If you suspect your dog is having issues with his walk or feet, take him to see his veterinarian. She will begin by performing a physical exam in order to evaluate your dog as a whole. One of the typical tests veterinarians do as a part of their exam is testing his proprioception. Your dog will be standing on all four legs, she will take one paw, flip it so that his knuckles are down and see if he flips his paw back to its normal posture. A dog without a problem will flip its paw back immediately or will barely let you flip it in the first place. However, if your dog is experiencing deficits, he will take a few seconds before flipping it back over or he may not flip it back at all. This is what is known as delayed or lacking conscious proprioception.
This will lead to further diagnostic testing in order to confirm her suspicions. The veterinarian may recommend radiographs. She will want to look at your canine’s knees, hips, and spine. Since proprioception deficits are usually due to a compromised nerve, she will be looking for the source. A radiograph will allow her to check for any pinched places or compressed spinal cord.
If for some reason the radiograph does not show any obvious causes, the veterinary caregiver may take a thermal image of your pet. This is done through the use of a heat sensing camera that shows areas of inflammation and areas with poor circulation. It there is an area that is compressed, it will typically show more heat in the area due to inflammation. In the area behind or below the affected area may appear to be cooler due to lack of circulation and senses.
The veterinarian may recommend you go to a specialist for an MRI. This is the most complete imaging system there is to find the exact cause of your dog’s proprioceptive deficits, and this tool can pinpoint the location of the misfiring of the nerves. In most cases though, this is not required for diagnostics. It is used only if your dog is one of the abnormal cases where your veterinarian cannot find a cause.