Short-Term Efficacy of Capacitive-Resistive Electrical Transfer Therapy in Short-Haired Sled Dogs in Middle-Distance Competition

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The current greater specialization in canine sports medicine enables a more in-depth exploration of the effects of participation in any sporting activity. One such area of interest is lumbar discomfort, which, as with humans, is not uncommon in dogs participating in running sports. In this study, the main objective was to compare two therapies for thoracolumbar back pain: massage and capacitive-resistive electrical transfer (CRet) in dogs competing in a middle-distance sled dog race (Lekkarod(TM)-2021). The dogs participating in this clinical study were short-haired sled dogs known for their high performance in this canine sport. A total of 40 dogs were treated (20 with massage and 20 with CRet), and a reduction in discomfort was observed with both techniques. However, the improvement was much more evident with the use of CRet, suggesting that its use may be beneficial in reducing muscular pain in sled dogs. ABSTRACT: Achieving the successful recovery of sled dogs is one of the key tasks for veterinary teams involved in clinical care for middle-distance sled dog competitions. This study compares the efficacy of capacitive-resistive electrical transfer (CRet) with that of massage in the treatment of lower back pain in 40 short-haired sled dogs during a medium-distance snow sled race (Lekkarod(TM)-2021). The dogs were divided into two groups: a CRet group (20 dogs) and a massage group (20 dogs). All subjects received a single 18 min treatment session and were evaluated one hour after the end of the treatment. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed in which pre- and post-treatment pain measures were evaluated in relation to age and type of treatment. Older dogs were found to have higher significant pain scores before starting treatment. Both treatments reduce pain short-term in all cases. However, post-treatment pain values were significantly lower in dogs treated with CRet when compared to dogs treated with massage. The results show that capacitive-resistive electrical transfer has better short-term results and is beneficial in both younger and older dogs, making this technique attractive to veterinary teams working in canine sporting competitions.