Helping you to help your dog

 

As a Canine Physical Therapist with over 8 years of experience treating our own dogs and, as a successful business, hundreds of other dogs, I have discovered that, where seeing a professional undoubtedly helps, that isn't the whole story.

The therapist can't always be on hand 24/7 but you, their carer, on the other hand, are more likely to be.  By teaching you a regular massage and exercise regime that, together with a personalised workbook with illustrations of the techniques applicable to your dog, you will be able to support your dog.  This applies equally whether that’s an agility dog with warm-up and cool-down routines, a less able dog through disease or recovery from surgery, or an older dog needing help with mobility and arthritis.

With this focus towards helping you help your dog, I have found my regular dogs benefiting far more from this regime than just the therapist's visit.

The dogs get a massage whenever they need it rather than when it fits the diary - even daily if necessary.  They get their stretches, their exercises, their rehabilitation whenever is convenient. 

In addition, we can discuss easing access for your dog - flooring and non-slip surface adjustments, ramps to ease passage up/down steps and refer back to your vet for issues that may require further investigation.  Lifestyle changes like this, will help all day long and every day.

A famous person once said “The way you protect your power is not to hoard it, but to pass it on”…well actually it was Buffy in Season 7 but you get the idea.  Rather than just showing you a couple of massage strokes, which might mean you having to go back to the therapist time and again, we help you develop your own skills and empower you with a full physical therapy routine that you can apply regularly with your dog.  But we will still be there for help should you need further assistance.

Give me a call or drop me an email if you’d like to have a 1 to 1 session where we help you to help your dog.   Sessions will be held here at AchyPaw HQ in Saltdean.

 

Stabilising the jigsaw

I first met Corkie, his amazing Dad and the unique Corkie Stair Lift at the end of the year in 2017. Since then, we’ve met a couple of more times when his Dad organised some training sessions for other Mums and Dads over at St Leonards.

In 2017, Corkie had just been diagnosed with OA and his Dad wanted to know how he could help with this new issue. Physical therapy via massage and exercise, was a perfect fit for Corkie and his Dad started a routine of daily sessions with him. 

However, Corkie’s condition is degenerative as is his mobility. His Dad had become aware that the work he was doing with him probably needed a tweak to match these changes. Corkie is beginning to drag his hind leg a little, he is finding it harder to get up after a sit and is less likely to settle. 

The first thing to do is to have a pain medication review – which is what his Dad did and Corkie is now on Galliprant and Paracetamol. Both are helping but new things are needed to help stabilise his ongoing OA. 

Treating OA is rather like trying to find the pieces to build a jigsaw – you are adding items to make the whole more stable. Therapy is multi-faceted and adaptive to changing conditions. Corkie has the pain medication, now he has a new targetted massage routine, he is soon to have his first session of acupuncture from the wonderful Tim Couzens and will probably start hydrotherapy in the near future. 

All these pieces of the jigsaw will look after his discomfort, his energy levels, his cardiovascular and muscular fitness. 

At the end of this session, Corkie was certainly happier – he was wagging his tail (which he hadn’t done in a while) asking his Dad to collect his lift and carry him downstairs to the park. He fairly bounded across the road. 

The difference finding a Forever Home makes

10 and a half year old Staffie Bertie, found himself in Arundawn Dog Rescue a few weeks ago (http://facebook.com/arundawn7 ) where Elaine put up a video of him walking with a limp. We offered to visit to help him in the kennels, but he was immediately fostered which is where Chris saw him the next day. 

At that time, his coat was quite dull and his fur was very tight, He needed a lot of myofascial release. 

4 weeks later Chris went round to see how he was progressing. First thing – he is in his forever home. His new Mum and Dad became failed fosterers. They said, “He saw a mat in the middle of the room. He lay on it. He crossed his paws. He gave a look of I’m home now”. 

Second thing - his Mum has been keeping up the massage with him from our workbook and said that he can jump up onto the sofa, which they were amazed the first time he did. 

Third thing – he has lost weight. He has started to get his Staffie wiggle back. His Mum said they could see a change in his shape, albeit slowly. He is walked twice a day and they are looking at starting hydrotherapy with him. 

Fourth thing – there are carpet runners in the hall so no slippy stocky Staffie legs. 

All in all, Chris was so pleased with his improvement. His coat is now glossy and loose. He was no longer guarding his body when touched, no reactive looks. Instead his muscles were all moving freely and his gait was balanced with a big grin as he showed off his moves. 

And his personality has really come out. He is a real Mummy’s boy and happily throws himself at your feet and smiles. 

Bertie has clearly landed on his paws.

More mobility adaptations

Some weeks back I put up a post and pictures of our revamped steps around the house to help with Sarah’s changing mobility needs. New carpeted surfaces with more traction. Longer ramps with less of an uphill climb. Rubber surfaces on the new steps into the back garden. 

After I put the post up, Gizmo’s Mum wrote “Saw your post about ramps. Gizmo needs a ramp for very steep steps. Any tips please?” and included two pictures of the really s-t-e-e-p steps out of the back. Gizmo is only a small dog, so could be carried, but wouldn’t it be better for his confidence if he could feel he could do it himself? His Mum said “We tried one of those long plastic ones you get for cars but it was too bouncy and he hated it. So trying to work out how best to build one” 

I then crawled on the garage floor taking various pictures in various angles of the mega-slope frame that Chris made from our back door through the garage onto the front drive. We also supplied a rather quick diagram of how to do it – not quite IKEA flatpack standard but it was a start. 

This week I received a picture with a “We did it! Thanks so much for your advice both.” The steps were even eco-friendly and recycled being made out of a dismantled shed. As you can see, Gizmo at the top, loves it.

 #simpleecofriendlyadaptations

Making adaptations for a degenerative disease

Sarah’s back paws are starting to drag now and again which catches her rear legs and can cause a stumble. Although our house is already senior-proofed we took another look round at things we could change and adapt to help her even more. 

We have slopes and ramps and mini-steps EVERYWHERE. It means Sarah never has perilous steps or slippy laminate to judder and hurt her joints. 

But the slopes and ramps were made out of wood as were her steps up into the garden. I noticed her slip once on the mega-ramp through the garage to the front drive. 

So….time for Carpenter Chris to get adapting. Luckily, he is able to translate my suggestions of “We need an uppy bit there, with a slopey bit at the top and then a short downy part” into reality. He was an engineer in a previous life so that helps. 

The ramps now have carpet tiles glued to the top of the wood – soft, comfy, non-slippy carpet. The mega-ramp also has carpet tiles glued down but not just any old tiles – brightly coloured tiles so she can see them when the garage is gloomy. No more sliding down those. 

The mini-steps outside to the garden now have rubber sheets stapled to them so when they get wet, they will still be safe for unsure paws. 

And the awkward series of small mini steps we made (he made) up and out of the back door, is now replaced with a brand new mini-slope. Which she loves. No more hesitating to go outside because the steps that were there, although small, needed a bit of a “OK…1-2-3…here we go” preparation. 

We swear that the first time she went up her new comfy bright mega-slope from the car through the garage to the back door, she got to the top and looked back with a “Thanks Dad” look. #diva

 Keep your eyes open to think of ways you can continue to change and adapt your house to fit the changing mobility of your dog. Osteoarthritis is degenerative - a few appropriate adaptive tweaks to help manage this condition, can make all the difference. Spend a few minutes following your dog around your house looking for any new hesitations or slips.

Carpets and runners and mats

Jessica Jayne is an 8 year old Collie / German Shepherd cross. When she was 3 she had an X-Ray on her shoulders to detect why she was showing sign of lameness but no issues were found. 

She still has intermittent lameness on her shoulders which comes and goes. Her Mum and Dad thought that professional help might be advisable now before this becomes a continual problem or before she starts to compensate her gait. 

While I was working with her, I was looking round the house seeing simple household adaptations that could be made to maintain the good work from manual therapy. The floors were laminate – except for one runner “which she lies on a lot – she likes that”. Just explaining why, made it all clear to her Mum and Dad who were going out that afternoon to get more. 

The water and food bowl were on the floor – “She seems to eat and drink very quickly and the bowls skid all over the floor”. If she has issues with her shoulders now, bending down to the floor to eat and drink is not going to be fun. 

Try it - get on all 4s on a laminate floor. Put socks on your hands and knees. Place your favourite chocolate in front on you. Without using your hands, try to get that chocolate. Yes, you’ll be skidding all over too. Another simple and cheap rug or mat in front of the bowls will solve all that. Feeding time will become fun again and won’t have to be rushed.

Jess was very receptive to manual therapy and her Mum and Dad thought that they’d easily be able to find 15 minutes each day where they can go through a routine with intention. NOT petting. NOT fussing. But sitting with her thinking about the muscles that are under their hands and why they’d benefit from some work. 

With the massage routine, simple but effective exercises, warming-up, cooling-down and cheap household adaptations, Jess should able to enjoy her walks over Stanmer Park for a long time. 

#runnerscarpetsandmats 

Adapting the Adaptations

Whenever we visit a dog, we see if there are any simple adaptations that can be made to their house to help with their daily mobility. Things like rugs, mats or carpets over slippy floors. A raised food bowl so the dog doesn’t have to stoop down on already sore joints. Small steps over the door frames. Cushions beside a sofa or bed that they always use to jump on. And comfy beds – don’t forget them. Do the 30 minute Numb Bum test (if you can sit on your dog’s bed for 30 minutes without getting a Numb Bum then it’s likely that they are finding it supportive and comfy) 

But things change. And adaptations should change too. 

Our house has progressively become a Senior Dog Show Home. We have carpets and half steps everywhere. But our Sarah is beginning to drag her rear legs more, meaning Carpenter Chris has been building again. 

Most of the frames to the outdoors have small lips. These were becoming trippy lips. Now we have ramps. Two pieces of light, but strong, wood, hinged in the middle so we can put the ramps away when not in use, move them from door frame to door frame as necessary, with some rubber on top to protect paws even more. And Sarah loves then. Up she goes and down the other side with a big grin into the great outdoors. 

Then there’s Mr Sam. He likes to start the evening on my bed. He had a couple of memory foam mattresses to help him with the up and soften the down but they were giving a little and not helping his upwards propulsion. Now….he has his own step. Custom built to Mr Sam height with an added soft but thin mattress. He can easily stand up on the step and then take a further step onto the bed. Going down, the step is big enough so he can get completely on it, before taking the last step to the floor. No more crashing squishing noises. Just a couple of gentle steps. 

Follow your dog around your house for an hour or so, noting any areas where they may be struggling or tripping and think how you could minimise or relieve the hazard. Cheap, simple homemade solutions often work best as they can be tailored to your house and your dog. Give us a call if you need any advice or help. 

Cheap and effective canine rehabilitation and muscle building ideas

Our Sarah has been through a bit of a time with it all lately. She had a large cyst on her wrist for the past few months which started to open. Rather than risk infection, the vets opted to remove it. All fine. Until she decided that the long stringy blue thread was far too tempting and pulled the stitch out. 
We now had an open wound. Many weeks of wrapping it up and wearing the dreaded collar followed, and still are, to try and heal the wound. But that meant no hydrotherapy. And that meant the wobbles came back. 

We added extra sessions of laser and acupuncture from vet Eili Dettmering to help fill the missing piece in the jigsaw of multi-therapies but she was still losing some of the rear end muscle mass she had rebuilt with the months of weekly hydrotherapy. We needed to add something else. 

As well as our range of exercises and stretches, we added the Sticky Licky Mat. That was something she really enjoyed. They cost around a £ (if you’re prepared to wait a bit for delivery), can be stuck on any appropriate surface and can be filled with all sorts of squishy foods. 

For several minutes the dog stands – using front AND rear legs – to gradually lick the food out. A really simple and effective mobility restoring tool. To the dog, they are getting food. To the therapist, they are getting exercise. Add in a massage mat for them to stand on, and their balance is being exercised too. 

It took a few goes to get the height right – too low and she was stooping, too high and she was stretching (although both heights would have their use in different rehabilitation cases). For Sarah, I could see she received the best benefit at just above nose height. 

It also took a few goes at finding the right treat to use as well. Cottage cheese was a no-no – went everywhere! Low calorie cream cheese, meat and even sweet potato mash worked fine. I have had to buy another for our Sam, who doesn’t really need it but enjoys the exercise – although he thinks he is just licking treats. 

Why does she have a brown patch on her back? Interesting story. Before she started seeing Eili she had alopecia over most of her body. Brown thin fur. But bit by bit, the acupuncture and laser has helped free any blockages and the fur is coming back. It was as though she has been dipped in black ink which gradually spread up her legs and along her back. One stubborn patch left but we’ll get there. Don’t underestimate all sorts of benefits from acupuncture and laser. 

Why is she looking like a Gym Bunny wearing a sweat band on her wrist? To protect the wound and bandage. We have lots of these indoors for her to wear when her wrist arthritis flares up – keeps the wrists warm and comfortable. And can be recycled as bandage protectors. 

You don’t need to shell out a lot of money to help your dog. There are plenty of cheap but effective toys that you can use as therapeutic tools. I’m certainly adding Sticky Licky Mats to my toolkit. Or recycle stuff like gym wrist bands for arthritis or protectors. Give us a call if you’d like any help with rehabilitation or exercise advice. 

Support your dog throughout every stage of their life...

...don't just wait until they are senior or suffer from arthritis. You can help manage and maintain their mobility at an early age. 

We love working with our senior boys and girls but equally enjoy working with the newbies. Frank is only 10 months old but had already had 4 homes. His current carers adopted him 5 months ago. Not surprisingly he was initially not happy with other dogs as he had missed out on much puppy socialization. 

He is now a lot better and goes to Debbie Peters of Schooling 4 Dogs to help catch-up with his training. Recently she noticed his back seemed a bit stiff and sent a video to our colleague Cathie Forbes who, in turn, referred him to us as we are more local. 

By the way, 10/10 to Debbie for taking the video. It helped us see what she meant. Videos are great. They help you explain your concerns to your therapist or vet and they give you comparators for monitoring progress or change. My phone is full of videos of our Sarah walking which I can show to her specialist vet to explain what I see every day - we only see him twice a year and this way he can monitor her progress.

Frank is a Chihuahua/Jack Russell cross and as cute as a button. Chris was able to visit quite quickly after we received the vet agreement form (another benefit of having two therapists in the team). 

There didn’t seem to be any specifically out-of-balance issue with Frank on initial palpation although he did have a trigger point found in his shoulder. Despite being energetic and bouncy, Chris was able to perform a full massage routine on him which released a lot of fur and tension and created a lot of yawns. One of the things both Chris and his owners noticed was that, when walking on the massage mat, he held his back relaxed. On the floor, however, he hunched slightly. He also learnt that he could use the cushion to jump on the sofa and then our massage mat to get back down again rather than the wooden floor. Runners, mobility islands and mats will be re-instated. 

Chris demonstrated some back-stretching exercises and our special quick-but-efficient warm-up/cool-down Locomotion. Although no specific issues were found, Chris recommended that if the stiffness continues or they are worried, the vet should be the next port of call. 

By maintaining his balance, as Frank matures this should help him avoid having issues. This is what Cathie and I will be discussing in our winter workshops on ““Supporting your dog to reach their full potential through every stage of their life”. Give me a call if you’d like to come along.

Treating Femoral Head & Neck Excision in dogs

Bobby’s Mum came to meet us at the RSPCA Open Day a few weeks back. Bobby was rescued when he was 3. He had a femoral head & neck excision as a salvage procedure when rescued. 

His Mum says that, at 6 or 7 as he is now, he’s a little stiff first thing in the morning and after walks but doesn’t have any issues as such. And that is exactly why she asked us for a visit. She doesn’t WANT him to have any issues. 

An operation like that can lead to imbalance. This can, in turn, lead to chronic mobility issues over time. If we can help sort him now and make sure everything is working well, hopefully Billy will be happy for a long time. He already has a number of adaptations in place, such as he uses a ramp to get in and out of the car or is lifted. But during the home visit, we suggested that a few carpets and rugs as Mobility Islands would also be useful over the laminate flooring. 

His Mum had read our website where we suggest massage should be on a special place – such as a comfy mat or rug. The dog will then come to associate that place with therapy time. And has already bought one specially.

Bobby’s right rear leg is slightly shorter which may be a result of the surgery. This, in turn had likely caused his left front leg becoming more developed than the right in compensation. He also exhibited skin quivering when touched which is often a sign he needs myofascial release techniques to ease his skin – like making a tight T Shirt fit you better. 

He had a full 45 minutes of treatment before walking away. But that was only to turn round and give Chris his other side to work with. Dogs are very canny! 

At the end of the session he visibly appeared ‘longer’ and comfortable. Along with the homework we left his Mum, Bobby is on our 3 month maintenance programme.

It's the little things.......

Today was Double Therapist Saturday again. 

Second visit to Harry and Lou. Harry is (was) an anxious boy. He can be touch reactive which could make physical therapy challenging. But on his first session he chose Chris and allowed him to do all sorts with his back. Noticeable physical change at the end of that hour. 

Session two today and no signs of reluctance or anxiety. We were greeted by minimal barks. Chris sat on the floor. Harry sat straight in his lap. Lou had already chosen me as hers for the day. 

 This time, Harry’s back fell into place so much quicker. And he even opened his chest allowing Chris to get to those tight pecs.

 After 45 minutes, Harry walked away for a drink and a wee. Then came back. He slowly sidled up to Chris and gently, deliberately, tenderly put his paw on Chris’s leg. We’d all stopped breathing with the touching movement and then our eyes misted up! That was such a trusting thing for Harry to do. It was an “Ok. You’re a good guy. You can carry on now”. 

Take it from me…..it’s awesome massaging with misty eyes and a lump in your throat. 

Such a little thing. But such an enormous breakthrough for Harry. 

#thepowerofmassage

Carpets to help your dog - go bright, walk safe

“Apologies for all the mats and rugs Les” said Oscar’s Mum when I visited. Apologies? Oh no.......she deserved an AchyPaw Good Mum medal. 

She said that the wood flooring in her house didn't help with Oscar’s mobility. She found he was wobbly and slippy. Putting mats, rugs and carpets all around might not look co-ordinated but Oscar didn’t care. He just saw safety islands and places to walk. 

When dog Mums and Dads have opened the door to us, asking to be forgiven or explaining their irregular mats and carpets, they are met with a beaming smile from us and a “well done”. 

After Chris’s visit to Henry, we received an email saying “Here’s Henry on his new massive rug in the lounge - no more slippery lounge floor. His grandma and grandad bought it for him. Spoilt? Never!!”. And the rug matched his colouring. That’s cool. 

When I made my visit to little senior boy Blue, the floor was covered in dustsheets – not for re-decorating – but so Blue could walk around the whole house without slipping on the wooden floor. Now that was a great use of stuff you’ve probably already got around the house somewhere. 

And recently, handsome chunky Hector’s Mum mentioned the carpet but it was exactly what he needed to walk without worry of skidding or sliding. It needn’t cost the earth. 

Use your imagination and those bits and pieces you have around the house, as long as they don’t slide across the floor. Old mats, rugs, off cuts of carpets, yoga mats, dustsheets, anything is better than slipping legs on your dog. Don’t apologise – celebrate the multi-colour irregular mats, carpets and rugs. We do! 

Go bright - walk safe

Dogs shouldn't have to slip...add some carpets

Henry is a 2 and a half year old Boston Terrier who developed an occasional limp from his front legs. His Mum asked if we could come round and assess and treat.

Chris helped to ease out some of the tension in his back muscles and also worked with Henry’s tight shoulder. In the meantime, Henry had brought Chris all his toys to share and gave him kisses – which he apparently only ever does to his Mum. Ooops – happens all the time to us. 

Chris noticed the lovely wooden floor in his house. The things we do and suggest come about from our own experiences. We know hands-on therapy can help to change a dog’s life…our Sarah has proven that and is our inspiration to share that with as many other dogs as possible. Flooring is another. When we moved in to our current house the carpets were probably the original carpets to when the house was built – 1949! So we put down shiny lush bamboo. It was environmental, ethical and lovely. But our house has loads of circular routes. The dogs used the floors as racetracks. The grooves that we now have in the wood confirm that. But that meant they slipped in their enjoyment. 

We started with a few scattered mats – but they slipped too despite anti-slip tape. We went to bigger rugs. But they had areas between which were still lethal to wobbly dog legs. Last year we bit the bullet. We went to a local carpet store and bought a large offcut. Armed with our precise measurements, the store cut several bits for us which made a joining jigsaw of offcut carpets. They even bound all the edges. For less than a couple of hundred £ we had carpeted all downstairs. No more slipping from our dogs or visitors to the therapy room. 

Cartoon leg spinning might make people smile on YouTube videos (not me, by the way, they make me Grrrr). Think about how you feel when you slip on a wet floor. That suddenly becomes not funny. 

When Henry was outside on a flat surface, it was clear his back was straight. But when he was on the wooden floor you could see his back was hunched slightly. His mind was probably thinking “OK…I can usually negotiate this floor but with my funny leg it’s rather awkward now”. The simplest solution was to lay down Yoga Mat Islands for him. They’re ideal as a runway when he’s rushing about and can be taken up when he’s chilling. Hopefully, they can help speed up his healing. 

Many people who follow our suggestion find their dog quickly gets used to the idea and then they find them looking for it if it’s been forgotten to be put down. 

Offering advice and suggestions on simple, practical, cheap, yet effective household adaptations has always been part of the overall service we give during a therapy session.