Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatments and recovery times for agility dog leg injuries
By Alva, Bianca M et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·VCA Animal Referral Center of Arizona, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Owner-reported treatments and outcomes of perceived injuries to the thoracic and pelvic limb of agility dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of agility dogs suffered injuries that kept them from training or competing for over a week, prompting their owners to seek veterinary care. Most injuries were reported in the stifle (knee), iliopsoas (hip flexor), and tibia (shin), with rest being the most common treatment. While many dogs returned to their sport within three months, those with stifle injuries often took longer to recover and had a higher chance of retiring from competition. Overall, agility dog owners are proactive in getting veterinary help for injuries, which helps many dogs get back to training and competing.
People also search for: agility dog injury treatment · dog stifle injury recovery time · how long for dog to return to agility after injury
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the type of veterinary care sought by handlers of injured agility dogs, the types of treatments the dogs received, and the timeframe for return to training and competition. PROCEDURES: Owners of agility dogs completed an internet-based survey. They were instructed to report injuries that had kept the dog from training or competing for over a week, identify which area(s) of the body had been injured and answer questions about the most severe injury to each body part. Additional questions included if handlers had sought veterinary care, who primarily determined treatment, type of treatment(s), and length of time before the dog could return to full training and competition. RESULTS: This sample included data on 1,714 total injuries from 1,256 unique dogs. Handlers sought veterinary care for over 80% of injuries across all anatomical locations. Handlers were most likely to seek specialty veterinary care for reported injuries to the stifle (71%), iliopsoas (63%) and tibia (61%), and least likely for reported injuries to the carpus (34%), metatarsus (33%) and metacarpus (22%). Treatment of reported injuries to the antebrachium and stifle were most likely to be directed by a veterinarian (>70%), while reported injuries of the thigh (51%) and hip (53%) were least likely. Rest was the most common treatment for all injuries. Return to sport within 3 months was common (>67%) for most perceived injury locations, though dogs with reported stifle injuries took longer to return to competition and had a higher rate of retirement. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Owners of agility dogs have a high rate of seeking veterinary care for injuries. Overall return to sport rates were high, with the stifle being the notable exception. Future studies regarding specific treatment of injuries in agility dogs, and how injuries and their treatment affect return to agility after injury are required to provide optimal care protocols for these canine athletes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39239389/