Underwater Treadmill Session 7

Another Thursday, another treadmill session for Kenz. Today was session 7 in the tank. Given she was lame after her last session Pin shortened things quite significantly so she only had 3 x 2.5 min sessions today. He also reduced the speed down to max speed of 1.3 MPH as he felt she was skipping less at the lower speed.

After a discussion with Robby, Kenz is also booked back in to see John next Tuesday morning to get an assessment on the current state of her patellas. He did suggest she could start back with some reverse 2o2o in the meantime though which will give us both something to do.

Underwater Treadmill Session 6

So as is fast becoming our new normal Monday morning routine - Kenz had her sixth underwater treadmill session this morning.

Pin was very receptive to Robby's suggestions and after a few conversations with Robby over the weekend to fine tune things I was looking forward with some degree of optimism to Kenz's session earlier today.

Today's sessions were all at 1.5 MPH as per Robby's advice. We also started her at a lower water level while the tank was filling to try and break the habit of her swimming. First session was "ok". We then got to session two and she started skipping more regularly in her back end. By her third session she was off-loading serious amounts of weight from her right hind and when I walked her out she was struggling to place much weight on her RH at all. It did improve though and on the way back to the car she didn't seem to bad.

Came home and jumped online and when I mentioned the outcome to Robby the advice, coupled with the fact over the last day or two she has had a few more incidental RH lameness issues was pretty much to postpone further UWTM sessions until she has been back to see John and had a reassessment on the stability of the patella. So I have emailed John and sent the video off to him and will wait and see what he has to say.

Kenz is otherwise BORED tonight and firing on all cylinders.

Any way here is the video from today's session:

Underwater Treadmill Session 5

Kenz had her fifth session of underwater treadmill this morning. Pin is more then happy to go ahead with what Robby has suggested should happen for her sessions however I felt given that Pin was running today's that I would at least have her in the life jacket rather than her DT harness because of the attachment point being further back and giving more control over the back end.

Today we focused on varying speed so we could assess what is happening with Kenz's gait. Her first session was run at 1.1 MPH. The second session was run at 1.5 MPH and the third session at 1.3 MPH.

After Kenz's treadmill time Pin asked if he could have a look at the video footage. The consensus is still that she doesn't have great extension in either hind leg so need to increase her ROM exercises ~10-15 times three times a day and consider introducing cavaletti's into her rehab.

Here is today's video -

Underwater Treadmill Session 4

After being an extremely good kid and spending a few hours crated this morning while I was out we headed off for Kenz's fourth UWTM session late this afternoon.

I pushed for a few modifications to her session based on Robby's recommendations including losing the life jacket in favour of a harness and upping the treadmill speed. Well we had mixed success with increasing the treadmill speed. Her first 3 minute session was at 1 MPH. It was then upped to 1.1 MPH and we tried the 1.2 MPH which is what Robby suggested was possibly the minimum speed he would recommend for a BC and Kenz started bunny hopping so it was dropped back to 1.1 MPH.

Hard to know whether she is making any progress. She is getting very bored with resting and not doing much and doesn't really settle the rest of the time. Having said that tonight she is sound asleep dead to the world after her time on the treadmill.

Thursday she has her final session of the first 5 appointments and then I'll have to make a decision as to whether we continue or whether I decide its not helping.

Here is the video from today's session:

Underwater Treadmill Session 3

This morning Kenz had her third UWTM session at the Glenside Vet clinic. Pin asked how she had been getting on and how she had been tolerating her ROM exercises. Today Kenz had 3 sessions of ~ 3 min on the treadmill. She seemed to do better then she has previously.

Upon having a chat to Robby this evening he suggested the treadmill speed is much to slow for her and needs to be more like 1.2-1.5 MPH rather than 0.9 MPH which was the maximum Pin had it set to today.

Any way here is the video from today's session - fingers crossed I can convince them to turn up the speed a little bit for her session on Monday.

Underwater Treadmill Session 2

Earlier today Kenz had her second underwater treadmill session. Kenz's second session was much less awkward then her first session. Maybe because Pin wasn't doing it and one of the vet nurses was. She coped a lot better this time however was potentially sore towards the end as she started shaking. She also had a few moments of 3 legging RH lameness on the way back to the car. Will be interested to see how she gets on at her next session on Thursday.

One year anniversary

Today marks 12 months since Kenz's LH MPL surgery. 12 months and we seem to have made no real gain. She is effectively as bad as she was this time last year. The only good news today is despite having to cut her meds because she has been unwell there has been no lameness or soreness today. She has been moving ok although she obviously isn't doing much of anything given she is back on almost full restrictions.

Here a few photos taken tonight because I have a very BORED BORD who is fed up with doing nothing and would much rather be racing around and training and doing fun things again.........

First Hydrotherapy/Underwater Treadmill Session

Things progressively went from bad last week to the extent where I felt more needed to happen. After a lengthy discussion with a few people I agreed to book Kenz in for a hydrotherapy appointment and see where that went. John confirmed that was a sensible suggestion and sent through Kenz's med records. It was after glancing through them that I discovered the full extent of how bad things really were. Kenz's surgery leg back in February was again graded a high 2 medial luxating patella. The same grading as it was pre-op. John confirmed how complicated Kenz's case was with both the neuro issues and the ortho issues and felt that was why things had gone backwards at this stage.

I was worried about how Kenz would cope with the treadmill. She is "ok" with the pool but I felt the pressure of the treadmill was to much.

First up Kenz had a consult and examination with Pin. Kenz weighed in at 13.1 kg this morning which is about the norm although a little lighter then she has been which is probably due to the significant muscle wastage. I went through her history, what we had tried, where we have been, what has worked so far, what hasn't worked. The comment made was Kenz was certainly going to be a challenging case to resolve. He did comment that there was no surprise she couldn't get up the stairs with a back end as bad as that.

After the examination it was then out to the treadmill area. Once Kenz had been equipped with life jacket she was let into the treadmill. Lots of the time was just spent making her comfortable in there. She was walked up and back and given treats. She coped ok but wasn't so sure on the whole idea of walking and tried to swim. She had 3 times of the treadmill moving. Because she kept trying to come to close to the front and wouldn't walk square he used a pool noodle contraption to try and keep her square. That freaked Kenz out a little bit. Normally the final session is up to a minute but Kenz couldn't manage that so he stopped it before then.

I was able to have a look at her gait while on the treadmill and it really did look a serious mess. Pity my video camera is out of action otherwise I might have tried for some video. It would be good to be able to look back at how bad she really is.

After the treadmill Pin went through what else I needed to do with her by way of passive range of motion exercises, weight shifting exercises and heat bagging her left hind leg.

The verdict is she will need twice weekly treadmill sessions and is to be crated/rested till her next session other than allowing 3 x 1 min slow walks.

She is still on high doses of carprofen and tramadol but I am hoping to cut those back again soon.

She is booked in for another session next Monday so we will see how she does.

Below are a couple of photos taken over the weekend while she was out for a break. 

Contributing to Research (BC Collapse)

Kenz was back to the specialist centre today to have blood drawn for inclusion in the research into BC Collapse. She absolutely hates that place with a passion but hopefully she has done her "bit" for the breed and one day there will be a genetic test to prevent others from having to go through the stress of having a dog collapse with relatively little exercise.

Her episodes are super frequent and very severe despite being super careful. Things are really falling apart for her. Last night she was front end lame and sore and stiff and today she hasn't done stairs at all during the day. Not even earlier. She is back on full pain meds and battling bigtime. 

Not sure where to go anymore and just wish my little girl would manage a day with no pain.