Internet Survey Evaluation of Iliopsoas Injury in Dogs Participating in Agility Competitions

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe risk factors associated with demographics, training, and competition for iliopsoas injury in dogs participating in agility competitions, as well as describe owner reported treatment and return to sport following injury.ProceduresAn internet-based survey of agility handlers collected risk factor data for dogs participating in agility. Owners were asked questions about demographics, training, and competition as well as injury treatment and recovery if applicable. Associations between variables of interest and iliopsoas injury were estimated with logistic regression. The final risk factor model was built via modified backward selection, with all variables in the final model showing significant associations at p < 0.05.ResultsOf the 4,197 dogs in the sample, 327 (7.8%) reported iliopsoas injury. The final model identified six risk factors for iliopsoas injury. A higher risk of iliopsoas injury was observed for the Border Collie breed, dogs with handlers who are veterinary assistants, dogs competing on dirt, dogs competing on artificial turf 6+ times a year, and dogs that trained with the 2 × 2 method for weave poles. Dogs that were not acquired with agility in mind were observed to have a decreased risk of injury. Factors like number of competition days and jump height were not significantly associated with risk of iliopsoas injury. Owners sought veterinary care for 88% of dogs with iliopsoas injury, including specialty care for 63%. Treatment most often included rest, home rehabilitation, formal rehabilitation, and/or oral medications. Most dogs (80%) were able to return to sport within 6 months, while 20% were out for longer than 6 months, or retired.Conclusion and Clinical RelevanceIliopsoas injury can necessitate a significant amount of time off from training and competition, and even lead to retirement of dogs competing in agility. Some of the risk factors identified in this study can inherently not be modified (breed, intended use, and handler profession), but can be taken into consideration for injury prevention strategies. Competition and training risk factors that can be modified, such as weave training, may help to inform guidelines for best practices in management of the agility athlete.

Internet-based survey evaluating the impact of ground substrate on injury and performance in canine agility athletes

“…To account for this, IP was calculated to present the rate of injury on a substrate relative to the proportion of dogs training on that substrate. IP has not been utilized in other studies evaluating the proportion of injuries sustained on different surfaces in agility dogs ( 3 , 4 , 16 ), which may skew results toward more common surfaces.…”

“…These results suggest that natural grass, dirt, and artificial turf may provide improved performance and reduced risk of injury. In a recent evaluation of common surfaces in agility competition, Fry et al ( 16 ) reported that dogs who had ever competed on dirt or artificial turf were more likely to have reported an iliopsoas injury, compared to dogs with no history on that surface. However, that study did not evaluate the substrate in use at the time the injury was sustained, only the dogs' history of prior substrate use.…”

“…The most common injuries sustained during canine agility are muscular and tendon injuries ( 1 , 2 , 14 ). Injuries to the digits and iliopsoas muscle are also common in agility dogs ( 11 , 15 , 16 ). Previously reported risk factors for performance-related injury in agility dogs include the dog's level of experience, type of obstacle, prior injury, Border Collie breed, and handler experience ( 1 , 2 , 17 – 20 ).…”

“…However, the literature is sparse with regards to the impact of ground substrate on performance and injury in canine agility athletes. Several recent survey-based studies have evaluated ground material as a risk factor for training and/or competition injuries in agility dogs ( 3 , 4 , 16 , 28 ), but to the authors' knowledge, no studies have evaluated the relationship between ground material and performance deficits during agility competition.…”

Adverse health events and recommended health research priorities in agility dogs as reported by dog owners

“…Results of those studies and the current study are remarkably similar, with the identification of shoulder, back, iliopsoas muscle, and digit injuries as the most common sites of injury. Despite this consistent finding, there is little research that has specifically investigated the nature, cause, treatment, or prognosis related to shoulder, back, or iliopsoas injuries in agility dogs ( 23 ). The data must also be interpreted with some caution because all reports have relied exclusively on owner-provided information regarding the anatomic location or diagnosis of the injury rather than review of veterinary medical records.…”