cramp & muscle sorness?

[paul bywater]

what are the signs of cramp & muscle sorness ,eg actions showed by the dog after or day after racing , my dog has been running hard & well latley so at some point im expecting one or both of the above , what are your views racers? p.s he does get a rub down with trainers choice every now & then :thumbsup:

 

[IanGerman]

Well I'm pretty sure none of my whippets ever suffered from cramp - they get a rub before a race and some massaging during the week is all. However my greyhound DID suffer cramp DURING a race once - and if you care about your animals its not something you want to see. She finished the race - a 270yd sprint at Bury St Edmunds - then went all stiff legged and collapsed at the pick up. I rushed over from the stands to find her being carried off the track by attendants and I feared the worst. But just a minute later she stood up, and when I opened the cage to lift her into the car she jumped in of her own accord! It was certainly a relief!

Muscle soreness of course is a different matter and I'd guess that the best thing for that is rest. By all means use an embrocation if it helps YOU feel that you are doing all you can, but personally I'm dubious about the effectiveness of these mixtures. Most of 'em are great at keeping fleas off though!

 

[Mark Roberts]

Hi Paul, a good way to avoid Cramp if you think your dog may be suffering is the use of Ascorbic Acid daily with a big dose the night before a race meeting.