Chek up of the athlete.
Training the dog means subjecting it to a series of progressive efforts, in order to increase its efficiency through the addiction to prolonged effort and rapid functional recovery after the effort. This work is adaptable to every subject, of any sex and age, on the sole condition that he is in perfect health conditions, thus excluding acute or chronic diseases, which would lead to nullifying the efforts and time lost in training.
Before starting physical activity it is essential to make a clinical visit to the veterinarian, who will focus mainly on those organs and systems whose integrity is a guarantee of good physical performance. Therecardiovascular system, appointed to bring oxygen to the muscles and to dispose of the toxins accumulated with fatigue, theskeletal muscle, understood as a machine for movement, and organs such as the liver, essential for providing energy during work and "disposing" of fatigue during rest. To do this, your veterinarian will propose a "check up" including blood and urine tests and, if deemed necessary, instrumental tests on the heart or joints. These tests, when dealing with an athlete dog, are not many and could be the ones listed below.
THEcomplete blood count (haemocytometric examination): evaluates the quantity of the main cellular constituents of the blood (white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets, etc.). Each of the components of the blood is a useful indicator of the situation of the organism, but they must also be evaluated in their interactions with each other. For example, low values of red blood cells can indicate anemia, however it is also necessary to know the amount of hemoglobin present in them because, since hemoglobin binds the oxygen transported to the cells, it can also happen that, despite the quantity of red blood cells is lower than normal, their volume is greater than normal; therefore hemoglobin must also be evaluated. An increase in white blood cells instead indicates that an infection is in progress in the body and, with a further examination (the leukocyte formula), the different families of these cells can be studied and assessed whether the infection is caused by bacteria, viruses or other microorganisms. A decrease in the hematocrit values (which represents the volume of erythrocytes present in the blood), that is, when the liquid part of the blood is in excess, indicates a greater danger of anemia than normal. A decrease in the number of platelets can indicate problems with blood clotting, since these cells have the task of promoting it.
Some parameters of the blood count are indicated by abbreviations that it is good to know.
Hemoglobin (hgb): it is the protein that carries oxygen and is present in red blood cells.
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): indicates the size of red blood cells and is important because it is used in the diagnosis of anemia: red blood cells can be smaller than normal (microcytic anemia) or larger (macrocytic anemia). It is derived from (hematocrit * 10 / number of red blood cells) and normal values range from 82 to 92 femtoliters (indicated by fl). In endurance sports, training increases the MCV value (some Kenyan athletes even reach values of 110).
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (MCH): is the amount of hemoglobin contained on average in a red blood cell. It is derived from (hemoglobin * 10 / number of red blood cells in millions / ml) and normal values range from 27 to 34 picograms.
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC): indicates whether the red blood cells, depending on their size, contain little or a lot of hemoglobin. It is obtained from (hemoglobin * 10 / hematocrit) and the normal values expressed as a percentage range from 31 to 37. Lower values are found in hypochromic anemia, higher values in haemolytic states (spherocytic configuration of the blood cells).
Red-cell Distribution Width (RDW): measured as a percentage (from 11 to 16) or absolute (from 39 to 50 fl), it indicates a measure of the amplitude of the curve of red blood cell volumes, allowing to recognize cases of anisocytosis (elevated RDW).
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (Ves): calculates the time necessary for the solid part of the blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets) to separate from the liquid part (plasma). Normal values are 7 mm./hour for both the dog and the cat. It is not a reliable value as it may not be present even if the infection is already in progress. Causes of values above the reference average can be determined by rheumatoid arthritis, heart attack, infections, inflammation, kidney failure, liver disease, pregnancy, leukemia, malignant neoplasms, shock, toxoplasmosis. Causes of values below the reference average can be determined by allergies, microcythemia (blood disease in which there are red blood cells smaller than normal), terminal neoplasms, polycythemias.
Blood chemistry tests: they investigate the enzymes that circulate in the blood. Among the many possible it is necessary to choose the most indicative ones according to the needs.
WARNING: Please note that the values indicated are indicative, as the parameters change depending on the laboratories. Only a veterinarian can interpret the values of a clinical examination.
Radiological examinations: they allow to verify the integrity and normality of the animal skeleton, but also to investigate some structures of the thorax and abdomen.
Instrumental examinations of the heart: who can use an electrocardiogram or echocardiography depending on whether you want to investigate any alterations in the heart rhythm or want to view the anatomy and size of the cardiac structures. Today the use of Doppler ultrasound is spreading, which allows us to analyze the blood flows through the valves and specify any narrowing or insufficiency of the same.
THEurinalysis: it is a practical and inexpensive exam that should always be carried out as a whole. The ideal sample must be taken with the dog fasting for at least 8 hours and resting for at least 24. In the urine you can find proteins from stress, from overwork, from excessive protein feeding.