CCAT Patient Assessment & Treatment Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing a gait analysis on a dog post-TPLO surgery, which observation most strongly suggests incomplete rehabilitation progress?
- Slight lateral sway during trotting
- Consistent weight-bearing on the surgical limb at walk
- Toe-touching only during stance phase at 8 weeks post-op (Correct answer)
- Mild muscle atrophy compared to the contralateral limb
Correct answer: Toe-touching only during stance phase at 8 weeks post-op
Toe-touching only (non-weight-bearing) at 8 weeks post-TPLO indicates inadequate rehabilitation progress, as full weight-bearing should typically be achieved earlier.
Question 2: Which outcome measure tool is most appropriate for tracking functional mobility in a geriatric cat with osteoarthritis?
- Canine Brief Pain Inventory
- Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index (FMPI) (Correct answer)
- Helsinki Chronic Pain Index
- Hudson Visual Analog Scale
Correct answer: Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index (FMPI)
The Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index (FMPI) is a validated owner-reported outcome measure specifically designed to assess pain and function in cats with musculoskeletal disease.
Question 3: A rehabilitation therapist documents 'end-feel' during passive range of motion. Which end-feel type indicates joint pathology requiring further veterinary evaluation?
- Soft tissue approximation end-feel
- Bone-to-bone end-feel at normal anatomic limit
- Empty end-feel with pain before resistance (Correct answer)
- Firm capsular end-feel
Correct answer: Empty end-feel with pain before resistance
Empty end-feel occurs when the patient's pain stops the movement before the therapist reaches the normal tissue limit, indicating significant pathology such as acute inflammation or fracture.
Question 4: During initial assessment of a dog with suspected cervical disc disease, which neurological test helps differentiate cervical from thoracolumbar involvement?
- Patellar reflex
- Withdrawal reflex of the pelvic limb
- Conscious proprioception of the thoracic limb (Correct answer)
- Anal tone assessment
Correct answer: Conscious proprioception of the thoracic limb
Conscious proprioception deficits in the thoracic limbs help localize a lesion to the cervical spine, distinguishing it from thoracolumbar disease which primarily affects pelvic limb proprioception.
Question 5: A treatment plan for a dog with grade III hip osteoarthritis should prioritize which combination of goals?
- Full return to pre-injury activity levels and complete pain elimination
- Pain management, maintain or improve ROM, and strengthen supporting musculature (Correct answer)
- Surgical referral and post-operative nursing care only
- Weight gain to protect the joint and rest from all activity
Correct answer: Pain management, maintain or improve ROM, and strengthen supporting musculature
For grade III osteoarthritis, realistic goals include multimodal pain management, preserving functional ROM, and strengthening periarticular muscles to reduce joint load.
Question 6: When assessing spinal reflexes, a reduced or absent patellar reflex in a dog indicates a lesion at which spinal cord segments?
- C6-C8
- T3-L3
- L4-L6 (Correct answer)
- S1-S3
Correct answer: L4-L6
The patellar reflex is mediated by spinal cord segments L4-L6; a lesion at this level or the femoral nerve results in reduced or absent reflex.
Question 7: Which measurement technique provides the most objective and reproducible assessment of limb circumference for monitoring muscle atrophy?
- Visual estimation by the therapist
- Owner-reported limb size changes
- Goniometric measurement at maximum extension
- Tape measure circumference at a fixed anatomic landmark (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Tape measure circumference at a fixed anatomic landmark
Tape measure circumference taken at a consistent, fixed anatomic landmark (e.g., mid-thigh) provides objective, reproducible data for tracking muscle atrophy or hypertrophy over time.
CCAT Patient Assessment & Treatment Planning 2
When performing a gait analysis on a dog post-TPLO surgery, which observation most strongly suggests incomplete rehabilitation progress?