dvm360.com: Addressing Mobility in Animals

Wellness visits are precious because they are chances to keep a healthy patient healthy. We are used to discussing dental health and performing laboratory profiles to screen for subclinical disease, but what about mobility?

Rarely does a wellness visit uncover subclinical mobility issues. In general practice, we do not routinely screen for these issues. Because most orthopedic and neurological issues begin with subtle signs, by the time most clients are bringing up a concern, the problem is already significant. In my rehabilitation practice, many clients who bring their dog for treatment of a seriously debilitating disease reflect on the history and express guilt that they did not recognize the problem sooner. What if we had a better way of recognizing mobility issues sooner?

Let’s discuss how you can be on the lookout (BOLO) for mobility issues during a routine wellness visit. We begin with when a mobility assessment should be done, note how it can easily be done within a wellness visit, and discuss what you can do when you determine that a mobility issue may be present.