Impact of Digit Amputation on Dogs Competing in Agility
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Published online: 2021-06-29 THIEME Original Article e51 Impact of Digit Amputation on Dogs Competing in Agility Debra C. Sellon1 Denis J. Marcellin-Little2 Michelle Powers3 Sarah Fernandezlopez4 Kimberley L. Cullen5 1 Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Address for correspondence DebraC.Sellon,DVM,PhD,DACVIM, Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, PO Box 646610, College United States of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 2 Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of 99164-6610, United States (e-mail: [email protected]). Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States 4 Bad Dog Agility, Pearland, Texas, United States 3 Boston Mobile Veterinary Specialists, Boston, Massachusetts, United States 5 School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada VCOT Open 2021;4:e51–e57. Abstract Objectives This work sought to determine the prognosis for dogs for return to athletic function in canine agility competitions after digit amputation. Materials and Methods Data were collected using an Internet-based survey of owners of agility dogs with digit disorders that required amputation. Signalment and physical characteristics were compared between dogs with traumatic and nontraumatic disorders. Athletic performance before and after amputation was assessed subjectively by owner opinion and objectively for eight dogs using competition performance records. Results Problems leading to digit amputation in 46 dogs included acute or chronic traumatic lesions (30 dogs), infection (7 dogs), neoplasia (7 dogs), and cystic lesions (2 dogs). There were no differences in signalment or physical characteristics between dogs with traumatic and nontraumatic disorders. Of the 46 dogs, 39 (84.7%) had returned to agility at the time of the survey and 94.6% of the owners (37/39) were satisfied with performance after amputation. No dog failed to return to agility as a Keywords result of the digit disorder or amputation. There was no difference in mean competition ► dogs speed before and after amputation. ► digit amputation Clinical Significance Most agility dogs undergoing digit amputation perform satis- ► canine agility factorily after surgery, although modifications to performance criteria may be appro- ► digit injury priate for some. Introduction ity dogs experience one or more injury during their compet- itive career with more than a quarter of those dogs having As the popularity of canine agility competitions has in- more than one injury.1 The most common anatomical sites of creased, there has been a concomitant increased interest injury in agility dogs include shoulders, back, neck, and – in methods to improve diagnosis and treatment of agility- phalanges.1 3 Risk factors for digit injuries in dogs training associated injuries in dogs. Approximately one-third of agil- and competing in agility have been described.4 Owners received DOI https://doi.org/ © 2021. The Author(s). December 21, 2020 10.1055/s-0041-1731436. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the accepted after revision ISSN 2625-2325. Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, February 23, 2021 distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Georg Thieme Verlag KG, Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany e52 Digit Amputation in Agility Dogs Sellon et al. anecdotally report that most dogs with digit injuries return activity, satisfactory return to activity, or unsatisfactory or to training and competition at a level comparable to pre- limited return to activity. Respondents were encouraged to injury performance. use comment boxes to provide details about performance Digit amputation is generally considered to result in a after amputation. Handlers provided an estimation of train- good functional outcome for dogs.5,6 ‘Good functional out- ing and competition frequency before and after amputation come’ is not well-defined and there are no reports of athletic and descriptions of changes in performance criteria. performance measures after digit amputation. We sought to describe factors related to digit amputation in agility dogs Performance Records and hypothesized that digit amputation is not associated Survey respondents provided registration numbers and per- with a decrease in performance as measured by owner mission to access performance records from the American perception and mean speed in competition. This hypothesis Kennel Club (AKC) and United States Dog Agility Association was tested using a subset of data from a previous retrospec- (USDAA). The AKC provided records of performance for each tive study related to digit injuries in agility dogs,4 previously dog and anonymized performance data for all dogs in agility unreported data, and competition records. competition in 2012. The USDAA did not provide perfor- mance data despite documented owner consent and requests Materials and Methods for these data. In AKC agility, a qualifying run is any run in which the dog Survey Methodology completes the course within the maximum allowable time A retrospective cross-sectional 91-item survey was devel- with no performance faults such as incorrect obstacles, oped and distributed by means of a commercial Internet refusals, missed contact zones, or dropped bars. The mean survey site (SurveyMonkey, Palo Alto, CA) as previously speed for all qualifying runs in yards per second (YPS) in described4 to facilitate the collection of information on digit regular Excellent/Masters level jumpers with weaves (JWW) disorders in dogs active in agility activities. For the present and standard (STD) agility courses was calculated for each study, the dataset was examined to identify dogs that had individual dog that competed in AKC-sanctioned events in any digit other than the dewclaw on any paw amputated for 2012. The mean individual dog speeds were used to deter- any reason and for which there was no indication of meta- mine the mean speed of all dogs for each jump height in each carpal or metatarsal involvement. The survey included sec- type of class. A similar calculation was performed to deter- tions related to the nature of the digit disorder, physical mine the mean speed of all Border Collie dogs at each jump descriptors of the dog, circumstances of the injury or pathol- height in each type of class. ogy of the affected digit, agility training and performance The effects of digit amputation on agility performance characteristics before and after amputation, dog signalment, were assessed by comparing speed of individual dogs in and handler demographic information. Veterinary records regular Excellent/Masters level JWW and STD agility courses were not obtained to confirm accuracy of owner responses. before and after surgery. Dogs with a minimum of 10 valid Survey respondents were requested to categorize the digit YPS data points from qualifying runs in each type of course problem as a sprain or strain, fracture, arthritis, broken or before and after surgery were included in final analysis. ripped nail, dislocation, infection, tumour, or other. Respon- When more than 10 data points from qualifying runs were dents could choose more than one condition if applicable. available, the data from the 10 qualifying runs closest to the Responses were subsequently categorized by the investiga- date of surgery, excluding the actual month of surgery, were tors as trauma (including sprain or strain, fracture, arthritis, used. Pre-amputation speed, defined as mean speed in 10 broken or avulsed nail, dislocation), infection, or neoplasia. qualifying runs immediately preceding the month of surgery, Respondents identified the affected paw, digit and phalanx, was compared with post-amputation speed, defined as mean or phalanges involved. Labelled anatomical drawings and speed in 10 qualifying runs immediately after the month of drop-down response lists were provided to improve clarity surgery. In addition, for each dog jumping in the 20-inch and consistency of the data that were provided. Multiple (50 cm) regular jump height the mean speed for all lifetime anatomic areas could be selected. Comment boxes were Excellent/Masters level qualifying runs was calculated and included so that additional information could be provided compared with the mean speeds of all dogs which competed where appropriate. at the 20-inch regular jump height in 2012. This comparison Demographic data included signalment (birth year, sex, was repeated for dogs of Border Collie breed. breed), body weight, height at the withers, and assessment of body condition. Body weight was classified as underweight, Statistical Analysis thin, neither thin nor heavy, heavy, or overweight with written Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, median, and descriptions and images provided for each category. Date of range) were calculated for continuous variables. Categorical amputation was recorded. The age of the dog at the time of variables were summarized in contingency tables. Physical surgery was calculated based on birth year and date of surgery. characteristics between the group of dogs with Handlers were asked to designate the time after surgery at amputation secondary to trauma and the group with which the dog initially returned to training and returned to amputation secondary to nontraumatic disorders were com-