WARNING! Not a tendon injury

Hi, it’s really important to take a tendon injury in a dog seriously.
In this blog, I write a bit about tendon injuries and how to approach them. The occurrence might be higher than what is often detected, but knowledge about it can help you as an owner to think along the right lines if an accident happens. I hope you enjoy the article!

Tendon Injuries
Tendon injuries are usually serious and long-lasting. A tendonitis can also be prolonged. It's difficult to diagnose without MRI or ultrasound.

An old saying goes, "once a tendon injury, always a tendon injury." Most people would agree with this expression. The injury, regardless of cause, always results in a slight weakness in the dog's body. A tendon injury can occur suddenly due to abrupt, forceful movements, but it can also result from, for example, a blow or other direct trauma to the tendon, or repetitive heavy strain over time.

Signs of tendon/ligament injury can include:

• Lameness
• Swelling
• Warmth
• The tendon becomes unnaturally thick
• Pain upon light palpation (when you feel the area where you suspect pain/injury)

Some dogs may have very noticeable pain but few visible tissue injuries. Therefore, tendon and ligament injuries can sometimes be difficult to detect. Often, the tendon or area doesn't swell until after some time, but it's important to take all signs of tendon injury seriously until the extent of the injury is determined. The degree of injury doesn’t always correspond to the size of the swelling, and ultrasound, or potentially MRI, is the only way to diagnose this.

In some cases, the veterinarian may put the dog on anti-inflammatory/pain relief medication to prevent further tissue damage caused by the inflammatory reaction and to relieve the dog from severe pain.

The reason a dog develops tendon inflammation is usually repetitive overstretching of the tendon fibers and resulting damage. Intense training, abrupt movements, jumping, or other exercises can cause joints to overstretch and injure the tendons. Repeated intense training, especially if the dog isn’t conditioned for the strain it's subjected to, is one reason tendons become inflamed. Properly warming up the dog before physical activity is very important to prevent tendon injuries. Tendonitis is usually not as severe as a tendon injury, but it can take a long time to heal.

Laser treatment is excellent for tendons, and in some cases, a vibrating floor can also be used. For tendon problems in the toes, sometimes a shoe can be used to prevent too much strain on the tendon during rehabilitation. Such treatment must be performed and adapted by a rehabilitation therapist in consultation with a veterinarian.

Have a wonderful week!

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