Tag: neuro-muscular weakness

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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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Links to Books and Best Boots for Traction

Hey!

I finally finished adding the links for my books on the first four weeks of recovery post-op and post-injury on this page:

Books!

And you will find links to purchase the booklets from most Amazon platforms around the world. I include Amazon links because the booklets are available on Kindle, and I offer some promotions on both Kindle and paperback versions that are only available on Amazon.
You may purchase the books through any bookseller by asking for them using the ISBN. You may find all the info you need to order from another bookseller by clicking through to the Amazon link and copying what your bookseller requires from the details below the book.

I do not currently offer the booklets in a language other than English, however I hope to translate into Spanish, French, German, and Italian in the near future as well as add other translations too!

I continue to work on editing the new version of the booklets, so clinics and rescues and shelters may still take advantage of the offer I have had in place for many years. You may easily use this page to order at a discount for clinics, rescues, and shelters:

Ordering for clinics, shelters, and rescue organizations!

I also just finished locating the boots and shoes I use to help pets with neurological problems to gain traction and stability (plus for hot pavement, ice, snow, jagged streets and terrain…) on many Amazon platforms around the world, including the USA, so I posted the links here:

Boots & Shoes for Traction + Instructions

I have included a lot of instruction and helpful hints from my 12+ years of working with different boots, shoes, socks, and more to gain traction for pets on this page and even more instructions are in a separate post linked from the page in the link just above this paragraph. I have a lot more items to post about that will help around the home, besides boots, shoes, etc…but this is what I have finished now, and I didn’t want to wait to put this info right in front of you.

Thank you-

Blessings-

Rehabdeb

2/22/17

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Neurological and Paralysis – German Shepherd FCE

FCE Rehab for Yiqqyir the Shepherd Mix

“Y” had an FCE (fibrocartilaginous embolism) and has regained almost “normal” function in her left hind leg while her right is dragging and lagging 🙂 This is our first meeting, and Y is doing much better than it sounded like she might be doing when we were exchanging emails! She was not knuckling (bending over her paw and dragging or walking on the top) during our visit when she was made to go very slowly. I began her on a basic endurance and foundation strength-building walking program. Some of our discussion is in the video, and hopefully it begins to answer some questions you may have.

Update: Y’s caretaker emailed this to me shortly after our visit:
“Have been working out with Yiqqiyr as directed. She is doing FABULOUSLY!”
“Friday after I went home from seeing you, we did a walk and two massage sessions. Saturday we walked 3×15 min and did 3 massage sessions. Sunday was the same. Monday I was off work at the office for the holiday, so we were able to keep the same schedule.”

By the way, my videographer has a dog that had similar problems after back surgery years ago, and he has done great! His rehab went well, family followed instructions, including restrictions, and years later he is going strong and able to play rugby with his kray-kray sister dog 🙂

There are MANY conditions that can lead to an animal dragging the hind feet, and the number one cause I see is protruding disks. If your pet is not paralyzed, you DO need to see a vet and work on getting a diagnosis. The treatments are different for the different causes of nerve damage. If your pet IS paralyzed, the sooner you get to the vet, the better. In my area complete lack of limb use gets you an appointment with a surgery specialist. Mild to moderate nerve issues may be dealt with using appropriate drugs and restrictions, depending on the diagnosis.

Blessings-

 

 

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