Prehabvet

18/10/2024

What's the difference between jumping for agility, versus Mondioring? How do we approach counter-conditioning in a sheepdog, and does the dog's style play a role in this?

Tomorrow, we’re heading to Leamington Spa to discuss how performance skills impact our plans for injury and physical conditioning. It's exciting to see a pup return to working status, but what should we realistically expect in terms of skill retraining and retention?

While we know a competitive career isn’t always linear, there are common patterns that can guide our expectations. Rehabilitation isn’t just about reactive treatment; veterinarians and physiotherapists also play a crucial role in staging fitness, skill training, myofascial health, and providing preventative care (also known as "prehab"— which is our founding principle).

Our goal in this lecture is to connect the training patterns we instinctively use with a broader care plan, collaborating with the high level of academic expertise and medical knowledge of professionals in the field. We're honoured to be invited and look forward to hearing from other speakers.

12/08/2024

We're thrilled to be invited as speakers during ACPAT's 2024 Seminar in Leamington Spa. Our team routinely works with chartered physiotherapists across the Southwest, delivering collaborative care, referral services, and pain management solutions.

Recently, we spent a foggy weekend in Princetown, Dartmoor. We were there photographing sheepdogs at the English National Final, who demonstrated incredible fitness and skill on moorland terrain. In our upcoming lecture, we look forward to analysing and breaking down some of the contributing patterns that support these canine athletes.

🎤 SEMINAR SPEAKER 🎤

SMALL ANIMAL DAY SPEAKER

Tracy Carter DVM BSc MRCVS

Tracy Carter is a veterinarian experienced in sports medicine and rehabilitation, invested in bridging preventative care practice with musculoskeletal health.
She runs courses for working dog owners , has written appropriate-use protocols for lameness in telemedicine and leads a team helping develop technology for improved gait analysis.
Tracy has trained and competed with her own dogs for over twenty years. She knows current and past trends in handling, nutrition, and training. She’s worked with weekend teams and world teams, with a specific ability to adapt to the individual and their goals

“Common skill patterns in Working Dogs - considerations for Injury and Conditioning”

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ACPAT.ORG/EVENTS

21/07/2024

Nutrition is a topic we consider when meeting every client, and this is because I've witnessed disproportionate ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fats significantly alter muscle mass and endurance. In these cases, the underlying driver behind altered performance (and even gait) was not conditioning, but food.

A few of my clients have contacted Food for Fen on choosing a balanced and complete raw pre-mix for this reason; she's now made a list available for all. Thank you, Fiona!

Commercial Raw Premades for Dogs *UPDATED Dec 5, 2024*

UPDATES:
Northwest Naturals (Oregon) added to the USA list

The raw dog food industry has come a long way! (Thank Dog!)

While there are still many commercially available premades that are not balanced according to nutrient requirements (and still have labels that read something like "Turkey, Turkey Organs, Turkey Bones, Kelp" 🙄), many companies are beginning to offer at least one line of correctly labeled, complete and balanced food for dogs.👏👏

Below is a list of balanced commercial premade raw dog foods that follow nutrient guidelines (AAFCO and or NRC for North America; FEDIAF for Europe). If I've not included your favorite, there is probably a reason, such as using seeds and herbs to meet mineral requirements, for example. There are several brands that do this. Bioavailability of minerals from seeds and herbs is questionable. While the recipe may look fine on paper, it may not be providing all the nutrients as labeled (see notes under Beware! for an explanation)

But I digress...If your favorite brand is not listed, let me know in the comments!

"How do I know if a particular raw food is right for my dog?"

If your dog can eat within the package guidelines for his/her weight and maintain an ideal bodyweight, this indicates that the food has the correct caloric density for your dog. Of course, other things must be considered too, especially for canine athletes or dogs with health conditions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Most commercial raw dog foods will NOT work for (drastic) weight loss or "easy keepers". Fat is a cheap ingredient and most commercial raw diets are higher in fat than would be indicated for weight loss. Many dogs needing to lose weight, or those dogs that are easy keepers or low activity, will probably NOT be able to eat within the package guidelines for their size without gaining weight. Many brands formulate assuming a very high energy multiplier and work well for high calorie burners only.

BEWARE! Websites are often misleading (some brands labeled "Complete and Balanced" are actually "ratio", "BARF" or "PMR" style of raw feeding, which do not follow nutrient guidelines and are not based in science; they are often deficient and/or excessive in several important nutrients.

In the UK especially, there are several brands/lines that claim "FEDIAF" but contain a long list of nuts, seeds and herbs and no vitamin/mineral additives ("Nutritional Additives" on the label).

Anyone who has studied nutritional science in dogs understands that these ingredients may not provide their "on paper" amounts of any given nutrient due to reduced bioavailability in the canine. Due to the way the mineral is structured (bound) within the plant matter, some (or all) of certain minerals may not be absorbed and thus the nutrient is unavailable to the dog. In reality, such vast amounts of these types of ingredients would need to be used to account for their reduced bioavailability, which makes them poor choices to use in canine diets as sources of minerals.

This is why "nutritional additives" appear on (UK) pet food labels - only small quantities of a supplement are generally needed to meet requirements, vs. huge quantities of plant ingredients. While plant matter does offer many other benefits in the canine diet (antioxidants, water-soluble vitamins, beneficial fiber and other non-essential but important nutrients) they are generally not good sources of minerals. This is especially true of iron. "Non-heme" iron (iron from plant sources) likely has zero bioavailability in dogs. So think twice about feeding an all-chicken diet with thyme, parsley and spinach listed as "good sources of iron"; for a dog - they are not!

And finally, The List!

Complete and Balanced Commercial Premade Raw food List (will be updated frequently-ish)

Guide/Legend:

ALS = All Life Stages. This means the food is complete and balanced for growth and reproduction as well as adult dogs at any stage of life.
Adult = the brand offers complete and balanced formulas for adult dogs
Adult and Puppy = the brand offers separate complete and balanced formulas for adult dogs and puppies.

Canada only:

Purevolution (Quebec only, adult and puppy)
Faim Museau (Quebec and Ontario only, ALS)
Iron Will Raw (Canine Complete only, adult and puppy)
Aliments Crus Grenier (Quebec only, Premium Recipes only - ALS)
Alpha Dog Distribution (Quebec only, AAFCO recipes only - adult)
CaniPro (Quebec only, Completes and Supreme Completes only - adult and puppy)
Karbur (Quebec only - Ontario coming soon, Complete Meat Blends only - ALS)
Karnivor (Quebec and Ontario only, ALS* (they recommend the Beef and Chicken recipes for puppies).

USA only:

Carnos - formerly Top Quality Dog Food (Completes only - ALS)
Oma's Pride (Completes only - ALS)
Titan (ALS*) *Not suitable for easy keepers - very high fat. Excessive retinol (Vitamin A), although not exceeding safe upper limits)
Rebel Raw (ALS)
Bravo (Balance formulas only - ALS)
Answers (Detailed formulas only - ALS*) *Not suitable for dogs requiring a low histamine diet, such as mast cell cancers, allergies and possible food sensitivities)
K9 Craving (ALS)
Just Food for Dogs (Gently Cooked - ALS* (they recommend Chicken & White Rice and Fish & Sweet Potato recipes for puppies)
Northwest Naturals (ALS, ALS including Large breed puppies)

Internationally available:

Instinct Raw (adult and puppy)
Instinct Raw Longevity (adult and puppy)
Stella and Chewy's (Raw Dinners only - ALS)
Primal (USA and Canada only - adult and puppy)
K9 Natural (Australia and New Zealand only - ALS)

UK only (FEDIAF):

Nature's Menu (Complete and Balanced line only - adult and puppy)
Poppy's Picnic (adult and puppy)
*NEW* Kiezebrink (KB Complete and Alaska Dog lines only - adult and puppy)
*NEW* Wilson’s Pet Food (Premium 70|10|10|10 lines only - adult and puppy)

**Food for Fen has no affiliation with any manufacturer and by listing the food does not constitute and endorsement**

17/07/2024

A new study, "Risk Factors for Injury in Border Collies Competing in Agility Competitions" was published by researchers at Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine. It focuses on factors such as length of recovery, and the introduction age of elbow height jumps or backsides.

It's worth a read, as studies like this help refine and improve the depth of our training and management strategies. A massive thanks to the authors for dedicating their time and expertise to investigating common topics of conversation in agility.

The study is open access and free to view - we've popped the link on our blog.

A recent study published by Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine focuses on agility dogs.

02/07/2024

If you're scheduled for a clinic, we have two main locations: Four Paws Rehab in Kentisbeare, Devon and Holistic Vet Vicky in Wiveliscombe, Somerset.

It was lovely seeing clients this morning in Somerset. Before we started working in this location, I always loved passing the green storefront, next to a garden shop and sweet café. It's as cozy on the inside, as it looks on the outside - making an excellent "safe space" for dogs during acupuncture and soft tissue therapy.

01/07/2024

Today, we're releasing Lesson Five for our foundation course students, on our private member platform. This week incorporates the one, basic stretch that serves as the gateway for using a range of flexibility exercises.

To date, we've produced 23 videos on prehabilitation skills and information, all organised into logical steps. We've covered five topics across 20 lessons. Students upload their own videos each week, receiving feedback on reward placement, adaptations, and progressions.

There's only one week left! Recent bonus lessons included real-life examples of when foundation helped injury or illness, with mini-sessions on the anatomy of fascia, the patellofemoral unit, and movement.

Interested in becoming a member? We may have something for you next. Sign up to our newsletter to find out.

https://prehabvet.com/newsletter/

Might be a more than a little sentimental, but when you’ve had and lost a few dogs, this is my favourite part of trialing - on my way for a post-run “good dog” celebration. If you've got one, let us see it! Photo by Fiona Davies-Russell.

11/06/2024

We’ve seen these lovely photos of Salsa today, one of our favourite spaniels. She’s got an infectious enthusiasm, a sense of humour and always a smile.

Congratulations to Salsa and her handler, Juliet Dearbergh for going Grade 7. We were lucky to be on Salsa’s pre-competition team and bring her back to fitness following an injury. She’s been one of the fittest spaniels since - in part, as we don’t suspect she slows down!

Well deserved, and we look forward to seeing her name in future champ classes - in between her much-loved and full life.

06/06/2024

Welcome to Week One of our Foundation Course launch!

We've just completed the first of our live office hours. These weekly events offer members the opportunity to pre-submit questions on any prehabilitation topic, seek help with troubleshooting, or receive instant feedback on their homework.

At the end of our session, Brew joined us to say hello. She was a key demonstrator during our mini-lesson on block size, so it was fair that she wandered over for an introduction.

Remember, all events are recorded and available for replay. Members will have access to all course materials for three months following the course.

Looking forward to next week, and more questions.

19/05/2024

Back in Cornwall today for our third open trial weekend of the season. A cheerful crew is present (both dogs and people) with the appearance of the sun, which has been absent since - well, decades (or so it feels). Fantastic timing for my no-longer-waterproof wellies, but a quick transition for the dogs not used to full sun.

Still, most of the dogs have shown excellent fitness coming off training or lambing. Last weekend marked the big start of the trialling season, with eight trials - run across two days, at Trethern in Delabole.

The top field was an estimated 500 yards, with several embankments to navigate; the other choice being a 300-yard sloping field, with two types of sheep to keep handlers thinking (and watching) between runs. As a marker of the summer and a trial that has been run for actual decades, teams came from Ireland, Wales, and all parts of England to attend.

Video (in the comments) from the post for the top field, photo from set out at the bottom field. Pleased with both of my dogs so far, who have worked very hard (and more) within the range of our schooling field for their just-starting Open careers.

Sheepdog trialing is a little bit luck, a fair amount of skill - and a lot of community, which the southwest does well.

10/05/2024

The thought of acupuncture and sports management doesn't often cross your mind; but it should. It's a different approach from our technique for geriatric care, chronic pain management and medical conditions - but it certainly has a place in managing the athlete.

Sports acupuncture helps fascial elasticity, trigger points, and compliments mobility maintenance. We often use it before any soft tissue therapy to help ease focused treatment, allowing an over-tense muscle to relax gently. This helps improve tolerance and targets for your dog's soft tissue therapy.

It's important to remember that acupuncture, massage, and pain relief alone do not fix compensatory problems. Prescription exercises and staged conditioning are your long-term friends here, while the treatments help get you to a starting place where progression is both safe and possible.

09/05/2024

Working dog teams have so many options for training online. We've got obstacle skills? Check. Handling feedback? Check. Puppy raising? Check, check.

Less available is information on preventative care, why a team makes different choices from the next, and how to decide on your management pathway. This also changes over a dog's career, from puppy to retirement. How do we pace that ebb and flow?

Prehabvet can help - we're taking sports medicine online, starting with a foundation course; your step one. It's what we do to maintain good stability, flexibility and strength. It's also our first step in a rehabilitation process, so if these skills are your neutral - you're ahead of the game.

The course takes place over six weeks on our private, community-lead platform. You'll get personalised feedback directly from a sports veterinarian, a chance to upload videos for review, and ask questions. You'll get to learn why, as well as the how. It's not bouncing on a ball, pirouettes or squats - this course is about the tissues and brainwork connecting the body.

Sign up here - please note, places are limited and already filling; this is our beta launch, which has allowed us to offer a lower price, with even more personalised time per team.

https://prehabvet.com/foundationcourse/

We support you, in championship of the working dog. Prehabvet teaches you to influence factors that preserve performance, and improve health.

06/05/2024

Great news - we're expanding our services! We've added a new location in Wiveliscombe, Somerset at Holistic Vet Vicky.

We still provide regular treatment and consultations at Four Paws Rehab near Cullompton, Devon.

Check out our updated website for appointment descriptions, prices and services. All our of current clients are able to manage their appointments online, from strict rehabilitation to maintenance therapy.

https://prehabvet.com

12/03/2024

Nutrition-on-the-day is always a hot topic for our working dogs - thanks to Food for Fen for sharing an easy energy win:

Those of you who tuned in yesterday to the first Food for Fen webinar, hosted by Dore River Border Collies, learned about glycogen sparing and replenishment as a way to promote stamina in our canine athletes. We talked about how muscle glycogen replenishment can be maximized during that short window...