b'Canine RehabilitationBeyond Injury and Surgery The Canine Athletes & Working DogsCanine rehabilitation serves many functions. As with humans, we often think of it as an interventionfor post-operative care, especially after orthopedic or spinal surgeries or for management ofinjuries. In actuality, it can serve several roles in healthy pets as well. By Dr. Elizabeth F. Baird, DVM, CVPP, CCRT, cVMAThe canine athlete is a category all by itself. Athletes of anyspecies need to train not only to prepare for their competitionsbut to help prevent injury during their rigorous activities. Justwatch a dog doing Flyball and you will instantly see the risk ofinjury with the explosive starts and concussive impact on theflyball box (if youve never seen this, catch a quick You Tubevideoits pretty amazing). There are a wide variety of competitive sports for dogs nowfrom the traditional Disc Dog and Field trial competitions, tothe very popular Agility, Dock Jumping/Diving, Herding Trials,Lure Coursing and Freestyle events. There are also competitionsin Conformation, Rally Obedience, Barn Hunting, Fast CAT,Scent Work, and an ever-expanding list of sporting events fordogs and their owners to enjoy. While they all require a fairdegree of athleticism, some sports push dogs to the very limitsGypsy shows off her athleticism during a 2011 Flyball meet of their athletic ability.hosted by the Sarasota Obedience Dog Training Club. Gypsy Rehabilitation can be very helpful with training these dogswas a rescue dog, adopted from Canine Castaways.Photograph by Kim Longstreet. as a complement to their sport-specific training routine. Oftenthe rehab is a combination of exercises designed to improvestrength and flexibility along with work to reduce the risk ofinjury by proper preparation for the sport. Rehabilitation typi-cally works synergistically with the other training being carriedout by the handler or owner. Hydrotherapy is an impressive toolfor building stamina for those dogs that need endurance as wellas for general strengthening and conditioning.While fewer in numbers, working dogs face many chal-lenges as well. For service dogs, many have specific tasks theyneed to perform, some of which require a good bit of strength.Law enforcement dogs often need a good bit of exercise to stayin top condition. They often get very little during a normalwork shift, while as riding with their handler, ready for action,but often not required to work. If they arent kept in top condi-tion, they may easily injure themselves when they do face chal-lengesduringtheirwork,whichisquitevigorous.Chasingdown and/or capturing fleeing suspects is not for the weak.Search and rescue dogs are thankfully not needed often, butwhen they are, they may put in long hours and often for sever-al days after a major catastrophe like a building collapse. Theymust be in peak condition before it happens.Pinellas County Sheriff Deputy Kayla Juliet and K9 Jace Dogs can suffer from weekend warrior syndrome just likeduring the Curlew Hills Memory Gardens annual ceremony people. In a perfect world, consistent exercise can help preventto honor K9 Service Dogs.Photograph by Anna Cooke injury related to over-extending themselves.70THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'