Water therapy

Neurological Disorders Resources. Treatment and care for pets having pain or trouble walking or standing due to spinal injuries or neurological disorders like IVDD, FCE and DM.
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almabee
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Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2022 4:32 pm

Water therapy

Post by almabee »

Needing advice on trying our own water therapy, this just isn't available locally. We are doing laser therapy at the moment. Thank you.
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CarolC
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Re: Water therapy

Post by CarolC »

Did you check whether there are any equine hospitals? That's where Murphy's dad took Murphy.
viewtopic.php?p=2934#p2934

A backyard above ground pool (like Intex) could be an option if you have a yard. It wouldn't have to be super tall.

Do you have a friend with a pool? Here is Caroline's dog Buster doing rehab in a swimming pool.
viewtopic.php?t=10699&p=59198#p59198

Here is Doc_Moore_J's dog Koro doing rehab in the lake. Great music!
viewtopic.php?p=61777#p61777

EDIT TO ADD: Here's a better link on Murphy
viewtopic.php?p=8269#p8269
almabee
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Re: Water therapy

Post by almabee »

Unfortunately we have not been able to find anything within 60 miles, that's just to far to get her there regularly. We thought about a pool, that might be our best option.
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CarolC
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Re: Water therapy

Post by CarolC »

I was watching that video of Koro again and it's wonderful, but it wouldn't be appropriate if your dog's still on crate rest. The usual advice is to wait till after crate rest is complete. They only recommend passive range of motion during crate rest. They will sometimes put post-surgical dogs in the water after the sutures are out (I think it varies from one facility to another, the vet decides). But they advise you to wait for dogs that are being treated with meds and no surgery, so they can get the maximum benefit from the rest. Crate rest is supposed to help any swelling go down that might be affecting the nerves, and give the injured disk a chance to heal. It takes at least 6 weaks to heal a disk (I have a link if you need it). After the vet gives the OK, then the dog is cleared for PT.

Here is a link from Dodgerslist about what kind of PT is allowed during conservative treatment like you are doing.

https://dodgerslist.com/2020/05/26/rang ... /%E2%80%8B

EDIT TO ADD:
I might also add that rehab from spinal injury is a slow or very slow process and if you can even go to PT once a week or once every 2 weeks, it could still help. Your dog will have therapy and you will have guidance from a certified therapist on what to do between sessions.

I think how inconvenient the drive is depends a lot on what you have to drive through to get there (city or highway?) and your schedule. I worked full time but had a swing shift twice a week and one day off during the week because I worked the weekend, so that made it possible. If your dog comes to love PT, then you enjoy the drive because you're excited that your dog is excited. :D
CarolC wrote: Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:49 am I drive my dog across town twice a week and it is a 40-minute drive on the expressway varying from 70 mph to gridlock and back.
CarolC wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:53 pm I take my dog to hydrotherapy twice a week. It is by referral-only like the facility you describe. It's a 40-minute drive each way and our appointments are always at 8 a.m. and I work the late shift so they never see me on a full night's sleep. You get used to it. We go through the McDonald's drive-thru afterward and get a hash brown to split on the way home for a treat. She wasn't sure what to think about hydrotherapy at first but she grew to love it. She squeals when I get out the carrier in the morning, and again when we're pulling into the parking lot. I wouldn't keep doing this if it wasn't so good for her.
Krisp138
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Re: Water therapy

Post by Krisp138 »

Interesting. My vet told me I can start physical therapy starts at week 2. I did not get surgery, cant afford it.We are on week 3.

I've been doing limited physical therapy like the little things such as massage, playing with toes, motion exercises but I have done the ball and sling walk for maybe 5 to 10 minutes at a time 1-3 x day.. it's difficult to get him to stand and I wondered if I really should be doing this much right now when he cant even stand in the first place.

I didnt trust my veterinarian from the start, he suggested I put him down and he wont be the same again he thinks on top of that he didnt do a xray but maybe some things do say it wont show up so he could be right and of saved me money. He also didnt tell me about bladder expression, my dogs not going on his own.

I saw a guy who did hydrotherapy in his bath tub on youtube ( I only have shower personally not gonna work for me) that's one idea.

I was thinking of taking my dog to the beach eventually may be a good idea... especially considering the beach had so many healing properties...its just that it's so cold this time of year where I live.

There is a facility here so I may pay for a couple sessions there if that's possible without going through the whole assessment which would be more costly.
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CarolC
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Re: Water therapy

Post by CarolC »

Hi Krisp138!
Replies in blue...

:group:
Krisp138 wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 3:15 pm Interesting. My vet told me I can start physical therapy starts at week 2. I did not get surgery, cant afford it.We are on week 3.

Did the vet say he thinks your doggy has a disk problem? Or did he think it was something else like a stroke for example? There are 2 ways to treat a disk problem. Either surgery, or conservative treatment. Conservative treatment is strict rest plus medication for 8 weeks. Strict rest means in a crate 24/7 and only out to potty or change his blanket. :sleepingdog:

I've been doing limited physical therapy like the little things such as massage, playing with toes, motion exercises but I have done the ball and sling walk for maybe 5 to 10 minutes at a time 1-3 x day.. it's difficult to get him to stand and I wondered if I really should be doing this much right now when he cant even stand in the first place.

I think your instincts are right. It is OK to do PT if he had a stroke, but if your vet says it is a disk problem, then PT should wait till after crate rest. And crate rest is 8 weeks. Dogs who had surgery can begin PT as soon as the vet allows. But dogs who didn't have surgery are supposed to keep as still as possible and let the injured disk heal, which takes up to 8 weeks. So dogs who didn't have surgery don't do PT for 8 weeks.

Here is a nice article by a rehab specialist. It explains the difference between PT for a dog who had surgery, and a dog getting conservative treatment (rest and medication) and no surgery. You will see the section on CONSERVATIVE and the section on POST-OPERATIVE.

The article also explains the difference between a conservative treatment dog that can move, and one that can't move at all, and how to handle that. It says if your dog can move around his crate a little, then he needs no therapy at all for 8 weeks. If your dog can't even move then you can do passive range of motion.


:arrow: :arrow: https://dodgerslist.com/literature/massagepassiveexercises.htm

I didnt trust my veterinarian from the start, he suggested I put him down and he wont be the same again he thinks on top of that he didnt do a xray but maybe some things do say it wont show up so he could be right and of saved me money. He also didnt tell me about bladder expression, my dogs not going on his own.

I agree with your comments on the vet. He should have told you about bladder expression. Did you have to teach yourself?

Is he leaking? Some dogs leak even if you express them.


It's true, an x-ray is not the best way to see a disk problem. Sometimes they will show the spacing between 2 vertebrae is smaller than normal, which can be a clue that the disk between the vertebrae got injured in that spot. They don't show the disk itself very well.

Did the vet give your dog any medication? Does your dog seem comfortable?

I saw a guy who did hydrotherapy in his bath tub on youtube ( I only have shower personally not gonna work for me) that's one idea.

I was thinking of taking my dog to the beach eventually may be a good idea... especially considering the beach had so many healing properties...its just that it's so cold this time of year where I live.

It's a very nice idea when it warms up. :swim:

There is a facility here so I may pay for a couple sessions there if that's possible without going through the whole assessment which would be more costly.

That would be something to ask about. What kind of a dog is he? How old is he? What part of his back is bothering him? Is it his lower back? Mid-back?
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