Hi Laurie.
I'm hoping you can help me with a case. I have a very active greyhound that does lure coursing. Owner brought her in following an injury in March for which she rested 6 weeks but immediately became lame again with increased activity. She trots with a very subtle adduction followed by correction of the RR. Hip, stifle , pelvis,LS, L spine all palpate normal. She is tender to palpation of the gracilis and tenses with gracilis stretch and somewhat with stifle extension. I'm wondering about a gracilis strain???
She improved with laser. Mom wants her to return to coursing. Any suggestions? There was no known injury typical of a gracilis tear and at a walk she is gaiting normally. She reportedly worsens with tight turns.
Thanks in advance!
CW
Gracilis strain?
Gracilis strain?
LAURIE EDGE-HUGHES
Re: Gracilis strain?
Hi C!
I think your reasoning sounds fair. Iliopsoas, tarsus & toes all being other plausible causations (not specifically mentioned in your list of what you palpated for… but may just have been forgotten on your list).
But let’s go with your conclusion about the gracilis strain. The injury could have been ‘acute on chronic’, meaning that there was an underlying injury in the Gracilis and a lesser injury may have set off the chronic injury.
So, you have two things to think about with your rehab of this dog.
1) Therapies to improve the injury site itself (i.e. laser, stretching, myofascial holds).
2) Strengthening in functional ways so as to gear the dog towards return to lure coursing.
The first one is easy. It just depends on the modalities at hand, and your hands / knowledge of muscles in order to stretch or do myofascial work.
The second one is trickier:
Try static postural holds with the RR hip flexed & abducted (i.e. feet up on blocks)… this may not work… depends on the dog.
Engage in turns at a walk or trot. I’ve seen people use plastic bags tied to the end of a horse training (lunging) whip. Then they can get the dog to follow in a circle or figure of 8.
If not currently lame, allow some straight line, short distance sprints (maybe 25 feet and build from there)… Not going full speed. So if using a lure, have the speed just enough to entice the dog to run, but not quite catch it. Alternately, one person holds the dog, while the other person runs ahead while dragging something (i.e. fake bunny / plastic bag / whatever works), and the let the dog go when the other person has run ahead 25 - 50 feet or so.
Then have them work on a short distance, wide angle curve sprint, or giant circle. (Lure course set up is likely necessary to do this).
Then build up speed.
All the while continuing to see you to monitor the Gracilis (and do laser, etc).
The good thing about luring vs racing, is that the speed of the lure can be controlled, and the set up (i.e. angle of the turns) can be controlled. If she doesn’t have a set up herself, she may want to work with the person / club that does in order to do these things on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the only way to get back to that kind of activity, will be to practice it safely & with modification before doing it ‘for real’. (i.e. you can’t get back to Football by only practicing swimming or yoga!)
Best of luck!
Laurie
I think your reasoning sounds fair. Iliopsoas, tarsus & toes all being other plausible causations (not specifically mentioned in your list of what you palpated for… but may just have been forgotten on your list).
But let’s go with your conclusion about the gracilis strain. The injury could have been ‘acute on chronic’, meaning that there was an underlying injury in the Gracilis and a lesser injury may have set off the chronic injury.
So, you have two things to think about with your rehab of this dog.
1) Therapies to improve the injury site itself (i.e. laser, stretching, myofascial holds).
2) Strengthening in functional ways so as to gear the dog towards return to lure coursing.
The first one is easy. It just depends on the modalities at hand, and your hands / knowledge of muscles in order to stretch or do myofascial work.
The second one is trickier:
Try static postural holds with the RR hip flexed & abducted (i.e. feet up on blocks)… this may not work… depends on the dog.
Engage in turns at a walk or trot. I’ve seen people use plastic bags tied to the end of a horse training (lunging) whip. Then they can get the dog to follow in a circle or figure of 8.
If not currently lame, allow some straight line, short distance sprints (maybe 25 feet and build from there)… Not going full speed. So if using a lure, have the speed just enough to entice the dog to run, but not quite catch it. Alternately, one person holds the dog, while the other person runs ahead while dragging something (i.e. fake bunny / plastic bag / whatever works), and the let the dog go when the other person has run ahead 25 - 50 feet or so.
Then have them work on a short distance, wide angle curve sprint, or giant circle. (Lure course set up is likely necessary to do this).
Then build up speed.
All the while continuing to see you to monitor the Gracilis (and do laser, etc).
The good thing about luring vs racing, is that the speed of the lure can be controlled, and the set up (i.e. angle of the turns) can be controlled. If she doesn’t have a set up herself, she may want to work with the person / club that does in order to do these things on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the only way to get back to that kind of activity, will be to practice it safely & with modification before doing it ‘for real’. (i.e. you can’t get back to Football by only practicing swimming or yoga!)
Best of luck!
Laurie
LAURIE EDGE-HUGHES