Your dog's mobility offers clues into their overall well-being

Have you ever noticed your dog sort of "shaking it off" after a nice nap? As humans we tend to interpret this as a way for them to further "wake up", when in fact this simple shaking off method actually mobilizes their spine after a period of rest. Who knew?! The rapid movement (which is rotational) stimulates the joint capsules which produces synovial fluid ( reduces friction between the articular cartilage of synovial joints during movement) which actually lubricates their joints. There are subtle clues you can observe during your dog's natural, every-day behavior that can provide a wealth of information into their overall well-being. Some things you can observe and watch for include: Stretching All dogs have a stretching routine that they perform on a daily basis. This is instinctual for them and becomes that much more interesting since we as humans do not have this instinct. These “upward dog” and “downward dog” stretches are necessary for maintaining balance between the ventral and dorsal (front and back) musculature, as well as for proper mobility in the low back and pelvis. If a dog has stopped stretching this is often due to joint stiffness, pain and muscle spasm. A big goal with senior canine massage therapy clients is to get them to start stretching again. Be sure to pay close attention to how your dog stretches. Does he do both “upward dog” and “downward dog”? Is the depth of the stretch equal on both sides? The Shake Off If a dog has sustained an acute injury to one or more joints they may stop shaking off all of a sudden, whereas senior dogs will progressively decrease the frequency and quality of shake-offs due to stiffness and arthritis. Do you know how often does your dog does the shake off routine? Watch to see if it is a full body shake or just the neck and upper body. Range of Motion Range of motion is incredibly telling when it comes to your dog's mobility. Joints will not move as well if there is inflammation present. This, in turn, will cause decreased range of motion in a particular direction in specific regions of the spine. Valuable tidbit: all nerve supply to the front legs comes from the nerves that exit the neck. This means that if your dog happens to limp on a front leg, you will most likely find inflammation on the same side of the dog's neck. There are some fun and very easy ways that you can get a better feel for the range of motion in your dog's neck. Hold a favorite treat in front of your dog's face. Slowly move the treat from side to side. This will give you a pretty clear idea of how far your dog is able to rotate. Repeat the same exercise on the other side. Do you find the rotations to be full and symmetrical or are they shorter and thwarted? Hind Legs Cars come with AWD (all wheel drive), FWD (front wheel drive) and RWD (rear wheel drive). Dogs come in one model only: RWD. What this means is that all of their power, their driving force, is meant to come from their lower back, their hind legs and their pelvis. In older dogs we frequently see that system of propulsion begins to shut down. As a dog ages, their joints become stiff which can cause compression to the nerves that control their hind end muscles. This leads to progressive weakening of the hind end over time which is what causes a dog to use their front legs as a pulling force to compensate for the hind end weakening. Have you ever seen an older dog struggling to pull themselves up from a seated position? Or a senior dog pulling themselves up a flight of stairs? This is frequently labeled “hip joint arthritis” or “hip dysplasia”. Be sure to watch your dog's movements. Does your dog have trouble getting up after lying down? Does he hesitate before jumping or climbing stairs?

Proprioception Proprioception is the ability to sense stimuli arising within the body regarding position, motion, and equilibrium. Even if a person is blindfolded, he or she knows through proprioception if an arm is above the head or hanging by the side of the body. Dogs have nerve endings in their paws that relay information about limb position back to the brain. The sensations picked up by these nerve endings are collectively referred to as “proprioception”. Improper joint mechanics and inflammation can cause compression to these nerves, which can actually stop this pathway from communicating. When this occurs, the dog is not able to sense where his paws are in space and may actually start to walk on his knuckles instead of the pads of his feet. You can test your dog's proprioception by lifting your dog’s paws one at a time and attempting to place his body weight on his/her knuckles. If they allow you to place their paw upside down without correcting it, it is usually a positive test for advanced proprioception problems. Watch them walk. Does your dog drag any of their limbs? Does he knuckle or scrape his nails on the sidewalk? Does he have a hard time finding stability on slippery floors? * Temperature reveals a lot of information Injury and chronic injury often can be found/felt through temperature changes in the body. Acute injury causes blood flow and inflammation to a surrounding area and can be felt as increased temperature on the surface. The warmer it is, the more inflammation is present. When movement between adjacent joints becomes abnormal, it can change the way blood circulates in the area. Acute injury causes increased blood flow and inflammation to surround the area, whereas chronic injury can actually decrease blood circulation. Chronic injury can cause decreased blood flow to an area, decreasing circulation and resulting in a feeling of cooler or cold temperatures. One of the most common places where a warm area is usually detected is in the animal’s mid-back, at a spot known as the “thoracolumbar region”. This area is especially prone to mechanical stress since the joint surfaces abruptly change direction at this point.

A simple way to assess temperature change is to slowly run the back of your hand down your dog’s spine. If you notice an area of increased temperature, this could be an area that is stiff and inflamed. What do you feel? By keeping an eye on your dog’s movement and posture, and performing these simple observations and tests on a regular basis, you can help detect potential mobility issues early on, and get him to a veterinarian and/or a certified canine massage therapist for further assessment and therapy.

*Blog excerpted from Animal Wellness Magazine