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www.pbgv.org

March2014

ISaberTails

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henwethinkabouttheactivitiesofourdogs,usually
wepicturetheirplay,their“jobs”ortheirquiet
reposeonourlapsorcouch.However,inallanimals

theabilitytostandquietlyatrestiscriticallyimportantfor
healthandsoundness.Manydogownersdon’trealizethat
thereasontheirdogsflopdownonthegroundassoonas
theycometorestmaybethattheyhaveposturalproblems
thatmakeituncomfortableortiringtostandupforvery
long.Insomeways,standingisharderthanmoving.Think
aboutridingabicycle—thefasteryougo,theeasieritgets.
Wehavemanymechanismsforbalanceinmotionthatare
notavailabletousforstanding.Whatdoesittaketojust
standup?Alot,actually!

Runninganimals,includinghumans,havemultiple

centersinthebrainthataredevotedtoposturalcontrol.
Theirjobistocoordinatesignalsfrommanypartsofthe
bodyaboutwherethelimbs,trunkandheadarelocatedin
space,relativetoeachotherandtotheground.It’slikeabig
air-traffic-controlcenterwhereunconsciousdecisionsare
madeaboutstandingandmovingbaseduponinformation

fromthefeet,thejoints,themuscles,theinnerear,theeyes
andthejaw.Theinformationiscoordinated,analyzedand
thensenttothemovementcentersofthebraintogenerate
stanceorgait.Manyofusknowthatwhensomeonehasan
inner-earinfectiontheirbalanceandcoordinationcanbe
affected,butsomeoftheotherinputsforstanceandbalance
arenotquiteaswidelyknown.Forinstance,wearehighly
dependentuponoureyestomaintainequilibrium.Thisis
whysomepeopleanddogscangetcarsickwhenridingin
thebackseat.Undermostcircumstances,theeyescansee
levelsurfacesthatgivevisualcluestotheterrainbeing
traveled.Butwhenwatchingsceneryrushbyfromacar,
thebodyperceivesmotionvisuallyandisnotableto
registerthegroundsurface,resultinginqueasinessfrom
mismatchedinformation.

Muchoftheposturalinformationthebodyusesisrelated

togravityor“knowingwheredownis.”Itseemspretty
simpletoknowwheredownis,butwhenitgoeswrongbig
troubleensues!Theposturalcontrolsystemisacomplex
systeminwhichsmallchangestotheinputcanhave

ITheHealthyPBGV

byKarenGellman,DVM,PhD,and
JudithShoemaker,DVM

ReprintedwiththepermissionoftheAmerican
KennelClubCanineHealthFoundation

TheCanineAthleticSpeakeratthe2014PBGVCANa-
tionalSpecialtyisJudithShoemaker,DVM.Dr.Shoe-
makergraduatedfromtheUniversityofGeorgiaCollege
ofVeterinaryMedicine.Shereceivedadvancedtraining
inbothsmallandlargeanimalorthopedics,surgicaltech-
niquesandanimalreproduction.Dr.Shoemakeriscerti-
fiedasaveterinaryacupuncturistandisacharter
memberoftheAmericanVeterinaryChiropracticAssocia-
tion.ShewasawardedtheAmericanHolisticVeterinary
MedicalAssociation’sPractitioneroftheYearin2011-
2012.Dr.Shoemaker’sequineandcompanionanimal
veterinarypracticefocusesoncomplementarymedicine
andholistictherapy,integratingchiropractic,acupunc-
tureandotheralternativemodalities.Withhercolleague,
KarenGellman,DVM,PhD,Dr.Shoemakerwrotefourar-
ticlesfortheAKCCanineHealthFoundationtoeducate
veterinariansoncaninehealth.TheHealthCommittee
thoughtreadersmightbeinterestedinthisarticleon
posturalrehabilitation.

WhatisPostureandWhy
ShouldWeCareAboutit?

PhotobyJaneSwanson