Companion Animals

Dog Orthopedic Pain: Recognition in Working and Sport Dogs

Working and sport dogs often develop orthopedic injuries that are masked by high motivation, requiring proactive welfare monitoring.

Key Facts

Agility and working dogs have higher rates of soft tissue injury than companion dogs
High drive dogs continue working through pain that would cause pet dogs to halt
Thermography, force plate analysis, and gait analysis enable subtle lameness detection
Retirement from work should be welfare-driven not performance-driven for high-drive working dogs

Welfare Considerations

Working dogs are especially prone to pain masking from drive and training reinforcement. Proactive health monitoring including force plate gait analysis, regular physiotherapy assessment, and welfare-based retirement planning is essential to prevent prolonged suffering in working animals.

What You Can Do

Schedule regular physiotherapy and gait assessment for working and sport dogs
Use pain assessment scales not just performance metrics to guide working dog retirement
Advocate for welfare-based working dog standards including regular health assessment