stepping into a hole

Preventing strains and sprains

Strains and sprains are one of the most common types of injuries dogs can experience. They may be the result of sudden trauma such as stepping into a hole or they may be the result of repetitive motion or poor conditioning.

Veterinarian Carol J. Helfer has written extensively on coaching dogs to peak performance and has some advice about preventing muscle injuries.

Her advice is specific to flyball, but can be applied to any dog conditioning program. The three major tenets of muscle injury prevention under any circumstances are conditioning, warming up, and cooling down.

By creating a workable program for conditioning and using warm-up and cool-down routines religiously, I believe we can greatly benefit our companions. The single most important thing a handler can do to lengthen the career of their canine athlete is to keep their dog lean. Conditioning should include strength exercises and endurance exercises. The main purpose [of warming up] is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity…by helping to increase the body’s core temperature…[and] muscle temperature. The main goal of the cool down is to promote recovery and return the body to a pre-exercise or pre-work out level.

For more information, check out this article on canine sprains from PetPlace.com.
http://www.straightpoop.com/2010/06/doggie-strains-and-sprains/