CASE STUDY OF THE WEEK: Matilda, The Senior Labrador with Arthritis
CASE STUDY: MATILDA, THE SENIOR LAB WITH ARTHRITIS Looking at the Whole Picture Means Listening to the Family When I look at my schedule on the computer for any given day, there will be a variety of patients and ailments. Peppers the poodle for vaccines, Momma Kitty for “limping on and off for 6 months.” Some just say “2nd opinion having issues – wants to talk to doctor”. This was...
Recognizing Soft Tissue Injuries in Dogs From an Integrative Perspective - Part 1
Applying rehab and physiotherapy techniques to an injured dog 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. While this seems to be a new and rapidly-growing aspect of veterinary medicine, working dogs have needed...
Selecting Physical Rehab Products for Your Canine Patients
The vast number of rehab products on today’s market can make it difficult for pet owners to know what to purchase. Helping clients make well-informed product decisions is not only beneficial to patients, but also prevents costly or damaging mistakes. Over 85 million families have a pet, according to the 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Surveyfrom the American Pet Products Association. The number of working dogs, or those in canine sports,...
A Referring Vets Guide to Hip Dysplasia
Healthy, active, pain-free pets are important family members. But our pets do not speak and we should be able to understand when they are in pain. Unfortunately, hip dysplasia (HD) is an all too common, developmental orthopedic condition resulting in osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis causes discomfort, chronic aching and pain. So it is important for the primary care vet to engage with the insidious nature of this condition and recognize the...
CASE STUDY OF THE WEEK: “May” the Chihuahua with a Luxating Patella
From Surgery to Rehab - May’s Journey to Fix Her Knee May is a 3-year-old spayed, female Chihuahua mix. She had surgery at our hospital this past November for a luxating patella (sliding kneecap). While this is a common issue in small dogs (they can be born with it), this was not the case with May. She had normal knees until she had an accident while playing with another dog....
Hydrotherapy in Canine Physical Rehab
The role of therapy pools and underwater treadmills in physical rehabilitation, and what to consider when adding these to your facility. Hydrotherapy, or aquatic therapy, has become an important part of physical rehabilitation for dogs. The aim is to return the patient to full function following injury, manage long-term medical conditions, and improve fitness. Both therapy pools and underwater treadmills (UWTM) are used by canine rehabilitation professionals to achieve these...
Free, Non-Toxic Insect Control for Horse Properties
Here’s a non-toxic insect control approach that can work for anyone: Encourage insect-eating birds to move into your yards, pasture, and barn areas. Many pest management techniques have toxic components, but here’s a non-toxic approach that can work for anyone: encourage insect-eating birds to move into your yards, pasture, and barn areas.This simple, easy, inexpensive method of pest control is about as green as you can get. At Sweet Pepper...
Is Veterinary Rehabilitation For You?
Today’s pet owners want veterinary care that mirrors the best practices in human medicine, and veterinary professionals are responding by offering services previously associated with human care that benefit pets and meet client expectations. One area that reflects this trend is physical therapy and veterinary rehabilitation. Originally developed for equine, and later, canine athletes, rehabilitation and physical therapy are increasingly being recognized and used as an important part of whole-health...