540 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
Potential issues (Duhaime et al., 1998; Slensky
et al., 2004)
● Fatigue: extreme environments such as rub-
ble, steep slopes, elevation changes, heavy
vegetation, heat, uneven firmness, and tex-
ture of footing
● Restrictive vests affecting shoulder, neck,
and back movement
● Hyperthermia
● Gastrointestinal issues: diarrhea, vomiting,
diminished appetite
● Foot problems: worn pads, foreign bodies,
flexor tendon injuries, carpal tunnel inflam-
mation and injury, carpal hyperextension
● Hypoglycemia, electrolyte imbalances,
dehydration
● Encounters with wildlife
● Injuries from inhaling or walking through
toxins in demolished buildings
● Injuries from working on rough, exposed
surfaces of destroyed buildings.
Water rescue
The use of dogs for water rescue is not common
in North America, except as a training exercise
for Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs
and other breeds with water rescue as a compo-
nent of their heritage. However, actively work-
ing Newfoundlands (and some Labradors and
Golden Retrievers) can be found working with
water-rescue units in the United Kingdom
(Royal Navy Reserve) and Italy (Coast Guard,
Scuola Italiana Cani Salvataggio (Italian School
of Water Rescue Dogs)) (Figure 21.21).
Potential issues
● Heli-deployment: water impact trauma, ear
infections
● Conditioning
● Pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infec-
tion from water inhalation.
Sled dogs
The use of dogs to pull sleds and sledges may
be one of the oldest documented uses of dogs
working for humans. Today in the continental
United States, sled dogs are mostly used for
competitive sport. However, in parts of Alaska
and northern Canada (e.g., Nunavut), dogs are
still used as an important form of transporta-
tion of humans, mail, and cargo, both in the
interior, and along the western and northern
coasts. The US Post Office discontinued regular
mail service by sled dog in 1963 when the last
sled dog mail driver on the Bering Sea retired.
While many villagers in Alaska rely more on
airplanes and snowmobiles for transportation,
many Native families still keep small sled dog
teams for short transportation and competitive
sport. The Russian and Danish militaries still
use working sled dogs as transportation in
remote areas. The most common breeds used
are Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Huskies, and
Malamutes. Working sled dogs would be
expected to have the same type of health issues
as racing sled dogs; much of the research done
solving sled dog health issues has been applied
to sports medicine issues with other competi-
tive and working canine athletes.Potential issues (Lee et al., 2014)
● Gastric ulcers
● Maintenance of weight
● Aspiration pneumonia
● Musculoskeletal: shoulders, triceps, carpi,
feet, hamstringsFigure 21.21 In many parts of the world, dogs are
trained for water rescue. Here a Newfoundland in the
United Kingdom practices water rescue skills.
Source: Photo by Cheryl and Phil Payne.