Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Most agility dogs return to competition within 2 years after ligament
By Sellon, Debra C & Marcellin-Little, Denis J·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2025·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Most agility dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture return to competition within 2 years of injury.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of agility dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) were studied to see how many returned to competition after their injury. Out of 148 dogs, 110 (about 74%) were able to compete again within two years. Dogs were more likely to return if their owners had experience in agility, if they were treated by a vet with advanced training, and if they competed frequently. Additionally, dogs that were spayed or neutered after two years of age had a better chance of returning to the sport. Overall, many dogs can successfully get back to agility after CCLR with the right care and commitment.
People also search for: dog agility competition recovery · CCLR treatment for dogs · spaying neutering effects on dog performance
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with return to canine agility competition after cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR). METHODS: Retrospective owner reports of dogs competing in agility at the time of CCLR and which were ≥ 2 years from the date of initial injury were analyzed. An online questionnaire was used to collect information related to dog signalment, agility activities, CCLR injury and treatment, and return to competition after injury. For categorical variables, ORs with 95% CIs were calculated for the outcome variable of return to competition. Continuous variables were compared using a Mann-Whitney rank sum test. RESULTS: Of 148 dogs, 110 (74.3%) returned to competition within 2 years of injury. These dogs were more likely to be owned by someone with more agility experience; be treated by a veterinarian with advanced training (OR, 2.9; CI, 1.3 to 6.4); engage in > 10 competitions/y (OR, 2.4; CI, 1.1 to 5.2); and compete at a high level (OR, 2.5; CI, 1.2 to 5.4). Dogs spayed or neutered at ≥ 2 years of age were more likely to return to agility after CCLR (OR, 2.9; CI, 1.2 to 7.4). CONCLUSIONS: Many dogs successfully return to agility competition after CCLR. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The likelihood of return to agility may be greater for a dog in good physical condition prior to injury and that is owned by an individual with strong commitment to the sport who seeks treatment from a specialized veterinarian.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40073504/