Helping Your Veterinarian Understand Your Pet's Limp or Lameness: A Simple Guide for Pet Parents

Has your dog ever been limping at home, only to walk perfectly fine once you get to your vet? This is very common, especially if the lameness or limping is in the front leg. As a Pet Parent, there’s an easy way you can help your vet identify what’s going on—take a video of your dog limping at home when it’s most obvious.

A video allows your vet to see the lameness in action, even if your dog or cat isn’t showing signs during the exam. When recording, it’s important to face directly in front and behind your pet as he/shee walks. Try to get a shot of your pet walking directly toward the camera, as well as one of your dog walking away at slow to moderate pace. This will give your vet a clear view of which leg may be affected and how your dog is compensating for the discomfort. We also have the benefit of slowing down the video as we watch.

For the best results, keep your dog on a short leash with a collar or harness during the video. This helps control their movement. While the length of the leash should be short, don’t prevent head movement. We want to see what we like to call, “down on the sound.” That catch phrase means your pet’s head will move down or bob as the normal or “sound” front leg advances.

By providing a video, you’re giving your veterinarian valuable insight that can lead to a quicker and more accurate diagnosis, helping your pet get the care they need as soon as possible.

Stay proactive and capture that footage—it could make all the difference!