392 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
tested. Advanced test positions include diago-
nal leg lift (see below) and three-leg stance
with thoracic limbs elevated on an elbow-
height box. If these tests are satisfactory, a
good grade is documented. Figure 15.3 shows
an example of a three-leg stance assessment.
To test the general strength of the right pelvic
limb, the therapist unweights the left pelvic
limb by holding the dorsal surface of the pes.
(Because dogs will not weight bear on the
dorsum of their feet, this keeps them from
“cheating” by putting weight on the leg that is
being lifted.) The patient’s head must be ele-
vated to ensure weight bearing by the pelvic
limbs. The therapist will observe the patient’s
ability to maintain normal alignment of the
standing leg. Specific muscles are palpated,
including the hamstrings, quadriceps, and glu-
teals, noting the extent of contraction.
Diagonal leg standing is similarly assessed.
This is a more challenging test for the patient
who demonstrates good strength on the three-
leg stand. The assistant unweights a diagonal
pair of legs, encouraging the patient to support
full body-weight through the standing limbs
(Figure 15.4). To specify pelvic limb assessment,
the patient is offered a treat such that the
head is elevated and the weight is shifted to
the pelvic limbs. The therapist observes align-
ment, palpates each muscle group, and docu-
ments the findings as above. With different
head positioning, this test can also be used to
assess thoracic limb strength or core stability.
A second test for the dog that passes the
fair test is a three-leg stand with the thoracic
limbs elevated on an elbow-height box. As
with the tests above, the treat should be posi-
tioned appropriately, muscles are palpated, and
posture is observed for at least 10 seconds.
Because atrophy may be associated with
weakness, additional information regarding
strength can be obtained with girth measure-
ments. A Gulick tape measure is used to assess
the circumference of both thighs (Figure 15.5).
This baseline information provides the thera-
pist with a means of monitoring progress.
Gulick measurements can be performed in a
weight-bearing or non-weight-bearing position.Figure 15.4 Diagonal leg standing test.Figure 15.5 Measuring the circumference of the thigh
using a Gulick tape.Figure 15.3 Three-legged standing test.