07/07/2026
🐶 Shoulder Tendinopathies 🐶
Following up on our last post, let’s go a bit deeper into the "why" and "how" of shoulder injuries in sporting dogs 🐕
As handlers, we often notice when our dogs lose their speed or confidence, but understanding the biomechanics of the shoulder can help you spot the problem long before it becomes a chronic, career-altering issue.
🔬 The Anatomy of the Impact
When your dog lands from a jump, they aren't just absorbing force; they are actively braking. The shoulder joint is held together primarily by soft tissues (muscles and tendons) rather than bony architecture.
🟢 When a dog turns sharply, the Medial Shoulder Syndrome (MSS) a common condition involving the supporting ligaments on the inside of the shoulder can occur. When the dog is jumping or sprinting, the Biceps Tendon acts like a heavy-duty cable pulling the limb forward. If that "cable" is frayed, the body naturally compensates.
🟢 What Compensation Looks Like
Your dog is a master of hiding pain. When they feel discomfort in one shoulder, they don't stop; they change their mechanics:
🦀 The "Crab" Run: Moving slightly sideways to avoid loading the painful shoulder.
⚖️ Weight Shifting: You may notice them shifting their weight toward their hind end or onto the "good" front leg, leading to secondary muscle tension in the neck or opposite shoulder.
↪️ Changes in Turn Radius: They may become much slower or wider on left-hand turns compared to right-hand turns.
💤 Why "Complete Rest" is Rarely the Answer ⚠️
If you suspect a shoulder injury, the common instinct is to crate rest the dog for weeks. While rest helps initially, it often leads to muscle atrophy. When the supporting muscles around the shoulder waste away, the joint becomes less stable.
🏅🐶 This is where structured Physiotherapy shines:
We use controlled, active rehab. This involves:
💪 Isometric Exercises: Building strength without moving the joint through a painful range.
💪 Range of Motion (ROM) Therapy: Gently maintaining the joint's flexibility so it doesn't "freeze" up during the healing phase.
💪 Neuromuscular Re-education: Using surface markers or unstable surfaces (like peanuts or balance pads) to teach the brain to recruit the stabilizer muscles instead of relying on the power muscles that are currently inflamed.
✅️A Checklist for Handlers
Next time you are at training or a competition, look for these clues:
✅️ Standing Posture: Does one front paw sit slightly further back than the other?
✅️ Grooming: Does your dog hesitate or show discomfort when they stretch their front legs out (the play bow)?
✅️ Turning: Do they struggle to tuck or turn tight when called to heel on one specific side?
🟢 Prevention is a daily practice. From controlled loading to sport-specific conditioning, we can help you build a more robust, injury-resistant shoulder assembly.
🟢 We are now booking biomechanical assessments for sporting dogs. We’ll look at gait, muscle symmetry, and joint range of motion to give you peace of mind before you hit the next competition 🏅🏆
Send us a message to secure your appointment 🐶
