Racing Greyhound Experts Please

[Kirislin]

a couple of whippets got injuries at our last whippet fun day and I said to their owners it sounds like a gracillus (sp?) tear. One woman took her whippet to the Sandown vets, I assume she means the greyhound vets there and they've said it needs to be surgically repaired. Does that happen alot. I thought it would be rest, healing and physio. The other thing that concerns me a bit is that by the time they get to operate, this Thursday the injury will be almost 2 weeks old.

The other woman took her whippet to a normal vet and they didn't know what it was.

Edited February 27, 2011 by Kirislin

[whippets]

Is it actually torn "dropped" or swollen (partial tear)? You can tell be standing behind the dog, lifting the tail and comparing one inner back leg to the other. If it's a partial tear then that will be a weak spot that will probably end up tearing completely if they rehab then start racing the whippet again.

Dropped "back" muscle (what the grey trainers call it) is a career ender for most greys and the ones that do return will never be any where near the form they once had.

I wouldn't bother with surgery if one of my dogs dropped it's back muscle. I'd be rehab'ing and lead work only. Don't use U-Sound or laser on a swollen site (if it's swollen).

[oakway]

Is it actually torn "dropped" or swollen (partial tear)? You can tell be standing behind the dog, lifting the tail and comparing one inner back leg to the other. If it's a partial tear then that will be a weak spot that will probably end up tearing completely if they rehab then start racing the whippet again.

Dropped "back" muscle (what the grey trainers call it) is a career ender for most greys and the ones that do return will never be any where near the form they once had.

I wouldn't bother with surgery if one of my dogs dropped it's back muscle. I'd be rehab'ing and lead work only. Don't use U-Sound or laser on a swollen site (if it's swollen).

+1

I have never had a Grey come back as good as it was before it dropped a back muscle.

Most vets would never have seen a dropped back muscle if they did not treat racing Greys.

[OSoSwift]

I am by no means an expert but Rommi damaged her gracilius but where the tendon goes from the muscle into the bone. She had small lead walks only, was told NOT to crate her. No zoomies, free play jmumping on/off lounges etc and after i think 4 weeks it was fine and hasn't been an issues since. Hers didn't tear though. Everything I read when they thought it way be a small tear was that it is rest, lead walking and time - not surgery.

[Rottifan]

Good advice - I would rest and do small exercise and movement as per last post. Time will see the inflammation reduce BUT with so many of the breed out there (whippets and greys) and not all having these issues you have to look at WHY this has happened. I dont mean the running around and having fun because you would see ALL of the breed having the issue when they 'ran around and had fun/raced'. If your dog is out of alignment and has pinched nerves (eg is your dogs back curved upwards "roached", or has a dip in it, or walks sideways a litte....many other signs to learn) then when your dogs adrenalin kicks in when its play time they push through the pain barrier and something has to give. If they have pinched nerves when they stretch out fully and move with full movement, the pinched nerves will cause muscle spasm and they normally stop and reduce their movement.....unless they are in an adrenalin filled moment and thats when they do the damage.

Make sure your dog is in alignment to eliminate it happening again or deteriorating worse. The dog will heal a lot better/faster and their immune system will be functioning fully too! Good luck

[oakway]

In my experience as a greyhound trainer it is usually due to unfit dogs.

But not every time. Sometimes it may be caused by over exertion.

Cheers.