Bug FHO Update #5: Rehab

Bug has now completed 5 weeks of underwater treadmill therapy, and we're seeing a HUGE improvement!

We had to wait to start the treadmill until she was weight bearing on her leg, and to get there we did "assisted weight shifts" for a few seconds at a time by supporting her butt and gently lifting the good leg. We also walked around in her pool (see Bugzercisor video).

The biggest change I've been noticing is a huge improvement in her attitude. She's much more relaxed, even in new situations. It's a similar change to when I started her on fluoxetine. I had known she was in pain from her hip, but what a difference less pain makes! She's much less reactive to other dogs and less anxious. I'm so excited to see what this does for her learning ability (dog parkour, agility, and disc dogs, here we come!!)

Below is a short (ok, long-ish but adorable) video of her first vs. fifth sessions on the treadmill. Shout-out to Animal Clinic Northview for the AWESOME rehab program and Susan RVT for all the help with the Bug-let!

Bug FHO Update #4: pre-weight-bearing rehab

Bug working on rehab exercises and swimming now that her stitches are out. Most of this was filmed week 3 after surgery. Both Bug and the pool tried to die this weekend, luckily only one of them succeeded!

We have an appointment with a rehab veterinarian tomorrow!

Bug's Hip Dysplasia - Update #2: The Bugzercisor

D-day is scheduled!! I'm dog/condo sitting for a friend a week in July, so scheduled the surgery at the very beginning of that week. The details seem to be fitting together perfectly - the condo we're at has a same-level patio for dog potty trips (no stairs!) and little, polite dogs (no behemoths *cough* ROMAN*cough* to knock a sore Bug down).

I had planned on getting a referral when back in Cleveland for PT/rehab because, with an FHO, early and intense rehab is critical to a getting functional false joint. This is because scar tissue is forming the joint - if range of motion exercises aren't done during recovery, it will be limited. Doing a lot of reading on FHOs, the consensus seemed to be that "hydrotherapy treadmill" is what's usually done by veterinarians to rehab dogs (a treadmill filled with water to add resistance and encourage more range of motion), but swimming is almost ideal. So I did some researching and found that a pool deep enough for Bug to swim in was surprisingly cheap at walmart!