Does my dog have a gait problem?

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Jay. Max sure knows how to make you worry, doesn't he? :)

I've been looking at your photo over and over again and really can't see anything unusual.

Are you looking at the color difference (i.e. where there is some pink on his pad?) If so, this can be normal to just have slight differences in pigment.

The biggest concern with Golden Retrievers and possible gait issues is hip dysplasia. Unfortunately though there are usually no visible symptoms either on exam or by xray of hip dysplasia until an animal is much older. What this means is that it is really rare to be able to determine if something is going on right now.

There are some exceptions though. If I have a dog with severe hip dysplasia I will sometimes see lameness on the exam and changes on their xrays.

When Max is about 2, you can talk to your vet about taking some xrays under anesthetic to see if there are any concerns for hip dysplasia.

With that being said, I've never diagnosed a gait issue by looking at the pads on a dog's foot.

It really sounds like there is nothing to worry about here!

Dr. Marie.



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Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for the new image with the circles. I see what you mean about one pad being pinker than the other.

I really think this is nothing. I've seen lots of dogs with slight variations in color on their pads.



I believe some universities have "gait machines" where the dog can walk across an electronic matt and a computer registers whether there is a slight variation that is consistently off with the gait. It would be neat if we were able to put Max on one of these.

But, I really don't think there is anything to worry about here!

I'll be heading offline in a few minutes (bed time here...) but if you have more concerns I'll check in on your question in the morning.

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hmmm....it's really not something that I can say I have ever paid attention to. But then, most owners are probably not as attentive as you and may not notice small things like this.

Short of doing a gait analysis at a university I don't think anyone can tell you much more at this point as to whether or not there is a gait issue.

My gut instinct still is that this is just pigment change even though it is different in texture.

If you are still worried though, you could ask your vet to set up an appointment with an orthopedic specialist. These vets can often pick up the subtle things that regular vets can't.

Dr. Marie replied:

Glad to hear that about his teeth! The body is truly amazing!