Clean Run Magazine - July 2007 - 37

Specific signs of a cervical spine injury • Awkward head position: normally in a lower than neutral position. • Reluctance to bring the head up or extend the head. • Avoiding any physical contact with the head and neck: avoids being petted or stroked in this area. • Pain with extension of the head, usually resulting in vocalization, such as screaming. • Aggression when the head, ears, or neck are touched. • Knocking bars when going over jumps; unable to extend the neck and rest of the spine, so that the hind limbs try to compensate and attempt to overextend. • Decreased speed: unable to extend the neck and obtain full extension while running. • Diﬃculty with water and food bowls placed on the ﬂoor: dog may seek out elevated bowls on his own, such as toilets. • Avoiding contact obstacles. • Limping or decreased weight-bearing on one of the forelimbs. • Excessive licking or chewing on one or both forelimbs. Specific signs of a forelimb injury • Diﬃculty coming down obstacles such as the A-frame and dogwalk; the dog may miss contact zones. • Dog bobs the head up when placing the aﬀected forelimb down; this may initially be most apparent on the dogwalk or A-frame. • Popping out of the weave poles when the dog places weight on the aﬀected limb. • Diﬃculty on slippery surfaces; the forelimb slides out and is less stable when forced to compensate for slippery surfaces. • Diﬃculty when landing from jumps; the dog may pull away from the aﬀected limb and land on the unaﬀected limb. Remember that one isolated sign does not necessarily mean the dog has a problem. © MATTALLISONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Specific signs of a cranial or anterior cruciate ligament (CCL or ACL) injury • Diﬃculty with balance and proprioception; this dog may have diﬃculty standing in a moving vehicle or on slippery surfaces. • Pain or inﬂammation of the knee or stiﬂe. • Decreased motion in the knee or stiﬂe. • Atrophy or weakness of the muscles of the aﬀected hind limb, in particular the hamstrings. • Diﬃculty with turns, particularly to the aﬀected side. • Diﬃculty with jumps; the dog cannot generate the power needed to complete the jump. • Partial to total non-weightbearing lameness; the dog will not put some or all of his weight on the aﬀected limb • You may hear an audible pop or click during movement. One or two of the signs listed above might be a cause for concern but my recommendation is to continue to monitor the dog. If more signs present themselves, it is important for your dog to have a full veterinary examination. You can signiﬁcantly help your dog by identifying problems and intervening early. D The author wishes to thank the following people and dogs for their help with this month’s photos: Rita DiSalvo and Athena and Anna Ericsson and Harry-Barry. Debbie Gross Saunders is a licensed physical therapist and a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner with over 13 years of experience in the field. She and her husband have a rehabilitation and training center on their farm in Connecticut where they specialize in the rehabilitation, nutrition, and conditioning of dogs. Her book Canine Physical Therapy is available from www.wizardofpaws.net as is her quarterly newsletter, Wizard of Paws, which features the latest in exercise and rehabilitation. Contact Debbie at wizofpaws@aol.com. July 07 | Clean Run 37

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Clean Run Magazine - July 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - July 2007