fourleg.com

Heya Laurie...would love to hear your initial thoughts on this girl.

2.5 year old female lab. Coming to me for structure eval and HEP for "inactivation of the hind end", very much a front wheel drive dog. Lacks push and power in the hind end.
Agility dog. Weak glutes, weak hind end in general.
SI was super restricted. (bilaterally, right worse than left)
R ischial tuberosity positioned dorsally compared to the L
R iliac crest positioned cranially compared to the L
I have only seen her once (lives far away), so just communicating long distance now.
My question relates to the dog's left hind paw...the digits go into extension and flatten out (but not all the time). The DDFT and SDFT appear ok in all other positions (i.e. if 'stacked' properly and positioned well, the toes look totally normal).
Is it the sickle shaped hocks that are too far under her and causing a posterior shift in her paws resulting in the toes to flatten? So by getting her glutes strengthened and get her into more hind end extension (thereby putting more weight down into the correct part of the paw) reasonable plan of care?

Or is that crazy?

k

Hey!

I think you are bang on in your thought processing and treatment planning. If the dog were to stand properly and use it’s rear assembly correctly, I think the feet would take care of themselves.

So, in addition to your strengthening plans, it would be great to try to work on SIJ mobility. (I would hazard a guess that this dog has had an SIJ issue since early puppyhood, thus creating the disuse atrophy, postural adaptations, and poor movement strategies… aka bring puppies in to see us preventively!!) Too bad the dog wasn’t closer, but to try to get some SIJ mobility and L-S mobility as well, I’d prescribe the pelvic tilt / reaching exercise in sternal as well.


Stay safe & stay healthy!

Cheers,

Laurie