A Surprising Primary Source of Poor Agility Performance
THE DOG BLOG
Starting from the Ground Up: The Toes
Toes help with flexion of the foot and are designed to contact the surface for stability and balance. They need to move through their full range of motion to correctly support the twisting, jumping and turning at speed that occurs during competition, training or simply playing
Each toe has three components, the proximal or first toe bone, the middle, or second toe bone and the distal phalanges, or the third toe bone. The three bones should be able to move easily through their full range of motion.
Toes are Important
Pay attention to the mobility of each digit. Carefully check the toe nails for any sign of nails growing at different lengths. Monitoring nail length and wear patterns are valuable tools in detecting developing uneven loading patterns.
Agility dog’s feet are under tremendous repetitive stress. Jammed up toes, (reduced range of motion or are unable to move), can eventually spell disaster.
Potential issues in the feet can travel upward toward the shoulder, often being mistaken for shoulder lameness that in due course may well result in a shoulder issue. Over time compensations far from the primary source continue to spiral throughout the rest of the body.
You may notice your dog is slightly off sometimes, slows down in turns and generally not performing to his optimum. Your dog may have a history of shoulder of hip injuries or lameness that are often are secondary issues arising from toe issues.
Pay attention to the nails. Long nails can also result in compromised toe joints, therefore it is important to ensure your dog’s nails are the correct length. If they are they growing or wearing down at different lengths it is often an indication that there is misalignment or asymmetry somewhere in the body. Observe the dew claws too. Their purpose is to provide extra traction at high speeds and aid in stabilizing the carpal joint. Proper trimming is necessary to prevent injury.
Preventative regular maintenance by an experienced Animal Osteopath or Bodyworker is helpful in detecting developing problems, maintaining healthy muscles and joints as well as improving over all health and well being.