Being Prepared

 

Milly is a 7 year old Maltipoo (with a bit of Bichon Frise) who is due to have a cruciate operation on her right knee in the summer.   She currently has Grade II medial patella luxation in her right hind and Grade I to II medial patella luxation in her left hind legs. 

Her Mum wanted to book a session to learn how Milly could be helped now – to get her in top condition prior to surgery – and then to carry on the therapy for her post-operation rehabilitation.  What a considerate Mum!

Milly was initially a little uncomfortable with any touch near her rear end, understandably as she had been holding that area tight and scrunched.

But touching her anywhere else generated a smile, soft eyes and resting ears – she loved all of that and we knew we were onto a winner with on-going therapy for Milly.

We went through an appropriate set of massage techniques and leg strengthening exercises that would suit Milly now to make sure all her muscles are healthy and toned, but could be adapted later for rehabilitation.

By the end of the session, Milly was lying down on the mat allowing us both to work with her anywhere on her body – she’d started to understand the difference between therapeutic touch and petting.

 

Working with a rescue dog

Working with a rescue dog is notably heart-warming.  Their new carer often doesn’t know all of their history.  What we do know is that they are now able to live their best life.  But for someone new, like me, getting their trust is very special.  And Bobby was very special.

He is an almost 5 year Romanian rescue – a bit of Collie, Labrador and Hound.  But the eyes are all Bobby.  When he was first adopted in 2017, he had separation issues and was anxious about many things.  But with calming consistent work from his carers, he has blossomed into a wonderful family dog. 

Recently he started to show signs of apprehension again.  It was thought that maybe he was in discomfort, especially from his rear end which he displayed by a “don’t come too near me please” behaviour.

Imagine if you have a constant back ache.  You don’t particularly want random cuddles or people in your face.  Dogs are no different.  But they can’t just phone up a therapist or pop some pills.  Luckily, Bobby’s Mum was able to call a therapist for him and along he came.

He was oh-so-sweet as he walked in.  Looking round surveying the room but within a minute saw the massage mat in the middle and plonked himself down.  My brightly coloured dog sized massage mat has seen that behaviour so often.  “Not sure what to do?  I know….I’ll plonk myself on that lovely colourful place.  It looks safe and me sized.”

He allowed me, and sometimes helped me, find where his issues were.  He had a stiff neck which was probably due to anxious shoulder raising.  But his main tightness was in his lower back.  He had clearly been holding himself quite rigid which would, understandably, be giving him anxiety.

It took a while for him to trust me to work there.  We were helped by treat distractions……good old Primula Cheese tubes, the best solution for any distraction.

After about 40 minutes he looked as though he needed a stretch and went for a walk round our garden.   This has a double use.  The dog can have a well-deserved pee and it means for the next few days our Sam can patrol ‘his’ garden sniffing out the new pee smells.  Win, win.

When Bobby came back it was like he was a new boy.  The old anxious Bobby had shaken himself off in the garden and Mr Relaxed Bobby came back in.  He simply lay down and allowed his Mum and me to work wherever we, or he, liked.  It was a very special moment.  Trust established.  Back pain eased.  Bobby returns.

We ran through some appropriate exercises and I prepared his workbook for his Mum.  She replied “Bobby has literally been a different dog yesterday afternoon he has been smiling and generally seems so much more comfortable. It really was amazing to see the shift in the room. Thank you so much 💓”.  You’re more than welcome Bobby.  You are a special boy.

 

Getting it right from the start

Bailey is a 2 year old Sproodle who decided to have a couple of random stop and sit downs during walks.  When his vet examined him, it was noticed he seemed to have a stiff neck and upper back and was prescribed a short course of NSAIDs. 

But a few weeks later, on a return to the vets, he still seemed uncomfortable and was recommended to visit us for a check-up and advice.

Working with such a young dog is perfect for our ‘helping you to help your dog’ philosophy.  Discovering and assisting Bailey’s mobility issues as a puppy, will enable his Mum to carry those skills into his maturing days.  It’s about knowing what to do and being empowered to help and those skills can be learned at any stage.

Your dog will get older but that course doesn’t have to be predetermined.  It doesn’t have to be a case of they get old, they stop moving, they get worse which will ultimately lead to an unacceptable impact on their quality of life.

Bailey knew that he needed some help and, although timid, allowed me to work with him and show his Mum what he needs now and in the longer-term.

Things such as getting into the habit of giving him a quick warm-up and cool-down before and after exercise is something that will benefit him whatever his age.  Our Sarah refused point blank to move in the morning until we’d given her a warm-up in the park.  She knew how beneficial it was.  We simply incorporated it into our morning routine.

Daily massage on the muscles and joints that take all the stress and strains of being a dog is beneficial whether your dog is 2 or 12. 

We found that, as well as tight neck and upper back muscles, Bailey was also uncomfortable on his thighs possibly due to compensation.  This gave us a plan for a massage and exercise routine Bailey’s Mum could do now, to help with his current issues while enabling her to know how to will help him later.

As Bailey gets older the massage routine will grow and develop.  His needs as a puppy will differ from those as an adolescent or middle-aged boy.  A 15 to 30 minute daily massage, warm-up and cool-down, simple stretching mobilising exercises and generally making the most of every opportunity given, will make sure you get to know your dog’s body and needs.  This will prevent injuries by identifying tissue change before it becomes a problem.  Added to that the bond created with your dog, helping your dog with physical therapy is a wonderful skill to learn.

Looking at Bailey’s expressions during the session, he will soon start to become a Massage Diva demanding and guiding his Mum on the areas that need help.

 

 

“Her strength shows me how it can be done… mind over matter”

 I had an emergency call for help from Marley’s Mum.  Marley is a 13 year old Staffie who suddenly lost all use of her rear left leg.  Her vet suggested suspected neurological trauma as there was no proprioception or superficial pain reflex although deep pain reflex was present.  They advised that the issue was likely disc or spinal disease and it was unlikely that Marley would regain use of that leg.  They advised physical therapy to maintain tone in the muscles of the left rear leg and keep the remaining legs strong.

We managed to see Marley the next day as it was clear that both her and her Mum needed help as soon as possible.  Her Mum needed some hope.

Marley was determined.  Oh, so determined.  She was not going to give in.  She managed to get herself into the therapy room with her three working legs which had quickly adapted to keep her moving.  She reminded me so much of our Sarah who never accepted her limited abilities.  She still wanted to enjoy her life and wasn’t going to let wobbly legs get in the way.  Dogs have a strength and grit that is simply awesome.  No wonder the term “dogged” is used for tenacity and persistence.

Marley’s left rear leg muscles were already showing signs of softness while her other limb muscles resembled those of a weight training athlete.  Everything needed help, but in different ways.  Left rear leg needed pumping massage and stimulation, while front and right rear leg muscles needed help to make sure they didn’t overexert themselves and tighten up restricting movement further.

Her mid back was also tight, understandably.

Marley had brought along her two human sisters to help their Mum with the therapy routine. 

By the end of the session, which Marley thoroughly enjoyed, she was moving even more fluidly.  I sent through a personalised workbook of what to massage, why and ways to ensure the left rear leg is kept stimulated while she is not using it herself

The next day her Mum wrote “I wanted to give you an update on Marley.  She is weight bearing on the leg and is showing signs of using the muscle in the upper leg……The improvement this morning after seeing you last night is phenomenal (I am secretly hopeful and believe she may use the leg again).  Marley is definitely the strongest dog I have ever met and her strength shows me how it can be done… mind over matter.  Oh and I tickled her toes earlier and she spread her paw!.  You and your partner are amazing people and extremely kind.  I will keep you updated. DAY 3 and look how far she has come”

The following day an additional text “I was doing her massage this morning and she curled her bad paw round my hand”

And a week later...“Marley saw the vet yesterday, the vet is confident that she will regain full function!! She told us that you can see the work we have done for her and that is because of your immediate help.   Thank you for supporting me through this process.  It really was true team work.  Thanks for passing that knowledge and seeing what I see in her”

Now that was the feedback we wanted to read.  With hope from the carer, determination from the dog with some empowerment and knowledge sharing from us, team work has helped Marley to recover and maintain some mobility. 

 

"I actually feel positive for the first time since he got the diagnosis”

Handsome soulful big fluster Golden Retriever Leo is only 17 months old but his Mum noticed clicking from his hips and sometimes he struggled to get up or “he looks like he has old man bones” as his Mum put it.  But he’s a puppy, a big floppy, soft puppy who wants to play and not struggle.

He had several radiographs from a specialist vet who determined that he has bilateral mild hip subluxation without secondary change in any other joint.  They recommended a number of things to help including maintaining a low weight (Leo is in stunning shape), regular but not excessive exercise (Leo goes out a couple of times a day for gentle walks), on and off lead work (to make sure that he gets some controlled exercise rather than puppy antics), water treadmill (which he has already started), non-slip flooring (Leo’s house is now a perfect example of slippy floors being covered) and manual therapy.

For me, he was a classic case of helping the carer help him, rather than visiting a therapist every couple of weeks.

His Mum and I had no worries that he would be an awkward candidate for massage.  A bit of a wriggler but also a lot of googly eyed snoozing.

We found that he had been compensating for his hips by some overuse of his front end muscles and mid back.  But his thigh muscles were in great condition, as was almost everything about him.  We just needed to make sure everything stays that way.  And, more importantly, his Mum is aware of how he feels today so she has something to use as a gauge for any changes.

For the 90 minute initial session, Leo smiled, yawned, snoozed, grinned and generally acted as this was the best thing ever.

His Mum and I went through an appropriate massage routine and some stretching/balancing exercises to assist with the muscle tone and joint movement.  Leo was a very fast learner.  Within two attempts he realised that by standing on the soft cushion and stretching forward he’d get a treat.  What we saw though was him using his hips and core muscles to get hold of that treat.  Exercise without knowing it.  And getting a treat.  How I wish going to the gym was as easy for us!

His Mum wrote “Absolutely incredible, I've learnt so much. Thank you ever so much, I actually feel positive for the first time since he got the diagnosis”.  Another carer successfully empowered to help their own dog.

And I shall follow his progress on his Instagram page of http://www.instragram.com/leo.eat.sleep.retrieve