Hip dysplasia and physical therapy for dogs

Hip dysplais is very common in dogs, in particular in large breeds such as golden retrievers, mastiffs, rotweillers, saint bernards, and labrador retrievers.  Canine hip dysplasia is an orthopedic malformation of the hip joint, which leads to looseness in the joint. This laxity in joints can cause pain  (particularly with hip extension, which is when the dog stretches the leg back hehind him/her and with increased weightbearing, such as when going upstairs).  The laxity often causes increased wear and tear on the joint, which can result in cartilage damage over time.  Arthritis often sets in, and when it does, it can become very painful and result in extreme limping.  A dog may choose to lie around, not want to play fetch as much, and may choose to not go upstairs anymore.  If very severe, the dog may choose to not even use the leg. 

If you see any of these signs, your dog might have hip dysplasia:  decreased activity; difficulty rising after lying down for a while; hind limb lameness or limping; reluctance to use stairs, particularly to go up; reluctance to jump or stand on hind limbs; bunny-hopping gait; a waddling gait; or pain if you try to move the hip/leg back behind in the dog into the motion that is called hip extension. 

If your dog has hip dysplasia, there are a few different surgical options.  But, I have found that physical therapy can make a massive difference in these dogs and in many cases, surgery can be avoided.  When I say "physical therapy" in this case, I am referring primarily to a specific exercise program tailored to your individual dog's needs.  Typically, the exercise program is followed daily or every other day.  But, it really is based on the dog's tolerance - how he/she responds to the exercise type and amount.  If implemented very thoughtfully and carefully by an experienced canine physical therapist, this type of program can be extremely effective. 

The exercise program involves choosing the best type(s) of exercise and slowly increasing the amount, all while "listening" to the dog about how it feels to the hips (both during and after the exercise session).  It also involves regular exercise sessions as opposed to the "weekend warrior" mentality of doing nothing during the week and then a lot on the weekend.  The exercise program, in many cases, can be as simple as starting with a short walk on a leash.  This might be a one minute walk for a very deconditioned, obese, or painful dog.  Or it might be 5-10 minutes for another dog.  It's all dependent on previous activity level, the current conditioning level of the dog, how he/she responds to it, and other factors.  The surface the dog walks on is relevant too.  And almost always, part of the program is to eliminate all of the irritating activities the dog is currently doing that result in pain and inflammation.  Your dog's physical therapist can explain these irritating factors in detail. 

In a nutshell, the pain-inflammation-pain cycle needs to be broken, while also increasing the exercise to strengthen the muscles around the hips.  If we can strengthen those muscles around the hips, that adds stability to the joints and can often be enough to prevent the need for surgery.  But, the muscles need to gain strength via increased exercise and it is necessary to maintain that strength with a maintenance exercise program for life.  The trick is to break the cycle of irritation and find an exercise that works for your dog (without causing further irritation).  Many - I would say, most - dogs can do this by leash walking.  But, for some dogs, the weightbearing is just too painful and causes too much irritation for the joints.  Swimming is an excellent type of exercise for dogs who really need a non-weightbearing form of exercise.  Swimming is actually great for almost all hip dysplasia dogs.  But, my point is that swimming is not always necessary.  Many people do not have access to a place to swim their dogs.  So, just know that in most cases, it is do-able to implement an effective exercise program for dogs with hip dysplasia with walking as the primary form of exercise. 

I often use massage and icing with these dogs too.  Massage because it simply feels good and relaxes the muscles.  And I use ice when the dog shows an increased pain level, which can happen if we do too much exercise too quickly, if the dog gets off leash and runs after that squirrel, if the dog tweaks the hip somehow, etc.  Sometimes when pain and inflammation flare up, we have to begin icing and back off the exercise and then once better, reassess the situation and readjust the type and amount of exercise.  It's definitely a trial and error type of situation - but in my experience, with a commitment to figure it out and follow through with the exercise prescriptions, most dog owners end up happy and so do their dogs! 

I have to say though that dogs tend to do really well with the FHO (femoral head osteotomy) if the pain is just too great and surgery is necessary.  From my experience, extreme care needs to be taken when considering a total hip replacement for your dog.  Different surgeons have different techniques and varying success rates.  So, do your research!  I would just suggest trying the physical therapy/formal exercise program first.  And if it doesn't work out, surgery can be a good second choice.  My 12-year-old golden, Tucker, is still truckin' along and he was diagnosed as a puppy with an extremely severe case of hip dysplasia.  Being an avid tennis ball fetcher made his hips really strong and prevented the need for surgery!  This is actually a good example for us.  He built up to about 10 minutes of running after balls.  That was usually his limit.  If we did more, he got sore.  So, for years, we did 5-10 minutes of running after balls, twice per day.  That is what worked well for him.  But, remember that every dog is different!  A slow 30 minute walk each day may be what works for your dog.  You just don't know until we try different approaches and find something that works.  But, with a great dog owner who is committed to figuring it out and keeping a log to track the exercise and dog's tolerance level, it can usually work out well with just one initial visit, regular contact via phone or email with your physical therapist to make adjustments to the program as needed, and occasional checkups (perhaps weekly for the first month and then less often once a good program is established).  So, it is also a very affordable approach in comparison to surgery!

This is a topic that I could write endlessly about - there really are so many factors to go into the mix, which is why I recommend an experienced canine physical therapist to help you achieve success with your dog! 

Best of luck!  Post comments if you have questions or comments.  Thanks!

Join Physical Therapy for Animals on Facebook!

Hi there!  Join us on Facebook.  It's a brand new page!  Just click on the blue link to the right. 

I look forward to having physical therapists, vets, students, clients, and friends join us for some good discussions about PT for animals.  I'll also be including happy and inspiring stories about animals from time to time, along with other animal-related topics that animal-lovers might enjoy!  WELCOME!

Incorrect information on google search - how to become an animal physical therapist

I'm a little frustrated with what I just found. I did a search on google for "how to become an animal physical therapist" (since that is a question I get asked A LOT!) and the first link that shows up SHOULD be a good link with lots of really helpful information. But, it's loaded with incorrect and useless information. I have to admit, I'm a little upset about it because I have hundreds of children email me who are looking for good information on how to get into this field one day...and this "how to" article is just simply not good information. Here's the link if you want to check it out - maybe if enough of us give it bad reviews, they will take it off the web or change the information.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4798589_become-animal-physical-therapist.html

So, here are the corrections... First, Western University does NOT have a masters program that has anything to do with animal physical therapy. The author of this article was misunderstanding that animal physical therapy (also called canine or equine physical rehabilitation) is very different from the animal rehabilitation that involves helping sick or injured wild animals and then returning them to their natural habitat or zoo.

Second, you can NOT find programs in your area by checking out NaturalHealers.com. All that is there are ads for one school's long-distance programming (which again, has nothing to do with animal physical therapy). It's a scam.

Some real and good information can be found on David Levine's website. He is an excellent physical therapist who has been instrumental in advancing the field of animal physical therapy. His helpful website with lots of good resources can be found at:

http://www.utc.edu/Faculty/David-Levine/Veterinary.HTM/

Also, Lin McGonagle has been instrumental in advancing our field of animal physical therapy as well. She is a fabulous physical therapist and has a GREAT resource manual that you can purchase. I bought her first edition years ago when I first started out in the field and I found it to be tremendously helpful. I highly recommend it! Here is the link:

http://www.morningstaranimalpt.com/manual.htm

Back to the eHow article... There is no state licensing exam for animal physical therapy as of yet. There IS a licensing exam for human physical therapy and veterinary medicine however.

And finally, the rest of the information was just not that useful. Of course you need to gain experience in the field. But the author left out the most important resources.

Here are the links again for the sites I think are most helpful if you are learning about how to enter the field of animal physical therapy:

http://www.utc.edu/Faculty/David-Levine/Veterinary.HTM/
http://www.morningstaranimalpt.com/manual.htm
http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/
http://www.canineequinerehab.com/

The first 2 links are great resources. The second 2 links are the only two professional and respected education programs in the United States for continuing education in animal physical therapy! In a nutshell, get your formal degree in PT or veterinary medicine. Then, take the continuing education courses listed at the websites above (which will involve a short internship experience) and finally, contact the animal rehab centers listed on David's site to see about volunteering or securing a job. He has a great list divided up by regions of the country. You can also find a state-by-state listing on the Handicappedpets.com site. Here's the direct link:

http://handicappedpets.com/www/link-a-resources/pet-rehab-centershealers.html

Hope this helps!

School for Animal Physical Therapy?

In the last post, I outlined the big picture. But, now for some details about how to get trained in animal physical therapy. The 2nd most commonly asked question I am asked is if there are any schools (degree programs) specifically for animal physical therapy. Currently, there are NOT any formal programs at the university degree level. I hope to see a masters program in animal physical therapy created in the near future.

Until then, the best training includes:
1) Being a PT, PTA, vet, or vet tech first
2) Several continuing education courses in animal rehabilitation
3) A lot of self-study (especially anatomy, biomechanics, and gait)
4) Observation with veterinarians and surgeons
5) Hands-on experience in handling animals
6) Hands-on experience in applying PT techniques to the animals
7) Learning about behavior from animal trainers is very helpful too.

The continuing education courses/programs are generally offered to the following professionals: physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians. At the moment, there are two programs (in the United States) that are similar in nature and result in a "certificate" in either canine or equine physical rehabilitation. The programs, in a nutshell, are a series of weekend courses (actually, last time I checked, you could take them in longer chunks, such as 6 days of classes at once as well). Plus, they involve some shadowing of an animal therapist, case studies, and a final exam.

There are 2 primary centers for animal PT (rehabilitation) courses. One is based in Florida and split into canine and equine. The other is based out of Knoxville, TN (affiliated with UT vet school), but they offer courses in various locations. I'll put the links to their websites below so that you may check them out. I entered the profession before the certification programs existed, but I have heard that they are excellent. Best of luck!

Canine Rehabilitation Institute:
http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com

Equine Rehabilitation Institute: http://www.equinerehabilitationinstitute.com/index.html

University of Tennessee Outreach Program
http://www.canineequinerehab.com/

How do you become an animal physical therapist?

This is probably the most-asked question I get from students of all ages and from professionals who are considering a career change. The simple and best answer is to go to human physical therapy school first. There, you will learn the science and art of physical therapy, which is very important to have under your belt! Once a PT student, there are continuing education courses and conferences that you will be able to attend in the field of animal physical therapy. You will learn to apply your solid PT knowledge and skills to animals (dogs, cats, and horses primarily) much more easily this way and be more competent in working with the animals over the long haul.

Alternatively, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are also known to do animal rehabilitation. But, their ground education is in medicine and medical skills, such as drawing blood, listening to the heart, etc. So, if you haven't started out yet, it makes A LOT more sense to go to PT school and learn what you really need to learn (yes, even though it is based on humans - it really does ALL apply to animals as well)! It's easier, in my opinion, to learn the animal-related stuff later (like, how to handle the animals, the slightly different anatomy and physiology, the common conditions and injuries that dogs and horses endure, etc). In my experience, I can tell you that there is A LOT more to learn in physical therapy school than the additional knowledge you'll need to learn to apply that PT knowledge to dogs or other pets.

For those of you wanting a shorter career path and you don't mind working along side a PT or veterinarian, I would suggest becoming either a veterinary technician or a physical therapy assistant (both are usually 2 years at the associate's degree level) and then you can help with physical therapy treatments. The law says that only licensed physical therapists and veterinarians can do the evaluations and prescribe the treatments. So, you'll need to think about if you want to be the diagnostician and treatment developer or if you just want to spend your time with animals and don't mind carrying out the treatments that your boss designs.

It's a great field -- very fun and very rewarding -- wishing you all the best as you move toward doing animal physical therapy yourself!

Let's Grow Our Community...

Hi everyone! Yes, I realize "everyone" is a grand total of ZERO people at the moment! :) But, I trust that as I start writing regular blog entries, you animal lovers out there looking for more information about physical therapy will begin to find this blog. So, when you come across it at long last, let me know! I'll be so happy to hear that you were here and we can start chatting about lots of fun stuff about this field of canine and animal physical therapy that I love so much! I'm going to do my best to write regular blogs with helpful information for everyone out there. I have received thousands of information requests via email and I just can't keep up with it and answer them all. But, I really want to help everyone with their questions and I apologize if I did not respond to one of your emails. To rectify this dilemna, I'm hoping to answer all of the FAQs here on this blog. And we can expand on the questions and answers in a forum type conversation. You'll just need to become a "follower" of the blog and leave a comment/question. I'm excited to see where this goes... My goal of all goals, as it always will be, is to help as many animals as possible! My new rescue dog (my son named her "Happy") is barking and wanting some attention, so I'm off to give her some love. Sending love to all the dogs!......Julie