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Had a bitch return from an out of sight run with an injury to her rear left leg ,

Initially it didn't appear to be to bad but after the walk back to the van it had doubled in size .

Went to vets straight away and had anti inflamitary injection , but am wondering if it's an impact that's caused it or a rupture of some sort . The bruising seems to be from the rear of the leg which would make an impact unlikely from that angle but I didn't see what happened , pics show day after bruising .

Has anyone had anything similar , or any advice to offer ?

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Ruptured (torn) muscle. The bruising is the blood that has leaked from the muscle under the skin. Ice pack it twice a day: not directly on to the skin: pack of frozen peas wrapped in t shirt or tea towel. For 15 minutes each time. This will help to stop the bleeding and reduce inflammation. Rest for a week. Try to keep dog quiet. Lead work only for next 4 weeks. It will probably leave scarring on the muscle which may make the dog run 'shorter': scarred muscles don't work as well as normal muscles and tire more quickly but short runs (rabbits and the like) should be OK.

 

Muscles tear when dog is worked unfit, or the muscle is suddenly stretched beyond its normal range: such as if the dog slips suddenly, or has a fall. Bitches in their soft stage after a season are also at risk. The softening of the muscles usually occurs around 5 weeks after she has finished a season and can last until 12 weeks out of season due to hormonal changes.

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Thanks skycat , the vet injected her with anti inflamitary an hour or so after it happened and prescribed a tablet daily ( carprieve ) , the bitch is just at 26 days after the start of her season so the softening is possible . The run itself was an unexpected one but she is fit and is out 2 nights a week minimum working ,alongside daily walks . She doesn't seem to be in any major discomfort but the visual signs are obvious . Is there any type of steroid I could request from the vet to aid repair ? And is this type of injury a permanent hidrence ? Is it a weakness that is likely to reoccur ?

Input appreciated cheers

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That's the gracilis muscle mate and can take a long time to heal ... You will need to see where the muscle is "sitting" once the bruising has gone down ... Get the dog a course of arnica to help with the swelling .......

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There is fit and there is properly fit: if your bitch is 26 days out of season then her muscles won't have the tensile strength they should. It's not only that: the ligaments that hold the bones in place, particularly the pelvis, will soften as well, and stretch: all part of the hormonal changes that go on during the post season weeks. This is a hangover from when all bitches in wild packs would make milk to provide for pups if their natural mother died or was unable to feed them. It's a real nuisance in modern working dogs, but one we need to be aware of, and an unexpected run when the bitch is in that state often leads to muscle or ligament damage. Old time Greyhound trainers would always lay a bitch off for 12 weeks after a season, and in most of my bitches I've noticed that their muscles aren't toned and firm until 12 weeks after a season.

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That's the gracilis muscle mate and can take a long time to heal ... You will need to see where the muscle is "sitting" once the bruising has gone down ... Get the dog a course of arnica to help with the swelling .......

looks like thats the one , ive had a mooch on the net and found several pics that look identical in the bruising/swelling dept . the muscle dosnt look to have dropped , so hopefully its just a small tear and the fact that shes white has just showed up the bruising alot more than a colored dog . the initial bruise showed itself across the lower rear part of the leg (just above the knee) and the best prognosis for a full recovery is in the lower part of the muscle , so fingers crossed or it will be time for another recruit .

cheers

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