Alfie

Horses to Hounds Physiotherapy Becky Black BSc (Hons) AdvCertVPhys MIRVAP Signalment Name of Animal Alfie Breed/Type Golden Retreiver Age - Gender Male Use Pet Medical History Previous injury - Treatment and Referral Maintenance Medications - Subjective Owner would like Alfie to have a check for maintenance and see if there is anything in his routine that may help him as he ages. Objective- Gait and Palpation Walk Straight movement in the forelimbs and good rhythm in the walk. The hindlimbs are slower to flex and have a longer stance phase especially the right hindlimb. The spine curves slightly to the left and slightly more weight is placed down the right forelimb and left hindlimb. The left hind moves laterally during stance. Trot n/a Palpation Slight Hypotrophy over quadriceps and gluteals in the right hindlimb but not marked. Some hypertonicity in the long head of triceps on the right and in the pectorals on this side. Again nothing marked. A mass was palpated surrounding the right pectoral and was advised this was being monitored by the owners. Other Alfie can manage stairs up and down well and is active on his walks. A muzzle was required. Objective-Range Of Motion Alfie has a good range of motion in his back, neck and all four legs. He does have some restrictions in the forelimbs due to muscular tension, and in the hindlimbs possibly due to some arthritic changes. He did not fully extend the hindlimbs suggesting some pain may be present in the hip or lumbar spine. However this is expected in a dog of his age and does not cause any issues in his daily routine. Problem list • Slight Hypotrophy right hind-limb • Hypertrophic shoulder • Slight Restricted hind-limb extension •Mass on right forelimb Goals To relax the compensations in the shoulder, to stimulate more use of the right hindlimb and to monitor the mass. Physiotherapy Treatment Plan Alfie received pulsating magnetic therapy to his hind-limbs on a vasodilation setting to act to warm the muscles and provide some relief and mobilise the joints. Range of motion was used to circulate joint fluid and increase proprioception. Massage was done to the triceps to alleviate tension in the forelimbs. Stimulatory massage was done to the gluteals to increase awareness and promote muscle tone. Overall Alfie is coping well and able to locomote with ease. The right hind-limb is looking to be slightly weaker and if compensations are addressed through grooming over the shoulders and applying heat pads to his bed on colder days this will help a lot. Owners are to monitor his gait when on walks and if a toe drag or changes to his ability are seen, more intervention will be needed.