Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors for knee injuries in dogs doing agility sports
By Kieves, Nina R et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Risk factors for the development of stifle injuries in canine agility athletes.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that Border Collies competing in agility are at a higher risk for stifle injuries, especially if they are heavier, male and neutered before 10 months, or female and spayed before their first heat. The most common injuries reported were to the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) and patella luxation. Interestingly, competing more often or running more times a day did not seem to increase the risk of injury. This suggests that factors like a dog's weight, breed, and early spaying or neutering may play a bigger role in injury risk.
People also search for: Border Collie stifle injury risk · dog agility injuries · neutering effects on dog health · CCL injury in dogs · spaying before first heat risks
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to determine risk factors for developing stifle injuries in canine agility athletes. We hypothesized that increased weight, increased frequency of competing, and greater number of runs/day would increase risk. STUDY DESIGN: Internet based survey, = 4,197. METHODS: Individuals with at least one dog who had competed in agility in the past 3 years were eligible. Injury history was defined as an injury to the stifle that kept the dog from participating in agility for >1 week. Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between variables of interest and injury history. RESULTS: Handlers of 216 dogs reported a history of injury. The majority were cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury (101/216), and patella luxation (40/216). In the final model, five variables were independently associated with odds of stifle injury (in addition to age). Heavier dogs (adjusted for height), Border Collies, male dogs neutered <10 months, female dogs spayed before their first heat cycle, handlers aged 18-24, and teeter contact behavior were associated with increased risk. CONCLUSION: Heavier dogs were more likely to report injury, but there was no association with injury and increased number of competition days, or runs/day. The Border Collie breed was at the highest risk of injury. There was substantial risk for stifle injury with early spay/neuter. Additionally, a significant increase in risk of injury was reported for younger (18-24) vs. older handlers (65+). Athlete fitness level, conformation, and genetic predisposition to injury may play the most significant role in the development of injury.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38420212/