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A recent case reminded me how easy it is to anchor on the first abnormality we find and how much a case can become complicated. A dog presented with a few weeks history of right thoracic limb lameness and a flattened appearance of the third and fourth digits. The lameness itself was interesting. On soft surfaces and indoors, the dog was only mildly lame. However, once the dog walked on gravel, the lameness became significantly more obvious. We already had radiographs from bef

This week, I wanted to write about us - not about a disease, rehab techniques or research paper. Instead, I wanted to reflect on something that many veterinarians experience, but rarely discuss openly. The emotional weight of caring. One of the hardest parts of working with chronic mobility and pain cases is that improvement is rarely linear. Some patients improve, then flare up again. Some become physically stronger but remain hesitant to move. Some owners become exhausted l

When we talk about hip rehabilitation, we tend to lump everything together — improve range of motion, manage pain on extension, strengthen the muscles, do more exercise. It sounds reasonable, and in some ways it is, but when you actually look at patients, it quickly becomes clear that not all “hip problems” are the same. A young dog with hip dysplasia, an older dog with severe osteoarthritis, and a post-operative case — whether it’s an FHO or a total hip replacement — may all

Why stifle stability is more than just the cruciate ligament When we talk about stifle stability in dogs, the conversation usually centers on the cranial cruciate ligament. But the stifle is not stabilized by ligaments alone. Several muscles around the joint play important roles in controlling rotation, supporting weight bearing, and coordinating limb movement. In our recent Animal Rehab Solutions/ANZCVS Sports Medicine & Rehab Chapter Journal Club, we discussed some of these

We often assess mobility through bones and joints. Radiographs, joint effusion, range of motion, cranial drawer tests — palpating, manipulating, trying to localise pain. But sometimes, mobility is more than just an orthopedic problem. Owners often say: “My dog is not quite right.” “She’s slowing down at the back. So unusual” “He doesn’t look painful, but something is off.” “He walks okay, but sometimes just stops and stands.” Yet in hospital, the dog may not look dramatically

We’ve all seen this dog. The owner reports intermittent lameness with high-impact activity, but in the hospital, the dog looks… fine. On exam, there’s mild discomfort at end-range stifle flexion and extension, but nothing dramatic. Palpable joint effusion is minimal. Cranial drawer is absent or only very subtle on flexion, and tibial thrust is negative. Radiographs? At most, mild joint effusion. Nothing that screams cruciate rupture or “straight to TPLO.” So what’s next? NSAI

An anatomical way to think about hind limb–related pain “It looks like hip pain.” In reality, that single observation may involve the hip, the pelvis, the lumbosacral junction, the sacroiliac joint, and even the tail base. Of course, making a diagnosis can be challenging. However, what makes this challenging is not diagnostic uncertainty. It is the fact that these regions function as one connected system. Why an anatomy-based framework helps Pain affecting the hind limbs is o

Back pain is one of the most common reasons dogs are referred to rehabilitation. Yet it is often approached as a single diagnosis, when it is not. Before choosing exercises or progressing load, rehabilitation needs to answer two fundamental questions. Is the back the primary problem — or a compensation? The first step is distinguishing primary from secondary back pain. Primary back pain originates from the spine itself, such as disc pathology, facet joint disease, or i

Why This Injury Is Challenging Traumatic carpal hyperextension is one of the difficult injuries to manage in canine sports medicine and...

One of the most common questions we hear is: “When is the best time to start rehab?” Sometimes owners and colleague veterinarians also...

We talk about core strength a lot, but it isn’t a single muscle. In dogs, the core is a team of muscles that wrap the spine, ribs, and...

Yes, I agree—for some of you, the concept I introduced last week might have been quite new. But veterinary sports medicine and...

Understanding stifle dysfunction beyond the bone The surgery went smoothly. Bone is healing as expected. We are at week 4. The dog is...

We use it all the time — but do we really understand it? Well well well. Cavaletti. We see it, we use it, we prescribe it. But how much...

Do We Care About That Thick Tendon? This week I went down a rabbit hole on patellar tendinopathy/desmopathy after CCL surgery—because...