Like so many of the unlucky pooches out there, Hugo had the bad fortune to rupture both of his Cranial Cruciate Ligaments. Lucky for him, not at the same time, but as the first post surgical recovery took such a long time with multiple complications alongside (a couple of months after the surgery, the meniscus decided to cause issues as well), his dedicated owners decided to pursue rehabilitation with him after this surgery.
This is how we got to know Hugo, and his partner in crime, Sparky, who came along on every single visit and loved his outings as much as Hugo, I think. Especially when we added a trampoline in the treatment room, which Sparky decided was the perfect bed!
At the time of his first visit, it was four weeks after surgery (he had a Triple Tibial Osteotomy done, for everyone interested in the specifics J). The surgery site had healed up well, he was using his operated leg well enough, though a bit stiff in general and he shifted a lot of weight into his front legs, doing what we call “handstand walking”. Needless to say, he carried a lot of tension in the muscles in his upper back and neck, travelling down his lower back. His referring surgeon had ok’ed him for short five minute walks, 2 to 3 times per day, which he was coping well with at this stage.
So now, his rehabilitation journey began.
As with any dog (humans too, I guess) and condition, a wide approach to rehabilitation is needed, ranging from passive and active exercises, modalities to deal with possible pain, Underwater Treadmill to encourage weight bearing on the injured leg, and I guess to a certain degree emotional support for the dog parents, as this is a stressful time for everyone.
Hugo did really well in the Underwater Treadmill from the start. The only issue was his dislike of the ramp to get into the Treadmill, but after a few trials, we figured out that it was just a bit too slippery for him, so with the help of the trusted yoga mat, we overcame that obstacle. With the help of the Underwater Treadmill, we were able to work on the range of motion in his stifle, as this often is decreased post stifle surgery, which contributes to ongoing lameness. And we were able to assist with muscle building, by slowly increasing speed and time that he was walking, and later on using an elastic band, to target specific muscle groups.
Some of the exercises definitely worked better for him than others (those leg lifts were just never a favorite of his), so we kept on tweaking his exercises to the level that was appropriate for the surgery done and the stage of healing of the tissue. As regular appropriate exercises are crucial to get a good outcome with rehabilitation, we reviewed and adjusted his exercises during most visits. As dogs are great at “finding the easy way out”, it is important to ensure a thorough understanding of the exercise by the owner, the goal of the exercise, and getting them to practice a few times under “supervision”, so that hopefully, everything will flow well when they are working on it at home.
So for Hugo, despite a little set back when he needed surgery for an unrelated issue, with time and the owners hard work and dedication at home, he was finally signed off by us and his referring surgeon as well. The muscle mass in the affected leg was nearly the same as the other side, he was comfortable in his movement, back to his previous walk times and happily trotting along.
So here is to celebrating Mr Hugo and his parents, for all the heart and work they put in to get their precious boy back to being his cheeky little self.
And here is some feedback from his parents, which we did appreciate a lot:
“We can’t recommend Stef and Carmel enough for the care of our golden retriever and guidance provided to us. They are highly knowledgeable in their field, with our visits giving us confidence in how Hugo’s recovery was tracking post cruciate surgery. Stef and Carmel genuinely love the animals they treat and delight in improving their quality of life. Thank you both - Hugo has loved his visits (as has Sparky) and he’s back to his cheeky self!”
Stef Mulligan
CCRP, RVN