Laurie's Blogs.

Hi Laurie,

So, it is times like this that I wish I lived there or you lived here...I have a pooch that I’m fostering.   He’s a 1-2 year old boxer that was dumped over a fence into a locked school-yard with a previously (estimating at least 7 weeks prior) broken femur at the hip. Despite all of this, he wagged his tail at the humane society officer that picked him up and he wagged his little tail here when people came to pet him. 

 Anyhoo...I offered to do rehab for him after he had surgery.  He had an FHO 15 days ago and he is now weight bearing provided you go slowly. But the atrophy of his leg is pretty severe, as you can imagine him NWB for that long.  I’ve been working on the range of his hip needless to say, and of his hock because it was pretty stiff from just hanging there for so long. I’m also trying NMES to get some muscle action going, but I just want to do right by this guy so I’d love your thoughts.  

KL

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Hey there!  Nice to hear from you! 

Off the top of my head, I would also work on some form of pain management / pain control (not to say that he still has the pain, but rather to correct the misinformation / mis-inputting of pain from that fractured femur that had been hanging out there for 7+ weeks before surgery).  I’d do TENS or your EMS (for the pain relieving benefits) BEFORE you do the UWT. Glutes especially. 

I’d laser the Lumbar Spine nerve roots as well as around the hip - for pain relief BEFORE exercising as well.

 I imagine that you are going to have to trick him into using the leg:

Circle walking with the affected leg on the inside.  Cookies to the opposite hip.  Side stepping towards the affected side.  Maybe tug of war (if he engages the leg).  Tightly vetwrap the good hind foot and walk him slowly around the hospital.  Sit practice (on a stool or something) for the hock range.  Tummy rub stretches into hip extension (after exercise I would think.... same goes for the sit practice). 

I hope that this sort of gets you started on the right path. 

Cheers,

Laurie