Observation – Movement
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Lameness

• Must be differentiated from monoparesis/monoplegia
• In lameness patient avoids weight bearing or carries limb, in plegia/paresis the limb is dragged often times with loss of proprioception.

Circling

• Circles may be wide or tight. Circling almost always indicates an intracranial problem.
• Tight circles often indicate a lesion in the caudal brain stem and wide circles may indicate a lesion in the forebrain.

Involuntary movement

• Tremor – an involuntary, rhythmic, oscillating movement
• May occur at rest or during movement (= intention tremor)
• An intention tremor is often the result of cerebellar disease and is characterized by a fine tremor that worsens as the animal approaches it's intended target.
• A continuous tremor is often the result of a motor system abnormality indicating a problem in the cerebral cortex, basal nuclei, or thalamic nuclei.