Case Study 2 - Bella
Bella first came to Lily Moffatt Veterinary Physiotherapy in June 2024 following a flyball injury to her right hindlimb. Following palpation from the vets, the issue was concluded as a soft-tissue issue with the veterinarian very complementary of the excellent condition Bella was in (except for her poorly leg!), she is a real credit to her owners. On initial palpation it was apparent Bella had significant atrophy of her right hindlimb musculature, specifically the hamstrings, gastrocnemius and gracilis. On palpation of the gastrocnemius and superficial flexor tendon it was obvious there was significant heat and swelling, there was additionally pain on extension of the tarsus. Bella received treatment in the form of laser therapy to help reduce the inflammation and pulsed magnetic field therapy to help with pain relief. The primary aim of our first session was to help reduce Bella’s pain and improve her weight-bearing on the right hind however there was also additional compensatory pain throughout Bella’s back and forelimbs due to the un-even weight distribution.
Following sessions included the addition of exercises to help Bella strengthen this leg and return back to flyball! Once allowed back to flyball, Bella’s owner, Quinn Walker, had noted that she was more focused in her training sessions. Bella’s first competition back following her break was the 25th August, where Bella did her first clean run which is something she had never done in flyball - even in training!
Through hard-work and consistency, Quinn has managed to improve Bella’s muscle tone so much that on her recent check-up (14th October 2024) we felt there was no difference in muscle tone from the left to the right hind. And to follow, the compensatory issues also felt significantly improved.
Read Quinn’s story below….
What was your animals primary condition on contacting LM Vet Physio?
Right hind soreness with muscle atrophy and soreness in rest of body from compensation.
What date did you have your initial consultation with LM vet physio?
06/19/2024
Did you have any secondary complications along your physiotherapy journey?
The only secondary issue would be soreness from her redistributing her weight to avoid using the right hind leg due to the extent of the soreness.
What were your physiotherapy sessions like? How would you describe a session to a new person who has never tried physiotherapy for their animals before?
Each physio session would include a number of conditioning exercises. These help to effectively work the affected muscles in a controlled manner while also indicating how they are using the affected limbs to give an idea on progress. They would also include a physical examination to check for niggles. These would then be tried to work out by massage and in the case of my sensitive dog laser therapy would be used to relieve the affected area to allow for the massage to not cause discomfort. She had multiple sessions as she was bad when she started but will be having maintenance sessions now to make sure that any niggles are picked up quicker and not allowed to worsen.
Did you have any homework in the form of exercises, stretches or other? If YES how did you find these exercises?
I had exercises to do between sessions. These weren't complex although some my dog struggled to understand what we were asking of her. They also didn't take overly long. The most important exercises were indicated to me so that if I only had a few minutes then I could still do something with her in that time.
Do you feel LM vet physio helped your animal with their recovery?
Yes without a doubt. She improved with each session until she was eventually able to return to flyball. On her return to flyball she was more focused due to not being in pain and was therefore able to make huge progress in her training.
Is there any advice you would like to give to other people regarding their animals physiotherapy journeys?
I would just recommend to get them seen sooner rather than later. To pay attention to behavioural changes as well as physical changes as they could be a sign that something is wrong. Lastly not to try and hurry recovery along too quickly as only with patience can they fully recover so they don't just reinjure the same spot again.
Is there anything else you would like to add/share?
While Bella didn't appreciate her treatment all the time during the session, she definitely appreciates the freedom from pain and discomfort.
Quinn Walker
