The buoyancy of warm water and the movement of the treadmill combine to reduce the impact on painful joints and help increase the patient's mobility. Some examples of how hydro-treadmill therapy may be used are after orthopedic or neurologic surgery, to aid in weight loss, or for athletic conditioning.
Comprehensive Examination
"Because I'm a veterinarian I know what can be expected from, say, a post-operative patient. I have a better sense of what hurdles there are for each individual animal and I'm able to start the rehab process with a full physical exam," says Dr. Corey. "Several times a year I pick up on conditions that might not have otherwise been discovered and whether or not it's directly related to the rehab, successful treatment for the problem is more likely if it's caught early."
Acupuncture provides pain relief as well as a general sense of wellness, and promotes healing through neuromodulation. The main indications for acupuncture in the rehabilitation setting are arthritis, recovery from neurologic injury, and post-op from a neurological or orthopedic procedure. Conditions and injuries that can benefit from acupuncture treatment include: degenerative joint disease (underlying arthritis), underlying neurolgoical problems such as following disc surgery or hindlimb weakness and, to a lesser extent, GI and skin issues.
The term dysplasia means abnormal growth, thus hip dysplasia means abnormal growth or development of the hips. Hip dysplasia occurs during the growing phase of a puppy, usually a large breed puppy, and essentially refers to a poor fit of the ball and socket nature of the hip. The normal hip consists of the femoral head (which is round like a ball and connects the femur to the pelvis), the acetabulum (the socket of the pelvis), and the fibrous joint capsule and lubricating fluid that make up the joint. The bones (femoral head and acetabulum) are coated with smooth cartilage so that motion is nearly frictionless and the bones glide smoothly across each other's surface. When a dog has hip dysplasia, the ball and socket do not fit smoothly. The socket is flattened and the ball is not held tightly in place, thus allowing for some slipping. This makes for an unstable joint and the body's attempts to stabilize the joint only end up yielding arthritis.
Diabetes Treatment
Obesity has become an extremely important health problem in the Western world, not just for humans but for dogs and cats as well. Obesity in pets is associated with joint problems, diabetes mellitus, respiratory compromise, and decreased life span; recent estimations suggest that up to 35% of dogs and cats in the U.S. suffer from obesity.