Rhabdomyolsis

[Guest Moscow]

Hope your dog makes a full recovery. Ive had the same problem myself.

 

About 10 year ago I took a dog to the vets with the problem and she hadnt a clue what it was. A greyhound bone man sussed it within seconds of examining a dog with the same problem.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Moscow

[paulus 26]

Personally I wouldn't let him exercise free for at least another 3 weeks: the back muscles have atrophied, which means that they are very weak, and any running will put them under stress. I'd treat him in the same way as a dog that has been very ill or kennel bound for a very long time, which means a good month of lead walking/trotting, before you start any galloping. The trouble is that dogs don't know what they should or shouldn't do, unlike adult human athletes who know exactly what sort of exercise is good for them, and for how long to do it. I may be over cautious here, but IMO it is better to be safe than sorry.

your right of course, i just hate to see him like this, but i also know that once hes running free again the chances of an another accidental run are very high around here, and him being the dog he is, would kill himself trying. so more pounding the lanes

[skycat 6,172]

I have a similar problem to you in that where I exercise my dogs they don't need to do a lot of long runs: just pops on rabbits for the most part, which keeps them ticking over, but not fit enough to cope with hard, long runs, so if they do get a long run the potential for injury is far greater than if they were top notch running fit.

[beast 1,884]

i agree with skycat, there is no rush just keep to the roadwork and gradually get the dog going a bit further and a bit faster. you got all summer, dont spoil it for the sake of rushing. but i really would get the vet to check kidney function, that can be a long term issue

[paulus 26]

interesting read http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vGmMY0agrIoC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=exercise+for+a+greyhound+recovering+from+acidosis&source=bl&ots=wudjht4XD9&sig=FVQO-x3JTufI-eADNEu5orV4X7A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4V2WT_L9I8aI0AWEjJmmDg&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=exercise%20for%20a%20greyhound%20recovering%20from%20acidosis&f=false

[Guest Moscow]

Recharge really helps.

[paulus 26]

Recharge really helps.

using 1 cup water/tablespoon of lo- salt/tea spoon of honey

[sandymere 8,261]

It’s interesting that you give lo-salt which is high in potassium in light of there being an expected rise in serum levels,known as hyperkalemia, with a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis, the link below highlights that “Early complications include severe hyperkalemia that causes cardiac arrhythmia and arrest. (http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:203770).

The lost electrolytes will need to be replaced over time but this will be as new tissue is formed over the next 3 months or so and a good diet should provide what is required gradually without giving any further challenge to the kidneys.

An interesting area is the imbalance in muscle damage in sight hounds suffering exertional rhabdomyolysis, ie back muscles usually seem to suffer relatively greater than legs or shoulders. It begs the question of how we exercise our dogs, road work and trotting and the like are great for exercising legs and shoulders but when a sight hound gallops the back takes on a major role but only at a gallop. Perhaps we need to look for a comparative increase in the percentage of galloping, ball work etc, to even out the disparity when our healthy dogs are in a rest phase and more so on return from a summer lay off.

regards s

[paulus 26]

It's interesting that you give lo-salt which is high in potassium in light of there being an expected rise in serum levels,known as hyperkalemia, with a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis, the link below highlights that "Early complications include severe hyperkalemia that causes cardiac arrhythmia and arrest. (http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:203770).

The lost electrolytes will need to be replaced over time but this will be as new tissue is formed over the next 3 months or so and a good diet should provide what is required gradually without giving any further challenge to the kidneys.

An interesting area is the imbalance in muscle damage in sight hounds suffering exertional rhabdomyolysis, ie back muscles usually seem to suffer relatively greater than legs or shoulders. It begs the question of how we exercise our dogs, road work and trotting and the like are great for exercising legs and shoulders but when a sight hound gallops the back takes on a major role but only at a gallop. Perhaps we need to look for a comparative increase in the percentage of galloping, ball work etc, to even out the disparity when our healthy dogs are in a rest phase and more so on return from a summer lay off.

regards s

you read my mind hes front and back leg muscles suffered no lasting damage or loss of mass at all, im thinking low wall and tennis ball routine,

[beast 1,884]

personally i'm not convinced about electrolytes. as sandy mere says there are plenty of salts and sugars in a good balanced diet, and water is going to allow a quicker more satisfactory fluid balance through osmosis, it would have a higher osmotic potential than any solution

[Moll. 1,769]

Perhaps we need to look for a comparative increase in the percentage of galloping, ball work etc, to even out the disparity when our healthy dogs are in a rest phase and more so on return from a summer lay off.

regards s

Interesting Sandy.

I give my dogs roughly 3 sprints per day, on 'normal' exercise on the quad bike. And even at times like now when they are not in their peak work fitness they have backs like coffee tables. I have always noticed the whippet especially has a large defined back, not like the usual roached skinny backs you see on whippets, just thought it was the way he is..perhaps the sprinting is the reason?

[sandymere 8,261]

Feck I’m agreeing with far to many people, must be getting soft in my old age, I need to go and upset some barfist somewhere lol.

[paulus 26]

Feck I’m agreeing with far to many people, must be getting soft in my old age, I need to go and upset some barfist somewhere lol.

theres a hell of a lot of contradiction on this subject the more i read the more i see, i do know that my conditioning routine will change after this. if you think about it most, me included follow the greyhound routine, when in reality the lurcher does far more than run in a line, so more thought will be put into it in future.

[skycat 6,172]

Plenty of free running all year round keeps most dogs in semi-fit condition. Mine are more likely to strain a thigh muscle than damage their backs when they get on a tough and unexpected run: and this is due to the type of ground mine run on: steep banks, drops, oozy clay, marshes, woodland etc. Far more dangerous than running around on grass land.

[Moll. 1,769]

Feck I’m agreeing with far to many people, must be getting soft in my old age, I need to go and upset some barfist somewhere lol.

theres a hell of a lot of contradiction on this subject the more i read the more i see, i do know that my conditioning routine will change after this. if you think about it most, me included follow the greyhound routine, when in reality the lurcher does far more than run in a line, so more thought will be put into it in future.

 

Ball on a rope does wonders Paul, the sprint, turn, strike etc. But i have noticed you must start this slowly and build up and only after the dog had had a good walk to warm him through If any of my dogs have a niggling injury it will get worse when doing this. Yet it wont on free running/coursing.