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Pulse Diagnosis

by bfellis - September 16, 2026

I know you have said to feel the pulse closer to the stifle. But recently I have had a couple of cases where I feel like the distal pulse is moderate but the proximal pulse still feels too full and toned. Does position matter or if you can moderate the pulse closer to the stifle, then does the seemingly full and toned proximal pulse become less important? The two cases were middle aged athletic canines in very good condition so it was easy to feel the pulse up to gracilis area. Should the entire femoral artery have the same feel if you truly moderate the pulse?

by naturevet

September 26, 2026

There will always be a point at which the vessels feel full, big and toned - in other words, when the vessel anatomy takes over and it is not just vasotone mediating the force and compressibility of the pulse. The femoral artery is close enough to the aorta that I would expect it to be one of these locations.

That's why I encourage (for example, in horses) finding a distal pulse like at the coronary band, the face or the underside of the tail to do your pulse diagnosis, rather than the carotid, as Qi grads are taught. Moderating the pulse at the coronary band would likely not produce much change at the carotid.

If you were able to change the distal pulse in these dogs and the points that did so make sense given what is going on, then I'd say what you were feeling distally was real, regardless what the more proximal portion of the femoral felt like

Steve

by bfellis

September 29, 2026

Thank you. I feel better now. :)

Brett

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