I have a five-month-old Boxer/Rottweiler mix who
loves to play frisbee, but I heard that playing
catch and frisbee is dangerous for many breeds of
dog because of knee injuries. Is this true?
Catherine
Runnemede, NJ
Active dogs sometimes suffer injury to a structure in the knee called the cruciate ligament. The cruciate ligament helps to stabilize the knee during movement. Dogs with injured cruciate ligaments often require surgery to correct the problem.
Large breeds and overweight dogs are at increased risk of cruciate ligament injury. Also, cruciate ligaments may be damaged during any activity that places large amounts of strain on the knees. Running on rough terrain, playing fetch and, yes, playing frisbee may lead to cruciate ligament injuries.
However, if your dog loves playing fetch or frisbee, I’d recommend that you weigh the benefits of the activity against the risks. Although acrobatic leaps for frisbees may lead to injured knees, the running involved in fetching and frisbee catching helps to keep dogs fit, muscular and lean.
And don’t forget that playing fetch or frisbee is fun. Having fun is part of the reason why people adopt dogs.
Intense physical activity carries certain risks for dogs. But we all face risks every day. In most cases, the benefits of activities such as fetching or catching frisbees outweigh the risks.
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Hello Dr. B.,
There have been a lot of wild fires near our town recently, and the air is quite hazy with smoke. Yesterday I took our Lab, Justin, to the park to play fetch and he seemed to tire out much more rapidly than normal. Do you think that the smoky air could have made it hard for him to breathe?
Amy
Chico, CA
I definitely think that the smoke in the air could have affected Justin’s tolerance for exercise.
On days when air quality is poor, health authorities recommend that people (especially older people and people with asthma) stay indoors. And, they recommend against intense exercise, because pollution can cause irritation to the lungs.
Cats and dogs have lungs that are even more sensitive to environmental contamination than ours. Because of this, I think there is an extremely good chance that the smoky air affected Justin’s breathing and adversely impacted his ability to play fetch. I would recommend that you and he avoid strenuous activity until air quality improves.
I have two additional points to make. First, be glad you live in a town like Chico, where air quality usually is good (even if it’s not so great now). I was recently in Guatemala, where emissions controls are nonexistent. Cars, buses, and tuk-tuks all belch huge plumes of black smoke everywhere they go. I easily became winded climbing small hills.
Second, remember there is a small chance that the air quality is not the only problem causing Justin’s inability to exercise. If he continues to seem weak once the smoke has cleared, have a veterinarian look at him to assess his heart, lungs, and other organs.
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I was at the park not long ago with my good friend Buster. Some human friends were there as well. Buster is a bit fetch-obsessed, and the humans in the group took turns throwing a ball for him. It did not take long for the ball to become repulsively drenched with dog slobber.
I took the opportunity to lament that I had left the Chuckit! at home. And, I also noted that I was sorry that I hadn’t invented the device myself. My friend Brian laughed at me, and replied that I was about 30,000 years too late.
He pointed out that the Chuckit! is a variant of the atlatl, an ancient device used to throw spears. A quick check on Wikipedia proved him right.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that I was 30,000 years late. For one thing, archaeological records suggest that dogs were first domesticated 15,000 years ago.
Even if the Chuckit! isn’t a completely original idea, my hat still goes off to the person who thought of modifying an atlatl to hold a ball. I wish it had been me.
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You have questions. 