Observational Study on Lameness Recovery in 10 Dogs Affected by Iliopsoas Injury and Submitted to a Physiotherapeutic Approach

Non-invasive methods to assess muscle function in dogs: A scoping review

Skeletal muscle function can be affected by multiple disorders in dogs of which cranial cruciate ligament rupture or disease (CCLD) is one of the most common. Despite the significance of this condition only sparse research exists regarding assessment of muscle function in dogs. This scoping review aimed to identify the non-invasive methods for canine muscle function assessments that have been reported in the literature in the past 10 years. A systematic literature search was conducted 1st March 2022 across six databases. After screening, 139 studies were considered eligible for inclusion. Among the included studies, 18 different muscle function assessment categories were identified, and the most frequently reported disease state was CCLD. We included an attempt to elucidate the clinical applicability of the 18 reported methods, as experts were asked to subjectively assess the methods for their clinical relevance as well as their practical applicability in dogs with CCLD.

Internet Survey Evaluation of Iliopsoas Injury in Dogs Participating in Agility Competitions

Objective

To describe risk factors associated with demographics, training, and competition for iliopsoas injury in dogs participating in agility competitions, as well as describe owner reported treatment and return to sport following injury.

Procedures

An internet-based survey of agility handlers collected risk factor data for dogs participating in agility. Owners were asked questions about demographics, training, and competition as well as injury treatment and recovery if applicable. Associations between variables of interest and iliopsoas injury were estimated with logistic regression. The final risk factor model was built via modified backward selection, with all variables in the final model showing significant associations at p < 0.05.

Results

Of the 4,197 dogs in the sample, 327 (7.8%) reported iliopsoas injury. The final model identified six risk factors for iliopsoas injury. A higher risk of iliopsoas injury was observed for the Border Collie breed, dogs with handlers who are veterinary assistants, dogs competing on dirt, dogs competing on artificial turf 6+ times a year, and dogs that trained with the 2 × 2 method for weave poles. Dogs that were not acquired with agility in mind were observed to have a decreased risk of injury. Factors like number of competition days and jump height were not significantly associated with risk of iliopsoas injury. Owners sought veterinary care for 88% of dogs with iliopsoas injury, including specialty care for 63%. Treatment most often included rest, home rehabilitation, formal rehabilitation, and/or oral medications. Most dogs (80%) were able to return to sport within 6 months, while 20% were out for longer than 6 months, or retired.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

Iliopsoas injury can necessitate a significant amount of time off from training and competition, and even lead to retirement of dogs competing in agility. Some of the risk factors identified in this study can inherently not be modified (breed, intended use, and handler profession), but can be taken into consideration for injury prevention strategies. Competition and training risk factors that can be modified, such as weave training, may help to inform guidelines for best practices in management of the agility athlete.