Which is more difficult (in terms of recovery and compensation): a hind limb amputation or a fore limb amputation?

(Read below to find out!!)

In the not-so-distant past, if a dog or cat had an issue with his/her limb (due to cancer, trauma, loss of nerve supply, etc.), putting him or her down may have been the only reasonable option.

Not now!

Amputation is actually a reasonable and a great option for most otherwise healthy cases. They respond very well to short courses of rehabilitation – both front limb AND hind limb cases, in my experience.

Here is a link to an article regarding gait research of our three-legged friends–including the answer to the question posed above. CLICK HERE.

(thousandhoundphoto.com.au)

The tug of war game is a great exercise for pelvic limb (aka hindlimb) strengthening.

In the above photo, the dog on the RIGHT is the working dog. [The dog on the left is showing how easy it is for you to assist in this exercise!]

It is helpful, as with all rehab and exercise, if your dog knows commands & has had obedience training. For those that are concerned that the game would encourage aggressive behavior, teach your dog a signal or command for when the game is over such as “drop it” or “release”.

Word of caution: do not hold the rope near-vertical or swing it from side to side as this puts too much strain on the cervical spine (aka neck).

Tug o’ war is great addition to a pelvic limb program along with ramps and hills. It’s a super stifle exercise for the advanced stages of rehab.

From the SCVMA 5/10 (and areas with emphasis added from me):

LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL and PREVENTION DIVISION VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AND RABIES CONTROL

May 20, 2010

TO: Robert Kim-Farley, M.D., M. P. H. Director, Communicable Disease Control and Prevention

FROM: C. Patrick Ryan, D.V. M., M. P. H. Chief, Veterinary Public Health and Rabies Control

SUBJECT: WALKING AWAY OBESITY WITH A DOG

Obesity is a major public health problem in people and their pets the United States. However, the nation is slow to act. In a recent telephone survey, surprisingly, although 1/3 of the animal owners indicated that their pets were slightly overweight or obese, less than 1% of these owners considered this to be a chronic health problem.

New research from the University of Missouri has found that people who walk dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion.

The article “Dog Walking and Physical Activity in the United States” published in Preventing Chronic Disease http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/apr/05_0106.htm reported regular physical activity is important for preventing obesity and other chronic diseases. Despite these substantial health benefits, fewer than one half of adults engage in recommended levels of physical activity, and nearly 25% of adults do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity.

Walking is one of the most popular leisure-time physical activities among adults and has been associated with long-term adherence to regular physical activity.

The authors reported walking a dog could help a large proportion of the U.S. population to increase their physical activity as well as that of their dogs. There are approximately 65 million dogs in U.S. households; 39% of U.S. households include at least one dog, and 35% have two or more.

An estimated 25% to 40% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. Inactivity has been shown to be a significant risk factor for obesity in studies of dogs and cats, and both sedentary pet behavior and owner lifestyle may contribute to the development of canine and feline obesity. The Humane Society of the United States recommends twice daily walking for dogs’ health and fitness. Dog walking as a method for increasing human physical activity has not been extensively studied.

Dog walking and weight reduction

Last year’s annual conference of the International Society for Anthrozoology covered several topics; two of which were “Walk A Hound, Lose A Pound” a community shelter dog walking study providing adults and families with children an innovative way to increase physical activity and “Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound and Stay Fit for Seniors” studies effects of shelter dog walking on fitness and social support of older adults.

VPH&RC collaborated with the Physical Activity Program to promote the benefits of dog walking (see attached poster).

According to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, around 63% of all USA households (that’s about 71.1 million) are pet owners. That is a gigantic audience to target.

Walking dogs also good for healing heart disease

Walking dogs is not only good for reducing obesity, the National Institutes of Health reported in the March 30, 2010 issue of HealthDay News on “Man’s Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts.” ** The innovative program, called Cardiac Friends, is a partnership between ProHealth Care and Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, in Wisconsin.Motivating patients to get active and stay active can be challenging. But the year-old Cardiac Friends program gives animal aficionados recovering from open heart surgery, stent implantation or angioplasty a compelling reason to work out.

Several pragmatic approaches will be needed to solve the obesity problem in the USA, but walking the dog is a step towards a solution.

** Here’s more information from Medline re: the NIH program:

CLICK – Man’s Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts- Cardiac patients walking back to health with shelter dogs

Summer is upon us & our animals!

Here is an excerpt from this week’s Vet Advantage news with bold for emphasis:

…Heatstroke occurs when the pet’s natural defense system cannot handle the heat building up inside his body. Usually, a dog handles heat through respiratory measures such as panting. When the dog cannot do so, his body will overheat. Pet owners need to be aware that although there are measures they can take to prevent heatstroke, it can occur at any time of the day to any breed of dog. Signs and symptoms of heat stroke include excessive panting, profuse salivation, glazed eyes, and anxiousness, collapsing and vomiting. Experts recommended pet owners keep pets inside on hot days, always have water available, keep pets well groomed and maintain a healthy weight. If pet owners see signs of heat stroke they should “try to cool down the animal by soaking your pet with towels and water and placing the pet in front of a fan, if possible. Then contact your veterinarian immediately. It is not recommended to use ice or ice cold water because this may lead to cooling the body too quickly.”

Listed above are just possible signs and symptoms. Your dog might express some, one or none of those. Other things to watch for are: rapid or irregular pulse, rapid or irregular breathing rate, not responding to your commands or otherwise appearing confused, refusal to take water or food, excessively dark (or excessively white) gums, whining, frothing at the mouth, & dilated pupils.

It is NOT recommended, however, to shave your long-haired dog because his natural coat is actually a defense mechanism against extreme heat. The skin actually stays cooler and is protected against the sun rays. Keep your dog’s coat maintainable and clean above all.

Yes, dogs can get sunburned!

Dogs do not have sweat glands like people do! In addition to panting, they lose some heat through their ears and through their paws (<-where a bit of sweating occurs).

• Soaking their paws or letting them stand in a pool of water helps as does temporarily turning your dogs ears inside out -some dogs have ears & temperaments that are more conducive to doing this, of course!
• A great keep cool tip is to wet your dog’s favorite bandana (you know s/he has one!), and put it in the freezer until it’s nice & cold and then tie it around his neck.
• Let your dog lay on a cold, wet towel so that the groin and abdomen area is cooled. Putting a towel over him will actually impede the heat from dissipating.

Dogs who are especially susceptible to heat issues include the elderly, obese and/or brachycephalic (<-dogs with flat faces and shortened noses like Boxers & Pugs, for instance) as well as dogs who have chronic diseases or have recently undergone surgery or medical procedures.

Another thing NOT to do is to treat a possible heat issue or heat stroke on your own. Seek veterinarian attention as this is a medical emergency! Better to be safe than sorry.

And Do NOT try the “cold plunge” technique either of throwing a dog into a pool or water. As stated above with regards to using cold water or ice, this could send your dog’s body into SHOCK.

Most of us know that dogs should NOT be kept in parked cars during the daytime EVEN WITH the windows cracked. And yet, this is exactly what I saw this weekend in SoCal (when we actually had temps into the 80′s for the 1st time in a long time). Therefore, if this post was nothing new to you, I’m thrilled! Please pass it on, though, because it is a valuable message worth repeating.

What are YOUR special tips for beating the heat with the pets?

(pic source: Gather.com)

Posted, b/c they’re his FAVE, by JacksonBooBear (with his opposable thumbs)

Extracted from PT Magazine, of Physical Therapy, “Exercises in Warm Water Help Relieve Osteoarthritis Pain”, Vol 16, No 1, January 2008

…studies included patients with osteoarthritis of either the knee or hip, one study followed patients with only hip arthritis, and one included patients with only knee arthritis. In the studies, some patients did aquatic exercises for different lengths of time and numbers of sessions per week, while other patients did no exercise or exercised on land. Most of the studies measured patients after 3 months of therapy…pain may decrease by 1 or more point on a scale of 0-20 with aquatic exercise and function may improve by 3 or more points on a scale of 0 to 68. The review noted there is a “lack of high-quality studies in this area.”

There is a lack of qualified research regarding aquatic therapy in general (humans and animals).

So then, why is it wildly popular? And by popular, I don’t necessarily mean it’s widespread use.

Can some of the talk be attributed to great marketing on behalf of hydrotherapy or underwater treadmill equipment companies?

When you think of “water exercise” in general, what comes to mind? A few things for me:  First off, I think of the type of population that generally flock to “water aerobics”. But on the other hand, I think of hardcore swimmers who swim or compete regularly.

Based on the article cited above, is a 3-4% improvement in you or your animal’s pain and function worth spending 3 months in multiple weekly sessions?

Usually the type of people who exercise in water are those that are older and/or overweight. The water provides a buoyancy that allows them to exercise comfortably in an environment that is easier on the joints and organs than land-based activities. They are not competitive athletes and are not exercising against jet resistance.

Neither are the dogs.

Aquatic therapy is not the gold standard of human therapy, it is but a “tool” that is incorporated into a treatment plan when it makes sense to do so.

Here are some pro’s about hydrotherapy in relation to canine rehab:

• Warmth, in general, is beneficial to arthritic conditions
• Altering the level of water in a pool or underwater treadmill tank can facilitate range of motion at a particular joint(s)
• Some dogs really like water
• It’s efficient; the treatment itself is not time intensive
• some dogs can mobilize themselves, either by water walking or swimming, and cannot do so on land
• If you have access to water, long-term management or treatment can be cost-effective

Here are some con’s:

• The warmth may not be beneficial to some conditions. Furthermore, some skin diseases and immediate post-surgical conditions cannot be in the water
• Some dogs (& YES, some  labs) really do not like water and will “stress out” which will negatively impact their session and rehab
• It’s time intensive because the environment (water) is very taxing to a dog’s cardiovascular system which is something to keep in mind if your dog has any chronic or systemic issues or has been under anesthesia
• Some dogs who are mobile in the water are never able to translate those gains to land (or your home). (And vice versa)
• If you are enduring clinic-based treatments, this can turn out to be quite costly
• It’s not exactly practical

Aquatic-/Hydro-/Water- therapy has its place but not to the exclusion of other types of techniques.

Doing 3 months solid of any physical activity, and then stopping, will most likely result in a loss of those small percentage gains that you, or your animal, may have achieved.

So be realistic. Pick something that you can continue with longterm and makes sense.

Canine rehab & health means life-long management.

This is taken from a blog post by animalrehabilitation.com that was originally published in Feb ’08. This is by no means an all-inconclusive list, opinion or fact sheet regarding hydrotherapy. And as I come across more material on this subject I will post it!

Yoga mats, that is!

Preventing sliding, skidding and potential falls inside your home is an important consideration for large breeds and dogs that are recovering from surgery or injury, have arthritis, or are geriatric.

An effective way to secure your flooring without resorting to having your dog wear booties or ripping up slick floors for carpet, is to lay down yoga mats.
The sticky surface provides traction and is harmless to your floors. Mats are easy to relocate and fold up quickly for cleaning & entertaining.

This is a cheaper alternative to throw rugs which often times can create an even more hazardous “carpet ride” for your pooch.

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This is part of a series in keeping your furkids, especially the elder variety, feeling and looking their best. It is not intended to supercede medical advice or directives. You can check out more of the “TIPS” series under the category on the  right —->

Check your feet…er…paws!

All around us we see signs of new growth and that we have left winter behind. Along with the changing seasons come burrs, and thistles, and “stickers”.

Check your dogs paws thoroughly after every walk and outdoor playtime.

This includes between the “toes” and over the dorsum (= “top”) of the paws.

It happens quite commonly:

A dog presents with lameness that is NOT attributable to an orthopedic issue or injury but because he/she simply cannot bear weight on the paw that has something (even tiny) embedded.

Easy (& cheaper) fix!

Canine Health May Parallel Community Health