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Sometimes what you observe as lameness in your pet could actually be caused by an underlying neurological disorder and in these situations when you inspect your pets limbs you won't find any reactions or find any source of pain. Now, you may notice that your pet has an abnormal gait where they walk with an uncoordinated or drunken sailor gait. You may also notice that your pet is knuckling over on some of his limbs or scuffing the ground. Sometimes they'll also cross over the legs. Now, any of these are the signs of a potentially serious neurological condition so it's important that you get your pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible as this could progress to a point where your pet can't use their limbs at all. Make sure when you transport your pet you take care not to move him too much as we don't want to get any injuries worse until you can get him to a veterinarian for further evaluation.
In this lesson, we're going to follow up the last one on lameness care and focus on severe lameness. We'll provide you with some signs to watch out for that may indicate a more serious situation.
Sometimes, what looks like lameness caused by an injury may actually be a problem that's caused by an underlying neurologic disorder. In these types of situations, when you inspect your pet's limbs, you won't find any reaction from your pet or any source of the pain.
You may recall some of the symptoms and signs of lameness from the last lesson. With severe lameness, the signs are much different and include the following:
Warning: Any of these signs or symptoms may be an indication of a serious neurologic condition. If you notice any of the above, get your pet to the vet's office immediately, as this condition can progress to a point where your pet is unable to use his or her limbs at all.
Pro Tip: It's equally important to be careful during transport. Make sure not to move your pet too much. You don't want to make the injury (if indeed there is one) or the condition any worse until your veterinarian can do a thorough evaluation of your pet.