A Devastating Turn

Sam, a spirited 7-year-old cocker spaniel, was living his best life, adventuring through mountain trails and basking in the great outdoors. But everything changed when he suddenly lost the ability to stand on his front legs, experiencing unbearable pain without an obvious cause.

A Sudden Emergency

Sam was rushed to us as an emergency case, where his condition rapidly worsened. Paralysis spread to his back legs, his breathing became strained, and his discomfort was evident. The veterinary and rehabilitation team immediately initiated a thorough assessment, suspecting a neurological or spinal issue. To pinpoint the cause, Sam was rushed to our in-house CT scanner and within minutes the scan was completed and the images sent to the Radiologist for interpretation and diagnosis within 4 hours.

The Diagnosis: Spinal Compression

The CT scan revealed a severe compression on Sam’s spinal cord in his neck region. As seen on the images the material within the red circle is from a ruptured spinal disc. This has entered the spinal column, causing spinal compression which is a time-sensitive condition. The longer the pressure on the spine remains, the more damage it can cause—possibly leading to permanent paralysis. Sam’s case was urgent, and the decision was made to transfer him to Chester Gates Referral Hospital for immediate treatment.

A Critical Transfer

Transporting Sam safely was paramount. He was carefully stabilized with pain medication and securely stretchered to prevent any further spinal damage. A veterinary nurse and rehabilitation team member accompanied him in our ambulance, ensuring his condition remained stable en route.

Meanwhile, the CT images were sent ahead to Chester Gates, the quality of the images were to such a good standard and level of detail that the specialist surgical team were able to use them to formulate a precise treatment plan. This allowed them to make adjustments to the surgical approach, ensuring the most effective spinal decompression procedure. Enabling the specialist team to view these images and plan whilst we were in transit allowed Sam to go straight into surgery on arrival, reducing the time of the compression and improving Sam’s chance of recovery.

Emergency Surgery and Immediate Relief

Upon reaching Chester Gates, Sam immediately underwent the emergency spinal decompression surgery. Surgeons removed significant amounts of blood and disc material that had been pressing on his spinal cord. The operation successfully alleviated the pressure, bringing Sam much-needed relief. His breathing stabilized, his neck regained some mobility, and his pain became more manageable.

Despite the success of the procedure, post surgery Sam remained paralyzed in all four limbs and required catheterization due to loss of bladder control which is quite common for this type of spinal injury. After two days of intensive monitoring, he was stable enough to return home, with strict post-surgery care instructions emphasizing cage rest and pain management.

The Road to Recovery: Rehabilitation

The road to recovery wasn’t easy, but Sam had a dedicated team working with him every step of the way. The veterinary team has been instrumental in managing Sam’s case post surgery when complications arose. The rehabilitation team was involved from the start, offering advice to Sam’s owners on how to adapt their home to better suit his needs. They also provided a personalized rehabilitation program, which included physiotherapy exercises for the family to perform at home, as well as massage and laser treatment to help reduce pain, swelling, and muscle tension. His owners have also been extremely committed throughout his treatment and working hard with him between his sessions.

As soon as Sam was able to stand, hydrotherapy became a pivotal part of his recovery. Underwater treadmill (UWTM) therapy played a crucial role in helping him regain his natural gait while minimizing stress on his body. While he initially showed delayed reflexes in his hind legs, consistent therapy yielded noticeable improvements. His left hind leg, weaker than the right, gradually regained strength with targeted exercises and weekly rehabilitation sessions.

Steady Progress

Thanks to consistent weekly rehabilitation sessions, including underwater treadmill therapy and laser treatments, Sam’s condition continued to improve. His hind limb muscle mass, which had been 3 cm smaller on his left leg, is now only 1 cm different from the right. Most importantly, Sam’s personality began to shine through once again. Though he’s not quite back to his mountain adventures, he’s slowly regaining his strength and mobility.

Now, Sam has advanced to the pool, a crucial step in restoring joint flexibility and further strengthening his hind limbs. His recovery, while ongoing, is a testament to his resilience, the unwavering support of his owners, and the dedication of his veterinary and rehabilitation team.

Looking Toward the Future

Sam’s journey from paralysis to recovery is a testament to resilience, expert veterinary & rehabilitation care, and the unwavering support of his loving family. Keep going, Sam—you’ve come so far!

Pre-Visit Checklist for Owners

Before your vet visit, make sure to gather the following:

• List of Questions: Prepare any questions or concerns you have about your pet’s health or behavior.
• List of Medications: Bring along a list of any medications your pet is currently taking.
• Muzzle (if needed): Consider muzzle training if your pet may require a muzzle during the visit. Guide to muzzle training.
• Short Lead: Use a short lead instead of a retractable one for better control.
• Blanket or Familiar Item: Bring a blanket or something familiar that your pet often uses or lays on.
• Food or Treats: If applicable, bring your pet’s favorite treats or food.
• Photos or Videos: Provide any photos or videos of your pet displaying symptoms, if available.

How to Prepare for the Visit:

• Stay Calm: Remember, your pet can pick up on your feelings too, so try to remain calm to help keep them at ease.
• Safe Transportation: Ensure your pet is safely transported to the vet and is accustomed to the mode of transportation.
• Stay in the Car if Preferred: If your pet is more comfortable waiting in the car, please notify us upon arrival. We’ll come out to you when ready, reducing stress, especially in busy waiting rooms. This also helps maintain a calm environment for other pets if your dog tends to vocalize.
• Handling Preparation: Handling plays a significant role in examining your pet, so please get your pet used to being handled in areas such as paws, tail, ears, face, and body. Guide on handling your dog.

In a literal sense it means Abnormal development

Dys – abnormal, impaired, difficult,

Plasia – from Greek plasis a moulding or formation, from plassein to mould

But what does to a pet? sadly it can men a lifetime of pain and difficulty with normal movement.

With our CT scanner we have been lucky enough to actually see a four view picture and explain exactly how this condition becomes a problem. We were asked to CT scan a 5 year old labrador that had suddenly gone lame.

These are the pictures and explanation oooo fancy but what does it actually mean. Well Sadly it means that the dog in this case has an elbow that works as a mortar and pestle as the fragments rub in the joint. The word incongruity means the normal joint does not sit in the correct location and as the CT defines in this case is moderately out of place. Therefore as you can imagine this is a disease process that will progress.

The bad news is that well as elbows animals can get dysplaias in many areas but also most predominantly the hips. Factors such as excessive growth rate, types of exercise, improper weight, and unbalanced nutrition can magnify this genetic predisposition. Although there are some good breeders that check the disease state of hips and elbows and how likely it is to be passed on to future offspring it is not compulsory and therefore in buying a puppy you may not know how bad its joints are going to be as the disease process manifests as they get older and bigger

The good news For the dog in the scan we sought advice from specialists. In some case surgery is an option but was though not to be the best case here. The great news was that all advice given were things Mochdre Vets could offer. The best news though was that we implemented the advice and we had reports of an amazing response with the odg being able to return to exericse and enjoy his life.

This is the advice from the specialists

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: It would be important to prevent Milo from getting overweight as this would put more pressure and cause more inflammation on his abnormal joints. It he was already overweight, then I would recommend he loses weight.

ANALGESICS: Prescription of NSAIDs for at least 3-4 weeks initially would be recommended. You could add other drugs, such as gabapentin, paracetamol (pardale), amantadine or amitriptyline to see if he responds. Galliprant, which has a different mechanism of action than NSAIDs could be tried to see if it is effective, although generally this is not as effective as NSAIDs. Librela could also be beneficial for long-term management of OA.

NUTRACEUTICALS: I would recommend Milo is prescribed joint supplements containing omega 3 fatty acids as they have been reported to clinically help dogs with osteoarthritis. The use of cannabinoids could also be helpful in the management of chronic pain, although I do not have experience with this therapy.

EXERCISE MODIFICATION: Milo´s joints are not normal and the osteoarthritis will progress with time. Although exercise is beneficial for the correct nutrition and movement of the joints, high impact activities, such as jumping, running or playing with other dogs, are detrimental to degenerated joints. I would recommend he is kept active, but mostly with low impact activities, such as walking on the lead and on soft/padded surfaces. We generally start with 5 minute slow walks on the lead, 2 – 3 times a day, for 2 weeks. Then, and provided he is improving, the length of his walks could be progressively increased by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. The length of the walks would need to be adjusted to his tolerance and decreased if he becomes stiff.

PHYSIOTHERAPY: Leo would benefit from physiotherapy and hydrotherapy performed by a certified physiotherapist to improve his clinical signs. Laser therapy and acupuncture have also shown positive effects on osteoarthritic and painful joints so it would be worth trying to see if he responds. Hydrotherapy is a very helpful therapy to try to build up the atrophied muscles, maintain/improve joint range of motion, relax the musculature, etc. while not supporting 100% of the weight through the joints. This may also help him do some exercise and be less depressed. We just need to find what works for Leo. Regenerative medicine with intraarticular injections of platelet rich plasma or stem cell therapy could also be considered. Unfortunately although the use of MSC is a promising therapy for OA, results from different studies are contradicting. Generally evidence would say dogs may improve with the IA administration of MSC and/or PRP, but in very degenerated joints, this beneficial effect may not be that evident. Other IA injections could be tried, such as arthramid vet. I generally leave IA injection of steroids as a last resort, as this would improve the clinical signs but could also cause more joint degeneration.

As some of you may know, I was recently presented with an amazing opportunity from Sarah to qualify as a level 4 hydrotherapist and so I wanted to share with you how this advanced qualification benefits our sessions with your loved pet(s).

As an already qualified level 6 veterinary physiotherapist, I have a great passion and knowledge for rehabilitating animals and seeing them return from strength to strength to get back to their normal antics! During my time at a specialised rehabilitation centre for small animals prior to joining the team at Mochdre Vets, I already had good experience in hydrotherapy. What this advanced qualification allows me to do is build upon this experience and add even more value to our hydrotherapy sessions.

The physical portion of the course took place at Greyfriars Hydrotherapy Centre which was filled with learning and hands on experience. This course was taught by veterinarians, veterinary physiotherapists and senior hydrotherapists so I knew they had a lot of knowledge of many conditions in relation to hydrotherapy.

The qualification covered an array of important topics including hydrotherapy-specific first aid; advanced water treadmill techniques; spinal and neurological cases; orthopaedic cases and water management to ensure the highest level of hygienic standards. Learning these things meant that I have furthered my understanding of which techniques are appropriate for individual cases, allowing me more choice and flexibility on which to utilise for your pet in different scenarios.

A personal highlight for me was experiencing a water treadmill session for myself. The tutors invited me into the treadmill to see how it influences my own gait! That was a laugh! I’m sure there is a video of me somewhere on Facebook!

Although the course was challenging, I am so proud to have completed it and gained valuable knowledge which I look forward to implementing in all my sessions and help further improve clients at Mochdre Vets that need hydrotherapy as part of their rehabilitation plan.

 You can read more about Molly here

Maxwell

Breed – Black Labrador
Age – 9 Months
Gender – Male
Condition – Severe Hip Dysplasia

Maxwell was diagnosed with severe Hip Dysplasia at a very early age, and was referred to our hydrotherapy centre at Mochdre Vets in December 2018.

At his initial appointment, on 17th December 2018, Maxwell underwent a thorough evaluation, which included an on-land gait assessment, weighing, and tabulating current muscle mass measurements which were as follows:

• Left forelimb 325mm
• Right forelimb 325mm
• Left hindlinmb 415mm
• Right hindlimb 425mm
• Weight 24.7kg

Whilst these measurements demonstrated a certain symmetry, it was noted upon palpation that the rear limbs were lacking in muscular tone and development.

We also became aware of a very noticeable audible clunk of the right hip joint upon ambulation. Maxwell’s owners confirmed that they were also hearing this at home, and said that he would often groan when lying down or standing up.

Following the initial consultation, it was decided that the hydrotherapy underwater treadmill would be the best option for Maxwell.

The benefit of using the underwater treadmill being that it is keeping Maxwell’s structure in the complete alignment, whilst also enabling us to target specific muscle groups in a supported, and controlled environment.

This program of treatment provides us with the ability to build the muscles, which strengthens and assists the function of the hindlimbs, to help support and improve comfort in Maxwells condition.

Having put this proposed, and discussed plan of treatment in to effect maxwell has subsequently attended 11 consecutive weekly sessions in the hydrotherapy underwater treadmill.

From the very first session Maxwell took to the treatment, and has made significant progress. We have been able to gradually increase the duration over the sessions, and as a result Maxwell has becomre more comfortable, further enabling us to also increase the speed of the treadmill, which in turn has improved his joint range of movement, and stride length.

Having remeasured Maxwell after the 11th session, on 4th March 2019, his muscle mass measurements display that there has been a substantial muscular gain to the hind limbs, and from palpation there is an obvious improvement in muscular tone.

The measurements taken on 3rd March at session 11 are as follows:

• Left forelimb 330mm
• Right forelimb 335mm
• Left hindlinmb 460mm
• Right hindlimb 455mm
• Weight 31.85kg

Maxwell’s owners inform us that having built up muscle on the hindlimbs, they no longer hear the audible clunk on the right hip joint, and that Maxwell is considerably more comfortable lying down, standing up from lying down, and in general with his daily homelife.

Maxwell continues to attend on a weekly basis, the treatment program being regularly assessed, with the aim of further challenging his hindlimbs, building to a level where hopefully he will be able to comfortably run off lead, and enjoy a full and even happier life.

Arthritis is the most common joint disease in veterinary medicine with over 200,000 dogs affected annually so we made January 2019 ‘Arthritis Month’ to raise awareness of this condition in our pets as well as what complimentary treatments are available to improve their lives.

Skip

This handsome chap is a 13 year old collie cross who was rescued by his current owner a number of years ago. He has mellowed nicely in his old age and his owner has worked very hard on his confidence with new people and strange things. Looking at him today you wouldn’t have known he had had such a difficult past. As with a lot of older dogs he is now struggling with arthritic changes, more particularly in his spine and hips.  His Dad, although initially sceptical about starting treatment on an old boy did the right decision and brought him for an initial assessment with us after enquiring at his veterinary practice.

We found Skip had lost some muscle in his hind limbs and was beginning to show signs of deterioration and struggled on certain walks and obstacles around the house. We opted to put Skip in the treadmill as opposed to the pool because he was weary of water and we wanted to maintain muscle mass by varying water height in the treadmill. Skip has quite high water for buoyancy and support. The higher water creates additional resistance compared to normal walking, which in turn helps maintain muscle mass as he drives through the water.

Skip has now attended multiple sessions including a physiotherapy session where his Dad was advised on exercises he could do at home and managing arthritis. His Dad feels he has improved and he is much happier in leaving Skip alone in the house, although he’d hate to admit it. Skip continues to come for weekly sessions to help maintain the muscle mass and support him through his senior years.

Bailey

This handsome man comes for fortnightly hydrotherapy sessions in the pool and loves it! He brings his little brother Freddie along for the ride and he watches as Bailey impresses him with his swimming. Bailey has arthritis prominently in his elbows and struggles to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time. When in the pool he feels completely weightless and enjoys showing us how well he can move. Hydrotherapy provides him with mental stimulation and exercise is a controlled manner where he isn’t likely to over work or flare up his arthritis.

The pool is more suited to Bailey than the treadmill as it he is weightless and the buoyancy of the water helps support his joints. The hydrostatic pressure of the water also helps reduce any swelling in his joints, which can benefit him for a prolonged time. He is currently coming for fortnightly sessions and finds he gains a lot of stimulation from coming and loves the gravy bones at the end.

He has recently been diagnosed with renal issues however this hasn’t stopped him Mum from coming to weekly hydrotherapy sessions now that they see what benefit he gets from the treatment. We plan on continuing on the pool with Max not only because of the enjoyment he gets but also because of all the added health benefits such as:

• Buoyancy – No pressure on his sore joints
• Exercise- keeps his heart healthy
• Resistance – Works him harder in a shorter space of time than on land maintaining muscle mass
• Mental stimulation – Older dogs often struggle to adapt to reduced exercise so this provides the perfect opportunity to play and enjoy themselves.

Bertie is a young cavapoo who has recently had treatment here at Mochdre Vets after being referred following an operation on both of his hips joints!

Unfortunatly at only just over 12 months of age, Bertie required an an operation called a femoral head osteotomy (FHO) to both of his hip joints!  An FHO is the surgical removal of the head and neck of the femur. It is the removal of the “ball” part of the ball-and-socket that makes up the hip joint meaning that the bones of the joint are no longer in contact, which eliminates the pain. Once the femoral head and neck are removed, the surrounding muscles and developing scar tissue work to support the area, and act as a false joint.

Bertie started treatment on the aquatic treadmill twice weekly for a month and has now moved onto treatment in the pool.

Initially as you can see by the photographs, Bertie had very little muscle in his hind legs and was very hunched in his spine.  Bertie was mainly using his forelimbs to get around and treatment on the aquatic treadmill ensured Bertie used all of his legs correctly.

After 10 hydrotherapy sessions we repeated the muscle mass measurements we took at his initial assessment and we were amazed at Bertie’s progress. Bertie increased a total of 12.5cms in muscle mass across his limbs!  He is now even in muscle in his hind legs whereas before treatment there was a 4cm difference! We are now treating Bertie in the pool to further increase his muscle mass and use of his new hip joints!

Bertie is now happily running around and playing as a young dog should be!

Can you spot the difference in the photos?

We started Tia in the aquatic treadmill to allow controlled weight bearing exercise and to encourage placement of operated hind limb. Within a few sessions, Tia was using her back leg significantly better, has been going for longer walks and no longer hoping on three legs!

We are now continuing treating Tia in the pool to further gain muscle and fitness.

We’re so pleased with Tia’s progress and the fact she’s running around happily on four legs!

Abbie has already completed her certificate in hydrotherapy and the introduction to the aquatic treadmill which is 3 credits towards the hydrotherapy diploma.

Abbie went to study the Advanced hydrotherapy treadmill course which is another dipolma module and counts for 6 credits. The treadmill cases being something Abbie is particularly interested in, she couldn’t wait to learn some new knowledge and techniques to help our patients here at Mochdre Vets.

The course lasted for 2 days, the first day was mainly theory based and covered many topics including more in depth detail about how the water effects our patients, gait analysis, wound healing and pain.

The second day was more practical based where several different techniques that can be used on our patients whilst within the aquatic treadmill were discussed, explained and demonstrated.

Abbie then ran a session where she monitored the gait of the patient pre session, applied some of the new techniques, observed the effects and then re analysed the gait afterwards.

Now here’s where the real hard work begins… with 6 very large post course assignments to complete, Abbie can now apply all this lovely new knowledge and is aiming to complete them within the next month!

So you might come across Abbie having a play with the odd pool noodle, hair scrunchie or splashing about with the water!

Drum’s been a very good guinea pig and let his mum try some new techniques out!

Here’s a little insight into Gwenan’s time at Hawksmoore training centre. With Warwickshire being quite the distance from Anglesey and juggling the M5-M6 Gwenan set off on Sunday night ready for an early start on Monday morning. The wetsuit was packed, note pad ready and crocks rocking so off she went. Waving goodbye to Sarah and Abbie like a chick leaving the nest off on an adventure the drive was planned and the toll road a blessing.

First day … the iron came out and the hair was brushed! We went through a selection of topics surrounding hydrotherapy such as the properties of water, contraindications and legislations in place.  You see with hydrotherapy and all additional treatment for your animal the practitioner needs veterinary consent.  It is within the vets duty of care to ensure the animal receives suitable treatment and therefore having the right training promotes good practice and will in turn result in more veterinary referrals.  We were also discussing the importance of communication within a multidisciplinary team.  Abbie and Gwenan will send a report back to your referring veterinarian after 10 sessions or by the end of the treatment.  We also try our hardest to inform and update other practitioners that your animal might, see provided we know about them.  Some clients might see a different hydrotherapist when they’re away from home or a physiotherapist in a referring hospital.  These links and maintaining connection ensure consistency with treatment, which is always better for your dog’s rehabilitation.

The set up of Hawksmoore was lovely!  It helped that it was sunny and we could have our coffee breaks outside and were treated to a beautiful lunch each day.  Going back into a lecture room was a little daunting after graduating from university and thinking you were done with academic work.  The room was nice and the group was small making the whole experience more friendly, focused and relaxing.  We were even treated with sweeties that didn’t last two seconds!

Sue and Sara who were great when booking the course were even friendlier in person and had a wealth of knowledge.

Day 3 was a little more intense because it was assessment day!  In the morning we were looking at gait assessments and health checks.  During an initial assessment we look at the overall health of your dog and keep record of any changes.  Change can include skin quality, weight gain and also positive factors such as muscle growth.  Its always great after we re-measure on the 10th session and there’s a significant gain in muscle mass!

We all passed our assessments on day 3 and said our goodbyes. Two of the girls had flown down one from Jersey and the other from Aberdeen so my journey back home to Anglesey didn’t seem too bad in hindsight. Looking forwards to returning in July!

Thank you everyone that juggled their session around to let me come!