The streetwise assessment — muscle, bone and joints

Musculoskeletal problems are no less common in street dogs however identifying and managing them in these patients can be a real challenge where opportunities for examining and investigating findings can be limited. This presentation will concentrate on using history and physical examination to identify problems using common examples as illustration. Fortunately, there is no real substitute for these skills in this area so the challenge can be addressed adequately.

This process can be considered in three phases:

Before undertaking any physical examination it is very important to obtain a full account of the problem from the owner's viewpoint. In particular, to understand what they are seeing day-to-day and what is concerning them. Remember that the veterinary surgeon has a very short window of opportunity to examine the problem in the patient, while the owner is literally living with it. Their information is critical so it is important to ‘listen carefully’. During this conversation the dog and owner should be carefully assessed. For the dog, posture; the way it rises or sits; and temperament are key.