Scar Tissue is formed after a dog has pulled a muscle (Strain) A strain is a debiliating mucscular injury which can leave your dog lame, unwilling/unable to do certain activities eg: in/out of car, and they may seem to go old overnight or vety slow and unwilling on walks for further information on Strains click here.
After a Strain has occured and the fibres are torn the body needs to repair itself and it does this by laying down scar tissue. Just like humans after a muscle is torn the body cannot lay down new muscle fibres to instead it lays down a tough, fibrous type of connective tissue which binds the torn fibres together. This can anywhere from one week to 3 months to occur depending on the Grade of Strain.
Although the scar tissue has bound the fibres together it has also lessened the muslces flexibility as a natural part of the process is to tighten the muscle while the scar tissue binds. This is the reason why many dogs will be diagnosed as having arthritis as the dog seems old and lame overnight. NOTE: Arthritis DOES NOT come on overnight! It is surprising how many dogs are diagnosed with arthritis without an x ray and it seems this Orthopaedic Condition has become a blanket term for lameness in dogs. So dont despair you dog may well have torn muscles that are causing it become lame/stiff/immobile/old before their time.
What will I see?
You may see your dog:
Lame
Stiff
Miserable
Off their food
Finding it difficult to eat off a bowl on the floor or;
Lying down to eat
Altered Gait
Strange leg carriage
Roached (curved) back
Swayback
Unable to do stairs/get in car/jump on sofa
Old overnight
In the agility dog they may be knocking poles, measuring or be persistantly diagnosed with a pelvis that is out of line
Difficulty getting up
What Can I Do?
Whilist anti inflammatories may play an initial part in the dogs recovery eg: the reduction of inflammation which occurs during the first week or 2 after an injury, many owners report not seeing a long term difference in their dog and they are left with a dog who has lost their `Zest` for life. This means the dog is now in the Sub Acute or Chronic Phase of Injury.
Scar Tissue can be broken down with massage and a professional massuese should have a good working knowledge of Scar Tissue Remodelling. This means they can identify the Strain, know which muscle it is on, break the scar tissue down (as much as possible, depending on the lenght of time the injury has been there) and realign the fibres (someone who doesnt know what they are doing can actually do more harm than good!)
This then means that the contracted and adhered bands of tissue are `freed` up from neighbouring fibres allowing the muscle freedom to move again and importantly LESSENING THE CHANCE OF REINJURY. By mobilising scar tissue using canine massage techniques and promoting fibre realignment, the flexibility and elasticity of the muscle may be returned and you see a happier dog who is willing to go for walks and has become more mobile, and has a younger aspect.
The best thing that works on soft tissue problems is someone elses soft tissue
What Happens if it is left?
As well as seeing the symptoms above you may see your dog intermittantly lame or sometimes owners will see some improvement only for the dog to go backwards in a few weeks or months time. Why? Because the dog is in what we call the Strain-Restrain Cycle. Remember an injured muslce is a weak muscle that is prone to tearing, the dogs body will be incredibily tight so tightness is the precursor to strain. Once one area is injured the dog will overcompensate (typically assymetrically eg: back left front right) and alot of the time lameness can be a red herring as the dog may be being treated for front right lameness but the issue is REALLY on the back left. This is why it is important to get a professional who has advanced Palpation Skills (the art of `seeing` with your fingers)
A vast number of dogs who step into my clinic may have been to many other profeesionals before they end up at my door and the scar tissue has been missed time and time again. As I always say we cant be expected to do everyones job as I wouldnt expect to be able to do theirs, and the detection of scar tissue lies in the art of muscle isolation and palpation so a masseuse who has received Canine Massage Training should always be your first point of call if you suspect your dog has scar tissue resulting from a strain.
A strain with scar tissue will also result in compensatory issues such as Triggger Points in Dogs so you can see how one injury can result in a whole host of problems and become a cyclical issue where you can never seem to get your dog `right`.
If you cant get to a masseuse then at the very least you can try easing their pain and soreness with a general overall body massage using the DVD Canine Massage in 3 Easy Steps which will help to alleviate some of the pain associated with these conditions.
If you live in the UK why not attend one of our workshops, your dog will receive a free palpation on the day helping to give you some answers as to what you are seeing muscular wise with your dog and you will learn canine massage techniques that help improve their mobility and quality of life. Click here for Canine Massage Training and Workshops
Veterinary diganosed issues are also taken into account and should we feel that we have found an orthopaedic issue on your dog we will simply talk it through with you and refer you back to your vet for further investigation; by working together we can help to provide a better, more encompassing service for your dog.
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