This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com as: Andy Murray’s Dogs Pose with Wimbledon Trophy and Olympic Medal.
British tennis player Andy Murray added the coveted Wimbledon trophy to his growing victory collection last week.
His Border Terriers, Maggie May and Rusty, seem to love the Wimbledon trophy as well, as they posed for a picture with the hashtag #Wimbledogs and shared it on Maggie May’s Twitter handle:@MaggieMay_hem.
In his professional career, Murray has held many tournament-winning prizes above his head in the form of trophies, chalices, cups, plates, vases, and more.
Andy Murray’s Many Wins
Additionally, he’s worn medal around his neck after earning the gold in men’s singles and silver in mixed doubles (with fellow Brit Laura Robson) at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
The olympic win was especially noteworthy for England, as London played host city and multiple tennis medals were brought home by British athletes (Murray and Robson).
These achievements were made even more exceptional in that olympic tennis was held on Wimbledon’s hallowed grounds, where no British man nor woman had won a grand slam title (singles, doubles, or mixed doubles) since Virginia Wade won the women’s singles in 1977.
Perhaps Murray’s Olympic win was a preview for the historic update of his 2013 Wimbledon win.
Maggie May and Rusty Wear Murray’s Medals
Murray’s dogs are quite popular on Maggie May’s Twitter account. Perhaps Rusty lacks Maggie’s cognitive and dexterous talents, as he lacks his own Twitter account while Maggie May is a frequent tweeter and has over 23,000 followers. Fortunately for Rusty, he’s highly featured in Maggie May’s tweets.
After Murray brought home his Medals, Maggie May tweeted this charming photo of Rusty and her modeling the symbols of their dad’s achievements.
I’m thoroughly amused by Maggie May’s audacity, as she tweeted “just checking to make sure Rusty definitely has the silver, obviously.” Although it’s a cute concept for Murray to document the dogs adorned with his Olympic medals, I hope they only did so for the photo shoot.
A Medal is Heavy for a Dog to Handle
According to London2012.com the “London 2012 Olympic medals weigh 375-400g, are 85mm in diameter and 7mm thick”. That’s a sizable diameter and weight (0.83-0.88 pounds) worthy of the years of dedication and sacrifice required to perform at the Olympic level.
Comparatively, the American Kennel Club (AKC) indicates the Border typically averaging between 11½ to 15½ pounds pending age, sex (males trend heavier than females), and other factors.
Depending on their size, they could be carrying between 5-7% of their body weight in the form of an Olympic metal hanging from their necks.
Carrying this load on a frequent basis puts unnecessary pressure on the cervical (neck) vertebrae (backbones), intervertebral discs, facets (joints that permit flexibility and range of motion), other supportive structures (muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc.), blood and lymphatic vessels, and even nerves.
Leaving Maggie May or Rusty unobserved may lead to their attempt to free themselves from the purple ribbon’s restriction using the mouths or paws. The fabric could get caught in the oral cavity, wrapped around a limb, or even ingested. Otherwise-avoidable, mild to severe health problems (restriction of blood flow to a limb, gastrointestinal foreign body, etc.) would ensue.
Being Cautious with Dog Accessories
In general, pet owners should use caution when adorning their canine or feline companions with any form of accessory, including a collar or harness. There have been numerous times when I am researching new collars for my pooch, Cardiff, and decided against a particular choice that feels too heavy.
I compare the sensation my dog experiences to that I feel when burdening the weight of a hefty backpack or shoulder bag. Compressed body tissues cause discomfort that can lead to a variety of physiologic problems (arthritis, intervertebral disc disease, reduced blood or lymphatic flow to/from the head, etc.) or behavioral changes (lethargy, decreased activity, etc.).
Let’s hear it for Andy Murray by congratulating his Wimbledon and olympic achievements.
Additionally, always prioritize pet safety in selecting collars and other adornments for your canine and feline companions.
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).
Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.
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