Physical Therapy Isn’t Just for Humans
Did you know that starting Physical Therapy 24 hours post injury can shorten your dog's recovery time by months?
For many of us, our dogs are like our children; and it can be extremely distressing to see them in pain without a way to communicate the source of it.
Have you ever had an experience where your healthy dog is out playing in the yard and suddenly they cry out and fall down, rendering them paralyzed?
“This could be the result of an FCE (Fibrocartilaginous Embolism), or a stroke to the human world,” says Georgia Bottoms, owner and practitioner at Fetch and the only licensed PT’s in the area. “In an FCE, somehow the material from the disc or nucleus pulposus in your back enters the arterial system and blocks the blood flow.”
After 24 hours, the dog is not painful and weakness or paralysis can occur in a single limb, both hindlimbs or forelimbs or all four limbs. FCE is usually diagnosed with an MRI or CT scan. Prognosis depends on the severity of the presentation and location and usually mild improvement is seen within 24-48 hours!
Various skilled techniques can be utilized, such as electrical stimulation to elicit a muscle contraction so the muscles relearn how to fire, Bobath and Brunnstrom techniques, PNF, underwater treadmill and physioball exercises to return your dog to their prior level of function.
At Fetch Canine Rehab, skilled staff are on hand to maximize your dog’s functional mobility after accidents or chronic pain through skilled intervention.
"Maximize your dog’s functional mobility through skilled intervention."
For dogs like Rusty, who suffered a stroke on Christmas Day which rendered his entire right side paralyzed, the immediate use of physical therapy had a huge and immediate effect on him regaining a high quality of life.
The video below (top) show Rusty just days after the stroke already regaining some movement on his right side. The video below (bottom) shows Rusty walking on his own after undergoing physical therapy for only 5 days a week for 2 weeks.
We all know that accidents happen, and it’s important to have a plan in place when they do. If you notice something strange happening to your pup, consult your veterinarian to see if Fetch is right for you.
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