getting it. One of the most important things you can do is to keep a journal or training log. This journal or log can be the foundation of your medical and Tracy Sklenar owns Leader of the Pack in Smyrna, New York, and is an instructor at Say Yes! Dog Training in Ontario, Canada. She specializes in positive and motivational techniques for all types of dogs. She actively competes in agility and owns six dogs, including two Dalmatians, a Rat Terrier, a Dogo Argentino, and two mixed breeds. Clean Run | August 07

http://www.medhelp.org http://www.thepetcenter.com http://www.marvistavet.com http://www.marvistavet.com http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu http://www.hemopet.org http://petcenter.com http://www.thepetcenter.com http://www.insideflyball.com

Clean Run Magazine - August 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - August 2007