A few of the interesting cases I have encountered in my work.
Dogs
Dogs come into my clinic in all shapes and sizes, they can be young or old, pedigree or cross breed, pets or Crufts competitors. They all get the same level of care and tummy tickles.
Ruby 13 year old chocolate labdrador, severe spinal issue
Ruby’s case was very sad as I knew her and her family personally. She was 13 years young when she suddenly went from being a very active dog to being unable to use her back legs. This is commonly the symptoms of Intervertebral Disc disease (IVDD) where the discs are damaged (through injury or age deterioration) & place pressure on the spinal cord resulting in paralysis. This can often be rectified with an operation to remove the pressure and then intensive physiotherapy to teach the dog to walk again. I usually find these cases wonderful to work with as it is like watching a miracle happen when they take their first steps! Ruby showed positive signs of improvement over the weeks that I worked with her but sadly her case was not straightforward and after a couple of visits to Glasgow Vet School very sadly the difficult decision for her family had to be made to let her suffering end. RIP Ruby dog, I’ll never forget your tail it never stopped wagging till the end!
Pippa ex-racing greyhound, hind limb amputated- racing injury
Pip is a cheerful wee greyhound that I’ve had the pleasure of doing Physio on for the past couple of years. Sadly she was brought into Gracehounds charity with multiple fractures in her hind leg, which had just been “bandaged up” so the vets were left with no option than to amputate it. She manages very well on 3 legs. She also goes for hydrotherapy at the vets every few months.
Archie the labrador – doing his own hydrotherapy.
He is only 5 years old but has a number of joint issues, he is checked over a few times a year and we review his range of motion & free off any areas of tension.a
Jay is a 1 year old Cockapoo (Cocker x Poodle).
At approximately 9 months old he had a femoral head & neck excision (the piece of bone that links his leg to his hip removed) as his hip joint was not correctly formed and was hurting him.
I have been treating him with physiotherapy regularly & he is now sound, using the limb and developing muscle on his leg again. Happy pup & owner, who can resume their fun walks together.
