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Greetings Laurie

Sorry to be such a rookie but I have a question. I have a client with a three-year-old Samoyed. She's a beauty. We treated her successfully for pinched nerve at c7-t1 and an iliopsoas strain. Once she was pain free, I viewed a video from a training session. Her right front foot "toes-in" slightly as she places it. Drives the client crazy and wants me to fix it. When I viewed tapes from earlier sessions (before her injury) i noticed that she has always placed her right foot a bit medially as they put her through her paces. 

I suggested that they use proprioceptive exercises, but could only think of pick-up-sticks and cavalletti poles. Do you have any ideas to try to get this kid to properly "place" her front feet as she moves around the ring.There is no more pain that I can find. 

Thank you and have a great week

RY  

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Hi!

Nice to hear from you!  

Okay - so I have had a handful of 'show dogs' where the owner wants them to gait differently - and here is my approach:

• Watch the owner handle the dog as if they are in the show ring, sometimes how they hold the leash (tightness, placement) can make a difference.  Sometimes speed makes a difference.  Sometimes distance near / away from the handler makes a difference.  I get them to trot the dog out and back several times while watching and getting them to try different handling methods & different speeds.  Make them attempt to gait her with the handler on the opposite side... does it change foot placement?
• Is there a leg-dominance discrepancy?  Perhaps do a circumference measure of the forelimb - one measure below the elbow and one above (i.e. 5cm each appx) to see if there is a difference that could indicate 'off loading' of one leg.  I would assume the the leg that toes in would be the dominant one (i.e. it is being place more midline.) Try putting a hair elastic (or any MILD annoyance on the right leg (just above the paw) to change the dynamics / focus.  Might as well do a test each leg.
• Try doing a tensor bandage / ace bandage wrap on the front legs (loose wrap) towards internal rotation (of the whole leg / shoulder) and then external rotation.  Does the paw placement change.
• Do a double check on that right elbow, carpus, paw, and T1-4… a slight outward turning of the elbow in order to offload a particular region of the elbow, carpus or paw could create a 'look' of the foot being placed medially, and sometimes dogs with T1-4 issues place their forefeet oddly.
• There's not much sense in coming up with exercises... until you can figure out what works...

I'm going to put my money on option number 1!  Best of luck!

Great question!!!

Laurie