Every dog seems to have oneâthat special spot on his belly or flank that, when scratched, sends his back leg kicking like crazy. Itâs odd and amusing, especially because some dogs seems to be as confused by it as their owners are. Whatâs going on?
Not much more than a response called the âscratch reflex.â If you run your hand over a spot of your dog's skin thatâs irritated, or scratch too hard or too lightly, youâre actually being counter productive and creating an itching sensation. Nerves running through the chest and abdomen register your friendly touch as irritation, and the dogâs leg reflexively leaps into action, often haphazardly, to try and scratch the itch.
Aside from being a great way to get a laugh at your poochâs expense, the scratch reflex is a useful diagnostic tool. Veterinarians use it to test for spinal or nerve problems the same way they tap on human knees with that little hammer. If a dog doesnât kick at all in response to a thorough belly scratch, the vet has reason to look further into possible nerve damage.
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