Activities For Broken Leggers

[Guest HeatherLee]

I've had my grey for about 4 months now and since I've found a good food for him I'm surprised at how much energy he has! He broke his leg in Sept. last year and I adopted him Jan. He broke his right hind under his hock... tarsal or metatarsal ( I don't have the vet report in front of me). He does great on really long walks and hikes (usually a couple hours) without getting tired or showing any signs of pain. He also has started running to me when we go to the dog park. It's a very large park so in addition to doing a couple zoomies, he'll jog around with me until he decides to go sniff the other side of the park, so I walk to the other side and he runs pretty hard to me when he's done (it's become a routine, it's very cute). He'll do this a couple times, and we go 3-4 times a week. He's also quite fond of jumping onto things that are about 2-3 feet high.He shows no signs of pain after anything.

 

ANYWAYS.. my question is.. are things like lure coursing or agility ok for a broken legger who seems to be ok? I would never push him and would of course get him conditioned first. I know several horses return to strenuous activity after after breaking legs and various health probs.. is it the same with greyhounds? I think my guy would really love to do some light coursing or agility (and so would i)

[Guest twoskinnydogs]

My Rita also broke her hock, had repair surgery and has a plate and screws. Her surgeon said she can do whatever any other greyhound can do. I refuse to let her course but she does act crazy, run zoomies and play with other hounds. Straight line coursing would not be too bad, but left turns is what broke the leg in the first place.....I would just be careful and maybe a consult with an ortho doc might help you decide.

[GreytHoundPoet]

I would consult an orthopedic specialist. I competitively lure course some of my hounds and I can tell you that I would not take my broken leg hound. It is a hardcore sport and the risk of re-injury is high. But, I haven't seen your dog's x-rays, leg, and condition so I really shouldn't give you advice.

 

Honestly, coursing can be harder on the dogs than racing because they are on harder ground making a lot of unanticipated turns, often up and down hills, and running longer distances usually. There really isn't "light coursing" to the dogs. They will run hard even on a short course with minimal, easy turns (like the CAT tests). Most courses that I have run range from 650 yards to 1,000 yards. You might be able to run him on a "puppy practice run" after the trial is over. They don't want young puppies running full courses, for obvious reasons, so they just run the lure straight until a turn would normally happen and just reverse it instead of turning the dog.

 

I know several people who started off coursing Greyhounds and switched breeds due to the larger number of injuries that Greyhound tend to sustain, even without previous ones. Usually it is toe issues. You might be better off trying LGRA (straight racing) if your vet gives you the go ahead to run him. It is easier than coursing, and shorter (only 200 yards). They still run hard though so that is something to keep in mind.

 

My broken leg boy is still super active and runs and plays everyday. He goes hiking too. It is so important to keep them fit and keep that leg strong.

 

As for agility...I have no idea what to tell you. There are people on here who do agility though. You could always try Rally or something if the vet does not give you the ok for more physical sports.

Edited May 6, 2013 by GreytHoundPoet

[Guest Krizzy]

We have a broken leg (right rear) and he has a screw. (no plate) Some people said not to let him run, others said he should be fine. He loves to walk, jog, and run. When I get home and let him out in our yard, he has so much energy and runs in circles in the yard. I slow him down in the yard because when he cuts the corners of the yard, it looks like too sharp of a turn for him. I took him to a dog park once and am going to join because he can run straight on and I think it is easier on his leg. He runs for just a minute or two then he just sniffs and pees.

 

I also don't know anything about agility.

[krissy]

I wouldn't course a previously injured dog. It's a punishing sport. I won't even run my healthy hounds because I don't want them injured for agility (and Summit has seen a lure course being run before and showed absolutely NO interest, lol).

 

You can certainly have injuries in agility. Summit isn't even competing and he has a huge scrape on his bum that I think was from agility class. Jen Bachelor has had her share of injuries in her agility dogs but fortunately catastrophic injuries seem to be rare. The worst I've heard of have been dogs falling from the dog walk and handlers trying to catch them. That has resulted in broken bones for dog and human. But in general I think major injuries are uncommon. Especially if you only intend to do a few classes for fun.

 

I'd consult his surgeon before doing anything though.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

I have a broken leg hound. He shattered his hock. 2 Rods and 8 pins to reset. Hardware was removed 4 months after surgery because a few of the pins were backing out. I have taken my boy LGRA running, but would never consider coursing. Way too tough on the legs. As others have said, take him to the orthopedic that fixed his leg to see what the suggestion is. If his leg was not professionally repaired, then that opens a whole new can of worms. Either way, I think coursing would have too high a chance for injury. LGRA by the way is basically a straight line drag race for the hounds. They have a box and your hound is loaded up, the lure takes off in a straight line, and the box opens. No turns. As I said, I took my boy LGRA about 1.5 years after leg break repair.

 

Chad