What a shot! Meet Charlie. This beautiful little fella came all the way from Gladstone. He was born with scoliosis in his thoracic spine, requiring surgery to decompress his spinal cord. He was in hospital with us at North Coast Veterinary Specialists for a few weeks. His amazingly dedicated owners drove down and back from Gladstone to visit and attend his physiotherapy sessions. He is now walking (though with ataxia - neurological 'wobbly' gait) but this will improve in time.
I look forward to seeing his progress and take my hat off to his owners (and extended family) for all the hard work they are putting into this fella to improve his quality of life.
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Gotta love a sleepy physio session in a bali hut. What a lovely sight to see the relaxing session for Snoopy and her mum. After some underwater treadmill (no umbrella or gumboots required) and acupuncture and physio both enjoyed some time to revitalise.
I think we should rename the sunny coast! The underwater treadmill has been a blessing for many owners who have not been able to get their loved ones out for a good ol fashioned stroll in the park. Blue is so Blue today! Thanks huey for giving us some respite!
I have just attached a new article I did for the NCVS (North Coast Veterinary Specialists) newsletter on the Acupuncture page on this website. It gives a background for understanding the east and west approach to Acupuncture.
I hope it helps you understand a little more how this 5000 year old method of treatment works.
Bella had her 2nd session in the underwater treadmill this week to help manage her osteoarthritis in her hips and back.
She was so much more comfortable and you can really see the improvement in her stride.
Bella is now more easily jumping up onto the couch and having no problems getting up and down. Her back and hip pain has improved considerably on palpation. Combined with acupuncture and physiotherapy and a home program she is doing very well for an old girl. Well done Bella! (ps and thanks for not shredding me!)
What a great shot! This is the lovely Bonnie (her story is on my testimonial page) who obviously is recovering beautifully with her Physiotherapy program for hock OCD. I just received this photo today from her dedicated mum who looks like she has an ideal environment at home to keep her dogs happy. I can't say the leaping in the pool is physio approved but it is great to see her being able to extend so well and it is so lovely to see her enjoying the process.
The underwater treadmill at NCVS has given her very controlled strengthening with the buoyancy of the water helping with the recovery. Her regular massage and acupuncture sessions have all added to the process.
Gotta love border collies!
I find these portage float coats work so well providing just enough buoyancy and fit snuggly. They have superior quality and would recommend them for small to large dogs. Check out the ruffwear section on my products page if you are interested.... Happy swimming!
Toby is recovering from Cruciate surgery (TPLO). He loves the underwater treadmill and physiotherapy sessions and not afraid to dive deep for that ball. Great to see him back to enjoying full quality of life. Thanks to such a keen owner he has been working hard for months now on his Physiotherapy program and doing very well.
What a face! He enjoyed his physio session much more than this believe me! Bandit never has really liked water but this lab x Rottie is learning to work well in the underwater treadmill. Following a diagnosis of hip dysplasia he is now 7 weeks after Total Hip replacement. He is doing very well and I will bring the water loving Lab out of him before too long.
We are working on building his buns of steel to live a long and pain free life.
It is a long road recovering from such a major surgery but with such keen owners he is taking all the right steps so far!
I came across this very informative video that may help the clients taking their beloved dogs home who need bladder expression. After a spinal injury/ surgery it may take some time for the bladder to regain control. Sometimes dogs/cats are managed at home with permanent dysfunction. Often bladder expression is the most overwhelming technique to cope with other than managing a paralysed dog at home.
Hopefully this video will be a reminder after your vet/nurse has shown you these techniques before you go home. I spend 1.5 hours on discharge for spinal injured dogs for treatment and advice of setting up a home program to help with daily care. It can be a long road at times before their pet is up and walking/running independently. From a personal experience with my Missie I can understand how much work this is.
Dogs have a variety of back or spinal diseases or injuries. Slipped or protruding discs are well known in long backed breeds like Dachshunds for example. But one disease you may not have heard of can be devastating to Large Breed owners and this is an interesting case. It is called Wobblers Disease or Syndrome.
Here is a very informative video for those of you who might want to know more....
I am honoured to take on a new role for this year. I have been involved with the Animal Physio Group (APG) of the APA (Australian Physiotherapy Association) for the past few years. As the Qld rep it has been great to be a part of such a team and work with our professional body. I have now been asked to step into some big shoes and take over the Chair position.
We are a relatively new profession in this country so there are many behind the scene issues to work on to establish ourselves. The APA has provided a huge support over this time. The committee members have volunteered their time, some before we had a Masters qualification or registered profession in Australia. The chair role has been filled by Elizabeth, Lindsey and Michelle over this time. I thank them for all their time and dedication to the profession over the years. Dr Helen Nicholson has fortunately agreed to help me as Vice Chair and I look forward to working with all these dedicated Animal Physios over the next few years.
Hopefully this year will see some great progressions in re-establishing our educational pathway and further developing the awareness of our profession across the public and veterinary profession.
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novice blog writers? I'd really appreciate it.