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This guide is a home-care support tool. It does not replace personalized advice from your veterinarian. For any questions, contact us at 514 223-1197.
Guide contents
Gentle movement, a better recovery
Recovery from a muscle, bone, or joint problem usually includes a gradual return to movement. Very gentle flexion and extension of the limbs, a few times a day, is a form of physical rehabilitation you can do at home: it keeps the muscles limber and the joints flexible while everything heals. These range-of-motion exercises suit both dogs and cats.
What are range-of-motion exercises?
These are 'passive' movements: you gently move the limb while your pet stays relaxed. No effort on its part, just a soft guiding of each joint through its natural motion.
Before you begin
Two things first: get the go-ahead from your veterinarian, then set up a comfortable space.
Only on your veterinarian's recommendation
Move only the joints, and only at the time, your veterinarian tells you to. Moving a joint that needs to stay still, after a fracture repair or certain surgeries for example, can compromise healing. Ask your team to show you the movements the first time. And if your pet is in a lot of pain, do not start: call us first. After surgery your pet is often on pain medication and may not react even if a movement goes too far. Rely on the gentle resistance you feel in your own hands to stop, not on your pet's reaction, and stay within the exact range your veterinarian showed you.
Set up the space
- A calm spot: where your pet can lie comfortably on its side.
- Good traction: for standing exercises, a clean rug gives a non-slip surface.
- A padded surface: a mat or pad at least twice as long and twice as wide as your pet.
- Extra padding if needed: for thin or fragile skin, add a cushion or a thick piece of foam.
When to start
Exercises often begin 1 to 3 days after the injury or surgery, once swelling has settled and healing has started. But it is your veterinarian who sets the right moment for your pet, based on what was treated.
The ground rules
A few principles apply to every exercise, no matter which leg you are working.
Go slowly
The first few times, count 10 to 30 seconds to bring the limb slowly to the end of the movement; with practice, 5 to 10 seconds is enough. Hold 1 to 2 seconds at the end, then release, always slowing down at the end of the motion.
Only to gentle resistance
Go to the point where you feel a soft resistance, never further. Do not force it, and never bounce the joint.
Reps and frequency
About 15 to 20 reps per joint. Sessions of 5 to 10 minutes, ideally 3 times a day (every 6 to 10 hours).
Watch for discomfort
A raised head, a leg pulled away, or vocalizing: stop, let your pet rest a few seconds, then start again more gently.
Make it a good time
These exercises work best when your pet enjoys them. Offer a treat after each session, or some petting and attention: the session becomes something you both look forward to. Use very small treats and count them in the day's food, especially if your pet is moving little; petting and praise work just as well.
Read your pet's body language
Learn to spot the earliest signs of discomfort, before they build: lip licking, yawning, turning the head away, ears back, a body that freezes. In a cat, also watch for a flicking tail, rippling skin over the back, and dilated pupils. At those signals, slow down or take a break. If your pet resists, do not force the session: shorten it, do one joint at a time, reward often, and always end on a success, before your pet has had enough. A short, pleasant session beats a long, forced one.
Cats and passive movement
Cats often tolerate prolonged handling less well than dogs. Keep sessions shorter, a few reps at a time, and if needed just one joint per session. Pick a moment when your cat is calm or drowsy, and stop before it gets impatient. Treat the 15 to 20 reps and 3 sessions a day as a target to build toward, not a requirement: for a cat, short and pleasant beats long and forced.
A helpful trick: warmth
A few minutes of a warm compress on the muscles before the exercises can help them relax. Check first with your veterinarian that it is appropriate for your pet, and avoid heat over fresh swelling. For fresh swelling or a tender spot after a session, a cold compress wrapped in a thin cloth, for a few minutes only, can help, but only if your veterinarian recommends it: never directly on the skin, and never on a fresh wound. Swelling, redness, or discharge at the surgical site, however, warrants a call instead (see When to call us).
Front legs: shoulder and elbow
Done gently, these movements do not hurt: go slowly and follow your pet's comfort. Lay your pet on its side, on the padded surface, and work the upper legs first, never the ones against the floor. When one side is done, let your pet right itself onto its chest, then carefully roll it onto the other side to repeat. Do only the joints your veterinarian named; skip the others, even though they are described here.
Find the shoulder and the elbow
The shoulder is the bump at the front of the body, toward the outside of the chest, at the base of the neck. The elbow is a little farther down and is the part of the leg that points the farthest backward.
Get into position
Kneel or sit alongside the belly, between the front and back legs, facing the same way as your pet. You will be working the upper front leg.
Shoulder: forward, then back
Rest one hand on the shoulder to hold it in place, and cup the elbow in your other hand. To extend: gently draw the leg forward, as if mid-stride, until you feel a gentle resistance; hold 1 to 2 seconds, then release. To flex: keep your shoulder hand in place and, with your other (elbow) hand, wrap the upper leg and draw it gently back and up toward the spine, the elbow pointing toward the tail. Alternate flexion and extension, 15 to 20 times.
Elbow: bend, then straighten
Hold the leg just above the elbow with one hand, and just below it with the other. To bend: bring your hands together until you feel a gentle resistance; at full flexion your knuckles nearly touch, with no discomfort. To straighten: open the elbow only until you feel a gentle resistance; at full extension the leg forms a straight line, with no discomfort. Repeat 15 to 20 times.
Back legs: hip and knee
Same position, your pet lying on its side. This time, turn to face the back of your pet. Work the upper leg, then roll your pet onto the other side to repeat. Here too, do only the joints your veterinarian named; skip the others, even though they are described here.
Find the hip and the knee
The hip is hidden under the muscles; feel for it as a bump high on the outside of the thigh. The knee is lower down and points forward; the hock, by contrast, points backward. The same gentle flexion and extension can apply to the lower joints (the wrist or carpus, the hock or tarsus, and the toes) if your veterinarian asks you to include them.
Get into position and take hold
Kneel alongside the belly, facing the back of your pet. Take hold of the upper hind leg just below the knee, at the slim, bony part (the shin), as if you were holding a flashlight.
Hip: forward, then back
To flex: gently push the leg forward, toward you and up toward the back, until you feel a gentle resistance; at full flexion the thigh is parallel to the spine. Release over 1 to 2 seconds. To extend: draw the leg back until you feel a gentle resistance, with no discomfort; at full extension it points straight behind, parallel to a straight tail. Do not press to reach further. Alternate 15 to 20 times.
Knee: bend, then straighten
Hold the thigh with one hand and the lower leg with the other. To bend: gently draw the lower leg toward the thigh only as far as the gentle resistance allows; at full flexion the two segments nearly touch, with no discomfort, never forcing them to meet. To straighten: move the lower leg away from the thigh until you feel a gentle resistance, no further; at full extension they form a straight line. Repeat 15 to 20 times.
Signs worth a call
Done well, these exercises should never hurt. Stop and contact us if you notice any of these.
Pain or limping gets worse
New pain, crying out, a leg your pet refuses to put down, or limping that worsens instead of improving: stop the exercises and call us.
A sign of fear or defensiveness
If your pet growls, tenses, curls a lip, guards the leg, or tries to bite or scratch: stop the session, do not scold, do not force the limb, and call us. This is pain or fear, never stubbornness, and the plan or pain control may need adjusting.
A pop or a sudden give
If you feel or hear a pop, or the joint suddenly gives way during a movement, stop right away and call us: it can signal a problem with the repair or an implant.
The surgical site changes
Swelling, redness, heat, discharge, or an incision that opens: never exercise over an irritated wound, and contact us.
A joint that locks up
If a joint no longer moves through its usual range, or you can no longer complete a motion you used to manage, do not push: let's talk it through.
When in doubt, call us at 514 223-1197.
Your questions, our answers
The questions that come up most when getting started.
My pet doesn't seem to like this. Should I continue?
I can't do it 3 times a day. Is some better than none?
Should I warm the muscles up first?
My pet just had surgery, can I start right away?
Related guides
A little each day, gently does it
A few minutes of gentle movement, repeated each day, helps your companion keep supple joints and limber muscles through recovery. Move at its pace, stay tuned to its comfort, and keep in touch with your veterinarian: that is what leads to a strong recovery. These movements keep the joint supple and help prevent stiffness, but on their own they do not rebuild muscle strength: any move to active or strengthening exercise comes later, when your veterinarian decides the time is right.
A question about the exercises?
Unsure about a movement, or noticing pain, swelling, or limping that is getting worse? Our team can guide you and go over the exercises with you.