fourleg.com

Laurie

Question on gait, here is link to video https://youtu.be/k9xLxy5HCSQ . Per vet records 2 year lameness on L front leg. He is painful on deep palpation of the left shoulder slight reluctance on biceps stretch. He has a mild decrease in the right supraspinatus no pain on palpation.

Owners strongly believe it is a right front lameness- they are horse show people and used to looking at gait. He is an active playful 8 year old 55lb neutered male collie mix. BCS 6/9. They fill they see the lameness when he 1st gets up occasionally then at times when running around for the last 2-3 years.

When gaiting he only shows a lameness in a figure 8 when he as he completes the turn in the figure 8 to the middle. He is definitely down on the left front leg at that time. It was very repeatable at that point of the figure 8 every time. So I would call it a right front leg lameness.

So my questions are

When they are gaiting in a circle the most stress is on the outside leg?

So he was "down on the sound" on the left leg the same as if he is in a straight line gait?

Or does a lameness when circling tell you more about the outside leg?

Gait analysis not my strongest suite When are doing that gait analysis class? Sign me up!

Nancy Peterson DVM , CCRT, CVSMT, CVA
Pawsitive Strides Veterinary Rehabilitation and Therapy
Des Moines, IA

Hey Nancy!

Gait is one of those things that took me a LONG time to feel comfortable with! For years, early on, I would watch the dog, ask the owner which leg they thought it was or which leg the vet thought it was, and then do a full body evaluation anyways. I've gotten better over the years... but it's taken years!

Okay, so in the little video clip, I also see a RF lameness on the turn and slight increase in speed. However, I'd say that he looks stiff in both shoulders... so maybe the previous vet did see a LF lameness at some point (maybe...).

Now, to answer your questions.

I learned that gaiting in a circles increases weight bearing / stress on the inside leg(s)... I learned that when learning about horses and doing gait analysis on horses.

So, the head dip would be on the sound (down on the sound) regardless of straight or circling.

I think what was triggering the head bob in the video was the slight increase in speed when the dog was completing the turn - versus the direction of the turn and/or which leg was on the inside or outside.

This lameness looks like shoulder to me. I would bet that you could get a click in the shoulder with an extension overpressure or extension plus abduction. It's likely a medial shoulder hypermobility / medial shoulder syndrome. Try to get the click. Laser and mobilize the shoulder. Advise on nutraceuticals. Show the owners how to 'wobble' the shoulder (as a mobilization). ooh, and test both sides. I wouldn't be surprised if the left shoulder isn't perfect either!

And, I have wanted to do a gait video for a long time. I need to do a call out for lameness videos in correlation with conditions found... and then compile them into a video. Great idea!

I hope this helps for now!

Cheers,

Laurie