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Mystery Lameness in Dogs
This month, I am focusing on dogs and how they can sometimes develop a strange limp, hop, or movement in the hind end. This can be pretty common in active dogs but also sometimes in older dogs, and while it can be tricky to identify exactly what's wrong, there are ways to help.
This can often show up after a specific incident—maybe your dog slipped, took a bad step, or – more commonly - just played too hard. However, this type of thing can also develop gradually from normal activity and exercise. Dogs, being the troopers they are, will keep going about their business until the problem becomes uncomfortable enough to affect how they move or behave.
What makes it tricky is that you often can't see or feel any obvious problems—no swelling or clear signs of injury. There is the possibility of muscle tension or cramping. Sometimes it’s intermittent, and sometimes just won't go away. You might notice that your dog seems uncomfortable when resting, constantly shifting position or trying to get comfortable. This can sometimes last a long time, even years.
What can you do to help? Well, the first thing is to do is to have a veterinarian examine your dog to rule out any injury or illness that is treatable. Injury to the joints, tendons or ligaments of the limbs or back are common and often treatable. There’s also the possibility of internal issues. If it’s something that your vet can treat then that takes the mystery out of it and often makes your dog more comfortable right off the bat.
However, if the vet is unable to find anything treatable (sometimes referred to as an undiagnosed lameness), there are deeper groin, hamstring, lumbar and core muscles that may be tight or spasming, creating discomfort in the hind end that you can help the dog to relax.
You don't need to be an expert in anatomy to help your dog. Simple, gentle bodywork techniques that you can do yourself can make a big difference. These techniques can also help your dog release muscle tension that has built up as a result of a dog compensating for an injury over time. The key is using light touch and gentle movements while paying close attention to how your dog responds.
The main techniques that can help from the Beyond Dog Massage book are:
- Very gentle touch - Search, Response, Stay (stay, stay, stay), and Release (page 11)
- Using movement in a relaxed and natural state (page 98)
- Soft wiggling or rocking (pages 142 - 145)
- Solving Mobility and Performance Issues: Chapter 8 - "From the Vet"
Remember, the goal isn't to fix everything at once, but to help your dog feel more comfortable and move more easily a little at a time. With patience and gentle care, dogs can show significant improvement.
Woof and Answer Wednesday
Make sure you read below the Woof and Answer Wednesday taken from our MM Canine Facebook page and watch the video of Kalin Finsand, one of our online canine instructors, working with a dog that simply plays too hard!
New Calendar Courses
And finally, take a look below at the calendar for our live Zoom courses, where you can work directly with an instructor in the comfort of your own home. We've added more dates for our foundational, Read and Release Course, and Jim and I are especially excited about our new, Introducing Movement courses—the second in the series of Zoom classes and open to all Read and Release course graduates.
Until next month, like me, snuggle, smooch (yep, it's Valentine's Day this month), and enjoy your four-legged best friend(s)
Conley
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