Jumping into and out of a car

In this article we are going to consider jumping into and out of a car, something that most of our dogs do on a daily basis and we, as owners, take for granted. So why could jumping into or out of a car be harmful?

Let's look at jumping out of a car first of all 

The first part of the dog to hit the ground is the paws and it is the digits and carpus (wrist joint) that take most of the impact. Often the carpus will overextend and the ligaments that support the joint are “stretched” beyond their normal limits. On its own this is unlikely to cause a problem however, repeated jumping out of a car could lead to sprains of these ligaments. The next joint to take the impact is the elbow joint followed by the shoulder joint. Any pathology within these joints could be impacted and exacerbated by the repeated forces going through them. It is also worth noting that jumping out of an SUV type vehicle will increase this impact by four times than that of an ordinary car.

Canine Osteoarthritis: Canine osteoarthritis is a condition in which particular care must be taken. Repeated jumping out of a car will lead to microtraumas of the joint’s structures, particularly the cartilage, and this can lead to inflammation and further degradation of the joint thereby exacerbating the condition leading to degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis is not curable, but it can be managed and putting measures in place to protect the joints will have a massive impact on a dogs quality of life.

You can also see in the image above that the hips, stifles (knees) and tarsal (ankle) joints are relatively flexed to enable the dog to tuck the limbs underneath to jump out and land correctly. Flexion can be particularly uncomfortable for dogs with hip dysplasia or stifle conditions such as cruciate disease or luxating patella.

Jumping into a car

Looking at the second picture, when a dog jumps into a car the propelling force comes from the hind legs. The tarsi (in particular) and stifles flex and the hips extend in order to spring them upwards and the thoracic and lumbar spine often extends.

Conditions like Osteoarthritis, Cruciate disease, Luxating Patella, Disc disease and Spondylitis can be impacted by jumping up into a car and much like jumping out of an SUV type vehicle places additional stresses on joints, jumping into a higher car does too as the additional height needs more propelling force.

Cruciate disease is where the cruciate ligaments that stabilise the stifle joint start to fray and as a result the joint becomes unstable.  Dogs with this condition need to avoid jumping wherever possible as repetitive injuries to the ligament could eventually lead to complete ligament failure and a totally unstable joint.

Dogs with strains to the muscles of their lumbar spine or the gluteal muscles of the hips, should also avoid jumping up into a car as the jumping action could result in a strain - restrain cycle where just as the strain is beginning to heal it restrains again leading to a dog that has recurrent episodes of back and hip pain.

How can you help?

The old adage of prevention is better than cure is particularly pertinent when caring for a dog that already has an orthopaedic condition as this will prevent further injury. It will also help to prevent new injuries from developing.

The simple solution is to physically help your dog into the car. Small dogs can be picked up and lifted into or out of it. Larger dogs can be helped into the car by encouraging them to put their front paws up and then lifting their bottoms up for them. The use of a harness such as the “Help Em Up” harness can be used to help larger dogs out of the car by taking the weight off the limbs. Remember it is important that owners look after their backs too! Inappropriate lifting could result in injury to an owner leaving them unable to help their dog!

Depending on the type of vehicle that you have and where your dog is in the car will depend on the options available, but they are namely steps or a ramp.

The preferred option, which works well when getting into the boot of a car, is a ramp. There are many different types of ramps on the market, but it is worth investing in a good set that has an antislip surface. Many ramps are made of plastic and a dog slipping going up or down the ramp can cause just as much damage to a muscle or joint as to jumping up or down into a car in the first place. Rubberised ramps or ones that have been adapted with carpet are ideal. Do not expect a dog to walk up the ramp straight away the first time. They will need to be taught how to use the ramp so that they gain confidence in doing so. It is best to place the ramp flat on the ground and get them used to walking on it, aided and rewarded with treats before starting to raise it up.

Steps are often the easiest option to use if a dog sits on the back seat of the car however, can cause stifle discomfort when going up and elbow discomfort when going down. Again, they should be antislip wherever possible.

Prevention is better than cure

We hope that this article has showed the importance of helping your dog into and out of the car in order to prevent new injuries from developing and existing conditions from deteriorating. Prevention is better than cure and with a bit of creativity (ramps, steps, harnesses) your dog will be able to travel in style and comfort!

Author - Sarah Whittaker Owner of Chilterns Clinical Canine Massage

Case Study - Blaze…the dog who couldn’t jump.

Blaze, who will be 2 in September 2023, is a Cockapoo who enjoys his life at home with his family. Our friendship began in February 2022 when he visited me in my studio for his first ever groom. It was very clear to see that Blaze was a loving and caring dog who loves company.

Growing up Blaze couldn’t do things that other dogs did without a thought, which made his mum think that there could be something wrong. The first thing was that he never jumped in or out of the car, up or down from the sofa, and he didn’t even want to go up and down the stairs. He then started to have intermittent lameness in both of his hind limbs, lasting about 3-4 weeks each time, and had to be treated with pain medication and long periods of rest. It seemed that every time he got back to his adventures, he was back on rest again within a week. His mum was concerned about this and wanted to break this cycle.

He showed other signs of discomfort too:

• He would seem to be quite shaky or wobbly when running at speed.

• He would have leg tremors (shaking) when standing still.

• He would not stand up on his rear limbs for very long without having to sit back down.

The vets had recommended scans and X-rays to diagnose the problem, but she wanted to try massage therapy first to see if I could find why Blaze couldn’t jump in and out of the car.

Blaze melts into massage…

Already having a lovely friendship with Blaze meant that he was happy and comfy to sit with me and start his massage journey. It was clear, as soon as we started our first session, he was going to absolutely love it. He lay down as soon as we started and relaxed so much he started to nod off after 10-15 minutes.

Massage revealed that his problems were in his rear limbs, in the form of large trigger points, which are similar to the knots that we get as humans, apart from they also remove nutrients and oxygen in the muscle, causing it to become very hard, irritable, painful and can also reduce the strength and functionality of a muscle. He had multiple trigger points in his hamstrings which are muscles in the rear of the leg.  This would restrict Blaze’s ability to jump in and out of the car.

Working on these trigger points made it clear that Blaze was uncomfortable and they were causing him pain. Knowing we were scheduled for three sessions, I used the first session to introduce touch to the area, knowing that this would help Blaze ease into it. Over the next two sessions I used more complex therapy, such as The Lenton Method®, deep tissue and Swedish massage techniques, as well as myofascial release to reduce the severity of the trigger points and both Blaze and his owners saw an immediate positive change in him.

Blaze celebrates his session…

Blaze celebrated feeling much better after his first massage by walking out and jumping straight into the boot of the car! Although this worked against the home care plan we put in place his mum was so pleased - “I can’t believe it, he has just jumped into the boot of the car, he has never done that before, and I know I should have stopped him but I never thought he would do that! Thank you so much”. As much as she was frustrated she was also over the moon that even after just 1 session he was obviously feeling more comfortable to jump and just surprised everyone.

After the three sessions we have seen amazing improvements to Blaze and his mobility, comfort and daily activities. We have…

• Released all of the muscles around his body that had been affected by the trigger points.

• Removed overcompensation issues caused by him shifting a lot of weight on to his front legs and shoulders.

• Removed hypertonicity in the neck muscles. Hypertonicity in muscles can cause a reduction in function and mobility, so treating this will aid in his general movement and comfort.

How did massage therapy help Blaze?

It is important to understand and treat the body as a whole. Everything is

connected, and a problem in one area will almost certainly affect other areas too. As conscientious, professional and caring therapists we will always work to alleviate the issue that is causing the main symptoms, however, working on the entire body is the most effective and efficient way to return the muscles to their normal working order. For Blaze I helped….

• Increase comfort and mobility in the rear limbs, helping him be more comfortable and confident when tackling an upward or downward slope.

• Reduce the pain associated with his trigger points, meaning he had more confidence to walk, run and jump.

• Reduce the tightness to his neck meaning it is now a lot more flexible and has an increased range of movement.

• Relax and unbind the muscles in the shoulder, meaning that he has now has full range of movement in his front legs.

• Improve his general mood and happiness by treating and removing a lot of the muscle dysfunction.

What mum says…

“Blaze has responded brilliantly to his massages and we have seen a massive change in both his physical and mental wellbeing. Blaze’s mobility has increased greatly and he much sturdier on his legs. He’s stopped shaking when using his leg, hasn’t injured his legs (which happened regularly) since receiving massage therapy and we have some amazing tips on how to care for his body better. He can now get into the car himself, can cock his leg, which he never did before, and is able to stand on his back 2 legs. The fact that we have all this progress without needing medication, sedation for treatments or £1000’s worth of tests really does make the difference to him but also us as a family.”

Massage therapy has helped Blaze return to his adventures, including beach visits and running as fast as he likes!

Author - Stuart Kent Owner of BelMar Clinical Canine Massage Therapy