08/12/2025
4 year old Billy has recently been diagnosed with mild right hip dysplasia. In his initial dynamic assessment he exhibited a right hind lameness, showing a slower moving limb in the swing phase in both walk and trot, alongside reduced range of motion (ROM) of the hip and stifle.
As part of his treatment Monty is introducing him here to some cavaletti poles. The aim of this equipment is to assess and improve his ROM, proprioception, and coordination. As seen in the video all four limbs will be worked and used together to effectively move through the poles.
We set the poles out in multiple different formations, including altering height, length, and distance between them. By gradually increasing the height Billy must use a greater ROM, this will not only help to relax tight muscles by stretching them, but will also promote better gait kinematics. Other improvements include strengthening key muscle groups such as the shoulders, abdominals, and hindquarters.
As Billy’s treatment progresses the goal will be to reduce right hind lameness and improve gluteal muscle mass until symmetrical. The poles can continue to increase in height and we will explore other various layouts with specific focus on his right hind ROM. His level of proprioception is already apparent as seen in the video, meaning he does not knock any poles and is aware of his foot placement. By altering the layout he will have to continuously concentrate, which will result in him becoming increasingly more aware of where his right hind leg is in ‘space and time’ (proprioception), thereby improving awareness of the movement of the limb on the sagittal plane. With the use of other techniques such as hydrotherapy and laser we believe Billy will make great progress and even have fun along the way.
Thankyou to undergraduate student Monty Milton for writing up this post.
We are using FitPaws equipment.
