This week our focus is on subtle indicators of pain associated with activities of daily living, everyday things that your dog does but maybe they’ve changed the way they’re doing them. Think of norm remember? Don’t assume that it’s simply something your dog does.
So, this week we have eight areas to consider:
- Jumping on/off ‘things’. Is your dog struggling to jump on/off the sofa, or in/out of the car; struggling going up or coming down the stairs? Have they changed the way they access these areas? Are they hesitating before jumping? Favouring one side to another?
- Not settling / pacing. Does your dog fidget about at night, get up multiple times or pace about the room at night? Even after a normal day, let alone an increased activity day?
- Weakness in back legs. Is your dog not steady on their back legs?
- General signs of ageing. As your dog moves into twilight years, how are they managing the ageing process?
- Struggling or slowing down on walks. This one fell under gait as well.
- Difficulty rising from lying down. Does your dog push up from the ground using their forelimbs? Does it look like a chore? Is it slower than usual?
- Slipping / unbalanced on flooring. Anything changed? Are they struggling to navigate across slippery floors? Are they slower moving about? Do they look unbalanced?
- Lying down to eat. This is not typical dog behaviour, is it?
Part of the consultation process and the treatment plan, if your dog receives Clinical Canine Massage is looking at typical ADLs that can cause repetitive strains of injury (RSI’s) in your dog. Things that they do day in and day out, every day of the week that over time can have the potential to cause excessive wear and tear on your dog’s body. These are also taken into account and build up the picture of what is happening to your dog’s body. For example, your dog typically jumps on & off the sofa, the sofa is relatively high for your dog and is positioned on a slippery floor. The action of jumping alone can cause RSIs, added with a high sofa (more force & control required in the body) and a slippery floor (don’t get me started on slippery floors – very bad for your dog!!) will compound the RSI. You then notice when your dog approaches the sofa they no longer spring freely up but climb on in a controlled manner. They no longer jump off and slide freely across the floor when you arrive home from work. This is what we mean by changes in ADLs indicating pain. It’s all about NORM!
Dogs in pain will still do ‘stuff’ as that’s what they do. We are the same – if our back aches we still go on that walk, go shopping or work out at the gym – dogs are no different but they can only tell us by their behaviour – so it’s vitally important we understand our dogs in every sense.
As usual, I will remind you that these indicators act as a guide only. They are to help you identify symptoms of musculoskeletal conditions that could be treated by Clinical Canine Massage but it is important to remember that some of these symptoms may cross over with other diseases/issues that are not of musculoskeletal origin. Therefore, it is really important to seek a diagnosis from a vet – as Clinical Canine Massage Therapists do not diagnose.
And last but not least……….Repeat our mantra 3 times……….
Preventative not reactive! Preventative not reactive! Preventative not reactive!
Namaste
Lou xx