FLYBALL

Time to talk about this high energy sport! Fly ball is a very high speed, competitive and exhilarating team sport!

Just like every sport we do with our pets, there is going to be common injuries that can occur.

Common Injuries:

• Ripped Paw Pads

• Bitten Tongue

• Split Lips

• Broken Teeth

• Toe Injuries

• Sprains/Strains

• Carpus Injuries

• Compression Injuries to Neck and Spine

• Collisions with Hurdles or Other Dogs

• Injuries to pelvis and spine from tight turns

A study of 375 dogs at the university of Florida showed:

• 39% of dogs had at least one injury

• 30.8% had a front limb injury

• 25.6% had rear end injury

• 19.2% had a paw/nail injury

(These dogs only did flyball!)

How to prevent injuries/make dogs stronger:

• plyometric training

• work on spine, core hindend awareness, pelvis and shoulders

• Make sure to exercise BOTH sides of your dog. In flyball, the dogs are trained to always turn the same way and this will cause an imbalance within the dog’s body. This will then cause injuries over time.

• Work on speed, explosive power, jumping work, turning ability, body awareness, flexibility, good muscle tone, body reaction time.

Flyball is a very physically demanding sport. Always put your dog’s health first and keep an eye on their physical and mental health.
Always remember:
🐾Warm up and cool down your dog.
🐾Keep our pups hydrated.
🐾Make sure to exercise! Not just practice fly ball by it self. Fitness work should be performed multiple times a week to ensure your dog can handle this sport.
🐾Do NOT over train!
🐾Have fun!! Your dog feeds off of your energy! 😁🐾♥️

Leah Senecal LVT, CCMT, CCRP, CSCC, CSMP

Canine Fitness Unleashed

10/15/24