"Judy" is a 1 1/2 year old Chihuahua. Judy decided she was going to jump off her parents bed one night, not knowing the consequences. She immediately developed weakness in her hind legs. She was taken to her veterinarian, and within 24 hours, she developed paralysis in both hind legs.

Theoretically, these dogs need surgery within 24 hours, and even then, may only be 20% successful in terms of being able to walk again. Without surgery, this injury will be permanent, and the dog will never walk again. Many of these dogs are eventually euthanized.

However, Judy's owners came to Canine Rehabilitation and Fitness Center of Virginia to see if there was anything that could be done. Dr. Freedman told them that he would be willing to try, although he painted a very guarded prognosis.

Judy's treatment included electrical stimulation (e-stim), proprioceptive neuro-facilitaion, homeopathy, acupuncture, and rehabilitation exercises, such as the wobble board, to strengthen her hind legs. Her owners also worked with her at home, on a daily basis, which helped her very much. After 2 months, Judy was able to get up on her own and walk several feet on a non-slip surface. Now, she is walking around almost as if she was never injured.

"dovie" is a 13 year old Golden Retriever who was presented to us as hit by a car. The owners think she was sleeping under the car and it rolled over her back end. She did get up and walk but was lame on one leg. dovie came in and had some x-rays taken and found that one of her hips was dislocated. She was then taken to surgery to have her hip set back in place. Knowing that recovery wasn't going to be easy, Dr. Freedman set up a rehabilitation plan for dovie.

dovie's rehab plan started out by using the physioball, which is used for balancing, everyday for the first week. She also received ultrasound 1 to 2 times a week and used the wobble board for balancing. She was making great progress so they added in another land exercise, which is ladder walking. By walking the ladder it helps to strengthen the muscles in her legs and hips. dovie is doing much better now and is alot stronger in her legs and hips and has been released from her rehab program.

This is "Jack" and his happy owner. Jack's owner had him out for his afternoon walk when she noticed him wobbling. Suddenly, his right hip gave out and Jack sat down. On a previous day, he had jumped off the couch, which then made the owner wonder if that's how he got injured. Jack was referred to vrcc, for surgery, after Dr. Freedman and his technicians did radiographs (x-rays). At vrcc he was diagnosed with intervertibral disc herniation. Neurologic evaluation revealed diminished voluntary motor function to both rear legs. 

Jack's next stop was Canine Rehabilitation and Fitness Center of Virginia (CRFCV). He and his owner visited with Dr. Freedman and set up a rehabilitation treatment plan. Some of the procedures used on Jack were massage, e-stim and balancing on the wobble board. Jack's owner and himself were also doing exercises at home, which helped immensely.

Jack is now strutting his stuff and is back to his 'ol self!

If you are interested in ways that you can help prevent injuries to your pet's back, you can visit the following website: www.puppystairs.com