Soren's Story: LS Disease & Shock Wave Therapy

Meet my dog Soren. If you look up the definition of a “good dog” his picture would most definitely pop up. Soren is a Dutch Shepherd x Whippet mix who was bred for dog sports and boy did he love sports (he was a real jock). He competed in flyball, dock diving, disc, competition obedience, you name it Soren wanted to try it.

Around the age of 4, Soren began to show some very small, early symptoms of his LS disease. A low rear foot on the flyball box here and there, seeming “off” in his tracking of a toy for dock diving from time to time, but nothing major. Then he started to have what I will refer to as “episodes”. They started small and very infrequent (maybe every 3-5 months) where he would be running the yard and he would let out a scream, hold up his right rear leg, but then within a few minutes be back to normal. The first few times I chalked it up to him stepping on something in the yard (like an acorn) and they were so infrequent it took me awhile to link them together. When he just before his 5th birthday they started to become more frequent and happen during sports related activities and now I knew something was up.

I scheduled an appointment for him at VOSM (Veterinary Orthopedic and Sports Medicine) in MD. His gait analysis was normal, his exam was normal except for some pain on palpation of his psoas muscle on both sides (but particularly his right). We did a musculoskeletal ultrasound and confirmed not only a grade 1 strain of both iliopsoas muscles, but also a grade 1 strain of his internal obturator muscle which could be leading to sciatic nerve impingement, which would explain those hot and cold pain episodes. We began rehab for these injuries and I was pretty optimistic he would make a full recovery and be able to return to sports.

He had another msk ultrasound half way through his rehab and things were looking good! One week before his final recheck, he had another episode. When we went for his recheck, all his muscle strains were healed. This indicated these might be compensation injuries and something bigger might be at play. At this point his episodes got rapidly worse, 3-4x a week he was having them and things as simple as walking up the stairs or trotting to a bush to go pee would trigger them. I went to a local neurology center who I knew could do a same day MRI as that was our next step. He once again had a normal exam and unfortunately I did not have a video of his episodes at this time because I typically was so concerned with him I was thinking to record them. They kindly proceeded with the MRI (as well as a spina tap). The MRI came back with mild LS stenosis on the right side and a slight disc protrusion at L7-S1. With him having such frequent episodes I knew I needed to do something to help him. We had tried NSAIDs and rest with no luck. Laser therapy and acupuncture seemed to help, but I wanted him to be able to be dog, even if he couldn’t do sports I wanted him to have the most comfortable and fulfilled life he could. I mean he is so young!

After speaking with one of the rehab vets I was working with (Dr. Leslie Eide of The Total Canine), she recommended shock wave therapy as she had had lots of success with shock wave and LS dogs at her practice on the west coast. Upon reading about shock wave and upon he recommendation I knew I wanted him to get Pulse Vet shock wave. I came across a specialist center in Portland, ME who had this machine and made an appointment with them. After the first treatment I noticed a difference. I noticed Soren started to stretch his back legs, prior to this he always stretched his front, but never his back and I just figured that was “just him”. His rear limb tremors lessened and he had more energy. His episodes related to his stenosis stopped. He went from having them multiple times a week even on complete rest, to being able to return to pet dog activity without any! He was able to go to the beach and be a dog. He still had his limits being a dog with LS disease, but this was a huge improvement.

We traveled the 6 hours round trip every other week for a total of 6 shock wave treatments and he was feeling great! At this point we figured we would try and stop the shock wave and see how he did. He was doing great until about a month later when he got off the couch in a frantic pretzel motion and upon doing another MRI we found out he had further prolapsed that L7-S1 disc. We put him on lots of pain meds and even did oral steroids and a steroid epidural to help his pain. We had to wait until the disc was more stable until we could do shock wave again. He had been doing okay, but still not making huge strides in his comfort. 2 weeks post steroid injection (4 weeks post the event that further prolapsed that disc) Soren was able to get a shock wave treatment. And once again he felt like a new dog; he started pulling me on the leash again and barking at me wanting to play. This just further cemented the fact that shock wave is his modality and I would do anything to keep him feeling this good!

I contacted Pulse Vet and talked to them about Soren’s case and was delighted to hear that he could have shock wave for the rest of his life as a maintenance procedure. Now unfortunately Soren’s insurance does not cover shock wave therapy (Pet’s Best, you really need to change that!) and with having to travel so far and the price of the treatments, I decided to look into buying one for Soren to have. Pulse Vet was amazing to work with and I was able to buy Soren his own machine!

I’m truly so thankful for this modality. It has given my dog, who can no longer any of the sports and activities he loves so much at such a young age, a chance to live out the rest of his life as a (modified) pet dog and be comfortable and mentally content. Without this modality I really don’t know what I would have done or what Soren’s life would look like right now, but I can assure you that it wouldn’t be half of what it is right now. I’m so thankful I am able to have this machine for him to provide him the best life possible, and I can also share that with other dogs who have injuries or conditions that would benefit from shock wave!

Guide to Keeping Your Canine Athlete Cool

In dog sports, at competitions or practices, it is common for dogs to need to be worked one at a time. This requires you having some sort of containment for your dog during this time. You can simply have your dog on a leash with you during this time, but this doesn’t allow the dog to rest adequately between turns. Mental and physical rest is important for our dogs especially when they are competing or learning (look up “latent leaning in dogs” and you’ll learn why!). It is very common practice in dog sports to have dog crates in the car, not only for safety while driving with our dogs, but also to allow for a safe and relaxing spot for our dogs to be between turns in class or at a competition. During the summer months there are a lot of tips and tricks to help keep your dog comfortable and cool in their crate in the car while at these events! Here is our list of what you should have for your dog in the summer.

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Fans!

Fans are super important in the summer months to help keep your dog cool! Since we don’t often have access to electricity while at events or training with our dogs, having battery powered fans is a must. There are several brands out there but I have the Ryobi fans. They have a low and high setting and circulate air well. You can buy different size batteries based on your needs (I always bring extra batteries in-case mine die then I have a back up!). Ryobi even makes a misting fan which you can hook up to a bucket of ice water for even a more refreshing cool down on a warm day! Ryobi products are available at Home Depot.
Ryobi One+ 18V Hybrid Portal Fan

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Aluminet Shade Cloth

Shade is another super important factor in keeping your dog cool. Aluminet shade cloths not only provide shade, but “It acts like a mirror, reflecting the intense infrared radiation, heat, and light of the sun to provide a cooler climate by up to 14°.” They come in various sizes so you can get one that covers your size car! I use these clips to clip them to my car so they don’t blow away. You can purchase these shade cloths from many suppliers but we like to support local businesses so we get ours from Clean Run, a company right here in MA. You can purchase them here.

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Fresh Water

Of course access to fresh water is a MUST in the warm weather (and really all weather) for our dogs. If your dog is in a crate I recommend hanging a bucket of water in their crate so they can have access to fresh water at all times. Here are the buckets I hang in my crates. If your dog flips the bucket or doesn’t like a bucket in their crate or they are loose in the car, make sure you have a water bowl available and offer them water often.

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Temperature Monitors

Being able to monitor the temperature (and humidity) in your vehicle is super important whether your dog is in the car while it is running with the a/c on or they are in the car with the windows down (aluminet up and fans on!). There are two temperature monitors I use in my car. The first is the SensorPush. This is a great device, but it only runs off bluetooth (unless you get the wifi extender) so the range isn’t very far. This device works great if you are working in an area close to where your sensor will be. I personally really like this since I have an SUV with rear climate control. I put the SensorPush in the rear with the crates and that way I can monitor the temperature back there and adjust it as necessary!

The second monitor I use is the Waggle (formerly the Nimble). This device runs off cell service and requires monthly subscription service, however you can monitor the temperature from any distance (even when I’m inside a metal building). The one major negative is the battery doesn’t last more than 24 hours. I keep mine constantly plugged into my car outlet because of this. Both monitors allow you to set your own parameters for temperature and humidity so you can get alerts directly to your phone (as long as you are in range for the SensorPush) when it goes outside those limits.

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Cooling Mats

Cooling mats can be a helpful part of your plan to keep your dog cool. I only recommend using them if you are certain your dog is not destructive or you are watching your dog as they can eat the mat and get an obstruction. If you are interested in trying a cooling mat for your dog I recommend The Green Pet Shop Cool Pet Pad, it is pressure activated so you don’t need to store it in a cooler or hose it down with cold water.

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Cooling Coats

If you have a dog that needs some extra cooling support you can try a cooling coat. Most of them need to be wet down and stored in a cooler before use. Once applied to your dog you need to monitor them as they start to warm up they can potentially make your dog warmer so only have them on while they are cold and take them off and replace them in the cooler to allow them to get cold again before putting them back on your dog. I personally don’t use cooling coats, but you can find some options for them here.

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Other Notes

• Kiddie pools and hoses are great for being able to cool down your dog as well if you have them available to you at an event. If you have the space to bring a kiddie pool with you, you can fill it with ice at the beginning of the day and it will make a nice cool bath in no time! Just monitor the temperature as it will get warm if it is very hot and in full sun.

• Find shade to park your car in as well when possible.

• If it is too hot then run your car with the a/c on. If you have a newer car you will need to make sure that your car doesn’t have an automatic shut off programmed into it. For example I have a 2016 Ford Explorer and it does have an auto shut off programmed in. I need to go into the computer each time (as it auto-resets each time) and turn off the auto shut off to keep my car running for longer than 15 minutes. When running the a/c in your car and you are not in it, it is VERY important that you are monitoring the temperature in your car regularly with a monitor as a/c can fail and it can be deadly.

• In excessive heat warnings do not leave your dog in the car even with the proper setup and do not work your dog in those temps are heat stroke is a serious risk.

• Be smart!

Canine Fitness Circuit Training

What is “Circuit Training”?

Circuit training is commonly used in human fitness and it is something we can adapt to use for canine fitness training as well! The concept behind circuit training is fairly simple; you have the dog complete a sequence of exercises with little to no rest in-between each exercise, until the circuit is complete. Typically I will set up “stations” for each exercise (some can be used for multiple exercises) prior to starting the circuit; this way you eliminate the rest time in-between exercises that you would be using to set up the next exercise. With everything all set up in stations you can quickly move from one exercise to another.

Benefits of Circuit Training for Your Dog

• Time: Many of us are short on time or if you are like me and you own multiple dogs it isn’t really realistic to be spending 30 minutes doing fitness with each dog individually all the time (5 dogs x 30 minutes = 150 minutes (or 2.5 hours), ain’t nobody got time for that). You can set up one circuit with 4-5 stations and you can adapt that to each dog, therefore reducing the time you spend setting up exercises for each dog/exercise.

• Prevents boredom: Whether your dog is a beginner or advanced in the world of canine fitness, mental stamina can be a challenge. For both levels of dogs we don’t want them to become bored by doing the same exercise over and over and over again. When that happens we can start to lose good form or engagement with our dogs and we don’t want either of those! Using a circuit style training method can help you and your dog (because let’s be honest I get bored doing the same thing too) stay eager and engaged during your fitness session. By breaking up the exercises appropriately for your level of dog overtime you can help build mental stamina as well!

• Muscular endurance: Circuit training is well known for it’s ability to build muscular strength and endurance in humans. By performing a variety of exercises in a row with minimal rest to the end of the circuit you are not only building muscular strength, but you are also building up your dog’s muscular endurance (the ability for your dog to perform for longer and longer periods of time).

• Cardio benefit: You can incorporate small bouts of cardio exercises into your circuit in addition to your strength and core exercises. Simply by performing the circuit you are increasing your dog’s cardio benefit due to the back-to-back exercises with minimal rest.

How to Build a Circuit Training Plan for Your Dog

“The classic interpretation of the circuit is four-plus exercises with rest held until the end of the sequence"

Our goal here is to incorporate separate exercises that target different muscle groups so we are getting a complete body workout for our dog.

An example of a balanced circuit plan:

• Front Limb Strength Exercise (example: bow to stand or sit to down)

• Rear Limb Strength Exercise (example: tuck sit to kickback stand or rockback sit to stand)

• Cardio Exercise (example: quick (1 minute) trot on the treadmill or stair climbing)

• Core Strength Exercise (example: spin on unstable object or folding down to stand)

• Compound Strength Exercise (targeting multiple areas, example: hups or powerdrills)

• 1 minute of rest then repeat

Your next question will be “How do I figure out the number of sets and reps?”. This depends largely on where your dog is in their fitness. If your dog is a beginner then do not jump right to 5 stations in a circuit, start small maybe only 3 stations. Keep your reps low so your dog can be successful. Maybe start with 5 reps of each exercise and 2 sets of the circuit (complete the circuit once, rest, complete it again). I would rather have someone start a level that is very easy for their dog and have them slowly make it harder than jump in too fast and overload the dog. If your dog is more advanced then maybe start with 10 reps and 3 sets of the circuit.

Keep in mind:

• as you advance and make the exercises more complex/harder make sure you lower your reps and sets to allow them to adjust!

• if you are struggling or are lost at where to start or how to progress with your dog in circuit training then please reach out to an accredited canine fitness trainer for help.

Warming Up and Cooling Down

Remember: it is always important for you to appropriately warm up your dog before starting a circuit and to properly cool them down. Your warm up/cool down should last 5-10 minutes depending on your dog and the conditions (is it hot out? is it cold out?). We discuss warming up and cool down in almost all our online classes and seminars/workshops so please let us know if you have any further questions regarding this.

Some examples of warm ups include:

• 5 (or so) minute walk on a treadmill or on a leash

• Spinning (both directions)

• Leg weaving

• Lateral Stepping

• Backing Up

I use my cool down time to work on some flexibility with my dogs and do some active stretching exercises. We cover these and more in our “Let’s Flex” online class as well as all our other online classes.

Some examples of cool down active stretching exercises include:

• High Stand (Hip Flexor) Stretch

• Cookie Stretch

• Bicep Stretch

• Neck Stretch

• Psoas Stretch

6 Winter Treadmill Tips

Winter is here!

And with that comes the accumulation of snow and ice along with frigid temperatures outside making it increasingly difficult or even dangerous to exercise (and run) our dogs outdoors. Many people take the leap and invest in a treadmill to help exercise their dogs during these winter months. I personally am a huge fan of using dog treadmills for exercise, not only in the winter but year round! It is important to understand to some basic treadmill information to make sure you are getting the most out of your treadmill with your dog! 

This is probably one of the most important things to remember when working your dogs in the winter (in any capacity not just the treadmill!). It is extremely important that you appropriately warm up your dog before any type of exercise or even sports specific training you might be doing. You should be doing this year round, but it is especially important in the winter when it gets colder. Your warm up doesn't have to be fancy. It could be as simple as taking your dog out of their crate (or getting them off the couch!) and getting them to move around a bit before you put them on the treadmill. You can even have them do some fun tricks to help warm up, like having them do some spins or weave between your legs, etc. When you first get your dog on the treadmill I almost always start out with at least 5 minutes of walking (preferably not on an incline) to warm them up for their treadmill workout. And don't forget about cooling your dog down when they are ending their workout as well!

So what is stride length? Stride length is defined as the measure of one footfall to the next footfall of the same limb. So why is this important when it comes to treadmills? This is extremely important when looking at what treadmill is appropriate for your dog! If we pick a treadmill with a belt that is at or shorter than our dog's stride length, then we are going to be shortening their stride due to the lack of running surface. This can lead to many problems and should be avoided. Many human treadmills have running decks that are much too short for the average dog's stride length (with the exception of smaller dogs of course). If you already have a treadmill you can watch your dog walking or trotting on it and watch their footfalls (or better yet video it and watch it in slow-mo!) and see if they appear to be fully extending in their stride.

Photo by: DogTread

You can attempt measure your dog's stride length by laying them on their side and putting their front and rear limb in extension and measuring the distance, however this may take multiple people and many dogs may not tolerate this. If you do achieve this then you want to make sure that you add 5-10" to your measurement to allow for a little extra room. Most dog specific treadmill companies have charts they have compiled of different dog breeds and sizes of dogs and what their stride length is and what size treadmill from their company that translates to.

Speed is crucial in achieving the optimal treadmill workout with your dog. Each dog's speed setting on the treadmill is completely unique to them and most dogs will not have the same settings. In order to figure out the appropriate speed for your dog on the treadmill, let's first look at what gait we are aiming for our dog to be performing while on the treadmill; the walk and the trot.

Photo by: http://www.gsdinfo.co.uk/

Walk: Every dog that goes on a treadmill should be able to perform a solid balanced walk gait. This is the slowest gait of the dog in which 2 or 3 feet are on the ground at any given time and it is the only canine gait in which there are ever 3 feet on the ground. The footfall pattern for the walk is right rear (RR), right front (RF), left rear (LR), left front (LF).

Photo by: http://www.gsdinfo.co.uk/

​Trot: The trot is the most efficient gait in the dog and is commonly used as an endurance gait in working dogs that are patrolling large areas of property (and wolves!). This gait is the preferred gait for gait analysis and evaluating lameness because the front and rear leg must support the body without help from opposite leg. It is a very balanced movement and is considered the best gait to use when exercising a dog because it’s the only gait that requires each side of the dog’s body to work equally hard. This is due to the footfall pattern of the trot which is; two diagonal front and rear feet, then a moment when body is suspended in the air, and then the other diagonal front and rear feet (RF–LR, then no ground contact, LF–RR). This is going to be the gait of choice when working our dogs on a treadmill for endurance.

We could sit here and talk about dog gaits all day. I am only going to touch on one other gait in the dog that I think is important for treadmills as I see many dogs in this gait when they are being exercised on the treadmill and it's not a beneficial gait for them to be in! And that gait is called the pace.

Photo by: http://www.gsdinfo.co.uk/

The pace is considered an abnormal gait. It is very inefficient because the center of gravity keeps shifting from side to side and so energy expended to keep re-centering weight. This is due to the footfall pattern of the pace which is; ipsilateral legs move forward together while other two legs bear weight, then a moment when body is suspended in the air, and then the other two legs move forward together (RF–RR, then no ground contact, LF–LR). In the pace there are only two feet on the ground at any given time. Many dogs will pace due to their structure, but some may do it out of necessity due to their handler gaiting them at an inappropriate speed either on the ground or on a treadmill. This is something to keep an eye out for and avoid when you are working your dog on the treadmill. If your dog is consistently pacing vs. trotting you may want to have them examined by a veterinarian.

Inclines can play an important role in our treadmill exercise programs with our dogs. It is important to understand when to use an incline when working your dog on the treadmill and when not to.

Photo by: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/07/07/d6/77/mountain-musher

Having your dog walk or trot on an incline allows for you to put more focus on the rear limbs and hind end of the dog. This can help build more hind end strength in your dog as they are essentially walking or trotting up a hill! The incline feature can be a great addition to your workout plan with your dog, but it is very important to not always exercise your dog on an incline. Many dog treadmills not only allow you to use them on an incline, but also allow you to use them as a flat running deck. This is extremely important! Alternate between incline and no incline workouts with your dog. Constantly walking or trotting your dog on an incline can overload the hind end, so it is important to balance it out and allow your dog to gait on a flat surface as well as an incline. Inclines may not be appropriate for every dog (for example if your dog has lower back pain) so be sure to consult with a fitness or rehab professional before working your dog on an incline.

Duration is an important part of your dog's treadmill workout that is going to change over time. When you first start out you might be focusing on walking your dog on the treadmill for gradually increasing amounts of time. Over time you may chose to start incorporating trotting into your dog's workout. You can do this slowly by adding in intervals. You can add in small intervals of trotting in between longer sessions of walking and over time increase and vary the intervals of walking and trotting. For building endurance (once your dog is ready) you may have them trotting continuously for 15-30 minutes. If you are working on strength building with an incline you may have your dog walk for 10 minutes. Duration of intervals and total treadmill time with change and vary over time so it is important to monitor your dog and make sure you aren't pushing them too hard (too fast), but you also want to make sure you aren't making it a cake walk for them and they aren't getting enough of a challenge.

Lastly I think it is important to touch on the fact that simply exercising your dog on a treadmill is not a balanced fitness plan! Make sure that you are also incorporating strength, balance, flexibility, and mental exercises for your dog throughout the week. For ideas about how to balance a fitness plan with your dog visit our Facebook or Instagram accounts or contact us to learn about our customized fitness plans and online class offerings!

References:

www.petcha.com/dog-physiology-how-dogs-move/

https://dogtread.com/size-guide/

www.todaysveterinarypractice.navc.com/wp-content/.../2016-0304_Rehab-Gait-Analysis

www.shor-line.com/image/upload/FitFurLife12_08