Last week I attended one of Benny’s first hydrotherapy sessions.
Benny is a 12-year-old shaggy, blond, medium-sized crossbreed I frequently refer to as a textbook case. Not in the classical sense of the word, though.
It’s simply that over the years Benny seems to have run the gamut of most ailments typically studied in a vet school textbook.
More recently, Benny had started to struggle to move around, with a barely perceptible limp getting increasingly worse. His owners, so used to Benny being a very active dog who loved long walks, were understandably concerned.
An X-ray taken of his pelvis confirmed that he has severe arthritis in both hip joints and that this arthritis is secondary to an underlying hip dysplasia condition. I recommended that Benny undergo a course of hydrotherapy.
Physiotherapy has long been regarded as standard treatment within the sphere of human medicine, but veterinary physiotherapy is a comparatively new concept, so we can consider ourselves fortunate to have facilities that provide such services for pets.
Physiotherapy for animals applies all the principles used and learnt in human physiotherapy and adapted by qualified veterinary physiotherapists to the specific needs of the animal patient. It is mostly used for dogs and horses, but can also be adapted for use in other animals such as cats or rabbits. Indeed, just as with humans, there are certain conditions where physiotherapy can really improve quality of life by reducing pain and increasing the function and mobility of various muscles and joints.
Animal rehabilitation is often necessary following bone fractures, knee injury, road traffic accidents and spinal cases. It provides many benefits after orthopaedic surgery and can improve quality of life for patients suffering injury to tendons, elbow or hip dysplasia or osteoarthritis. It can also be extremely beneficial in cases of obesity and neurological conditions.
Each species of animal brings with it a different set of needs. The required form of treatment is usually initiated following consultation with your veterinarian surgeon, who refers your pet to an animal physical therapist where a recommended programme of treatment is drawn up. Various programmes may be prescribed, depending upon the condition and severity being addressed.
Hot and cold packs judiciously applied to the area of concern probably constitute the most basic form of treatments physiotherapists would use. Heat packs are applied to the affected area to increase range of motion, decrease stiffness in joints and increase blood flow, while cold packs would be used to reduce heat, inflammation and pain following injuries such as those arising from the impact of road traffic accidents.
Another common form of physiotherapy is the manipulation of joints. Stiff joints greatly benefit from gently improving the range of movement by extending and flexing the joint to its full limit. This technique is known as passive range of movement and may be recommended for post-operative joint surgery, among others.
Physiotherapy can really improve quality of life by reducing pain and increasing the function and mobility of various muscles and joints
Various forms of deep massage go a long way towards relieving muscle tension and promoting muscle repair by increasing blood flow to the area. Therefore, when applied after injury or surgery, where blood flow has been impeded, recovery generally happens faster.
Ultrasound is frequently used by physiotherapists to treat deep tissue injuries. Ultrasound is basically high-frequency sound waves that serve to stimulate blood circulation and activate cell repair. Ultrasound is particularly good to promote the repair of strained tendons in horses.
Often used to treat sports injuries in humans, balance exercise is another technique used to stimulate muscle activity in animals when these have been weakened due to injury or surgery. An example of balance exercise consists of placing the patient on a balance board. The patient makes all efforts to remain upright on the board. Due to natural reflexes, the weakened muscles are stimulated into action and this helps strengthen them. This type of therapy is also helpful for animals suffering neurological conditions. Balance boards take advantage of animals’ awareness of proprioception which includes management of balance.
Another aspect of proprioception is the sense of where their body parts are positioned. Co-ordination exercise take advantage of this. In fact, co-ordination exercises are regarded as a progression of balance exercises. With coordination, animals are encouraged to walk under, over and around various obstacles. The objective is to get them to use as many muscles and senses as possible by twisting, turning and shifting their weight in all directions.
Another form of physiotherapy that employs most muscles and joints is hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is a very important aspect of physiotherapy. For dogs, it entails having a pool especially designed to facilitate their getting in and out of the water without acerbating their injuries. And this is the form of physiotherapy Benny was undergoing.
There are various forms of hydrotherapy, but what they have in common is that they use water as the medium. Due to the buoyancy of water, hydrotherapy has the great benefit of reducing the weight of the animal. It therefore creates a low-impact environment that is particularly beneficial for compromised joints. In addition, the resistance so characteristic of water multiplies the value of exercise when compared to exercise conducted on dry land, thus giving the heart and muscles added workout.
A healthy hip bone is formed of a smooth ball and socket joint. But Benny’s hip joints have now become irregular and arthritic. This means that he hurts to move about and explains why he is now so reluctant to go on his walks when, only six months ago, he was unstoppable.
Benny has now really taken to hydrotherapy. Under the watchful eye of his veterinary physiotherapist and encouragement of his dedicated owners, he has already built up his exercise sessions from a few minutes to 20, which his physiotherapist advises is equivalent to at least an hour’s walk without the damage and strain this would otherwise have had on his system. The forms of treatment described here are by no means all the forms of physiotherapy used by veterinary physiotherapists, yet I hope it does give some insight as to what is achievable for our pets.
thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.