Feet

[rob190364 2,594]

I've read loads of stuff on here about how some of the bigger lurchers and greyhounds suffer from having bad feet and was just wondering.........is it possible to toughen up feet or is it a case of a dog either has tough feet or it doesn't?

 

For example, lots of people say greyhounds get a lot of foot injuries, whether it's because they have bad feet or they don't necessarily have bad feet but the feet they do have just can't cope with an animal of that weight running that fast. If you got a greyhound as a pup and did a lot of road walking and gentle exercise on semi rough ground when it's a pup would/could you end up with a dog that has fairly tough feet?

[sandymere 8,263]

Greyhounds do tend to get more injuries just because of the pressure they exert on themselves. Feet can indeed be improved and road work is the great mainstay of this but bear in mind that it gives a very limited extent of movement to the lower leg joints and ligaments. To combat this there needs to be opportunity for exercising over more uneven terrain where the joints etc will be put through a greater range of movement; this will reduce the chance of over stretch injuries once work starts. Making the most of what the dog has is all you can do and good rearing with development to include opportunity to acclimatize to varying terrain etc can only help. A track dog that has never run on anything but flat sand or grass will always be at a disadvantage to one reared in mixed terrain.

 

Few Facts from an article by John Konkhe

 

At a gallop, a racing greyhound is only touching the track surface for 25% of its stride distance, and during the remainder of the stride, it is suspended above the ground until the next limb hits the ground.

 

Up the straight, a greyhound carries 2.26 times its body weight on the weight bearing front limb at each stride, increasing to 5 times (or roughly 150kg) in downward weight force on its left inside front limb when leaning over around a sharp bend on the track.

 

A greyhound has a stride length of around 5 metres making 4 strides per second as it accelerates from the traps, decreasing to 3.25 strides per second up the home straight, with each limb touching the ground for about 0.11 seconds.

 

The forelimbs have a flight distance (off the ground) of 1.23 metres, and the rear legs 2.45 metres or double the distance.

 

Wrist/Bone Joints

The wrist joint bones on the front limbs sustain pressure of 500psi or 20,000 newtons per square cm when cornering at the gallop.

 

The wrist and lower limb structures withstand up to 150kg of downward pressure when galloping around a corner, which is created by the centrifugal force in proportion to the speed of the greyhound and the radius of the track circle.

 

This sideways force is imposed on the greyhound's front limb on the second stride into the corner and if the track surface is unstable or shears, the outward flinging force causes increased sideways pressure on the joint, which can result in injury to the wrist.

Edited June 1, 2011 by sandymere

[rob190364 2,594]

Thanks for this, some good info there. The bulk of my pups exercise at the moment is running through woodland, running and jumping through undergrowth and trees, and when it's rained I give her a good run out on the fields but I must admit I don't do a lot of road work, is it advisable I do this or will free running on a variety of terrain cover everything. Road walking bores me senseless to be honest but if it needs doing then I'll have to start doing it I guess?

[skycat 6,173]

In my opinion, road walking has its place. If you were to only go barefoot on grass, your feet wouldn't be as tough as if you'd marched along a hard road or path for a few miles. The same is true for dogs. Steady trotting is better than walking and helps to strengthen tendons and ligaments in toes and legs as well as toughening up the pads themselves. Jogging along for 4 or 5 miles a day is a great way to keep a dog just ticking over fit without letting it tear about on rock hard ground in the summer.

[sandymere 8,263]

In my opinion, road walking has its place. If you were to only go barefoot on grass, your feet wouldn't be as tough as if you'd marched along a hard road or path for a few miles. The same is true for dogs. Steady trotting is better than walking and helps to strengthen tendons and ligaments in toes and legs as well as toughening up the pads themselves. Jogging along for 4 or 5 miles a day is a great way to keep a dog just ticking over fit without letting it tear about on rock hard ground in the summer.

2nd that, I run with mine and puffing up and down Devons many hills stops any chance of getting bored, just bloody knackered!

[Moll. 1,770]

running through woodland, running and jumping through undergrowth and trees.

 

That may cause more problems than it helps. Easy for dogs to knock up toes, legs running into trees, on fallen branches and the multitude of things hidden in the undergrowth. You cannot wrap them in cotton wool but at the same time avoid places which can cause injury if you don't need to go

[Casso 1,261]

I've read loads of stuff on here about how some of the bigger lurchers and greyhounds suffer from having bad feet and was just wondering.........is it possible to toughen up feet or is it a case of a dog either has tough feet or it doesn't?

 

For example, lots of people say greyhounds get a lot of foot injuries, whether it's because they have bad feet or they don't necessarily have bad feet but the feet they do have just can't cope with an animal of that weight running that fast. If you got a greyhound as a pup and did a lot of road walking and gentle exercise on semi rough ground when it's a pup would/could you end up with a dog that has fairly tough feet?

 

 

i been blessed to live not too far from the coast,,walking on a stony sea shore is great for feet,,because the foot dont come down on a flat surface, each toe has to work in its own right to maintain a grip,,an old greyhound man i knew used to swear by it,,

[rob190364 2,594]

running through woodland, running and jumping through undergrowth and trees.

 

That may cause more problems than it helps. Easy for dogs to knock up toes, legs running into trees, on fallen branches and the multitude of things hidden in the undergrowth. You cannot wrap them in cotton wool but at the same time avoid places which can cause injury if you don't need to go

I'm not being funny but avoiding woodland when taking them for a walk IS wrapping them in cotton wool!

 

What do you do, stick to fields or roads and nothing else? If you avoid woodlands and then when out hunting it happens to chase something into woodland surely there's more chance of it then running into a tree or picking up an injury because it wouldn't be use to running through that sort of terrain?

 

Woodland in this weather is ideal because it's shaded, the ground is soft and they get decent exercise because of running/turning/jumping etc.

[Moll. 1,770]

Ok...you know best

[Bootsha 1,306]

Road work is essential to building and maintaining good feet. I dont mean running alonside a car as you rip around. Walk yourself, dog on lead, for a few weeks, progressing slowly the distance, then move on to the next stage. I have seen many dogs with poor feet, that would certainly have benefited greatly from road work. You'll rarely see a dog that has a lot of road work with bad feet, if ever. Again, Just my humble opinion.

 

B

[rob190364 2,594]

Ok...you know best

Not really....but it just seems a bit bizarre to me to avoid woodland when taking dogs for a walk. Maybe I'm wrong though and I'm an accident waiting to happen? She's going to be a ferreting/mooching dog though so I need her to be well practiced at running through all types of terrain really.

[Moll. 1,770]

Well Rob, here's my theory.

 

A dog is much more likely to take a knock running through woodland than anywhere else really. One knock to a toe can severely limit or end a dogs working life...yes? So the more you run your dog through woodland the greater the chance of it happening % wise.

 

My opinion is, if you don't NEED to run your dogs through woodland, if just out on a walk etc then don't do it, if you are working your dogs in it, then that is different. A dogs feet will get plenty of variation of surface/levels/terrain in any field, and road work to toughen the pads.

The theory that the dogs get used to running in woods is not really relevant, woodland changes all the time, i would rather run a hesitant dog through it and come out ok than a dog who thinks it knows the terrains to be felled by a fallen branch not normally there

 

My older/deceased dogs spent the majority of their lives bushing with terriers through really heavy woodlands, and the rivers edge over rocks etc when out for walks, and they had their working lives cut short due to injury of their feet and legs. My current dogs have not and still have good feet. And yes they do work woodland still but only when they need to not just for fun

 

Your dog is still a pup, still developing, let it happen as easy as possible.

[bullmastiff 615]

Road work is one of those boring nessities!

I just jump on the bike and do a few miles, a few times a week with mine.

I tend to ride fairly steady to start with then build up to as fast as I can ride (not very fast for the dog though!!) just to stretch their legs a bit then drop back to a steady pace.

A couple of miles will get the dog's tongues out and help their feet a bit.