31 in 31 #22 more about in-home recuperation

31 in 31 – More thinking About In-Home recuperation services

This blog looks at in-home recuperation from the point of view of the dog or cat owner. What does the dog owner needs to do after say cruciate (knee) surgery. One excellent protocol suggests a 9-12 commitment which goes something like this: Prepare the house for restricted movement, avoid jumping or stairs. Use a harness or belly support for lifting the dog. Already, this is not so easy to actually accomplish. For the week following surgery notice if there is abnormal swelling, bruising discharge, bleeding and discomfort that needs veterinary assistance. Weeks 1-3 involve massage, passive range of motion, short and controlled leash walks, cold therapy, and moist heat all in a thoughtful sequence. For example, the recommendation for week 1 is to do gentle massage for 5-10 minutes 3 or 4 times a day. Similar with passive range of motion and short controlled walks. If the owner has a job, doing these different activities several times of day is probably not going to happen. This may lead to owner frustration as well as delayed recovery for the dog. Weeks 4-6 move to longer walks, determining when to level off with massage (if at all) and more complicated exercises such as figure eights and stair work. For anyone who has participated in the recovery and healing process of their pet, you will know how challenging all of this can be. My in-home visits would accomplish several goals at once. We would go through the protocol in detail, at least for that day. At the beginning, we would observe together if anything appeared abnormal and needed veterinary care. I would teach the owner basic massage and range of motion techniques. Perhaps most important is that I would be a support, both emotional and practical, for the many week / month challenge of helping their pet recover.