I’m thankful for good canine sports medicine! Back in January I went outside before bed and when I came back in I was limping. My limp didn’t go away, so I went to the vet who could find nothing wrong. For two weeks I took some pain pills but my limp kept coming back. Mom decided to make an appointment for me at TC Animal Rehab & Sports Medicine. It would be a six week wait, but we didn’t have another option. At my exam, I was scared. My tongue hung way out and I was shaking.
Bailie was treated at the same clinic in the summer of 2018. Her injury was more severe than mine and her treatments went on for several months and was different than my plan. For me the best part about this place is the liver treats. Liver treats are my top favorite and they have really good ones like we have at home. When the doctor examined me, the helper constantly fed me treats. No worries, I don’t mind lots of treats, and I don’t have any weight issues to worry about. The treats are kept in this jar next to me.
My doctor measured me all over, my back, legs, you name it, she measured it. I started to think she was going to sew me a new fur coat or something! The conclusion is that my front left elbow is swollen and probably sprained. The infraspinatus and deltoids in my shoulder area are sore because they are compensating for my painful elbow. My limping is intermittent which is a sign that things are not too serious.
The treatment plan is low level cold laser therapy, twice a week for three weeks. After that time we will do x-rays and another exam to see how the tissues are healing. My activities don’t need to be limited during treatment, but I should not do agility or FastCAT, neither of which I do this time of year anyway. Mom and I drive to the clinic, spend about ten minutes and then head home again for each treatment.
A laser provides energy directly to the cells of the targeted tissue. They hold the laser for a specified amount of time on the three spots the doctor decided on. It is not painful, and just gets warm in that spot. The cells absorb the energy which helps them in turn produce more cells to support healing. Laser therapy also helps to reduce pain by altering the signals through pain nerves, reduces inflammation, and improves circulation. My paws are crossed that my injury heals quickly and I can get back to everything I love to do without any pain. Thank goodness for good doggy doctors!