Farm Ranch Archives

It's very uncommon for our dogs to suffer from issues related to their musculoskeletal systems, whether such issues are the result of trauma, degeneration, inflammation, or anything else… It is sometimes necessary to implement additional means to help the animal recover its full mobility after surgery or to help it live better with a disability or chronic pain: this is where the intervention of the physiotherapist at the Canine Rehabilitation Center comes into play. Medical or surgical treatments do not always or completely solve these problems. What Is Veterinary Physiotherapy? Veterinary physiotherapy is the equivalent of functional rehabilitation in human medicine. Rehabilitation is obvious in human medicine and you cannot imagine having a sprained knee or herniated disc without post-operative rehabilitation. In the veterinary field, functional rehabilitation is still too little practiced despite numerous studies showing its benefits on the reduction of pain and the acceleration of functional recovery. Physiotherapy or functional rehabilitation allows the care of animals with loco motor disorders (lack of support, lameness, paresis, paralysis) and / or suffering from neuromuscular or joint pain. It consists of implementing various means to promote the healing of musculotendinous tissues manage pain and thus promote the recovery of mobility for your pet. It uses manual therapy (massages and mobilizations), but also therapeutic tools such as ultrasound, electro stimulation, laser, hydrotherapy…. Physiotherapy is for dogs as well as for cats, even if they are a little more delicate to handle; the therapeutic modalities are adapted according to the animal. What Are The Reasons To Present Your Pet For Veterinary Physiotherapy At The Canine Rehabilitation Center? Your attending veterinarian has identified a persistent loco motor problem following trauma or after surgery Your dog or cat presents: A loco motor difficulty, of orthopedic origin (lameness) or neurological (paresis ….)persistent pain after trauma or surgery (fracture, sprain, tendonitis, muscle tear, low back pain …)a defect of locomotion following a neurological affection (fibro-cartilaginous embolism, cerebra vascular accident, degenerative neuropathy …)chronic pain, especially in all animals suffering from osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis of the hips due to hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis of the knee following a sprain …) Your dog has a hip dysplasia: physiotherapy can intervene preventively to limit the appearance of osteoarthritis. What Are The Highlights Of A Physiotherapy Consultation At The Canine Rehabilitation Center? The first consultation takes about 1 hour. It takes place in the presence of the owners. X-ray of the lumbosacral spine: major spondylosis responsible for pain It involves: the medical and surgical history of your dog/catthe registration of your veterinarian’s contact information if you have onea general examination of your animal, to check in particular the absence of contraindications to the use of this or that means of reeducationan in-depth clinical examination of the musculoskeletal system: assessment of the gait, assessment of amyotrophic (muscle wasting), neurological tests, measurement of joint angles …sometimes the use of imaging examinations, performed by other veterinarians, may be necessary to clarify the situation before setting up the functional rehabilitation sessions: X-rays (search for bone abnormalities), ultrasound (search for tendonous or muscular lesions), myelography or CT scan (search for brain or spinal neurological involvement); these exams are of course set up at the Canine Rehabilitation center only with the agreement of the owner and the attending veterinarian if there is one.the synthesis, with the owners, of the whole of the results of the examinations carried out which makes it possible to draw up an assessment of the locomotive capacities of the animalthe determination of objectives to be achieved during functional rehabilitation sessions, in agreement with the ownersthe explanation to the owners of the functional rehabilitation program envisaged and the therapeutic means foreseen to achieve these objectivesthe implementation of the functional reeducation program itself, on one or more sessions depending on the objectives, setthe report of the consultation to your attending veterinarian guaranteeing a good continuity of care for your dog or cat The following physiotherapy sessions are shorter (30 to 45 minutes). They follow the program established during the first consultation. A reassessment of the animal is done every two weeks, and the initial program evolves according to the progress of your dog or cat. How Does A Physiotherapy Session At The Canine Rehabilitation Center Take Place? Depending on the degree of loco motor involvement of your cat or dog, a veterinary physiotherapy session (30 to 45 minutes) can use many therapeutic modalities. However, we can identify three particular times in a session: a phase of preparation and heating of the animal by massage and thermotherapya phase of actual treatment and work:a treatment to fight against the pain and/or to activate the cicatrization of the tissues (cry therapy, ultrasound, electrotherapy in mode “anti-pain”, waves of shock, laser)a passive work, if the animal is at the beginning of its reeducation (mobilizations of the members, electrotherapy in mode “muscular stimulation”)An active work of proprioception and muscle building when the animal progresses in its physiotherapy program (treadmill, active exercises with obstacles, hydrotherapy ….)A recovery phase with massages and stretching that limit the appearance of contractures and relax the animal.