Post-op Rehab for your dog – helping their recovery
Post op rehab helps get your dog back to doing the things they enjoy while promoting the best healing and the best use of their whole body. We, as ACPAT Veterinary Physiotherapists are trained in post-op rehabilitation for animals whether that be an operation on their leg or back or any other operation that affects their movement/strength.
Each case is unique and receives an assessment before any treatment is applied. Physiotherapy is not prescriptive; we use information from assessment, vets and owners to clinically reason with our knowledge on tissue healing, surgical procedures and biomechanics to devise a bespoke rehab program for that animal.
The aims of physio rehab after an operation are:
- Help with pain control
- Ease tense muscles – often present from compensating for walking differently
- Promote healing
- help joint range of motion
- improve proprioception – often reduced from pain, injury and an operation
- improve quality of movement – within the healing process ensure their movement is optimum
- Improve strength with relevant exercises at the right time in the healing process
What we do
Alongside the vet’s referral we get detailed notes from your vet on the operation performed. Either Nycky, Leanne, Nicole or Kaye will then come to your home and assess the whole dog. We treat the main points needed that day and then add treatments as needed throughout the healing process.
Depending on the outcome of the detailed assessment the right treatment is chosen. Some examples are treatment are listed below.
Early stages of healing
In early healing we want to control inflammation and pain and help any sore muscles as well as start to wake up proprioception. So treatments may include
- cold therapy
- therapeutic laser
- pulsed magnetic therapy
- massage and other soft tissue techniques to help sore, tense muscles
- gentle range of movement exercises done professionally so as not to hurt.
- controlled standing exercises to encourage expected weight bearing status of the limb/s
- proprioceptive exercises and
- a detailed home management program.
All of this is highly controlled and works within any vet guidelines post op. Where possible the relevant parts are taught to owners to continue as a daily rehabilitation program.
Mid to latter stages of healing
The physio session may include
- pulsed magnetic therapy,
- laser therapy,
- improving quality of movement
- beginning strength exercises
- progression in proprioception exercises;
- gradual increase time of lead walking, maybe incorporating changes in terrain and speed as rehab progresses.
All the time checking the pet is not compensating and overloading other structures.
Later stages of healing .
We start and progress physio for returning to normal life by preparing the whole body for all the activities your dog wants to do. This involves continuing to promote quality of movement plus improve strength and give activities on walks to start to aim for more energetic or off lead walks as required.
The highly specialised operation done by your vet is complemented by professional rehabilitation in your own home to bring your dog back to full form in the best way possible.
Next steps
Ask your vet to refer your dog either before the operation for some pre op work or on the day of the operations. We ususally see you with 5-10 days post op. I am quite happy to talk with you and your vet about the process and during the rehabilitation your vet receives regular reports of progress. There is also more information on this website for Vets to look at under the Vets tab.
