Case Study 1 - Simba

Simba first came to Lily Moffatt Veterinary Physiotherapy in February 2024 following an IVDD flare up. On initial consultation Simba was rather resistant to palpation, and had to be persuaded using lots of squeeze cheese (we have now transitioned to liver paste which is healthier!). There was significant pain palpated through the thoracolumbar junction and Simba was showing signs of ataxia with a reduced withdrawal relflex on both hindlimbs (Left worse than right). On his first session, Simba was treated using LASER therapy, Pulsed Magnetic Field therapy and we did some simple exercises and stretches. Simba improved significantly following his next few sessions, we did weekly sessions for approx 12 weeks before changing to sessions every other week. Unfortunately Simba did have a slight setback in his rehabilitation journey and had to go onto seizure medication, which made his ataxia worse for the loading period of 2 weeks. However, this was continually monitored and his spinal palpation did not regress in this time - thankfully!

It has been a long journey for Simba however I am pleased to say that 7 months later and Simba has been reduced to having monthly physiotherapy check-ins to make sure he is kept feeling comfortable. His owner has been absolutely excellent at doing his exercises religiously, even when heavily pregnant!

I would love to say that Simba enjoys his physiotherapy sessions, however it remains said he must have his liver paste throughout the session to keep him happy! I did receive a kiss from him once, so I would like to think we are friends! And post-physiotherapy session Simba always has a deep sleep, processing the treatment thoroughly.

Check out our question and answers from Simbas’ owners directly below…

What was your animals primary condition on contacting Lily Moffatt Vet Physio?

IVDD

What date did you have your initial consultation with Lily Moffatt Vet Physio?

02/24/2024

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?

His sessions are very structured and detailed. His progress is assessed and recorded every time and I’m always informed of any improvements or problems that I need to be aware of and what we need to work on to keep him as sound and comfortable as possible. His treatment after his assessment is always calm and relaxed and he always feels so great after his laser and massage that he wants to nap. At the end of the session she always gives me a form with all the details of the sessions and any homework we need to do ready to see her next time which I can refer too and also give to my vet if necessary.

Did you have any secondary complications along your physiotherapy journey?

Simba suffered seizures which he had in the past but had two in quick succession which led to him needing to start medication which also affected his ataxia for a little while until the medication dosage settled.

Did you have any homework in the form of exercises, stretches or other? If YES how did you find these exercises?

Simbas had several exercises and stretches which have gotten more difficult as times progressed so keep him gaining strength and building muscle and help his walking. At the beginning Simba could barely do a sit to stand position without falling over and now he does them with ease repeatedly which just shows how well they work if you put the effort it. He does several balancing and strength training exercises as well as pole work to help his walking which has made huge improvements to how he walks compared to when we first started. Food motivation helps massively to keep him focused to do them every day and we always try to make sure they’re done so we keep him on track and improving. The stretches are his biggest weakness but we try our best!

Do you feel LM vet physio helped your animal with their recovery?

Yes massively. Simba no longer skips when he’s walking which was a factor in his IVDD as he’s was uncomfortable. He’s gained so much strength and muscle since the start of his journey and genuinely seems more comfortable and not in pain like he was.

Is there any advice you would like to give to other people regarding their animals physiotherapy journeys?

Do it as soon as you can to benefit your animal! But also understand it’s a team effort and what you do at home between sessions is as important as the sessions themselves. You need to be willing to put the effort in but when you do you will see such a difference! The combination of what you do at home plus the therapy they provide is what’s important and helps your animal progress if you want to see the results.

Is there anything else you would like to add/share?

I can’t thank Lily enough for what she’s done for my boy. He is hard work, reactive and hates the vets and putting him through surgery wasn’t an option for us. Yet he’s come on leaps and bounds since we found her and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Simba post-physiotherapy session in a deep sleep!