Trudy's Weight Loss and Rehabilitation Journey

 





Meet Trudy, she is one of the McGee family pets. She is a 6 year old French Bulldog. She shares her house with Roo (12 yr old Pit Bull Terrier), 3 cats (Pitter, Boo, and Holmes), 3 boys (ages 10, 6 ,1.5) and her loving parents. She was adopted by my wife, Dr. Jenny Longbottom, when she was about 5 months old.  She was born with a hiatal hernia which resulted in severe aspiration pneumonia and esophageal ulceration. Surgery was done to repair her hernia and place a feeding tube directly in to her stomach. She was tube fed for over a month while her ulcers healed and her pneumonia resolved.  She completely recovered and has been doing great for the past few years.




Trudy also has another congenital issue that is very common in her breed. She has a orthopedic condition known as medially luxating patellas.


Her patellas or kneecaps slide from the front center of her knees to the inside of her knees occasionally. This creates inflammation and arthritic change in her knees which can cause her intermittent pain. This is a link for more detailed explanation of luxating patellas.
 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2448


Trudy has gained some weight over the past year due to extra snacking from my 1 1/2 year old.  He loves to feed her and it has become a game for them both.  Our busy schedules and this long winter have not allowed us to get the exercise Trudy needs to stay fit.

We use a numeric score to judge an animal's fitness called a Body Condition Score (BCS). This is a scale from 1 to 9, with 5 being ideal, 1 being emaciated, and 9 being obese.  Trudy has a BCS score of 7/9 which means she is overweight.  That extra weight puts added stress on her joints and back.  The added weight also causes her patella to luxate more frequently causing her pain.

 

Weight loss and exercise to strengthen the quadriceps leg muscles will greatly improve her condition.  The underwater treadmill  at Mount Carmel Animal Hospital will help her with those two goals.

Please follow Trudy and cheer her on over the next couple of months as she reaches her weight loss goals and hopefully improves her patellar condition.

If we can help your dog with weight loss or an orthopedic condition please give me or our rehabilitation technicians a call.

Intervertebral disk disease

There are two types of intervertebral disk disease. Type I (Hansen’s) intervertebral disk disease is an acute prolapsed of disk material into the spinal canal. It is most commonly seen in small breed dogs (Dachshunds, Toy Poodles, Beagles, Pekingese, Welsh Corgi, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu and Cocker Spaniels). Because of degeneration of the disk at an early age, we commonly see this disease in patients between 3 and 6 years of age. Type II IVDD is fibroid degeneration of the disk and is seen in older dogs, as it is slowly progressive. It is a disease that progresses at a slow rate and is typically seen in large breed dogs (German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and Doberman Pinschers). Signs are similar to degenerative myelopathy, neoplasia, and diskospondylitis.
Most of these injuries (Type I-IVDD) occur in the region of the spine where the ribs end (thoracolumbar region). This often results in loss of movement in the hindlimbs. Neck injuries (cervical region) are painful but do not typically result in neurologic (nerve) abnormalities. Injuries where the ribs begin (cervico-thoracic junction) and the hips begin (lumbo-sacral junction) have a decreased chance of improvement. If the forelimbs are affected by an injury further back in the spine, it indicates a severe injury and a worse prognosis for recovery. Pain occurs with all of these injuries due to the disk material compressing the spinal nerves.
It is always recommended to see a veterinarian or veterinary neurologist, if you think that an injury has occurred. Dogs can be treated surgically or non-surgically. Most dogs that are able to walk respond well to medical (non-surgical) management. Dogs that cannot walk have >=50% chance of regaining function and it will be an extended recovery period, if they do regain function. Dogs that recover from an acute episode have a 30% chance of recurrence. Medical management consists of strict confinement for 3-4 weeks, followed by a very slow return to exercise. They can also be given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pain medication. Patients with neck injuries should wear harnesses (when walking) for the rest of their life to avoid any jerking motion to the neck. It is also important to be aware of whether or not these patients can express their bladder, or if part of their care requires bladder expression to avoid further complications. Surgery includes cutting through the vertebral bone and removing the disk material. Recovery after surgery may be intensive, requiring bladder expression physiotherapy and encouraging movement by towel walking. Improvement is expected within 1 week of surgery.Rehabilitation of these patients can be essential to recovery/return to use. As mentioned before, it is a very slow progression with medical management. It can take two weeks or more before these patients are ready for the simple act of weight bearing. Some of the methods used to increase strength and regain function in these patients include electrostimulation, cold/hot packs, passive and active exercise, massage, therapeutic ultrasound, laser, and underwater treadmill or swimming. Water has the advantage of decreasing the amount of weight the animal must carry during movement. Movement is encouraged much sooner in patients that have surgery.
Type II-IVDD can also be treated medically or surgically. Medical treatment is not curative and the symptoms will continue to progress, corticosteroids are typically used. Surgery can be used to prevent further degeneration, but because of the chronicity of the disease, we do not expect the animal to return to a pre-disease state. We use rehabilitation therapy in these patients to keep them moving and counteract the muscle loss that occurs during the course of the disease. Rehabilitation can enhance the quality of life in these patients as the disease progresses and maintain mobility for a longer period of time.
On May 7th, I will be doing a presentation at Berner University (Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America's National Specialty meeting). Part of my presentation will focus in on Degenerative Myelopathy, so expect this topic as my next blog! For more info on Berner University, visit www.berneru.org.
Thanks.
Jennifer Gearing, D.V.M.

HART-Weight Loss

This is Dr. Jennifer Gearing, the newest veterinarian on staff at Mount Carmel. I am a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, so was hired on to take over the Hereford Animal Rehabilitation Therapy program that Dr. Sarah Dunleavy started. I have made a few appearances already this year to try and get the word out about this program and have several more coming up. In January, I did a presentation for our staff. February, I went to Gaithersburg to talk to the National Capital Kennel Club. I attended the Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club (NEMKC) AKC sanctioned Breed/Obedience Match in March. The beginning of April, I spoke at the NEMKC meeting about rehab & physical therapy. My next event will be the spring Doxiefest at Divine K-9 in Forest Hill, for more information check out www.c2cdr.org. I am preparing some information specifically about obesity and intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), since these commonly occur in dachshunds.
I have been meaning to blog on our site for some time, to get reliable information out on some diseases that affect our canine and feline patients. I will be focusing on topics that can be treated with physical therapy and rehabilitation. Since, my upcoming event will focus on obesity and IVDD these will be my first topics to blog on.
So, I would like to start with Weight management. About 35% of pets are overweight. Weight management is particularly important in our patients with orthopedic and neurologic problems. Extra weight contributes to the development of musculoskeletal problems and puts more pressure on the diseased joint. Overweight pets are also predisposed to cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus, GI problems, liver impairment, reproductive disorders, complications during anesthesia, skin problems, decreased immune function, and shorter life expectancy.
There are two ways to acheive weight loss: diet and exercise. These two methods of weight loss should be combined whenever possible. Diet refers to a reduction in calories. Our prescription weight loss diets have a lower calorie content per cup and typically an increased fiber content, so the animal feels full even though they are eating a smaller quantity of food. As our patients age their energy (and thereby calorie) requirements decrease and decreased activity further decreases these needs. Exercise increase or initiation can be difficult. With pets that have musculoskeletal disease, sometimes pain medication is necessary to start an exercise program. An exercise program should always be tailored to the individual, if they are not active now, you have to slowly build up. Just like us, the first trip back to the gym after a dormant period is going to result in some muscle soreness, especially if you overdo it! Cats can be especially problematic for getting them to exercise. You have to be creative, favorite toys, laser pointers, or simply putting the food bowl somewhere different and encouraging them to take more trips up and down the stairs. I used to carry my cat downstairs twice a day, just to make her climb the stairs.
We are starting a new dog weight loss program at Mount Carmel Animal Hospital, which Chris Saint is in charge of. So, at your pets next exam, please talk to us about weight loss, we are happy to talk to you about your cats as well (they just might not want to participate in group walks). We have lots of coupons for prescription diets for weight loss. Chris is going to be offering a lunchtime exercise course throughout the week, weekend walks, and underwater treadmill sessions for weight loss. We are hoping to set up a facebook group for participating owners/pets. There will be an initial consultation/evaluation to discuss feeding recommendations and an exercise plan. We do offer a free underwater treadmill session with the purchase of your first bag of prescription weight loss food. There will be monthly weigh ins to assess progress. Chris Saint and I will be attending the March for the Animals (www.mdspca.org) on April 29th , so you can ask us more about the weight loss program and you can ask me any questions about rehabilitation & physical therapy in small animals.I will be blogging again soon about intervertebral disc disease and will let you know about more upcoming events!
Jennifer Gearing, D.V.M., C.C.R.P.

Dr. Steele and her daughter, Dani will be Participating in Tour de Cure

Dr. Steele (second from left), Dani (in light blue jersey in the middle)

Again this year, Dr. Steele and Dani will be riding to raise funds to help find a cure for diabetes. Dr. Steele's family has been touched by this disease and she writes about it on her Tour de Cure page:

"Since Dani's diagnosis, I am aware of those around me that also have to deal with the trials of diabetes. Many of my clients , their children , friends and family have been affected. What can we do to help speed up the research to perhaps cure this disease?

I am lucky that Dani shares my love of bike riding. Two years ago, we rode with a great group of friends from Pittsburgh to DC. This was the start of Dani's love for long distance riding. Since then we have ridden 300 miles in Arizona and are heading to Colorado for a week of riding this summer. We stop every 7-10 miles for a blood glucose check and to eat. Each ride has shown her how she can really regulate her exercise and her blood sugars and maximize her performance. The best part of these rides is the comradrie we have felt and to know that her diabetes has not limited her."

Read more about their trip this summer or if you wish to make a donation, click here:

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TDC101028030?px=5700202&pg=personal&fr_id=6853&et=CnlpaBa-aEdNresTUDSQRA..&s_tafId=292418

And look for pictures and an update from their upcoming trip here this summer.

Winter in the Hereford Zone

This is what winter chores looks like in Freeland, MD. Our technician, Chris, gets help from her horse Kelsey with hauling hay up to the barn. Kelsey pitched in and was a good sport!

We need forever homes!

MIDNIGHT HAS BEEN ADOPTED!!!!
Hi! My name is Midnight and I'm four years old. I'm a neutered boy and my front feet are declawed. I love fishy foods like salmon and tuna. I like to sleep in a box or a large cat bed and can play for hours with a bottle cap. I should really be the only pet in your home because I don't get along with other kitties or dogs. Humans are wonderful though and I would love to lay in your lap and have my head scratched.

We need forever homes!

WEDNESDAY HAS BEEN ADOPTED!

My name is Wednesday. I am a four year old spayed female and I'm up to day with all my vaccinations. I love catnip, lasers and TUNA! I love cat beds or a soft blanket for my beauty rest. I do not have a problem with other cats but I'm terrified of dogs. I enjoyed chasing toy mice and scratching posts. I love to sit on people's shoulders and cuddle. If you scratch my ears I will love you forever!