Does your greyhound have a muscular issue that may be affecting their day to day living?

We all know the pain and inconvenience of a ‘pulled’ muscle, or that spot just between the shoulder blades that can feel knotted and tight after a day sat at a desk. Just like in humans, greyhounds can develop a range of muscular issues that left untreated can cause long term issues that affect quality of life. As a specialist in canine massage, I’ve treated thousands of dogs, including hundreds and hundreds of greyhounds, and there are some common problems that you can learn to spot the signs of yourself. As with all medical issues with your greyhound, you should always contact your vet first, as any change in behaviour or movement could be a sign of something more serious.

When it comes to soft tissue injuries, there are three main types that massage can benefit:

Strains – a tear to the muscle caused by overstretching. Strains can be debilitating depending on how much of the muscle is affected. A strain can be caused by something your dog does time and time again e.g. slipping on laminated floor, or as a result of a sudden trauma e.g. jumping out of the car. Strains take up to 6 weeks repair, however if the dog injures the area again before it is healed, the process can take several months.

Trigger Points – These irritable bands within the muscle, commonly called ‘knots’ can cause your dog to get tired early in their walks, reduce range of motion, be painful to the touch, cause referred pain and ischemia (oxygen and nutrient deprivation to the tissue).

Wide Radiating Myofascial Pain – A large area of fascia or connective tissue is affected causing chronic or ongoing day to day pain; usually this will be unimproved with anti-inflammatory painkillers. Fascia is the riverbed of the body wrapping every muscle and organ individually, and allowing for slide and glide. When it becomes tight we can liken it to a human wearing a pair of trousers two sizes too small leading to the inhibition of nerve signals and chronic, persistent discomfort. If you’ve ever seen ‘electrified/twitchy’ skin in your hound then read on…..

In greyhounds specifically there are three main places that often require treatment with Clinical Canine Massage, and can easily be injured.

1. Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) – a triangular shaped muscle on your dog’s back leg at the top outer thigh. Attached to the bottom of the pelvis via a tendon and onto the rest of the thigh muscles (quadriceps) by an aponeurosis; a layered flat, broad tendon. Most muscles attach via tendon to a bone so this is an unusual muscle. It stabilises your dog’s hip from the outside. This muscle is commonly strained in racing due to the camber of the ground and the angle of the run. You may see:

• • A dog who screams when you pick up their back legs (you think they are paw sensitive but they aren’t as it’s the flexion of the TFL that causes pain)
  • Intermittent lameness
  • Reduced weight bearing
  • Reduced ROM (Range of movement)
  • Coat change over the top of the thigh

Trigger Points also like to hide out in this muscle too.

2. Gracilis – We call this ‘the 0-60 mph’ muscle. It’s located on the inside of the thigh at the back. Its closest neighbours are the hamstrings. This muscle attaches from the bottom of the pelvis to the inside of the shin bone, and its job is to provide propulsion and to flex and extend the stifle joint. The gracilis is commonly injured as a result of the dog going from a standing still to accelerating up to 45 mph without a warm up. As the muscle is not prepared for action it commonly strains and the greyhound is left lame or with an irregular gait.

You may see:

• Slowing down
• Reluctant to join in
• Quieter than usual
• Bruising on the inside of the leg
• An irregular gait on the affected leg (a swing of the stifle and hock)
• Screams when you try to groom or stroke inside the back leg

3. Myofascial Pain (MFP) Your dog’s fascia is the tissue which wraps every muscle and every organ individually and allows platforms to slide and glide. When it becomes dysfunctional you will see:

• Twitching of skin/juddery skin/electrified skin (your vet may know this MFP as an exaggerated panniculus response)
• Screams when petted just behind the shoulder (sadly owners not in the know will pass this off as ‘oh it’s just a greyhound thing to scream’)
• Tight skin (the misinformed believe tight skin = a fit dog. They are wrong. Tight skin = myofascial pain)
• Coat changes over the ribcage
• Flinches away from touch
• Reluctant to be petted/groomed/examined
• They have a ‘tickly’ spot in the middle of their back (it’s not tickly it’s painful and irritating to the touch)

The skin is incredibly sensitive, able to receive and transmit signals about mechanical pressure/texture/distortion/touch sensitivity as well as tell the body about damaging or noxious pain. If you think your greyhound’s skin is just a shell, think again. It’s the largest organ of the body and of course our first port of call for touch. Commonly twitching of the skin is found over the area of fascia on the side of your greyhound’s rib cage.

You’ve just described my dog, what do I do now?

Once your vet has diagnosed a soft tissue injury, the next step is clinical canine massage therapy, which aims to remodel scar tissue, release areas of restricted fascia and manage acute and chronic pain. The aim of the therapy is to help improve a dog’s gait, posture, movement to improve mobility and importantly quality of life. Most therapists do house visits or have clinics and charge from £30-£40 depending on area and travel. Often you will see real improvements and results in just three sessions, leading to a happier more mobile dog, interested in life, with a return to normal or improved gait and posture, and a better mood and behaviour.

About the Author
Natalie Lenton is Director of the Canine Massage Therapy Centre and lives in Worcestershire with her Greyhound Nell, Jack Russel Pip and Collie x Terrier Lyra. Natalie lectures on the 2 year Clinical Canine Massage Practitioner Programme, holds 1 day workshops for owners , CPD for practising therapists, is author of the bestselling DVD ‘Canine Massage in 3 Easy Steps’ and is chairperson of the association the Canine Massage Guild. To find your local therapist visit www.K9-MassageGuild.co.uk and to find out more information on the Canine Massage therapy centre visit www.k9-massage.co.uk