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Learn MoreCanine (and Feline) Rehabilitation for Spinal Injury/Surgery
Canine (and Feline) Rehabilitation for Spinal Injury/Surgery
At home back/spinal rehabilitation for Dogs and Cats
Created byAnne Chauvet
Last updated 6/2020
English
What you'll learn
- This course is designed to teach pet owners how to properly, and effectively rehabilitate their pet(s) from home after a spinal injury or back surgery.
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Course content
11 sections • 144 lectures • 6h 30m total length
- Introduction18:37
- Thermal Therapies: Cryotherapy (Cold Packs)2:16
- Thermal Therapies: Thermotherapy (Hot Packs)3:13
- Thermal Therapies: Laser Therapy1:54
- Range of Motion Exercises: Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
Master passive and active range of motion exercises to restore pain-free joint movement after injury or surgery, continue after rehabilitation, improve flexibility, and build strength.
- Range of Motion Exercises: Stretching4:46
Perform range of motion exercises and stretching to improve joint flexibility after surgery, starting light and progressing, with heat prior to stretching and back caution, hip, stifle, and hock.
- Range of Motion Exercises: Back Stretching4:40
- Range of Motion Exercises: Massage9:29
- Facilitated and Assisted Stands0:35
Facilitated and assisted stands train your pet to recognize limb placement and begin weight bearing with support, stimulating joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles toward normal position on a non-slip surface.
- Facilitated and Assisted Stands: Peanut Ball3:43
- Facilitated and Assisted Stands: Bouncies2:05
Demonstrate facilitated stands with rapid bounces that push down on the hips to build leg tone, using a non-slip surface and repeating in sessions twice daily.
- Facilitated and Assisted Stands: Standing Sways / Lambada0:47
Facilitate standing sway, a lambada-style balance exercise, by supporting the dog’s hips and swaying for about five minutes with bounces to activate leg receptors.
- Facilitated and Assisted Stands: Standing in Water0:45
- Facilitated and Assisted Stands: Weight Shifting / Bearing2:03
Facilitate weight shifting in injured pets by placing a small object under the paw to encourage bearing on the noninjured leg, using tape or fabric for short sessions.
- Strengthening Exercises: Walks4:10
Learn to strengthen and gait-train after spinal injury using assistive walks, slings, pelvis supports, and the walk about device, with booties for protection and gradual, careful progression.
- Strengthening Exercises: Walking in Water0:50
- Strengthening Exercises: Underwater Treadmill1:03
Examine how underwater treadmills aid spinal injury recovery and weight loss in dogs, noting costs and practicality, while shoulder-level water supports up to 60% of body weight to ease joints.
- Strengthening Exercises: Swimming1:41
Swimming speeds recovery after spinal injury or surgery by using water resistance and buoyancy to build core and leg strength, with a properly fitted life jacket and gentle progressive sessions.
- Strengthening Exercises: Walking on a Treadmill1:47
- Strengthening Exercises: Ball Exercises1:45
Show how ball-based strengthening exercises for small dogs build balance, core strength, and limb tone, including peanut-ball support and controlled fetch, while avoiding risky tumbling for healing pets.
- Strengthening Exercises: Hills0:45
- Strengthening Exercises: Stairs1:03
Begin stair exercises once the head uses the affected limbs, starting with a few steps, to strengthen the rear legs' extensors through gradual stair flights, with two daily sessions.
- Strengthening Exercises: Dancing1:21
Dance-like movements strengthen back legs and weight bearing, using stairs and music. Check with a vet for hip or knee issues, use a leash for larger dogs, keep sessions brief.
- Strengthening Exercises: Exercise Bands2:25
Choose an appropriate resistance band and wrap it around the inner thigh. Perform four-direction leg movements with the band, repeating three reps per direction and twice for each affected leg.
- Strengthening Exercises: Neuromuscular Stimulation1:24
- Abdominal Exercises: Sit to Stand1:24
- Abdominal Exercises: Sit, Beg, Stand1:22
Guide your dog from a sitting position to go back on its haunches, then stand on its back legs to strengthen the core and abdominal muscles for better back support.
- Abdominal Exercises: The Jane Fonda Workout1:28
Guide your pet through the Jane Fonda style abdominal workout to build core strength with standing posture and alternating leg lifts, repeating on both sides five reps, 2–3 times daily.
- Coordination Exercises: Air Mattress / Cushion Walks1:06
- Coordination Exercises: Bean Bag0:22
- Coordination Exercises: Balance Exercises During Walks0:28
Guide dogs through balance-focused walk exercises to build balance and strength during spinal injury or surgery rehabilitation, using a hand sling for gentle prompts and proper stance to prevent tipping.
- Coordination Exercises: Boogie Board0:46
Perform the boogie board coordination exercise in water by standing your pet on the board while you rock it side to side, building balance and muscle engagement.
- Coordination Exercises: Figure Eights0:32
- Functional Training: Underwater Treadmill1:03
Explore how the underwater treadmill supports up to 60% of a dog's body weight, boosts energy expenditure with water resistance, and aids spinal injury recovery and weight loss.
- Functional Training: Walking in Water0:50
Walk in water to support weight, enabling more independent movement; use beach or pool options and keep water up to the shoulders to carry 60 percent of the body's weight.
- Functional Training: Cavalettis2:20
- Functional Training: Ladder Walks0:31
- Functional Training: Pick-Up Sticks0:56
Practice pick-up sticks as a cavaletti variation by dropping bars and guiding your dog through varied pole patterns and balance drills, with hidden treats and hose course challenges.
- Bladder Management and Care7:19
- Cryotherapy2:16
- Massage9:29
- Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
Master passive and active range of motion and stretching to restore pain-free joint movement, flexibility, and strength after injury or surgery, and continue these exercises post rehabilitation.
- Stretching4:46
Learn how to safely improve joint and muscle flexibility in canine and feline rehabilitation through progressive stretching after surgery, with warmups, careful joint-by-joint technique, and 2–5 repetitions daily.
- Cage Rest0:59
Perhaps the most important step to recovery from back injury or surgery is strict rest to allow the spine to recover. Even without medication, cage rest can be the best medicine. With mobility, the disc can continue to herniate and bruising can worsen. Rest allows the spine, ligaments, spinal cord and muscles to heal. Ideally the space the patient is rested in is large enough to allow the patient to lay in any direction, have food, water and a toy but no more than this. For example, for a Dachshund, a baby play pen is ideal in size. For a Great Dane, a small bedroom may be enough or blocking off a kitchen space. Footing matters as the patients cannot afford to slip. Yoga mats can do the trick, or area rugs. Yoga mats are ideal as they are made of rubber that is antibacterial, thus easy to wash and reuse. They also are affordable.
It is best to rest the patient at least two weeks. This number is arbitrary but essential for a minimum. Too early freedom and lead to re-injury. During that time, the patient is not immobile and still continues rehabilitation to ensure muscles and joints keep range of motion but under very controlled situations. When it is time to go out and bathroom duties, patients are carries out or assisted with harnesses or slings to avoid any falling or slipping that could set them back.
- Bladder Management (may be needed)7:19
Express the bladder at least two to three times daily in canine and feline rehabilitation to prevent infection, using veterinary guidance while protecting the patient with appropriate diapers.
- Laser Therapy1:54
Learn how therapeutic lasers, including class three cold lasers and class four hot lasers, decrease pain, promote healing, and activate tissue regeneration after surgery in veterinary clinics.
- Cryotherapy (up to 3-5 days)2:16
Cryotherapy is a superficial thermal therapy using ice packs on the incision with a towel for up to 10 minutes to reduce swelling; apply on day 1 every 2–4 hours.
- Thermotherapy (use after Cryotherapy, 5-10 days)3:13
- Massage9:29
Learn a progressive canine and feline rehabilitation massage routine to relieve pain, reduce muscle tension, and improve lymphatic flow through varied techniques, directions, and session guidelines.
- Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
- Stretching4:46
Practice post-surgery stretching to improve joint flexibility and muscle laxity, starting light with warmth and progressing through hip, knee, ankle, and toe movements while repeating 2–5 times and monitoring back.
- Peanut Ball3:43
Use peanut physiotherapy balls to support weight-bearing and reinitiate back leg strength in dogs unable to walk after spinal injury or surgery, with safe, adjustable positioning.
- Standing Sways / Lambada0:47
- Standing in Water0:45
Use standing water exercises to support rehabilitation after spinal injury or surgery, leveraging buoyancy to reduce weight and perform bounces for 10–15 minutes daily or at least three times weekly.
- Weight Shifting / Bearing2:03
Promote weight bearing on the noninjured leg during spinal injury rehab by using short-term cues under the toes, such as gauze, fabric, tape, or a sock.
- Bouncies2:05
- Bladder Management7:19
- Assess Progress and Improvement Daily1:17
Every day, the patient needs to improve a little. It may be challenging for the owners to know what that looks like which is why close contact with your primary veterinarian is important. In our day and age, you can easily send a video of the progress to your clinician. Every day or two, take a small video of your pet doing the same thing , such as walking outside (or trying to walk) and keep this in a file. You can then revisit the progress over the week. In all our spinal patient the mobility is affected by injury in this fashion: first the patient becomes weak and perhaps even wobbly but can walk; then the pet is so weak it cannot walk but still can walk tail or move its legs of his own will power or volition; then that voluntary movement disappears but superficial pain is present (pain when pinching the skin is recognized by crying, turning head towards the painful stimulus, panting, whining, pupils dilating or even biting so watch out); then the last thing to disappear is deep pain which is equivalent to your finger caught in the door (pinching toes with forceps). This disappears last because the fibers that communicate that pain from the toes to the brain are distributed throughout the spinal cord and to affect it all, the entire diameter of the spinal cord has to be damaged. This is the worst and when this happens, the odds of helping is very poor. It is important for owners to watch the recovery in the reverse as described above. As well, when the voluntary movement returns, ability to know when to urinate and defecate returns thus a very good sign. If a patient has deep pain there is a very good chance he will run again in time and rehabilitation is key.
- Massage9:29
Learn canine massage to relieve pain, promote relaxation, and boost lymphatic flow and circulation during rehabilitation after spinal injury or surgery, using stroking, kneading, and pressure techniques.
- Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
- Stretching4:46
Learn canine and feline rehabilitation stretching to improve joint flexibility after surgery, starting light, gradually increasing intensity, with heat, careful joint motion, and 2–5 reps per joint, 1–3 times daily.
- Bouncies2:05
Perform the bounces by gently pushing down on the dog's hips on a non-slip surface. Do not lift; repeat down-and-release for five minutes, twice today.
- Peanut Ball3:43
- Standing Sways / Lambada0:47
Perform a standing sway exercise called lambada to boost leg balance training by gently bouncing while supporting the dog's hips, not bearing weight, engaging multiple receptors for five minutes.
- Standing in Water0:45
Stand in water to perform this exercise, with buoyancy supporting the dog's weight. Keep water mid body to shoulder level in backyard pool, 10-15 minutes daily or three times weekly.
- Weight Shifting / Bearing2:03
Encourage weight shifting after spinal injury by placing a small object under the injured paw to shift load to the other leg, using gauze, tape, or a bootie briefly.
- Swimming (if sutures are out)1:41
- Air Mattress / Cushion Walks1:06
Enhance coordination and balance in spinal injury rehabilitation with cushion and air mattress walks. Start with an air mattress and gradually deflate to increase challenge, practicing five minutes twice daily.
- Bean Bag0:22
Use a beanbag as an exercise to build strength and balance, supporting canine and feline rehabilitation after spinal injury or surgery by guiding your pet to walk on the beanbag.
- Balance Exercises During Walks0:28
- Boogie Board0:46
The boogie board exercise strengthens your pet's muscles in water by standing on a board and gently rocking it, supporting spinal injury/surgery rehabilitation and balance.
- Figure Eights0:32
- Walks on Grass (with sling)4:10
Use slings and walking aids to support the pelvis and promote safe gait training during canine and feline spinal rehab, with grass-first practice and gradual progression.
- Asses Progress With Vet Every Week (Begin Weaning Off Bladder Care)1:17
Every day, the patient needs to improve a little. It may be challenging for the owners to know what that looks like which is why close contact with your primary veterinarian is important. In our day and age, you can easily send a video of the progress to your clinician. Every day or two, take a small video of your pet doing the same thing , such as walking outside (or trying to walk) and keep this in a file. You can then revisit the progress over the week. In all our spinal patient the mobility is affected by injury in this fashion: first the patient becomes weak and perhaps even wobbly but can walk; then the pet is so weak it cannot walk but still can walk tail or move its legs of his own will power or volition; then that voluntary movement disappears but superficial pain is present (pain when pinching the skin is recognized by crying, turning head towards the painful stimulus, panting, whining, pupils dilating or even biting so watch out); then the last thing to disappear is deep pain which is equivalent to your finger caught in the door (pinching toes with forceps). This disappears last because the fibers that communicate that pain from the toes to the brain are distributed throughout the spinal cord and to affect it all, the entire diameter of the spinal cord has to be damaged. This is the worst and when this happens, the odds of helping is very poor. It is important for owners to watch the recovery in the reverse as described above. As well, when the voluntary movement returns, ability to know when to urinate and defecate returns thus a very good sign. If a patient has deep pain there is a very good chance he will run again in time and rehabilitation is key.
- Massage9:29
Massage provides pain relief and promotes healing over multiple sessions for pets with spinal injury or surgery, using stroking, kneading, compression, and lymphatic drainage from distal to proximal.
- Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
Learn passive and active range of motion exercises for dogs to restore pain-free joint movement after injury or surgery, build flexibility and strength, prevent recurrence, and continue post-rehabilitation.
- Stretching4:46
Improve joint flexibility after surgery by stretching the hips, stifle, hawk (ankle), and toes, starting light, warming with massage, and performing 2 to 5 repetitions per joint, 1–3 times daily.
- Back Stretching4:40
Learn back stretching techniques for canine rehabilitation after spinal surgery, started 1-2 weeks post-op, with 2-3 repetitions per side, 2-3 times daily, using hand, foot, or tail cues.
- Bouncies2:05
- Walks (with sling)4:10
- Swimming1:41
Swimming speeds recovery after spinal injury or surgery by boosting muscle and core strength with water resistance and body support; start short sessions in a properly sized life jacket.
- Boogie Board0:46
Guide your pet through the boogie board exercise on water, standing on the board while a helper rocks it side to side like a surfer, engaging multiple muscle groups.
- Air Mattress / Cushion Walks1:06
Promote balance and rehabilitation by guiding dogs through coordination exercises on cushions and an air mattress, then gradually deflate the mattress and repeat for five minutes twice daily.
- Walking in Water0:50
Water therapy reduces reliance on slings by letting the dog move more on its own as the water carries about 60 percent of body weight, improving foot lift and coordination.
- Weight Shifting / Bearing2:03
- Jane Fonda1:28
Demonstrates a Jane Fonda style pet rehabilitation exercise to build abdominal strength and balance by lifting a front leg opposite the back leg, then repeating on both sides daily.
- Sit to Stand1:24
Perform the sit to stand to strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius by standing straight with symmetrical joints; warm up, brace the weaker limb, start at 5–10 reps, twice daily.
- Massage9:29
Engage with massage techniques for canine and feline spinal rehabilitation—stroking, kneading, compression, and lymphatic drainage—to reduce pain and support healing across sessions.
- Pick-Up Sticks0:56
Apply a pick-up sticks variation of cavaletti in canine and feline rehabilitation by dropping poles for the dog to walk over, challenging balance with a garden hose.
- Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
Learn passive and active range of motion techniques to restore pain-free motion and strengthen a dog's limbs after surgery or injury, with guided repetition, frequency, and veterinary guidance.
- Air Mattress / Cushion Walks1:06
Improve coordination and balance during rehabilitation by guiding pets to walk on an air mattress or cushions, progressively deflating the surface for a five-minute session twice daily.
- Stretching4:46
Stretch to improve joint tissue flexibility and keep muscles lax after back surgery; begin gently, avoid overdoing it, and warm up with massage before stretching hips, stifle, hawk, and toes.
- Back Stretching4:40
Learn safe canine back stretching techniques after spinal injury or surgery, including hand-supported, foot-assisted, and tail-assisted methods, with front-to-back and side-to-side motions and controlled repetitions.
- Bean Bag0:22
Use a beanbag to build strength and balance in canine and feline rehabilitation by guiding a pet to walk on it.
- Swimming1:41
Learn how swimming aids recovery after spinal injury or surgery in dogs and cats by using water resistance, body support, and core strengthening, with safety tips and progressive sessions.
- Jane Fonda1:28
Build abdominal strength in pets with the Jane Fonda exercise by balancing in a standing position with leg raises, repeated on each side five times, two to three times daily.
- Boogie Board0:46
- Sit, Beg, Stand1:22
- Underwater Treadmill1:03
- Stairs1:03
Begin stair exercises when the head consistently uses the affected limbs, starting with a few slow steps and using a sling for large dogs to progress to flights.
- Walks (various surfaces)4:10
Explore walks on various surfaces to support the pelvis and build leg strength through slings, belly support, the walk about, booties, and grass first gait training.
- Figure Eights0:32
Guide your canine or feline through a figure-eight pattern around a chosen object, using a treat to direct movement and repeat 6–12 times daily for spinal rehabilitation.
- Walking in Water0:50
- Hills0:45
Walk up and down hills to promote a weight shift, strengthening the core and back-leg muscles. Use small slopes or a ramp and serpentine walking to encourage side-to-side weight shifts.
- Cavalettis2:20
Use cavaletti rails to improve stride length, active range of motion, and proprioception in spinal rehabilitation. Start on ground poles and progress to raised bars with walking to trotting.
- Dancing1:21
Encourage safe weight bearing on the back legs with stair work or a dancing motion, with music to motivate, under vet guidance, using good footing and brief repetitions.
- Ladder Walks0:31
- Massage9:29
- Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
Explore passive and active range of motion techniques for canine and feline rehabilitation after spinal injury or surgery to restore pain-free motion, flexibility, and strength.
- Stretching4:46
Improve your dog's joint flexibility after spinal injury or surgery with gradual stretching, starting light, warming with massage, and performing 2–5 repetitions per joint, 1–3 times daily.
- Back Stretching4:40
Learn safe back-stretching techniques for post-surgery dogs, including hand-behind-front-legs, foot-assisted and tail stretches, with methods for small and large dogs, starting only one to two weeks after surgery.
- Swimming1:41
Swimming accelerates recovery after spinal injury or surgery in canines and felines by leveraging water resistance to intensify movement and support posture, with a focus on leg and core strength.
- Boogie Board0:46
- Cavalettis (move to a trot and increase distance)2:20
- Air Mattress / Cushion Walks1:06
- Bean Bag0:22
Use a beanbag to build strength and balance in canine and feline rehabilitation, guiding your pet to walk on it to enhance stability.
- Walks (various surfaces)4:10
- Walking in Water0:50
- Jane Fonda1:28
Guide your pet through a Jane Fonda style abdominal strengthening exercise, balancing with lifted front and back legs, repeated on each side two to three times daily.
- Sit, Beg, Stand1:22
Sit back stand strengthens the dog's core and abdominal muscles for better back support; begin from a sitting position, then guide it to stand on its back legs.
- Figure Eights0:32
- Hills0:45
Walk up and down hills to encourage weight shifting and strengthen the core. Target back leg muscles with gentle slopes or ramps and serpentine walking.
- Dancing1:21
- Stairs1:03
Begin stair exercises once the affected limbs show consistent use during walks with reduced lameness, starting with a few steps and gradually reaching flights in one to two daily sessions.
- Swimming1:41
- Hills0:45
- Sit, Beg, Stand1:22
Teach the dog to sit, then back on its haunches, and finally stand on the back legs to strengthen core and abdominal muscles for better back support in spinal rehabilitation.
- Stairs1:03
Learn to introduce stair exercises safely to rehabilitate spinal injury or surgery in canines and felines, using slow, controlled climbs to strengthen rear leg extensors and reduce lameness.
- Figure Eights0:32
- Back Stretching4:40
Master back stretching for canine rehabilitation after spinal surgery, using hand-assisted and foot-assisted methods, tail stretches, and front-to-back and side-to-side flexion, started 1–2 weeks after surgery and 2–3 times daily.
- Walks (increase pace to trots and runs)4:10
- Jane Fonda1:28
Demonstrate the Jane Fonda exercise to build your pet’s abdominal strength and balance, repeating on both sides to strengthen core and stability daily.
- Boogie Board0:46
Use the boogie board exercise in water to have the pet stand on the board while gently rocking it side-to-side and front-to-back, promoting muscle engagement and balance during rehabilitation.
- Massage9:29
Learn massage techniques for canine and feline rehab to relieve pain, boost lymphatic drainage, and enhance healing through stroking, kneading, pressure, trigger points, percussion, and varied movements.
- Passive and Active Range of Motion4:57
Apply passive and active range of motion to canine rehabilitation to improve pain-free motion, flexibility, and muscle strength after surgery or injury, with veterinarian guidance and safe progression.
- Stretching4:46
- Back Stretching4:40
Learn safe canine back stretching techniques after spinal surgery, including hand, foot, and tail methods, with 1–2 weeks post-op timing and 2–3 reps per side.
- Swimming1:41
Swimming accelerates recovery after spinal injury or surgery by water resistance and body support, strengthens core, and requires a fitted life jacket plus warm-up massage, rom, and gradual sessions.
- Boogie Board0:46
The boogie board exercise trains your pet to stand on a water board as you rock it, engaging multiple muscle groups to help them stay on the board in water.
- Walks (increase pace to trots and runs)4:10
Explore canine and feline rehabilitation for spinal injury or surgery, using slings and pelvic supports to build strength and advance gait training from walks toward trots.
- Walking in Water0:50
- Cavalettis (move to a trot and increase distance)2:20
Use cavaletti rails, plastic pipes spaced by shoulder width on a surface, to increase stride length, active range of motion, and proprioception while promoting proper walking and avoiding bunny hopping.
- Air Mattress / Cushion Walks1:06
Requirements
- This course is recommended to pet owners who's pets have recently had spinal injuries or back surgery, but may also be used in other instances.
Description
Learn how to safely and effectively rehabilitate your pet from home. This course will help save pet owners some money in helping man's best friend (or a cat) get rehabilitated and back to normal after a spinal injury or surgery! We strongly advise that you consult your veterinarian before using this course for the rehabilitation of your pet. This course does not serve as diagnostics nor guarantees recovery of your pet. It is an aid.
Dr. Chauvet wishes to acknowledge the training and guidance she has received from the Canine Rehabilitation Institute of Wellington, Fla., which has allowed her to integrate successful post-operative rehabilitative care that speeds patients' recoveries and supports ongoing wellness.
Who this course is for:
- This course is targeting pet owners who wish to save some money in at home rehabilitation.