Articles with weight-bearing

Understanding Canine Gait: Significance of Analyzing Your Dog’s Gait

The manner, in which a dog ambulates or walks, is called “gait”. When a dog moves around the show ring, it is called “gaiting”. Gait is a complex topic and one that fascinates dog owners who value their pet’s mobility. Elements of canine gait analysis A physical therapist analyzes gait by breaking it down into the following elements: Level of…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Dog Weight-Bearing Evaluation: Using Pressure Pads to Evaluate Lameness in Dogs—My Observations

An accurate evaluation of weight-bearing in your dog is nowhere as easy as you’d think. Up to 25% of reduction in weight-bearing on any particular limb cannot be observed. The only way to catch such subtle issues is by monitoring leg circumference. That, however, doesn’t work as well when the problem is bilateral. Stance analysis using pressure pads While on…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and an award-winning author in my spare time. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care into my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to use 20 years of hard-earned experience to save others from the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way, as I did.

View Full Profile →