ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION One in five dogs over 1 year of age is proposed to be afflicted with osteoarthritis (OA)1. (Some propose that the prevalence of degenerative joint disease [DJD] in the cat is similar or higher.) Such recognition makes DJD the most common source of pain in small animal practice. Although every patient visit should be accompanied by a physical examination, inclusion of an orthopedic examination is often lacking. A cursory orthopedic examination can be conducted in approximately 5 minutes, provided the clinician is appropriately trained. For early detection of the inevitable pain associated with OA, it is, therefore, imperative that the clinician be familiar with the proper conduct of an orthopedic examination.
