Pet owners are deeply committed to the health, welfare and wellbeing of their pets. The great majority of pet owners acquire pets for companionship and a relationship that is long lasting commitment between owner and pet. Pet owners love and protect their pets in terms of diet, exercise, clothing, toys, bedding, and fences and both preventive and restorative medical care.
 No one knows a pet better than its owner. The owner is much more in touch with moods and language of their pet by behavioral indicators or activities, or the lack of either. We as pet owners are sometimes left with a condition in our pet that is unexplainable by the attending veterinarian and then labeled an idiopathic problem. This will lead anyone of us to frustration. Soft tissue injuries left to common diagnostic means will be undetected through X-ray or MRI, so if these tests do not show a broken bone, arthritis or a structural problem within the joint capsule you probably will be given steriodals or anti-inflammatories without a specific reason or treatment plan.
 As the pet owner you can conduct your analysis of your pets posture and gait by observation of how they move, noting any limping or favoring of a side. Stand the animal on all four and take note of how their initial stance is. Place the rear paws next to one another leaving a natural space between them and observe whether your animal will shift its weight off of that positioning. Do this over again several times if they move a foot to re-position themselves, this will be your first indicator that is a problem in that leg structure. Now observe if your pet’s knee, hip or foot is turned outward or inward, this is your next marker of a problem. See if your pets shoulder or hip is lower on one side than the other this to shows that they are having trouble with that joint.
 Palpation is your next step, lay your animal down quietly and begin to palpate along the spine from the shoulders down to the base of the tail with strong pressure using one finger, keep a notebook with you and record your findings. The hip will be next palpate around the hip socket and down the muscle tissue of the leg looking for any visible sign of discomfort from the pet, when you get to the knee, do the same palpation’s around the knee joint moving down to the foot.
 Range of motion (ROM) should be tested next to see if there is any limitations in the pet’s flexibility or ability to move its limb without pain or discomfort. *Caution should be taken as begin this portion of the assessment so that you do not pull or push a limb too far beyond its ROM causing more injury. Remember this just a test of the pets flexibility with the said limb, gently now stretch the leg slowly backwards and wait to see if your is in discomfort. At first sign of discomfort stop stretching, now draw the leg in the opposite direction and watch for restriction in movement, stopping again at the first sign of discomfort. Please write down all of your findings and date them so that you can keep track of your pet’s progress.
 This is were you will stop at this moment before moving on the treatment of these conditions. Next month I will explain how you can work on your pet to correct these conditions that you might have discovered in the animals body.

Pet Massage Rehab Svcs, Inc. can be contacted for consultation services for your pets needs. Call 1-561-392-1944 MC/Visa accepted.
Visit our website at www.petmassage-rehab.com

Biography

 Pet Massage Rehabilitation Services, Inc.’s president Michael Holloway is a licensed massage therapist in Florida and Nationally  Certified therapist also.  Michael Holloway conducts instructional seminars for the pet owner, lectures for groups and organizations, writes articles for magazines.  For a brochure or scheduling contact us at:
PET MASSAGE REHABILITATION SERVICES, INC.
540 NE 45th STREET    SUITE #11
BOCA RATON, FL 33431
OFFICE 561-393-4732, FAX 561-393-1765
E-MAIL-petmas2193@aol.com
www.petmassage-rehab.com