Remarkable Treatment for Equine Founder - The Assisi Loop
Molly is a 17-year-old Icelandic pony mare with a history of lameness originating 6 months prior to examination on July 1, 2014. She presented with 3 /5 lameness and bounding digital pulses in all four feet. She could barely walk and lived on rich grass with moderate alfalfa pasture 24 hours a day. Due to the owner’s limited budget, a blood insulin/glucose ratio diagnosis was not an option, but atrial...
Rehab for a Torn CCL
Whether or not surgery is needed to correct a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), rehab is necessary to get an injured dog back to normal again. Many orthopedic surgeons and rehabilitation veterinarians report that cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) ruptures or tears are the most common limb issues they treat. There are two cruciate ligaments — cranial and caudal — inside the stifle (knee) joint. They connect the femur to the...
Arthritis Management
MANAGING OSTEOARTHRITIS Osteoarthritis is common amongst both dogs and people—it’s one of the things about which we can commiserate with our furry companions. Put simply, “osteoarthritis” means “bony joint inflammation.” That’s an oversimplified representation of a complex degenerative process, but that’s the basic idea. Just like in people, arthritis is the result of bony changes within joints; once the cartilaginous “brake pads” have worn down, bone grinds on bone, resulting...
WHAT IS DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY? (DM)
To put it simply, Degenerative Myelopathy is a disease that progresses mainly in older, larger dogs that ends in quadriplegia. It is the degeneration of the white matter of the spinal cord. This white matter contains fibers that transmit movement commands from the brain to the limbs and sensory information from the limbs to the brain. Eventually this disease starts to degrade these fibers, making movement physically impossible. Symptoms of...
Recognizing Soft Tissue Injuries in the Dog from an Integrative Perspective – part 2
Applying rehab and physiotherapy techniques to a dog with a soft tissue injury should be preceded by a proper consideration of how the injury developed and progressed, and how it affects the health and function of the entire body. The care of the canine athlete in performance and working disciplines is finally getting much-needed attention and awareness. With the recent growth of agility, flyball, obedience, herding, sled racing and nose-work as competitive...
EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES THAT CAN DAMAGE YOUR DOG – PART 2
We all want to keep our dogs as fit and healthy as possible throughout their lives and well into their golden years. There are certain activities that, especially if indulged in repeatedly, do unnecessary damage to your dog. More and more we are recognising that repetition strain injuries, rather than one major event, are the underlying cause of many mobility problems. Many dogs like to do the same activity over...
Ten Everyday Activities That Can DamageYour Dog – Part 1
We all want to keep our dogs as fit and healthy as possible throughout their lives and well into their golden years. There are certain activities that, especially if indulged in repeatedly, do unnecessary damage to your dog. More and more we are recognising that repetition strain injuries, rather than one major event, are the underlying cause of many mobility problems. Many dogs like to do the same activity over...
Kiiko Matsuomoto Style – a Unique Approach to Back Pain in Dogs and Cats
Persistent back pain in your patient? Try Kiiko Matsuomoto Style, a modern twist on an ancient Japanese technique. Often in an initial appointment, new clients recount how their companion responded well to treatment for a specific problem (ranging from osteoarthritis to bladder stones), but they still seem “off”. Clinical parameters like range of motion are improved, but elusive discomfort lingers. Often I’ll note an exaggerated Panniculus reflex (especially over the...