Striding Out

Most people who come to WitsEnd for physiotherapy will say that their dog tends to either trot or just run around the field. However with a lot of these animals when you slow them down they tend to be stiff or lame. In most cases the forward action of the leg (protraction) is either normal or reduced, but the backward action of the leg (retraction) is reduced.

Piglet is very straight in his hind leg. This means when you look at him from the side his hip joint, stifle (knee) and paw are almost in a straight line.

Unfortunately for Piglet his structure is such that he has hip dysplasia and a luxating patella (slipping kneecap). When Piglet walks he has a very short stride length especially the backward action of his legs.

If a dog starts taking small strides the net effect is a reduction in muscle mass, which results in an increase in pressure on the joints, ligaments and tendons. If arthritis is present then increased pressure on these joints can result in further arthritic changes.

How important is the forward and backward movement of the limbs? Once again if you look at nature from small animals to the large ones all the animals seems to bring the leg forward and then retract the limb beyond the level of the hip and shoulder joints. The movement is very smooth and elegant.

The net effect is that these animals are well muscled and look more in proportion when the front half and the back half of the body are compared.

For many dogs that come to WitsEnd for treatment following surgery or injury one of the areas that we concentrate on is the walking action. By improving the walking action of the dog and using physiotherapy techniques such as massage and stretching we can build muscle to help support weakened limbs. Combined with physiotherapy is the use of hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is an effective way to stretch tightened muscle and joints. By increasing the movement of the joints and stretching tight muscles the stride length of the dog can be increased. Increasing stride length will increase the amount of muscle on the limb. More muscle gives extra support and strengthen to the limb as well as acting as a shock absorber for the joints.

With Piglet, notice the increased range of movement of his legs compared to his walking action above.

Our veterinary physiotherapist Dr Shahad Mohammed carries out all appointments. Shahad has 8 years of physiotherapy experience and 12 years of hydrotherapy experience and is registered with the National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists and works on veterinary referral with many of the veterinary practices in Leicester.