Wheelchairs, or carts, are becoming more and more common for dogs. Many dogs are living happy, active lives with the aid of these wheelchairs. The internet is full of pictures and videos of dogs playing, going for walks, and frolicking at the beach in their wheelchairs. I receive frequent phone calls and emails about wheelchairs for dogs. While I'm glad that society now accepts and understands that many dogs can be very happy and enjoy a good quality of life with a wheelchair, I want to remind people that these dogs need to be in a physical rehabilitation program too. The reasons are numerous as to why, but here are the top 5 reasons your dog in a wheelchair needs physical therapy.

1. Your dog might walk again. If there is any chance your dog could regain use of his legs and become mobile without a wheelchair, you owe it to your dog to try. A solid rehab program will provide the kind of therapy that just might get your dog out of that chair!

2. Your dog has other orthopedic or neurologic problems . If your dog is paralyzed in the back end and has bad joints or weakness in the front end or some such other issue, you are in for some trouble ahead. Rehab can help manage the other problems so your dog can stay mobile, with what he has, for as long as possible.

3. Your dog is overweight. An overweight dog in a cart is like a time bomb waiting to go off. It's not a matter of if there is going to be a problem, but when there is a problem. A rehab vet will help your dog lose the body fat without sacrificing much needed muscle.

4. Your dog doesn't have a "back-up". A dog with four legs can handle having an issue with one leg and still be mobile. A dog in a cart doesn't have as many options. If your dog in a cart experiences a problem with one of its "good" legs it can completely immobilize your dog. Prevention and early detection are crucial in these dogs.

5. Your dog is compensating. This is the biggest and best reason of all. All dogs in carts are using their bodies in ways other than what they are designed for. For instance, the front legs, neck, and shoulders are all compensating in a dog that is in a rear wheel cart. The upper back is under strain. There is less flexibility. Different muscles are activated during movement and while standing. Rehab will address these compensations and help prevent them from becoming disabling problems.

Previously we discussed how excess body fat shortens lives. We also talked about risk factors for your dog becoming overweight and why your vet may not discuss this issue with you. Today we talk about one part of the solution to this deadly disease: exercise.

The study I am referring to was presented recently at the Rehabilitation Medicine conference that I attended a few weeks ago. There are several important points to consider with this study. Two groups of dogs were placed on diets using the same food. Each dog had a body fat analysis done using a DEXA scan which details the exact amount of fat versus lean body mass in the body. One group of dogs were additionally started on an exercise regime. This was a prescribed amount of exercise, not just playing ball or walking around the block. Think hitting the gym with a specific workout including the treadmill. Here's what the study showed.

1. Both groups of dogs lost weight according to the scale. Both groups dropped pounds. Success! But wait, there's more to the story. Reducing calories alone did lead to successful weight loss, but about 10% of the weight lost came from muscle in the group that didn't exercise. They lost both fat and lean body mass. Hmmm. That wasn't the goal. We want your dog to lose fat and retain muscle and strength. Ten percent muscle mass lost may not seem like much to you but that can mean the difference in your dog being able to get up on his own. Ten percent matters. So success, sorta.

2. The dogs that exercised lost more body fat.  Both groups lost about the same amount of weight overall. The dogs that exercised lost more body fat according to the DEX scan though. Increasing the need to burn those calories as fuel for exercise helps the body utilize fat, which is stored calories. Burn more, lose more. Brilliant!

3. The dogs that exercised gained muscle. This is my favorite part of the study. These dogs actually gained muscle! Functional, wonderfully helpful, stabilizing, working muscle! Wow!  How great is it that these guys lost unhealthy fat and acquired muscle?This is the goal of every diet on the planet! Gain muscle, lose fat!

The take home point here should be this: cutting calories alone will lower the number on the scales, but reducing calories and exercising is a smarter, better, more efficient way to achieve fat loss.

Balance is one of my favorite things to train, in my patients, my kids, and even myself. It's so rewarding to see progress in this area and its typically fun to train. So, 7 sevens reasons why better balance benefits both you and your dog!

1. Keeps your dog young. Balance is foundational to fitness and good health, which delays the onset of signs of aging.

2. Strengthen your dog's core. A strong core leads to better quality of life.

3. Improves performance in sports, and life in general. Whether its chasing birds in the yard or chasing the lure, better balance allows your dog to do better.

4.Protects against injury. This is a big one. This is one of the best reasons why every dog, including yours, would benefit from balance training. This not only includes major injuries and falls but those tweaks and strains of daily life too. Better balance, less likely to get hurt. Period.

5. Reduces Anxiety. Balance training requires concentration and focus.  Achieving and maintaining balance becomes the focus instead of whatever is making your dog feel ill at ease. And exercise in general produces an overall sense of well-being.

6. Boosts the Brain. Studies indicate that exercise wards off the effects of dementia in both people and their canine  pals. Complex movements force the mind to work harder and balance training is a great way to stimulate this.

7. Gives Fast Results. Balance training is quite rewarding in that improvement can be seen quickly. Balance is a learned activity so improvement can be seen in as little as 2 weeks of consistent training 3-4 x week. There's no reason to delay starting your dog's balance training!

 I have spent the last month diligently working to get a therapeutic whirlpool in place here in my clinic. Well, I am pleased to report that its grand opening is coming soon! In a very short period of time, I will be able to provide another means to help injured, older, or arthritic dogs. I have been seeking ways in which to help those dogs that are not capable of using my dog gym and I have found the perfect solution.What a great present to all those dogs in need just in time for the holidays!

How does a therapeutic whirlpool or hot tub help your dog, you ask? I shall tell you. The water in the hot tub provides buoyancy to assist your dog if she is unable to support herself. Is she too weak, too frail, too painful, too arthritic to stand on her own?  Is she recovering from surgery and unable to tolerate full weight bearing? Let the water assist. Let me and my doggie life vest assist as well. When the water is elbow to shoulder height, it reduces the need for weight bearing. Does your dog have sore achey joints? Does your dog's pain get worse in the colder weather? Don't you wish you had access to a heated pool or spa so your dog could get some pain relief? My therapeutic hot tub can do that  too. Even just standing or sitting in the heated water can increase circulation, reduce pain and make your dog feel better. Let's talk about hydrostatic pressure. That's the pressure of the water on your dog's muscles and joints. Its like a massage and a warm compress all rolled into one, while also supporting your dog's weight. And there's resistance jets. My therapeutic whirlpool has 5 resistance jets. Need to stimulate blood flow more? Need to strengthen? Take a few steps in my whirlpool while the jets are on. If your dog is small enough, she can go for a swim even! What if your dog is paralyzed? Studies show that paralyzed dogs are more likely to begin walking in water rather than on land first. Your dog can relearn to walk using my therapeutic whirlpool. Its large enough for most dogs, including golden retreivers and other large dogs, to be able to walk a few laps.

The best Christmas present I can give to any dog is the gift of pain relief. It warms my heart that I can offer this to your dog now. Come check out my therapeutic whirlpool soon!!!

Okay, last time we determined that Acts of Service was probably not the love language of most dogs. There are 4 remaining love languages, again, according to Gary Chapman: Gifts, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch and
Quality Time. I have taken it upon myself to see how they apply to dogs. My quest to determine my own dogs’ love language continues.

Today, we examine how gifts can make our dogs feel loved. The nice things about dogs is that they won’t pretend to like something to avoid hurting your feelings. If your dog likes the gift you brought him, its usually obvious. The same is true if he thinks it’s the worst thing in the world. You will know. Some dogs really like gifts. My dogs do have preferences for what types of gifts they enjoy though. Tennis balls are a big hit with my Goldendoodle. Reindeer costumes at Christmas time not so much. Little stuffed animals are loved (she shows her love for it by destroying it however) while a new food bowl goes by sadly unnoticed (unless there's food in it!) She doesn’t care about bling, new clothes or accessories (think new pink leash). New treats are always a hit with both my dogs though! I use this “love language” daily in my physical rehab practice. I dole out high-value treats readily if your dog will step onto the balance disc or do a doggie squat.

Is this their primary love language though? Is that what makes them feel loved more than anything else? Perhaps, but I don’t think this is what bonds me to my own dogs. Using treats is a form of bribery (although I prefer the word “motivation”) in my line of work and I’m sure some dogs feel very loved by these “gifts”. But next time, we’ll explore perhaps a few more ways that dogs love to be loved!

I got to thinking the other day about the loved ones in my life. I’ve read that there are 5 main love languages. They all can make someone feel loved, but usually a person feels loved in 1 or 2 of these languages best. So I thought to myself, well which one of these love languages applies to my dogs? Do dogs seem to have a preference for how they want us to demonstrate our love for them? Is it different for my 2 dogs? The 5 love languages per Gary Chapman, are Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Gifts, and Quality Time.

Today, let’s look at Acts of Service and dogs. If your love language is Acts of Service, then you tend to feel loved when people do things for you. You may feel loved when your spouse brings you a cup of coffee in the morning or fills the gas tank so you don’t have to. What Act of Service could we do for our dogs though? What task could we do for them that would make them feel loved? Most certainly don’t seem to feel loved by their semi-annual trip to the vet’s office for a check-up! Some dogs appreciate a helping hand onto the bed or couch. My dogs always appreciate when I remove a thorn or sticker from their feet. I know one little dog who dances with joy when you retrieve the ball from behind the couch for him. Many dogs love a home-cooked meal, although I’m not convinced they understand the time and effort involved, especially for those of us who don’t even cook for ourselves!

Perhaps, Acts of Service, is not how dogs feel loved by us because they don’t truly understand what we do for them. But it is indeed a way that we show our love for dogs. From preparing special meals to seeking out the best medical
care, we do show our love for our four-legged family members this way.  The dogs I see daily in my rehab practice are usually deeply loved by their pet parents and considered an important part of the family. I know this because they choose to bring their pet to me. But do the dogs feel loved by it? I hope so. But perhaps there is a more common love language for dogs. Next time...

Frequently I am asked why rehab? Why PT for dogs? What drove me to spend my time getting dogs to stand on unlikely objects like exercise balls and wobbleboards? Why would I spend my days having dogs gnaw on my knuckles desperately trying to get the treat clutched in my hand? And so, here's my story.

I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was old enough to say " animal doctor." I gave my favorite blanket to my brother's pet rabbit so Angel could stay warm spending the winter in our garage. I spent my time studying and reading about animals and especially dogs. My mother was severely allergic so we couldn't have pets in the house. I begged. I pleaded. I read. I studied. I left messages in unusual spots asking for permission to get a dog. My parents finally  conceded. It was my best Christmas present that year - their consent to get a dog. That spring I got pick of the litter!

Fast forward. I spent fourteen years in general practice after I graduated from Purdue University's veterinary school and moved to Phoenix. I treated a variety of medical conditions, but I found that during those fourteen years the cases I really got excited about were the limping dogs, the overweight dogs, the arthritic dogs, the dogs with bad backs and sore necks and torn ligaments. I felt like these were the dogs I could really help. When I first graduated from vet school I didn't even know that physical rehab was available for dogs. That field was just being created around that time and I was just getting started in my career. After a while in general practice, I slowed down to start my family, switched to part-time to raise my little ones. When I returned to fulltime work, I decided to go ahead and follow my passion. I returned to school to get certified in canine rehab. I loved it! The timing was right and so I took the plunge to do canine rehab exclusively. 

Now I train dogs to engage their core muscles  (they think they are just trying to get a treat though). I instruct their parents on how to feed their dogs healthier to support muscle growth. I teach their parents how to do exercises at home that will help their dogs be more functional, prevent falls, or return them to their prior activities. I help improve their level of physical fitness and reinforce the bond they have with their pet parents. I improve their balance and coordination which in turn increases their confidence. I help dogs move better and feel better. And that makes me feel better too!

I am frequently asked by dog owners if their dog should swim. Let’s face it, I live in a hot climate where many people have pools. Now that summertime is here, the water temperature is perfect and swimming seems like an inexpensive and easy option to rehab your dog. If you’ve got access to a pool, you can do it, right? So, let’s discuss the pros and cons of swimming from a rehabilitation stand point.

The pro list first. If you own a pool already, then you have most of the equipment (many dogs should not swim without a life jacket so please invest in one of these too!) that you need. Now that’s it 110 degrees outside, the water temperature is near a balmy 90 degrees. This is perfect for your dog’s old achey joints. The water will provide buoyancy and reduce the impact on the joints as well. The hydrostatic pressure of the water combined with the warm
temperature will increase blood flow. Now, we’re talking! Swimming helps build endurance and improves cardiopulmonary fitness. It’s cardio for your dog! This burns calories too for those chubby dogs that need a little help fitting into last year’s doggie swim suit (you laugh, but they are real. Google it!) Reduced joint impact! Good for your dog’s heart and lungs! Burns calories! Build endurance! Sounds perfect! Ready to jump in with your dog? 

Slow down a second. The con list is next. Before starting a swim program with your dog, make sure his heart and lungs can handle it. Ten minutes of hard swimming can be a lot for your older, de-conditioned, or overweight dog.
Be careful getting in and out of the pool too. Water adds extra weight when your arthritic dog is trying to pull himself up the steps to get out. Many need assistance, especially after swimming for a bit.   Swimming is great for the front
end but not every dog kicks effectively with their back legs.  And while increasing endurance and improving cardiovascular function, swimming is only able to strengthen your dog’s muscles to a certain degree. Think about those aquatic classes at your gym. Who is the target audience there? The same is true for our canine friends. If your dog can handle weight-bearing exercises and resistance training then that is what he should be doing to maximize strength gains. Swimming is good for your older, arthritic dogs or those that might be immediate post-op and can’t fully support their own body weight, but your goal should be to have your furry friend be able to stand and move about on his own. Then weight bearing exercises should become the focus for strengthening and swimming can be used for endurance and weight loss.

Okay, let's talk about how to get your dog to lose weight to improve his (or her) health and help him (or her, again, but let's just assume from here on out that this information applies equally to both genders) live longer and with less pain.

Weight loss in dogs is roughly 60% diet and 40% exercise. We'll discuss the exercise part first. The first misunderstanding I want to clarify is that not near as many calories are burned with exercise as you think. Walking only uses twice as many calories, roughly, as sleeping on the couch does. So, if sleeping on the couch burns 1 calorie per kilogram of weight per hour (which is the calculation for people, and dogs are similar to people) then your 50 pound couch potato pup only burns about 25 calories taking a 60 minute snooze. Going for a walk then only burns about 50 calories. This sounds pretty good doesn't it? Until you realize that you have to walk him for 60 minutes to burn those calories, and that the large milkbone you just gave him after his walk contains over a 100 calories in it. He barely even tasted it and and now you've got 2 more hours of walking to burn off that milkbone!

My point is that it takes a lot more exercise than you think to burn off those high calorie treats and foods that your dog devoured in a matter of minutes. One minute of pleasure now turns into hours of neighborhood walks. Many dog owners get frustrated with weight loss for their pooch when their weight reduction program consists of adding a couple of 20 minute walks each week into the routine. As you can see, this will burn very few calories, which leads to minimal, if any, weight loss. Owners often conclude that it is too difficult to get their dog to lose weight and they stop trying. Unfortunately, this can translate into a shortened life span for your dog, increased risk of getting cancer,  decreased quality of life from pain and reduced mobility. What's needed to be successful in having your four-legged friend lose weight the healthy way, is to seek out an veterinarian who is an expert in canine weight loss and fitness. There is no substitute for expert advice and guidance in devising an exercise (and a nutrition plan, but we'll talk about that next time) for helping your dog live the best life possible!!
 

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, let’s continue our discussion of the “Use it or Lose it” Principle. Last week, we learned how the body, in general, adapts to the demands placed on it. Again, this is the goal of any fitness, rehab, weight loss or sports training program – adaptation. For our purposes, these demands are for increased strength, power, flexibility, muscle endurance, stability and balance, cardiopulmonary efficiency and a demand to increase the efficiency of the interaction between the nervous and muscular systems. Yes, I  admit it. I have been called demanding before. 

But let’s move on. So, this general principle of the body to use it or lose it can also be applied specifically to certain, targeted areas. This is the Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands Principle, or SAID. So, say I want to increase the strength of the gluteal muscles specifically. I can target this area with certain exercises that increase the demands of the gluteal muscles more than other muscles, exercises where the glutes are the primary movers. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Doggie squats would be a better choice than doggie push-ups (yes, these are real exercises! Call me and I’ll show you!) because you can’t get bigger glutes by working your triceps! This principle is key to the success of your dog’s physical rehabilitation. 

Did I mention that this principle applies to ligaments and tendons as well? If your dog has a partially torn cruciate ligament then I can target this area to strengthen. If your dog has hip dysplasia, I can target the gluteal muscles and tendons to help support those sloppy hip joints. If your dog has a biceps tendon strain I can target this muscle-tendon unit to strengthen it. I choose appropriate exercises where the area I want to strengthen is the prime mover. This is one component of building a safe, effective rehab plan, fitness and conditioning plan, or weight loss plan! Now who wants to see doggie push-ups??