Care of the competitive Obedience dog

ABSTRACT

Competitive Obedience is a sport enjoyed by handlers and dogs alike. The competitive Obedience dog is an elite canine athlete, and as such is exposed to additional stresses and strains over and above those experienced by the average pet dog. Owners of competition dogs have high expectations from their veterinary practice in terms of the treatment and prevention of sport-related injuries, and this demand for highly-specialised care has led to the development of canine sports medicine.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. To ensure treatment is performed by a suitably qualified and trained physiotherapist, you should seek out a member of:

   1. The veterinary physiotherapists

   2. The animal physiotherapists

   3. ACPAT

   4. BVNA

2. Following advice of a canine sports medicine practitioner, injuries can be reduced by:

   1. 15%

   2. 25%

   3. 35%

   4. 45%

3. An objective assessment of gait analysis can be performed with:

   1. Observation of movement

   2. Manipulation

   3. Pressure sensing walkways

   4. Flexibility tests

4. A crooked sit in an obedience test could show stiffness in any of the following joints except:

   1. The hips

   2. The sacro-iliac joint

   3. The stifles

   4. The cervical spine

5. Non-pedigree dogs are enrolled on which register held by the Kennel Club in order to compete?

   1. Activity register

   2. Agility register

   3. Sports register

   4. Competition register

For the answers to the MCQs, please go to: http://www.bvna.org.uk/publications/veterinary-nursing-journal

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nicola Hopkins

Nicola Hopkins BSc(Hons) CertEd V1 D32/33 RVN

Nicola started working for the PDSA in 1996, qualified in 1999, and went on to become a Head Nurse in 2002. In 2003 she moved into education, and combines teaching animalcare students with working for Vets Now. She is currently developing a veterinary nursing degree for delivery at Carmarthenshire College. Nicola and her German Shepherd Dog, Echo were part of the Welsh Inter-regional Obedience team at Crufts in 2015.