Rising Sun
Animal Chiropractic

Good Morning Everyone

Dr. Nelson here:

Dirty diapers, gross right?  What are you talking about dirty diapers for?   In our animals a dirty diaper gait is a pretty undesirable, it looks silly and can be a sign of sore backs and hips.  Young animals can display this kind of gait but it usually dissipates when they are running and as they grow up.

Recently, I helped a horse that was walking stiff legged and what most people would describe as a dirty diaper gait.  When we started his care the owner described the problem as worst after resting, stiff legged and it took some time for it to wear off and slow to warm up.

So why in some cases does a low back problem or a pelvic imbalance cause the dreaded dirty diaper gait?  Regardless of species the pelvis’s primary function is a base for support and flexion and extension in the legs.  Lift your knee up towards your chest,that’s flexion, kick your foot behind you that’s extension.  When you did that you probably thought that the motion is all legs, well you would be wrong.  The pelvis has 2 sides that move independently when we walk.  When the sacrum and pelvis are restricted the body makes changes to accommodate the lack of motion.  The change can result in pain in the back and hips casuing legs swinging out to the side which looks wobbly and like they are wearing dirty diapers.

What now?  How do we get passed this gait?  Well in some cases the animal just needs to grow up.  My dog when he was young had a very pronounced dirty diaper gait at a walk but when he ran he flew so I wasn’t too worried.  In most young animals they just need to mature physically.  If you have an animal that has just started doing it or has been for a while then there are some options that may be of use.

First, give your animal plenty of time to warm up whether or not you are doing anything strenuous, a good warm up can go a long way.  Make sure that if your animal shows discomfort that doesn’t pass you contact your veterinarian or myself to have your pet assessed.  Second, chiropractic care in this situation becomes invaluable because the problem usually lies in the way the tailbone and the hip bones are working, or in this case not working.  It usually requires an adjustment to the hips, tailbone and low back.  The difference can be very dramatic.  Seeing your pet go from a dirty diaper, wobbly gait to a smooth clean gait is amazing!  Third, try a little massage, use a light touch and rub your horses low back and hips or better yet contact a certified animal massage therapist.

I have seen some pretty nasty gaits come around quickly with a little chiropractic care, TLC and some simple homework.  Give me a call if you have any questions and pass this along if you have a friend that could use the help.

Have a great day,

Dr. Nelson

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 at 2:12 PM and is filed under Daily Story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.