Dogs get injured too

It’s a little known fact that before I became a Physiotherapist I was a Veterinary Technician. In fact, I became inspired to pursue a profession in Physiotherapy after observing the fantastic work, and positive outcomes that veterinarian Dr. Caroline Dahlen was consistently getting with her patients at Western Veterinary Specialists. I was ecstatic to see that when two patients underwent the same procedures, those patients that received Physiotherapy with Dr. Dahlen were routinely having better outcomes and long-term recovery. If was convinced that rehabilitation had to be beneficial and not placebo if dogs and cats were experiencing better recovery! I was convinced that I would follow in Dr. Dahlen’s footsteps until I participated in several placements in the course of my Master’s and discovered I loved two-legged animals (humans) as much as four-legged animals.

On July 15, 2018 our beloved dog Cypress went acutely paralyzed in her back hind legs. In the span of 15 minutes she went from running a playing in the backyard to being unable to walk. We rushed her to Western Veterinary Specialists were she received an MRI to determine that cause of the paralysis. The imagining revealed that a lumbar spinal disc had ruptured causing pressure and inflammation of her spinal nerves. She had emergency spinal surgery to remove the disc and relieve the pressure. Thanks to the incredible veterinarians, technicians and assistants at Western (and pet insurance) our girl had a chance!

Cypress 1 day post operation to remove her ruptured disc

But surgery was not enough. In an ironic twist of fate Cypress required hours and days and months of physiotherapy. She had an incredibly long road to recovery that demanded consistent home exercises and follow-up appointments for intervention with a knowledgeable physiotherapist. (sound familiar?) She would make some improvement, and then regress for no explainable reason. We got frustrated, hopeful, doubtful and encouraged. As with any recovery process her trajectory was not linear, but overall she made progress.

Cypress doing her exercises at home with mama and papa

All the hard work paid off! Today our girl is running the trails in Bowmont Park, dashing through mountain forests, and swimming the icy rivers and oceans. Every time I see Cypress run wide open I give thanks for my former colleagues at Western, my physiotherapy profession and the innate resilience of the body.