When an animal is experiencing pain, stiffness, or a change in mobility, some of the most useful information may come from watching them move at home. A dog may limp after getting up from a nap but walk normally by the time they reach the veterinary clinic. A horse may show subtle asymmetry during competition that is difficult to appreciate during a brief examination. A cat may gradually stop jumping onto furniture or hesitate when using the stairs.
Video recordings allow owners to capture movement in a familiar environment and give the veterinary team a better understanding of what they are observing.
At Veterinary Rehabilitation Services of Virginia (VRSVA), videos are a helpful supplement to our in-person evaluations, but they are never used to make a diagnosis on their own. A thorough evaluation includes observing movement, performing a hands-on examination, and assessing joint range of motion, muscle development, pain responses, and other factors that cannot be determined from a recording. Because animals may move differently at home than they do in the clinic, videos provide additional context for examination findings and can help monitor progress throughout rehabilitation.
A note about safety: Only record movements your animal is comfortable performing and that have been approved by your veterinarian. Do not encourage activities that may cause discomfort or fall outside current activity restrictions. The goal is to document normal movement, not provoke an abnormality.
Getting a Useful Video
A smartphone is usually all you need. A few simple guidelines can make your footage more useful to the veterinary team.
Choose a good location. Find an area with good lighting, enough space to move naturally, and adequate traction. Avoid slippery floors, deep footing, and cluttered areas.
Keep the entire animal in the frame. Include the head, body, and all four limbs whenever possible. Changes in posture, weight distribution, stride length, and coordination can provide important information.
Film from multiple angles. Side views help evaluate stride length and overall movement, while front and rear views can reveal asymmetry. Keep the camera approximately at the animal's body height.
Let the animal move naturally. Avoid pulling, pushing, or repeatedly directing an animal to perform a movement. Use a familiar handler and minimize distractions.
Record short, clear clips. Videos of approximately 15 to 30 seconds are generally sufficient. Hold the camera steady, avoid excessive zooming, and use landscape orientation when practical. Several short clips from different angles are often more useful than one long recording.
If possible, include sound. Footfalls and changes in rhythm can provide additional information, particularly when evaluating horses.
What to Film: Dogs
Dogs can be challenging to evaluate because their movement often changes with activity level and environment. Some appear stiff when first getting up but loosen up after walking, while others only show abnormalities when trotting, turning, or navigating stairs.
If your dog is comfortable and cleared for these activities, consider recording:
Walking toward and away from the camera: Shows limb placement and differences between sides.
Walking from both sides: Helps evaluate stride length, weight-bearing, and coordination.
Trotting: May reveal subtle gait changes that are less apparent at the walk.
Getting up from lying down: Watch for hesitation, shifting weight, or difficulty using one or more limbs.
Turning and changing direction: Look for reluctance to turn one way, difficulty pivoting, or changes in balance.
Everyday activities: Stairs, getting into the car, or jumping onto familiar furniture may demonstrate changes in mobility.
It can also be helpful to capture your dog shortly after waking or following normal daily activity, particularly if stiffness or lameness occurs at specific times.
What to Film: Horses
For horses, video can document obvious lameness as well as subtle changes in movement, posture, and overall way of going.
For a horse that is comfortable and cleared for these activities, consider recording:
Walking toward and away from the camera: On level ground, this shows limb placement, tracking, and symmetry.
Trotting toward and away from the camera: Can help reveal asymmetry and changes in weight-bearing.
Walking and trotting from the side: Helps evaluate stride length, joint movement, hindquarter engagement, and coordination.
Transitions: Changes between walk and trot may reveal hesitation or difficulty maintaining rhythm and balance.
Lunging: Moving on a circle can reveal asymmetries, changes in balance, and differences in limb movement that may be less apparent on a straight line.
Under saddle: For horses in active work, a short video may demonstrate changes in their way of going, willingness to move forward, or difficulty with particular movements.
Use a level surface with good traction. Have an experienced handler lead the horse at a consistent pace while someone else records, keeping the entire horse in the frame.
What to Film: Cats
Cats can be difficult to assess because they often hide discomfort. Changes in mobility may be subtle and gradual. Rather than an obvious limp, an owner may notice that their cat no longer jumps onto a favorite windowsill, hesitates on the stairs, or spends more time resting.
Because cats often behave differently in unfamiliar environments, videos taken at home can be especially helpful.
Try to capture your cat during normal daily activities:
Walking: Record your cat walking across a room from the side, with the entire body visible.
Getting up and lying down: Watch for stiffness, hesitation, or difficulty changing positions.
Using stairs: Changes in confidence, speed, or coordination may be important.
Jumping onto or off familiar surfaces: A cat that previously jumped easily may begin hesitating, using an intermediate surface, or avoiding the jump.
Playing and chasing: Changes in willingness to play, run, or chase toys can provide insight into mobility and comfort.
Allow cats to move at their own pace. Simply observing their normal routines can provide valuable information.
Tracking Progress During Rehabilitation
Video recordings are also useful for monitoring progress throughout treatment and rehabilitation. Changes in strength, coordination, endurance, and movement quality often happen gradually, making comparisons between different stages of recovery particularly helpful.
For meaningful comparisons:
Record from similar angles and distances.
Use the same surface and, when possible, similar environmental conditions.
Capture the same activities or movements.
Include the date of each recording.
Note changes in exercise, activity level, medication, or symptoms.
If an animal develops new stiffness, moves differently, or has difficulty with a previously comfortable activity, share that information with the veterinary team.
What Not to Do When Filming
The purpose of recording movement is to observe, not test an animal's limits. Do not push an animal to perform movements that cause discomfort or repeatedly exercise them to make an abnormality more obvious. Stop if an animal becomes reluctant to move, appears painful, or becomes increasingly lame.
If your animal has sudden or severe lameness, cannot bear weight, has experienced significant trauma, or appears neurologically abnormal, contact your veterinarian promptly rather than attempting to obtain additional footage. Do not delay an examination while trying to capture the perfect video.
A Valuable Tool for Better Communication
Owners are often the first to notice changes in how an animal moves, behaves, or performs familiar activities. Sharing those observations and clear video recordings can help provide a more complete picture of the animal's condition.
At VRSVA, we assess movement quality, strength, coordination, balance, and the ability to perform activities that matter to each individual animal. Our in-person evaluations remain the foundation of diagnosis and treatment planning, while home videos provide another perspective on how an animal functions in its everyday environment.
You do not need to be an expert at recognizing gait abnormalities to take a useful video. A few clear recordings from different angles can provide valuable information to help guide veterinary care and rehabilitation.