Mobility concerns

Recumbency describes a horse who is lying down, unable to rise. Recumbent horses are typically laying flat on their side, but some may be able to sit up on their chest. Recumbency may be caused by a wide variety of conditions, including injuries, degenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases, tumors, infectious diseases, toxicosis, and neurological conditions.

Swollen legs, sometimes referred to as “stocking up,” are a noticeable increase in the size of the legs, giving affected horses the appearance of a “fat leg”. If leg swelling is accompanied with pain, heat, or lameness, it requires emergency veterinary attention.

Muscle twitching and cramping, also referred to as “tying up”, are symptoms that appear from painful and continuous muscular contractions. During a severe episode, horses might refuse to move and suffer from extreme pain.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a disease which interrupts the way nerves communicate with striated muscles. Striated muscles control voluntary movement, such as those used to walk or change facial expression. 

Facial paralysis in cats is a disorder of the cranial nerve that controls the muscles of the face. Possible causes include injury, ear infection, nerve inflammation, and tumors.

Trigeminal neuropathy is a disorder of the cranial nerve that controls the jaw muscles. It is extremely rare in cats. The underlying cause is not yet understood.

Craniomandibular Osteopathy (CMO) describes the growth of areas of new bone around the head and jaws. CMO is a rare condition of no known origin seen in young, growing dogs, usually between 3-7 months old.

Dropped jaw (trigeminal neuropathy) is a disorder of the cranial nerve that controls the movement and sensitivity of the jaw in dogs.  The characteristic symptom is the inability to close the mouth.

Polymyositis is an inflammatory disorder in dogs affecting two or more muscles in the body. The immune system attacks healthy muscles, causing muscle tissue to be replaced with scar tissue, leading to weakness.

Ataxia describes abnormal movement control of the limbs and body. Dogs with ataxia present with poor coordination while walking, loss of balance, and often appear dizzy.

Spinal disorders are a group of conditions that affect the bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and other structures of the back in horses. Spinal disorders are most common in horses involved in heavy sport and competition.

Facial nerve paralysis describes the inability of a dog to move the muscles in its face because of a dysfunction in the nerves. This appears as ‘droopiness’ or sagging of the facial muscles, lips, ears, and eyelids.

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) occurs when insulin levels are consistently high, leading to dysfunction of the systems that regulate body fat and blood sugar. EMS is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as high-sugar diets and obesity, although it is unclear why some horses develop this condition and others do not.

Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease resulting in damage to the joint cartilage and underlying bone. Arthritic damage causes significant pain, and typically results in lameness, limited mobility, joint swelling, and poor performance.

Masticatory myositis is a condition of unknown origin where the muscles needed to chew become inflamed, making it painful to open the mouth or eat food. It is so rare in cats that there is no clear consensus among the veterinary community as to whether it is a feline condition at all.

Laminitis refers to inflammation of the lamellae, the support structure that holds the coffin bone in place within the hoof capsule. The lamellae are extremely sensitive, making laminitis a very painful condition.

Joint infections are infections found in the joints of horses which cause pain, inflammation, fever, and lameness. Joint infections are always an emergency and require immediate medical assistance.

Unexplained weight gain is an accumulation of excess body fat with a normal or decreased food intake. This is uncommon in cats.

Fetlock arthritis (aka “osselets”) in horses is inflammation of the fetlock joint and surrounding tissues. This condition is common in performance and racehorses.

Weakness is a symptom where dogs move slowly, struggle to rise from rest, are reluctant to exercise, and sometimes have muscle shaking.

Limited mobility in dogs is difficulty or reluctance to perform the usual activities of daily living. A dog who has trouble going up or down stairs, has difficulty getting in and out of the car, is reluctant to jump up or down from furniture or up onto people, or is stiff getting up after sleeping has limited mobility

Exercise intolerance is the decreased ability to tolerate strenuous exercise. Exercise intolerance is one of the first signs of exhaustion

Unexplained weight gain is specifically characterized by the occurrence of weight gain in spite of a reduction in calories and appetite.

Lack of coordination, or ataxia, results from damage to the brain or spinal cord causing erratic and unstable movements.

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture is the most common cause of hind limb lameness in dogs, and occurs due to traumatic injury or progressive degeneration of the ligament.

Limited mobility (LM) in horses is defined as a reduction in agility and/or movement, and is a condition that mainly affects senior and geriatric horses (over 18 years of age).

Joint swelling is caused by the buildup of fluid or excessive bone growth within a joint.

Joint pain refers to soreness of the spine and/or limbs and is a common symptom, especially in older dogs.

Lethargy is a lack of energy or enthusiasm, which most often presents in dogs as reduced activity levels and disinterest in toys, food, or treats.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease where the joint cartilage is destroyed over time.