Hypothesis  3: Trauma has damaged tissues and blood vessels, 
leading to pain and inflammation, causing the dog to walk 
abnormally on itÕs hind legs.	

Pathophysiology:  Some traumatic event, such as slipping on slick 
floors or falling down stairs, has caused tissue damage and blood 
vessel damage in the region of the hips.  The hips are especially 
susceptible to injury from a traumatic event such as these, since the 
tuber coxae and tuber ischii project slightly from the body.  Leakage 
from the blood vessels leads to increased pressure in the tissues and 
bruising, which is why the dog was painful to palpation of the region.  
Tissue damage also contributes to pain and inflammation as the body 
attempts to heal itself.  The dog alters its gait in order to relieve some 
of the pressure and to avoid the pain, hence the ownerÕs complaint.  
The chief problem could be  bilateral fracture of the femur or os 
coxae , or soft tissue damage.