Laurie's Blogs.

 

22
Feb 2015

Bowel & Bladder physio after neuro lesion

Dear Laurie,

I hope you don't mind me contact you but I am struggling to find further information on promoting function of bladder and bowel control in a 3 yr old border collie who had an FCE at T11/T12 occurring 4 months ago. She has regained hind limb motor control and is able to mobilise independently for 35 min. Her bladder and bowel control remain a problem. She continues to receive electro acupuncture weekly from a vet and although her reactivity to the needles occurs increasingly caudally, now well into the sacral region there has been no significant improvement to bladder and bowel control as of yet.

I am just wondering if you utilise or are aware of any physiotherapy techniques used to promote this return to function? she has a home exercise programme with focus on strength and stability in the hindlimbs and does underwater treadmill now once a week. Her owner does tail work with her also but I just want to be sure there is nothing more I can do for such a young dog.

Pain has been much more of an issue in this dog than has been acknowledged for her condition as she is very excitable and constantly over stressing through her thoraco-lumbar junction.

Kind Regards

KD

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Hi KD,

Sorry for my tardy reply!  It's been rather busy lately... 

So, for this dog... sometimes the return of bowel and bladder is a bit of a 'crap shoot'!  (pardon the pun!)

For bowels.  I teach owners the Q-tip trick.  Stick the q-tip in just a wee bit, give it a wiggle or a twirl.  If there is anything sitting in the large intestine... this will get it moving out.  Teaching owner to do this before bed, in the mornings, and after meals.  This should keep the bowels from getting distended and hopefully work out a routine and help the dog to learn as well.

Bladder.  I'd teach the owner to express the bladder (morning, mid-day, evening...) - again so that the bladder doesn't get distended and the stretch reflex gets all buggered up.  Therapy-wise, Check the SIJ's and lumber spine.  I'd try to stimulate the sacral nerve roots - laser, myofascial techniques, acupuncture.  It's a bit difficult to say if it would work with a neuro dog, but I do try to do some 'kegel-type' exercises with a 3-leg stand... poke, pinch, vibrate, e-stim the area below the anus and above the vulva (girl dog) and do a 3-leg stand.  I also think that abdominals help with this as well... so same exercise, but with abdominal stimulation.

And then of course, there is anything that can be done to directly stimulate the spine for circulation, regeneration...  (Traction & mobilizations... maybe even craniosacral therapy)

I hope this helps, and again, my apologies for the delay.

Cheers,

 

Laurie



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