|
|
Post by charles mizzi on Dec 30, 2009 9:47:07 GMT 10
I have a bitch with a right calf/achilles injury. The achilles was thickened however I am more concerned with the calf muscle which feels like there is plates of steel in it. I have been using the laser to break up the scar tissue as I am assuming thats what the hardness is.
Cheers Charles
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Dec 31, 2009 5:41:32 GMT 10
Hi Charles,
I’m sorry mate but what you have described is an extremely severe injury for a racing greyhound that can unfortunately affect their ability to the extent that they can lose up to eight lengths in speed over 500 metres.
The muscle tissue in the calf flexes the hock as well as the toes and therefore the scar tissue you can feel means that some of those muscles have been severely damaged and are no longer functional.
Laser is definitely the best way to go to have any chance of resolving this type of injury, and massaging both the calf and Achilles tendons with Lasonil cream twice daily in addition to the Laser treatment is going to help.
Unfortunately in treating this type of injury you are in for a long haul as it can take up to two months before you are likely to see any real improvement.
Cheers,
Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by Charles on Dec 31, 2009 9:03:15 GMT 10
Thanks Tom,
I thought this would be the case, she has lost many lengths on the circle however has gone very good up the straight. We bought her for breeding so this might be the way to go as she is only 2 1/2 and maybe we can have a go later on.
Great job in putting this site together, I think it will be appreciated by many.
Cheers
|
|
|
|
Post by dj on Mar 12, 2013 8:27:51 GMT 10
Hi Tom, I have a dog with this problem.He has lost about 5/6 lenghts. So I took him to muscleman, he said it was old injury, i reckon its a few months old.The achilles muscle/calf area was slighly thicker. He said keep on lead for 3 weeks, massage it and machine it every day for 3 weeks then put back galloping. I massage it and put some iodine 10 on it (not blister it) use ultra sound machine with gel, stretch it and will get lazer. Question is, how would i know when the muscle is perfect again (besides times improving) what should i be watching out for. to be honest i could be looking at the two calf muscle(left and right to compare) forever and not see the difference/injury. Muscleman said it will heal 100% after treatment. considering this is a serious injury in general the dog must have only slightly injured it as he was never lame on it plus 4/5 people also missed it when it occurred initially.any advice re treatment and knowing when healed would be great,thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Mar 12, 2013 13:33:28 GMT 10
Hi dj,
In many instances this type of injury, as well as a lot of other muscle and tendon injuries, are extremely difficult to see as often there is not a lot of visual difference.
It simply comes down to what you can feel with the tips of your fingers.
Just as well canines have mostly two of everything. LOL
So it is really a matter of comparing left to right and feeling what the exact difference is between the muscles on each side of the body. When doing so it is extremely important to use only gentle pressure as by pressing too hard you actually reduce what the tips of your fingers can feel.
All injuries cause scar tissue, and it is scar tissue that reduces the ability of the muscle to contract quickly, take strain under pressure, and shortens the muscle reducing the ability for the limb to fully extent comfortably.
With tendons the scar tissue has a similar effect, except that in the case of a tendon it is operated by a muscle and consists of a bunch of long fibres that to take the strain need to be able to slide minutely past each other and maintain elasticity. Scar tissue in this case is an area where these fibres have adhered to each other producing a hard inflexible area.
The other reason that Achilles injuries are so devastating to the greyhounds ability to perform is because there are separate muscles of the calf that all have tendons that together make up the Achilles. Each of these muscles has a separate function, and unfortunately quite often the damage in the calf or the Achilles can be such that they all adhere together and lose the ability to function individually, or one of these small muscles is damaged to extent where it can no longer function at all.
Cheers,
Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by Joe on Mar 12, 2013 16:46:11 GMT 10
Muscle contractor/Tens treatment any benifit on these types of injuries Tom??
|
|
|
|
Post by Tom Meulman on Mar 13, 2013 14:19:40 GMT 10
Muscle contractor/Tens treatment any benifit on these types of injuries Tom?? Hi Joe, Absolutely ......... the two mainstays for getting the greyhound back performing are: reducing the scar tissue and getting the muscles of the calf back functional again, and a muscle contractor or TENS + massaging with Lasonil or Hirudoid cream is the best way to achieve that. Cheers, Tom |
|
