Muscle strength excercises & safe confinement when alone
Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 11:10 am
Good morning.... I'm very happy to have found this forum ! There are obviously many, many loving "pet parents" of handicapped pets out there ! I have a 16 year old pit bull, Patch, who has pretty significant arthritis and who has recently suffered from "additional" sprain injuries ... the first injury was to his right front leg and then, as luck would have it a few weeks later (as he was improvement with that injury), he sustained another sprain to his left rear leg. These injuries have caused him to not be able to "get around" without assistance. He is too unsteady on his feet and if he loses balance and falls, can sustain additional injuries. So over the past 4 weeks since his last injury, I have had to make arrangements for virtual 24-hour "oversight" of him.
Currently I am doing range of motion exercises and acupuncture. I'd love any suggestions for muscle strengthening exercises. We do not have a facility in our area that offers water therapy. Does anyone have any information on "at home" tricks of the trade for creating water therapy for a 50 ish pound dog? ... or any other muscle strengthening therapies ?
I am a single "pet parent" and for these past 4 weeks have had the assistance of good friends to help "attend" him when I have to leave him. (Fortunately, I am able to do a lot of my work from home and so can be with him most of the time.) But, his recuperation is taking longer than I had hoped and my friends can not continue to help me much longer. Does anyone have suggestions as to how to safely confine a dog of his size that will significantly reduce his ability to "move about"?? Again, he does have partial mobility, but with his instability could hurt himself if he lost his footing and fell....
Many thanks in advance,
Kim
Currently I am doing range of motion exercises and acupuncture. I'd love any suggestions for muscle strengthening exercises. We do not have a facility in our area that offers water therapy. Does anyone have any information on "at home" tricks of the trade for creating water therapy for a 50 ish pound dog? ... or any other muscle strengthening therapies ?
I am a single "pet parent" and for these past 4 weeks have had the assistance of good friends to help "attend" him when I have to leave him. (Fortunately, I am able to do a lot of my work from home and so can be with him most of the time.) But, his recuperation is taking longer than I had hoped and my friends can not continue to help me much longer. Does anyone have suggestions as to how to safely confine a dog of his size that will significantly reduce his ability to "move about"?? Again, he does have partial mobility, but with his instability could hurt himself if he lost his footing and fell....
Many thanks in advance,
Kim