The limbs of dogs are components of the musculoskeletal system that are responsible for supporting the weight of the animal and allow it to move. The great diversity of dog breeds means that their skeletons, and in particular their limbs, have very different sizes and conformations. In addition, there are also significant differences between the elements that make up the forelimbs and those that make up the hind limbs.
If you want to know more about the parts of dogs' paws and the care of their pads, don't miss the following article from our site.
Parts of a dog's paw
The legs or limbs of dogs are elements of the musculoskeletal system that are responsible for supporting the body weight of the animal and allow it to move. Dogs' paws are made up of the following components:
- Bones: can be long bones,bones short or bones flat Most limb bones are long bones, which are designed to act as levers and facilitate movement. Short bones can be found at the level of the carpus or tarsus, allowing complex movements at the level of these joints. In the extremities of dogs we can also find flat bones such as the scapula or the hip, which provide wide surfaces for the insertion of large muscle masses and protect the underlying soft tissues. Finally, it is worth highlighting a specific type of bone that can be found in the legs of dogs, which are the sesamoid bones These bones are located within some tendons and serve to prevent excessive wear on the tendons. Later, we detail each of the bones that make up the forelimbs and hindlimbs of dogs.
- Joints: are joints of two or more bones together. In the limbs of dogs, the vast majority of joints are synovial (with wide movement), although there are also some cartilaginous (with slight movement) and fibrous (with no movement) joints.
- Muscles: through their contraction and relaxation they allow the movement of the extremities. Dogs have 40 muscles in their forelimbs and 36 in their hindlimbs.
- Tendons: are bands of connective tissue that attach muscles to bones. They allow the force generated by the muscle to be transmitted to the skeleton so that movement occurs.
- Ligaments: are bands of connective tissue that hold together the bones that form a joint.
- Blood Vessels: Arteries carry oxygenated blood to the tissues of the extremities, and veins return deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
- Lymphatic vessels: carry lymph from the extremities to the lymph nodes where they drain.
- Nerves: are structures of the peripheral nervous system that transmit the nerve impulse to the different tissues of the extremities.
- Skin and subcutaneous tissue: act as a physical barrier protecting the underlying tissues of the extremities.
- Other components, such as the pads and nails.
Bones of the forelimbs of dogs
The bones that make up the legs or front limbs of dogs are:
- Scapula: is a flat bone. It should be noted that the scapula is held to the trunk only by fibrous attachments, which means that excessive abduction (separation) of the scapula could lead to scapula dislocation and brachial plexus injury.
- Humerus: is a long bone that, together with the scapula, forms the shoulder joint.
- Ulna and radius (corresponds to our forearm): they are two long bones that have an X-shaped spatial arrangement. with the humerus, they form the elbow joint.
- Carpus (corresponds to our wrist): it is made up of two rows of short bones. The proximal row is made up of 3 bones and articulates with the ulna/radius, while the distal row is made up of 4 bones and articulates with the metacarpals.
- Metacarpals: Specifically, there are 5 metacarpal bones and they correspond to the five fingers of the dog's hand.
- Phalanges: the first finger only has 2 phalanges, while the remaining four fingers have 3 phalanges (proximal, middle and distal). It should be noted that the proximal and distal sesamoid bones are found at the level of the phalanges.
Bones of the hind limbs of dogs
The bones that make up the legs or hind limbs of dogs are:
- Coxal bone (hip): in turn is formed by the ilium, ischium and pubis.
- Femur: is a long bone that, together with the coxal bone, forms the coxofemoral joint.
- Tibia, fibula, and patella: The tibia and fibula are two long bones that, along with the femur and patella, make up the knee joint (patellofemoral joint).
- Tarsus (corresponds to our ankle): it is made up of two rows of bones. The proximal row is made up of 2 bones and the distal row is made up of 4 bones.
- Metatarsos: Specifically, there are 5 metatarsal bones, but the first is so small that it is at the height of the tarsus (corresponds to with the spur).
- Phalanges: they have the same configuration as in the forelimbs.
Parts of the plantar area of a dog
On the " hands" the dogs have 5 fingers, while in the " pies" they have 4 fingers, except for some cases that They have a spur or fifth toe. This happens due to the genetics of certain dog breeds, as we explain in this other article: "Why does my dog have 5 toes on his hind legs?"
In addition to the fingers, made up of the bones mentioned in the previous section, on the hands and feet of dogs we find the nails or claws and the pads. Pads are cushioned structures found on the plantar area of dogs' hands and feet. Specifically, dogs have four digital pads, one metacarpal/metatarsal pad (the larger) and a carpal pad (located higher and only on the front legs). They are made up of a collection of fatty tissue covered by thick, dark skin, which in turn is covered by a thick layer of keratin. In puppies, the skin on the pads is softer and finer, but as the dog grows and walks on different surfaces, it hardens.
The pads fulfill functions that are really important:
- They cushion the impact of the limbs against the ground.
- They serve as thermal insulation.
- They protect the legs from continuous friction with the ground.
- The pads located at the level of the carpus serve to brake and better maintain balance on slippery surfaces.
As for the nails, they are made up of an outer part of keratin and hardened dead cells , and an inner one of living tissue If the nails are light in color, we can see a pink line inside, which corresponds to said knitting. In general, dogs wear down their nails when walking or running, however, depending on the exercise they do or the type of surface they usually walk on, we may need to cut them to prevent them from growing excessively and causing he alth problems. To do this, special care must be taken with living tissue, since we must not cut it. Do not miss our article on How to cut a dog's nails to know the step by step.
Care of the plantar area of dogs
In addition to cutting the nails, we must take special care with the pads. Despite the fact that the pads are very resistant structures, we must bear in mind that they are subject to constant abrasion due to their friction with the ground, so it is important to carry out the appropriate care that allows them to always be kept in perfect condition. Next, we explain the most important care of dog pads:
- Avoid very abrasive floors: Walking for a long time on a very abrasive floor, such as asph alt, cement or beach sand, can wear or even generate erosions or ulcers in the pads. To keep your dog's pads he althy, try to predominate softer surfaces, such as grass, on walks.
- Avoid very hot or very cold floors: In summer, the ground temperature can become very high (especially on dark floors, like asph alt) and cause burns on your dog's pads. The same can happen on ground covered with ice or snow. For this reason, it is recommended that in summer you take the walks in times of less heat and in shady areas. On the contrary, in winter you should look for sunny areas and avoid those that are icy or snowy.
- Avoid sharp or cutting elements: during walks it is important that you pay attention to the presence of sharp or sharp elements (glass, nails, etc.) that can dig into your dog's pads and cause painful ulcers.
- Keep Pads Dry: When pads are submerged in water for too long, they become soft and can be more easily eroded by rubbing against an abrasive ground. Therefore, it is important that you dry the pads after the rides, especially if it is raining. Likewise, if you have a dog with a special interest in water, you should control the bath time (no more than 15-20 minutes) and make sure that when it comes out of the water it walks on soft floors.
- Pay attention to the spikes: in spring and summer it is recommended that you check your dog's pads after each walk, since the spikes can dig into them and cause ulcers and infections.
Maintaining these cares, it will normally not be necessary to apply any product on your dog's pads. However, if for any reason you notice the pads are particularly dry or cracked, you can apply ointments with centella asiatica extract, aloe vera or Vaseline, which will provide the hydration and elasticity they need.
On the other hand, remember that whenever you detect an injury to your dog's paw pads (cuts, ulcers, abrasions, etc.) you should go to your veterinarian to make the appropriate cures and treat the injury properly.
Curiosities about dog paws
Now that you know the parts of a dog's leg, both the "leg" and the "hands" and "feet", here are some curiosities that you may find interesting about the dog paws:
- Dogs are animals digitigrade, which means that they walk only supporting their toes (they do not support the carpal joint or tarsus).
- The morphology of limbs differs between races dog's. As an example, breeds adapted to swimming, such as the Newfoundland or Labrador, have broader bones and longer toes, and greyhound-type breeds have longer middle toes.
- Dogs only have sweat glands at the level of the pads. This implies that they barely lose heat through the evaporation of sweat and need other mechanisms, such as panting, to regulate their body temperature.
- Some dog breeds, such as the Pyrenean Mastiff or the Spanish Mastiff, may have a double spur on the hind limbs. It is a vestigial structure that usually does not imply any negative consequences, although on occasion it can cause certain he alth problems.
- Most of the important limb structures (such as blood vessels, nerves, etc.) are located on the medial side (the side closest to the animal's body), which keeps these structures protected in case of trauma, bruises, bites, etc. In addition, it should be noted that in dogs, especially medium, large and giant breeds, it is common to use the veins of the forelimbs or hindlimbs to extract blood samples or place intravenous lines. In the forelimbs the cephalic vein is usually used and in the hindlimbs the saphenous vein.
