Laurie's Blogs.

 

26
Jan 2014

Advice from members

Hi Laurie,

I'm enjoying watching your videos and reading your articles; I'm glad I signed up for the members access. 

I just watched the video on equipment recommendations. And thought I would share that if anyone is looking for an ultrasound I have found the ITO US-101L very useful. 

I haven't used it on a dog yet, but it is great with horses. I like that it is palm size and the battery is the size of a video camera battery, so very light to carry in the little pouch across your body. I've found it very convenient not having to worry about where to position power cords and a brick size base, like you do with most other 'portable' ultrasounds. It is also handy with the controls being on the handpiece not the base, so if the horse moves you can quickly switch it off. 

Best Wishes,

 A.

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Hi Laurie,

 

I loved the blog about talking to our patients--in addition to telling them that I'm not going to hurt them, I tell them "We're just trying to help you today" and "nothing bad is going to happen here". I always let them check out any equipment that I am using first (on Friday this lovable old chow chow we're treating for cervical pain gently took one of the e-stim pads from me and laid down to start chewing on it--fortunately no current flowing before I could get it out of his mouth!). I tell the animals--and ipso facto the owners--in broad terms what we're trying to do (ie--in the water tread, "I'm gonna make gravity go away a little bit for you so your joints don't hurt as much") and what to expect (I always tell animals in the treadmill "this is the scariest part--the floor is going to start moving underneath you but I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you" before I start the treadmill moving).

 

I let the animals wander around the rehab room while talking to their families first--on initial visits, I ask to hear the animal's story--how long they've known them, where they came from, how they got their names; on visits thereafter, what's been going on at home and anything else the families feel like talking about.

 

Last, I use massage a lot with patients before we "start" rehab--necks, shoulders, paraspinals, gluts/hams/quads, just gentle circulatory and light compression work with the intention of just connecting and reducing anxiety...

 

Yep, definitely a crazy dog and cat lady--

Regards,

 

M



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