Yesterday, I had an unfortunate encounter with a train door and suffered a minor injury to my shoulder. Just like humans, soft tissue injuries in dogs can result in muscle strains and need to be treated immediately,

As I was boarding a train, a faulty door slammed shut, striking me heavily on the shoulder. At the time, I thought nothing of it, I gave my shoulder a brief rub and I went on my way. However, as the day progressed, my back and neck started to ache, I had muscle spasms along my thoracic vertebrae and I had restricted movement in the affected arm. By the evening, I had considerable pain in my back and neck, my movement in my upper body was affected, and I was grumpy and out of sorts.

The blow from the train door definitely resulted in a minor soft tissue injury, the full extent of which did not reveal itself for 8 to 12 hours.

Soft tissue injuries following a blow in our dogs can progress in a similar way. Dogs may be hit by a door or an object like a car or bicycle. They can bump into walls or furniture if they slip or bump themselves when playing with other dogs. Initially, following a blow our dogs may show no signs of impairment. They continue to run and play, so we put any incident out of our mind. As time passes, our dogs, like me, can become increasingly sore, guard the injured area and retreat to rest.

If your dog has bumped into something or someone, then here are some tips for treatment.

1. Apply ice and rest

When your dog has received a blow, then rest them immediately. Apply ice to the affected area intermittently for the first 24 hours.

If your dog won’t tolerate an ice pack, then try applying cool damp towels to the area. The cool will constrict the flow of blood to the injury site and prevent swelling. It will also decrease the pain sensation by numbing the nerve endings. By applying cold treatment intermittently, a flushing action occurs. When the cold is removed from the injury site, the blood returns to the site, stimulating the circulatory system and supporting the healing process.

Restrict your dog’s activity for 12 – 24 hours to allow their body to heal.

2. Seek veterinary diagnosis and treatment

If your dog shows signs of injury such as guarding the area or inactivity after 24 hours of rest, then seek a veterinary diagnosis.

Depending on the vet’s diagnosis, a consultation with a canine myofunctional (massage) therapist may assist dogs with a musculoskeletal diagnosis. Canine myofunctional therapy or massage may help heal the muscles to restore them to their full strength, speed, and flexibility.

If your dog has bumped themselves and they are not recovering, please feel free to contact me to discuss their condition. It is time for me to apply more ice to my shoulder so until next time, enjoy your dogs.