DOG PHYSICAL THERAPY
When can my dog benefit from physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is a health
science whose role is to allow you to regain your maximum physical capacities. The
techniques of physiotherapy, and functional re-education, which have long been
known to humans, are now being used successfully in animals. Your dog can
benefit from them at some point in his life:
- He has just been surgery or is suffering from the after-effects of a trauma. Physiotherapy will help him to recover faster by fighting the pain and the harmful effects of immobilization.
- He presents neurological problems: partial or complete paralysis, deficiency of one or more limbs. Dog Physical Therapy and functional re-education are essential and very effective to obtain a as complete recovery as possible in the shortest possible time.
- He does not move as well as he used to, is reluctant to go up or down stairs, has difficulty getting up, walking, running, jumping. By fighting the pain, restoring mobility, strengthening his muscles, physiotherapy and rehabilitation will contribute to his comfort and joy of life.
- He is sedentary, gains weight, tends to become obese, lacks of: suppleness, strength and muscle. Dog Physical Therapy and functional re-education can allow him to regain and develop strength, balance, flexibility and preserve his health.
What are the treatment techniques used in physiotherapy and re-education?
We have a wide range of
technical means at our disposal which can be classified into different
categories:
1. Manual therapies (massage,
stretching, reflexotherapy).
2. The physical means among
which we will remember:
- Thermal agents: cold, heat
- Electro-therapy (analgesic and neuromuscular stimulation)
- Ultrasounds
- Shock waves
- High-frequency vibratory analgesic therapy.
3. Passive, active therapeutic
exercises, to improve flexibility, develop superficial muscles and improve the
perception of the body.
These means are not all used
to treat an animal but are judiciously chosen according to the problem
concerned, its specificity and adapted to each case, because, in reality,
physiotherapy is a complex discipline. It is based on his in-depth knowledge of
anatomy, physiology, biomechanical pathology, combined with his experience and
know-how, that the veterinary physiotherapist will determine which means are
the most suitable to treat each particular case.
Home Exercise: What is it all about?
Physiotherapists prescribes
a simple exercise program for each patient, which you can carry out yourself
at home. They will teach you how to do these exercises on the basis of written
instructions and explanatory diagrams.
This is not a standardized
program or one that is fixed in time. It can evolve according to the progress
made and is established according to each case and the objectives initially
set.
Simple exercises to
implement, complementary to those practiced during the appointments, these
exercises are fundamental for the long-term success of the rehabilitation and
allow a faster improvement.
You must devote the
necessary time to them, practice them regularly and scrupulously observe the
instructions given. It is also the best way to spend valuable time with your
partner and to strengthen the bonds of complicity that unite you.
How do I know my dog is suffering?
Unlike humans, animals
rarely cry out when they are in pain, especially in cases of chronic pain.
Therefore, without careful observation, the owner may not be aware that his dog
is suffering. There are, some
characteristic signs that must be deciphered:
- Vocalizations = complaints, groans
- Abnormal gait = hops, limps, doesn't put a leg down, lifts it constantly, nods his head, shuts his back, stands still
- General activity = reluctant to get up, lie down, walk, run, run up or down stairs, jumping
- Joy of life = sleeps more often or for a very long time during the day, does not rest at night, is not interested in the environment, responds poorly to caresses, to the voice, becomes irritable, grumpy
- Responses to palpation, caressing an area = tries to avoid, complains, moans, becomes aggressive
- Appetite = decreased, greatly decreased, refuses to eat
- Seeks to lick, bite an area
- Expressions of the face = grin, deformity, loss of liveliness of the gaze.
Why is the veterinarian the best person to practice physiotherapy and animal re-education?
Many people think that
physiotherapy and re-education consists mainly of the use of a water walker.
Having sophisticated equipment is not enough. In reality physiotherapy and
animal rehabilitation is a complex discipline.
It is a medical specialty
dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of disabling
conditions, disorders and injuries of the musculo-skeletal, neuromuscular and
neurological systems.
The objective is to achieve
the return of your pet to functional independence, which requires the
rehabilitation of the body as a whole.
In order to establish a
precise diagnosis and to set up an adapted and effective treatment protocol, it
is necessary to call upon in-depth knowledge in particular in :
- Anatomy
- Physiology, neurophysiology
- Biomechanics
- Pathologies
- Nutrition, etc.
All of this combined with
essential training, experience and expertise that only a veterinary
physiotherapist can provide.
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