Orthopedic challenge

[GinnyW]

My boy Yuji managed somehow to injure his left stifle Saturday, overdoing running his fence line with a little terrier provoking him on the other side. He remained so subdued that I merely thought he was exhausted - initially, no visible limping. The next day the insult was plain to see, as he had obvious pain and reluctance to use the leg. So, two doses of Arnica 10M 12 hours apart, a laser treatment, multiple ice pack treatments, acupressure points, dosing with Acanthopanax (a TCM formula for inflammation), and lots of collagen protein and hyaluronic acid, as well as our usual PEMF device - continued the second day, but no Arnica or laser - third day we lasered again. I was able to contact my wonderful integrative vet, who couldn't think of much else to do, but sent me a link to another great video she had made, which stressed four important points to consider when faced with a stifle injury recovery : rest, ice, weight control, and collagen. Unfortunately I cannot link to the video, but these four points are the whole gist.
Other points made which align with our HA! philosophy are maintaining interest with snuffle mats, lawn hide and seek with bits of food, controlled exercise with limited leash walking, and generally being very positive and not assuming such an injury is the end of the world. So, we're not Been there, done that, with my first dog, poor guy.
So, we have a previously scheduled appointment next week with the vet, and she said that was sufficient, and that what I was doing was all she would have had recommended. He's walking a bit, but still hurts when commencing use. This is certainly not presenting as a complete rupture, but rather a soft-tissue insult. I only posted to show what can be done, how to approach "first aid", and how to encourage the body to do its best in its infinite wisdom.

 

[Dr. Christina]

Thanks so much for posting a great example of use of multiple modalities for acute injury in an already very healthy dog, Ginny.
Ruta may be next remedy.
Dr. Christina

 

[LilF]

My boy Yuji managed somehow to injure his left stifle Saturday, overdoing running his fence line with a little terrier provoking him on the other side. He remained so subdued that I merely thought he was exhausted - initially, no visible limping. The next day the insult was plain to see, as he had obvious pain and reluctance to use the leg. So, two doses of Arnica 10M 12 hours apart, a laser treatment, multiple ice pack treatments, acupressure points, dosing with Acanthopanax (a TCM formula for inflammation), and lots of collagen protein and hyaluronic acid, as well as our usual PEMF device - continued the second day, but no Arnica or laser - third day we lasered again. I was able to contact my wonderful integrative vet, who couldn't think of much else to do, but sent me a link to another great video she had made, which stressed four important points to consider when faced with a stifle injury recovery : rest, ice, weight control, and collagen. Unfortunately I cannot link to the video, but these four points are the whole gist.
Other points made which align with our HA! philosophy are maintaining interest with snuffle mats, lawn hide and seek with bits of food, controlled exercise with limited leash walking, and generally being very positive and not assuming such an injury is the end of the world. So, we're not Been there, done that, with my first dog, poor guy.
So, we have a previously scheduled appointment next week with the vet, and she said that was sufficient, and that what I was doing was all she would have had recommended. He's walking a bit, but still hurts when commencing use. This is certainly not presenting as a complete rupture, but rather a soft-tissue insult. I only posted to show what can be done, how to approach "first aid", and how to encourage the body to do its best in its infinite wisdom.

 

[LilF]

Do you have a medical laser. Are you a doctor? Or do you use a OTC laser for pet parents? Is your PEMF device the Assisi? Your inclinations really paid off.... How old is Yugi? I keep reading over and over people having success when they have an integrative vet on board. I do not have one in my area and rely on bits and pieces of information. I am feeling very challenged right now and feeling sorry for the suffering of my dog due to my relative ignorance of such things. I am flying blind with no guidance and might as well put my dog to sleep because there is nobody in my area to consult or guide me. Ginny, do you know your Yugi does not have a cancer if you are using a laser?. I ceased laser on the dog left because the laser worsened or caused the explosion of hemangiosarcoma in my dog. I hesitate to use the laser now. I wish I could find an integrative vet that could guide me. So laser is a big concern as I have checked with other vets on this and people board certified in laser. Unless I got imaging in my current dog I am not doing these modalities. This morning my dog kind of collapsed when he tried to get up and it scared him. Thanks and congratulations on your good choices.

 

[GinnyW]

Lil, I am not a vet. My laser is a Class 3 device, the strongest a non-practitioner can buy, at 808nm and 300mW, and sold by a vet with specific directions and cautions. My PEMF generator is a total-body, large field device from EarthPulse; we sleep on top of it every night. Yuji is 8 1/2, and quite healthy.
I use the laser to promote healing of various areas on us both; there are no internal issues involved. I can't comment on any issues you may have encountered - except to say that longstanding or well-developed systemic problems often need many different approaches at once, and laser treatments may or may not be indicated as part of the picture.
You are on a steep learning path, but there's no reason why you cannot become more knowledgeable and adept as you experience different resolutions. With a few exceptions, i did not learn much from the vets I consulted in the past; in fact, my first dog was severely compromised by conventional vet care. I now have several vets whom I can trust, but I still always make my own decisions. Thanks to folks like Dr. Jeff, Dr. Christina, my Dr. Finn, my 'human" homeopaths and TCM practitioners, I can jump in and address problems instead of throwing my hands in the air, or doubting the treatment advice I might otherwise be given. You can learn this, too. This sort of knowledge is only one of the wonderful things our animals come to teach us.

 

[GinnyW]

Thanks so much for posting a great example of use of multiple modalities for acute injury in an already very healthy dog, Ginny.
Ruta may be next remedy.
Dr. Christina

Yep, Ruta was going to be it. Worth a try, bound to help some.

 

[tsharlo1]

Another option for a dog recovering from an injury are the Nina Ottoman puzzle toys. They are great for sniffing and mental stimulation.