Non weight bearing exercises for hamstrings?

[cansk8@ac.com]

I have a client who shall we say is difficult!! I treat her 10 year old 100# GSD every 3 weeks with acupuncture ( for OA) I This large dog is not the nicest and I am happy to stay closer to his back end!! This couple moved to a house so they would have an in ground pool for him to swim in and even went to the extra expense to cover it with one of those canopies some public pools have to make it year round!

I think regular swimming helps him a lot but I have tried to encourage her to do more in the way of strengthening exercises for him. With these older dogs that seem to consistently have decreased muscle mass in the hams and quads, I tried to encourage sit-stand-sit and walking backwards.

She emailed me and felt that was just too much for him and was their anything she could do where he did not need to stand! I don't know about you but I think in dogland, the most effective strengthening needs to be done with weight bearing. I know we humans can rehab with machines and free weights where weight bearing is not necessary, I haven't figured out a way for a dog to do bicep curls! Maybe I missed a lecture somewhere! Anyway, she specifically mentioned using a theraband. I could see that maybe with weight bearing but not in side lying.

Thanks for any advice-

Carole Nicholson

[lehughes]

Hey Carole!

Aren't people 'interesting'!!!

So, I agree with you, that weight bearing makes the most sense.
My favourite hamstring exercise has become 3-leg stands (on the leg your working / building), then extend the leg backwards a bit, and grab in the toe-webbing to elicit a 'pull back'. The harder the dog pulls back, the more they work the hamstrings on the standing leg (try it on a dog and just feel how much the hamstrings engage!) Then of course, that can be progressed to an uneven surface (ball, peanut, discs, whatever), but it's not necessary either.

The only way to work / build a muscle group is by using some resistance. So if you client want's to use theraband, then tie theraband around the dogs foot and pull on it from different directions (away and cranial, or away and caudal) with the hopes that the dog will pull the leg away (flexing it up and thereby using hamstrings) against the resistance of the theraband. It would NOT be my first choice of exercise... maybe for a debilitated dog, but not a dog that walks on his own!!!

Maybe a weight around the tarsus when the dog walks (i.e. dogleggs makes weights that can wrap around, or fill and old tube sock with some rocks or b.b pellets and tie it on). This usually makes a dog step higher with his legs (because they don't like the sensation, and/or if they don't they will just drag a leg).

And I would agree with you in regards to theraband in standing. I'd pull caudally on the stifle (as if trying to hyperextend the stifle), which would require static flexion holds in the stifle to resist, thereby activating hamstrings.

Looks like you have some 'convincing' to do ahead of you! (And sometimes we can't save the dog from their ill-informed owners.) Good luck! I wish you success!

Cheers! Laurie

[cansk8@ac.com]

Thanks for your answer Laurie- now she informs me that she is going to pursue stem cell therapy with an ortho!!

OK - whatever ! Maybe I will see her again, maybe not- people got to do what they got to do!!

[tania]

Hi Laurie,
i looked on Doggleggs website, i did not see any weights. The reason i am asking as i am in the midst of designing some weights for dogs...easy to use and the weights can be adjustable (for small to large breed dogs).

Do you think this would be something others would be interested in?

Tania

[lehughes]

Interesting! They used to have / make weights.

I think there is a potential there, yes!

Laurie

[JaneHK]

I get my leg weights from http://www.canineicer.com/order/product/index.htm
I rent them now as I am too lazy to reorder and ship them over.
Jane

[lehughes]

Oh, slap me upside the head... Yes, it was CanineIcer that had them in the past.

I'm sure you can build a better 'mouse trap' Tania!!!

Cheers,

Laurie