As canine sports have become more popular in recent years, some patterns are starting to emerge for injuries associated with specific performance events. These injuries tend to correlate closely with unusual stress being placed on a specific anatomic area in the dog's body.

Dogs competing in agility do a fair amount of jumping and the long term consequence is the potential for problems in the forelimbs. The two areas that seem to be most commonly affected are the shoulder joints and the wrist joints. Biceps tendinitis is an inflammatory condition of the shoulder joint that is seen most commonly in medium to large dogs that do a lot of jumping. Dogs with this condition will exhibit a front leg lameness that is often worsens with exercise. In addition, these dogs will resent full extension of the shoulder. Injuries to the carpus (wrist joint) are also common in jumpers. These may occur suddenly due to an awkward landing or they may develop as a chronic injury caused by repetitive trauma. Another area of concern in agility dogs is the lower portion of the back. Spinal arthritis and intervertebral disk herniation can result from excessive jumping. This issue contains another article detailing the use of MRI to diagnose a disk herniation in an agility dog.

Sight hounds competing in lure coursing appear to be susceptible to traumatic injuries of the lower extremities. This may involve either the front or back limbs, but the tarsus (ankle joint) is more commonly affected. Injuries range from mild sprains to dislocations and fractures. These dogs are powerful runners and they exert tremendous forces on the lower limbs when changing directions in pursuit of the lure. Uneven footing may also contribute to injury in some instances. Further discussion of lure coursing injuries are discussed elsewhere in this issue.

Some injuries occur almost exclusively in dogs used for a specific purpose. An example of this is the condition referred to a contracture of the infraspinatus muscle, which tends to occur in hunting dogs. The problem is caused by excessive scar tissue that develops in one of the main muscles of the shoulder following a traumatic event. A characteristic lameness is present as the affected front leg appears shortened and rotated externally. Surgery is necessary to correct the condition and most dogs are able to return to hunting.

Dogs used in law enforcement have a tendency to develop problems in their spinal columns. The same types of injuries are also seen in search and rescue dogs. In both instances, these dogs do a lot of jumping and climbing, which may have a cumulative effect on the vertebral column. Problems may result due to degenerative changes or secondary to a bulging disk. Depending on the severity of the condition and the age of the dog, a back injury can end the career of one of these dogs.