That's why it is important not to jump to any conclusion when your dog is limping.
I also do frequently point out that your dog might be favoring a leg without anybody actually being able to see a limp at all. That is why things such as paying attention to appearance are essential. If your dog's hind end starts looking skinnier and shoulders broader, it is likely your dog has a problem with the hips. Whether there is a visible limp or not, there is an apparent shift of weight-bearing as the front compensates for the painful hind quarters.
It is the same with changes in muscle mass when one leg is getting less muscled than the other. Measuring circumference is a great tool to detect any subtle changes early.
It is about paying attention.
Often, also, environment and the type of terrain can make detecting changes in gait impossible. How could one tell whether a dog is limping when they are stumbling through deep, crusty snow?
Which are the conditions we've had for quite some time now. The terrain is horrible, but Cookie still needs some fun and exercise. But even if she were favoring a leg, there would be no way for me to see that.
Did you know, though, that even something such as your dog's posture when standing can tell you things?
Firstly, the simple willingness or unwillingness of staying in a standing position can be telling in itself. Just as you would seek a place to sit down if standing was painful.
The first time I saw Cookie standing unevenly, I figured it was because of the way she was turned.
I noticed that the left side of her rump was higher than the right side. The first time I saw that I figured it was just a coincidence. I even forgot all about it.
But then I noticed it again. And again. When she was "standing straight" she wasn't standing straight. Fortunately, she was scheduled for a regular appointment with her PT.
Before each appointment, we always discuss any of my findings or observations. I did mention the state of the ground out there, due to which I did expect some muscle soreness. And I did mention my observations about Cookie's stance.
After Cookie's underwater treadmill session, assessment and massage, we learned what is going on.
Some of her back muscles were sore, which did not surprise me. The snow is deep with an ice layer half-way through it. Sometimes it carries her weight and sometimes not. When it doesn't, her legs bust through it quite deep, and it must be quite a job for her to get herself out of it. I do try to go first and "punch" a trail for her, but she does not always follow. And that's not counting her "wiping out" on some ice which was craftily hidden under a foot of snow which sat on top but didn't adhere.
When walking on the treadmill, it was also discovered that she wasn't fully completing the stride with her hind right leg. All the findings put together point to a sore sacroiliac joint. It's not the first time these joints gave Cookie a hard time. She does have some abnormalities due to an old pelvic injury.
The important thing is, though, that we caught it early and can now work to address it before it could become a major problem.
Next week, Cookie is going to get another chiropractic adjustment, we'll do her physio and laser therapy more often for the time being and monitor how the joint does.
Paying attention is important.
Related articles:
From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine: Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee
And So It Begins Again(?) Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie
I Didn't Know I Could Fly: Why Cookie Wears A Harness Instead Of A Collar
C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews For Dogs CAN Be A Choking Hazzard
Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie: The Knee Or The Foot?
Creative Solutions And An Incidental Product Review
Too Young For Pot: Cookie's Snack With A Side Of Hydrogen Peroxide
Taming Of The Wild Beast: Cookie's Transition To Civilization
Staying On Top Of The Ears: Cookie Is Not Impressed
Putting The Easy Back Into Walking
Cookie's Ears Are Still Not Happy
The Threat Of The Bulge Is Always Lurking
Today Is Cookie's Three-Months Adoptoversary
Cookie Meets The Electric Horse Fence And Her First Chiropractic Adjustment
Why Examine Your Dog's Vomit?
Why Is That Leg Still Not Happy? Cookie's Leg Keeps Getting Sore
Cookie Too Is Insured With Trupanion
Does Being Insured Mean Being Covered? Our First Claim With Trupanion
Is Cookie's Leg Finally Getting Better?
Is Cookie Going To Be Another Medical Challenge Or Are We Looking Too Closely?
The Project That Is Cookie: Pancreatitis Up Close And Personal
Pancreatitis: Cookie’s Blood Work
Another Belly Upset: Pancreatitis Again Or Not?
Happy Birthday, Cookie
Incontinence? Cookie's Mysterious Leaks
Who's Training Whom? Stick And Treat
Don't Just Stand There, Do Something? Cookie's Mysterious Bumps
Cookie's Mysterious Bumps Update
One Vomit, No Vomit
Happy One-Year Adoptoversary, Cookie!
Cookie's Leaks Are Back: Garden Variety Incontinence Or Not?
Cookie's Leaks Update
Don't Panic, Don't Panic: Know What Your Job Is
The Continuing Saga Of Cookie's Leeks: Trying Chiropractic Approach
Cookie's Minor Eye Irritation
Regular Wellness Exam: Cookie's ALT Was Elevated
Cookie's Plantar Paw Pad Injury
How Far To Take It When The Dog Isn't Sick?
Cookie Has Tapeworm Infection
Cookie's Elevated ALT: The Ultrasound and Cytology
Cookie's ALT Update
The Importance of Observation: Cookie's Chiropractic Adjustment
Sometimes You Don't Even Know What You're Looking at: Cookie's Scary "We Have No Idea What that Was"
Living with an Incontinent Dog
Summer Dangers: Cookie Gets Stung by a Bald-faced Hornet
To Breathe or Not To Breathe: Cookie's Hind Legs Transiently Fail to Work (Again)
Figuring out What Might Be Going on with Cookie's Legs: The Process
Figuring out What Might Be Going on with Cookie's Legs: The Diagnosis
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Trazodone
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Other Medications
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Laser, Hydrotherapy, and Chiropractic
Cookie's Recovery from Iliopsoas Injury: ToeGrips
It Never Rains ... Cookie's New Injury
Mixed Emotions: When What You Should Do Might Not Be What You Should Do for Your Dog
Cookie's New Injury Update
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury: The Symptoms
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury: Battling the Zoomies
Cookie's Muscle Injuries: What Else Is Going On?
Theory and Actual Decisions for an Actual Dog Aren't the Same Thing: Cookie's Knee Injury
Does Your Vet Listen to You? Cookie's Post-Sedation Complications
Would I Ever Treat a Symptom Directly?
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment for Cookie's Bad Knee(s)
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for Cookie's Bad Cruciate Update
Injury or Surgery Recovery: Mishaps versus Setbacks
See Something, Do Something: Cookie's Lumpectomy
Cookie's Lumpectomy Update
Using Pressure Pads to Evaluate Lameness in Dogs: My Observations
Cookie's Musculoskeletal Challenges: What Supplements Am I Using?
Cookie's Musculoskeletal Challenges: Restricted Activity and Weight Management
Cookie's PRP Treatment for Partial Cruciate Tear: Update
Has Your Dog's Physical Therapist Taken Dog Training Classes?
Cookie's PRP Treatment for Partial Cruciate Tear Update and Considering the Future
Cookie's PRP Treatment for Partial Cruciate (CCL/ACL) Tear and Leg Circumference
Cookie's Wellness Exam
Ticked Off at the Tick Situation: What Do You Use for Tick Prevention?
Ticked Off at the Tick Situation: The Verdict Is In (for Now)
Cookie's Annual Heartworm and Tick-Borne Diseases Test
One Yelp, No Yelp. But Two?
One Yelp, No Yelp - Update
Cookie's Rabies Booster
Is Your Dog Struggling with Weight in spite of Diet and Exercise? Cookie Is Hypothyroid (Part I)
What Does the Thyroid Do? Cookie is Hypothyroid (Part II)
Thyroid Replacement Therapy: Cookie is Hypothyroid (Part III)
Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP) for Partial Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) Tears: Would I Do It Again?
Thyroid Replacement Therapy Re-Check: Cookie Is Hypothyroid (Part IV)
Ticked Off at the Tick Situation: Tick Tag Results Evaluation
Cookie's Fur Analysis
Cookie's Fur Analysis: Lithium
Do you have a story to share?
Your story can help others, maybe even save a life!
What were the first signs you noticed? How did your dog get diagnosed? What treatment did/didn't work for you? What was your experience with your vet(s)? How did you cope with the challenges?
Email me, I'll be happy to hear from you.
Do you know what your dog is telling you about their health?
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