Front Matter

538 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Herding

While herding as a competitive sport is com-
mon through the United States and the United
Kingdom, many ranches and farms actively use
dogs in day-to-day herding operations with

sheep and cattle (Figure 21.19). Herding can be

broken down to two distinct activities: either

gathering and moving animals in and around a

property, or guarding sheep or cattle (mostly

sheep) from predators such as coyotes, feral

dogs, and wolves. Dogs performing the latter

Ultrasonography: Ultrasound of left shoulder dem-

onstrates no abnormal echo pattern of supraspinatus

muscle belly. A triangular hyperechoic area of sus-

pected fibrosis is well delineated in same area as pre-

vious core lesion (Figure 21.17). Ultrasound of right

caudolateral tibia demonstrates significant disruption

of normal muscular structure of long digital extensor

(Figure  21.18). Patient shows slight discomfort with

pressure of ultrasound probe on year-old left shoul-

der and acute right tibial injuries.

Treatment: Cryotherapy initiated on right pelvic limb

injury, followed by manual therapy, gentle PROM,

and low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Field and pen

work discontinued. Once patient fully weight bear-

ing at stance with no lameness visible at walk, exer-

cises, PROM, and manual therapy for the chronic left

thoracic limb supraspinatus muscle injury initiated.

Client advised to gradually increase appropriate

loading and movement exercises as patient could tol-

erate for next 16 weeks.

Discussion: This case illustrates several important

aspects of managing complex working dog cases that

can involve both chronic and acute issues.

Thermal imaging demonstrated increased blood

supply demand (warmer temperatures) in muscles

that could be compensating for a slight gait abnor-

mality and structural asymmetry (triceps, teres minor,

epaxials). A biomechanical compensatory link

between thoracic and pelvic limbs can be demon-

strated with the presence of hypertonicity and

increased blood flow of the lumbar epaxial muscles.

While the left pelvic limb injury could perhaps be a

discrete event, there is a high probability that the diag-

onal pattern of left thoracic limb and right pelvic limb

injuries are related. A thorough practitioner needs to

consider and rule out the possibility that the left tho-

racic limb injury has not fully healed or has affected

gait mechanics to the point that extra mechanical load

has been placed on the right pelvic limb, thus contrib-

uting to the failure of muscle or tendinous structure.

L Deltoideus m

L Supraspinatus m

SGP

L scapulaL longitudinal supraspinatus

Figure 21.17 Longitudinal ultrasound of the left

supraspinatus. A circular area of hyperechogenicity is

visible just dorsal to the supraglenoid process in the

same area as the defect imaged a year prior.

(B)

(A)

R Cr Tib

L Cr Tib m

R TIB

L Tib

R LDE

L LDE m

R longitudinal lateral tibia

R longitudinal lateral tibia

Figure 21.18 (A) Longitudinal ultrasound of the right

proximal caudolateral tibia showing marked disruption

of the architecture of the long digital extensor muscle.

The cranial tibial muscle appears unaffected. (B)

Longitudinal ultrasound of the left proximal

caudolateral tibia for comparison.