fbpx
Lesson 1 of 0
In Progress

How to check your dog for Injuries Copy


  1. Look at the movement from the dog. Is the dog sitting straight or are the legs pointing out in some way making him sit crooked. How does it look as he is about to sit? Is it normal or maybe a bit slow like he is having problems to sit down? How is the dog lying down, and the stand? 
  2. Make your dog spin to the right and the left, does he move the same in both directions?
  3. Place the dog on a table for easier access to all body parts. Important is that your dog feels entirely comfortable on a table before doing the check. 
  4. Softly pet your dog over his entire body. Try to figure out by using only your hands if there is any heat change. There is always a heat change where the cervical meets the Thorax and where the Thorax meets the Lumbar. Cervical 7= Neck Vertebrae Thorax 13= Chest/rib Vertebrae Lumbar 7=Lower back Vertebrae, So to have a small heat change in these areas is entirely normal. But it should, at the same time, not be too much of a difference. If you find other areas where the dog is extremely warm or very col,d then write it down and continue your check.
  5. Stretch and bend all joints — shoulder, elbow, Wrists, Knee, Hips, Hook, and toes. Important to know is, of course, that you know precisely in what direction you can bend or stretch the joints. If anything is out of the ordinary, write it down and continue your check-up. All joints should be quite easy to move unless the dog is suffering from Arthritis or an injury. 
  6. Next to the dog´s spine on each side, you can use either your thumb or another finger to add some pressure down towards the dog´s heart, start very soft and as you have checked both sides go back and add some more pressure, sometimes the dog´s pain can be a bit deeper into the tissue. If you find anything, where the dog shows you a reaction, or it just feel´s weird, write it down. In this case, you can either massage the dog by your self. But if you think that it might be something serious, then I would advise seeing a specialist. 
  7. Check the rest of the dog´s body by using two fingers, adding some pressure and pulling through the muscles. If you find a hard, painful spot, then continue to massage until it´s gone or visit a specialist. Make sure that you always rub in the direction of the heart, making sure to get rid of all that released lactic acid or waste products as I call them. 
  8. Control the knees. Add pressure with one finger on the backside of the knee, if your dog shows a reaction visit a specialist. It can be that the dog has an issue with his knee, or he might have a muscle injury on the backside of his thigh. 
  9. If you found anything on your dog throughout the check-up then please use the massage and stretching techniques. If not better within two weeks, then visit a specialist.