Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Working Dogs

Meghan T Ramos; Brian D Farr; Cynthia M Otto

doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2021.04.005

Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Working Dogs

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2021 Jul;51(4):859-876. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2021.04.005.

Authors

Meghan T Ramos¹, Brian D Farr², Cynthia M Otto³

Affiliations

¹ Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3401 Grays Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA. Electronic address: megramos@upenn.edu.
² Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3401 Grays Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA; Army Medical Department Student Detachment, 187th Medical Battalion, Medical Professional Training Brigade, Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX, USA.
³ Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3401 Grays Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA.

PMID: 34059260
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2021.04.005

Abstract

Canine sports medicine and rehabilitation recently have evolved to embody the optimization of performance, injury prevention, and mitigation of musculoskeletal degeneration. This article discusses the diverse factors and considerations of working dog wellness and injury prevention and the importance of recognizing normal and abnormal posture and anatomic structure for performance evaluation and early indication of musculoskeletal injury. The importance of a canine physical fitness program is highlighted and the need for a 4-phase recovery plan to determine if a working dog can safely return to work after injury discussed.

Keywords: Canine; Injury prevention; K-9; Physical fitness; Return to work.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Dog Diseases*
Dogs
Musculoskeletal Diseases* / veterinary
Sports Medicine*
Working Dogs