Managing the
risk...
 Agility
is a high-impact sport which requires the dog to be powerful, fast, agile,
precise, flexible, responsive and highly focused, not only during competition
but also during the many hours of training that are required. Because agility
dogs have increased wear on the joints throughout their active sports career,
they appear to be more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis (OA), and the
disease tends to start at an earlier age. In an article commissioned by Canine
Arthritis Management specifically for Agilitynet, International competitor and
trainer Jana Gams talks about how to identify arthritis and reduce the chances
of your dog developing this painful disease.
Arthritis (Osteoarthritis - OA) is the most common cause of chronic pain in
dogs. It is a degenerative condition that involves inflammation of the joints.
Some resources indicate arthritis affects nearly one in five dogs over one year
of age in the USA (Johnston, S.A. 1997). Dogs that are elderly, obese or have
had a long athletic career such as agility are more likely to suffer from OA.
The
tasks that an agility dog performs, such as jumping, running over an A-frame and
weaving, result in much greater forces placed on a dog's joints compared to
simply running on flat ground. They also increase the wear and tear on the
joints and the soft tissue structures around them. Once the joint cartilage
starts to wear away, the underlying bone becomes exposed, causing painful
rubbing of bone against bone. The condition ends up with the development of OA
and the eventual loss of cartilage within a joint.
 Joint trauma
OA results in
a vicious cycle of pain and inflammation within the affected joint, ultimately
reducing the ability of that joint to fully flex and extend. Over time, it
reduces the dog's ability to participate in agility sport, as optimal
performance relies on the ability to fully flex and extend their joints in order
to produce the power needed to perform the required tasks and moves.
Approximately 32% of dog athletes develop an injury (Cullen et al, 2017). Each
injury to either the joint surface or its surrounding structures (joint capsule,
ligaments, tendons) can potentially lead to joint instability and direct or
indirect damage to the joint surface. This increases the risk of developing OA
within the joint in the long term. Injuries to one leg or one side can result in
that side being underused. As a result, the dog may favour the 'good' side when
turning or taking off for jumps, leading to muscle asymmetry and imbalances.
Most dogs running in agility are highly motivated and driven to run, so their
pain perception might be reduced during participation in the activity. This
means that a lot of early orthopaedic problems can remain hidden. Pain may
present only as a slight favouring of a particular limb while performing certain
tasks, showing up in dogs as a less powerful ability to take off, more knocked
bars, a difference in their ability to turn, tight changes in weaving
performance pattern (e.g. switching single-stepping to double-stepping pattern),
loss of speed (seen as slower course times) or missed contacts. Some dogs might
intermittently seem lame after rest, or mild muscle tremors can be noted after
heavy exercise. These subtle but important clues can indicate underlying OA but
are often attributed to old age in dogs.
 Keep
your dog fit
In order to reduce the risk for early development of OA in agility dogs, certain
precautions can be taken by agility trainers. Sufficient warming up before each
sports performance and cooling down afterwards can improve tissue elasticity and
overall mobility of the dog, decreasing the risk of getting injured.
Breed
selection is also important as some dogs may be less suited to the stress and
strain that agility puts on their body. Those dogs may be better suited to the
lower level competitions to ensure that they can enjoy participating for longer.
Early and regular full body assessments might be the first step towards
preventing OA in canine athletes. A veterinary physiotherapist will be able to
assess the range of motion of the joints and pick up any subtle changes in
muscle mass or asymmetry before any signs are seen at competition.
It
is important to have these regular checks with the same person so that they can
build up a relationship with you and your dog and, therefore, notice any changes
before the disease progresses. By the time degenerative changes are noticed on
X-rays, it is nearly impossible to reverse the changes that have already
occurred, and it is extremely difficult to halt the progression of the disease.
Establishing a proper conditioning plan for the agility dog in co-operation with
a qualified physio specialist will help to improve the dog's physical condition,
strength, flexibility, balance and co-ordination. Improved physical condition
will improve the dog's ability to execute the sport-specific tasks in a better
way. It will also improve the ability to withstand the increased forces on the
dog's joints during competition in a better way as well as help reduce the risk
of injury.
Regular
manual therapies can improve tissue relaxation after training or competition
days as well as provide optimal range of motion in muscles and joints. In
addition to the therapeutic and conditioning approach, controlled diet (balanced
and rich in nutrients) and joint supplements additionally help to preserve
optimal joint health.
Returning after injury
Because
OA is a degenerative, non-curable and progressive disease, continuing the
sporting career in dogs after diagnosis of OA should be carefully considered.
Depending upon the severity, pain and physical abilities of the dog with OA,
some dogs can successfully return to high-level competition with the help of
regular monitoring of the progression of the disease and targeted
physiotherapeutic and strengthening approaches. However, unfortunately some dogs
will not be able to return to high-level competition.
As
agility dogs are very energetic, stopping competition may affect their quality
of life. If this is the case, switching to lower-impact activities should be
considered. Perhaps a less challenging course for older dogs or dogs suffering
from arthritis could be made. This course would probably take out the A-frame
and the tight turns as well as jumps, making it similar to a Hoopers course.
References:
·
Johnston, S.A. Osteoarthritis. Joint anatomy, physiology, and pathobiology.
Veterinary Clinic North America Small Animal Practice. 1997; 27(4):699-723)
·
Cullen et al. The magnitude of muscular activation of four canine forelimb
muscles in dogs performing two agility-specific tasks. BMC Veterinary
Research (2017) 13:68
·
Peter J. Lotsikas. Management of Osteoarthritis in Performance Dogs, Clean
Run.
https://www.cleanrun.com/feature/management_of_osteoarthritis_in_performance_dogs/index.cfm?ParentCat=459
 About
the author...
Jana Gams, DVM, CCRP is an active trainer and
competitor who has taken part in both Agility and FCI obedience competitions at
an international level.
She combines her passion for these sports with her professional
field of work in veterinary rehabilitation/sports medicine to provide
educational material in the form of online canine conditioning classes,
workshops and lectures.
Jana is CEO of Dogs4motion Canine Rehabilitation and Sports
Medicine Center in Slovenia and works with sports dogs on a daily basis which
include participants of World Agility Championships and other events.
Photos:
Dogs4motion
Thank you to Canine Arthritis
Management for organising this article in the interest of promoting good
practice and making competitors aware.
For more information, go to
https://caninearthritis.co.uk
First published:
15th April 2022
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