Canine Sports Medicine Part 1: Peak Performance & Injury Prevention

*** The tips and recommendations within this article are made for dogs that are free from any health concerns and may not be right for your dog. As all dogs are unique individuals, we recommend that you consult with your Veterinarian or schedule a Fitness Consultation with the Physical Rehabilitation Specialists at Canine Rehabilitation of Orange County to discuss what is right for your dog.***

Canine Athletes and Working dogs are the epitome of fitness for their species. K9 officers, service dogs, and sporting participants use their speed, precision, and exuberance to complete their physically demanding work. With years of training and financial investment poured into these dogs, it is essential to ensure that each athlete is conditioned and prepared for the tasks at hand to help them safely continue their sport or work for as long as possible.

Canine Sports Medicine

Human professional athletes have entire teams of medical and fitness professionals specialized in sports medicine to help them perform at their best and reduce their odds of injury; your Canine Athlete should too! Canine Sports Medicine is a branch within Veterinary Medicine that addresses the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries sustained by working and sporting canines. While risk of injury can never be completely eliminated, Canine Athletes that participate in structured and targeted work as part of their training are significantly less likely to be injured and will recover more quickly if they sustain an injury when compared to non-conditioned dogs.

A Canine Sports Medicine performance plan consists of prescribed stretches, exercises, nutrition and supplements, and medications (only as needed) in order to optimize the physical potential of the Canine Athlete. Physical therapy techniques are administered to treat injuries and restore tissue loss or offset bodily imbalances to prevent injury and promote proper ergonomics. 

Who needs to be involved in my Canine Athlete’s performance plan?

It might sound silly, but as a finely tuned “machine”, anyone that interacts with your Canine Athlete on a regular basis should be included in their performance plan. In the household, everyone should know what the Canine Athlete can and cannot eat and when - don’t let the kids feed them then take them to run around outside immediately after. Your dog walker or pet sitter should be well aware of your Canine Athlete’s daily exercise routine in order to maintain physical conditioning, but also to ensure that your Canine Athlete is not overworked in your absence. Your groomer should know if trimming nails in a particular way interferes with your Canine Athlete’s performance or that jumping down from a tub or table should not be allowed. Your trainer and your veterinary medical team should be very well versed in your Canine Athlete’s performance plan. Deviations from the plan could mean that your dog is not adequately prepared for the work they are facing or that your veterinary medical team misses something because it is not a typical issue for a housepet. 

A Memo on Muscles

A muscle’s job is to move joints, protect the body from harm, and to work alongside the neurological system to maintain balance and coordination. Muscles can’t push; they move joints exclusively by contracting and pulling, so muscles are attached on each side of a joint in order to pull it into various directions. When muscles contract, the muscle fibers shorten, causing the joint to flex or “close”. To extend or “open” the joint, muscles on the other side of the joint will contract. If muscles are overworked or have extensive tension due to repetitive movement, the muscle fibers will get progressively tighter, thereby reducing the joint’s range of motion (the totality of movement a joint is capable of doing). Overly tight muscles also negatively impact flexibility and the muscle’s ability to absorb stress and impact. These conditions make for the perfect opportunity to rupture the Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL), often compared to the human Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

CCL rupture is the most common canine injury and can be devastating for the Canine Athlete.

Joint disease and joint injuries almost always start out as overly abundant muscle tension. Releasing that tension will help keep the body healthy, active, flexible while reducing strain from stress forces and preventing poor ergonomics.

Pre-Workout Considerations: Thermotherapy, Massage, & Stretching

No professional human athlete runs onto the field without a pre-game plan because properly warmed up muscles, tendons, and ligaments will perform better, fatigue less, and be less likely to experience a strain, sprain, or rupture. Muscles will be less likely to cramp and will recover more quickly if they are heated, massaged, stretched, and lightly exercised using activities that complement the activity they are about to participate in.

Thermotherapy

Heat therapy reduces inflammation and pain while increasing blood flow and improving the extensibility of tendons and ligaments. When properly warmed up, these tissues are more likely to stretch rather than strain or rupture. The metabolic rate of cells within heated tissue is improved, increasing oxygenation and better cellular recovery from lactic acid build up or toxic wastes that accumulate during and after exercise. Chronic injuries heal more quickly, joints experience a greater range of motion, and flexibility is maximized. 

Heating in Canine Sports is typically provided via microwavable heat packs applied directly to the patient. For optimal penetration into the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, apply moist heat rather than dry. Canine Athletes should be in a relaxed position and heat should be applied for about 10-15 minutes.

Always check that a heat pack is at a safe temperature before applying to your dog! If you cannot comfortably hold the heat pack to your inner arm or neck, it’s too hot.

Wrap the heat pack in a thin towel before putting it on your dog. Stretching and passive range of motion exercises should follow immediately after heating. Alternative thermotherapy modalities can include Therapeutic Ultrasound, warm water baths, and infrared heat lamps. 

Massage

Overexertion, compensation for other issues, previous injuries, fear, and age-related muscular changes often result in muscle and soft tissue tension. When tissues are tense, blood flow is restricted, depriving the cells within those tissues of vital oxygen. Reduced oxygenation will also reduce the metabolic removal of waste products and further impair physical performance. This inevitably leads to a vicious cycle of pain, inflammation, muscle tension, followed by even more pain. 

Tips to Maximize the Magic of Massage

1. Less is more! The most effective massage for muscle tension and fatigue are soothing and gentle, using slow kneading and gliding strokes similar to swedish tissue massage. This soft approach allows your dog to truly relax into the massage instead of bracing or tensing up in response.

2. Choose a quiet, comfortable space with minimal distractions and make sure you are calm and relaxed before beginning. 

3. One hand massage is less intimidating than two hands. To avoid feelings of being grabbed, be sure to use a flat, open hand and start the massage without using your thumbs. 

4. If your dog is not used to having their body touched, start with light stroking, then work up to gliding and kneading. If they are particularly fussy and want to walk away, let them! You are asking your dog to trust and let go of their tension, so don’t make them feel trapped. Try again later with a lighter approach. The more you practice this type of touching, the easier it will become.

5. The shoulders and neck are often the easiest areas to start with.

6. Your dog’s muscles should not feel tight or banded in a relaxed state. If you can strum the muscle like a guitar string, there is tension and pain in that muscle.

7. Do your best to massage both sides of your dog's body equally or you risk injury to the side that was not prepared for activity.

Temporal Mandibular Joints

This is the joint where the jaw attaches to the skull. Bite work, heavy chewing, & ball/frisbee activities increase tension of the muscles that attach the jaw to the skull. Osteoarthritis, inflammation, and pain can develop here, so it's a great place to massage.

Neck & Base of the Skull

This area absorbs a lot of force, especially with turning, twisting, & jumping down activities. All Canine Athletes can benefit from massage here.

Shoulders & Chest

The front legs are attached to this body exclusively by muscle and connective tissue between the trunk and shoulder blades. There are no boney attachments to the trunk! This allows your Canine Athlete to be fast, flexible, and agile, but it also means that the health of these tissues is absolutely vital for mobility.

Dogs that do a lot of vertical leaps or swimming tend to gather excess tension and stiffness in this area.

Many of these tissues connect to the cervical vertebrae, so any tension in these tissues can also translate into neck pain. Work your way from the neck down their trapezius, then move forward to the front of the chest, massaging the pectorals all the way down to the armpit area.

Elbows & Upper Arm

The Triceps muscles are the main antigravity muscles of the front leg & are stronger than the Biceps, though both are responsible for upper arm movement along with the brachiocephalic muscle. These muscles are prone to soreness from overuse & should receive extra attention, especially if the elbow’s range of motion is reduced.

Metatarsals, Carpi, Forearms, & Front Paws

Movement of front paws is facilitated by many tendons and ligaments from the elbow down to the toes. Along with the elbows, the carpi (analogous to the human wrist) experience a lot of strain over the life of an average pet dog, but Canine Athletes in particular will be testing the limits of these joints.

Jumping down is the top reason for excess strain and injury to the carpal joints.

For a thorough massage, feel for tight, banded tissues along the forearm and massage down the leg all the way to the toes. Make sure to massage both the top and bottom (or front and back depending on your dog's position) of the forearm. The digital flexors of the paw and carpus are located on the back side of the forearm, so soft kneading here can be very helpful to reduce tension. The metatarsals are the bones above the toes, but below the carpus. This location benefits from gentle massage at the area just above your dog's biggest paw pad.

Mid-Trunk

Compensation for any kind of forelimb discomfort will show up as tension from the base of the neck down the length of the longissimus dorsi and iliocostal muscles, which run down each side of the spine all the way to the pelvis. This leads to mid-back pain & limited, stiffer movements of the trunk. All Canine Athletes benefit from massage in this area. Athletes that do a lot of twisting movements (or ill pets that have been coughing) benefit from light massage along the ribs as well, working from front to back.

Hips & Thighs

The Quadriceps (the main muscles of the thigh) flex the hip, move the leg forward, & act as stabilizers to balance the body during side to side movement. The Sartorius muscle runs along the front of the thigh and is responsible for lifting the leg off the ground. When standing, it extends & stabilizes the stifle (knee). The Canine Athlete often experiences tension in this area. Overworking the hip flexor, hip dysplasia, or any change in gait can result in banding of the Sartorius muscle which can be very painful & may result in serious injury if not corrected. Several muscle groups are responsible for extending the legs backward to drive the body forward. As primary muscles for locomotion, all dogs benefit from regular massage in this area. 

Stifles (Knees)

The Stifle is a hinge-type joint designed to move backward and forward. There is very little flesh to massage, but small movements along the inside and outside of the Stifle can ease tension & increase circulation. The Patella (kneecap) is help in place by the Patellar Tendon, which can become banded, swollen, or painful from overuse, potentially pulling the patella outside of its normal position.

Tarsi, Metatarsal, & Rear Paws

Below the Stifle, the Tarsus joint is the Canine equivalent of the human ankle, & below the Tarsus are the Metatarsals. This area is stabilized almost exclusively by tendons & is a major shock absorber during exercise & play. Just like the front legs, try to massage all the way down the leg to the toes and paw pads.

Stretching & Passive Range of Motion

Passive Range of Motion (PROM) exercises involve moving the joint back and forth several times within its range of available movement. This promotes blood flow to and from the joint and acts to lubricate the joint. Active dogs benefit from PROM exercises for their shoulders, elbows, carpi (wrists), hips, and stifles (knees).

Stretching returns tight muscle fibers to their natural, elongated state. Tension is prevented or eased by stretching and flexibility is improved, which can then translate to an increase in your Canine Athlete’s speed, endurance, and agility.

For stretching to be physiologically beneficial, start with warm, relaxed muscles and make sure stretches are performed slowly and held for a longer period of time.

Ideally, your dog should go on a short walk or have several minutes of light activity before stretching as blood flow is reduced to tissues that have been inactive. 

It is best for your dog to be laying down but they must be relaxed and muscle groups being stretched should not be weight bearing or engaged in any sort of work. If a muscle is not relaxed when being stretched, there is a higher risk of injury to the muscle fibers or cells (pulling a muscle). Slowly moving the limbs to their maximum reach reduces risk of monosynaptic stretch response, which will tighten the muscle fibers and contract the muscles in reaction to moving the limb too quickly. All movements should be smooth and performed while stabilizing and supporting the joints. Apply gentle pressure to the muscles to manipulate your dog’s body into each stretch; NEVER pull! There are different types of stretching but passive stretching, where you move your dog’s limbs for them, is the most beneficial for easing tension, increasing blood flow, and elongating the soft tissues. 

Each stretch should be performed 4-5 times and held for 30 seconds to the point of initial discomfort. Reminder that these stretches are indicated for dogs that are physically sound and may not be right for your dog

Canine Rehab OC offers custom Fitness Plans by appointment. If you are interested in a comprehensive exam, clinically-proven therapies, and prescribed exercises for your Canine Athlete, check out the New Patient section of our website to learn how to get started.

Want to learn more about how to support your Athlete? Canine Sports Medicine events are coming to Canine Rehab OC soon and we'd love to see you there! These events include demonstrations courtesy of Dogtor Wilbur and a 30+ page Canine Sports Medicine booklet for each attendee. If you are part of a local Dog Sports group and interested in setting up an event, reach out to us! We love getting involved in the dog community and helping as many families as possible.

Stay tuned for more Canine Sports Medicine content including exercises, common injuries of Canine Athletes, nutrition, supplements, hydration, how your dog's behavior affects their medical care, and when to call the Pros!