Physical Therapy and Weight Loss Can Give New Leash on Life!
The nine year old golden retriever was lucky. A year ago his veterinarian diagnosed a painful hind limb mass as a histiocytoma sarcoma. To prevent the spread of the cancer, the golden’s leg had to be amputated. He recovered well from the surgery, and the endearing older dog with soulful eyes and an often-wagging tail was fortunate to have a new lease on life. But that lease was limited by weight troubles that had plagued him his entire life, and now made mobility very difficult. His one remaining hind leg had to bear the strain of many excess pounds, and as a result he was very uncomfortable. For the past year since the surgery, he had to walk with the assistance of a sling, and had great difficulty to even stand up.
The golden first came to CARE to consult with our physical therapist, Nancy Bishop, to address his obesity and subsequent mobility troubles. His owners love him dearly and wanted him to have the best quality of life possible. Nancy found him to be painful in all three remaining legs and his back. An immediate plan for controlling his weight with diet and appropriate exercise was recommended, with physical therapy in our underwater treadmill being a primary component of his low-impact workout regime. The owners had planned to board him at a kennel for the next two weeks while they vacationed, but they instead decided to keep him at CARE so he could begin his rehabilitative program right away.
The next two weeks saw the lovable dog well on his way to a healthy, happy, and pain-free life. He received almost daily sessions in the underwater treadmill, allowing him to exercise in the gentle resistance of the water while alleviated from most of his body weight. He also received beneficial massages, heat therapy and range of motion exercises that promoted the healing and strengthening of his overburdened hind leg. His diet was limited to the appropriate nutrition for his lifestyle, including low calorie food supplemented with green beans and occasional healthy treats. He enjoyed his physical therapy sessions greatly, especially afterwards when he gets to play with Nancy’s golden retrievers, who assist her everyday demonstrating how to master rehabilitative exercises, and all of their toys. Like most goldens, he loves stuffed animals!
By the end of his stay at CARE, the cheerful retriever was walking without the need of a sling, and was even running uphill on his walks! He lost an impressive six pounds, and his discomfort in his limbs had greatly decreased. When his people came to pick him up he was sent home with a detailed program to follow, including exercise recommendations, a diet plan, and advise on how to keep him entertained with appropriate toys instead of food. He will be returning to CARE regularly to continue his physical therapy sessions, which is good for him and us, since we sure do miss him!
Besides being open for emergencies every evening, weekend, and all holidays, CARE hosts a comprehensive physical therapy program to address a variety of concerns for dogs and cats, including post-operative rehabilitation, weight management, and injury recovery. Veterinary rehabilitation has been demonstrated to speed recovery time, improve function, and restore performance following injury or surgery. The retriever’s story is just one example of the amazing recoveries facilitated by CARE’s physical therapy program every day.
-Emily Murray, CVT
