Severe abduction of the forelimb with non-weight bearing and dragged limbs when moved most likely indicates what?

• A. Brachial plexus avulsion or stretch
• B. Radial nerve injury
• C. Suprascapular nerve injury
• D. Femoral nerve injury

Answer: (A)

When a forelimb is severely abducted, cannot bear weight, and drags when moved, the most likely issue is a proximal nerve injury to the brachial plexus, such as avulsion or a severe stretch. The brachial plexus supplies many nerves that control shoulder and forelimb muscles; a severe injury at this level disrupts multiple motor pathways, causing widespread paralysis of the muscles that normally stabilize and weight‑bear the limb. With these muscles out, the limb tends to drift into an abducted position and cannot support the animal’s weight, so it drags along when moved. This pattern differs from a single distal nerve injury, like the radial nerve, which would produce specific deficits such as inability to extend the elbow or carpus rather than a global, weight-bearing‑loss posture. A suprascapular nerve injury would mainly affect shoulder stability and abduction but not cause the whole limb to fail to weight bear. The femoral nerve injury involves the hind limb, not the forelimb.