Shoulder Strain

[Guy Stevens]

Hi,

my BC "Oz" pulled his shoulder and the vet told me to keep him from running around to heal it. Hmm let's see a 7 mo. puppy espically a BC from running around..impossible.

 

Has any one on here had to deal with this problem? if so, how long did it take to heal? How did you help?

I am walking him 3 times a day or more to keep it lose, I actually carry him down the stairs to keep from adding stress to the shoulder area and of course, no frisbee. At night I give him a deep rub down to also massage the area.

 

Just trying to find out how long this might take to heal on the average.

Thanks in advance,

Guy

[AK dog doc]

Strains and sprains can take 2 to 8 weeks to heal, or even longer. Average is 4 to 6, but there are MANY factors which can impact this, so it's hard to predict with any exactitude (sorry about that). The key things are to 1) avoid re-injury (which you are doing by carrying down stairs and not allowing jumping-down sorts of things), 2) allow enough time to heal, and 3) be judicious about returning the dog to the prior level of activity. Step it up gradually, pausing at each new level for several days to be sure you're not seeing a recurrence of lameness before you step it up again. Your vet will help you know if anti-inflammatories are a good idea, and you can always Xray the shoulder if you need to. Shoulder films are done under anesthesia, however, so a lot of the time we try rest and restriction first.

[Northof49]

Originally posted by Guy Stevens:

Hi,

my BC "Oz" pulled his shoulder and the vet told me to keep him from running around to heal it. Hmm let's see a 7 mo. puppy espically a BC from running around..impossible.

 

So what did the pup injure- muscle or ligament? that is important to know. It will impact on healing time and how to start to exercise your puppy once you are given the okay.

There are certain massages that you can do as well - that should come from a myo-therapist who is familiar with sports injuries and dogs. You don't want excess adhesions to form and cause restrictions once the injury has healed.

 

Arnica and Rhus are excellent homeopathic remedies for muscle/ligament/tendon and really aid in the healing of these tissue.

 

In the meantime, keep you puppy busy by teaching him dog tricks - wear out his mind and you will find he is much more content.