Tag: dog FHO

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Move2Live Podcast About Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals – Now Available!

About Exercise Physiology-Based Veterinary Rehabilitation, Rehabdeb, Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals, and Move2Live

Collage of photos representing Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals, Exercise Physiology-Based Veterinary Rehabilitation and Move2Live
Move2Live & RehabDeb Photo Collage

Check out our Moving2Live interview about exercise physiology-based veterinary rehabilitation! Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals is now live on the Moving2Live website. You may find a direct link to the podcast here: http://bit.ly/M2L-Rehabdeb

The interview discusses my background and exercise physiology-based veterinary rehabilitation. You may also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and other platforms by searching “Moving2Live.”

What is Exercise Physiology-Based Veterinary Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals?

Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals provides science-based functional rehabilitation. This includes wellness conditioning, nutrition counseling, and athletic training. This approach works for all ages and stages of companion animals, in collaboration with veterinarians. Our goal is to also engage community and worldwide participation in programs that benefit the human-pet experience.

My programs are based on over four decades of my having participated in and having worked deeply in human sport science, nutrition, and functional recovery. All of those same basic operational principles translate to care of our pets. These programs are additionally based on my experiences working hands-on with veterinary specialists. Through this I gained knowledge of diagnostic approaches and medical treatment options. I put that knowledge with decades of historical knowledge in order to create simple plans for you and your pets!

This has trained me to combine navigation of difficult issues with a vast library of recovery info to help you further with your pet. I’ve participated in medical, neurological, and surgical specialty evaluations of patients. This additionally helps me to translate what is going on with your pet to you. A pet injury is often a whirlwind of confusion for pet companions!

I design these programs so that almost anyone may use them at home, therefore veterinary clinics may use them as well.You may do all rehabilitation on pets in the home or regular veterinarian’s environment in most cases.

Get the Word out and Get in Touch!

You probably already know how the internet works regarding “getting the word out”. Please spread the word if you have benefited from this rehab. It’s a great idea to share the interview with co-workers, friends, and family! You never know who needs the help or who knows someone else who needs rehabilitation and conditioning for animals.

Follow the exercise and recovery information I have on this website and/or in my books.  Afterward if you would like advanced exercises to complete the rehabilitation, you will then need to contact me for a consult. There is a contact form at the bottom of this page <<Click on link . Use this form to contact mto schedule a paid phone or in-person consult with me for rehabilitation for your pet.

I hope you are well, stay well, and help others to be well-

Rehabdeb

(updated 4/11/2020)

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Rehab for Pet Surgery – 3 Steps

 

Spaniel dog with plastic Elizabethan collar on her

Jicky the Spaniel in the E-Collar after FHO

A quick bit of info for you after your pet has had surgery.

I do work on lots of cats and a variety of other animals. If you want to know more about cat specifics now, please search for cat in the search box. I’m still working on developing the cat information pages.

For more specific info on a particular condition, please refer to the menus at the top of the page. If you do not see what you are looking for, please use the search box on any  page.

If the injury is a torn knee ligament, then please click here to read more info about that condition. After that, please go to the instructions on this page!

“My pet just had surgery…
…and now that I’ve gotten them home, I realize I’m not really sure what to do!!”

First and foremost:  pay attention to the discharge instructions your veterinarian has given you if your pet just had surgery or you have received instruction about an injury.  Please pay special attention to the part about no running, jumping, or playing. You and your pet will be doing good work for recovery if you exactly follow my booklet instructions.

If your veterinarian did not say so, please note there should not be any flying over couches, no galloping on stairs, no jumping into or out of cars and trucks,  no jumping onto couches or your bed, no jumping off of couches or beds, no twisting very fast in tight circles, no sliding on ice or slippery floors, and no freedom in and out of doggie doors.  No owner jumping out from behind things to scare the dog into running crazy funny around the house like you sometimes like to do.

No running really means no running…

…to the door when the doorbell rings, no running away from Halloween costumes, no running from one end of the house to the kitchen every time the fridge or a plastic bag is opened, no running to you when you yell to ask the dog if it wants to go outside, no kitty running from anything right after surgery, and no running inside after the ball, which is very similar to no running outside after the ball. No, no swimming until at least eight weeks after surgery and then only if no lameness is present at a slow walk.

DO work on the protocol below and the info contained in the instruction booklet.

1) Here are guidelines to follow for the first four weeks after surgery:

I currently have published one book to help your pet through four progressive weeks of recovery after any surgery.

Guidelines for Home Rehabilitation of Your Dog: After Surgery for Torn Knee Ligament: The First Four Weeks, Basic Edition

This book is specifically addressing surgery after a torn knee ligament. Until I am able to publish the books I am working on that deal with soft tissue surgeries, hip issues, other knee issues, elbows, spinal issues and more, this book will be very helpful to you for the first four weeks of recovery if your dog has had one of these other surgeries.

This book has the information, restrictions and advice I would give after almost any surgery. If you follow the restrictions and the practical applications in the booklet, your pet should do well and recover progressively if there are no additional issues.  These restrictions will match a lot of what your vet surgeon gave you to follow after surgery.

My recommendations are based on decades of information we have in human sports medicine recovery. These methods matches up very well how your pet thinks and moves and behaves. This program matches up scientifically with how the body recovers.

These instructions incorporate steps  for functional recovery, so there is a LOT more structured and guided info in the book. The links to the book I made for this page will take you to Amazon. You may order the book from any bookstore using the ISBN.

I also have info elsewhere on this site about cats and surgery. Cats aren’t small dogs. Unless your cat will walk on a leash, which some do very well, I recommend looking at this page for now.

So, the following book will help you calmly and methodically approach recovery from your pet’s surgery. The book will guide you to establish a functional base of activity.  You have to build a good base to help recovery and to of avoid additional injury. This is only the base. I have more strengthening programs and other drills for you to do to return your pet to a rambunctious lifestyle.

A good recovery plan helps guard against future or further injury, especially in the opposite limb! I am very happy to report that people and dogs that follow both this and the non-surgical program for 12 weeks do not end up with the other knee ligament tearing. It’s all a matter of balancing the work. I design programs based on decades of experience with exercise physiology recovery principles.  My programs also help encourage people being connected to their pets!


Amazon

Books are also available on Barnes and Noble and you should be able to order them from any bookseller, especially if you use the ISBN.

Instructions for first four weeks for dogs after FHO (hip surgery where the ball of the femur is cut off):

Instructions for first four weeks after surgery for luxating patellas (flopping kneecaps):

Find a few more homework info pages by following the links in the menu at the top of the page.  Also use the search feature.

2) In addition to thoroughly reading any of that info (some of which now includes exercises available in book form), please watch > this video < twice, and begin to do this massage daily for a month:

Please watch the video to see my recommendations on method of use for massager unit AND so you will hopefully have success introducing the massager.

There are written instructions under the video on the linked page.
Here is what the massager looks like, and if you click on the picture, you may buy it on Amazon if you choose:

3) If your pet is still limping 5-7 days or more after surgery, please read this > pain post < all the way through!

There is more on the topic of pain within the books-

Check out other resources under the “Rehab Resources & Tools” link in the menu under the website title at the top or by clicking here–

If you would like advanced or personalized exercises, then please contact me for a consult. There is a contact form at the bottom of this page <<Click on link . Use this form if you would like to schedule a paid phone or in-person consult with me for rehabilitation for your pet.

Blessings-
Rehabdeb

(Original Post March 17, 2015. Updated July 29, 2019)

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Post-FHO Homework Suggestions for Dogs (Hip Surgery)

Femoral Head Ostectomy/Removing the Ball off the Femur at the Hip Joint

First and foremost: pay attention to the discharge instructions your veterinarian has given you. During this surgery, there was cutting of muscle and other tissue that will require care and time to heal. You do not need to wrestle with your dog in order to apply ice to the surgery site; I no longer recommend icing  nor prolonged use of anti-inflammatory medications after most surgeries or injuries in keeping with the advanced research findings over the past 5+ years.

While other tissues are also disrupted during a FHO, muscle requires a little over six weeks to achieve a normal collagen ratio and will take longer to heal more fully. This should be considered when you think your dog is ready to chase squirrels at two weeks after surgery. Don’t let them if you hope for the best outcome from the surgery. On the other hand, the bone that was cut does not require the same care that a fracture repair or a TPLO would; there is no need to be concerned that you will cause further damage to the bone with exercise.

In physical rehabilitation after FHO we should aim at keeping the “false” joint comfortable after surgery by promoting hip flexion and extension through therapeutic exercises that stimulate leg use, leading to muscle strengthening and avoiding chronic disuse of the operated limb. Since the dog will move as they are comfortable and are made more comfortable with the right amount of the right pain medicines, I DO NOT recommend pet owners try to do range of motion.

After about five days, and especially if your dog is not using the leg much, then I recommend you speak to your veterinarian about finding some additional pain control medications that will suit your dog. Recovery will improve if your pet feels less pain and is able to use their leg more “normally”, yet gently. Pain medicine along with the right kind of exercise at the right time helps achieve this, and it seems the medications are needed for an average of eight weeks for dogs after this surgery, if not more. No, as popular as it might be, your dog does not need a water treadmill workout to start walking again!

In light of this information, I believe the best outcome from surgery will be realized with a rehab consult from me to give instruction and homework specific to your pet. In-person consultation will always be better than the generic homework given over the internet. Otherwise, until I publish the booklet for specific post-op instructions after this hip surgery, please follow the first four weeks of work outlined in this book:


Amazon USA
Amazon in other countries 

All of these exercises should be done very slowly so as to encourage more weight-bearing. When the dog goes too fast, he/she can “cheat” and not use the repaired leg much or well. Too fast could also prolong the inflammation and pain as well as create additional damage to the area of the muscle at the end of the femur hip and upper thigh muscles. Too fast and too much activity will elevate blood pressure and likely cause the blood vessels to open up inside…keep calm and allow the vessels at least two weeks to heal.

We hope to create a slightly and increasingly calloused area in the muscle tissue at the end of the modified/cut femur. This will make the tissue feel the end of the bone less and less and will create a cushion of sorts. You can do this with the moderate & slowly increased exercise I begin to outline in the book…slowly increased exercise…not randomly increased because you think he’s better and able each day…slowly according to the plan I’ve written or one similar that allows for adjustment and healing in the body. I write these words having worked hundreds of cases that were allowed to do too much too soon, and it’s much harder to heal under those conditions 🙂

Running & rambunctious play during this time will upset the scar tissue I want you to help your pet create. On the other hand, not enough exercise, which is usually the problem after this surgery, results in too much scar tissue all around the hip, and your pet will experience decreased mobility and more continuous pain, especially when she is technically at a point that she may play and be wild. I often see these dogs months after surgery and they are still not using the surgery leg well.

If your pet is not using the operated leg after week 1, then I recommend calling your veterinarian or me for rehab intervention and to get them started on beneficial exercise. Range of motion is not an exercise that will be most beneficial at this time. With proper pain control, with good pain medication, your pet should use the leg for the exercises I outline in the book and in the future. Water treadmill is also not necessary for recovery from this surgery. If you follow the exercise prescription well and after week 4 of work would like advanced exercises, then a rehab consult is necessary.

I have some separate recommendations for cat FHO’s .

If you would like advanced or personalized exercises, then please contact me for a consult. There is a contact form at the bottom of this page <<Click on link . Use this form if you would like to schedule a paid phone or in-person consult with me for rehabilitation for your pet.

© 2007  Deborah Carroll

Reviewed 4/2015

Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals

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Zoe, Great Dane Hip Surgery; Setbacks, Exercise

Hi Deborah – Hoping you can give me some exercise and muscle building tips for our great dane Zoe. After her hip surgery to repair the right side femoral subluxation about 9 wks ago, she had a few setbacks, not able to tolerate many meds and attacked by a large dog which we think caused some soft tissue sprain/soreness. Consequently, she refused to use the leg, and now has some significant atrophy in her limb.

We finally got her to tolerate some Deramaxx and using heat, massage, and alternative remedies (herbs, acupuncture, laser), she is using the leg pretty normally now and is feeling MUCH better the last 2 weeks or so. She is up to 2-3 ten to fifteen minute walks a day. Time to try building up some muscle to even out her legs and hips. Any suggestions? Our rehab specialist here says we can start small slopes and cavalettis. Since you know Zoe well, what can you tell me about helping her build her strength and conditioning back up?

Thanks, and we miss you!!!

My Replies:

I know her and I know you guys, so I don’t mind being a little more specific on here for you…but I do wish I were there 🙂 I really am beginning to think about a trip…I know we have exchanged some texts and emails about her in the past few months…

Did you guys ever find my FHO homework and start on that fairly strictly, beginning at week one? I see that you are taking her on 2-3×15 min walks daily…how slowly? Wedding march or “wagons ho” is the speed I want to see, with consistent walking (no piddle & sniff) and consistent weight bearing. You may be doing that, in which case, I need to know if she seems more lame, lame at all, or not lame after those walks.

If she is not lame at all, then my preference is to advance to 2 weeks of 2×20 min walks before adding in hills. Let me know where you are on that. The most prevalent difference I find between what I say vs what people are having their dogs do is in the speed of the walk. The pain meds help encourage leg use and the slow speed forces individual limb use. She needs that individual leg use to encourage weight-bearing and healing. So, no sense moving on to hills if we cannot get 20 min of persistent, consistent leg use on the flats. Let me know about that and then we will talk about type and frequency of hills. Thanks for the great post!

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