The act of licking physically removes any debris that may be contaminating the wound. This can include dirt, rocks, plant matter, hair, glass, and even dead and damaged tissue. It can also physically remove some bacteria that may be in the wound.

Wounds hurt because the damaged nerves in the area send pain signals to the brain. While it may seem counterintuitive to touch a wound to provide pain relief, overloading the nerves can decrease the overall pain. Your dog licks his wounds for the same reason that we rub at cuts, bumps, and bruises.

Dog saliva is antibacterial, but only to a point. Studies have shown that it has a mild antibacterial effect on a few species of bacteria. Unfortunately, dog saliva also has other types of bacteria, which can in turn infect the wound.

Should I Let My Dog Lick His Wound?

No, don’t let your dog lick his wound. Proper first aid and veterinary care will do everything that licking can do, but better. Dogs also tend to keep licking past the point of benefit and can damage the wound further and prevent it from healing.

For small wounds, you can gently clean them at home with a clean cloth, water, and a diluted antiseptic such as chlorhexidine. You can also try a natural antiseptic like a vinegar rinse. Deep or large wounds will require veterinary care to fully clean them and remove any debris, plus determine if sutures are necessary to promote healing.

Your veterinarian can also prescribe safe pain medications for your dog. These might include both oral pain pills and a topical numbing gel on the wound.

Your veterinarian may also prescribe appropriate antibiotics that will be effective against all harmful bacteria that may have contaminated your dog’s wound.

What to Put on Dog Wounds to Stop Licking

To prevent your dog from licking a wound, you can:

• Use an Elizabethan collar (cone) or similar device to prevent your dog from reaching the area
• Use a T-shirt, surgery suit, or light bandage to cover the wound and prevent access
• Spray something that tastes bad, such as Bitter Apple spray, on the area to deter your dog from licking

Remember that just because the wound has started to scab over doesn’t mean you can trust your dog yet. Scab formation can be itchy, enticing your dog to lick and chew at the area before it is fully healed.

Why Do Dogs Lick Human Wounds?

Our dogs can’t tell us why they try to lick our wounds, but it’s considered an instinctive response to an open wound. Dogs also lick us as a sign of affection or submission, and the act of licking releases the feel-good chemical serotonin in your dog’s brain.

Unfortunately, dog licking human wounds does not help healing. Just like our dogs, we are much better served by cleaning our wounds with proper medical supplies and seeking medical care for pain medications and antibiotics if needed.

The post Why Do Dogs Lick Wounds? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Usually, acute (sudden onset) lameness is a minor problem. Toe injuries on your dog’s paw are especially common.

What to Do for a Sore Dog at Home

Start by calmly examining your dog’s good leg. Yes, the good one. You know that leg doesn’t hurt, which gives you a comparison for when you get to the injured leg. If your dog is not comfortable bearing weight on the injured leg, have her lie down. Once the sound leg is examined, move on to examine the sore leg.

Carefully palpate the leg, gently flexing and extending each joint. A sprained toe or paw usually results in a “yipe” from your dog. A few dogs might snap, so be careful, while a stoic dog may simply change her breathing.

Check each toe carefully and feel between the toes and between the paw pads. Look at the paw pads for cuts and scrapes. Check to be sure nothing is stuck in the pad. Make sure the dog doesn’t have a broken or cracked nail, which can be very painful.

As you go up the leg, feel for warmth and swelling. Remember, you have a good leg to compare to, so use it! Follow the same procedure if it is a back leg that is lame and sore.

If there is a wound, flush that out thoroughly with clean water. Once clean, you can apply some antibiotic ointment (yes, you can use the family’s generic triple antibiotic ointment on your dog). If it is a large wound that might require sutures, won’t stop bleeding, or it is from a wild animal, you need to call your veterinarian. Antibiotics and possibly a rabies booster shot may be in order. Note: Be very careful if the wound may be due to a tangle with a wild animal. Contact with saliva from an infected animal can infect you with rabies.

Home Treatment for Sore Dog Leg

In most cases, the dog has a pulled muscle. My immediate home treatment is to run a cold hose over the injured leg for five minutes. You must time the five minutes, however, because after 30 seconds or so, it feels like an hour! If you have a helper, one of you can hold your dog’s head while the other hoses the leg.

If it is winter or you don’t have a hose available, put your dog in the shower or bathtub and use a handheld shower head. If no good options are available, place a cold compress on the area where you feel any resistance from your dog. You can use a bag of frozen veggies or put ice in a plastic bag. Keep it there until the area feels cold (maybe five minutes or so). You can always repeat the treatment later.

I prefer running water, if possible, because it massages the leg as it runs down and it stays cold. I repeat the cold-water treatment in eight to 12 hours. In my experience, about 90% acute lamenesses are better by the next morning. That said, even if the dog seems 100% better, restrict exercise for a few days. Call your veterinarian if you feel an anti-inflammatory or pain medication is warranted.

Broken Bones

None of the advice above applies if your dog has a broken leg. In that case, you need to head directly to your veterinarian or an emergency clinic. Keep your dog as quiet as possible. If you face a long drive, you may try to gently splint the leg with rolled up newspapers or magazines around the leg and taped together. The inner cardboard roll from paper towels or wrapping paper can also work. In most cases, you are best off simply confining the dog on soft bedding and hustling to the clinic.

The post How to Treat Limping Dog at Home appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Let’s hope your dog is more cautious than the dog in this case. Most dogs usually gently poke a porcupine with their nose or dab at it with a paw, walking away with a sore nose or foot and just a few quills to be pulled.

But some dogs do go all out, attacking and killing the porcupine, leaving the scene with a face full of quills.

What Are Porcupine Quills?

Porcupine quills are modified hairs. They have barb-like scales on the hairs that help them to attach, and then, if not quickly pulled out, can migrate farther into your dog’s skin and body.

Porcupines don’t fling quills at potential attackers. Your dog must come up and touch them to get quilled.

If your dog is one of few sensible canines who only has two or three quills in his nose or muzzle, you might be able to remove them at home using needle-nose pliers. Your dog will have to be restrained, however, because it will hurt. The big concern is that your dog may have rubbed or chewed off some quills, so there are more in his skin than you think.

Veterinary Visit to Remove Quills

Most dogs get a muzzle or paw full of quills and often have quills in their mouths. Removing the quills requires a veterinarian and sedation. It hurts.

With your dog sedated, your veterinarian will do a thorough, full-body check for quills. With hairy dogs, you must run your hands over each inch of the dog’s body, feeling for quills or quill stumps. Often missed sites include between toes or in the mouth under the tongue or along the gum line inside the lips.

The skin and underlying tissues will be inflamed where the barbed quills penetrated deeper. It must be assumed that the quills carry infection and introduce bacteria into your dog. Most clinics will dispense pain medications and antibiotics. You will also need to observe your dog carefully for any swollen areas or areas that remain painful after a day or so.

The quills can migrate through tissues in your dog’s body. On rare occasions, a dog will develop a granulomatous abscess from a migrating quill. This can occur weeks or months later. Dogs have had abscesses in their lungs, liver, muscles, and sadly, on rare occasions in the brain.

Obviously, it’s best to avoid letting your dog interact with a porcupine. If you know of a porcupine den in your area, avoid it, and keep your dog on a leash. A porcupine is not going to come looking for trouble and, if left alone, will simply waddle away. If your dog pesters one, it will fling its tail about but not charge your dog unless it is defending porcupettes (baby porcupines).

The post How to Get Porcupine Quills Out of a Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Elbow dysplasia results from a defect during the final development of the elbow joint in a puppy. The elbow is a complicated joint, involving the meshing of three bones: the humerus (big bone coming down from the shoulder) and the radius and ulna (two smaller bones that make up the forearm). Any change from normal in how these bones meet to form the elbow joint can lead to arthritic changes and corresponding lameness.

Note: Elbow dysplasia has been linked to early spaying/neutering in large dogs, so discuss when to spay or neuter your puppy with your veterinarian.

Bones Must Grow Properly

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) defines the degenerative joint disease (DJD) complex known as elbow dysplasia as involving three main areas where a failure for the bones to grow properly may lead to a problem:

1. Ununited anconeal process (UAP)
2. Osteochondrosis (OCD)
3. Fragmented medial coronoid process (FCP)

In most cases, when only DJD is marked on an OFA report (see sidebar), it can be assumed that lesions associated with coronoid process disease are present. This accounts for most elbow dysplasia cases.

OFA Grades the Joint

If the joint isn’t normal, OFA grades it as the level of changes in the joint. The classifications for elbows are:

• Grade I Elbow Dysplasia:Minimal bone change along anconeal process of ulna (less than 2mm).
• Grade II Elbow Dysplasia: Additional bone proliferation along anconeal process (2-5 mm) and subchondral bone changes (trochlear notch sclerosis).
• Grade III Elbow Dysplasia: Well-developed degenerative joint disease with bone proliferation along anconeal process being greater than 5 mm.

These grades are based on the amount of degenerative joint disease noted on radiographs. The bony degenerative changes are the result of joint defects. It is recommended to do elbow evaluations at 2 years of age. Over time, normal wear and tear on your dog’s elbow joints may lead to some bony arthritis changes, obscuring any genetic developmental problems.

Severe elbow dysplasia can be debilitating, but dogs with mild dysplasia may not show any lameness until later in life. Male dogs are more frequently affected. Both overweight and very active dogs are at risk for joint damage. Estimates of 30% to 80% of dogs will be affected bilaterally, which makes a diagnosis tricky. These dogs may not show the typical head bobbing we commonly associate with front-leg lameness but instead have an overall shortened stride and decreased range of motion. Both legs will show pain upon manipulation. If your dog is lame on one front leg, it is always wise to radiograph the other leg as well in case it is also affected.

With severe elbow dysplasia, the dog may have a swollen front leg at the elbow joint. Bony changes can lead to an almost fused joint, which will feel firm on palpation. In early stages, there may be warmth, fluid buildup, and inflammation, but this will change over time.

Diagnosis of Elbow Dysplasia

Diagnosis starts with a lameness exam, including flexing and extending the elbow joint as well as watching your dog move. Your veterinarian will likely recommend X-rays of the elbow joint. For OFA evaluation, an extreme flexed-joint X-ray view is required, but your veterinarian may take other views as well to determine the extent of the problem. If there is a question about the diagnosis, a CT scan or arthroscopy may be recommended, along with referral a board-certified veterinary surgeon.

Medical treatment can make your dog comfortable, but it won’t really slow down the progression of arthritis. Medical therapy may include painkillers, joint supplements, and rehabilitation plans to strengthen muscles and minimize strain on the joint.

What to Expect With Surgery

Surgery is generally recommended for the best prognosis for quality of life for your dog. The exact surgery done will vary depending on the exact defect.

Any bony or cartilage fragments will need to be removed. This can be done arthroscopically in many cases. If the joint needs to be realigned, more extensive surgery is required.

In rare cases, total elbow replacement may be suggested. There are limited facilities prepared to do replacement surgery, and elbow replacement is associated with potential complications. These include:

• Infections of the surgery site
• Instability of the prosthesis
• Fractures around the prosthesis site

These complications tend to occur early on post operatively, with a rate of 15% complications in the first year. On the positive side, 75% or more dogs who have had elbow replacements are considered successful with a great decrease in pain and ability to resume normal, or near normal, activities.

Postoperative care and rehabilitation are important for elbow dysplasia cases. Your veterinarian will provide you with a full plan, starting with limited activity for healing to take place, and then exercises to gradually build back muscles.

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons emphasizes that surgery is not a cure, stating: “Once arthritis is established it will slowly progress regardless of any treatment. On average, with treatment 85% of cases will show some degree of improvement in lameness and comfort despite progression of arthritis on X-rays. The aim of treatment is to slow the progression of arthritis and prolong the patients’ use of the elbow. Unfortunately elbow dysplasia cannot be cured but it can be well managed, and our patients can have a good long-term prognosis and outcome with a combination of surgical and medical management.”

The post Elbow Dysplasia in Dogs appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Note: Dogs don’t have an ACL. They have a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), so the correct diagnosis is a torn CCL, but the terms are used interchangeably.

Wondering if your dog has a torn ACL, the signs of an acute ACL rupture are quite classic. Usually, the dog is running and playing and suddenly gives a yelp and becomes completely non-weight bearing on a hind leg. The dog often continues to move around but will hike up or hang the affected limb and run on three legs.

Surgery for Torn Dog ACL

Surgery in the form of a tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy (TPLO) is indeed the ideal treatment for most cruciate tears, but ACL braces are proving to be a good solution, too. The trick is to get the right brace for a torn ACL in the dog.

A research survey of dog owners comparing custom stifle orthotics and TPLO surgery found high owner satisfaction for both methods. The study used the words “custom stifle orthotics.” In an attempt to get a brace quickly and inexpensively, you may be tempted to order a cloth brace online that fits all dogs. That’s not what your dog needs to offer support to your dog’s torn ACL. Your dog needs a custom brace made out of sturdy material. A good one to consider is the one from TailWind, but many good companies make custom braces for a dog with a torn ACL.

The goal of treatment for a torn ACL in your dog is to restore stability to the stifle joint. With the loss of an intact ACL/CCL, your dog’s stifle is unstable, so the tibia and femur bones can slide past each other, causing the infamous “drawer sign,” which occurs when the veterinarian holds the femur in place while the tibia can be pulled forward, like a sliding drawer. It’s a positive indication of a CCL rupture. This laxity causes pain and leads to the development of osteoarthritis.

Cost of an ACL Brace for Your Dog

A custom ACL brace for your dog will be more expensive, possibly $100 or more, though still less than surgery. It must be properly fit your dog, so he is comfortable walking with it. You will still need to do rehabilitation exercises and follow a protocol to allow healing.

Be aware that some problems with braces include sores from the brace not fitting perfectly or having poor padding, continued lameness even after time and rehab, your dog not tolerating his brace well, and, in the end, potentially needing surgery anyway.

No Quick Fix for Torn ACL in Dogs

So, obviously, braces are not a quick fix, anymore than surgery is. Sometimes a veterinarian will prescribe a brace post surgery to help your dog’s healing process.

Regardless of which method you choose, work with your veterinarian to be sure you have the correct diagnosis and for direction and input as you work your dog through recover.

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Nosebleed One Side

If your dog has had trauma such as from running into something, he may end up with a nosebleed, which may be a one-sided nosebleed. Obviously, when there is trauma and damage, like a swollen muzzle, an injured eye, possibly a bloody mouth, or missing tooth, you should contact your veterinarian. Otherwise, most dog nosebleeds can be handled with cold compresses or an ice pack on the top of the muzzle. Note: The medical term for a nosebleed is epistaxis.

Heavy Nosebleed

If there is a heavy nosebleed, there are a couple of most likely possibilities. The first is a foreign body. Your dog may have been sniffing heavily and snorted up a pill or some plant material or another irritant. The irritation may damage small blood vessels and lead to a bleed.

Some dogs will then sneeze this out, but your dog may require sedation to remove the offending material. If you live in foxtail country, you definitely want a thorough exam and removal.

An intense sneezing fit can cause a minor nosebleed. This is generally both nostrils and stops fairly quickly without any care. A nasal polyp can cause sneezing.

One-Sided Nosebleed With Heavy Breathing

The major concern with a nosebleed on one side is nasal cancer that has not spread to the full nose yet. Sometimes you can spot a growth from just looking at your dog’s nose or you might see a swollen area on the muzzle. That area may or may not be painful. Often these dogs will have some labored or heavy breathing (since only one side of their nose is functional) along with their nosebleed. Caught early, nasal cancers can sometimes be successfully treated with surgery and/or radiation.

Nosebleed Emergency in Dogs

A somewhat unusual cause of nosebleeds in dogs is a clotting disorder. A simple sneeze can lead to a heavy bleed in these cases since the clotting factors are low in number or already used up. This type of nosebleed usually will not stop with simple first-aid, such as the cold compresses, and should be considered an emergency. Treatment for the primary cause of the clotting problems is essential.

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If your dog is respectful of tables and counters, you can likely keep potentially toxic flowers and plants safely out of reach. Be sure that the arrangement is placed so that dead leaves will not land on the floor, as some dogs may try to eat these poisonous dropped leaves.

For dogs and puppies who like to explore the world with their mouths, more caution is warranted. A rambunctious teenage Labrador can easily bump a table and knock over a vase of tulips, and an avid counter surfer might grab for the carnations you thought were safe next to the sink.

What Flowers are Safe for Dogs?

Thankfully, many beautiful flowers are not toxic to dogs. If purchasing an arrangement for yourself or a fellow dog lover, consider blooms from this list:

• African violet
• Baby’s breath
• Brazilian orchid
• Christmas cactus
• Hens and chicks
• Hibiscus
• Petunia
• Roses
• Snapdragons
• Sunflowers

Toxic Plant Resources

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has an extensive list of both toxic and non-toxic plants for dogs. This is a great resource when adding houseplants or doing landscaping in your yard.

If you suspect your dog has eaten something poisonous, call your veterinarian immediately. You may be instructed to give activated charcoal, but don’t unless you are instructed to do so.

If your dog has eaten a known poisonous plant or a plant that you aren’t familiar with, call a pet poison hotline to get the most up-to-date toxicity information. These services do charge a fee, but it is well worth it to get peace of mind or to have toxin experts guiding your veterinarian in making treatment decisions.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 888-426-4435

Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661

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When your dog is limping it’s time to consult with a veterinarian. They may have you rest your dog and monitor at home for 24-48 hours depending on the severity of the problem. If the limp doesn’t improve or worsens, they will likely have you come in for an appointment.

It is important to remember not to use over-the-counter remedies for pain in this case. While aspirin and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be used safely in dogs, improper dosing can lead to bleeding problems and liver failure. Never use these medications without first consulting your veterinarian.

Only A Vet Can Determine Why Your Dog is Limping

When you see the vet, a thorough physical examination is necessary to determine the cause of your dog’s limp. A head-to-toe examination should include vital signs, palpation of lymph nodes, auscultation of the heart and lungs, handling of the painful limb, and observation of your dog at a walk. It is important to isolate which limb and which area of the limb is affected, as this can help determine possible causes.

Causes of dog limping are extremely varied. Broad categories include soft tissue strains or tears (ligaments, tendons, and muscles), infectious diseases such as Ehrlichia and Lyme disease, inflammatory conditions such as panosteitis, vascular conditions like blood clots, and orthopedic problems such as fractures. Further, these can be divided between front limbs and rear limbs. Most lameness problems are similar between the front and back legs, but there are some specific problems such as a torn cranial cruciate ligament that can only happen in the rear leg.

The inciting cause can often be narrowed down with a history as well as the age and breed of your dog (this is called the signalment). For instance, a German shepherd puppy with acute onset of shifting leg lameness would be a strong suspect for panosteitis—a common inflammatory condition of the breed. An older dog with a sudden, painful, non-weight bearing lameness of one leg would raise suspicion for a bone tumor like osteosarcoma and a resulting fractured bone. A young limping Coonhound with a history of tick exposure, fever, and abnormalities on bloodwork might be suffering from Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a frequently encountered tick-borne illness.

Tests for Limping Dogs and Treatment

Depending on what your veterinarian finds, they may recommend several different tests including bloodwork, tick disease testing, and/or x-rays. They will also decide on the best treatment options.

Common medications used in the management of pain related to dog limping include the NSAID family of drugs (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) such as carprofen, meloxicam, firocoxib, and deracoxib. These are very effective for controlling pain, have been in use for a long time in veterinary medicine, and have a well-known side effect profile.

There is a new medication called Galliprant that is available for management of pain. While technically it is an NSAID, it has a more specific area of activity in inflammation and has less reported side effects. Tramadol is another medication that may be prescribed. Whether this is effective for pain control has been recently debated in veterinary medicine, so it should never be used as the only pain relief.

Your veterinarian will also prescribe resting your dog. This will include minimal exercise—leash walks only for bathroom purposes. In some cases, icing or applying heat can help. The best approach depends on the cause.

Things to Remember When Your Dog is Limping

If your dog begins to limp, check in with your veterinarian, rest your dog to allow recovery, and avoid over-the-counter medications without first consulting your vet. The causes of limping are vast and varied, and with the guidance of a thorough history and physical exam, your vet should be able to help your canine companion.

The post Dog Limping: Possible Causes and Treatments appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

1. Clean the wound.

Gently flush the wound with water or an antiseptic, such as diluted chlorhexidine solution. If there is obvious debris, such as rocks or glass, remove it carefully. Don’t force anything that is lodged deep into the foot.

2. Control bleeding.

Apply pressure to the wound to stop any bleeding. Use a clean towel and an ice pack if available to encourage blood-vessel constriction. If only the outer layer of the pad has been worn off, there may not be much bleeding, but deeper wounds and punctures can bleed heavily. The time it takes for bleeding to stop will vary with the severity of the wound.

3. Evaluate the damage.

Minor paw injuries can be managed at home, but more severe ones require veterinary attention. Uncontrolled bleeding is an emergency – if your dog’s foot continues to bleed after several minutes of pressure, call your veterinarian and head for the clinic. Deep or jagged cuts may require sutures for optimal healing. Your dog may need to be sedated for sufficient cleaning of the wound if there is persistent debris, such as little bits of gravel, and something that is firmly lodged in the foot will need to be surgically removed. Your dog may also need antibiotics to protect against infection. If you are at all unsure, err on the side of a vet visit – your veterinarian can give you peace of mind and can give your dog the care he needs.

4. Bandage.

Place nonstick gauze or a Telfa pad directly over the cut. If available, a dab of triple antibiotic ointment is a good idea to prevent infection. This can be secured with paper tape. Then wrap your dog’s foot using roll gauze, Vetrap, or an elastic bandage. The bandage should be snug enough to stay on, but also needs to be loose enough to allow for proper circulation to your dog’s foot. You should be able to slide two fingers under the bandage. To prevent the bandage from slipping off, wrap all the way up to and including the next joint on your dog’s leg: carpus or wrist in front, hock in back. You can also place more tape around the top of the bandage.

Keep the bandage dry. Moisture provides an entrance for bacteria to get through the bandage and into the wound. You can use a commercial bootie to protect the bandage when your dog goes outside or just tape a plastic bag over it. Most paw bandages need to be changed daily, especially if there is still bleeding or a discharge present.

For minor scrapes that look like a rug burn, a liquid bandage can be used to cover the exposed nerve endings without needing a full traditional bandage. Keep the foot elevated while the liquid bandage dries, and don’t let your dog lick it.

5. Allow time for a dogs cut paw pad to heal

Your dog’s cut paw pad will heal faster if it’s protected until fully healed. Keep him quiet, and prevent him from running or chewing at the bandage (this may require the use of an Elizabethan collar). Even after your dog’s pad has healed enough that it isn’t painful to touch, it will still be tender and vulnerable to reinjury. Avoid activities that could damage the healing pad, or use a bootie to protect the foot. Healing time will vary depending on the size of the cut.

To soothe cracked or sore paws, refer to the Soothing Dog Paw Butter recipe in our homemade gift guide.

Read our article on the 12 Items to Include in Your DIY Dog First-Aid Kit.

Kate Eldredge is a licensed veterinary technician from Plattsburgh, New York. She also trains, shows, and breeds Belgian Tervuren and is working on her canine-rehabilitation certification.

The post Dog Paw Cuts and Scrapes: How to Treat a Paw Injury appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Professional human athletes never skip a proper warmup. That’s because research has proven, repeatedly, that preparing your muscles for upcoming physical activity reduces the risk of physical injury. And for them, an injury could impact their wallet with down time.

Actually, an injury to our dog could impact our wallets, too, translating into veterinary bills. More importantly, it means down time for our canine pal, so we don’t want him to overindulge in activity he isn’t physically ready to perform.

Note: We are assuming your dog is properly conditioned for the task at hand. If your dog isn’t physically fit, the warmup alone could even be too much for him. Fatigue can also result in injuries. Watch for limping, avoidance, loss of interest, cringing when you touch him, and excessive panting. It’s important to know when your dog has had enough and stop. If you’re not sure how hard your dog can exercise, talk with your veterinarian or a professional trainer.

Warm Up Your Dog Before Exercise

Consider how most dogs spend their days while you’re at work. Whether inside or out, they’re rarely active. They’re waiting for you to return home. Sure, they might mosey on over to the water bowl, but then they’ll flop down and continue to wait. It’s even worse if you have to keep your dog in a crate or kennel for more than a few hours.

This long period of inactivity causes cold and contracted muscles. Unprepared for activity, a cold muscle is more easily injured – and recovery can take six weeks or more of inactivity, during which time more fitness can be lost. A warm muscle is ready to stretch and support.

Of course, warm muscles can be injured, too, but it’s still wise to get your dog’s “muscle motor” going before engaging in strenuous activity. A warmup increases the heart rate, which generates greater circulation, which delivers more oxygen to the muscles. As his muscles warm and lengthen, they become more pliable, ready to flex, bend, and move. He’ll be alert physically and mentally, whether it’s playing just fetch or practicing a disc dog routine for competition.

If all you’re going to do is take your dog for a long walk, the warmup might be walking slowly for two or three minutes. In fact, nearly every warmup (for any sport) should begin with five to 10 minutes of walking. Toward the end of the period, you can start ramping things up a bit, depending upon what you plan to do with your dog.

“Warmup routines need to vary for the level of exertion expected of the dog. All dogs who compete should start off with at least a few minutes of walking, especially if they had been crated,” says Andrea Lee, MS, DVM, of Syracuse, New York, an owner and trainer of Brittanys with conformation and agility championships. “My warmup routine depends on the age of the dog and the dog’s orthopedic history. My older dog who has had multiple stifle injuries and whose back sometimes gets sore receives the most extensive warmup (and cooldown). I will take her through five minutes of walking, followed by two to three minutes of trotting and a few sprints – actually, recalls or else I have to sprint with her! Then I use some active stretching.”

Active stretches, not static stretches, are acceptable for warmups. The term “active stretching” means the dog is doing the muscle stretching, not the person, such as the dog reaching forward for a treat, stretching his back. Your dog isn’t likely to stretch himself beyond his comfort zone.

A “static stretch,” on the other hand, is when the person stretches the dog’s muscles, such as by pulling gently on a hind leg. Static stretches can damage cold muscles and should only be used during the after-activity cooldown (more on that below).

“I use warmup stretches with my dog with the orthopedic history, but prefer to do active stretches so that the muscles are not overstretched if the dog is not warm enough yet. I usually do these with something yummy the dog can lick, and these stretches mostly involve the spine and neck because when she runs, she hyperextends her back,” Dr. Lee says.

Timing your warmup is important because as soon as the dog stops moving, his muscles begin to cool and contract. Schedule your warmup for no more than 20 or 30 minutes prior to the activity.

“To keep my dog warm while waiting for her turn in the ring, we walk and practice some of her old rehab moves, mostly moving backward and side-stepping,” Dr. Lee says. “My goal is to have her lightly panting when we are ready to start.”

Tailor your warmup to the activity at hand. If you’re competing in a sport that requires jumping, like agility, you’ll want to include some warmup jumps before entering the ring. If you’re doing lure coursing, you’ll want to include some increasingly fast running. Disc dog? Be sure you have your dog do some turns, circles, and hip exercises.

“My younger dogs get walked for at least five minutes, then outside the ring, we do hand touches alternating sides so they have to bounce back and forth. We also spin right and left and practice heeling,” Dr. Lee says. “When I did obedience, we practiced lots of heeling outside the ring, not only to warm up the dog, but also to hopefully gain her focus.”

Cooling Down After a Work Out

Just as important to your dog’s athletic health is what you do with your dog after her intense exercise.

As we said earlier, muscular cooldown and contraction begins as soon as your dog stops working. Post activity, chances are his heart and respiratory rates are still high, and he may be panting. If your dog’s been running, just slow to a normal walk and gradually allow the dog to slow further. The cooldown period can be as little as five minutes; just watch for signs your dog is returning to normal. For example, her panting should slow down, slow down some more, and unless it’s hot outside, she should begin to breathe with her mouth closed. Offer her some fresh, cool water to keep her hydrated, and then you can start some gentle massage.

Describing how to do static stretches is beyond the scope of this article, but if you already do static stretches on your dog’s front legs/shoulders and rear legs/hips, make sure you attempt these only during this cooldown phase, when the dog’s muscles are warm and fully pliable. Always use gentle, steady pressure, staying within the dog’s comfort level. If he objects, you are pulling too hard or in an improper direction. It’s wise to work with an experienced person the first time you use these stretches, as you can cause harm, too. Remember that you’re not just influencing the limb you manipulate; consider all the muscles, tendons, and joints that are connected to it, as well.

“I do stretches as part of a cooldown for my dog with the orthopedic history. I do brisk walking, then normal paced walking, then slower walking, then massage and active stretching. My younger dogs just get a walk. I do not want them to be panting heavily when they are placed in the crate after an agility run,” says Dr. Lee.

Keep the ambient temperature in mind, too, when your dog completes exercise. If it’s very warm out, you may want to use a little water to help cool your dog (see “How to Prevent Heat Stroke in Dogs,” WDJ July 2015). If it’s cold, you may want to put a coat on your dog prevent a too-rapid cooling of the muscles, which could cause cramps.

Improve Your Dog’s Athletic Performance!

Research has repeatedly shown that warmup and cooldown sessions improve athletic performance. Equestrians have been long-time proponents of warming up and cooling down their horses. When I learned to ride, we were taught that every ride started and ended with a 10-minute walk, followed by walking the horse by hand until he was completely cool. For many dog owners it can be just as simple.

“For pet owners whose dogs like to play, I’d recommend starting off with some leash walking prior to hard play.,” Dr. Lee says. “If the dog loves fetch, start with some shorter, lower tosses and build up to the longer, higher throws. Reverse for the cooldown.”

Take the time and care to provide simple, effective, and healthy procedures, tailored for your dog’s activity level. Compared to a painful injury, expensive treatment, and lengthy rehabilitation, it’s worth the small investment of time.

Cynthia Foley is an active horsewoman and agility-dog competitor in upstate New York.

The post Preventing Exercise Injury for Your Dog by Warming Up and Cooling Down appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

If you’ve ever had little two-leggers in your life, you know that they are issued along with new lenses for the frames of your formerly rose-colored glasses; once you are responsible for a child’s very survival, every object in her environment is assessed through safety lenses for its ability to inflict harm, from the vertigo-inducing monkey bars at the playground to the toxic stew of cleaning products under your kitchen sink.

Eventually, our young humans grow up and assume responsibility for their own safety and survival (though of course, we never completely stop worrying about them).

Perennial grade-schoolers that they are, our dogs never afford us this upgrade. We never have to fret over them running off with the wrong Poodle, or not being able to find a job at the dog park. But we’re stuck with those safety glasses for the lifespan of our dogs, laser-focused on how they interact with the physical world around them, for better or – we fear – worse.

“I wish I could just bubble-wrap him,” said a friend, only half-jokingly, about the toll all this worrying takes on her ability to enjoy her dog.

All conscientious dog owners wrestle with the dilemma: How physical should we allow our dogs to be? How do we balance the risks of letting them indulge their instincts – to let them be dogs – with the desire to keep them in one piece?

While there are no guarantees in life, and freak accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime, there are some things you can do to keep your dog from winding up in a full body cast.

Limit Your Dog’s Liability

Knowing your dog’s limits is the first step to keeping her safe.

“People sometimes push their dogs too early without paying respect to their physical and mental ability,” says physical therapist Deborah Gross, DPT, MSPT, of Wizard of Paws Physical Rehabilitation for Animals in Colchester, Connecticut, who works with many dogs who do high-impact sports such as agility. “For example, you shouldn’t be starting an 8-month-old pup out on jumps and grids before they have the mental ability to comprehend what they need to do, and before they have the physical strength to perform a movement.”

Waiting for full growth-plate closure before attempting strenuous activities is also key, Gross stresses. The growth plates are those funny-looking, oversized knobs you see on a puppy’s front legs, though they exist in the bones of the rear legs and pelvis, too. As their name suggests, these plates are areas of tissue at either end of the bone that determine how long the bone will grow. They do not “close,” or stop growing, until a dog is around a year old (and closer to two years in larger breeds). Until the growth plates close and are replaced by bone, they are relatively weak and susceptible to injury – which is why it is recommended that puppies are not jogged for long distances on unyielding surfaces such as concrete or blacktop.

Obviously, if your dog engages in higher-impact activities, he’ll have a relatively higher risk of injury, especially if he’s not been thoroughly prepared for those activities with a solid foundation of conditioning. But even an innocent game of catch can do serious harm.

“Ball playing is a big culprit for injuries,” Gross cautions. “Dogs often get crazy and push themselves through injuries. And ball playing is something many owners say they ‘need’ to do to help with their dogs’ activity level.”

Laurie McCauley, DVM, DACVSMR, of Tops Veterinary Rehabilitation in Grayslake, Illinois, who is board-certified in sports medicine and rehabilitation, says ball-throwing can be made safer if you pay attention to the topography.

“If you’re going to throw a ball and you’re on a hill, always be sure to throw the ball uphill,” she advises. Since dogs always run faster when they go after the ball, and are slower to return with it, you don’t want that initial chasing to happen as the dog goes full tilt downhill.

Gross stresses that owners need to understand and look out for the signs of injury in their dogs. “Often the dogs give us subtle signs but we do not pick up on them,” she says. “They may continue to perform an activity with them, and an overuse injury occurs.”

If your dog seems just a little off – or hesitates or refuses to do an activity that she previously was enthused about – a vet visit might be in order. Yawning, boredom, increased fatigue, and stiffness on rising can also be warning signs. The more in tune you are with your dog, the more easily you will pick up when something just “isn’t right”: What your gut is telling you, even though your brain can’t pinpoint it, is that your dog’s response time and body posture have changed, if only subtly, to compensate for the discomfort she feels.

Puppy Pilates

Just like people who don’t exercise all week and then take an embarrassing header at the company volleyball tournament, dogs can’t just jump off the couch and start zooming around like an agility star. Weekend warriors often pay the price for their part-time athleticism with increased injuries that might have been altogether avoidable.

Your solution to the volleyball debacle might be to become a gym rat, and that potential exists for your dog, too. Agility competitors and other performance enthusiasts often use targeted exercises to strengthen a dog’s core – the muscles around the back, abdomen, and pelvis – which in turn help increase stability and balance. The more control a dog has over her body – how she moves and reacts to her changing physical environment – the less likely she is to hurt herself in the process. Core-building equipment includes:

Stability balls. These brightly colored bouncers are now standard issue in human workouts, and dogs love to stand atop them. But the totally spherical surface doesn’t always work as well with quadrupeds, and there are several oval- and peanut-shaped stability balls on the market designed specifically for dogs.

Balance discs. These inflatable PVC discs create an unstable surface that the dog must compensate for by shifting her weight. The more inflated the disc, the more challenging the exercise.

Wobble boards. You can spend close to $100 on one of these fancy boards, or you can make your own with a circle of plywood nailed to a pivot point, like a softball.

If someone could invest in only one piece of conditioning equipment, Gross recommends a large balance disc. “Most dogs, big or small, can use one,” she says. (Not to mention that you can work out on the disc when your dog isn’t!)

“I love to incorporate core work into the dogs’ daily life,” Gross says, ticking off some of the scenarios: balancing on a disc while your dog is eating, asking her to perform 10 sit-to-stands before feeding, or having her balancing on a piece of balance equipment while you are watching the news.

An even cheaper option is a leash. Gross says it can be tougher for busy owners to find the time to add some endurance exercise into the mix, “but I usually ask people to try to get in at least one 20-minute walk a day – maybe sneak out at lunch, get up 20 minutes earlier, or stay up 20 minutes more.”

Dr. McCauley says one of the best exercises for strengthening a dog’s back end is getting her to walk sideways or backward. “To get her to walk sideways, you can hold onto the dog’s collar, face her perpendicularly, put your feet between her front feet and back feet, and gently walk into her” so she is forced to go sideways, she says.

For backward walking, put a cookie to the dog’s chest and get her to heel backward. Or, place her next to a wall, with a hand on her collar and another on the belly, and gently get her to walk backward. With toy dogs, Dr. McCauley suggests working on a bed to spare your own back. Frequent praise and treats will help your dog to quickly learn what’s expected, and start moving on her own volition.

Integrating these exercises into your walks can easily make them part of your routine. “Go a block and then walk a house length sideways,” Dr. McCauley advises. “Then go another block and walk a house length backward.”

If you have the time, resources or budget for it, underwater treadmills are a great way to keep a dog toned and fit. Dr. McCauley says that research shows that underwater treadmills, as well as strengthen training, slow down the progress of sarcopenia, or muscle deterioration associated with the aging process. The research did not address free swimming in a lake or pool, but that certainly can improve overall condition and strength, which in turn lowers your dog’s risk of injury.

Don’t Substitute Real Physical Activity

Dominic Carota of Hallam Hounds, located in Selkirk, New York, is an internationally known breeder of Pharaoh Hounds. But his hounds don’t just do the cakewalk at dog shows; they are also avid competitors at lure coursing, a sport where dogs chase a plastic bag to simulate a rabbit hunt.

Such a physically demanding sport, where the dogs gallop full on and also make relatively quick turns as their “prey” zips around the field, has its risks; dogs can become severely injured, or even die. But Carota has managed to avoid any serious mishaps in the two decades his dogs have been running. He attributes that to a daily conditioning program that basically amounts to lots of mini-sessions of free-running.

Carota’s dogs are given time to free-run, off leash, four times a day. “It doesn’t have to be long periods – even for 10 minutes,” says Carota, who typically lets five or six dogs run together to give them short bursts of continuous exercise. “They need that lateral movement to build themselves up. It keeps them in condition – and not just physically, but also psychologically.”

Carota has set up his kennel property to include several different levels and surfaces: The dogs cross concrete, dirt, grass, sometimes at an incline, sometimes at a decline. While leash walking is great at building endurance, “the problem with straight walking is it doesn’t do a lot in terms of building agility,” he says. “This builds up their pads, and their pasterns, and gives them the agility to pivot quickly, and turn on a dime. I set up my property so they can do it themselves.”

Anne Jones of Alchemy Dog Training in Acworth, Georgia, is also a fan of what she calls “self-exercise.”

In her wooded backyard, as well as on their weekly off-lead runs in the woods, her dogs bound over uneven ground, negotiating random obstacles, and their bodies have to unconsciously readjust where they are in space and time – what’s formally called proprioception.

Even navigating everyday life gives Jones’ dogs a dose of cross-training. “I live in a house with stairs, and the dogs go up and down the stairs at a run,” says Jones, who has Rhodesian Ridgebacks as well as an Australian Cattle Dog and an ancient Border Collie. “It gives them lots of rear-end exercise.”

For those whose full-time work schedules prevent them from devoting much time to letting their dogs work out, Jones suggests doggie day care.

In that free-form environment, “the dog is out and moving all day,” she says. “It’s not like being crated or being in the house all day.”

Learn About Your Dog’s Conformation

That’s conformation with an “o,” not an “i”: Confirmation is what you get when Amazon sends you an email that your 50 Shades of Grey trilogy has shipped (don’t worry, I won’t tell). Conformation is used among dog people to refer to a dog’s structure, and by extension, how those individual body parts work together to affect a dog’s soundness.

Dog breeders and performance enthusiasts will often talk about whether a dog has a “good front” or “good rear.” This isn’t an aesthetic reference, but rather a description of how the respective assemblies impact the dog’s physical ability. In terms of structure, a “good front” is one in which the scapula, or shoulder, is well-angled: Because some 60 percent of a dog’s weight is borne on the front assembly, a well-angled front acts like a spring, absorbing shock with a minimum of wear and tear. A straight front, in which the shoulder blade is more upright, is less ideal in situations that call for a lot of jumping, such as agility.

Similarly, a “good rear” is one that has strength and stability for the all-important job of pushing off and pivoting. Dogs who have weak, high, or slipped hocks, lack of inner thigh muscle, or narrow stifles or knee joints, are at greater risk of injury.

“Dogs who are straight in the front are much more likely to injure their shoulders,” Dr. McCauley notes. “Dogs who are too straight in the rear are more likely to tear their cruciates, while dogs who are very angled in the rear are more likely to have toe and hock injuries.”

“We always want to stack the cards in the favor of the dogs,” Gross adds. “A long-backed dog should not do a lot of excessive jumping secondary to the stress placed on their backs. Any abnormal conformation will place excessive stress on the dogs’ body and lead to a faster breakdown, and a higher risk of osteoarthritis and injury.”

Dogs who have very long backs – such as Dachshunds – or very short ones – such as French Bulldogs – can be prone to back injuries. But this isn’t always breed-specific: Jones, who breeds Rhodesian Ridgebacks, says she spayed one of her females because she had a “bad topline” – in other words, her back was so long that it had a bit of a dip. “When she jumps, she doesn’t land well, because her shock assembly isn’t working,” Jones says. “The better structure they have, the longer they are going to stay sound.”

This doesn’t apply to just purebred dogs, of course, though good breeders pay a great deal of attention to structure, and so have a heightened awareness of it. Jones, who does rescue work, says she always evaluates her incoming rescues in terms of their conformation, so she can determine their physical limitations.

Another word dog people use is “balance,” which is just what it sounds like: The rear and front assemblies complement each other, and so work in tandem when the dog is in motion. “If they’re unbalanced, they’re not going to run well or fast or very long,” Carota says. “They’re going to tire more quickly.”

That pretty “prance” that you see in a well-made dog trotting by is really a fluid, uninterrupted gait; almost always, it means that the dog’s various parts are working together in balance.

If you have a purebred dog, or a dog whose background seems dominated by a particular breed, do some research to find out whether that breed typically has vulnerable structural or physical characteristics. For example, owners of Greyhounds need to be aware that these dogs have skin so delicate that it often needs to be glued instead of stitched, and so a graze from a passing branch or exuberant mouthing from another dog at the dog park can be more significant for them than most other dogs.

Warming Up Before Exercising

Builders of skyscrapers know that they have to allow for a little swaying; otherwise, high-powered winds can literally snap their towering creations in half. Similarly, even well-made dogs need some “give” in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that hold them together.

Jones, who competes with her dogs in agility, always does a warm-up before a run. “You don’t want the muscles to be tight,” she says. “I make sure the dogs bend in both directions, and I make sure they trot. If it’s a particularly cold day, I want to keep them moving, and their muscles warm.”

Even if you are just visiting a dog park, as opposed to taking the starting line in a timed event, walk or trot your dog for three to five minutes before turning him loose to take off at top speed, especially if he’s the type who likes to jump right into the fray.

Hydration is always important when a dog is active, because it regulates body temperature, speeds the transport of nutrients, and lubricates joints. To encourage her dogs to take a few slurps, Jones sometimes adds a little frozen Biljac or molasses to the water bucket. Sometimes she’ll use K9 Super Fuel, a muscle-performance powder. “I just want it to flavor the water,” and encourage them to drink, she says.

It should go without saying, but let’s say it anyway: Being overweight is a huge risk factor for injury. Be sure that your dog is in correct weight for his body frame, not just his size: A Bullmastiff and a Ridgeback are about the same height, but they should have very different silhouettes. Though seeing a slight ripple of rib is normal in some breeds, far too many owners tolerate a few extra pounds in their dogs.

To avoid torn cruciate ligaments, a common injury in large-breed dogs, Gross recommends weight management, because fat dogs are simply at greater risk. Alas, in this, as with us, dieting is not the cure-all: She also recommends exercise, including regular walks, core work on a piece of equipment, and slow walking on hills to build up the hind limbs.

When Your Dog’s Had Too Much Fun

Active dogs, especially youngsters, simply don’t understand the concept of moderation when they are having fun, so you have to watch them and enforce occasional rest periods, and stop the action before your dog is exhausted. Jones has noticed that new dog owners are often unaware of this responsibility. “They assume that as long as a dog wants to keep going, it’s okay,” she explains. “They don’t take the role of advocate. They don’t say, ‘Hey, pup, you’re looking a little tired, your tongue’s a little long.’ They just keep going because the dog wants to keep going.”

And that can end tragically. Jones recalls a friend who took her diabetic-alert dog for an afternoon of swimming a couple of years ago. After playing and retrieving for two hours straight, the exuberant pooch went down – a case of exercise-induced collapse.

“I wouldn’t let any dog retrieve for two hours straight – I don’t care if the dog looks happy,” Jones says. “You have to remember, she’s like a 5-year-old child. She doesn’t know when she’s done.”

Knowing when your dog is showing signs of tiring – and stopping at that point – is very important: Even if your dog is nowhere near the point of collapsing, remember that when anyone gets tired, their tendency for mistakes and missteps increases. Frequent breaks are important.

Carota reminds us that fatigue isn’t just physical. When his dogs are done competing on the lure-coursing field, “I make sure they stay quiet,” he says. “When they’re in the van, that’s their down time, their mental and physical recovery period. It lets their bodies completely relax.”

Maintaining a consistent routine has taught Carota’s dogs that once the van door opens, it’s time to get revved up for another run. But their regular crates and bedding, and the closed van door (which also retains the heat or air conditioning, depending on the season), tells them that it’s time to quiet down and recharge for the fun ahead.

When she is doing strengthening exercises with dogs, Dr. McCauley’s goal is to make sure they are tired so that she knows she is strengthening them, but not to the point of making them sore. “Tired is going to take a nap after the work, then getting up and wanting to play,” she explains. “Sore is getting up slowly, and certainly if they are lame.”

Note how your dog is moving the following day, and watch for signs that she may have overexerted herself.

Dr. McCauley says she always looks at three things before and after exercise: a dog’s stance, or how she holds her body statically; her gait, or how she moves; and transitions, or how she goes from a sit to a down, or a down to stand. “After exercise, they should always be the same or better,” she says. “If it’s worse, you’ve done too much, or done the wrong thing.”

Let Them Be Dogs

At the end of the day, you need to make peace with the fact that even if you follow all the above advice, and your dog is the picture of health and conditioning, mishaps may occur.

Jones points to her weekly runs in the woods as a perfect example. “That’s an accident waiting to happen, always,” she says: No amount of preparation or caution can prevent a dog from getting impaled on a protruding branch, or stepping into a hole and twisting a leg.And here is where a bit of philosophy comes into play: Yes, a bubble-wrapped dog is a safe dog. But, ultimately, it is a happy one?

Jones says she has a friend with Whippets who won’t let her dogs play or run loose because of concerns that they will get hurt. The dogs get long, leashed walks together, so they do get more than enough exercise and interaction with each other. Who is to say whether dogs are any less happy or fulfilled if they don’t get the chance to body-slam and chase and jump on each other?

Jones, however, thinks she knows how the dogs would answer if they could.

“There’s nothing my dogs love to do as much as run in the woods,” she says. “Yes, they can hurt themselves, but it gives them so much pleasure. First and foremost, I let them be dogs.”

Denise Flaim of Revodana Ridgebacks in Long Island, New York, shares her home with three Ridgebacks, 11-year-old triplets, and a very patient husband.

The post How to Prevent Injury to Your Exuberantly Active Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

You will need 1) Glad Press ‘n Seal Wrap; 2) a roll of gauze; 3) a measuring tape; 4) six jars of meat baby food; 5) your dog’s normal ration for one meal (to be hand-fed); 6) six days lead time before your casting day. Plan on spending about 5 minutes per day in place of one of your dog’s meals; don’t cram multiple sessions into one day.

Any time she fusses or vacates the area, just say, “Oh, too bad!” and wait for her to come back and re-volunteer; whatever you do, don’t coerce her.

Day 1

– Decide where the casting area will be; standardize this and train here every day.

– Assemble all the gear at one of your dog’s mealtimes and go to the casting area.

– Put it all down, then pull out a length of the Press ‘n Seal and crinkle it.

– Hand-feed your dog her ration.

– Pull out another length of Press ‘n Seal and wrap it around your dog’s upper (injured) leg.

– Open one jar of baby food and let your dog lick it all out of the jar.

– Unwrap your dog’s leg just before she finishes the baby food, then put everything away.

Day 2

– Get all the gear at one of your dog’s mealtimes and go to the casting area.

– Wrap your dog’s upper leg in Press ‘n Seal and then hand-feed her meal as before.

– Unwrap her before she finishes eating.

– Pause a minute or so.

– Wrap her upper leg again in a fresh piece of Press ‘n Seal.

– Open a jar of baby food and let her eat it as before, unwrapping just before she finishes.

Day 3

– Get all the gear at one of your dog’s mealtimes and go to the casting area.

– Wrap your dog’s upper leg in Press ‘n Seal and then hand-feed her meal.

– Unwrap before she finishes eating.

– Pause a minute or so.

– Wrap her entire leg in a new piece of Press ‘n Seal.

– Give her the jar of baby food, unwrapping just before she finishes.

Day 4

– Get all the gear at one of your dog’s mealtimes and go to the casting area.

– Wrap your dog’s entire leg in Press ‘n Seal and hand-feed her meal.

– Once she finishes, wrap her leg with dry gauze over the Press ‘n Seal.

– Feed her the baby food, unwrapping everything just before she finishes.

Day 5

– Get all the gear at one of your dog’s mealtimes and go to the casting area.

– With the measuring tape, do all kinds of measuring of your dog’s leg (length-wise, circumference, lots of messing around) before wrapping her or feeding anything.
 
– Hand-feed her a couple of handfuls of her ration.

– Wrap her leg in Press ‘n Seal and hand-feed the rest of her meal.

– Pause briefly.

– Wrap the gauze over the Press ‘n Seal.

– Feed her the baby food, unwrapping everything just before she finishes.

Day 6

– Get all the gear at one of your dog’s mealtimes and go to the casting area.

– Do some measuring, then feed her a couple of handfuls.

– Wrap her leg in Press ‘n Seal and feed her a couple more handfuls.

– Pause briefly.

– Wet the gauze, then wrap that over the Press ‘n Seal.

– Feed her the rest of her ration followed by the baby food, unwrapping before she finishes.

For the actual casting, have really good treats and a few jars of baby food on hand and be generous with these throughout the procedure.

The post Jean Donaldson’s Prep Training for Orthopedic Brace Casting appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.