This dog has had severe head trauma. The caudal skull is completely smashed... Note that the forelimbs are extended and the hindlimbs are flexed. This posture is decerebellate rigidity and you see it with severe cerebellar injury. If all four limbs were extended in this dog then that would be decerebrate rigidity. Both are grave to hopeless signs in trauma patients. There are also some breathing patterns that are associated with brain injury that we’ll cover later in the course. Simple rule of thumb: if you can recognise an abnormal breathing pattern in a head trauma case then the prognosis is grave!